But What Will The Gods Eat Tomorrow?

"The jump-coordinator was damaged during the Aardvark’s explosion," Tempest said, and I silently let out a sigh. "I couldn’t hold the jump window stable."

Fear scratched his chin. "Good job, boys," he said at last, smiling at me. "And good thinking about the Aardvark, Jon. We certainly don’t want the Fish to go public." He started toward the door. "Hope you enjoyed your vacation. You’ve got quite a backlog of work.

"And Jon," he added when he stopped to key in the code to open the hangar doors, "don’t forget to stop by your office. You need to fill out a few dozen reports by the end of the day." He left the hangar, the doors whooshing shut behind him.

I couldn’t believe it. I’d gotten away with it. Even more surprising, Tempest had backed me up. I didn’t expect him to rat on me–he’d be in as much trouble as I if the truth were ever discovered–but I never thought he’d cover for me, either.

"Now we’re even," he said in his smug tone, though he had tempered a bit. "Thanks for the present, Jonny!"

1) Six of the Bacchanal System’s eight planets are habitable and have been terraformed to offer a variety of different environments for visitors. Bacchanal II is a hot, rocky planet, virtually devoid of life, but offering many thrilling locales. Bacchanal V is a resort with moderate temperatures and an abundance of beach-front property. From the jungles of Bacchanal IV to the snow-capped glacial mountains of Bacchanal VIII, there is something for everyone in the Bacchanal system. And if that’s not enough of a tourist draw, the Recreational Service Coordinators of the Bacchanal system are the most talented and experienced in the FEDs. In over six hundred years of operation, they have not received a single customer service complaint, though several paternity and child support suits are pending.

We would like to thank the Bacchanal System for its generous and continued funding of this project.

2) Engine capable, when powered by the fuel trix, of folding space-time, allowing for pseudo-faster-than-light travel.

3) For the duration of this document, assume all times and dates are given in SET (Standard Earth Time) unless otherwise stated.

4) Dangerous Reconnaissance Assault Gunship Omega, NOVA-equipped. For reasons that remain unclear, Flight Commander Cougar refused to call his craft by its official acronym, Fish.

5) Federation of Earth-Descendant Planets

6) Though golf is currently gaining in popular opinion, it has not been widely endorsed since the Golf Riots. Following a declaration by the Interstellar Congress, making golf the federational pastime, massive riots erupted throughout the FEDs. Extensive damage was done on many worlds and over a million lives were lost, including all but three professional golfers.

7) Before being inserted into the Fish, Tempest’s matrix was subjected to modification. While it proved impossible to remove his hatred of humanity, the scientists at the Gates Institute* were able to modify Tempest’s behavior to a certain extent. He was made incapable of harming Flight Commander Cougar and was programmed to protect Commander Cougar from all harm, be it within his power.

* Note– The programmers at the Gates Institute had a history of releasing buggy software. While Tempest’s programming appeared sound at the time of installation, there was no telling what effects substandard programming would have on his highly advanced matrix.

8) Advanced Anti-fighter Retaliatory Dreadnaught, Vitrilium-Armored Rebel Killer

With only a few exceptions (like the Cult of Timay) the splinter groups of the FEDs during Commander Cougar’s lifetime were small organizations without the funds necessary to purchase large capital ships.