A fan fiction story revolving around the Elite dangerous lore has been rattling around in my brain for awhile. So I decided to start putting down all the bits and pieces into a coherent story. Below is an excerpt from one of the chapters i decided to flush out in a bit more detail.
The orange glow of the power allocation readout illuminated the engineers' weathered face. Crew member Russell Robbins (Rusty) at the engineer station made a quick series of three well practiced key inputs to increase power to the ships systems. He spun his chair to face the commander. His well aged voice broke the silence that hung in the recycled air.
Shreya shifted her attention away from the communication station she was hovering over to look at the engineer. She always hated imperial rank titles, but pulled a small polite smile over her lips as she replied to Rusty with a nod. Her sea blue eyes shifted across the bridge, and rested on the sensor operator.
All active, and passive, sensors set to full capacity on the Clipper Karl Jansky. To the left of Haas, a holographic sensor log quickly flooded with a stream of raw data. The faint repeated chime of received data chattered away as it filled the bridge with a calm rhythm.
Shreya clicked her heels together to activate the magnetic feature of her boots. A small indicator light near the ankle blinked from red to green in response. She pulled herself upright using the back of Mr Gallegos seat. One at a time the attractive elements in the soles of her boots locked on to the circuit board patterned floor. Which sounded akin to rolling four fingers in order against a hollow metal box. She turned slowly to face the forward cockpit. Two extravagant white flight seats fitted comfortably among the trident shaped console. Mounted into the edges of the curved overhead was two massive rings that illuminated the cockpit in a warm blue light. The pilots console on the right was contrasted by the glow of orange holographic displays. Left was the co-pilot seat which was currently unmanned, and overcast in shadow. Shreya paced anxiously across the smooth flooring of the bridge to just behind the pilot Amir Frost. The repeated rhythmic pattern of magnetic locking boots echoed with each step. Shreya chewed nervously on the inside of her bottom lip. Her gaze drifted deep into the star filled vista beyond through the elongated cockpit canopy.
The opaque holographic image of Duke Ovius watched the events unfold from behind the captains chair. His deep set eyes overcast in shadow by his robust brow. His arms slowly crossed over his barrel chest emanating fear and respect from his very presence. Even though only a hologram, the stretching of his white military dress uniform over his biceps clearly defined his robust muscular tone. Marcus Ovius spoke up with a stern and regal voice that chimed in on the matter addressing everyone.
Shreya closed her sea blue eyes in frustration. She took a deep breath before replying to the Duke with a nod. The weightless effect against her golden blond hair bounced around her cheeks. Her stomach twisted in knots at the very thought of failing. She knew all too well that the debt the Duke spoke of was Den and hers. They had wagered everything on this experimental prototype. Failure to succeed would forfeit all their assets, and put their future into the servitude of Duke Ovius. Secretly she blamed the Duke for her gut wrenching longing she felt at that moment. Her husband Den may encounter trouble during the test flight. He could returned injured, or worse. Shreya shook off the dreaded thought, it was too much to endure. She wanted to postpone the return hyperspace jump test until they could collect better information, to minimize the risk. However, the Duke's impatient orders superseded any concerns she might have mustered the courage to voice. Now, everyone anxiously waited to see what would happen. Shreya slowly released her breath to calm herself. Retaining composure she clasped her hands formally over her stomach. She pivoted once again as the half skirt wrapped around her legs gently. She managed to hide behind a graceful walk back to the communication station.
The chimes of the sensor log sprang to life with audible pings of collected contact data. Outside beyond the Clipper an ever-increasing number of stars appeared to vanish behind a growing black sphere shaped void. Eerie twisting smoke like pillars began to claw their way into idle space from the darkness.
Rusty slapped the release button on his chest. The magnetic seal built into the back of the remlok suit disconnected from the chair with a hiss. He pushed upward from his station to get a good look across the bridge. Nathaniel turned from his communication station to notice Rusty drifting from the engineering console. He removed the headphones from his ear, and let them drift nearby before following a similar action to get a better view of the spectacle.
The hyperspace tunnel created a terrifying, ever shifting hole in space that led into what was commonly referred to as witch-space. A historical reference that the tunnel was haunted by lost travelers from the distant past. Normally a standard hyperspace jump did not have a visual hole like the prototype produced. Blue arches of pure blue energy crackled like lightning in spectacular fashion from the center of the sphere. Each sudden pulse lit up the massive shape of the black void like a storm.
The sudden proximity detection klaxon went off, which caused Amir to visibility jump in his pilots chair. Quickly followed by the entire bridge being flooded with strobing red lights. Meghan looked up at the blinking lights which immediately reminded her to turn her attention back to the sensor station. She closely examined the display for incoming contacts of the surrounding area outside the ship. Centered in the circle screen was a white arrow which indicated the Clipper. Measurement rings expanded from the center with icons that identified nearby objects. Known objects also had a marker line on the icon to indicate above or below the Clippers orientation. The tunnel was clearly marked 1000 Megameters away, and slightly above the Clipper. When the familiar hollow orange square flickered into existence over the tunnel icon Maghan turned to Shreya.
Shreya apprehensively clicked her heels together to disengage the magnetic lock on her boots. She reached overhead to a handhold to gracefully spin herself around. Quickly Shreya pushed with the tips of her toes to glide across the bridge to the empty co-pilots chair. Free floating in null-G was faster then trying to run using mag-lock boots. Shreya hugged the co-pilot chair to stop her momentum. She craned her head to look at the tunnel in more detail.
