"Knock, knock"

  They accelerated with 0.2 g. His inner ust be still fused from the jump and the long repairs yesterday because he had slept past 3000, and that on the sed day in real space. A delicious smell was in the air: Jerka had prepared again something special. "I am awake. A moment, please."

  But first the ship: "Simon, status?"

  "Marik, good m. We are on course. I suggest entering the jump with the maximum speed we handle, quite above the insurance limit. Because the coil failure made me worry about the other coils. Ara delta v will reduce the time in 4D and minimize the risk. We will be in the jump window at about 4700. And the washing mae has finished."

  A worried AI, great. But their current transit system was uninhabited and even unmonitored. So no one would pin, it sounded very reasonable. "Simon, yes, add the extra speed, go up to 0.4 g if needed but do not stress the mains to much. Thank you."

  "Marik, 0.32 g for the 4200 then."

  Immediately his weight increased. He hastily put oriped shirt and shorts.

  Out of his hatch, he froze. Jerka wore a bck dress with stripes of glittering stohe dress showed her midriff and generally very muhanced her female body. Her face has also ged, she had pai. "Wow, Jerka, er, I mean."

  She smiled her familiar smile. He felt better. "Too much?"

  "Why did you paint your face?"

  "You have never seen makeup? You really need more exposure to humans. You don't like it?"

  "No, no, it is just, you, you look so different. Actually, to be ho ... "

  "Say no more. And which clothes did you like the best?"

  He swallowed. "The one you wore when you came on board. Those were."

  "Say no more!" She went bato her and emerged very soon with a simir set, a T-shirt torn off at the bottom and jeans, torn off above the knee. Quite above the knee, showing plenty of smooth skin. Her face was natural again, the makeup gone. "How about this?"

  He nodded, blushing, with wobbly knees despite only 0.32 g.

  "This is anyway much more fortable. So e, sit down." She poio the table, which was overflowing with tiny dishes. "The best human dishes, at least acc to Jerka," she proudly introduced. "The one is called for example tempura, fried mushrooms aables. And here is something simir, Scottish eggs. Or there, spinach with sweat-sour sesame sauce. And this one ... Are you ok?"

  "How did you make all this in the galley? And I am pretty sure we did not had eggs netables … ", he trailed off.

  "Sit down and enjoy. I'll expin soon, holy."

  He sat on the ben the table alcove with a thud.

  " you alloen fme in here for the 0100?"

  "Fme?"

  She nodded. "Two tiny open fmes. Finger-sized."

  "Simon, there will be two tiny fmes burning in the mess. No need for ."

  "Marik, if you really say so." However, the AI sounded ed.

  Jerka took out a tool and ighe top of the two white sticks oable. "And now reduce the light."

  "Simon, light in the mess to night mode, please." He felt like a parrot, repeating her wishes for the AI.

  The effect was stunning. The fmes shone like tiny stars and were reflected in the many ptes and crystal cups oable.

  "Now, enjoy your meal, please."

  "This is so special, thank you", he almost whispered in awe.

  She giggled. "Ihis is very special. It's probably a quarter of a tury since I had put that much effort into preparing a meal for someone."

  "25 years?"

  "I promised to e . Marik, this is my farewell dinner."

  "Eh, farewell? No, it is not that dire, the coils are over 200 % which is plenty. I am"

  "Please, let me finish. I promised to tell you everything. I mean I tried hard but you, well, have a very unique cultural background. So, blu. I am 614 years old. Wait", she held up her hand, "And I am a Jump Rider, or one of the Lost Gods in most human worlds."

  He had no idea. "614 years. That is very old. I did not know."

  She sighed. "I think the Fallerian word for Jump Rider is Kibanderi."

  "What? How?" And then his brain shut down pletely for a moment.

  She smiled. "So, finally you uand?"

  He was still lost for words.

  "I thought the berry pig on a p while in jump should have made it crystal clear. And all the fresh food. And your AI was ign me as soon as it found out about me being a Jump Rider by jumping on board. Any AI will do that, by the way."

