Brahk

"Get back to work Brahk!" There was a low grumble coming from Glex as he spoke. "I still have no idea why they made him a leader." Brahk could see Glex looking towards Mystreioj from his work station. He was pointing at her head. "I know that. It doesn't matter anyway when he has to listen to us. Only the AI follows what he says. Him being a leader just doesn't make sense!"

"He is the oldest." Thevhei chimed in the conversation with a whisper. The enclosed space made it easy for Brahk to hear her though. She was rubbing her hands together. She has always been nervous.

"Really?" Glex was giving her a cruel look, like pointing out the obvious made her dumb.

Brahk was about to step in when Mystreioj spoke up. "You know the Captain isn't deaf, right?"

"I know that!" Glex stood up and yelled that. "He 'has' to listen to us. A leader shouldn't need to take orders from their crew." Really emphasizing his point.

"You guys know the AI is recording right?" Brahk spoke up. He was tired of Brahk, but there wasn't much he could do unless the teenager went further.

"Shut up, Brahk!" Glex shouted, rushing out of the room.

With those words, Brahk closed his mouth. He wanted- A fifteen minute timer had started within his neural implant. He wouldn't be able to speak or purposefully make noise.

Mystreioj stood up. "I'll go talk to him. You can speak, Brahk."

The timer ended ahead of time, allowing Brahk the ability to speak. "Thank you."

He could hear Sidarce sigh.

---

Two hours later they arrived at their destination. It was a moon orbiting really close to a black hole. Their spaceship landed safely, following all safety protocols. The atmosphere readings were showing that it was toxic. Suits would be required to go out and take samples.

"We'll get started tomorrow. No need to get all our work done in one day." Brahk told the rest of his crew. "Get everything prepared before going to sleep. We start at 0600 hours."

"That's half a day! He's lazy." Glex had cooled down since earlier. The young man had taken care of his work at his own station. Now he was standing and making his case in front of the whole crew. "It's a waste of a day."

"We spent a month traveling here. There's no need to push ourselves." Sidarce offered a resolution. "Plus there's a lot to do. No one will be wasting their time. We have a job to do, so let's do it." Brahk could tell she didn't agree with him. That was fine.

"Whatever." Glex threw his hands up and walked away.

"Just remember to come to the medical bay before bed." Thevhei was nervous, but when it came to the welfare of others, she made an effort. That statement had been directed not just at Glex as he left, but the rest of the crew. Seventeen years old and she was a really good doctor as is.

"Want to give me a hand with the suits, Sidarce?" Mystreioj asked the young woman next to him.

"Maybe later, I got things to do." Sidarce walked away.

Mystreioj left shortly after grabbing his supplies from his station. Leaving Thevhei alone with Brahk.

"Would it be alright if I took your vitals now captain?" Brahk just nodded.

---

The AI and computer programs could handle the rest of his work. There wasn't much Brahk needed to be there for. As the Captain and leader, his job was to support the others. Sure he needed to know and understand all parts of their missions, but he didn't need to specialize in them. He was great at providing moral support, having about three decades of experience, guidance for the younger generation growing up, and leadership.

Even though he was all of that and more, he never really wanted to be a leader. That kind of position put a lot of pressure on him and he knew back even as a kid, that he could never do it. Then times changed and he grew up from that. Eventually finding out that it was something that he actually enjoyed and could do. Even if he was limited.

His room was simple. Metal walls steel grey walls mixed with orange accents. A cushion if he wanted to sit and relax, rather than lying down in his bed. Unlike the others, he didn't have much to his name as a keepsake. Just the clothing provided for him and a smile. A big smile…

A real smile came when he thought about his mother.

---

Greddub was a small and peaceful kingdom. The king there had a wife who he loved very much. He would do anything to protect her. Even sacrificing himself for her and their child.

Brahk's mother, Aveeral, was the queen of Greddub. Pregnant, she fled alone after her husband died.

Their kingdom never really had much. Food production, a small mine, and even less land for building. Probably one thing to note was the small mountain the castle originated on. The guards and military of the kingdom were few and had trouble containing threats. Especially when those threats started a coup. Their king let the whole kingdom down. He wanted to let people decide and speak out. Which was progressive in the world and something other kingdoms sought to destroy. They sent spies who riled up the population of Greddub causing those problems to break out. Even getting into the castle and causing havoc there. Those that turned traitors were influenced by Subhillaj. A larger and much more industrialized kingdom. Greddub had imported their technology, ideas and influence. Maybe there was more to the story there, but his mother never commented on that.

