[CYA] Chapter 183: Goodbye (Patreon)

My sincere apologies!!! This should have gone out this morning, but the posting didn't happen as it was supposed to.

I will endeavor to not allow such a mix-up in the future.

-J.L.Mullins

NOTE:Patreon does not like formatting/different 'alignments' of paragraphs that help make this fiction what it is.

Because of that, I will always be providing a link the google doc for each chapter where you can see it properly formatted. Elsewise, feel free to read the chapter here, if that is your preference.

I am sorry for the limitations of this platform.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13tiw643S0cTIiNrofDqFMLf5w1D0qPU87rirx3Jm1v8/edit?usp=sharing

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<Alex, Real - Dorgon Calls for Aid, Innominate Dining Hall>

Alex colored as he stood before two Initiate crews, realizing that he’d left his status hidden and changed, suddenly unsure what to do. He didn’t really know the Initiates of the Impressa, and it turned out that Attributes were actually something that should be kept fairly close to the vest.

Now, he’d put the effect of one of his Attributes on full display for all to see, and he was at a loss.

Kaylee recovered first. “Alex, I didn’t notice you left that ring on.” She took two steps over and reached down, taking up his hand and lifting it. “Take it off, yeah?”

Alex instantly understood, waiting until the bulge of his wedding ring was visible under the glove of his coverall. He then almost pulled it into his Inventory, but at the last moment, he realized that, if all of the Impressa Initiates had utility belts…

They don’t all have Inventories? Rather than exposing a different potential secret. He commanded the glove to retract and took off the ring, closing his hand around it and tucking it in his pocket even as he felt Analyze magics attempt to brush across it.

They were foiled, and he changed his status so that those would return the proper information about him, now that the ‘magical item’ had been removed.

He didn’t like taking off the ring, but a piece of jewelry didn’t make one married… and in any case, he hadn’t been married for a long time.

Jessica was frowning. “So, you are level ten, but not a cook?”

Alex nodded his head. “Not a cook. What does your Analyze tell you?”

She grunted. “Ahh, I have Identify, but it says you’re the helmsman with a close combat main class.”

He nodded. “Good to know, and that’s the truth of it. Yeah.”

No threat assessment, and the second class isn’t immediately obvious… So, don’t dismiss people who Analyze as crafters or other ‘non-offensive’ classes.

He already knew that examination skills or magics could be improved to see more as well.

Alex’s eyes flicked to Pike, and it seemed that Jessica’s arrival had calmed the man. Well, that, and he likely felt better knowing that they hadn’t left her fate in the hands of a cook.

Honestly, who thinks it’s a good idea to disguise himself as a cook? Alex chastised himself.

Pike sighed. “Well, Jess, now that—”

“Jessica.” The woman stated firmly, with the reflexes and long-suffering air of one used to correcting others away from shortening her name.

Pike grimaced. “Jessica. Now that you’re awake, it’s likely time for us to move on.”

That got sounds of resignation, but no real protests.

Jessica frowned. “Don’t we have to divide spoils or anything?”

Pike shook his head. “No. They’re taking the frigate and one fighter, and we’re taking the other four fighters and the prisoners. We can turn them in for the bounties, and they’ll get the ‘clear’ for defeating the pirates in this system.”

She blinked a few times. “Oh… That’s… Huh, yeah, that works great.”

Kaylee smiled, letting Alex know who’d been responsible for negotiating their side of things. Bless you, woman.

Jessica shrugged. “Well, then I guess as much as I’d love to get to know our rescuers a bit better, I’ll follow orders.”

Pike nodded, clearly pleased with himself.

Alex smirked but hid it. Joe had shared with him that they’d each selected their desired postings and ‘forbid’ which other postings they were not okay with the ship having.

No one had objected to there being a captain. Having one just made sense.

Pike had desired to be captain, and the System had put them all together.

His position gave him powers of loot and reward distribution as well as giving him final say in decision making. There were apparently paths to oust him if he was really terrible, but they were extreme, as only made sense.

Thus, they would all listen.

As they were saying farewells, Conney got an interesting look in her eye. “What if we acted as a fleet?”

Pike froze, seeming to actually consider for a moment.

Kaylee, though, gave a sad smile. “I actually already considered that. We had great success in our last scenario working with a large group of other Initiates, but this portion of the scenario just isn’t set up for it. We’d be splitting the rewards for no real benefit.”

There were some sad mutters at that, but no one disagreed.

Pike, though, huffed, speaking under his breath as he’d clearly not learned the limits of enhanced senses yet. “Probably a bad idea anyway. Bunch of pretty-people who likely only teamed up because they’re practically models.”

Alex frowned. What is he…

Then, he really looked.

He’d gotten used to the subtle changes in his companions due to the bio-clean-up procedure. They were all recognizable, and the changes weren’t anything like plastic surgery, but they were all far more symmetrical than he recalled, skin clearer, hair fuller—now that it had been regrown with Bev’s help—and they were fit from training and fighting.

Yeah… They looked like they could have been models on pre-System Earth.

The crew of the Impressa? Not so much. They looked like people. No one was ugly, but they weren’t ‘perfected’ like the Innominate Initiates seemed to be.

Alex barked a laugh, drawing everyone’s attention.

Pike glowered. “What’s so funny?”

Alex shook his head. “Not funny, but startling.” He glanced toward Joe and gave a slow nod of understanding. “One of our non-Initiates is our medical officer, and she told us about something available to all members of the Imperium. Joe?”

“Yes, Alex?” The man was clearly curious.