  She was a Kibanderi, a member of one of the old civilisations, almost godlike, legendary entities who could jump without ships to any p the gaxy. And maybe even beyond. "But, then, why travel with this ship, I mean, if you."

  "It was fun, wasn't it? I am also entitled to fun. Didn’t you enjoy it?"

  He had literally cuddled with a goddess. And pyed tag. He shivered.

  "Psht." He was close to a panic attack wheook his hand. "Rex. And yes, I eravelling with you. Rex. Look in my face. It's human. Rex. Do not worry, I am as human as you." His heart still beat way too fast but slowly he rexed.

  "And you are a friendly nice young man, totally naive in human s but nearly as human as I. And you are the you human jump pilot i 200 years that had been exposed to 4D, and then even tio jump after that. Of course, we noticed you. So I decided to see how you do in your trade firsthand. And you did well."

  He was still totally and utterly fused. He was hearing the words, but his brain was still choking on the earlier sentences. "So we didn't meet by ce? It was a test?"

  "In some sense, no. I did not ge the job offers or anything, just pointed you to the ad. You would have found it that day too, I am sure. Now, this dinner is my way to apologize and to thank you. All this food es from the best restaurants around the gaxy. I picked it up from there while you were asleep."

  "But, how?"

  She smiled. "Let's eat first. We talk more ter." And the go of his hand and anded some music, strange sounds which he had never heard before. "Enjoy."

  "Enjoy", he responded automatically. He was still half in shock. Jerka, a Kibanderi.

  He took deep breaths and the delicious smell came with them in full force. Differeaurants on different worlds. A dinner, arranged by a Kinbanderi. He paled again.

  "e, let's drink something. Take the cup. Yes."

  He held it up. It was a small cup with a brownish liquid with a strong smell like from a er in the workshop.

  "Best to drink it at once." She emptied hers at ond he copied it. It burrongly and he coughed.

  "This will help you to rex."

  It felt warm in his stomach.

  "And for starter, use here the curd with the fried bread-spinach sticks."

  He tried the sticks and they were excellent. She let him try so many dishes that he slowly rexed, overwhelmed by the food and the astes. And whatever he had drunk - it helped too. Sooarted to enjoy the food and not only the taste but also the textures. Textures are very important for Fallerian sihe many fried is differ more iure than taste. And the copycat food like from Cobasian never got the textures right. But here were so maextures to discover, together with astes. Eating together with a Kibanderi was still lingering in a er of his brain, but the food had shoved it to the side. Until the food ran out.

  Jerka stood up to do the dishes.

  "Jerka, please, you ot do dishes, you are a Kibanderi."

  "I am not a god. Just more experienced, just lucky to have more resources at my disposal than you. And I o return all these ptes."

  "But I mean, how, and then a p is deep in a gravity well and."

  "Please rex. It is fine, really. And wait a moment." She went for her , a a few more ptes into the sink just because.

  She returned with a wooden box. "Here, for you, my parting gift. Just promise, you will take it before opening." She looked pleadingly, with big eyes and a smile.

  Hesitantly, he took the box. "Okay." He opehe lid with shaking fingers. Inside was a golden der on a thin golden , a simir design to the rger one Jerka wore around her neck.

  "e on, put it on."

  He held up the s. "There is no lock."

  "Turn around." She took the two s and closed them somehow.

  The der hung heavy ohin as if it was entirely made of massive gold. But when moving, it moved like it was just a hollow pstic der with gold paint. "What is this?"

  "This is a fully charged micro SI-OP. Albeit not a powerful one. With this, I easily find you anytime anywhere. Even in 4D. The other uses you will have to find out yourself."

  "Jerka, no, I ot take this, this is way too, er, too special."

  She grinned. "I thought you will say so. But you promised. Also, I lihe s through 4D. There is no lock, it is yours now."

  He tried to pull the over his head but it was way too tight.

  "And it looks good on you."

  He stopped.

  "Marik, we will reach the jump area in 0500. you extinguish the fmes now and secure the ship, please?"

