Chapter 90: Ship of Legend
Derek found himself cursing his past self for not having found a way to travel directly to the Squidworks shipyard as he carefully navigated himself through the crowds of the transit station. The situation was made all the worse by the feeling of fullness emanating from [Smuggler’s Pocket], the [Skill] stuffed to the gills with all the things he’d brought from the ship, and all the crap he’d picked up on Earth.
I really need to get my own place for when I’m not on the ship, Derek decided. And the random buildings they’d put up on Barcodee didn’t count; those were both sorely lacking in modern amenities and well beyond human space. He’d had fun putting them up, but that was hardly a glowing recommendation for living there.
Still, now, he could afford it himself. Didn’t even have to be on Earth or in Sol, only close enough to the local catapult to be easily reached.
Those things were absurdly powerful, capable of launching a compatible ship up to fifty light-years in an instant … unfortunately, that particular miracle of technology came with a price tag to match, to the point where even the jewel of humanity, the cradle of mankind, Sol itself, only sported thirteen, one more than the rest of the Core put together.
Yeah, no, Earth or Mars were the only real options, especially since they were the ones with access to the fast travel system; as such, as long as he was judicious in its use and didn’t waste his twice-weekly teleports, he’d be able to react to almost any situation.
Though it’d probably have to wait until the next time they came back from the greater galaxy.
Glancing up, he saw the screen displaying the news up near the top of the wall, showing the results of a UN vote on whether or not to finally certify the “no expansion beyond twenty light years” policy. The answer had been a firm “yes.”
Good.
In a display of uncharacteristic foresight, Earth’s first unified government had drawn a clear sphere of influence outside of which it would not govern, then kept that promise, with today’s leaders upholding that same policy.