For an entire month, his mother travelled pregnant. She traveled on the road when she could, before hiding somewhere to sleep. On the ground, in a tree, or down in a cave. Never trusting anyone that travelled along the road and actively avoiding anyone that would harm her or her son.

When one day she collapsed, that was the day Brahk was born. Her screams sent away predators and brought help. They had medicine and cared for his mother. She was alive because of them and him too. True saviors.

Due to what happened in Greddub, they took her as a refugee, not the queen. Injuries and scars she got from her travels had disfigured her enough where they weren't the only ones fooled, Subhillaj was too. The enemy that started it all, just so they could expand and steal resources. Taking back the influence that Greddub had spread about their nation and whatever they wanted from the population. Installing a child's toy as a king that would do whatever they wanted.

His mother became good friends with those three. They looked out for her in the Subhillaj's, letting her stay with them. Even helped her get a job with Subhillaj's space program.

She worked in their space program as an engineer. For two years while Brahk grew up, she did everything she could for him. Aveeral was the best mother he could ask for.

Those two years though caught up to Subhillaj though. Either their crimes got found out or other kingdoms were just teaming up to take down the biggest threat, his mother didn't know. So there was a time limit. Those forces were planning to siege the city. As advanced as Subhillaj was, they were greatly outnumbered and had their own technology that had been repurposed to attack them. With a high chance of losing, the space program had been slightly altered as a lifeboat.

The space ship she had been working on was huge. She said it was the size of the castle in Greddub. Enough room to hide aboard on. While the rich and powerful were stored in the ship to escape the planet, the poor were to fight on the planet in a losing battle.

As an engineer, his mother had a high chance of making it on board. Thousands of workers were chosen, but not his mother. Thanks to her foresight, she had a plan ready to get her, Brahk and her three saviors aboard. It would be challenging to get past security, but she could do it.

Of course she would have never predicted the missiles that had been launched at the city that day. Sure they were destroyed, but the debris caught the attention of those in the facility. As a piece landed along the same path his mother was sneaking with the others on the ship. They sacrificed their lives to distract the security from noticing her and Brahk.

The two of them hid in the vents of the ship for the next two days as it finally took off into space. His mother cried with him in her arms.

---

That was his home for the next five years. Living in the vents and hiding from everyone, including the AI. Which his mother had been able to fool the sensors in the vents thanks to her training as an engineer and due to how much foresight she had. It was big enough for four adults and a child. Sure there was extra room now for Brahk to grow up, but it was a harsh burden on his mother. Their memory together in that shop had been a great boon in his mother's life. She missed them every day along with his father.

Aveeral never mentioned his father by name, only that he was the king of Greddub. She spoke of their history. Their kingdom and family. The people that he could find if he ever made it back home. But that wasn't all. She taught him math and science. He was really smart at that age, with a great memory. That made what happened next, all the more terrible.

The sensors needed to be replaced often. That was something his mother did on a regular basis. Having to procure food and supplies was easy as this spot was picked perfectly for something like. Tricking the AI and engineers was easy. After all they couldn't have someone come down there to replace anything when it was their home. Now it was Brahk's seventh birthday. His mother decided to get him something special, something sweet. All those years taking precautions, well his mother was confident. Though the unexpected can always happen and she was complacent and believed that nothing would change.

Aveeral's senses had dulled in those vents with her son, with him. It took a lot out of her. His mother was spotted taking a bar of chocolate. A chef called out to the AI and the AI had information on her. Knowing full well that she didn't belong on the ship. Military personnel had been dispatched towards her. In an attempt to protect her son, she fought back. Trying to prevent them from finding their hiding place.

It wasn't until soldiers came into the vents that Brahk figured out what happened. While they hadn't been the only stowaways on the ship, they had been there for the longest. Finding him had prompted a whole search over the ship. His fame came from his story as the son of an engineer that had stowed away on the ship for five whole years.

