Assisted Singleton Transfer

The drivers returned to stationkeeping mode, and I began observing the interaction between each of the recruits and their handler. The away pair had been in constant contact with the recruits after injecting themselves into the situation. Breaks were becoming evident in the conversation, and the recruits were becoming intelligible, and had started tapping out inquiries of their own.

As I swung the receiver beam from Shorty to Shorty, I picked up other pulses from the central network. Mostly noise as normal, and the usual responses from the network abounded in the presence of the stream generated by the photon detectors. While the amplitude looked good, I had not been monitoring it specifically, so I checked for the high note that was present during the peak of activity.

It was barely there. Soon to disappear.

Tapping into the navigation channel, I let the drivers know that we would be making contact and started the trip toward the first Shorty. The locals on my Shorty knew the drill well, and I placed one of them at the helm for the operation. Orienting myself properly on the Eight, I tapped out position pulses and the away electron replied back in acknowledgement. In the field compression that resulted from an Eight-on-Eight collision attempt, the away electron released it's coupling force as I applied mine, transferring the recruit in a swift stroke.