MENTAL ESSENCE
PAGE 81
    "OM, pull up pictures of species similar to what I look like," Trent thought.
    "There are over seven hundred thousand in my data base.  Would you like to set narrower parameters?" OM asked.
    "One with dark hair, green eyes, darker skin tone same height and weight," Trent stated.
    "Focus on me.  I will show them to myself, and you should be able to see them.  If this works, you will be able to assess those photos in one millionth of a second.  Otherwise, this will take four hundred and ninety-five thousand individual analyses," OM suggested.
    "Ah.  Amazing.  Everyone should be able to do this.  Imagine the time saved.  Let's try changing to this guy," Trent said.
    "I suggest heading for one of the loose moons in the Tymbous nebula.  Nobody will bother you there during the metamorphous if it should take a long time," OM said.
    In only three weeks Trent had changed his appearance enough so as not be recognized.
    "OM, can you produce some identification used buy this species?" Trent asked.
    "Of course," OM printed out the proper documents.
    "Amazing.  Now we need a different transport," Trent thought.
    "What is meant by another transport?" Ship asked.
    "One where we can hide you in the cargo hold.  That way we can get round a bit better.  Scan for iridium and gold.  We can use them to buy what we need," Trent commanded.
    After a few days prospecting through the Tymbous nebula they had enough raw metals build a city.  They had enough of their treasure refined to obtain a cargo ship that met their needs.
    "Passing the pilots test in one try seemed to impress the instructors," Trent thought.
    "Considering it takes two years of experience for most beings," OM responded.

    "Let's try this new look back on Loma Dena," Trent thought to Ship.
    "This cargo ship is going to take more than two months to get there," OM said.
    "Well then let's have a harness built on the under carriage that Ship can attach to.  That way we can reduce transit time.  Scan for a company with that capability," Trent asked of OM.
    "Monopill Machining on Liria advertises as multi discipline capabilities.  It's about a week away.   Otherwise, the company that made this cargo ship is on Nicous, and that's a month or so away," OM stated.
    "May as well get it done now.  Let's go," Trent said to Ship.
    The fitting wound up taking two months.
    "Now let's see what we can do," Trent said to Ship.
    "Expanding shielding to cover the cargo ship.  Powering up, and we are on our way," Ship thought to Trent.
    Ship slowly increased velocity to one quarter light speed.
    "So far so good.  But, I do not think this cargo ship would hold up without my shielding," said Ship.
    "As long as it works.  Some time we will have to give it a real test.  For now however let's just get to Loma Dena," Trent said.
    Once back at Loma Dena, Trent parked in the cargo transport orbit.
    "They are still quarantining the entire planet.  The military discovered two other nuclear devices of similar design.  They have located General Hemm in the Great Corridor.  The radiation neutralizing will take another month.  The Council has been taken aboard the militaries flag ship for protection.  The structural damage from the blast can be repaired in around two years.  The worst is the damage to the gravitirium production facilities.  Repair for that will require many years," OM reported.
    "Someone must have been monitoring the site, then tried to destroy me and the gravitirium facility at the same time," Trent thought.  
    "The military is searching the mountains of Poolara for the last of General Hemm's cronies.  We could anonymously provide some assistance," suggested OM.
    "What do you mean?" asked Trent.
    "Ships sensors are far more advanced than anyone else.  We find General Hemm's cronies and make their presents known to the military without anyone knowing we participated," said OM.
    "There does not seem to be anything we can do here.  Let's see what we can do," Trent thought.
    A day later they were scanning the mountains on Poolara.
    "I believe they are in the mining tunnels directly below us," said OM.
    "Ship, generate an EM blast the military will investigate," Trent ordered.
    A few minutes later the military had an expeditionary team attacking the tunnel complex.
    "I would say that worked rather well," Trent said listening to the transmissions from the ground team.
    "I agree," replied OM.
    "Let's do it again.  Where is General Hemm?" Trent asked.
    "The last communication was two days ago.  The military had narrowed the search to two systems.  We would have to take a lone way around.  Somebody would definitely notice a cargo ship traveling over a hundred times the speed of light," OM stated.
    "Ship, plot a course.  There is much to do," Trent said.
    "May I suggest we give this vessel an all-out test.  We should know it's optimal performance limits," OM suggested.
    "Ship, you have control.  Give it all it can take," said Trent.
   "We are now at light speed.  We are now at twice light speed.  We are now at five times light speed.  Twenty-five, fifty, sixty, sixty-five times light speed.  There are tremors in the supper structure.  I believe we are at the max this vessel can take.  We should not push it over fifty times the speed of light or it will suffer dramatic degradation after a few hours," Ship announced.
    "Let's ease it along at twenty-five times light speed.  No reason wear it out just yet," Trent said.
    A week later they were scanning the system of Soma.
    "You may not believe this, but the communications within the transport headed our way indicate they are pirates.  They intent to board us and take our cargo," said OM.
    "Ship, can you disable their transport without drawing attention to us?" asked Trent.
    "I could suppress the dampening field around their engines, and they would have massage release of radiation.  Their transport has had major modifications, apparently to increase velocity.  Not a wise thing to do with their type of propulsion system," Ship replied