No one knew what to do with him. Understanding of his age and story, he wasn't at fault. Something that surprised him later on when he looked back at it. The nobles never really cared about anyone other than power. To help him out and take his side, but then to slip back into what they were by turning him into an experiment. Sure he had known and understood what they were doing to him, they even explained it in great detail. More than a normal seven year old should understand. But he didn't really comprehend everything until he was ten. Even though he was meant to be a test for their technology, they made mistakes that shouldn't have happened. Mistakes that both saved and inhibited his life. They were just incompetent.

Cruelty of using humans like any other resource.

He was implanted with a device on his spine from the neck down. There were nodes that were even installed on his brain. It controlled him to an extent. A first iteration and due to his age, a prime candidate. A child of a criminal. The idea was to make it so that Brahk was forced to comply with everything from his superiors, the elite, the nobles. In a sense it worked. It just worked too well in that regard.

The implant took orders from everyone, even the children in his school classes. Now they did have the foresight and ideas to protect him. No order could make him take his own life or do something against their laws like harming someone else. It was connected with the AI through a signal at all times, so if someone tried to make him follow a command that was amoral or worse, military personnel would be notified. It protected him. That is the best part about it. Possibly it was due to the fact he was a child and they weren't savages.

Another thing that mostly helped Brahk in the future was that the software couldn't be updated. He wasn't expected to survive or to last as long as he had in life. So they made it tamper proof in case he did. Contradictory commands and beliefs led to that mess. With the tamper proof casing, they couldn't change or update the commands, even automatically. In later iterations, that was rectified on others. The implant could be updated and still had the failsafe. So when the experiments continued, using criminals aboard the ship, they eventually were able to control the people however they wanted. Certain people in power had control and those people were sold and became an addition rather than rotting in a cell or killed. They had made it look like a positive. Those in lower positions saw it for what it was. It lowered dissent through the ship as there was a fear of being caught with nowhere to run to. So he didn't have to go through anything like that where he was stuck in his body and forced to obey. No one could look through his memories. Although he was in a similar position as them, at least he could think for himself.

Now the implant doesn't harm the person. That would be too easy to exploit and whoever thought of that was too good at their job. Whoever that was, clearly missed other parts. So how does it make the person comply? The user cannot actively think about those things. Ripping- or cutting-. His implant is there to stay and there is nothing he can do about it. Afterall the failsafe would kill him if someone were to do it while he was unaware. The implant would take action like any parasite to preserve itself and the host. It knows what he knows because it is his brain and it can make decisions based on that. So if he were to be in danger and had to harm- to survive, it would allow him to do that.

Since for the most part, their experiment was a success, Brahk was monitored for a while throughout and his early twenties. They watched him, taking the data they needed. After that though, there were few people that knew about him and what had happened. In that time, hiding as best as he could, no one cared. Time erased him from their eyes. Although there were more things for them to worry about.

---

Due to the implant, his childhood was tough. Kids and adults both took advantage of him. When they had to spar, he couldn't fight back. Either he needed to run or block. The teacher, a horrible man, would tase him if he ran. So forced to block attacks by the other kids in his class, he was used as a practice dummy because he had some autonomy. In regular learning classes, while he was knowledgeable and was far ahead of those his age, that couldn't save him. Teased and beat everyday. No one helped either. He was alone.

He wanted it all to end. To lay down in bed everyday and to not move. To stay still and avoid anything that happened in his life. To relax and rest. Slow and quiet.

His teenage years were better in a sense. Progress on the implant had made those fearful. Scared to get caught and in trouble. Some even fear him to an extent for what they had done. The AI handles them if it gets out of hand. Sure there were a select few who had kept up what they had done and never received punishment, but there was nothing that could be done for that. At least later he learned they had been turned into a worse version of what had been done to him.

When he finally picked what he wanted to specialize in, he was free for the most part. Schooling was over and now it was time for him to do something that he wanted.

Brahk moved into the research unit. Travelling to planets, asteroids, moons, where he and his colleagues would collect samples. There was much out there in the universe to explore and most of it could be used.

Those coworkers of his knew about him. As he had to apply for the team, they had seen his whole life. Fear of repercussions had them take a neutral approach to him. Giving him all the menial labor and ignoring him. Just trying to avoid him for the most part. He understood and there was nothing he could do. It gave him the chance to breath and to find some semblance and order in his life.