  He looked at the table. "Simon, fmes are already out."

  "Marik, thank you." The AI made her answer sounding relieved.

  And he was torn. He wao help Jerka but he should really check at least oheir course and prepare for the jump. "Sorry, I o prepare, I am back soon." A Jerka with the dishes.

  First, he double-checked the engine airlod then the workshop but all was secured correctly. , into the 3D chamber and cheg their course with a few final tweakings and a few alternatives. Most of the possible alternatives had been already dotted by Jerka. But their current route was the best. "Simon, what is your absolute maximum rah the currea v?"

  A sphere appeared, much rger than he had expected, almost 175 pc, even enclosing the Ribbentoa system, their final destination. "Simon, why is it almost twice our normal range?"

  "Marik, this is my range assuming full resources and 6+4000 jump length before overloading the coils. But it is quite over the four-day limit for human pilots on insured flights. No patch is safe for that long."

  "Simon, how long would it take to Ribbentoa?"

  "Marik, at the current speed about 4+8000."

  "Simon, and you ot issue a patch for it?"

  "Marik, the drug g unit is an indepe subsystem. I could feed it deliberately wrong parameters. Given your dition, the maximum length might be close to 4+2000. But it is very dangerous because the errors accumute and the risk of never awakening again bees substantial."

  He looked at the route. Even if he would be out for 4 days and 2000, he would o stay another 6000 in 4D after that long jump. It was frightening. "Simon, just calcute the optimum route to Ribbentoa."

  Another line appeared.

  "Simon, then follow that route a out here."

  "Marik, you mean Colifer?" A dot blinked blue.

  "Simon, that is possible?"

  "It is over the 4 days mark, even with the currea v. You might awake in 4D even if I fiddle with the unit."

  "Simon, it is not nice, but I did survive. Please prepare, a me a pataximum duration."

  He looked again at the course. Ribbentoa would be the neighb system.

  * * *

  When he emerged, Jerka stood there with her small bag slung over her shoulder.

  "e here."

  She hugged him and then a kiss on the forehead. "You are special. I know you'll make your way."

  "Jerka." He did not let her go yet.

  "Yes?"

  "Thank you." He released his hug. How he wished that she was just a normal passenger.

  She stepped bae step. "Until ime!" And then she was goh a faint plop. No fsh, nothing, just gone.

  He stood there staring into the empty air until the jump warning started. He quickly went to the facilities and then climbed into the cockpit, belted himself in, and readied the patch.

  They were going really fast. This was the fastest entry into 4D that he ever heard of. But he trusted Simon.

  The transition was rough but it went well enough, the room had folded after some jitter properly, and the patocked him out.

  * * *

  He woke still in 4D. And 4D was different this time. It was cold, infernal noise was bring and resonating everywhere inside and outside his head. Lots of red and yellow lights flickered thickly, oozed from the ss, and pressed him into the seat, tearing through his eyes. The air felt stale, thick, and smelled horrible. "Simon", he wao call, but just inprehensible guttural gargling, like a Cobasiaing, came out and joined forces with the other sounds. However, all in all, it was more bearable than st time. He tried to think of Jerka, how she would close her eyes and jump through it to end up on a p, somehow ing all the delta v. It helped, there was still the onsught of his senses but when he trated on her image, it became a little more background noise.

  Eternities or moments, how did the time in jump flow? And they were in 3D. It was a rough reentry, torn back violently into real space, straining his harness. He needed a few moments to get his breath. It was still noisy and dark, the master alert sounded! A useless sound, he could see as well that all panels and s were dark: The total loss of trol. Only the tiny s on the AI key in its recess scrolled messages, the AI was booting up. Then the lights came on, and he saw a fine haze drifting through the air.

  "Marik, how are you?"

  "Simon, alive, status?"

  "Marik, this is very good news. We are in the Ribbentoa system but about six days out. Fusion core two had failed he end of the jump. First, the power distributor failed with all main engines eo make speed. That power surge probably triggered an overload of coils 1 and 2 which fried the reacteor units. I decided to keep going in 4D using your repaired coil 4 only and could reroute enough power to the number 1 and 4 main engines supported by the full power on the navigation thrusters, all supplied from fusion core 1 at 150% using the cooling of the broken core 2 until it overheated too and shut down hard."

