POC1 — --

Chapter 1

On another, identical ship - Daphne and her friend Jameson were out of their rooms well before hilt superior Uvela made her rounds. Mostly because they had stayed up all night playing cards in the recreation room.

Jameson was regretting his decision by the time the first round of exercises started. Daphne, on the other hand, found she almost preferred the drowsy sensation. It helped suppress any overthinking she usually fell victim to.

Hilt superior Uvela watched her prodigious candidate proudly. She and hilt superior Dean had an annual wager on who could train the best candidate, and Daphne was the best candidate Uvela had in years, a sure-fire win.

Port Gale would host the reunion of the two ships, sent to craft the industry’s next generation of age pilots. A ruthless vetting process that crushed any tepid dreams to pioneer space exploration. Allowing only the best and brightest to filter through.

Daphne was drinking a recovery formula and lounging in her room after the morning’s workout, looking forward to the last sim session. She had a score to settle with a candidate from the other ship. "You have a message from the Hilt Superior," came her android’s voice. She sat up on her bed. "Please gather in the hall, promptly." Daphne got changed immediately, usual meetings were held in the mess hall, Daphne could only guess at what warranted a main hall summoning.

After the seats were filled, candidates were calmed and hilt superior Uvela had collected herself, she began to speak. "We have received news from Port Gale, they have lost communication with Excel Alpha. We will have to wait for further news, but I assure you - I’ll tell you everything I know, as soon as I know it. We’ll be cutting the last day short and heading back immediately. During the journey I would like to speak to all of you individually at least once, no exceptions."

The assembly went on for a little longer, but the shock had left the candidates reeling. Most of the reasons for communications being lost were completely harmless. However, none of the candidates were thinking about them. They were thinking about the bad reasons.

"Daphne," sounded a voice from outside her head. She was back in her room after the meeting, sitting on her bed with her back against the wall in silence. She looked underneath the door at the shadow of two feet belonging to Jameson, who was still knocking softly at her door.

"What?" she replied, half-heartedly.

"Uvie wants to see you…" he said, a bit louder this time.

"Thanks. I’ll be right out." She climbed lazily off the bed.

"Sure," came a mutter from the other side of the door as Jameson left.

"Most of the others have come to see me already." said Hilt Superior, whom Jameson had cheekily referred to as Uvie.

"I’m not a priority, I just thought I’d wait to be called," Daphne shrugged without making eye contact.

"I appreciate that, Daphne, I do. But, you’re all my priority."

"Understood, Ma’am."

"Anything troubling you?"

"I’m finding it hard to say I’m troubled when far more troubling things are happening to other people."

"We’re not talking about other people, we’re talking about you." the hilt superior chided.

"I’m not any more scared for my own safety, I knew the risks going in. I‘m only now realising that I am not the only one I care about."

"They all understand the risks just as much as you do, if they don’t, they won’t graduate." reassured the hilt superior.

"I appreciate that, but… I finally made some friends, I don’t want to lose them."

"You most likely won’t. But don’t forget that you could.”

"I suppose I should be prepared."

"You can never prepare for tragedy, you just get punched and see how good you are at taking it," said Uvela who leaned back on her chair and sighed. "Your time is better spent preparing to make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place, to you." Daphne only nodded, Uvela could tell she was not going to get any further with the candidate, and she had plenty more to talk to. "Thanks for coming, Daphne. Just try to stay busy."

"Yes, Ma’am," said Daphne as she got up to leave.

"Can you fetch Griv for me?" the hilt superior asked.

"Of course," said Daphne as she closed the door gently behind her.

Eventually, the Excel B landed in the Age program’s hangar. The candidates left the ship in silence. They all gathered at the hangar viewing deck to wait for the Excel A. Port Gale’s scouts found it limping home and boarded, confirming those alive and those lost. Which were two. An unfortunate engineer and Faver, the age candidate.

"What do you think happened?" Jameson asked Daphne, who was sitting still beside him.

"I don’t have it in me to speculate."

"I think they were attacked. By a big alien." said Jameson, almost hopefully. Daphne could only bring herself to roll her eyes. "Hey, wasn’t Faver that guy?" he continued.

"Yeah, he was that guy." That guy, the guy that battled Daphne’s name for the top of several leaderboards.

"Shame," said Jameson, offhandedly, after all - he did not know the boy. Daphne leaned back against the cold steel wall and put her arms behind her head. "Yeah, shame." She returned.

After a long wait in silence, the tannoy blared a pre-recorded message about an incoming vessel and every head turned to watch the Excel A crawl the final stretch.

Marred by huge barbaric tears, wires scorched and frayed, some still sparking helplessly. The ship looked far worse than any expected, suddenly Jameson’s hopeful prediction did not seem so far fetched and if the look of terror on his face was anything to go by, he was none too pleased about it.

It slowly crashed into the landing bay, missing more than a few key parts to complete the procedure properly. As it crunched to the floor, screeching and whining as it came to a slow stop, the ship was quickly surrounded by a cloud of fire extinguishing fluid and then swarmed with medical staff. Eventually occupants began to file out, wrapped in safety blankets and escorted to the medical facility for evaluation.

Daphne had quickly seen enough. Seeing the candidates file out only served to cement the fact that there was one who would not. Now all she wanted to do was go home and spend some time with her family.

