Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 4: The Manifesto

Commander Wroth

The doorway slowly retracted and sealed itself once the last of the landing party touched the surface of Gaill Prime. Slowly, the Curiosity rose until it was above the clouds. Unlike others, Wroth did not brace. Instead, he waited, standing like a pillar, as the Curiosity's boosters activated, propelling the ship back into orbit. Some men looked sick; others blacked out. Wroth stood steadfast, only reaching for something to hold on to during the brief moment of zero-g the ship experienced after leaving the atmosphere.

Wroth then began his patrol, taking the elevator up from the cargo bay to the upper decks. Slowly, the Orc moved through the hallways, studying the crew and noting their behaviour and efficiency. Onboard the Curiosity, there was little for him to do other than patrol the ship or waste time on the bridge. Wroth shared the Captain's sentiment that one day, the diverse powder keg of a crew might explode into brawls or worse.

He started at the top, the Communications Deck, and made his way down to the Mess Hall. He moved slowly, studying almost every room of importance, making sure that the crewmembers were not actively trying to kill each other or stir up any trouble. To his disappointment and others' relief, the upper decks were peaceful.

He made his way to the Combat Deck. It was in the ship's centre. Here, his soldiers gathered for training. There were 3500 souls onboard the Curiosity, 600 of whom were soldiers. His soldiers. They were formed out of three independent companies. Razor Company was the smallest, specialising in scout recon activities. That made them ideal for accompanying the explorers. It always struck Wroth as odd that their leader was a Shain. If the race did not demand such respect from others, he would have ordered one of the humans to lead Razor instead of Losain. The other companies were Erothh and Grisom.

Erothh Company had 50 members, all trained in Ship-to-Ship combat. Their job was to use the Curiosity's vast array of weapons to repel any attackers, from point defence turrets to torpedoes and, most importantly, the Rail Gun. Rail Guns of this design were made on the world of Magnavar. The homeworld of the Orcs. Wroth's home. As such, he always ensured that the members of Erothh kept detailed maintenance reports and that any potential repairs must be made by technicians and engineers instead of those infernal Goblins. Wroth made his rounds, inspecting Erothh's barracks, armouries and then the weapon control suite.

The control suite was in the very centre of the Unbroken Curiosity. It was, without a doubt, the most secure area onboard. Not only was it guarded by members of Grisom, but its location meant it was protected from any external threats. The room was not as large as the bridge. In its centre was a holographic table projecting a mock-up of Gaill Prime. Around the room's walls, consoles showed various numbers and information related to the ship's weapons. Another console acted like a radar, continuously searching for radio waves while the ladar searched for ships or other foreign objects that might endanger the ship.

At each console, a member of Erothh sat, working. Wroth studied the room, his soldiers, and their work, ensuring everything was running smoothly. It was a young elf that noticed him. His hair was blue and cut short, his pointed ears clearly visible. He wore blue clothes, the colour of Erothh. He saluted. "Commander." The others in the room rose and mimicked the elf.

"At ease." In unison, everyone returned to their work except the elf. His name was Aryron Al'Thiel, leader of Erothh company. "Status report." Wroth waited.

"Everything is running smooth, Commander." Aryron began. "No signs of any hostile ships. Weapons have been calibrated. Rail Gun at 100%, according to readouts."

"Boarding parties ready?" Wroth asked. Aryron gave a confused look.

"Are we expecting trouble, sir?"