Yesterday’s piece is here.
Copyright J.B. Norman
“So, we’re here, at Docking Bay ninety-four,” Kathryn says, pointing to the holographic map of the station being projected by her wrist communicator. “And mosts of the scrap-mongers are here…” She frowns. “…on the opposite side of the station. We’d better get moving.”
To facilitate transportation through a structure big enough to circle an entire planet, the Ring is serviced by two MagLev tram lines, each running in opposite directions along the circle of the station.
The designers of the Ring did their best to create a natural, organic environment board the station, but didn’t quite stick the landing. Although the sky overhead cycles through day and night, the illusion is broken by the fact that it’s obviously just a screen on the ceiling – not helped by the fact that it flashes ads every few minutes. Similarly, point where the nature noises being piped in over speakers start repeating becomes impossible not to notice once you hear it. The only real thing in the concourse is the large number of planters along the walls, providing both oxygen and a touch of scenery to the Ring.
“No, no, no,” Amarantha sighs, frowning and furrowing her brow at one of the planters. “It’s all wrong. Those are Marcomannian roses and those are Suebii roses, they’re from planets in two entirely different sectors!”
“They’re just flowers,” Kathryn mutters.
“It’s the principle of the thing, Captain!” Amaranatha protests. “If they can’t be bothered to get the plants right, what else are they cutting corners on!”
She gestures to one of the windows along the outer wall looking out over the Pythia system.
“Do you really think we can trust the workmanship of those windows in a crisis?” the Alvaraean Princess cries.
“Well, they’re supposed to be tested to be able to withstand a direct hit from a Carnifex-class carrier,” Kathryn says.
Amarantha looks at her gravely. “And would you really want to risk it, Captain?”
“I mean,” Kathryn notes. “I wouldn’t want to get shot at by a Carnifex at all…”
Thinking about it, Kathryn feels that the Ring’s windows probably aren’t up to the task. The original Carnifex itself famously won the battle of the Stymphalia Threshold with a single shot from its main gun, which took out the enemy flagship…
And the ship immediately behind the flagship…
And a chunk of the planet behind that ship.
With a cautious glance back at the windows, Kathryn steps through the automatic door leading out of the concourse and to the tram station.
Kathryn, Dunstella, and Amarantha queue up at the station. The tram slides into the station, a crowd of passengers disembark, then the new crowd steps onboard.
“Stay close,” Kathryn reminds them.
“I don’t know where I am!” Dunstella calls from somewhere in a jungle of legs.
“Move back!” the tram’s conductor calls.
“There is no more back!” Dunstella groans.
Kathryn manages to snatch her sister’s hand before she finds herself being smooshed against the walls of the tram, and getting a really good look at an ad for shipboard air filter cleaning.
“You still there, Amy?” she asks, not able to see where the Alvaraean princess has gotten to.
“They could have at least bought me dinner first,” Amarantha mutters.
Perhaps having to do with the fact that the word “dreadnought” sounds really cool and means “not afraid of anything,” dreadnought comes up pretty often as the most powerful class of ship in Sci Fi.
However, if we’re keeping the “Space Military is Basically the Navy” trend, dreadnoughts have actually been obsolete for about a century and aircraft carriers tend to be the centrepiece of the navies that have them — hence “carrier” for a ship big and powerful enough to shoot through a ship, another ship, and hit a planet…
Also, not for nothing, Carnifex means either “butcher” or “executioner.” See above…
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