Neptune's Massif Read Online Free PDF Page B

you get in there."
    "What I can't figure out is what two out of work truck drivers are going to do in space?" Alice replied.
    Alan smiled. "The same thing you do on Earth, if that's what you love. We need freighter pilots and crews just as badly as we need military personnel; probably more so, we need the people to haul the raw materials to the places they are needed."
    "That's all well and good, but neither of us knows jack about flying. It'd take us years to get up to speed enough to be of assistance," Will replied.
    Alan shook his head. "Nope. I'd guess you'll be ready for your own ship in about a month. I think the hard part for you guys is going to be finding a crew. The main difference between a semi and a freighter is the size of the load and the vehicle. Freighters can be huge! Bigger than the Heavy Cruisers we have for defense."
    Andreya nodded confirmation of his statement. "The largest recorded commercial freighter is an Antairian heavy transport. It is so big that it can only dock at special facilities and has an empty mass three times that of the standard Talosian Heavy Cruiser."
    "While I'm sure those are very big ships, we have no idea how big that is since we've never seen either one," Alice replied, shrugging.
    The lights in the room dimmed and a hologram took form over the table. The image was the Star Dancer as seen from the side. "This is the Terran Defense Forces Heavy Cruiser Star Dancer. Just in front of her is the Raptor Poseidon in which we are riding."
    "Uh, where is the Raptor? I don't see it," Will said reasonably.
    "Oh!" Andreya said innocently, "I'm sorry, let me zoom in a little." The image shot in so the overall image of the Star Dancer was but a wall behind the image of the Raptor. As it zoomed in more, one could see the side hatch was open, and Andreya was standing in it waving. "That's how big a Heavy Cruiser is."
    "Holy shit!" Alice said. "There are ships that big out there?"
    Alan nodded. "Yeah, there are even bigger ones. In all honesty, Star Dancer would be classified as a battleship or aircraft carrier by Earth standards, but the Talosians classified her as a cruiser since the mission it was designed for was colonial seeding and protection. That being said, she also carries a large force of fighters that she can launch and recover during combat operations. Right now, she's the only ship we have."
    "If she is that big, how big is the facility that built her? It isn't the one we're going to is it?" William asked.
    "Mother's ship was built many thousands of years ago in a large ship yard orbiting the Talosian home world. Historical records show that facility was capable of building or servicing two ships of the Heavy Cruiser class at the same time. It was destroyed along with the rest of the system when the Caldarians triggered a nova in the system primary." Andreya replied. "You'll get all of this as a history lesson tonight while you sleep. You'll understand more then."
    "Mother?" Mulan asked curiously. "I thought you said you were artificial?"
    "I am; the resident AI of the Star Dancer created my programming with the assistance of the computer specialists of the Star Dancer as well as those on the lunar base. She is as close to a mother as we can get. So, we call her mother," Andreya said.
    "You're artificial?" Alice asked. "An android or something?"
    Andreya nodded. "This is an android type body. However, for the purpose of clarification, my 'brain' is actually in the ship. Which really makes this body little more than a drone."
    "You're a lot prettier than any computer I've ever met!" Will said to which Alice slapped his arm.
    "Thank you. We do try to be as human-like as we can, in order to work more efficiently with humans," Andreya replied. "Alan, we are on final approach. Do you want me to handle the landing, or do you still want to sit in the chair and look important?"
    Mulan busted out laughing at the look on his face, and even the quiet Michi smiled at Andreya's tease. "Young