That went well!
I think it'd be good to send a delegate to our family, amd let them know about our (mis)fortune of becoming a planetary governor. Hopefully they're willing to support us.
Meanwhile, I suggest focusing on additional colonists and construction material/equipment so we can get our base of operations set up quickly. If there happens to be some Adventuring parties willing to delve into a load of ancient temples for us, that's be great too.
You pace the corridors around the bridge, partially to meditate on what sort of goods you will ask Jasper to acquire for you, but mainly you are waiting. The command deck is one of several places on the
Solo where you know every face, and thus you can easily pick out one of the Chrono-Sirens by spotting someone who doesn't belong. The sirens are nosey and highly curious beings; There is almost always at least one of them posted on the surveillance equipment, and if they see you loitering in an area where they know you can spot them, one will usually come and check if their services are needed.
It takes about thirty five minutes, but eventually a deck officer you've never seen before walks by and greets you with a
"Howdy Boss". The Siren doesn't bother to conceal her natural voice, so you are able to definitively identify her through the disguise.
"Sister Maya! How good to see you. Would you be a dear and gather up some of the girls for a discrete shuttle deployment? My paternal family keeps several estates on Imperial Acres, and I would like to appraise them of my current circumstances. I think there is a good chance the Zurgsts will want to mend fences when they find out I have the blood of Imperial Nobility on my mother's side."The Siren flashes a grin.
"Sounds like a good time! I'll head up the voyage meself, yeah? Does ya have coordinates?"You nod.
"If you log into the shipwide network with me or dad's credentials, the exact locations should be on the recreational properties spreadsheet in the family assets folder.""Gotcha boss. Consider it done."---
Tithe collection takes a Terran week and change. The Solo takes on alot of passengers during this time. About 2/3rds of these are expendable slaves from Imperial Acres. Most of the rest are fungus farmers from Blackshaft. In addition to these unwashed masses, three smaller groups have answered your call to adventure.
The first group consists of several dozen bored young rich folk from Imperial Acres. They bring with them the equipment and skill required to delve into ancient abandoned temples, and count among their ranks four Golden Elk, high quality small batch Transhumans from the Cauldron of Prayers who specialize in serving as bodyguards and hunting companions to the Idle Rich of the Acres. At ten feet tall with bulky wide armor, these super soldiers can't even fit through many of the
Solo's corridors. They make the Silver Anchors nervous, and even the Chrono-Sirens seem to have a healthy respect for them. This impressive quartet of Transhumans is in the direct service of the leader of the wealthy adventurers, Lady Autumn Mercury; a young bombastic huntress of twenty three years who like you bears noble blood of the old empire. The Sirens seem to dislike her, warning that her noble status legally enables her to serve as a planetary governor, thus making Autumn a potential rival.
The second group of adventurers consists of guards, biologists, and engineers from Pink Goop Intersolar: one of the fungi conglomerates that operates on Blackshaft. They aim to explore temple basements and caves as potential origin points for industrialized growth tunnels. Should they find anything promising, they will likely offer you a contract offering to build the facilities and feed your colonists in exchange for the right to export any excess. They are lead by a well built older gentleman called Chief Engineer Straton.
Last, and most strange, is a group of fifteen ant-like aliens who claim to be a group of scholars and warriors researching the process of planetary colonization on behalf of their single-world species. They had hitched a ride on a confederation merchant ship traveling from their world to Distant Diamond, with the hopes of delving deeper into human territory in search of libraries and universities to study at, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness the early days of a human colony first hand. The group claims no true leader, but one of the smaller individuals, who the crew of the
Solo have taken to calling Chippy as his true name cannot be produced by human tounges, has been elected to speak on their behalf.
In addition to colonists, you also recieve construction supplies; Predominantly in the form of 250 Mark IV Modular Tread Vehicles. Nearly six thousand years old, the design of the MTVMK4 has stood the test of time. On its own, it is little more than a cabin, robust atomic engine, and set of heavy treads, but operators can easily install and switch modular loadouts allowing the hardy vehicle to serve a wide variety of construction, transportation, and even military roles. The vast majority of the Solo's cargo space is filled with modules and spare parts that should allow you to maintain a hearty and flexible fleet of construction vehicles. For less peaceful situations, you have also been given 100 Jerusalem Class medium laser tank Modules, and 50 Salt Lake Class long range projectile artillery modules.
---
Shortly before you are scheduled to make the final jump to Silence IX, you are summoned to the sanctum of the Sirens: a good sized chamber concealed by the sorcery of the Chrono-Sirens from all except those they choose to invite. The place is designed to unverve mere mortals. It is decorated with the bones of the tens of thousands of people the sirens have aged away to nothing in their decades of serving your family, and smells of sex and incense. The Sirens themselves tend to hang out in their true form, and while a handful resemble otherwise normal looking gaunt and muscular woman, most have strange features such as talons, beaks, and extra breasts, mouths, and inert reproductive bits. You are perfectly comfortable here, however; while the Sirens see most mortals as little more than prey and amusement, the ones aboard the
Solo helped raised you as a son and little brother. You learned to walk, how to calculate hyperspace jumps, took your first life, and lost your virginity in this room.
