Core Convictions

[Implosion]

Chapter 2: Where humanity goes to die.
832 A.S.Unknown system

Jack was getting nervous, he hasn't felt this way in a long while. Simultaneously, he felt alive again. The fact that he could be dead in a few hours really made him feel alive once again. In recent years, his existence was reduced to mostly bureaucracy. But with the Illustrious blazing through hyperspace, he felt free. Just as that thought was starting to sink in, all kinds of alarms began blaring in the CIC. The ship violently shook and the metal screamed under the massive strain. Several consoles got overloaded and simple exploded in a flurry of sparks and fire. Then suddenly, the repurposed Liberty Dreadnought went out of hyperspace, much sooner that it should have.

"Strix, what the hell is going on?! Where the hell ar..."

He was abruptly interrupted by an APM Bison wiping itself out in the aft of the ship. The Epona had also emerged from hyperspace a few hundred meters from the Illustrious, but it's captain managed to steer it clear from the Dreadnought.

"...holy...STRIX! Status report!"

"There has been an anomaly with our drives, Mr. Daniels. We've emerged in an unknown location, but it appears to be enemy free."

"Not ideal, not at all...how's the rest of the fleet?"

"We're down to seventy percent of our original numbers. A few transports, have not reported in so far. We're categorized them as missing in action. Most likely destroyed. We have the operational capacity to begin the procedure, however."

Daniels unbuckled the himself from the chair, stood up and adjusted his tie.

"Good. Good. Signal the rest of the fleet. I want all fighters launched. Secure the area and set up a perimeter. Patch me in to the captain of the Epona"

"Done, you're live, Guildmaster."

The holo table lit up and the face of a man dressed in military uniform appeared. The situation on the Epona wasn't any better. A few lifeless bodies could be seen in the background, as well as crew members frantically trying to put all the fires on the Mako's bridge.

"Report, Captain."

"Guildmaster, we've have suffered heavy casualties. We've lost life support in several sections and we've a gaping hole precisely where our Hyperspace drive used to reside. I'm afraid we're stranded here. We're rerouted power to weapons and shielding, as we assumed this was a premeditated attack. I'm glad we were wrong. What are your orders, Daniels?"

"Proceed as planned. Bring the Epona towards the Illustrious so we can moor both ship. We'll extended the docking tubes and connect the power relays. Shut down all non-essential systems. We're going to need all the juice we can get from your reactor."

"With all due respect, Guildmaster, we're not entirely confident in the integrity of our hull...this could go wro..."

"Objection noted, captain. Proceed. As. Planned."

"Yes sir."

The holo went dark and Daniels moved towards one of the windows. He crossed his arms behind his back and stared out into the empty. They have ended up in a cold, blue icy nebula.

"What the hell is this place any...what the hell kinda luck do I have? Everything always ends up in a clusterfrak. Hell, all that time ago in Liberty, getting hunted by the police and mercs, being shot down...getting hooked on Cardamine. Accident after accident. Oh well, would've been fun otherwise."

Daniels was once again interrupted, this time by Strix.

"Guildmaster, the Epona has successfully moored with us. We're connected and able to draw power from them. Everything seems to be in order. We may begin with the procedure."

"Excellent. The time has come."

Daniels took off his blazer neatly folded it and left it on the chair. He turned around and left the CIC. As he walked through the narrow corridors, he had a few last questions for Strix.

"Tell me, Strix... my body is currently almost entirely cybernetic. Every limb, almost every organ...everything is not original. When the process is complete, would I be able to...control my own body and sustain it?"

"In theory, you should be able to do just that. Although, it is highly illogical to stick to such a fragile vessel, with the right control software, your body will survive, even when not under your control. When not in use, it will be left in a vegetative state, a coma."

"I'm not expecting a machine to understand the value of a human body, even one so heavily modified. Then again...I would become a machine, just like you...hah..."

Daniels laughed at the thought of that. Somehow, he found it funny.

"Humor not detected. Are you sure you are okay, Mr. Daniels?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Daniels entered the laboratory and headed for the "operating table". The cradle, as the tech called it. He lied down and looked around.

"Huh, no wires? I was expecting wires..."

"Mr Daniels, we do not live in the stone age. Wires are ineffective. Are you ready to begin the procedure?"

"What do you mean wires are ineffective? Since when? Superconductors exist for a reason, Strix!"

"Guildmaster, Superconductors have nothing to do with this procedure. Remember, we're connected through a complicated QEC array. Are you ready to begin the procedure?"

"Aren't you a showboat. Hah. So...will I be awake through the whole thing?"

"The transfer itself will take several hours. You will be out for most of that time, but during the final stages, you will be online. Are you ready to begin the procedure?"

"Wait, wait, wait...what do you mean online in the last stages? How does that work?"

"It is simple, Mr. Daniels. First, when the neural cortex is activated,you will "wake up". Data will continue to flow after this moment, shaping your personality algorithm. It will be the equivalent of growing up. Only, it will happen in a very short time. Are you ready to..."

"Yeah, I'm ready damn it."

"Affirmative. Procedure starting. Personality extraction commencing."

"Hey, would it hu...."

Daniels couldn't finish his sentence. For the third time, he was rudely interrupted. This time, by a crippling dose of pain. His head felt like it would implode. Jack had never felt such intense pain in his life. It was as if a million white hot needles pierced his brain at once. He tried to move, but it was futile. His cybernetics were disabled. The lights began to flicker under the strain of the equipment. Massive amounts of energy were diverted to the Illustrious. Luckily, the newly installed cooling systems handled the excessive heat. The situation on the Epona wasn't as peachy, however. The crew as forced to shut everything down, except for life support. It's reactor was dangerously close to a meltdown. However, the Captain ordered his men to keep the ships connected. As the pain intensified, Daniels tried to scream and to his surprise, he actually did. His joy was short lived, however, as moments later, everything faded to black as he passed out.

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