Later when he finally had the chance to, he was sent out on a research ship. To scout and explore. Missions sent by the AI that was ever present on the ship. It gave him the opportunity to repay his mother and those who saved him. Living his life the way he wanted with the knowledge bestowed upon him. With that and after some time, he was able to name a plant he found, that had medicinal properties, after them all. Avartseeble.

That name and the others after it was his way of rebelling against the nobles. It really brightened his day when the AI accepted the name. No one could change it. Well they could, but they would have to care about it.

Of course this was all thanks to the slipstream device built onto the main ship. Dropping off scouts and research teams on planets. It allowed him to see more than he ever imagined in those events. Explore. Discover.

---

By the time he was thirty a few things had happened.

Implants hit their peak. There was no more for others to rebel. No thought left untouched. Total control. Though he was largely unaffected. A forgotten relic of the past in a sense.

Through those events, he was able to find a wonderful woman. Dating for three years before they got married. Twins were born, a boy and girl. That same woman who liked to control his life and the twins. It was something that she enjoyed and something Brahk couldn't stand. He tried to fight against that woman with the authorities, but because of the implant they believed her. He couldn't tell a lie, even when ordered, but they never did their duty. He was blamed and shut out. Forced to leave them alone. He lived his whole life alone and for the past six years he thought he had what he always wanted. Instead it was taken away. He wanted to rip- He just wanted to be with his children. To tell them about their father and grandmother. The truth that history covered up by the winners. Guide them through the lies Subhillaj would teach so that they could make their own decisions informed.

"Deep Breath, Brahk." Words that his mother had taught him whenever he cried in those vents. He could only hope that his children would want to see him in the future, then he would have a chance.

Though there was some amazing news for the whole ship. A research team had found signs of aliens on a planet. An excavation allowed that team to uncover a ship. New technology and a map.

---

At the age of thirty-three, they met those aliens. With the initial discovery, they were able to translate and communicate with the aliens. Technology and trade opened up to a whole new civilization. Culture and worlds where life prospered.

Their technology had interested Brahk enough that he had the opportunity to tinker with it and learn the aliens' secrets. It was another way he honored his mother. Taking apart new technology with what she had taught him.

Humans had the means to colonize their own planets with that. No more relying on the ship for life. They could spread out through the universe. They had the means to make clones and send colonists to populate these new worlds. Clones that were controlled, yes, but genetically diverse at least. If they were ever freed, humanity would prosper. It was amazing.

Though instead of going to the colonies, he stayed on Subhillaj. His children were staying, so he stayed. They were important to him and if they ever sought him out, then he was going to make sure he was there for them.

---

Six years later, the war started. Humans were greedy. He sided with the aliens as he knew how terrible it was for the people and his children on the ship. It was inevitable looking back on it. Although the war happened, it did give Brahk one small moment of happiness.

The ship had been attacked. It knocked his wife unconscious. He was able to meet his children, to see them. It had been a long time since he had seen them. Even then they were just barely toddlers. At that point, he got to see their faces. It brought him to tears to see them again, but not because their mother was unconscious and injured.

After giving them a hug, they asked who he was. He told them he was their father, but they rejected him. At eleven years old, they had forgotten him. Their mother poisoned their minds. They thought he was a monster. Someone who couldn't be trusted. His son shouted at him to leave them alone. Forced to obey the implant, Brahk left.

No matter how much he wanted to fight against it, there was nothing he could do. No way to go against-. No way to get rid of-… Nothing he could do. As that would- him and he wasn't able to do something like that.

He cried for months. The warmth again ripped away by someone he thought he loved. The same person who made their children forget about him.

---

The war raged on. Humanity fought against their enemy. Humans died. Aliens died. Colonization went on. Research went on. Brahk moved up. Became a leader. The AI sent him out to complete missions within a certain time frame and when there was extra time, he could do whatever he wanted. As the leader he had the prerogative. If he wanted to stop on a planet to do nothing other than enjoy the natural springs, he very much could. His team at the time loved it.

Aliens had found his ship and he lost his crew, but he was able to survive and make it back home. He fell into a coma for a year, then had to work for another to get himself back in shape. It was arduous, but he made it through. The best part was that the medicine he was given was a derivative of Avartseeble. Due to the long lasting healing effects and anti-degradation properties. To him it was like his mother was watching over him.

There was something that happened while he was in the hospital. Something he wished he could forget. His children visited him. It was a chance for him to learn what kind of people they had become.

