This operation was risky, especially for Ophelia, but then if she was going to be the head of a department she would have to get used to pulling the tough assignments.
It would take time for heal from being completely incinerated, which fit into my plans perfectly. I didn't want to interrupt this heist. This stabilizer orb was another fascinating artifact in need of research. While I had been offline something had fundamentally altered the nature of the world. I'd had records of that prepared but fearing the effect on my personality had never integrated them. With the destruction of the old facility I'd never have the opportunity now.
The Graven suffered some damage destroying the two escorts but in the end came out triumphant. The cargo was handed over and it made its way quickly away. We couldn't even hope to keep up in the Powerhungry but if all went according to plan I didn't need to. Now it was just a waiting game.
"We've successfully infiltrated the Graven and it has made its escape. A plan went off well, you can tell that you had nothing to do with it," I said over the comm to Anna.
"Keep me informed. For now avoid other contacts and lets head to the rendezvous point," Anna said.
I set course. I shouldn't have to wait that long to know what happened. I'd taken steps to be there and help Ophelia. Never trust a human to get things right on their own.
14
The bit of Biocomputer membrane had been stored in Ophelia's suit in heat-resistant casing. Released only after her incineration to mingle with her ashes.
When her body began to restore itself, so too did the remote host, I formed it into a shape of a bracelet on her wrist similar to the monitoring cuff.
It took hours for Ophelia to reconstitute herself. Fortunately our hull breach came through into one of the Graven’s cabins, a non-essential area. The crew weren’t too concerned, and when the breach closed they simply kept the door sealed until they could perform better repairs. That was good, Ophelia wasn't the best at defending herself normally and as a fleshy, growing blob probably worse.
When her body was finally restored her eyes flicked open. She groaned as she sat up.
"Worst plan ever," Ophelia said.
"Please. It isn't as if it was one you thought up," I said through my remote host.
"Emma?" Ophelia asked.
"I arranged to come along to do what I could to mitigate your incompetence," I said.
Ophelia fumbled in the darkness and found the light controls. The cabin lit up. It was except for a bunk.
"Fantastic. A miserable day gets even worse," Ophelia said, making her way to the wardrobe and opening it. Nothing was inside. "Who doesn't have clothes in their cabin. I am not going to try to take over a ship while I’m naked. I'm not Hot Stuff."
"Nobody would ever use those words to describe you," I said. "Still, perhaps the sight of your naked body will result in some sort of disorientation and nausea in your foes. I'm fortunate the sensors in this remote are so miserable or I'd be suffering myself."
"I'm not Anna. I don't have to put up with your crap," Ophelia said, sitting on the bunk and folding her arms. "I'm not stepping outside this cabin into a crew of sky pirates unless I have something to wear."
For all the grief I gave Anna, I didn't doubt she'd have done it. This was inconvenient. Still, the same basic routine that had let me replicate myself should enable me to fabricate something given a sufficient supply of Biomatter.
"I'm going to have to dissolve you a bit to do it," I said.
Ophelia closed her eyes and her jaw clenched. "Really don't like you. Why did you have to screw up and give me this worthless power instead of super speed?"
As if I had any control of what the Speed crystal had given her. If there was a way to control the gifts granted, I hadn't found it yet.
"I wonder if I can modify your genetic code to remove your vocal chords? I expect your ability might simply restore them, meaning it really can be an irritating power. We might try one day nonetheless. For now, it is the door or the dissolving. Take your pick," I said.
"Dissolve," Ophelia said. I could do that. Well, dissolving might be a bit inaccurate for exactly how I tore her body apart. I made it a point to go for her throat first. Screaming would have drawn the wrong sort of attention.
Hours later Ophelia came to again. It was time enough for the blood drenching the walls to have dried. Unlike last time she now had something to wear, I'd crafted a set of hide and bone armor made from her own flesh, along with a bone sword.
Ophelia brushed gore off a mirror to study herself. "Barbarian chic. Still hate you. Let’s kill some people."
I'd taken the time to try to integrate myself with the ship’s systems. There was no Power core involved, and my abilities in this platform were limited.
The Graven ran with a small crew of only four. One was currently on the bridge, two others were sleeping off their celebration of a successful haul. The fourth was in the cargo hold, perhaps studying their prize.
I issued a command to open the cabin door. The hallway behind was small and tight-fitting, space really was at a premium on this ship.
Six cabins lined a central nexus—the ship was designed to carry more crew than it actually did.
I opened the door to the first cabin. A woman was asleep in her bunk and clutching a bottle. A jagged scar across her eye spoke to past conflicts.
For all that Ophelia might whine about my plan, she didn't hesitate, driving her sword into the throat of the sleeping woman.
The crew member barely got out more than a gurgle before going limp. Things went just as smoothly in the second cabin. That left only two members to go. Capturing the bridge was a priority, but I didn't want to risk Ophelia being attacked from behind and directed her to the cargo hold instead.
As the doors hissed aside it revealed a moderately-sized room empty except for a crate in the center. It was cracked open, a blue glow coming from within.
I wasn't detecting the crew member any longer—I wasn't detecting him on the ship at all. Which was alarming.
Ophelia stepped inside.
There was the sound of shots and she crumpled to the floor. The armor was little use against gunfire and a burst from a rifle hit Ophelia in the legs. A rakish-looking man stepped into view holding the rifle aimed down at her.
"There you are. I knew we had an intruder. Righteous, I assume, given how you must have come back to life."
It was a good guess on his part. Wrong.
"You shot me," Ophelia said, trying to get at her sword. The man shot her in the arm before leaning over to pull the sword free and toss it aside.
"No. Not Righteous, that isn't Righteous weaponry," the man said. He reached down to grab a hold of Ophelia's arm and dragged her towards the crate. Ophelia screamed. Her vitals were fluctuating wildly, her biological systems going out of control. I could sympathize, I wasn't in good shape myself. I didn't have a head to have a headache, but I was having one.
"That feeling you’re experiencing is your powers being neutralized. This close to an unshielded stabilizer orb, old rules apply," said the man. He pulled Ophelia up to drag her over the orb and she began to sob. I tried to kill my connection to the remote band, but my systems were sluggish. It was like the effects of the orb were hitting me as well, which they probably were.
It was going to be embarrassing, but I opened a comm to Anna. "Help me."
15
Anna was working out in the Wolves’ training facility. I could have simply enhanced her strength, but she had been obsessed with the idea of doing something for herself.