It's the start of a new month, and as always, I would first of all like to thank all of you who have picked up S.P.E.C.T.O.R and are enjoying it. So thank you all very much. I always enjoy reading your comments and reviews, and since I am so new to writing novels, I try to take even the criticism as a learning experience.... I did say try lol.
Don't forget there are 50 more chapters to read over on my Patreon or SubscribeStar and if you subscribe for a full year, you actually get 2 months free. Also, a quick shout-out to all my Patreon supporters.
Once again, thank you all for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy long into the future.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, anything else interesting on the news?" Adam asked.
[LadyErkath (Deverinian Prime): No, don't look for anything else interesting, THIS is interesting and important.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): 😮💨 Don't bother Lady Erkath, they can't see the chat, remember.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): Are Terrans common on Solarian Prime at this time?]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): Yes. Back then, the Terrans and Solarians had a decent friendship and many Terrans lived and worked on Solarian Prime.]
[Superhearofangirl (Earth): Damn it, and I here I was thinking we could watch the streamer save the princess like from a fairy tale.]
[Justiceistruth (Earth): And then what? She falls in love with him and they live happily ever after? Sorry, but not going to happen, especially since the streamer already has two girlfriends.]
"Let's see," Rowena replied before smirking and saying, "Empress Revi refuses yet another marriage proposal, this time from a prominent member of the Dragon race."
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): Ugh, Narven. 😒]
[Lizziethetruepower (Palaxia): An admirer of yours?]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): Unfortunately. He has been after my hand in marriage for decades now, the guy just wont take no for an answer.]
[Thewhitesoverign (Felinia 7): Narven? That guy always was a pompous ass, thinking he was better than me.😡]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Well, you were a troublemaker when you were younger, while Narven is respected by many other races.]
[Thewhitesoverign (Felinia 7): That wasn't me, that was Tephe 2.😡]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Tephe 2? 😵💫]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): What on Fenix Nest is a Tephe 2?]
[Thewhitesoverign (Felinia 7): Errr never mind, forget I said anything.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): We can't just forget something.]
[Thewhitesoverign (Felinia 7): Yes, you can, just forget it already.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): Suspicious. 🤨]
"So she's not even into dragons? She didn't strike me as the picky type back then," Adam replied.
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): …]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): 🤣 No, not picky at all, she just refused every marriage proposal she has ever received because they weren't good enough.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): It's not because they're not good enough, it's because they're not the man I'm looking for.]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): Oh? And who is the man you're looking for, Phoenix Empress?]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): If I knew that, I would have already found him, wouldn't I?]
[NonpareilRaphilia (Aaru): I don't know, would you have?]
"Picky?" Rowena asked as she looked down at Adam, trying to decide if he was just feigning ignorance or if he really hadn't realised.
"Well, yeah, isn't she supposed to have turned down every marriage proposal she has ever received because she is waiting for that someone special?" Adam asked.
"I guess," Rowena replied before deciding to drop the subject as she looked back at the holographic screen and was about to speak when Spector suddenly announced.
"We are about to arrive at Solarian Prime, standby to leave subspace and enter orbit."
As the chat watched, the stream switched to an external view of where Spector should appear if she wasn't stealth'd, just as they returned to normal space through a subspace tear that flashed with lightning before closing behind them.
What they saw was a planet filled with so much greenery that it was visible from space; it even had several green rings around it and the space surrounding it had a strange green tint to it.
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Wow, would you look at that.]
[SciFifanboy (Earth): OMG, that's so fucking Sci-Fi.]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): That's a forest planet if ever I saw one.]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): How beautiful.]
"How can space be green?" Adam asked in surprise.
"Solarinan Prime lies within a green-star nebula; the nebula affects the planet, causing most of the planet to be covered in trees and vegetation," Rowena explained.
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): How does a nebula affect a planet?]
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): I have no clue.]
"I see," Adam replied while looking down at the planet and asking, "Not that we would use it, but does the planet even have a spaceport for ships to dock at?"
"No," Rowena replied while shaking her head before continuing, "because of how the nebula affects the planet's vegetation, any attempt to build a spaceport in the past was hampered. While they could successfully build one, they had to spend a lot of time and credits on preventing the vegetation from overrunning and damaging it.
In the end, they came up with the idea of building several orbital elevators across the planet."
"Orbital elevators?" Adam asked in surprise.
"One should be coming into view in a few moments, I suspect. Take a look," Rowena said as she looked down on the planet, just as Adam saw something come into view as Spector circled the planet.
Rising up out of the atmosphere was a large tube-shaped structure that ended at a space station.