With a sudden flash of white light from the void, the Imperial Courier burst out from the darkness. It tumbled, nose over tail, and listed to one side spinning on two axes out of control. Panels on the drive assembly pealed away with blue white sparks, and small explosions exposed serious damage to the craft.
Shreya pushed past the co-pilot chair deeply concerned. She drifted over the console, and braced her hands up against the canopy. The Courier rocketed past the Clipper as it left a frozen wake of smoke and debris. Shreya slammed her head up against the glass trying to get a clear view of the Courier cockpit. Her worst fears started to appear like they could become reality. After the courier tumbled out of view her worried expression turned back to look at the crew.
Massive amounts of data poured into every console onboard the Karl Jansky to record the event. Meghan was busy processing the raw data trying to keep track of the Couriers' projected trajectory. Calling out to the crew with technical information.
Shreya pushed away from the canopy with force from both hands. Rapidly she glides upside down headed for the communication station. Nathaniel noticed Shreya's rapid approach. His eyes widened with guilt as he was spotted away from his post. He frantically reached out to grab a nearby hand hold when Shreya collided with him. Wrapped together they spun one full rotation as Shreya gave him a look of disappointment. She used Nathaniel as a trajectory change, as she pushed against him. She flew onward to the communication station. Shreya reached out and grabbed the free floating headphones with one hand, and forcefully palmed the mic button on the console. She lifted the ear piece up against her head. With a troubled voice she spoke into the attached mic on the headphones, forgoing any military formality's.
The constant chatter between the crew was getting louder. Each crew member was speaking in raised voices to avoid miscommunication in dealing with the situation. Shreya pushed the headphone close to her ear to listen over the crew noise for any reply in the constant static on the radio line. She focused intently on any returning radio signal when she noticed the crew became oddly quiet. The bridge was silent except for the sensor logs clicking away, that had changed rhythm into a sporadic burst of new incoming data. Shreya slowly looked over her shoulder to see that everyone had gathered in a huddled group behind the pilot. Rusty and Nathaniel were both floating behind Amir, supported by handholds. Maghan was upright behind the co-pilot chair using her mag-lock boots. Amir appeared frozen to his chair in astonishment. All were fearfully looking out the canopy toward the hyperspace tunnel. Confused, Shreya lowered the headphone feeling agitated by the lack of professionalism.
Shreya cut herself off as she looked past the crew to focus on what caught their attention. Another craft had started to exit from the rift in space. A massive swamp-green organic looking craft pulled from the darkness slowly. The black smoke peeled away from the unknown ship like a monster rising from a pit of tar. It was a menacing flower shaped vessel with eight petals that radiate outward from a central metallic glass like bulb in the center. Yellow bioluminescence strips of light on the outer reaches of each petal pulsed like a heart beat. The craft pulled out of witch-space as the external audio sensors on the Clipper relayed the vibrations emitted from the alien ship. The bridge echoed with a unnatural growl that sounded like the long grunts of a camel mixed with the amplified clicking of a beetle. The alien craft rotated unnaturally and faced the Karl Jansky.
Meghan turned away from the canopy, and looked to Shreya. Shreya returned the glance to notice Mehan's expression was dripping with dread.
The Clipper's reverse engines powered up with a rumble, blasting hot blue plasma forwards. The Karl Jansky shuttered slightly, and began to drift away from the alien craft. The Thargoid responded by keeping pace with the Clipper. The petals flexed, and swayed as it moved through space. The proper scale of the alien craft was twice the size of the Clipper, but showed no signs of struggling with speed.
The crew began to scramble back to their assigned stations. Amir watching the Thargoid keeping pace noticed the once yellow lights on the petals had turned red, and seemed to be pulsing with anger.
The audio sensors on the Clipper echoed once again on the bridge with a new sound. The slow building noise of a giant metal door creaking as it scraped stone. Shreya looked up at the speakers remembering rumors of the dangers which followed that sound.
Immediately after the sound ended a bubble of blue energy exploded from the Xeno craft. The intense burst of energy slammed into every ship in a ten kilometer radius around the Thargoid. The wave collided with the nose of the Clipper which forced it into a uncontrolled positive pitch. The effects of the wave shorted out all electrical and mechanical power as the holographic projection of Duke Ovius winked out. The entire bridge was plunged into darkness. The sudden centrifugal force acted like a gravity which involuntarily pulled everyone forward. Shreya helplessly jolted face first into the deck. The impact split her bottom lip as she felt the warm blood spray across her right cheek, and the taste of copper that filled her mouth. Shreya could hear the clatter of everyone else crashing. She looked up, but the weak light cast from distant stars through the canopy only illuminated dim outlines.
Eventually the nose of the Karl Jansky slowly swung back around, and gave the crew a good look at the Xeno ship. Still pulsing with red lights on its corolla, the Thargoid craft stiffened all eight petals outward in a show of power. A swarm of small missile shape craft began to radiate outward from the back side. They danced around the mother ship like a school of fish as they aggressively protected the core.
In perfect unison the flock twisted together, and rotated into a funnel shape. Shreya looked out the canopy in response to Nathaniel's comment. Her her eyes widen to the telegraphed attack. The needle point of the swarm leading the charge abruptly changed direction, and raced directly at the Clipper. Shreya tightened her grip as the blood drained from her cheeks. Her chest contracted around her lungs in panic as she barely managed to scream.
The entire swam slammed into the Karl Jansky, like a hail of bullets. The bridge echoed with repeated sounds of crunching metal, and high velocity collisions. The raw kinetic force of the mob pushed the entire ship into a multi-directional spin. Each impact added to the centrifugal forces applied to the crew.