His children had his eyes. Those wonderful orange eyes. Shining brightly like any star out there in the universe. Both of them talked about their passions. His son wanted to fight, to become a soldier. He wanted to say no, but they asked him to be quiet as soon as they arrived. That hurt worse than he could ever put into words. His daughter wanted to set out as a colonist. Start in a world from scratch. They apologized to him for never spending time with him, but they couldn't stay. They couldn't be in his life. They were going their separate ways, leaving him alone. This was their way of saying goodbye. All he could do was hug them, all while holding back the tears he didn't want them to see.

He didn't know if they knew about the implant or not, but if he could he would have said something right away. To let them know how much he loved them. To tell them to be happy and to live their lives how they wanted and he was proud of them. The maturity they held proved that their mother had failed. That they had overcome her beliefs and made their own. To go on their own ways in their lives with their own beliefs.

---

Rejoining the research unit as a leader. He gained a new crew Glex, Sidarce, Thevhei, Mystreioj. Teenagers who had the same drive as him. All with their own quirks, but good people. Good young adults. He was going to try and be the father that he never was. That was why they were on this moon. It was his way to spend time and to bond with them all. Having spent the better half of a year all on a mission, now it was time for them all to relax. To let the machines do all the work while they could sit back and talk if necessary.

The best part was that it was near a black hole. A black hole up close. Even if they were far, far away from the event horizon, this was as close as they could get without being affected by the gravity. They always intrigued him, but there was never a chance to inspect one this close.

Something he can work on tomorrow.

---

"Mystreioj, are the suits ready?" Brahk had wiped away his brown bangs from his eyes. While he liked short hair, he would give anything to cover up the swelling around his eyes. Worrying about his looks didn't matter too much as he had been teased for his big nose in his childhood, but these kids were counting on him even if they didn't know it yet.

"Yes." Quick and succinct.

This morning Brahk noticed Sidarce look away from Mystreioj and fold her arms over her chest. The boy looked down towards the data pad he was holding to distract himself. Brahk just smiled.

"Good. Glex and Sidarce will head out and grab samples. Mystreioj and I will set up the drill." No need for scanners as the ship already took care of that over the night.

"Thevhei gets to stay in every time because she's the medic? That isn't fair." Glex offered up his opinion. It was true and there was a good reason for it. If someone got hurt, then she would need to be ready to take care of it, but there was something else that Brahk had planned from when they first left the main ship of Subhillaj.

"Actually, I would like to help out." He had looked over Thevhei's file. She wasn't here just as a medic, but as someone who wanted to research and see the universe. She also shared his love and theories about black holes. He was hoping that she would take initiative. Gaining courage to make her opinions known when it didn't relate to medicine. To get out her own little space.

"Thevhei will take my place then." Brahk smiled as he answered.

"You're not going to do anything?" Glex then turned towards him, completely baffled. "She can take my spot. I have some things to do."

"Play those games?" Sidarce added knowing full well, like the others, that he was going to do that. Glex had problems staying on task, but he was really good at his job and took pride in it. Those games offered a distraction that if he got sucked in, it would be difficult to get him away. The same applied for whatever he was working on.

"No!" Glex tried to deny.

"Alright, you got this team. At the first sign of trouble, hurry back in here. Supplies can be replaced, but you can't." Brahk clapped to get everyone's attention.

"Clones could easily take our place." Mystreioj was very smart. He could easily be the whole crew himself. It was that loneliness in his profile that Brahk brought him on his team for. He needed to learn teamwork. Learn that there can be more out there than knowledge.

"You heard the Captain, let's get to work." Sidarce huffed and walked out of the bridge. She had leadership potential. While more sassy than her fellow crewmates, she looked out for everyone, himself included. That attitude she hid behind was a mask. He hoped by having her on his team, that he and the others could help strip that away.

"Fine." Glex whispered.

"I have to take your vitals before you head out!" Thevhei called after Sidarce and gestured for the other two to follow her.

Brahk missed his children. He hoped they were well. His prince and princess. But the ones before him were under his care and he would do whatever he could to protect them.

---

The four kids were out doing their work. Brahk was listening to their comms while drinking tea. He wasn't trying to pry into the private conversations, but he also wanted to make sure everyone was on task. Ready to help out in case a conversation got heated. Like the one between Sidarce and Mystreioj.

