Bitchalante - A Space Vigilante Ass Kicking Adventure (Aeon 14: Bitchalante) by M. D. Cooper

Author:M. D. Cooper [Cooper, M. D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Wooden Pen Press
Published: 2021-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

RALLYING CRY

STELLAR DATE: 06.21.8950 (Adjusted Years)

LOCATION: Berra Station

REGION: Chad, Burroughs System, New Genevia

Nine years ago…

“What am I doing?” Kora asked as she pulled on a nondescript, light green shipsuit. “This is not…like…Who am I to do this?”

<You’re thinking on your feet—something I’ve come to learn you’re pretty good at. I suspect it’s why Rika thought you’d be a good fit for this.>

“Sure, back when it was an intel-gathering mission. Insinuate myself into the PLI, find out what they have planned…that’s easy. This? This is like I’m trying to become their leader.”

<Pretty effective way of fulfilling your mission, if you think about it.>

“Alright, but if this is the route I take, I can’t do it as Kora, the detective from Belgium.”

<Yeah, people are probably not going to buy that.>

“Do you have any ideas?”

<Well, I can change your face and voice for any comms we send, create a whole new persona, someone who is advocating for peace and an end to fighting, while supporting and respecting the work that the PLI has done over the years. We could even alter the Slyfe’s beacon to have it appear to be a different ship entirely.>

“I thought changing a ship’s beacon wasn’t possible. Isn’t that the whole point of their unique identifiers?”

<You forget that my mother is one of the oldest AIs in existence. She passed a few tricks on to me. However, it will involve altering station records—and that’s going to require doing it in-person. They keep those systems too well-segregated.>

Kora grinned at herself in the holomirror, turning to check the shipsuit’s fit. “So much for you being all-powerful.”

<I mean, I can do it, but someone’s going to notice—and that sort of defeats the purpose. Once we update records here, the secure network that the stations and nav beacons use will update the records everywhere, and the Slyfe will disappear.>

“Replaced by?”

<Ask Becky. She should be the one to name her ship.>

“Good call.”

Twenty minutes later—most of which involved waiting for Becky to return from changing clothes in her quarters—Kora stood on the bridge, having just explained the new plan.

“You know you’re nuts, right?” Dara asked. “The PLI just tried to kill you. Now you want to lead a peaceful coup from within? How do you even expect that to get off the ground?”

“Let’s put a pin in that, shall we?” Becky tapped a finger in the air to illustrate her point. “I want to talk about the part where we rename my ship.”

<It’s not permanent,> Stephanie explained. <Just as needed. That way, Kora’s new alter ego won’t expose all of us. It’ll keep everyone here a lot safer.>

“Yes please.” Dara lifted a hand. “I’m all about safe.”

“What would we name my girl, then?” Becky gave Kora a narrow-eyed look as she stroked the arm of her chair. “Probably something lame like Infiltrator.”

Kora gave the captain the warmest smile she could muster. “It’s up to you. Steph and I figured that, if we do this, you should pick.”

“Oh! Really?” Becky sat forward. “Stars, Gina picked the Slyfe’s current name…and I like it, but I didn’t get much of a say.

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