Novel Full 502 502 Test Flight
Four Hundred and fifty staff. That is what he requested from home for the Cutter’s service staff alone, plus the sixty that would actually be flying the ship and working in the technical areas.
That was at least triple the flight staff that Terminus used, but the hundreds of people he hired to serve fifty guests seemed more than a little excessive to Max. No task was duplicated. The servers for alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages were even different people, with every guest having their own.
“You know, this is kind of swanky. I feel like a true Princess here with so many staff scurrying about making everything perfect while somehow managing not to be underfoot.” Nico whispered to Max as they boarded the yacht, dressed in their very best formal wear that afternoon.
“I think it’s because they’re all so small and slender. It’s like they’re barely there at all, though I know that they’re everywhere.” Max agreed.
The uniforms chosen managed to blend nearly perfectly into the walls, so the servants lining every room basically vanished the moment that they stepped out of the way.
How much training it would take to accomplish that, even if they were using some sort of technology to supplement the effect, was astounding, and Max began to feel that their level of service might be somewhat lacking by intergalactic Nobility standards.
He wouldn’t go all out like this, but perhaps a few extra people hired for the VIP clients wouldn’t be amiss. Perhaps the Lord Governor could refer some trained staff to him, so he could assign a butler and maid to each VIP room.
The forty-seven chosen guests, plus Nico, Max, and the Lord Governor, all gathered in the front solarium for the pre-launch announcements and the start of the tour by their assigned staff. Max assumed that a route was chosen so that the fifty guests would never cross paths with each other during that process while getting a full impression of the luxury and style of the Lord Governor’s personally designed vessel.
“Welcome, everyone. The design team has allowed me the honor of welcoming you all to the first test flight of the Milly Moop, named in honor of my lovely wife, for whom this vessel is a surprise anniversary present.
We will test every system of the ship, including the Replicators and the furniture, so please do feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves while we launch. I am assured that the gravity control systems work well enough that the risk of spilled drinks from rapid maneuvering is minimal.”
That made a number of the wealthy guests chuckle. Every ship had a bit of lag when maneuvering, where the gravity controls struggled to keep up with the changes in inertia while the majority of the ship’s power was diverted to the Warp Drives, and the delicate dance of keeping one’s drink balanced had become part of their muscle memory at this point.
They didn’t know it yet, but human vessels were very different in that aspect. While most vessels had a gentle sway to them as they maneuvered, due to the highly efficient drive systems and limited power supply, the humans still used brute force for most things. The power output of the yacht was on par with vessels twice its size in the Alliance, even though it used the most advanced Warp Bubble designs that Terminus had managed to develop, so keeping the gravity functioning flawlessly was child’s play to the power system.
As a luxury yacht, much of the outer hull had transparent metallic windows so that the occupants could enjoy the view outside with their own eyes, including the current view as the ship lifted a half meter and was gently escorted out of the construction bay.
Once clear of the Colony Ship, they wove a tight course between a group of asteroids, showing off the precision gravity control of the ship while the guests clutched their drinks and looked fearfully out the windows at the asteroids passing dangerously close by.
“Fear not. The shielding is top-notch, on par with the Military vessels of the human species. A minor asteroid collision at this speed will not damage the vessel at all. It is one of the many luxuries of Owning a Terminus Trading Company Luxury Yacht.
The flight was going flawlessly at first, and Max couldn’t sense any issues until he suddenly sensed a flash of malice, followed by a short scream and glass breaking. One of the female guests had tripped another onto a couch, and the shattered glass had split her skin wide open.
A servant was at her side in seconds, using an Alliance medical tool to heal her hand, while a group cleaned up the mess and removed the stained couch that she had landed on. The servants quickly cleaned her dress by waving some sort of tool at it, and Max nodded at Nico to make sure that she was recording all of these tools so that they could modify them with human technology and provide them to the Reavers.
Moments later, a new couch was brought out, and it was as if the incident had never happened. If you ignored the two women in matching dresses having a stare-off in the middle of the room, that is.
“The ship even comes with spare furniture?” Someone among the crowd asked, with an impressed note in his voice.
“On the contrary, the damaged unit was scrapped as material for the Replicator, and a brand new one was created on the spot. The ship’s crew has access to replicator plans to replace all furniture, fixtures, and floor coverings present inside the vessel. Even custom monogrammed bedding is available.” The Lord Governor declared proudly.
“If you are the sort that prefers the utmost discretion, the evening’s bedding may be recycled daily, and a new set created every morning when the staff makes your bed to prevent any unnecessary drama or incidents,” Nico informed the gathered guests.
“Is a log of such activities also available?” One woman asked once Nico was finished speaking.
“With the authorization of the ship’s administrator, all items recycled and created can be reviewed at any time.” Nico agreed.
The woman smirked at her husband, who was doing his best to look innocent, while most of the guests did their best not to laugh at his plight. Destroying the bedding to hide a dalliance from his wife seemed not to be in the man’s future, even if he could afford to buy a vessel of his own.