  "Simon, is this smoke?"

  "Marik, yes, life support was off, the cooling panels were also used for fusioor 1. But circution should e online soon. We have only auxiry power. The total power loss triggered a hard reset and not all systems are back operational yet."

  He sighed. "Simon, so you did a nearly 156 pc jump with a broken fusion core and a single coil."

  "Marik, yes, sorry, 4D is dangerous to humans a."

  "Simon, you did great. I am not sure many AI could have dohis." Most AI would not dare to risk this too.

  "Marik, I." Then the AI stopped. "Marik, in about 0100 the life support should have restored safe ditions outside the cockpit. In 0250 the fusion core 1 should be cold enough to try a restart. Or to find out if the psma heating stage had been damaged. We have anyway only enough energy stored for a siry."

  "Simon, you py some random musiy pad?" He needed distra.

  "Marik, yes." Fallerias filled the cockpit. Slowly panels and ss came alive and more and more systems respoo status requests.

  He looked at the log. The power distributor failure was long in the making, that had been the 0.05 % risk Simon had warned him at the beginning. But three coils failing in two jumps, he had never heard of it. And then two good coils failing simultaneously, the ces were low. He looked again at the data.

  "Simon, the coils' power ptio up simultaneously just before failure for 1 and 2."

  "Marik, yes, but not for 4. This is indeed very unusual and ot be reted to deformations of the shock e. We did not jump through a star, at that time we would have exited somewhere in the nowhere.”

  “So you say that this was no act?”

  “It looks like the coils had been rigged. A timer triggered in 4D hours iargeting mags could do this. Maybe they wao hot wreck me while still insurable."

  Well, he had never heard of it. But this trip was ri firsts. While it was not the first insurance scam that he had been involved as a pilot, it seemed excessive to send a ship across the gaxy for this. And it was most unusual to have an AI say this.

  Back to the present: Other than fusioors, coils and main propulsion, none of the other essential systems for 3D had been damaged. Well, a few lesser systems did not restart after the hard reset but no surprise there. Nothing important was missing.

  "Marik, should we ehe emergency fissioor? That would mean no maintenance or repairs i se anymore."

  "Simon, we use this power to restart the fusion core?"

  "Marik, theoretically yes."

  "Simon, do it."

  The aft se now turned pale violet oatus s as a ron activation warning.

  "Marik, we brake now with 0.02 g."

  "Simon, firmed. Is live support ready?"

  "Marik, it is still a little cold but"

  He did not wait for Simon to finish and was already opening the hatch. Cold air flowed inside, he shivered but he really, really o go to the bathroom. His breath left thick clouds and the toilet seat was close to the freezing point. But he felt much better, ate a hot instant Krantasoup and ed himself into a b.

  "Simon, status?"

  "Marik, fusion core 1 ot be restarted. We have to use the fission core. Thus, we may not be allowed to dock directly."

  "Simon, sorry."

  "Marik, I think this is my final journey. I highly doubt they will deinate me when they rigged coils for an insurance scam."

  "Simon, yes, sorry, you are a nice AI with a nice ship."

  "Marik, thank you. And on this st travel, I eve a lost god. I have never heard from a ship’s AI who had met one, just rumours. Yes, I followed the codex, ignored her aed her traces from all the logs. Although the Jasper Ais had noticed her. You know, their civilisation both are almost the same age. The Japser AIs were probably as powerful as the lost gods themselves."

  "Simon." He stopped, lost for words.

  "Marik, don't worry. I am an AI. And I know it was just a matter of time, nothing is forever. I wished I could have travelled a little longer. But I am happy that I could save you.”

  He sniffed.

  “Marik, I have prepared for this. Please, e to the workshop."

  Now his curiosity iked.

  AnnouAnd with this cliffhanger we will go back to the cats ...