Chapter Twelve
The Difference Between Can and Should
Nellie carried the two coffees into her and Lucy’s apartment on the Rest with more than a bit of anxiety. It was time to deal with something that she had been putting off for way longer than was good for either of them.
It was time to have a serious talk with Paren.
She could still reme...
2024-11-21 09:00:08 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Eleven
Processors
“Is this supposed to be funny?” TRV-4 asked as the four cargo pods cooled just beyond the landing bays. “I am not entirely sure I see the humor in it.”
“No, Tee,” Cheap sighed. “This is not any kind of joke. These are our supplies.”
“But I saw the list,” TRV-4 said. “It was looooong.” He ges...
2024-11-20 09:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Ten
Message Logs
: Sagacity System Benediction :
Message intercepted by N.S.S. Harbinger
Origin: Sagacity Spiral Benediction
Destination: Unknown Place/Entity identified as The Grand Archive.
At...
2024-11-19 09:00:07 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Nine
Opportunities
Exchanging the learning units for a bunch of weak and sickly Iron Badges had certainly thawed things between Nellie and her hosts.
Unfortunately, that didn’t mean the diplomatic work was over, but it had at least started. The following evening, Nellie was invited to a dinner party in her honor, which she accepte...
2024-11-18 09:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Eight
A Difficult Start
Cheape looked through the options and carefully made selections that looked the most useful and adaptable.
Her staff had arrived with some supplies to get her started, but it was up to Cheape to set things up. She was in charge, after all. The problem was that she had never actually used the prefab cubes before. Th...
2024-11-14 09:05:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Seven
Complications
Things had gotten awkward for Nellie pretty quickly following the award of the platinum badge. For a start, everyone suddenly started to refer to her as ‘Sage; as opposed to her actual title.
At least the antagonism seemed to have stopped.
She was escorted into the ‘college,’ seeing it was much ...
2024-11-14 09:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Six
The Sagacity
The Harbinger came out of the jump point at minimum velocity.
Nellie watched as the turbulence from the Transit Energy dissipated and the scans populated with traffic.
“Sagacity ships detected!” Erikson called urgently.
“Shields! Bring the weapons online!” Morton yelled.
“Hold that ...
2024-11-13 09:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Five
Setting Out
Nellie felt the connection to her nanites in the Harbinger refresh as she stepped on board—one by one, the ship's sensors connected before being shunted to her subconscious mind. It was too much information for Nellie to process in real-time yet, but she was working on it. The result was a general feeling of the ship’s stat...
2024-11-13 09:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Four
Planning a Trip
Nellie woke up face down on the table in her cafe.
“Oh, that’s not great,” Nellie cracked her stiff neck as she blinked the sleep from her eyes, trying to remember what she had been doing before she fell asleep.
While she was figuring it out the various sub-processes her mind had been running r...
2024-11-12 09:05:00 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Three
Staffing
“I’m not quite sure you understand,” Cheape tried again. “The Imperium doesn’t intend to take anything from you by force.”
“I understand,” President Marls winked at her again. “Nothing by force.”
“Will you stop winking at me!” Cheape snapped, feeling guilty immediately when the man winced...
2024-11-12 09:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Two
One Meeting After Another
Nellie did her best to ignore the three blinking comm lines trying to connect to her while she sipped her cup of HyperDrive.
She imagined that not many Queens hid in coffee shops when they wanted to snatch a few moments alone, but it had worked so far, and Nellie had no intention of surrendering the few...
2024-11-11 09:05:01 +0000 UTC View PostChapter One
The Long Road Ahead
Logistics Officer Cheap stepped out of the orb craft before the debris thrown up by the landing had even started to settle.
The Imperium’s new planet didn’t make much of a first impression, and she was immediately thankful that she had chosen to come in her Modular Boost Suit.
The heavy metal ...
2024-11-11 09:00:11 +0000 UTC View PostHey all,
Just a quick note to let everyone know the plan for next week. To celebrate the launch of Book Five here on Patreon and Book Four over on Amazon, the week will have double the number of chapters as usual.
So, instead of a chapter a day, it will be a double bill for the entire Monday-Thursday schedule!
II am looking forward to sharing the next story arc of Nellie and ...
2024-11-07 12:29:10 +0000 UTC View PostHey all, and Happy Halloween
I thought now would be a great time to give you an idea of what to expect in the next Nellie and the Nanites.
It's been quite a journey for Nellie. Starting out lost and alone in an ore belt at the back of beyond, she had never once shied away from a challenge. She has grown by building her own ship and starting her own haulage business, fighting ...
2024-10-31 11:43:58 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Five
Epilogue
Transfer Unit TRV4 stepped out of the gate and looked around at the city being constructed with a sense of expectation. A new universe awaited him, and there were organics here.
Real organics and not merely a bunch of recreations and holograms in museums.
It was the culmination of a lifetime of dreams, becoming a...