It was about time for a break. To talk to them while the machines worked and maybe even play a small game together. Even enjoying the view of those around them for entertainment.

"Why don't you all come in for a break. I made cookies and tea. Also- Oh no. Everyone, get on the ship now. That is an order. Drop everything right now and run!"

The reason his ship had been attacked by aliens was due to the territory they were researching in. A system that had been scouted and deemed safe. Which at that time they had back up and that was how he was able to make it back alive, but his whole crew had been killed while he stayed alive. More due to the implant than luck.

At that time slipstream drives were being put on scout, fighter, research ships. Alien technology had allowed them to create what took up most of the ship to function on Subhillaj to something that could easily fit in a room about the size of a bunk bed. That allowed even the smaller ships to set out at farther locations than before.

Due to those reasons and his past, he wanted to go to uncharted territory. The mission parameters sent by the AI allowed that and he was able to go far away from anything known by the aliens and humans, at least based on old maps before the war and current information reports. So that was why he had brought his crew here. They were so far out that with six months using the slipstream drive at multiple locations, there was no way they should have been found. Although maybe it was the black hole that caught the aliens' attention or it was an ambush and they had been followed. He didn't and couldn't know.

Once everyone got in, Brahk told them to strap in. "We have company."

"Why would they be here?" Mystreioj asked, clearly trying to find the reason. The others were asking the same question, but out of fear. Glex wasn't making it easy.

"We have to get out of here now. Brahk, get us out of here." Glex shouted at him.

Brahk was already doing that, even if it wasn't said. Glex really liked using his name, it was probably the nicest thing the young man said to him on a daily basis. Otherwise it was Captain for the others. There were rare occasions where they did call him by his name, even though he wanted them to.

"Shut up, Glex!" Sidarce seethed at Glex. Though he knew she was scared as the others even though she held back. That was due to how she didn't stop that command from Glex.

The aliens were already on their way. The scanners had noticed their rotation, direction and velocity. It was clear they were the target.

Getting out of the moon's atmosphere was easy. Getting out black hole's gravity required them to use the moon's gravity to build up the velocity. Of course if they had time, this wouldn't be a problem, but the aliens were already locking on to their ship.

"Everyone hold on!" Brahk shouted. He had grabbed his suit while the others were getting in. If their hull was breached it could be fixed, so the suits would save their lives if that happened.

The ships' velocity increased, giving them cover with the moon. Breaking free of the moon's gravity, they shot out at high speeds. A single burst of plasma shot out from the aliens and was quickly dodged. Thanks to the size of the ship and expertise of the pilot, which was the AI at this point.

"Slipstream drive at 70%" Sidarce called out. Brahk had already started warming up the drive.

Another burst of plasma was sent their way, this time hitting them.

"They hit the slipstream drive!" Mystreioj called out.

"Anyone hurt?" Thevhei had a medical kit at her station ready to be taken out of storage at any moment. Everyone called out that they were fine, so at least they were safe.

Now Brahk had drilled it into them how to act if he wasn't on the bridge. Who was to take lead, which would be Sidarce.

"I'll go take a look at it. Sidarce you know what to do." Brahk looked towards her, so she could take over responsibility on the ship, then he turned around. "Glex, take the flight controls. You are going to fly us out of here. Mystreioj and Thevhei support them."

"What?" Glex had called out. He played a lot of games and his speed and coordination was the best out of everyone on board, even the AI. He was truly amazing. Brahk knew he was perfect for it.

"You got this, Glex. I know you do!" Brahk sent over a smile and thumbs up.

Brahk made his way to the slipstream drive. He needed to figure out what was wrong with it.

Opening the door, it became clear. There was a fire in the compartment. A random metal plate had flown up blocked the hole into space so the fire was able to rage on.

"It's a fire, putting it out now." Getting the foam canister, Brahk sprayed it over the fire. " Plasma weakened the outer hull. Metal plate covering entry hole. How does it look over there, Mystreioj?"

"Still getting errors." He responded over comms.

The ship did a quick roll, making Brahk lose his balance and caused Thevhei to scream at him. "Are you okay Brahk?" Even though she was scared, she still asked him in this type of situation.

"I'm fine." He was and smiled. She called him by his name. Then he checked over his suit and found that all systems were fine and no breaches. He would need to vent this room later, but he needed to check the slipstream drive.