In the dark chaotic bridge chunks of stowed equipment broke loose from their bindings. They would drift in tranquil space for a moment before the bulkhead spun around, and slammed into them. The abrupt clash would destroy the equipment which created fast moving deadly projectiles. In turn the instrument panels along the wall would shatter from collisions with loose debris, becoming debris themselves. Soon the bridge was littered with deadly flak.
The crew scrambled to hold onto what they could as it appeared the ship was trying to pull away from them. Shreya quickly lost her precarious grip on the floor, and lifted off the floor. She barely had a moment to think when a port side console screen quickly pummeled her from behind. She folded herself into a ball while broken splinters of display screen racked across her body like claws. Leaving agonizing gashes radiating over her arms, and thighs. Her once regal garment was shredded, yet her remlok suit automatically sealed the gaps to maintain a secure pressure seal.
Nathaniel held firmly to a securing strap bolted to the starboard bulkhead. The free spinning clipper pulled him along through the cloud of damaged display screen. He clinched his teeth with an audible inhale of pain as he collided with a fragment of glass. Nathaniel reached down with his free hand to grab hold of the shard wedged deep into his lower rib. With a wail he ripped the glass out of his body, and cradled his wound.
Rusty fell upward still holding onto Meghan's ankle. Meghan on the other hand was locked into her chair at the sensor station. She griped her thigh with both hands, and repeatedly yelped Rusty's name mixed with obscenities while fighting against the strain. Instead of causing more damage Rusty released Meghan, and was promptly greeted by an overhead vent to his spine.
Amir closed his eyes to avoid staring at the vomit inducing swirl of stars. He latched onto the arm rest of his pilots chair. Expecting this to be his final mission he shouted over the constant hammering of the swarm.
The swarm completed the first assault on the Clipper as it coalesced, and spun in harmony once again. With a slow graceful turn it looped back around, spinning like diamonds in a tornado, it headed in for another strike. The second impact was more devastating to the weakened hull of the Clipper. Multiple projectiles of the flock ripped clean through one end of the Karl Jansky, and out the other. The Clipper was forced into another abrupt axis spin change. The bridge was quickly venting precious oxygen into space from the breaches. This had the grave side effect of forcing the ship to rotate wildly, changing direction and speed sporadically. Subsystems exploded in brilliant strobing lights as the flock bombarded the Clipper.
Shreya's remlok suit automatically detected the atmosphere pressure drop. In an instant the built-in transparent survival mask materialized around her head. The deafening destruction outside the helmet was suddenly muffled by the isolated pressure system. The head-up display within her helmet sprang to life with a blue-white glow. At the top right, five minutes of reserved available oxygen was indicated. The Clipper thrashed like a wounded animal spinning out of control. The bridge became a dicing machine throwing everything inside into a chaotic maelstrom.
The securing strap Nathaniel clung on to broke loose by one end. The strap slid through his hand as he was pulled away by the decompression. He clamped down just in time to keep a hold of one end, as the ship jolted into a different direction. Nathaniel fell back against the corner of his communication console which jabbed him in the stomach. Nathaniel gasped for air from the impact just before the Clipper changed direction again, and pushed him away. Like a tree branch slapping the side of a house during a storm, Nathaniel was properly flailed against the bulkhead.
Meghan curled her arms over her head protectively, and closed her eyes. Still magnetically locked in her chair every sudden shift from the clipper fiercely jostled about like a disturbing carnival ride. Meghan felt her lunch creeping back up from the pit of her stomach. She tried to maintain consciousness, as she made rapid changes from red-out to black-out. The strain against her chair eventually broke it loose from the base mount. Her knees bashed up against the underside of her console, causing her to cry out inside her helmet. The entire chair was thrown across the bridge with her in it. Meghan was hurdled into the cockpit canopy with sufficient force to cause spider web cracks to radiate outward in the glass.
Rusty and Shreya were both equally tossed from one end of the bridge to the other. They flailed to find a hand hold, or mounted furniture to stop the relentless beating against the bulkheads. Shreya tumbled head first across the deck before being thrown upward to crash with the rear door chest first. She grunted in response to the bruising in her ribs. Shreya noticed a grab handle to her left, but only managed to drag her fingers down the side as the Clipper pulled away.
She was forced upward into the overhead, and dragged across the bridge above her command chair. She pushed her hands outward for protection as the chair charged in. The narrow bulb shaped head of the chair unexpectedly changed its angle, and jabbed her in the hip. Shreya buckled over the back of the chair. She felt her pelvis fracture from the impact as agony shot up her spine like lightning. The moment was short as the Clipper bucked her off the seat. Her hands slid helplessly against the smooth white surface of the imperial chair design. Shreya flew backwards, both arms outstretched as she reached for hope. Falling the opposite direction Rusty grabbed hold of her forearm. Shreya instinctively closed her fist around his arm. The two pirouetted in their own orbit as the debris glittered around them like satellites. Shreya's panicked breath echoed in her helmet. She looked up to see the terror in his Rusty's eyes matched hers. The strobe effect of the Clipper falling apart around them danced upon the reflective surface of their helmets. A brilliant wash of plasma lit up the entire bridge as one of the swarm punched through the canopy, and out the back. Shreya clamped her eyes shut, and shielded her face with one arm. The total decompression pushed her out the shattered canopy. The Clipper spewed forth the crew into the void with its dyeing breath.
