Jake Lancia stood up from the captain’s chair of the TRV Solaris. He stared into the blackness of space ahead of the ship, contemplating how far he had come since leaving the Nass Galaxies. How far Trident itself had come.
A beep from the forward console snapped him back to reality.
“Sir, we’re approaching the station construction site.”, the helm officer noted.
A large metal construction loomed into view. Little more than a mess of pipes and scaffolding now, it would soon become a model for a new type of outpost station that would expand the frontier ever further, allowing Trident exploratory vessels to resupply and refuel ever closer to the edge of known space. Jake, being an avid adventurer himself, longed to fly ever further from the galactic core, but duty kept him close to home.
The Solaris proceeded to dock to the most completed section of the station, and Jake and his first officer disembarked the ship. Various workers surrounded Jake as he made his way through the incomplete hallways, until he arrived at the CIC. There only a single person stood, its back to Jake, in relative shadow.
“Plaz”, Jake began, “I was beginning to worry you’d gone off on some random journey again”
The being turned round, to reveal two rapidly-adjusting, bright blue photoreceptors taking in his visage. “Not this time. My Precursor implants have not been calling me away for some time.”
“Glad to hear it”, Jake edged up the ramp towards the commanders’ chair, where Plaz stood, “so how goes your drive for efficiency over here then?”
“Excellent, actually. My efforts have yielded a 34.3 percent increase in the speed of construction, and a 11.2 percent reduction in resources used. I do not think many of the non-robot workers like this new arrangement, however”
“Why am I not surprised… Did you take away their breaktime again?”
“...yes”
“Plaz what have I told you about removing basic sentient rights?”
“Fine, I will reinstate this ‘breaktime’ you feel so strongly about”
“Good. I’ll be back another time, and I hope this place is ready when I get back.” Jake headed back down the ramp and back into the corridor. He reached for his communicator, and thumbed it open. “Lancia here. I’m heading back to the ship.”