There was a screen hooked on to the side of the drive. It transferred all the information on the bridge, but if that connection was severed, which it was, all they would get was errors. He needed to repair it and look over to see if there was anything else wrong with it.

Ignition was green. Particle enhancement green. Containment orange. Relays, both slipstream and the connection to the bridge were red. Everything else was green. Containment would hold at least for their first jump, if he could get the relay up. They could get it covered back up from what he could see. The relays were what made the slipstream extend all the way around the ship. A bubble to protect the ship when in the slipstream which was more or less a wormhole. A lot quicker in travel than a wormhole, but that was due to the increased radiation and gravity.

"Relay grid offline. Just the one that sends the signals to the others, which are all reading green." Brahk stated over the comms. He was scared, not for himself, but the others.

"Do you need any help?" That was Sidarce.

He did need help, but not in the way the others were thinking. He had told Sidarce and the others everything about him, but because of Sidarce's position on this crew, she would need to help him.

Brahk didn't respond as the implant prevented him from doing so.

"Captain?" That was Glex. Brahk could hear his voice. That young man was scared as he did another evasive maneuver. One that Brahk was ready for.

"I understand Captain." Sidarce responded and the others started questioning her.

"Remember everyone, your lives are important. Thank you all for coming with me. Glex you just need to find what you are truly passionate about. Thevhei, remember to speak up more and tell everyone what you are thinking. Knowledge isn't everything Mystreioj, keep that in mind when you look for that someone special. Sidarce… I know you care, show it a little please. You all need to live your lives to the fullest."

"Brahk… do your job and thank you." Sidarce had choked up as she said that to him.

Glex was in denial. "Don't talk like… that. Please." He really did care, but now Brahk couldn't speak. He could only smile.

"No, please. No!" Thevhei was screaming, hysteric even. "Say something Brahk!" Thankfully she was prepared.

"It's going to be okay." Brahk did his best to calm them down with that, but it didn't really work. Even if their journey was boring and not much happened, he was glad that for the past six months he had made an impact on them.

"Will it?" Mystreioj asked.

"Yes." A simple response. Glex almost got the ship hit and Sidarce hounded him for it.

This was a life or death situation. Brahk noticed that Sidarce had locked him in the room, forcing his implant to allow him to take action that would have the highest chance for survival with everyone else.

The slipstream drives were held in specialized rooms. Deadly radiation and gravity were the biggest factors, but if something was wrong, like it was now, it could protect the passengers. Even though the hull was breached around this room, it was minimal damage. Plasma should have torn through much more on the ship, as it was a research ship, but thankfully the aimed for their weakest and strongest point on the ship.

With no way out, he was forced to act. Implant wanted him to survive and he could. With his suit it gave him protection, if it was minimal compared to a slipstream drive. What Brahk needed to accomplish would be to hold the relay in place manually. There was no time to anchor it down. Even with Glex piloting, they were on a time limit. It was the best chance and even his implant agreed even if it got information from his head.

In a way Brahk knew this would happen. Not really, but it was the main reason he went here while everyone was on the bridge. From past mistakes when he was injured, he didn't want the others to suffer because of him. So he made sure he was the one to go. Now the reason his implant let him entertain the idea in the first place was the lack of information. Errors didn't tell him about the relay damage. Even if he knew it, it could have been a simple fix if he didn't see it. Also the fire was easy to handle so it did lower his expectations and gave him the opportunity to stay in the room.

He would do anything for his crew and his own children. The implant made that difficult. Thankfully there were some ways around that if they were minimal. This happened to the best case scenario. Events allowed him this opportunity to make sure he was the one in control, even if it was in line with the implant. An agreement.

Now the others knew why it was dangerous. If the radiation didn't kill him that was produced by the drive, then the expansion of the slipstream would. Not protected by the bubble and essentially he wouldn't even be in the ship as he would be in a separate point compared to them. That was because he was going to hold the relay. Even if the other didn't know or could tell from the cameras if they were working, he had a low chance, but higher than doing nothing.

This was the highest act of rebellion for him. Using free will.

To protect everyone.

Brahk had a genuine smile on his face.

"Take care."

The drive, at 100%, finished and activated.

Bright flashes of light. Dizzy. Falling. Squishing. Stretching.