Episode 2: Outbound

“Where’s Hollis?” Laz poked his head through the open iris valve into the ship’s locker, where Ticia was taking inventory.

“I looked it up. It’s in Foreven sector, about twenty-six parsecs spinward and rimward of Regina.” She finished securing the last of four vacc suits into position, then added, “That’s in a straight line. It’s going to take months to get there in this ship.”

The Type S Scout was capable of making jumps of up to two parsecs at a time, and each jump took about one standard week, during which the Curious would be in the featureless void of jumpspace. If they didn’t know each other now, they certainly would before they arrived at their destination. “Foreven, huh? I’ve never been beyond the Imperium before.”

Episode 1: Curious Endeavor

Krinka’s was one of the few quiet places in Credo Down, Regina’s primary planet-side starport. Frequented by Naval officers looking for some off-base dining and corporate sales reps wining and dining prospective big-ticket clients, it offered native cuisine in a more refined atmosphere than your typical startown dive. Ticia had dined here once before with a couple of other shiny new Ensigns fresh out of Officer Candidate School; it was a peaceful start to an otherwise bawdy romp in celebration of their graduation. Having spent most of her career as a non-com, she preferred louder venues.