Old Friends, Part 11: Spare parts
Mark
opened the airlock to the Shoulder of Orion, and the ship's hologram stood
before them, "Welcome to my humble abode." Rommie laughed, "What
are you like?" The hologram blinked out, and Orion led the way to command.
A Than sat in the pilots chair, but came sharply to attention when the others
entered. Mark made the introductions, "This is Whisper of the Wind, our
pilot. Whisper, this is Rommie, Avatar of the Andromeda Ascendant. Her Captain,
Dylan Hunt, her first officer Beka Valentine, and Trance Gemini, her
environmental officer."
Whisper
bowed, "It is an honour to meet you Captain Hunt: Refractions of Dawn was
one of my ancestors." Dylan smiled sadly, "She was a good officer and
pilot. I miss her." Whisper nodded, and went back to the controls. Mark
turned to Orion, "Will you please show our guests around while I see to
loading the cargo." Orion nodded, and Mark walked off. Orion turned to
Andromeda's crew, "Well, what would you like to see first?" Dylan
shrugged, "Do you have any spare parts you could spare?" Orion smiled,
"Walk this way."
Orion
led them down several corridors, finally stopping outside a door marked `Drop
Ship Maintenance'. The hatchet opened, revealing a darkened room. Orion snapped
his fingers, and the lights came on: the room was the size of a hanger deck, and
was stacked floor to sealing with crates. Beka was taken aback, "Wow!"
Orion handed Rommie a flexi sheet, "This is the manifest. We where carrying
spears for North and Emma when they where killed. No one else needed them, and
as they only fit High Guard ships, we couldn't sell them." Rommie scanned
the flexi, "You could almost build a Group Defence Frigate with all of
this!"
Orion
nodded, "I've only used a fraction of it to keep myself running over the
years. Technically it belongs to Mark and Mary, but I'm sure that they will let
you take what you need." Orion turned to Dylan, "Mark has always
dreamed of the Systems Commonwealth being re-built. He knew he'd never be able
to do it himself: that's why he agreed to come all this way to meet you."
All of a
sudden, Rommie collapsed.