Shreya lowered her arm, and opened her eyes. The crippled remains of the Clipper appeared to be moving in a loop, around her vision. The ship slowly rolled with a faint yaw. She watched in disbelief as her blue eyes traced the ship from the left of her vision, all the way up and over to the right, then all the way back down again to the end where it started. In a silent dizzy rotation Shreya drifted further away from the carnage. The sickness in her stomach battled with her confusion. As she watched the clipper loop around, and around. Her eyes paused at the glowing blue oxygen timer on the top right. Focused on a fixed position helped the nausea slightly as the mortality of the situation set in. The text read; Oxygen Depleted in 2:30.
Shreya looked back at the Xeno craft moving about the carnage. With the defeat of the Clipper, the red lights on the Thargoid craft faded back to a pulsing yellow. The once aggressive swarm had returned to fly in protective rings around the host ship. She watched the alien craft unnaturally move over to Nathaniel who was drifting powerless in the void of deep space. A warm green beam emitted from the Thargoid as it washed over Nathaniel. Yellow tentacles of energy appeared to reach out and abduct him. Nathaniel was helplessly pulled inside the craft. Like a vulture the Thargoid picked clean the last morsels of the carcass.
Each heavy terrified breath left a circle of fog in her helmet. The repeated echos of her panicked state was her only company in the isolated remlok suit. She looked up at the clock once more as the numbers slipped away. Reading; Oxygen Depleted in 2:00.
The negative 270 degrees Celsius temperature of space was quickly invading her remlok suit. Shreya closed her eyes to fight back the freezing cold that seeped in. Her first thought was a wish for an H.E. Suit. A full body suit designed for space walks, unlike her remlok suit which would not combat the hostilities of space for long. Her teeth chattered, as she slowly looked at the frost accumulating on the edges of the helmet. The ice crystals grew in a snowflake lattice shape accompanied with a crackling sound. The numbness in her fingers and toes spread like ants crewing on her skin as they climbed up her limbs. The fear of freezing to death was foremost on her mind despite trying to imagine anything else. Nothing she did would stop the creeping cold from squeezing the life out of her. Her body shook uncontrollably as she once again looked at the timer. Reading; Oxygen Depleted in 1:20.
Shreya looked down at her frozen body to realize that she was still clutching the arm of Rusty. The blood trail from the severed arm was frozen white. It traced a quark screw pattern that followed her rotation away from the Clipper. Shreya reached over with her free hand to pry the arm loose. Rusty's hand was still clamped down like rigor mortis against her forearm. Every action she took was more exhaustive than the last as she struggled to pry the hand away. As she pulled one of Rusty's finger, it snapped off with a glitter of ice. The grotesque situation left a bile taste in her mouth, but she continued to snap off the remaining digits with remorse. All she could picture was the last expression on Rusty's face when they clung to one another in the Clipper. Memories of a proper gentleman who insisted on using titles when addressing her. A faithful crew member who would risk himself to save another. The guilt of breaking Rusty's fingers felt hyper real, as if it was harming him. A rapid shivering breath left her lips as she softly spoke to herself apologizing for each removed finger. With the final thumb removed she closed her eyes, emotionally drained. Tears swelled up in the corners of her eyes, and quickly froze against her cheeks. Her fleeting breath was consumed by the cold as she tried to gather the strength to pull the arm free. Shreya sucked in one sustaining gasp, and grabbed the arm. With what little energy remained, she jerked her arm free. In a bloom of sparkling ice the arm broke away. She released his severed limb regrettably as it drifted calmly away into the stars. Shreya sobbed one last farewell to Rusty behind quivering lips.
Shreya forced herself to look away which inadvertently focused back to the remaining time she had. Reading; Oxygen Depleted in 0:45. She watched the seconds slip away as her inevitable fate manifested. Her blue lips quivered uncontrollably along with spasms in her body. It was uncertain if freezing or suffocation would claim her. Regardless of which it was painfully clear she would die soon. Shreya forced herself to look away from the clock. The spinning tapestry of stars became a tranquil blur of glowing rings in her eyes. Her thoughts bounced between memories of herself and Den together. Den would turn his charming smile upon her just before he turned frost white, and abruptly crumbled to the floor. She reached out horrified but was pulled into another memory. She felt herself falling backwards onto a soft bed with Den hovering over her. She wanted to feel the warmth between them as she wrapped her arms around him. Instead, Den fell heavily onto her as he exploded into a suffocating snow drift. Shreya gasped for air as she clawed her way through. The pressure against her lungs crushed her dreams as her eyes snapped open to reality. Before her was two brilliant glowing angels radiating salvation upon her near lifeless body. She struggled to raise one hand out to beg for help. The end had finely arrived as the angels approached, and matched her rotation. Shreya watched with what felt like her last moments, as a pair of flood lights from an approaching ship came closer.
"Baroness Nova, systems at full power. Sensors should have all the juice they need."
Shreya shifted her attention away from the communication station she was hovering over to look at the engineer. She always hated imperial rank titles, but pulled a small polite smile over her lips as she replied to Rusty with a nod. Her sea blue eyes shifted across the bridge, and rested on the sensor operator.
"Miss Haas would you kindly increase the sensitivity of all sensors." Shreya ordered with a refined tone before returning her attention to the communication station. She tried to mask her uneasy anticipation from the rest of the crew by speaking over politely.
"Aye aye Ma'am." Meghan Hass replied as she kept a vigilant focus on the disk shaped screen. She twisted the amplitude in slow measured clicks with her right hand, harmoniously increasing clarity with the other.
All active, and passive, sensors set to full capacity on the Clipper Karl Jansky. To the left of Haas, a holographic sensor log quickly flooded with a stream of raw data. The faint repeated chime of received data chattered away as it filled the bridge with a calm rhythm.
