Coeus?

Chapter 19: ~Launch.~

The Forge is currently located on Mercury. It's a collection of several large rotating cylinders. Each with a radius of five kilometres and a length of twenty kilometres. Their number is steadily increasing with the population. The colonists who built The Forge are creating their habitats by pulling asteroids with high contents of metal close to the sun and spinning them into the desired shape.

The Forge is the biggest known shipyard complex with over two hundred docks.

-Colonies of Sol

***Mercury, The Forge Shipyard Main Complex***

***Gideon***

I lean back in my chair and watch in silent anticipation as the last tests are conducted on my personal spaceship. It's docked inside the main complex of Paul's company, which is a huge cylinder.

Normally the living habitats are rotating to create cheap gravity, but this one is stopped to make building ships and reactors easier.

My ship is held in place by huge clamps, and behind it is the sun bigger than I would've ever have imagined it. The sun looks three times larger and six times brighter than watching it from Earth. Luckily the protective barrier around the habitat lets enough light through to allow a nice look at it. If it didn't block most of the radiation we would be toast.

Against my assumptions I was able to end my education as a pilot at the age of twenty-two. I would have never imagined that the practical part consists of just a few months of flying shuttles. But the rest of the time made me feel like flying a spaceship consists only of solving equations. At least I wasn't disturbed in my studies and so I managed to ace the school's tests.

The Revelation Wing didn't manage to launch any more attacks against me or my family.

I don't know what Ed did, but after the last attack the faceless swarmed through Aether like angry ants. Supposedly because Crono was damaged. I didn't know that the sprite had human rights and was counted as a faceless on top of that.

What an ugly thing, Paul comments from behind me, and I turn around. He walks around the rows of chairs inside the observation lounge. It's hard to believe that a brilliant mind like yours would design something like this as a personal yacht. I hope you continue working for us after you fulfilled your dream.

I don't understand what you mean. Yes, I admit that the ship doesn't look very special. The hull is shaped like a tear and the spherical part has a radius of a hundred metres. The cone which is attached to it stretches the ship to a length of six hundred metres.

The plating of the hull is adaptive armour, the latest invention on the market. Currently it's configured to look like brass which gives the whole ship an expensive look. Of course it doesn't just look expensive, it is. I poured a sizeable amount of my capital into it.

Oh, I don't know. Paul shrugs his shoulders. It looks bland. The other rich people who can afford building their own design always choose something futuristic. Like from the Sci-Fi movies from Earth. Why didn't you build the Enterprise? It's a popular model.

My head snaps towards him. You mean there are really idiots who would go for a completely non-functional design like that? No, I went purely for functionality. If I ever run across a fake Enterprise or Romulan Warbird I'll blast them out of the sky without hesitation.

Paul tilts his head. The dimensions of the ship don't really matter with our gravitational drives. So why a tear? And can you even build a teleportation bubble around it? It's huge.

It would be easy enough. And yes, it can teleport. The math adds up. You can shape the bubble into a tear by manipulating the spell a little. And incidentally that's also the best shape for long range teleportation.

I chose a tear because the structure can withstand the gravitational forces better. So that means the thick end is the front which is falling towards the gravitational anomaly.

But at the same time I've the needed length to install some of the bigger equipment.

Paul nods slowly. So why did you place the pilot chamber so deep inside the ship? There aren't even any windows. I thought you wanted to take a look at the solar system's sights with a nice, big window?

I shake my head once more. Again that's because of functionality! Who in his right mind would place the bridge of a spaceship at the hull? A single stray asteroid without proper shields and you are a goner. No, the bridge, life support and fusion reactors are all as deep within the ship as possible. I even added extra armour around those sections.

In addition, I designed the innards to be modular. The ship's interior can be reconfigured according to my current needs. And while I am on my way to the belt, the automatic manufacturing plant will make me some things which I am officially not allowed to have.

He smirks at me. So what about your family? Aren't they going to have a farewell party?

