7The Ship Who Slayed
Disclaimer
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all materials pertaining to belong to it belong to Joss Wheden
The Brainship novels belong to Anne McCaffery, associated Co-authors and their publisher. I'd like to thank her for her reversal of her long-standing ban on fanfiction.
Discovery
Linnea waited patiently on her pad as the first rays of sun struck her hull. Today was the day. Sixteen years of training and more credits that she wished to think about had landed her here, waiting to pick her very own Brawn and finally fly.
Linnea, officially XL-956 until she chose, was a Brainship. The pinnacle of medical and technological development. An otherwise wasted brain given a working 'body'. Nea had tested into ship deployment, gaining herself one of the most mobile bodies in the known worlds.
Perimeter sensors pinged softly drawing her attention outward. She swung a camera around to focus on a person steadily crossing the tarmac. It was too early for ground crews. Too early even for overeager Brawn applicants.
"XL-956 to CenCom I have an unidentified person on my pad. ID please."
"Hold one." was the calm reply.
Nea zoomed in to reveal a short, dirty blonde woman. In one hand rested a flight bag, casually slung over a shoulder. The woman was dressed fashionably, if casually, in slacks and T-shirt. Or at least Nea thought so even if the intricacies of soft-person fashions eluded her.
"XL-956, ID checks out. No name given, but whoever she is she has clearance higher than I'm allowed to know."
Linnea blinked. Metaphorically speaking.
"...Thank you CenCom."
Curiosity peaked and thoroughly bemused she waited for the woman to reach her.
The woman ascended the lift tube and halted at the inner hatch.
"Permission to come aboard." she spoke with a New Californian twang.
"Granted." Linnea responded opening the hatch.
Nea felt it the moment the woman stepped into the cabin, green eyes swinging toward the titanium alloy column that dominated the forward centre console. A connection, deep, primal and instinctual. She knew this woman and yet had never met her.
"Well, you're not what I was expecting." The blonde spoke staring right at the spot Nea's physical body rested. "And that's saying something considering how long I've been doing this."
A single word bubbled up from Linnea. A name from her dreams, her nightmares.
"Slayer."
The blonde nodded and strode to the command chair. She chucked softly as she sat.
"Kid, you don't know the half of it."
AN
Slayed is a real word. I looked it up.