Utopia War

Chapter 14 - Exigency (ii)

TheBestAtJumping, who was indeed enormous, appeared as a tiny speck beside the spinning cylindrical construct. The cylinder was alive in the electromagnetic spectrum, a sparkling cityscape of lights.

"There I am," said the avatar.

The massive construct loomed ever larger as the dolphin ship approached to dock. It hung in space a few hundred thousand kilometers above the atmosphere of the Proxima Ring, from the perspective of those on the ring.

"I've established a physical location for our group for the sake of secrecy," explained the avatar "It wouldn't be prudent to rely overmuch on signal chatter."

"Not the most inconspicuous location for your secret base," observed Mac.

"We can't very well defend Proxima if we're not within rapid response range. In any event as far as I am aware there is no one ringside who has any rational basis to suspect there is, indeed, a 'secret base' in the vicinity. Hiding in plain sight should more than suffice for our purposes."

"Why does this all have to be secret anyway?" asked TheBestAtJumping "This seems like a whole lot of pomp and circumstance over nothing."

"The consensus was concerned that the people involved in this project might become glorified otherwise if all goes according to plan," said the avatar

Everyone aboard chose that exact moment to stew in silence. This was broken several moments later by the pleasant little mental chirp of an incoming message.

<Greetings unknown vessel. This is Consensus Starship Wizard Inculpable.2.2.9.>

The source of the signal was a fat little silver ship, shaped like a flattened egg.

<Hey there Wizard,> said TheBestAtJumping <I'm TheBestAtJumping, do you want to race?>

<I don't see what the purpose of that would be,> replied Wizard.

<The purpose is friendship building,> chimed in another voice, broadcasting widely to everyone already in on the conversation <We're racing. I'm Rover by the way, fantastic to meet you TheBestAtJumping. We were told to expect you.>

<I also exist,> offered Mac.

<Only just barely,> said TheBestAtJumping <Now shut up I think they're going to race.>

<If racing would improve the efficiency of one or more of our new team mates then I have no objection to the activity,> said Wizard.

<Yes!> exclaimed TheBestAtJumping, taking great pains to yell telepathically <I can feel myself becoming more efficient as we speak.>

<I cannot but express skepticism at the premise that you have the ability to assess your own efficiency at that level of precision,> replied Wizard.

<Wizard can be obtuse but he's great fun once you get to know him,> said Rover.

<Do not give a false impression of me, Rover,> said Wizard <You have created an unrealistic expectation for fun.>

* * *

They raced. Twice. TheBestAtJumping and Mac won both times although TheBestAtJumping took most of the credit.

Once that was settled the group finally docked with the space station and came aboard. TheBestAtJumping launched a little probe, not at all dissimilar from a floating disembodied dolphin head, to be his representative.

"I'll give you the tour," said the avatar "I think you'll appreciate what we're doing here a bit better once you've met some of the team."

"I'm already fond of this Rover person," said the probe, in a pitch-perfect copy of TheBestAtJumping's voice.

"Rover's a guard dog, and Wizard Inculpable.2.2.9 is third generation starship," said the avatar "I'm gathering some of the best starship teams Proxima has ever produced."

Mac nudged the probe with his elbow, and it nudged him back with a small force field. The avatar smiled.

"I see you've made up your minds," she said.

"I hate avatars," said the probe.

"You win," said Mac "We're your puppets. So let's meet our fellow pawns."