“Dig in your impressed training and the data banks on your ship for ‘bio-clean-up.’ That should be of use to you all.”

He nodded, suddenly excited.

Pike’s eyes widened, and he turned on Alex, clearly seeming to realize something. “Wait. Is that your standard gear?” He gestured toward Alex. “Truly?”

Alex frowned, nodding. “It is… why?”

The man looked dumbstruck. Then, of all things he turned and gave an awkward bow toward Alex. That got some rolled eyes from his companions, but no one said anything, waiting for the man to straighten. When he did, he looked conflicted. “I have thought ill of you, Alex. I’d thought you didn’t see helping us as worth risking your gear.” He winced when he saw Alex’s confusion. “These plates?” He tapped one of the armored plates on his coverall. “They were provided by our Supply Officer. He’s the Imperium representative on our ship, and he offered this equipment as our due as crew under the Imperium. They take damage for us, and have to be replaced and added to our ‘account’ as a deficit individually. Still, they increase our combat effectiveness.”

Alex grunted, understanding. “So, the fact that I didn’t have them conveyed that I didn’t want to incur the expense?”

Pike shrugged. “It seemed foolish, but what else could explain it? I didn’t even think about none of you having the plates. They are a bit to get used to, and I just assumed you weren’t using them while in your own ship.”

John’s eyes widened. “And your weaponry?”

Jessica nodded, patting the weapon on her hip and putting the thumb of her other hand through the sling for the gun on her back. “Yup, granted by the same officer.”

John’s eyes unfocused for a moment before he groaned. “Our supply room is down near the hibernation chamber. So, I just assumed that the gear within was for the shocktroopers.”

Joe spoke softly. “And I saw the ‘bio-clean-up’ protocols and assumed they were advanced healing and anti-toxin procedures. We haven’t needed them, and we’ve been busy with other things…”

There was a beat of silence before Alex voiced something they were all likely thinking. “How many other things are available to us ‘if we find them’?”

It was both an exciting and horrifying prospect. How could they ever know if they’d found all the potential benefits available to them?

They couldn’t.

Finally, Pike shook himself and walked over to Alex, hand extended. “Again, I apologize for my poor assumptions. It seems I was a fool in more ways than one.”

Alex shrugged and accepted the hand. “We all learn and grow. This tutorial is stretching us, one and all.”

The handshake was firm and decisive, then they let go and stepped back.

Kaylee smiled. “So, you’ll jump out first, right? We have a ship to strip, and that way, we won’t be accidentally moving on the same missions.”

Pike nodded. “And we should expect to be meeting more Initiates the closer to Dorgon we get.”

Kaylee nodded this time. “Yeah. I wish it was as easy as just asking ‘Are you Initiates?’ But it’s not like that’s just ignored. Initiates are a known thing under the System, and while these are creating beings, they would still know the context, and who knows what would come of that.”

After all, Initiates existed outside of tutorials. Conney chuckled. “Yeah, it would be like someone before all this asking everyone they met ‘Are you new to the country?’”

Yeah… Alex could see how insulting many people would find that.

They lapsed into silence then, but only for a heartbeat.

Jessica clapped her hands. “You all heard the captain. It’s time to go.” She gave Alex a respectful nod. “I suppose we might see you all on Dorgon.”

He smiled back. “I hope we do.” Then, he hesitated and added. “Oh! If you haven’t already, you can negotiate with your Imperium representative for payment to be a part of the drop-troops. Apparently it’s something they incentivize, so if you’re planning on doing it anyway…” He shrugged. “Worth getting more out of it if possible.”

Oscar responded this time. “We did figure that one out, thankfully.” He smiled. “But thank you for making sure we knew. I imagine some crews will have a rude awakening when we all get to Dorgon.”

Alex smiled. “Indeed.”

There wasn’t much more to say after that, and the Innominate crew escorted those of the Impressa to the connection point and bid them a last farewell.

The airlocks closed, the ships uncoupled, and the Impressa moved off, its jumpdrive beginning to spin up as they went about their own preparations.

Alex almost unconsciously pulled his ring from his pocket and slipped it back on, the ruse no longer necessary.

After a beat, everyone turned to Kaylee. The woman smiled. “John, you’re in charge of stripping down the frigate. Get everything we can from it. If it has value and can fit in our ship? Take it. You have six hours. Draft everyone you can.” Her gaze swept everyone else. “Help however you can, but I also want you doing what you need to as well. Keep training, keep moving forward.”

They considered just keeping both ships, but the frigate was slow. Jump spin-up was twelve hours at a minimum, and at sub-warp speeds it practically crawled.

To them, it was simply worth more as parts than fully assembled, even with the fact that they couldn’t take most of the parts.

“Oh!” Alex had just remembered, so he asked before he forgot again. “Did anyone else take some of the bones from the Flesh Golems of the Plague Guard?”

As it turned out? Yes. Everyone had taken at least a few.

Alex gave a sheepish smile. “Well… I really want to see what aspect I can pull from them. I’m happy to pay the market rate for the bones. There’s an index in the data bank.”

That got a lot of hemming and hawing, but in the end, they got Alex to simply accept the bones as a gift and thank you for all he did in the previous scenario.

He thought it was silly—after all, he’d helped himself at least as much as he’d helped them—but he wasn’t one to spit on gratitude, so he acquiesced before it got awkward.

They all went to the central cargo room and unloaded, Alex calling in Juba to help with the harvesting.

Natasha stayed to observe, but everyone else moved toward the airlock, going to begin the salvage work.

Natasha, Alex, and Juba would most likely join after, but first?

It was time to harvest.

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