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⬅️ Previous capture (2022-01-08)
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Continuing from the introduction of Hybrid Shadows - The Non-Hybrid (link at bottom of section)
Captain Leonard McKnight paused as he entered the bridge of the Celestial Guard. McKnight was one of the taller men on the ship, standing at 6 foot 3. He was in his mid-forties, with dark hair and grey eyes. His shoulders were wide, his chest broad. Leondard's physical appearance commanded respect, even as mankind thought it had moved beyond such shallow appraisals. But it was not through his height or strength that his respect was earned, but rather his well-demonstrated mind and judgement. He also was considered unique among the Hybrids, often preferring the outdated, physical modes of communication.
For several minutes Captain McKnight watched the men and women on his bridge, those under his command as they worked. He looked momentarily at each of the main stations - navigation, geological, tactical, communications. As he did so, several displays in his mind's eye came alive, and he assigned processes to each to monitor for relevant activity.
"Lieutenant Goya, what is our current position?" Leonard asked aloud.
Goya had answered over the Grid, officially known as the Song. The captain looked at her. She had dark skin and sharp facial features. Like many of the crew, she had circuitry running just underneathe the skin, and pulsing blue and red light could be seen pulsing in her neck and along her jaw. She was extremely capable, and interfaced better with the Song than most aboard.
"And how about the surrounding terrain, that outside the valley. How much data have we collected."
The captain pondered this. He feared intelligent beings on Shendar that had sufficient techology to block their scans. But it could just as well be the inherent characteristics of the planet itself. It would be fascinating to explore it, to uncover its secrets. Their technology was advanced, and he did not fear being outclassed by the natives, whoever they may be.
In the periphery of his vision, Captain McKnight saw an icon, showing that Lieutenant Andre Nickels was requiring his attention. A video icon also showed in the corner of his mind's eye that Nickels had something from his terminal that he thought Captain McKnight would be interested in. Neither were marked as urgent. With a thought McKnight declined the video, and replied to Nickels that he would come over to see what was needed in a moment. He quickly sensed that Nickels was annoyed, that the movement of the captain through the bridge was unnecessary, and then the feeling was gone. Nickels had suppressed it, not wanting the captain to notice.
McKnight walked over to the view screen by Lieutenant Nickels. Nickels was sitting there, leaning back in his chair, eyes closed. Nickels was a good-looking young man, short but thick dark hair, a strong face, in excellent shape. He kept his physical body well-trained. The captain knew that Nickels could see him through the visual equipment on the bridge, that he saw the video screen in his own mind, and did not require and manual communication with the captain. Nevertheless, the captain signaled him silently to open his eyes and to speak aloud. A moment later, Lieutenant Nickels sat upright, swiveled his chair around, and looked at Captain McKnight.
The captained sensed an inward sigh from the lieutenant, which was again quickly suppressed, before the young man opened his mouth and gestured at the view screen in front of his chair. He then spoke with a clear, deep, perfect voice.
"Captain, one of our colonists is outside of Spirit Dawn without permission. She has entered the forests to the west, and is heading toward to foot of the Delind Mountains."
"Who is it?"
"It is Kendra Furnandiz. She is a manual laborer, Tech Level 1," the lieutenant replied.
"Tech Level 1, Lieutenant? That means she is not even equipped with a Introspection interface."
"Correct, sir. We have no access to her thoughts or motivations."
Captain Leonard McKnight stood momentarily, reflecting on the situation. He was well aware of the name Kendra Furnandiz, though he doubted many other people on the bridge were. They knew her through her public record. McKnight locked away into his private memory files the additional information that he knew. Few officers or crew were allowed a private repository for thoughts and memories. Out of the entire crew, including the colonists, only the highest level officers were allowed such a luxury. This allowed frank discussions between those officers, as well as between high-ranking officers and crew members that came to them with problems that needed to be discussed. In those latter situations, the memories of the lower-level crew members could be locked as private as well.
"According to her files, Captain McKnight, she has been a trouble-maker throughout her life," Nickels stated.
"Yes, Lieutenant. I am reviewing the files as well. She seems like an intelligent student, especially for a non-hybrid."
"Intelligent, but that makes her more dangerous. Should I have a search party sent out for her."
Leonard thought on that, and decided against it. He wanted to know what she was doing. Was this just a youthful rebellion against the rules of the colony, a sense of adventure that had gripped her, or something else?
"No, we can deal with her when she gets back to the colony."
"Should we arrest her then?"
"No. We cannot access her through the Song. Let us observe her for a few days, and see what she is up to."
"Yes Captain."
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