Episode 6. Home Port
Context
- Coordinated Universal Time
- Monday, July 15, 2024 - 8:16 AM
- Location
-
- Earth
- Brussels
- NATO Bunker #1
- Hangar
- Timeline
- Unknown Timeline
- Previously
-
In 1954, an unknown vessel crashed in the Arctic before being quietly recovered by the U.S. military. In 2024, international tension is rising dangerously; Brussels is preparing to host the NATO summit. Agnes and Angie wake up, share breakfast, take the Ducati, and reach Alliance headquarters before descending into the bunker, where Agnes is already imposing her authority.
Characters
| Name | Affiliation / Branch | Title / Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Agnes V. Rodriguez | NATO / Special Fleet | Captain |
| Angie Chen | NATO / Special Fleet | Commander |
Manifest
| USS Mercator | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | NATO |
| Location | Docked in Bunker #1 (Brussels) |
| Captain | Agnes V. Rodriguez |
| First Officer | Angie Chen |
TL;DR
At the heart of the bunker hangar, Agnes and Angie continue their routine inspection in an atmosphere that is both impressive and tense.
Story
Standing before the door, I press the button. A mechanism kicks in, and the door rises with a roar, revealing a familiar sight that still blows me away every time I step inside.
The three giants standing before us are Nauvoo-class starships, designed to operate both in the air and in space. They're the first class of starship developed by NATO since the early 1970s.
Well... that's what I've been told. I can't exactly confirm it for you—I wasn't even born back then. Either way, seen up close, they're still incredibly impressive.
Let me introduce you to the USS Mercator, the USS Manneken, and the USS Charlemagne. The Mercator is under my command, with Angie as my first officer. She handles the crew, among other things, and all those little tasks I obviously can't do alone.
I look at Angie. She smiles at me, just as awestruck as I am by the sight. She steps forward and leans against the guardrail for a moment, silently taking it all in.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Three thousand, eight hundred, three hundred.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What?
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
The hangar's dimensions.
Three thousand meters long, eight hundred meters wide, and three hundred meters deep.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Someone's been doing her homework.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
No. It was in a memo.
There was a fatal accident this weekend... the hangar's dimensions were listed in it.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
What happened?
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
According to the memo, a maintenance worker fell while his team was removing the safety nets to replace them with next-generation force fields.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
That's awful.
Safety may be taken very seriously, but we still have a long way to go before this place is ready to shelter children and families.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
I took the liberty of sending our condolences to the mortuary affairs office. They'll pass them on to the family.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
You did the right thing. Despite the accident, the crews are still working.
Did you see the suspended platform they installed beneath the main bay doors for maintenance?
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Yes. I think they're checking the opening mechanism that lets the starships out of the hangar. We'd be in quite a bind if those doors got stuck during an alert.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
No kidding.
I step forward to the edge, my hands instinctively gripping the cold guardrail. The immensity of the structure stretches before me, dizzying, capable of containing an entire large city.
My gaze slides downward, exploring the industrial entrails where mechanics and biology coexist in an improbable way.
And there, right next to the hydroponic garden, I notice an unexpected detail.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Angie, look way down there. Looks like there's something new...
Tell me I'm not seeing things. Those are animals next to the hydroponic garden, right?
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Sorry, Agnes, I don't have my glasses. But yeah, looks like it. That area was meant to hold livestock.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
And here I thought we'd be stuck with lab-grown steak... Nice to know we'll have some variety on the menu.
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
Ha ha ha! Don't get too excited. They're only here for breeding, not to end up on your plate.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
Please don't ruin this for me.
How about we start the inspection? We're still running late, remember...
Cmdr. Angie Chen (Number One)
You're right, Agnes. It's already nine. You should be in the admiral's office handing in your daily report by now.
Capt. Agnes V. Rodriguez
The admiral can wait. He's got plenty on his plate today with the NATO summit.