Cold Call - [Sibby-verse 1]

4

Before the two hours are up, specifically forty-five real minutes later, Eds is on the bridge with the navboard trailing behind him. Gets on the all-ship comm and orders all the merchies to stay aboard, drop our payload and the Blinded Nova will run our route instead. We'll go and meet the SES Resolute at some co'ords in the middle of nowhere behind New Gaia that's off-route.

What's the meaning of this?

               "Jay." Eds approaches mainhelm. "Walk with me."

I feel all eyes on me and glance at Lito as I get up and unjack off the boards, he raises an eyebrow at me, and I follow Eds off-bridge. We pass the rest of Unit 2 entering the bridge – Caddy, Twink, Ra-Ra, Dells, Cat and Zee and head down the corridor where there's no traffic.

               "I know you saw the comm from Farley." He starts off.
               "I wouldn't've if he'd used the protocols." I fold my arms.
               "Yeah well, at this point I don't think he cares."
               "He doesn't appear to be Sibby either." I decided to point out.
               "Neither are these merchies and your navboard!" Eds frowns, getting revved up.
               "Sir. What's going on?" I ask calmly.
                Eds exhale loudly. "The Front's enacting ops they might be able to pull off, I don't know. I highly doubt this fool plan of theirs works out. What I need outta you is some following of orders!"
               "I always follow orders!"
               "When it suits you, yes. You'd be a far better employee if you took direction better, just sayin'."

Oh, here we go. I frown harder at Eds, exhale loudly and my arms come unfolded.

               "To get it outta the way, your thoughts on Farley's comm?" he continues.
               "It's alarming and whatever he asked you to do, don't do it. Especially since he's not Sibby, I mean, what's burnin'? And why're you asking me?"
               "One, you're my XO is why and two, I'm asking for advice since you're the King of Disobeying Orders. As you know, I always follow orders,"
"Even from someone outside the command chain." I interrupt.
               "Not if Command's decided he is,"
               "What?!"
               "And that we'll take direction from him. What else have you been poking around in, Nosy Nick?" his eyes narrow.
               "Apparently not enough, Pious Paul."
               "Watch it!" He holds up a finger at me. "For the record, I have no intention whatsoever of doing what he asked!" and he starts pacing the deck, hands on hips. "All this time, these off-books ops didn't have auth'! We didn't sign up for this!"
               "We didn't sign up for noth'. We broke Code, got caught and gotta pay it back, remember?" I raise my eyebrow at him.
                He raises his eyebrow at me with a look of 'don't start'. "We're going home-sys', drop these merchies and navboard off at Endeavors and meet the Resolute as ordered and I want you nav'ing it straight, no freestyling!"
               "Sir!" I inhale and exhale with a smart comment ready but say instead, "GoSo off Three just told me that The Gaian is burnin' us, that we're all getting cold called home but it's to get iced in the dark! The Revolution is on and real! We need to disobey these orders if we wanna live!"
               "We're already dead, Commander." Eds frowns at me. "Doesn't matter,"
               "Wha,"
               "We're completely expendable and if they've decided to trim the fat, that's us, genius. You'll get further ahead by not listening to gossip, rumors and conspiracy theories,"
               "Wait,"
               "No Jay!" he gets in my face, ultra-serious, that causes me to come to attention. "The Revolution has already been on or whadda'ya think we've been doing out here? Being merchies?! Smugglers?! Rats?! Better calc' your charts star6 because if Trip-C got wind of what's burnin', which is likely, its scatter time and burn the help! You let ME worry about following orders! Back on post! I wanna roll out ASAP!" He abruptly turns and saunters off down the corridor, full tilt.

I watch him saunter off, getting madder by the second by this entire conversation. I don't even know why he bothers; he never listens! And never asked the advice! I head for the bridge and once I enter, I have Lito's and Raven's attention and I just shake my head at them.

I retake my seat with my navboard all settled and jack in. Lito has his boards back so all I see are my navigation commands and appropriate instructions between the navboard. We'll roll out once we're situated, ASAP, per orders. Eds waltzes back on the bridge, flashing me a stern frown that I return with a sharp look to elicit a disapproving grunt from Lito. He's always after me to be a sterling commanding officer and to set an example.

Pssh!

I'm a star6 navigator, the highest rating you can have and outside of Sauce, one of the best pilots you'll ever meet on this end of space. There's not that many of us star6'ers either. We're the best of the best, cocky sometimes but always competent and capable of navigating our ships free-hand, completely unaided by the comp-sys'.

As a star6'er, I don't need to physically jack into the system, I'm already connected to the Capitalist via an implant augmented at the base of my skull. Since we have non-Sibby pilots aboard and they don't know my rating, I've been jacking in since I'm supposed to be a star4. The implant is externally accessible, allowing you to hard wire into the system or "jack in". Some star5'ers can tolerate wireless Alignment but everyone else must jack in.

The comp-sys' – Cyface – is the operating system running all the applications needed to run starships, stations, planetary systems and whatever else in deep space. All users of Cyface have the skull implant and jack into the system to do whatever their job requires.

The implant allows your mind to meet the comp-sys' and trade thoughts with it instead of requiring verbal or physical input. As such, the software is mind-numbing fast. You execute orders as fast as you can think it, which requires focus, no daydreaming! You will the comp-sys' to your command. Since you're trading thoughts with it, you get the skills subskilled into you so that your reflexes are fast enough to react and coordinate with Cyface. Once Aligned, you become one fine piece of machinery.

Cyface is preemptive software. It can anticipate and execute typical and repetitive orders. Once you're acquainted with each other, you won't have to tell it everything, it can anticipate you. It's not sentient, however. Subskill assists Cyface to override basic thought processes governing motions, maneuvers, some bodily functions (motives too depending on the application) knocked flat into a straight reflex response that's akin to instinct. You know what you know without directly knowing it.

*** Units five and six're offline, Jay, last known co'ords by Continuance, starhour and half ago. *** Lito, in direct Eye comm with me on our group chat.
*** Three and four set up this comm-node for updates. *** I flash a pic of the comm-node GoSo gave me.
*** Got it. What Eds say? *** Raven joins in.
*** Told me we're expendable, of course the Revolution is on and let him worry 'bout orders. *** me, mood exasperated.
*** mood roll-eyes *** Lito.
*** Whadda'ya expect? *** me.
*** What. Is. Burnin'?! Take a nap and ev'thing goes nova round here! *** Caddy.
*** Tell her Jay. *** Lito.
*** Oh nuth much – we're getting cold called home to get iced in the dark by Front Command! *** me, mood sarcasm high.
*** mood shocked *** Caddy.
*** Just firmed with Kits on Four, they're runnin' EarthSolwards with Three with new Eye sigs. *** Raven.
*** We're not letting Eds know this?! *** Caddy.
*** He knows. He's gonna follow orders like a good boy, answer the call and get us all killed. *** me.
*** We got naïve civs aboard though Jay. You gotta do something! *** Caddy, mood do-something!
*** I know. I'm working on a plan. Eds currently not hearing me. Here's snapshot of the comm I intercepted, already spoke to Eds about it. *** I flash the pic for Caddy to see. *** Don't know for a fact yet but I think Eds gonna try to speak truth to power. ***
*** mood ridiculous groan *** from the group.
*** I'll try to talk 'em. *** Lito.
*** I'll add in my clips to 'em too. *** Raven.
*** Well, let's hope. *** Caddy.