by Max Barry

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Region: POLATION

Notabotia

The Adversity,
Western plains
Near Calagarda

Night, has fallen over Notabotia. As the lights flicker over a dimly built runway, it is overshadowed by a massive shape. The Adversity, sits in all its glory, ready to fly through the skies. Moored down by massive lines, it sits waiting. Below all this, a tiny creature drags itself along, its stomach painfully extended, ready to burst, the tiny red light now a full crimson glow, whatever inside ready to burst out like some sort of sci fi knock off. A sudden movement and a splash of blood lights the snow crimson as the metallic monstrosity cuts its way out. A squeak of agony, a twitch, it moves away, a glint of chrome in the white and red snow. Leaving its unfortunate host to die, it scuttles along on 3 tiny legs. Along it goes along the quiet darkened ship, now abandoned for the night. It crawls into a small airshaft and makes its way along, tiny drops of red dripping from its tiny legs to remind any of its gory birth. 15 minutes later it finds what it was looking for. It enters the Bridge, dressed in Notabotian paintings and fine rugs, dozens upon dozens of controls and switches humming beeping, waiting for somebody to turn it on.

It crawls along, finally making its way to the main computer. Tiny legs tap furiously then.

" Welcome to The Adversity, please enter the security clearance to continue."

A tiny wire, spiderlike, thin and long, likes a tapeworm leaves the tiny metallic monster and connects to the computer. 55667875445689875567896567789865677856LHG56VBY67898754578JMMLLHG5456...... For 5 minutes it bombards the computer, after a long wait..." Code entered. Welcome Captain Mitchels and crew. A set of small words quickly scroll across the screen. pop up.

Checklist
Turbines......100%
Generator....100%
Water tank...Full
Hydrogen tanks.....100 percent, no leaks detected
Automated fuel cells....Full charge, 2 weeks worth of flight capacity
Food.....Warning! No Steward log for food or potable water! Long term flight not advised
Scanning passenger list....No logs found
Scanning crewman log...2 onboard
Mooring lines engaged
Security turrets...Disengaged
BRS *Boarding repellent Systems*.... disengaged
CCTV system..Online

"Unable to commence with flight," the AI announced. " Enter code to continue." Another bombardment later.

" Code accepted! Override and unlock mooring lines?" Click. " Override logged and acknowledged. Unlocking mooring lines." A series of loud clicks then metallic thumps as the python like steel lines unlocked. The ship began to drift upwards slowly. " Initiating Launch....please stand by..

Engine 1......

A low humming of electricity and an eerie blue light from the electric engine lights up.

" Completed."

Engine 2...

Another low hum. "Completed. Now set destination. "

Solaria

Solarian Islands destination set. Automated destination engaged. have a nice day."

400 feet cruising speed
150 mph.

The massive airship, glowed a light blue in the dark, for lights and aft lights glowing blue in the dark winter night as it quietly lifted and moved away into the night

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