Everyone waited breathlessly for the expected return of the prototype Imperial Courier Von Braun. The tension in the stale air started to feel thicker from the anticipation. Shreya Nova placed her hand on Nathaniel Gallegos shoulder as she hovered weightlessly behind him. Nathaniel kept one hand up against his headphones as he monitored communications. He exhaled slightly in response as a show of empathetic attunement to Shreya's unspoken nervousness. All the incoming radio signal displays lacked any life as they only showed a slightly vibrating wave spectrum.Shreya clicked her heels together to activate the magnetic feature of her boots. A small indicator light near the ankle blinked from red to green in response. She pulled herself upright using the back of Mr Gallegos seat. One at a time the attractive elements in the soles of her boots locked on to the circuit board patterned floor. Which sounded akin to rolling four fingers in order against a hollow metal box. She turned slowly to face the forward cockpit. Two extravagant white flight seats fitted comfortably among the trident shaped console. Mounted into the edges of the curved overhead was two massive rings that illuminated the cockpit in a warm blue light. The pilots console on the right was contrasted by the glow of orange holographic displays. Left was the co-pilot seat which was currently unmanned, and overcast in shadow. Shreya paced anxiously across the smooth flooring of the bridge to just behind the pilot Amir Frost. The repeated rhythmic pattern of magnetic locking boots echoed with each step. Shreya chewed nervously on the inside of her bottom lip. Her gaze drifted deep into the star filled vista beyond through the elongated cockpit canopy.
"Anything?" Shreya said in a precarious voice already knowing the answer before asking.
"Nothing yet Commander" Replied Amir as he looked over his left shoulder to Shreya. The weightless flowing of her sophisticated white and silver half skirt danced like a tail behind her. It complimented the skin tight white remlok suit. Together they enhanced her sensual shape but kept an aura of sophistication.
The opaque holographic image of Duke Ovius watched the events unfold from behind the captains chair. His deep set eyes overcast in shadow by his robust brow. His arms slowly crossed over his barrel chest emanating fear and respect from his very presence. Even though only a hologram, the stretching of his white military dress uniform over his biceps clearly defined his robust muscular tone. Marcus Ovius spoke up with a stern and regal voice that chimed in on the matter addressing everyone.
"I need not remind everyone of the severity of this project. Remain vigilant, and maintain the premium imperial standards expected from each of you." The Duke locked his attention to Shreya who was facing away from him. "The debt we have accrued on this operation will have dramatic effects on everyone here, should it fail. Let us hope that Den Nova can return safely with the Courier prototype."
Shreya closed her sea blue eyes in frustration. She took a deep breath before replying to the Duke with a nod. The weightless effect against her golden blond hair bounced around her cheeks. Her stomach twisted in knots at the very thought of failing. She knew all too well that the debt the Duke spoke of was Den and hers. They had wagered everything on this experimental prototype. Failure to succeed would forfeit all their assets, and put their future into the servitude of Duke Ovius. Secretly she blamed the Duke for her gut wrenching longing she felt at that moment. Her husband Den may encounter trouble during the test flight. He could returned injured, or worse. Shreya shook off the dreaded thought, it was too much to endure. She wanted to postpone the return hyperspace jump test until they could collect better information, to minimize the risk. However, the Duke's impatient orders superseded any concerns she might have mustered the courage to voice. Now, everyone anxiously waited to see what would happen. Shreya slowly released her breath to calm herself. Retaining composure she clasped her hands formally over her stomach. She pivoted once again as the half skirt wrapped around her legs gently. She managed to hide behind a graceful walk back to the communication station.
"Ma'am. I have picked up a signal. The hyperspace tunnel is opening." Maghan Haas excitedly piped up from the sensor station. She eagerly turned her head away from the display, and looked out the front cockpit view.
The chimes of the sensor log sprang to life with audible pings of collected contact data. Outside beyond the Clipper an ever-increasing number of stars appeared to vanish behind a growing black sphere shaped void. Eerie twisting smoke like pillars began to claw their way into idle space from the darkness.
Rusty slapped the release button on his chest. The magnetic seal built into the back of the remlok suit disconnected from the chair with a hiss. He pushed upward from his station to get a good look across the bridge. Nathaniel turned from his communication station to notice Rusty drifting from the engineering console. He removed the headphones from his ear, and let them drift nearby before following a similar action to get a better view of the spectacle.
The hyperspace tunnel created a terrifying, ever shifting hole in space that led into what was commonly referred to as witch-space. A historical reference that the tunnel was haunted by lost travelers from the distant past. Normally a standard hyperspace jump did not have a visual hole like the prototype produced. Blue arches of pure blue energy crackled like lightning in spectacular fashion from the center of the sphere. Each sudden pulse lit up the massive shape of the black void like a storm.
The sudden proximity detection klaxon went off, which caused Amir to visibility jump in his pilots chair. Quickly followed by the entire bridge being flooded with strobing red lights. Meghan looked up at the blinking lights which immediately reminded her to turn her attention back to the sensor station. She closely examined the display for incoming contacts of the surrounding area outside the ship. Centered in the circle screen was a white arrow which indicated the Clipper. Measurement rings expanded from the center with icons that identified nearby objects. Known objects also had a marker line on the icon to indicate above or below the Clippers orientation. The tunnel was clearly marked 1000 Megameters away, and slightly above the Clipper. When the familiar hollow orange square flickered into existence over the tunnel icon Maghan turned to Shreya.
"Ship incoming Ma'am" Maghan voiced loud and clear.
