Jester was in her office watching a video log, it was dated to 27 days earlier.
"The nightmare sphere is capable of producing hallucinations, except that these ones, as seen before can interact with the world, unlike the version used by the Psionics, the nightmare sphere can make anything real, maybe it is a survival instinct coming from the parts similar to the Bionics, it is simply manifesting the things we Terrans see as over-powering, it chose legends, maybe because we feel the inability to even breath when faced with legends, frozen from all rational action, thinking this makes me happy that I have not studied folklore as well as I should"
A sigh escaped the cracked lips, the hologram has been flashing at her to rehydrate for some time now, she did not feel like she should leave her post until this moment.
She left her office to the mess room, she was parched, starving and very tired, she found Mist and Lars discussing the nightmare sphere over the standard meal, protein mush.
"You think you can replicate it?" asked Mist with a mouth full, "sounds like a chore to me, notwithstanding the exuberantly expensive equipment, just the bio-matter is worth more than everything on this ship, crew included, you should think about making a machine".
"It's not about bio-matter or equipment" Lars retorted while sputtering some mush on the table, "we can use any human brain as the source, we need only to install a harvester, isolate the energy signature, find a way to amplify it, then rewire it into the brain, make it so that projections can be willed out, add in a projector and it should be ready".
"I guess, a subject who can already manipulate mental energy is the best candidate, if the sensors and projectors are made from crystal we can probably resolve the amount of energy loss during conversion, maybe even get some gain if we amplify it using ambient energy" Mist was making solid plans in his brain and Lars nodded at the statement.
"The only problem is the overload, human brains can not support the output, even if we use biomatter from the Psionics to make the add-ons, there still needs to be something that can syphon the burden away and keep the brain from frying, I don't suppose those crystals that the Psionics warp from who knows where can be replicated".
Mist frowned, made some calculations and was about to exposit the results to Lars, he was silenced by a glare from Jester, "both of you, forget this subject, never ever make that thing on my ship, it was probably some genius who made that sphere. since the Psionics and the Bionics are genetically incompatible, to fuse them so forcefully and perfectly, whoever made it, is nothing short of a god, and they abandoned it in this deserted sector, makes you think these things were not meant for mortals like us" Jester continued to carefully chew in her mush.
The message was clear, even if those two were capable of making a cheap imitation, it was not worth it, if it works, then the federation will kill them and take over, if they fail, another nightmare sphere could be made.
Jester promptly left to return to her quarters and get some needed rest, Jordan snuck into the kitchen and sat near Mist, "I just got access to that lab you two swore was a myth, want to go peep?" he did not get to even put the first spoon in his mouth before the two were dragging him to the comm room.
In another section of the ship, Orin, Ina and the engineer were playing cards as they chatted quietly, Rin was snoring softly in her undergarments on the velvet bed Ina used for her trade.
"You think, that thing is going to reach all the way here? From the logs, that thing is too dangerous, If things go awry, I'd rather turn the planet below into a lifeless rock. those imperials are getting too cocky, to think they want to tame our archenemies, this is just stupid" Ina had some choice words to but refrained from offending the current company.
Orin looked at the old engineer, he then glanced at the snoring Rin, he smiled, then fixed Ina with his best "you lost" look, the engineer started to reshuffle and Ina took a piece of clothing off.
"It matters not," said Orin to Ina, "we protect this home, anything else is just wasted thoughts, as for the length I am prepared to go, this should make it clear enough", he pulled out a glass bottle the size of a finger, inside it, was some kind of yellow powder, Ina and the engineer both told him to hide it, taking out such a thing in the presence of Rin was suicide.
"Enough Solarite to make any sun go supernova, multiple if we plan well" the engineer was dealing the cards as he spoke, "if you have more, give me some, I think I can use it to upgrade the engine by at least 60% per gram" Orin nodded in affirmation, he would not give away his worst scenario stash but he would give some of the extra to make running away easier.
"You guys ever think this ship is blessed?" asked Ina out of nowhere, she was not the most emotional of the trio, she had a hint of superstition in her, something she shared with the other three in the room.
"'Course it's blessed, otherwise, why would we call it home" a groggy Rin had just come into consciousness "deal me a hand, too, why do you always play when I sleep, it feels like you oldies are keeping Christmas gifts from me".
Engineer almost choked and coughed out a semblance of an answer "old people find it hard to sleep, watching you sleep enough for all of us is the highlight of our days". That did not pass the smell check, but Rin felt herself in a magnanimous mood, "just let me try some, whatever it is you are hiding from me must be an absolute blast" she had no idea how correct she was.