Sensory Input

Shocku thought the command, picked up by his neural implant and racing at the speed of light through the optical network of his Rapier class ship's systems.  Everything went dark except heavily shielded life support systems in his capsule. It was nerve wracking to be suspended in ink black fluid with no sensory input.  If a meteoroid was about to pierce the hull of his ship, there would be no way for him to know until it was too late. But it was the only way, and even then it was a long shot. 

An enemy spacecraft plied this solar system, engaging and destroying the Angel Cartel pirates and collecting their resources in the asteroid belts.  Shocku could care less about the Cartel and its resources, but he wanted to deprive the enemy of the ability to profit from systems within Atlas territory. 

 

He counted the minutes, hoping he would be lucky and the enemy spacecraft would warp to the asteroid belt where his covert operations ship floated dark and quiet.  There was no way to tell without powering up his systems, and those would create a subspace signature the enemy ship would immediately detect as a spacecraft within the local system. 

 

Shocku counted and waited...  Suddenly he powered up the Rapier and immediately scanned the belt. The signature of a Drake was detected, but it immediately cloaked.  Shocku wondered if the Drake was piloted by man or machine.  He deployed drones, activated his micro warp drive, and set his trajectory towards the last known location of the drake.  Nothing, luck was not with him tonight.  Well, at least he had disrupted the enemy's operations this evening. 

 

Cloaking his ship a safe distance from the nearest belt, Shocku drained and disconnected his implants from his pod.  Feeling his lungs begin to heave, he doubled up and clenched his diaphragm, discharging the perfluorocarbons from his lungs in a long choking vomit.  Gasping, he grabbed a robe and headed to the captain's quarters for a shower.

 

As the warm steam shower washed his skin clean, Shocku smiled as the door to the vestibule slowly opened.  The slender girl entered tentatively at his approving nod and wrapped her arms around his midriff, pressing her warm body up to his.  Though he could not recall her name, he did remember her description from the electronic procurement forms he had signed before leaving the Ambrosia station in the AXDX solar system.  For once, the contents of a contract in New Eden were exactly as advertised.  He tangled his fingers amongst her blonde locks as her lips slid down from his navel.  Not a single implant jack marred the back of her scalp.  He would be her only source of sensory input this night in their far flung region of darkened space.