Runestone's edge: In fire born

The star-ship Runestone Edge, pride of the Terran Space Armada, bucked and shuddered under the enemy attack. Captain Alexis Runestone barked orders responding to the ambush with the calm precision befitting the granddaughter of the legendary Morgana Runestone the hero of the Terran Commonwealth. The crew scramble to action stations struggling to raise shields and bring the point defences online among them Paul Harding a 24 year old lieutenant on his first deep range tour. He mans his station and sees immediately that the battle is not going well, several decks are already open to space and the nimble ships of the Rune Chaos pirates are evading the ships sporadic return fire. The Captain grimaces feeling every shot through her neural interface responding with inhuman speed to incoming threats whilst directing damage control crews and analysing the pirates tactics searching for weaknesses. Even whilst focusing on his own duties Paul can’t help but be awed by her as slowly the ship responds to her will, increasingly disciplined fire tearing into the raiders, damaged systems coming back online, it seems like the tide is turning when a damaged enemy ship makes a kamikaze runs through a weak point in their defences exploding against already weakened shields. On the bridge the crew are thrown against their restraints and the lights flicker and dim as emergency power kicks in Paul coughs shakes his head and looks around his ears ringing from the sudden pressure drop. To his horror he sees that a jagged piece of hull plating has torn through the bridge and most of the senior crew are dead including the captain. His board flashes red with damage reports and panicked request for orders he clears his throat preparing to report but before he can speak the cold voice of the ships computer sounds in his ear.

“Command interface terminated enacting emergency replacement protocol.”

Paul frowned not understanding, usually the first officer  or the chief engineer would take charge if the captain was killed even if they were out of action surely a relatively junior officer like him would be too far down the rankings to have to take command?  He feels a sharp sting in the back of his neck impossible as it may seem he is the most senior officer available, he must step up and lead or everyone on board will die.

“Initiating neural interface. Caution incompatible biotype detected. Correcting.”

Alarmed Paul tried to stand but the restrains pulled him back into his chair as the sleek nano-fabric of his suit began to shift and crawl. He grunts as his waist contracts sharply driving the breath out of him the feeling of being squeezed increases spreading over his whole body. His skin tingles as microscopic machines crawl over him borrowing into him altering his body adjusting him to be compatible with the command interface unfortunately for him it is still calibrated for captain Runestone and the ships damaged systems have decided it is simpler to use the medichines in his bridge suit to change him to match it’s existing template. The suit continues to tighten constricting until he is gasping for breath although it is oddly loose in some places notably the hips and chest. The suit doesn’t stay ill fitting for long as his body starts to change, he shrinks losing muscle mass becoming slimmer and shorter enabling him to breath more easily as his form fits itself to his now much smaller suit at the same time the loose fabric fills up as a pair of well formed breasts swell on his chest and hips widen dramatically. In a matter of seconds his form shifts from masculine to feminine until as he feels his male equipment being drawn up inside his body the ship decides he is finally compatible and connects him to the interface.

Data floods into his mind overwhelming his senses until he feels like he is drowning in the torrent. Desperately he struggles to bring order from the chaos of damage reports and sensor readings all the time acutely aware of the changes to his body, the unfamiliar weight on his chest the disturbing absence between his legs, it is all too much, his training deserts him and he starts to panic.

“Lieutenant  Harding. Paul, listen to me.” A voice sounds in his head a cool clear soprano reassuring and commanding at the same time “You can do this, don’t try and fight it, trust the ship, look for the pattern, open your mind.”

It is Captain Runestone’s voice the ghost of her conciseness caught in the interface. Paul feels her presence like a strong hand on his shoulder he breathes deeply and stops trying to fight to chaos letting it was through him leaving him calm and detached and he knows what he has to do.

“Helm, bring us to heading 148 mark 2, ready port batteries.” He orders the surviving bridge crew not surprised to hear the captain’s voice coming from his mouth he can feel her growing closer, guiding him, not controlling him but allowing him access to her experience, her memories, Paul draws her in until he can’t tell where she ends and he begins. After a long breathless moment the ship the ship rolls into position and unleashes a final deadly barrage on the the remaining pirate ships sweeping them for the sky in a blaze of atomic fire.

Paul smiles sadly to himself as the interface releases him, the price of victory was a high one and no one aboard the Runestone Edge will ever forget the people they lost today. Still they survived and although  his body and mind have been changed forever he is filled with a fresh sense of purpose, whatever challenges lie ahead she is his ship now and he will bring her home.