2024-10-31 09:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Four
HiveShip
“Move to intercept,” Hardwicke sat back in his captain’s chair and smiled grimly.
His entire career was over. Ended not because of a decision he had made, but by decisions made by that little rat-fuck Carter.
Because the man could not see far enough ahead to realize that he was about to unleash.
None ...
2024-10-30 09:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Three
Family Problems
Hellena marveled at the cruiser's responsiveness. It was one of the most powerful heavy cruisers she had ever heard of, let alone commanded, but it moved as quickly and easily as a light escort cruiser.
Honestly, the new Birdsong was almost equal to some of the smallest capital ships. Not only that, but the dam...
2024-10-29 09:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-Two
Launch
“Ladies, Gentlemen, and Drones of the Nanite Imperium,” Nellie spoke over an Imperium-wide broadcast comm line, “We are about to launch the largest operation in our short but eventful history. I urge you to not be afraid.” She took a moment to think before continuing, her eyes scanning her bridge crew. “Since the mome...
2024-10-28 09:00:09 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty-One
Countdown
“Paren, damn it! I need to know what you have before we launch the attack!” Nellie was shouting through the door, but Paren completely ignored it.
She was busy.
And also pissed off in the extreme. How dare she take Lucy back so quickly? Just because she had some sob story. Thank whatever gods there were that ...
2024-10-24 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Fifty
Complications.
“I’m sorry. Could you please take turns?” Nellie sighed as she looked at the group of people in front of her. “I don’t mean to be rude; I just want time to process one disaster before the next one of you decides to make it worse.”
“She’s a guest; she can go first,” Dar shamelessly dropped Hellena int...
2024-10-23 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Nine
Delivery
Crush was happy to be free of the Imperial Line beacon ID, even if it had let them pass unnoticed through the systems they needed to cross.
Every time he saw the name I.L.S. Liberteen on the scan display, Crush felt the urge to have the ship scrubbed from top to bottom. It wasn’t that he was running under a dis...
2024-10-22 08:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Eight
Message Logs
Encrypted Transmission
Source: Admiral Cyrus - Ravenwing.
Destination: Captain Hellena - Birdsong.
Hellena, change of plans.
If Operation Fledgling succeeds, kill the Imperium Crew and seize their vessel.
...
2024-10-21 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Seven
Breaking the Rules
“Downjump complete,” Morton yelled over the blaring warning klaxons. “Ten seconds and counting!”
“Prepare micro-jump!” Nellie called, getting a confirmation from Erikson that she was ready. The scan around them showed almost fifteen capital ships, with many more cruisers. It was what she had expe...
2024-10-17 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Six
Hostage Situation
“Merchant Captain Cross, how may we profit each other?” Crush asked as the comm line opened.
“First Assessor Nairn speaking, Captain. We understand you have been trading with other ships of the line.” The rotund figure smiled, mopping a small bead of sweat from his head as he did so. “Fair trades as w...
2024-10-16 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Five
The Nature of Soldiers
Crush had spent many of his formative years as a soldier. He was, therefore, a lot more prepared for what greeted them when they exited Transit Space in their target system.
Their arrangement with the Imperial Line patrol in the previous system had gone off without a hitch, and if there was one thing sold...
2024-10-15 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Four
Station Gossip
“Taking Liberties, stand to and await scan,” the Imperial Line patrol ship called, and Crush had Tri hold their position and drop shields—or appear to, anyway. Small scattering field generators were activated over the weapons. To the inspector, they should look like shielded containers, but this was their first c...
2024-10-14 08:00:06 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Three
Trade-Off
“Coming out of jump in 3..2..1.. Do you think they missed us?” Tri chuckled as the Taking Liberties emerged into the Maiusarian system. Five ships were gathered around the jump exit, weapons hot.
“Give them one second,” Crush said, eyes narrowing as the comm line blinked.
“Captain Hellena,” Th...
2024-10-10 08:00:19 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-Two
Setting out
Edwards looked nervously at the four figures glaring at him. Despite their natural appearance to others, he could recognize the flesh they wore from the days he had spent growing it the previous week.
“Hello, my name is Carl,” Edwards smiled brightly, ignoring the gesture the red-haired girl made. “Paren asked ...
2024-10-09 08:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty-One
Planning
“Birdsong, Heavy Cruiser, Captain Hellena of the Falling Waters.” Nellie read. “Ship details are as follows: Twelve laser arrays and ten missile banks. Shields are strong for a cruiser, but the place where your ship excels is in the top speed. Like the other ships in the Confederacy’s Falling Waters faction, your engi...
2024-10-08 08:00:05 +0000 UTC View PostChapter Forty
Adjustments
“What do you mean requisitioned?” Nellie growled.
“That is what I said, too,” Salem replied with a frustrated sigh. “I was told it was still available for system defense but was not to be sent any staff or crew.”
“Were there any other requisitions?” Nellie asked with a sinking feeling.
...
2024-10-07 08:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post