MENTAL ESSENCE
PAGE 121
    "Projects are doing fine, and those crystals seem too everywhere.  OM, with every contact include a cautionary note on those crystals," Trent ordered.
   "Now that you mention it, I do remember them.  Ask OM if he can make a gizmo so I can do the silent communication thing with him.  Handy should be able to implant it," Pace asked of Trent.
   "OM, can you do that?" asked Trent.
   "Of course.  I am working on it as we speak," OM replied.
   "OM says he will have one in short order," answered Trent
   "Now about the warship?" Pace asked.
   "Tell you what, I'll go get it and bring it back.  In the meantime, OM can catch you up on the different projects and your com implant," Trent suggested.
   "Why?" asked Pace.
    "One, you do not have to go through that gel process, two I would like your help on rebuilding this planet.  The more you understand on how these beings are doing, the better your input," stated Trent.
   "I want to go!  These beings will do just fine without my immediate input.  Besides, it's not that far away.  I won't need the full gel treatment.  It's safe, really," stated Pace.
   Trent gave her a skeptical look, then reluctantly agreed.
   "You do your gel thing, and Ship will escort you like we did to get you here," ordered Trent.
   "What do you mean you escorted me here?" asked Pace.
   "We caught up to you and provided extra shielding for you.  OM, how many fatal encounters would Pace have had without Ships shielding?" asked Trent.
   "Seven thousand, plus or minus a few thousand.  It is hard to quantify," stated OM.
   "Wow!" exclaimed Pace.
   "At one half-light speed your transports shielding and navigation is inadequate where probes are unable to provide detailed matter and energy flow activity," Trent said.
    "We gave it a thorough testing regiment." explained Pace.
   Trent tilted his head, but said nothing.
   "Okay, park your ship outside and jellify yourself.  I will use Ship to tow you to the war ship.  Can you watch the monitor when your jellied?" Trent asked.
   "I close my eyes before the process begins, otherwise the optics would be torturous.  Hearings not so bad though, if it's timed and intermittent.  You can opt to be unconscious," Pace replied.
   "The trip will take two hours.  Let's be on our way," said Trent.
   Pace parked outside the cargo ship and programed the jell for a short low intensity trip.
   "I set the process for two hours.  You'll get a message when the time is up.  This is the code if you need to wake me if the time is less.  Good night," said Pace as she closed the canopy.
   One hour and fifty minutes later they coming up on the warship.
   "Time to awake and great a new hour." Trent said using the de-jell code.
   "Perfect.  Seems like I just blinked," Pace replied a minute later.
   "It looks like a toy, a large toy soldier.  It is spuing radiation and it's in a spin.  Probably acquired a debris hit," stated Trent.
   "It is shaped like a toy soldier.  That's on the extreme end of the strange scale," Pace said rubbing her eye's.
   "What is the best way to stabilize it? Trent asked.
   "Move Pace off ten thousand miles, and gradually lower Ship next to it while increasing shield intensity," OM replied.
   As Ship drew closer to the war ship it did begin to slow, and finally stopped.
   "Ship can use his shielding to drain the radiation," OM suggested.
   "Ship, drain the radiation," ordered Trent.
   "Complying," Ship responded.
   It took thirty minutes to drain the radiation and cool the device to a level Pace to enter it with her shielding capabilities.
   "This is sloppy work," Pace said looking at the welding and other construction work.
   "OM, which parts are gravitirium?" asked Trent.
   "Down the corridor, through the hatch and turn to your right.  That is the engine room," OM stated.
   "These controls are automatic.  This thing is automated.  There are no chairs or food dispensers.  All of the accessible controls require a tool of some sort to manipulate.  It must have been pre-programed," Pace reported.
   "The weapon core funnel has gravitirium components, and its energy amplifier has gravitirium components.  The nuclear streaming line from its engine has components of gravitirium.  There is also a gravitirium patch on the top of its hat, or nose point as the case maybe," reported OM.
   "Crude," said Pace continuing her assessment.
   Trent relayed OM's analysis.
   "There must be ten thousand debris punctures in this thing," Pace stated looking at all of the holes.
   "The gravitirium patch on it's hat is one half inch square.  The rest is sheet steel, most of which is oxidized," Trent relayed from OM.
   "There are no numerical references on parts, but there is a stamped logo or image of some sort.  Look to your left on support beam," OM said.
   "Looks like a wheel of sorts," Trent said.
   "Hum, what would be the purpose of building such a sloppy machine?  It's obviously designed to destroy, but it would not last long in a real battle," Pace stated. 
   "Quantity rather than quality perhaps.  Except, if they have the ability to make gravitirium, why such poor construction?" Trent asked.
   "OM, can the flight records be retrieved?" Pace asked.
   "Bring the physical components to the cargo ship.  Perhaps Handy is capable of dismantling them without damaging crucial parts.  Then maybe I can obtain a useful scan," OM stated.
   Trent relayed the message to Pace.
   An hour later Handy was slicing and dicing away.
   "Handy was the right name alright," said Pace.
   Handy stopped and moved his top part in Paces direction, then returned to the task at hand, or pincer as the case maybe.
   "Interesting.  Can you communicate verbally with us?" asked Trent.
   "If you would like," Handy replied.
   "OM, what are Handy's capabilities?" asked Pace.
   "Apparently comparable to Ships communications ability.  I was unaware until just now as to any communication exchange abilities," said Ship.