As you settle into a rocking chair made from human bones, you note that the Sirens present are all clothed, and some with more distressing natural forms are in disguise. You quickly ascertain that the reason why is the presence of guests: Two nervous young women with curly red hair and pointy noses are brought before you.
Sister Shelly is one of the sirens with whom you are closest. A true big sister figure. It is she who briefs you.
"Nobody important in ya family were at any of the three estates on the planet, brother, but the servants pointed us ta another site. Tis a private Zurgst family gene bank that we missed because it was on the R&D Properties spreadsheet rather than the recreational un. One of yer distant cousins ran ta facility, and although he wasn't qualified to make the decision to let ya back in the family fold, he could return what belongs ta you."Shelly gestures to the two women.
"Turns out, when yer mum told ol' Gunther that she wasn't gun have any more kids after you, and wasn't comfortable growing 'er offspring in an artificial or surrogate womb, dear ol' dad contacted the gene bank to make some spares. These ladies here are yer half sisters. Batch o' five. The other three are already serving ta family elsewhere. Ol' Gunther didn't give the bank any information on who their mother might be aside from a sample of her genetic material, but I think we can guess, no?"The hair and noses of your newfound sisters make them dead ringers for Helmswoman Maria Schatt, who steered the
Solo since well before you were born and only retired two Sols ago to help your mother run your distribution warehouses in the Applepot System.
"These fine ladies are at yer disposal. Ta man who runs the gene bank says that the Zurgst family be more likely to consider the interests of your colony if members of ya family with noble blood are being raised there. Elke here," Shelly pinches one of the girls, who offers a frightened wince,
"was brought up to work at the gene bank. She can screen seed for defects and operate ta artificial womb. If ya make her a wife or concubine, she can give ya the sort of pure blooded children nobility value without ta genetic risk or awkward bedplay typical of such relationships. Sergent Lina Zurgst," the Siren pats the other girl on the shoulder,
"has trained hard as a soldier and athlete. It is her wish ta go into cyrosleep in a few years, before exiting her physical prime, in hopes that someday she may get ta opportunity ta serve her family for many centuries as a transhuman. Were ta secret to making Chrono-Sirens not lost, we'd gladly adopt her as one of our own."Sister Shelly's logic is mostly on point. Noble blood is valuable to your family. It will allow furture generations to contend for planetary governorship across the confederation and beyond. As long as said noble blood is tied up on a dangerous frontier planet, the Zurgst family will likely devote resources to protecting that planet. An incestious union might raise your children's stock in the eyes of some noble houses, but neither of these sisters possess your mother's apparent noble blood so you doubt it would amount to too much added value. Shelly is likely encouraging the union because the Sirens themselves revel in disgusting, subversive, and secretive behavior; The more messed up your children's origin, the more the fickle transhumans are likely to take a liking to them.
---
The convoy of two ships complete their last jump. It is a long one; pushing the absolute max range of the
Trumpet and even putting some strain on the
Solo's impressive warp drive. Out here, you are alone. Reinforcements and resupply from your smuggling empire are at least six terran months out on smaller, slower, ships.
You look down at the planet below you. Silence IX. It is a strange planet to look at. The seas are sparse and shallow, and the continents are a strange patchwork of different colored rock seemingly ripped from different planets and stitched together. Scans show the biosphere is young, artificial, and fragile in most places. But there are three impressive clumps of green you can see from space. You make a request of Jasper, and soon receive intel on each of these verdant places.
They are each centered around a temple. The one such temple the Confederation understands is dedicated to Bambi, an old Terran patron, but not one of the rowdy ones worshiped by your own Sparrowite faith. Bambi is patron to those who would preserve nature and wildlife, and the woodland surrounding her temple matches the biodiversity of old terra. Religious scholars speculate that the two unknown temples that center forests must also be dedicated to beings of life and nature.
A few minutes later, Jasper himself holo-projects onto your bridge.
"Greetings, Conrad. The time has come for you to shed the title of soon-to-be governor. I propose waiting a few days, clearing some ground, landing colonists, and making your pardon and ascension a grand ceremony. But I could perform the rites right now via holo-projection if you prefer. Speaking of, where would you like your headquarters constructed? There are four readily habitable sites on the world. We will send colonists to each of them, but you really only need one office and residence at this point in the planet's development."Data on each potential landing site flashes on your screen.
Headquarters Locations:Temple of Bambi District: The woodland here is similar to that which is transposed on most human occupied planets, and thus will make for the most comfortable habitation. Your own personal patrons, Solo, Luffy, and Pan, might frown upon you cozying up to another old terran legend, however.
Lush Temple District: Instead of trees the large plant life here consists of tall green stalks that are soft and felt-like to the touch. The strange alien wildlife is unusually friendly, and many of the plants seem to have supernatural or chemical qualities that function as psychoactive or aphrodisiac agents.
Guilded Temple District: The sturdy trees here have bronze in their trunks and silver in their leaves. Rocks on the ground are rich in valuable ore. The wildlife has metalic teeth and bones, making it particularly threatening.
Terraforming District: The air around the city-sized terraforming machine is thick and someone obnoxious to breathe. The only life here for now is a layer of thin grass and some bugs to help it decompose. It might make sense to avoid settling too close to the home of a deity that you don't understand or your patrons might be jealous of, however.
Author
Topic: (SG) Penal Governor (Read 8617 times)