An acceptance letter, in the form of an email, sat in Daphne’s inbox. Unread, for the time being. She already knew what it would say. Lights all off and knees at her chest, she sat on her bed staring at the hovering monitor. A few knocks on her door roused her from her sombre contemplation.

Her mother entered, looking lovingly at her daughter. “Are you going to stare at it forever?” She asked, with a thin smile. Daphne pressed on the email, opening its contents.

‘Candidate Daphne Lim, congratulations on your acceptance to the Age program and your excellent performance during your candidacy. A ceremony will be held for the successful candidates at a later date.

You will find your certificate attached alongside your pilot sig. Please install it onto a personal device. Identification will be required when entering any Space Research Commission site.

Report to Port Gale SRC site 1, Wing 845 at 09:00 on 14.10.83 to meet your mentor.’

Daphne let a look of horror shift over her face. “I missed it…” she said.

“What?” Her mother rushed to her side in a panic. “When was it?”

“In 3 days.”

“In 3?” The frazzled woman quickly caught on. “You monster.” She chided and gave her daughter a friendly smack on the arm and Daphne finally smiled.

SRC site 1 was a grand lot in the most exclusive section of Port Gale. Daphne was met at the entrance by a man she was familiar with, a famous face on Port Gale.

“Nice to meet you,” he said with an outstretched hand. “I’m Artha Lane.”

“Daphne Lim,” she said as she took his hand. “I suppose you’re my mentor.” Artha smiled and led her into the site, scanning their pilot signature on the way in.

“I am not, I’m here to take you to her.” He laughed at Daphne’s obvious confusion. “I know, it’s a bit below my station, but your mentor did not want you to be picked up by just anyone…”

“Why not?”

“She’s just… Strange like that.” He chuckled. “And you can tell her I said that.”

“Also, I’m at the very least your new Captain, so it’s not all different.”

“I’m in your team?” asked Daphne, now just surprised.

“Well you were the top scorer, Daph. You don’t mind Daph, do you?” She shook her head. He smiled and continued. “Top scorers get top placements, doesn’t that sound fair to you?” She nodded, unable to trust her voice. “Save your surprise, you’re in for another one.” He said, mysteriously.

Daphne was used to state of the art facilities. Age candidates trained with the best the SRC had to offer, but walking through the massive site made her mind melt. “This is pretty impressive,” she said, walking past a map room where holographic open star clusters were being studied.

“The equipment is one thing.” Artha began. “What’s really impressive are the people.”

“Yeah, but they don’t look as cool.” said Daphne, with a cheeky smile. Artha looked at a man with a check shirt and striped trousers.

“They’re certainly not doing themselves any favours.” He admitted. “Then again, they have a little more to worry about than fashion.”

“That is definitely true,” Daphne admitted, knowing that they decided the who, where, when, why and how of every mission. Daphne and Artha were just the suckers that had to actually do it.

Eventually they stopped outside a nondescript door. It slid open at Artha’s presentation of his pilot sig. “Hello, squad.”

“Mornin’ Cap.” A woman spoke. She looked slightly older than Artha, she had some white in her hair that was tied back in a loose pony-tail. She had only briefly looked up from a screen to greet her captain before resuming her unblinking stare.

“Jem, you mind if I borrow Sam, I have a present for her.” Artha smiled at Sam, whose excitement was not hard to read.

“Sure, but bring her back soon.” Jem waved, still not looking up. Sam hastily got up from her chair and jogged out the door, Artha closed it behind him.

“Sam DeLaney, meet Daphne Lim.” He said, revealing the young candidate standing behind him. After hearing the name of her mentor, Daphne’s brain went into overdrive, the ace pilot Sam DeLaney? An all-time record holder, one of the quickest pilots humanity had ever seen. That Sam DeLaney. One look at her confirmed that it was. However, her cool, calm and confident demeanour captured on interviews and live streams was being cut sharply through by a big, startlingly brilliant-white smile.

“Ah, finally!” Sam squirmed. “My very own trainee!” Daphne looked at Artha in horror as Sam DeLaney grasped her cheeks.

“You’re lovely!” said Sam.

“You’re much… Brighter than I had imagined.” Daphne mustered. Sam DeLaney pouted.

“I just act all cool for the cameras Daph.” She laughed and pulled Daphne by the arm, leaving Artha chuckling lightly to himself before joining Jemiah inside to continue work. “So, what do you want out of this?” Sam asked Daphne as they found a place to chat. Daphne immediately parroted a stock response.

“To map new space, for the expansion of humanity.”

“Good answer! Maybe if I was your Hilt Superior I would be satisfied. However…” DeLaney waggled her finger. “What’s your real goal Daphne?”

“To see some weird shit.” Daphne replied.

“That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!” beamed DeLaney, pleased with Daphne’s answer. “Unfortunately though, most of it is pretty boring.”

“I’m going to have to disagree with you on that,” said Daphne.

“Fine by me!” DeLaney replied. Her smile slowly faded as she readied whatever was coming next.

“You probably know this but I'm not usually a Port Gale pilot.”

“Yeah you’re Port Babylon’s ace. I didn’t want to ask but… What are you doing here?”

“Well, no one knows I am, yet. That’s why Artha picked you up, so keep it to yourself for now. The reason I’m here?” Sam DeLaney took a deep breath. “The missing candidate. Faver.”

“What about him?” Daphne asked, immediately becoming interested.

“His body was never recovered. Search and rescue pinged his helmet. They say he’s still alive.”