[SciFifanboy (Earth): OMG, that's so Sci-Fi.]
[Animefangirl (Earth): Oh My God, That's so Anime.]
"Ships dock at one of the space stations in orbit before being shuttled to the closest orbital elevator, where they ride the elevator down to the planet.
Only important members of the Solarian race, such as the royal family or important guests, can fly down to the planet and even then, they have to use shuttles.
"How do the orbital elevators not get overgrown?" Adam asked curiously as he saw lights flashing up and down the long tube, which indicated when the lower moving.
"They do, but because of how they're constructed, the vegetation climbs up and around the orbital elevator tube, using it to climb."
"So we need to take the orbital elevator to reach the planet?" Adam asked.
"I believe that's the best course of action here. There are not many open places on Solarian Prime that we could land because of all the trees and vegetation."
"I'm assuming our identities will be checked when we board the station and try to use the orbital elevator?"
"Naturally," Rowena replied before adding, "Docking Spector with the space station would probably not be the best idea."
"That's what I figured, I suppose we could dock the shuttle instead," Adam replied before asking, "Spector, can you acquire us authorisation codes to dock the shuttle and use the elevator?"
"Affirmative, scanning for suitable authorisation codes," Spector responded before continuing.
"Suitable authorisation acquired."
"What sort of authorisation?" Rowena asked curiously.
"Acquired authorisation is for a recently married couple who are honeymooning on Solarian Prime."
[OfficialLorelie (Felinia 7): ….]
[OrangeeyedStace (Felinia 7): Excuse me?]
[OfficialAphrodite (Felinia 7): Rowena, you damn bitch. Why did you get sent back in time with him instead of me?]
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Aww hell no.]
[Phoenixempress (Fenix Nest): The AI has to be kidding, right?]
"Huh?" Adam responded in surprise.
"Oh, really?" Rowena asked with interest as she looked down at Adam with her signature smirk before saying, "Is that why you're still lying on my lap, to get used to it now that we're married, darling?"
"Is there no other authorisation available?" Adam asked as he finally removed his head from Rowena's lap, making the latter chuckle.
"Negative, there are only a few suitable authorisations available for two Terrans to use, such as cargo transporters, however because I am obviously not a cargo ship and you know nearly nothing about the products in the universe that is not suitable," Spector replied before continuing, "While you both have experience with relationships and so pretending to be a recently married couple should be possible."
"Hmmm, I suppose with my black hair and blue eyes, I do indeed look rather like a Terran when I hide my wings," Rowena remarked.
"Fine," Adam said with a sigh before asking, "What are we here to steal and where is it?"
[OfficialMuriel (Aqua Primus): Steal? They travelled back in time to Solarian Prime to steal something.]
[RealOtaku (Earth): Dude, it's a time heist.]
"You don't need to steal anything; simply getting close to the device and scanning it with your uniband will suffice," Spector stated.
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): You mean they don't need to steal anything? Lame. 😒]
[OracleRomy (Elysium): Most people would be happy about not having to steal anything.]
[RealOtaku (Earth): I wanted to see a time heist.]
[CEOHopkins (Earth): Well, it sounds like they still need to sneak in somewhere to scan whatever this device is, so I guess they're still breaking and entering.]
"Well, I suppose that makes things a little simpler," Adam remarked before asking again, "so where is it?"
"According to historical records, the device is located somewhere within the capital city of E'elthaes; however, to know more, you will need to gain me access to the city's AI system," Spector explained.
"Is it safe for you to come into contact with another AI? Especially one that controls a city?" Adam asked.
"The AI in question is actually a subsidiary AI of the one that monitors and controls the essential systems of the entire planet, but to answer your question, yes, it is perfectly safe. We are forty-three years in the past, so I am not only more modern than it, but I am also far more advanced," Spector explained.
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): I know we already had our suspicions, but it's still amazing to hear that the streamer's AI is more advanced than a planet AI.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): The AI did state that the Planet AI is forty-three years in the past.]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): That's not the point. AI's grow and evolve as they gain information and knowledge, that's one of the things that makes them different to other systems. As such, an AI that controls a planet should gain knowledge and evolve far quicker than one that controls a ship, after all, a planet is far larger and more complex. The fact that the streamers' AI is more advanced just goes to show that it must have been made that way.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): But wasn't the streamers' AI stuck on Earth for a long time? Surely it must have learnt things then.]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): That's true. While it wasn't fully connected to all of Earth's important systems, it was apparently connected to your basic version of the universal subspace network. I guess that could explain its advanced nature.]