I snort. Please spare me. We already partied for three days and nights. They've already headed home. Maybe I'll visit them once a month when I make a stop at a big colony.

Paul's eyes widen. You plan to teleport the ship that often? That's costly!

No, I'll use the official connection when I make a stop at the big colonies. The ship stays parked at a dock, I answer. I've designed the energy banks with a lot of capacity left, but teleporting on a regular basis will reduce the lifespan of the fusion reactors drastically and there is also the issue with fuel. I would have to spend a lot of my time on repairs.

Yes, the reactors. Aren't there a few too many of them? Ten is overdoing it, even for a ship of that size, Paul gestures at the ship. And have you found a name yet?

What else can I say, other than that I like redundancy. And as for the name, I thought about 'Modular I'. Because of the modular innards, I muse.

No, Paul answers, refusing flat-out.

So it's no good. Strange. My family was also against it. What do you think about the Redundancy? Bec-

No.

Then the Adaptive!

But Paul shoots me down once more. No! Come up with something unique that doesn't reveal everything about the ship!

What do you think about the Coeus? It's the titan of intellect and knowledge, so the name fits the ship's purpose because it was built out of pure curiosity. You used only the latest technologies in its design. A faceless enters the observation lounge with a stack of papers in his hands.

Ed, what are you doing here!? I call out in surprise. Do the faceless have their nose in everything? Did something happen? But I admit that the name seems to fit. You have talent in naming things. Maybe I'll use it.

Ed chuckles. I was just curious about what you needed a warship for. There are regulations, you know? A fully automated vessel of that size isn't allowed to carry that much firepower. He waves the blueprints of my ship in front of my nose.

I don't know what you are talking about? Firepower? I've only a few grade one lasers against asteroids and a single torpedo launcher. I don't even carry the necessary torpedoes. It's just to satisfy the board of inquiry, I answer. Where did you even get the plans for my ship?

Ed shakes the blueprint in front of my nose and it unfolds. Don't lie to me. Those bulkheads in the hull and the empty compartments behind them can be used to install hidden weaponry! The power routing incidentally runs along all of them, so a conversion can be done with very little effort. And then there is the empty cylinder which is running along the entire ship. It dimensions are perfect to install one of the rail-gun cannons which are used by miners to smash asteroids.

I widen my eyes, trying to fake utter shock. I didn't realize that the sensor compartments could be misinterpreted like that!

Don't try to joke with me, Gideon. I am not some stupid pen pusher who signs each and every proposal which doesn't have warship written on it in big, red letters. It's a mystery to me how you got this past the officials! Ed complains, almost losing his mask.

I bite into my lower lip. Maybe Ed doesn't know that the government is actually happy about every hull which can be easily converted into a warship? Then I probably shouldn't tell it to him. I am sorry, Ed. They were probably simply lazy. And I admit that I intend to install a weapon or two. Or even more, depending on how much firepower I need to make my problems go away.

For what!? he calls out and crumples up the blueprint to toss it at my forehead.

To blast a comet or two, I answer, but after a few moments it's becoming clear that he isn't satisfied. Maybe I should simply tell him the truth. I know that he hates the terrorists to the bone. Once he knows my reasons he surely won't snitch on me. Okay, I'll be taking the ship out to look for the base of the Revelation Wing. When I find them, I'll deal with them on my own accord.

You know that it's illegal to take the law into your own hands? he asks. And you probably won't find them. We've been searching for them for generations. Don't you realize that the belt is simply too huge? It's like looking for a needle in a haystack as large as the Earth!

They attacked first! If I don't do something they'll always try again when they see a chance. I try to defend myself. And what's the problem if I go looking? If they are that well hidden, then I won't find them anyway.

Ed sighs, looking at me for a long moment. Call it the Coeus. He turns and leaves the lounge.

Paul whistles. Whoa. Who would have thought that a faceless would let you simply walk off after you admitted that you intend to install illegal weaponry!

I face Paul and try to smile. That's because Ed is a good guy.

Paul frowns and takes a deep breath. Yeah... sure.

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