Flesh and Steel

[Nepotu]

***

The constant, low hum of the Eisenfaust's primary drives was a familiar presence, a deep vibration that resonated through the deck plates beneath my feet. My name is Rolf, and I'm an engineer for Dauman. My job involves keeping the immense machinery of our transport vessels running, a critical but often unacknowledged part of the Rheinland's supply lines. Today, that meant ensuring a shipment of combat crafts reached the Elbe Border Fortress.

From the observation deck in the upper cargo bay, I watched the final stages of loading at the Oder Shipyard. Below, the hangar buzzed with activity. Two Valkyrie fighters were carefully guided into their forward berths. They were followed by three Banshees, their weapon hardpoints still empty but ready. These ships were brand-new, fresh from the fabrication lines.

"Engineer Rolf, cargo bay integrity check complete?" Lieutenant Richter's voice came through my comm. Richter, our navigation officer, was precise and thorough.

"Confirmed, Lieutenant. All bays sealed. Structural integrity fields are active, and the cargo clamps show green across the board," I reported, my gaze sweeping over the console readouts one last time.

"Understood. Bridge has departure clearance. Prepare for undocking in T-minus two minutes."

A subtle tremor ran through the Eisenfaust as the mooring clamps disengaged. We drifted slowly away from the shipyard's massive docking arms. Then came the deep rumble of our thrusters, pushing us clear of New Berlin's planet orbital traffic. We navigated the trade lanes for a while, then the vessel shivered slightly as the jump gate engaged. The external view dissolved into a tunnel of streaking light as we jumped from the New Berlin system into the Stuttgart system. After traversing Stuttgart, we made another jump, this time entering Omega-7.

The journey was uneventful. For an engineer on a transport, that was the best kind of journey. My routine was a steady cycle of checks and maintenance. I spent hours in the main engineering section, monitoring energy flow, recalibrating the coolant systems, and inspecting the conduits that snaked through the ship's bulkheads. The deep pulse of the fusion reactors filled the air, a constant reminder of the immense power contained within. My hands knew the feel of every control panel, the precise tension of every power coupling. I checked the readouts for anomalies, listened for unusual vibrations, and made minor adjustments to keep everything operating at peak efficiency.

The days blurred into a monotonous rhythm of work and short breaks. We passed through several jump gates, each transition a brief, brilliant flash followed by the return to the endless dark between stars. There was little conversation outside of official comms. My focus was always on the ship's internal systems, the endless data streams that told me the Eisenfaust is holding steady. Delivering these new fighters and picking up the damaged ones was a straightforward task, a routine logistical run.

After what felt like a long stretch of quiet, the captain's voice broke through the ship-wide comm system. "Attention all personnel. We are now in range of the Elbe Border Fortress. Prepare for docking procedures. Engineering, stand by to redirect power to forward docking clamps."

I felt the familiar, gentle shift as the Eisenfaust began its final approach. The mission was almost complete. Time to get ready for the exchange.

***

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