Shreya apprehensively clicked her heels together to disengage the magnetic lock on her boots. She reached overhead to a handhold to gracefully spin herself around. Quickly Shreya pushed with the tips of her toes to glide across the bridge to the empty co-pilots chair. Free floating in null-G was faster then trying to run using mag-lock boots. Shreya hugged the co-pilot chair to stop her momentum. She craned her head to look at the tunnel in more detail.
With a sudden flash of white light from the void, the Imperial Courier burst out from the darkness. It tumbled, nose over tail, and listed to one side spinning on two axes out of control. Panels on the drive assembly pealed away with blue white sparks, and small explosions exposed serious damage to the craft.
Shreya pushed past the co-pilot chair deeply concerned. She drifted over the console, and braced her hands up against the canopy. The Courier rocketed past the Clipper as it left a frozen wake of smoke and debris. Shreya slammed her head up against the glass trying to get a clear view of the Courier cockpit. Her worst fears started to appear like they could become reality. After the courier tumbled out of view her worried expression turned back to look at the crew.
Massive amounts of data poured into every console onboard the Karl Jansky to record the event. Meghan was busy processing the raw data trying to keep track of the Couriers' projected trajectory. Calling out to the crew with technical information.
"Reference Mehuenomici 6 Alpha. Right ascension 18 hours 2 minutes 41 seconds. Declination minus 16 degrees. Range 1,025 light seconds." Meghan pronounced.
"Useful data please!" Amir rebuttals as Meghans celestial navigation skills are fine for finding points in space, but for a natural fighter pilot a quick report using the Clipper as the reference would make more sense.
"Sorry, 2 O'clock low." Meghan dismissively voiced over her shoulder, her full attention still on the sensor data pouring in.
Shreya pushed away from the canopy with force from both hands. Rapidly she glides upside down headed for the communication station. Nathaniel noticed Shreya's rapid approach. His eyes widened with guilt as he was spotted away from his post. He frantically reached out to grab a nearby hand hold when Shreya collided with him. Wrapped together they spun one full rotation as Shreya gave him a look of disappointment. She used Nathaniel as a trajectory change, as she pushed against him. She flew onward to the communication station. Shreya reached out and grabbed the free floating headphones with one hand, and forcefully palmed the mic button on the console. She lifted the ear piece up against her head. With a troubled voice she spoke into the attached mic on the headphones, forgoing any military formality's.
"Den Status!" Shreya barely paused before continuing. The nervousness building deep in her heart. "Damn it Den, what is going on?"
The constant chatter between the crew was getting louder. Each crew member was speaking in raised voices to avoid miscommunication in dealing with the situation. Shreya pushed the headphone close to her ear to listen over the crew noise for any reply in the constant static on the radio line. She focused intently on any returning radio signal when she noticed the crew became oddly quiet. The bridge was silent except for the sensor logs clicking away, that had changed rhythm into a sporadic burst of new incoming data. Shreya slowly looked over her shoulder to see that everyone had gathered in a huddled group behind the pilot. Rusty and Nathaniel were both floating behind Amir, supported by handholds. Maghan was upright behind the co-pilot chair using her mag-lock boots. Amir appeared frozen to his chair in astonishment. All were fearfully looking out the canopy toward the hyperspace tunnel. Confused, Shreya lowered the headphone feeling agitated by the lack of professionalism.
"Stations people!" Shreya demanded. To which no one replied. She made an audible growl under her breath. "What is so damn important that you're.."
Shreya cut herself off as she looked past the crew to focus on what caught their attention. Another craft had started to exit from the rift in space. A massive swamp-green organic looking craft pulled from the darkness slowly. The black smoke peeled away from the unknown ship like a monster rising from a pit of tar. It was a menacing flower shaped vessel with eight petals that radiate outward from a central metallic glass like bulb in the center. Yellow bioluminescence strips of light on the outer reaches of each petal pulsed like a heart beat. The craft pulled out of witch-space as the external audio sensors on the Clipper relayed the vibrations emitted from the alien ship. The bridge echoed with a unnatural growl that sounded like the long grunts of a camel mixed with the amplified clicking of a beetle. The alien craft rotated unnaturally and faced the Karl Jansky.
Meghan turned away from the canopy, and looked to Shreya. Shreya returned the glance to notice Mehan's expression was dripping with dread.
"Ma'am?" Meghan choked in a wavering voice.
"Mr. Frost, would you kindly back us off." Shreya returned to her refined controlled facade to hide her fear. She knew of these aliens from her experience in the Imperial navy, but never encountered one of this size. "It's a Thargoid." Explained Shreya.
"A what?" Meghan panicked as she could not help but to look at the approaching danger outside.
"An alien race. I have come across a small scout once. Long ago during an imperial patrol in the Maia system." Expecting a conflict, Shreya released her grip on the headphones, and pushed away from the communication station headed for her command chair. The entire time keeping her attention focused on the alien craft.
"Aye..Commander" Amir answered as he swallowed the lump in his throat. Gently pulling back on the thruster control to his left.
The Clipper's reverse engines powered up with a rumble, blasting hot blue plasma forwards. The Karl Jansky shuttered slightly, and began to drift away from the alien craft. The Thargoid responded by keeping pace with the Clipper. The petals flexed, and swayed as it moved through space. The proper scale of the alien craft was twice the size of the Clipper, but showed no signs of struggling with speed.
"Everyone, please return to your stations." Shreya ordered as she gracefully pulled herself down into the command chair at the center of the bridge.
The crew began to scramble back to their assigned stations. Amir watching the Thargoid keeping pace noticed the once yellow lights on the petals had turned red, and seemed to be pulsing with anger.
"Ah.. commander?" Amir questioned the precarious change in the alien ship.
