to sleep perchance to dream

[warpfairy]

Isabella drifts into a new system. This is farther than she usually ventures, but she can make it back to a new human colony after a complete survey here, with a margin of error, and refuel there to get back into central Federation space. Still, she's a little apprehensive as she drops out of warp. If the system proves to be unusually complicated she'll have to do it in two stages.

Comments

[warpfairy]

"...Since you're human I can give you warp equations without contravening Federation law." She punches up impules power to zoom into a high orbit around the moon.

[evesystem]

"...I see we need to talk about the politics of my local systems. Please, don't repeat that offer to anybody."

[evesystem]

Another small ship arrives in system, from the other wormhole. Its IFF proclaims it to be owned by an "Absentminded Professor", belonging to the incorporated entity "SOLODRAKBANSOLODRAKBANSOLODRAKBANSOLO". It deploys small a set of four small probes, which warp away into a pyramidal formation: from their movements over the next few minutes, it looks like they're triangulating the position of the arcology.

[evesystem]

"We have company. Stay to the secure channel: wormhole space is lawless, and I don't think we want to attract attention."

[warpfairy]

"...If you say so."

[evesystem]

"If it's a hostile, I'll probably wake up with a headache and a nice hole in my bank account, and you'll have to run: we'd probably never find each other again with the way wormhole space shifts."

[evesystem]

Absentminded Professor gets a fix on the Sleeper complex. A few moments later, a small fleet of four heavily-armed ships appear from the wormhole, the largest dwarfing the other three with its bulk.

The wormhole wobbles noticeably.

[warpfairy]

This is all really interesting, but Isabella stays ready to warp the hell out of here and leave the whole thing on Starfleet's doorstep.

[evesystem]

The fleet warps in towards the arcology, and engages the drones there. Railgun-accelerated antimatter-fullerene rounds, hull repair nanobots, and EVE shield tech are all put on display for T'mir's scanners. Missiles, lasers, and electronic countermeasures are also in evidence.

[evesystem]

"So, where should I start?"

[warpfairy]

"If this space is lawless, what sort of laws are in force elsewhere?"

[evesystem]

"The galaxy can be roughly broken down into three categories: highsec, lowsec, and nullsec. High security areas are patrolled by CONCORD, and are basically safe to exist in. There are occasional terrorist acts, but CONCORD has a response time of about five minutes and a very big stick: most people with decent shields survive long enough for the cavalry to arrive, even in dire situations. Outside that, there are empire-policed low security areas: if you're near a gate or a station, you're probably safe, but if you're out in an asteroid belt you might run into pirates. Outside that, in the nullsec areas - you're on your own. That's the territory of Capsuleer nations, and few of them appreciate having strangers in their territory. This is wormhole space: it doesn't even have a proper security designation."

[warpfairy]

"I'm not sure what the legalities are between a lost human colony and the Federation. This might get complicated."

[evesystem]

"Hence why I suggested you not tell me instantly about how to make my own warp drive like yours. It would be problematic."

[warpfairy]

"Well, where's the civilized area?"

[evesystem]

"Through the wormhole I came from, then maybe one or two jumps after that."

[warpfairy]

"I don't think I had better go hopping through strange unstable wormholes. Could you point it out on a map?"

[evesystem]

"Wormhole space is unmapped. I have no idea where I am right now, save that it's 'through a wormhole.'"

[warpfairy]

"...Okay, but I know where I am. Do you know where civilized space in your society is?"

[evesystem]

"Not relative to where I am right now, or to any landmark in our current sky. Otherwise wormhole space would be mapped by now."

[warpfairy]

"And you don't remember where Earth is, so not relative to Earth... maybe you could show me the star layout in the mapped area and I could find it by that?"

[evesystem]

"Sending you a map."

There's a marked lack of any overlap with the maps Isabella has right now.

[warpfairy]

"I don't think this is in the Milky Way galaxy."

[evesystem]

"Possible. We don't know how far the original wormhole bridged."

[warpfairy]

"But right now we're in the Milky Way. Which means that you guys can bounce around distances we can't bridge without finding natural wormholes."