A Matter of Balance

[Ophiuchi]

Halfway across the Dublin system Reggie fell into a fitful doze.

The combination of nervous exhaustion and the painkillers he had been given at Canaria Med had finally managed to release Reggie from whatever demons had been tormenting his thoughts.

Sophie had interfaced with the Griffin's Navcomp, and manually inititated the jump into the desolate Chester system. "She" had quickly integrated their course and speed, deducing that they would arrive at Belfast a good three hours before Hope's would open its' doors.

The Fnordette squirted a command to kill the ship's main engine, and the "Warbucks" dropped to just under thruster speed, moving slowly towards the jump hole to Newcastle.

*Let the poor bugger sleep..*

Reggie had not contributed anything further about her "mission" after lift-off from Port Canaria. She had "assumed" that he was still "processing" whatever events had prompted this sudden journey, and hadn't pressed him for more details.

However, that didn't prevent Sophie's own programs from interpolating and extrapolating what she "knew".

1) Gravitational forces might be involved;
2) A "trip to Gallia" had been mentioned;
3) Their destination was the Belfast facility;
4) A Waverly LLC property on Belfast had recently been sold;
5) The buyers were rumored to be a mysterious Order with ties to the Maquis in Dauphine;
6) The Dauphine system contained an anomaly of unknown origin and purpose.

Sophie outputted the "what", "where", and "when" within microseconds.

The "how" obviously involved a virtually indestructible, self-propelled sentient "globe" with full-spectrum sensors, and processing power that left most computers in the dust..

That left only the "why".

*Why indeed..* Sophie mused, as the Warbucks drifted slowly towards the Newcastle hole.

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<span style="color:#339999">Reg Waverly * Moira &quot;Kentigearan&quot; Waverly * Fnordette Sophie Noir</span>



<span style="color:#66CCCC">Sophie's on the Square * Veranda Incognita</span>