The audio sensors on the Clipper echoed once again on the bridge with a new sound. The slow building noise of a giant metal door creaking as it scraped stone. Shreya looked up at the speakers remembering rumors of the dangers which followed that sound.
"Ma'am, Energy pulse detected?" Meghan relayed the puzzling message flashing on her sensors.
Immediately after the sound ended a bubble of blue energy exploded from the Xeno craft. The intense burst of energy slammed into every ship in a ten kilometer radius around the Thargoid. The wave collided with the nose of the Clipper which forced it into a uncontrolled positive pitch. The effects of the wave shorted out all electrical and mechanical power as the holographic projection of Duke Ovius winked out. The entire bridge was plunged into darkness. The sudden centrifugal force acted like a gravity which involuntarily pulled everyone forward. Shreya helplessly jolted face first into the deck. The impact split her bottom lip as she felt the warm blood spray across her right cheek, and the taste of copper that filled her mouth. Shreya could hear the clatter of everyone else crashing. She looked up, but the weak light cast from distant stars through the canopy only illuminated dim outlines.
"Ouch." Nathaniel voiced in the dark somewhere on the starboard side.
"What the hell was that?" Rusty said furiously as he crawled out from under the co-pilots console.
"Ma'am we've lost all power, I can't see anything." Meghan added to the confusion.
"Everyone remain calm" Shreya interjected as she pushed against the false gravity dragging her closer to the nose of the ship. Her hand found a break in the smooth flooring which she grabbed a hold of. She spun in place face down against the deck. "Mr. Robbins, can you get back to your station, and reboot the power system?"
"Trying to find my station, Baroness Nova." Rusty haphazardly reached for hand holds. He mistakenly grabbed Meghan's ankle, who shrieks in the darkness. "Well I found Mistress Haas."
Eventually the nose of the Karl Jansky slowly swung back around, and gave the crew a good look at the Xeno ship. Still pulsing with red lights on its corolla, the Thargoid craft stiffened all eight petals outward in a show of power. A swarm of small missile shape craft began to radiate outward from the back side. They danced around the mother ship like a school of fish as they aggressively protected the core.
"Oh great. It sprouted babies." Nathaniel uttered patronizingly.
In perfect unison the flock twisted together, and rotated into a funnel shape. Shreya looked out the canopy in response to Nathaniel's comment. Her her eyes widen to the telegraphed attack. The needle point of the swarm leading the charge abruptly changed direction, and raced directly at the Clipper. Shreya tightened her grip as the blood drained from her cheeks. Her chest contracted around her lungs in panic as she barely managed to scream.
"Brace for impact!"
The entire swam slammed into the Karl Jansky, like a hail of bullets. The bridge echoed with repeated sounds of crunching metal, and high velocity collisions. The raw kinetic force of the mob pushed the entire ship into a multi-directional spin. Each impact added to the centrifugal forces applied to the crew.
In the dark chaotic bridge chunks of stowed equipment broke loose from their bindings. They would drift in tranquil space for a moment before the bulkhead spun around, and slammed into them. The abrupt clash would destroy the equipment which created fast moving deadly projectiles. In turn the instrument panels along the wall would shatter from collisions with loose debris, becoming debris themselves. Soon the bridge was littered with deadly flak.
The crew scrambled to hold onto what they could as it appeared the ship was trying to pull away from them. Shreya quickly lost her precarious grip on the floor, and lifted off the floor. She barely had a moment to think when a port side console screen quickly pummeled her from behind. She folded herself into a ball while broken splinters of display screen racked across her body like claws. Leaving agonizing gashes radiating over her arms, and thighs. Her once regal garment was shredded, yet her remlok suit automatically sealed the gaps to maintain a secure pressure seal.
Nathaniel held firmly to a securing strap bolted to the starboard bulkhead. The free spinning clipper pulled him along through the cloud of damaged display screen. He clinched his teeth with an audible inhale of pain as he collided with a fragment of glass. Nathaniel reached down with his free hand to grab hold of the shard wedged deep into his lower rib. With a wail he ripped the glass out of his body, and cradled his wound.
Rusty fell upward still holding onto Meghan's ankle. Meghan on the other hand was locked into her chair at the sensor station. She griped her thigh with both hands, and repeatedly yelped Rusty's name mixed with obscenities while fighting against the strain. Instead of causing more damage Rusty released Meghan, and was promptly greeted by an overhead vent to his spine.
Amir closed his eyes to avoid staring at the vomit inducing swirl of stars. He latched onto the arm rest of his pilots chair. Expecting this to be his final mission he shouted over the constant hammering of the swarm.
"Commander, It has been an honor and a p.." Amir was cut short because the discard shard of glass from Nathaniel's rib came full circle, and found its final home lodged deep in Amir's voice box. Amir's last words ended in a suffocation of blood.
The swarm completed the first assault on the Clipper as it coalesced, and spun in harmony once again. With a slow graceful turn it looped back around, spinning like diamonds in a tornado, it headed in for another strike. The second impact was more devastating to the weakened hull of the Clipper. Multiple projectiles of the flock ripped clean through one end of the Karl Jansky, and out the other. The Clipper was forced into another abrupt axis spin change. The bridge was quickly venting precious oxygen into space from the breaches. This had the grave side effect of forcing the ship to rotate wildly, changing direction and speed sporadically. Subsystems exploded in brilliant strobing lights as the flock bombarded the Clipper.
Shreya's remlok suit automatically detected the atmosphere pressure drop. In an instant the built-in transparent survival mask materialized around her head. The deafening destruction outside the helmet was suddenly muffled by the isolated pressure system. The head-up display within her helmet sprang to life with a blue-white glow. At the top right, five minutes of reserved available oxygen was indicated. The Clipper thrashed like a wounded animal spinning out of control. The bridge became a dicing machine throwing everything inside into a chaotic maelstrom.
The securing strap Nathaniel clung on to broke loose by one end. The strap slid through his hand as he was pulled away by the decompression. He clamped down just in time to keep a hold of one end, as the ship jolted into a different direction. Nathaniel fell back against the corner of his communication console which jabbed him in the stomach. Nathaniel gasped for air from the impact just before the Clipper changed direction again, and pushed him away. Like a tree branch slapping the side of a house during a storm, Nathaniel was properly flailed against the bulkhead.
Meghan curled her arms over her head protectively, and closed her eyes. Still magnetically locked in her chair every sudden shift from the clipper fiercely jostled about like a disturbing carnival ride. Meghan felt her lunch creeping back up from the pit of her stomach. She tried to maintain consciousness, as she made rapid changes from red-out to black-out. The strain against her chair eventually broke it loose from the base mount. Her knees bashed up against the underside of her console, causing her to cry out inside her helmet. The entire chair was thrown across the bridge with her in it. Meghan was hurdled into the cockpit canopy with sufficient force to cause spider web cracks to radiate outward in the glass.
Rusty and Shreya were both equally tossed from one end of the bridge to the other. They flailed to find a hand hold, or mounted furniture to stop the relentless beating against the bulkheads. Shreya tumbled head first across the deck before being thrown upward to crash with the rear door chest first. She grunted in response to the bruising in her ribs. Shreya noticed a grab handle to her left, but only managed to drag her fingers down the side as the Clipper pulled away.
She was forced upward into the overhead, and dragged across the bridge above her command chair. She pushed her hands outward for protection as the chair charged in. The narrow bulb shaped head of the chair unexpectedly changed its angle, and jabbed her in the hip. Shreya buckled over the back of the chair. She felt her pelvis fracture from the impact as agony shot up her spine like lightning. The moment was short as the Clipper bucked her off the seat. Her hands slid helplessly against the smooth white surface of the imperial chair design. Shreya flew backwards, both arms outstretched as she reached for hope. Falling the opposite direction Rusty grabbed hold of her forearm. Shreya instinctively closed her fist around his arm. The two pirouetted in their own orbit as the debris glittered around them like satellites. Shreya's panicked breath echoed in her helmet. She looked up to see the terror in his Rusty's eyes matched hers. The strobe effect of the Clipper falling apart around them danced upon the reflective surface of their helmets. A brilliant wash of plasma lit up the entire bridge as one of the swarm punched through the canopy, and out the back. Shreya clamped her eyes shut, and shielded her face with one arm. The total decompression pushed her out the shattered canopy. The Clipper spewed forth the crew into the void with its dyeing breath.
Shreya lowered her arm, and opened her eyes. The crippled remains of the Clipper appeared to be moving in a loop, around her vision. The ship slowly rolled with a faint yaw. She watched in disbelief as her blue eyes traced the ship from the left of her vision, all the way up and over to the right, then all the way back down again to the end where it started. In a silent dizzy rotation Shreya drifted further away from the carnage. The sickness in her stomach battled with her confusion. As she watched the clipper loop around, and around. Her eyes paused at the glowing blue oxygen timer on the top right. Focused on a fixed position helped the nausea slightly as the mortality of the situation set in. The text read; Oxygen Depleted in 2:30.
Shreya looked back at the Xeno craft moving about the carnage. With the defeat of the Clipper, the red lights on the Thargoid craft faded back to a pulsing yellow. The once aggressive swarm had returned to fly in protective rings around the host ship. She watched the alien craft unnaturally move over to Nathaniel who was drifting powerless in the void of deep space. A warm green beam emitted from the Thargoid as it washed over Nathaniel. Yellow tentacles of energy appeared to reach out and abduct him. Nathaniel was helplessly pulled inside the craft. Like a vulture the Thargoid picked clean the last morsels of the carcass.
Each heavy terrified breath left a circle of fog in her helmet. The repeated echos of her panicked state was her only company in the isolated remlok suit. She looked up at the clock once more as the numbers slipped away. Reading; Oxygen Depleted in 2:00.
The negative 270 degrees Celsius temperature of space was quickly invading her remlok suit. Shreya closed her eyes to fight back the freezing cold that seeped in. Her first thought was a wish for an H.E. Suit. A full body suit designed for space walks, unlike her remlok suit which would not combat the hostilities of space for long. Her teeth chattered, as she slowly looked at the frost accumulating on the edges of the helmet. The ice crystals grew in a snowflake lattice shape accompanied with a crackling sound. The numbness in her fingers and toes spread like ants crewing on her skin as they climbed up her limbs. The fear of freezing to death was foremost on her mind despite trying to imagine anything else. Nothing she did would stop the creeping cold from squeezing the life out of her. Her body shook uncontrollably as she once again looked at the timer. Reading; Oxygen Depleted in 1:20.
Shreya looked down at her frozen body to realize that she was still clutching the arm of Rusty. The blood trail from the severed arm was frozen white. It traced a quark screw pattern that followed her rotation away from the Clipper. Shreya reached over with her free hand to pry the arm loose. Rusty's hand was still clamped down like rigor mortis against her forearm. Every action she took was more exhaustive than the last as she struggled to pry the hand away. As she pulled one of Rusty's finger, it snapped off with a glitter of ice. The grotesque situation left a bile taste in her mouth, but she continued to snap off the remaining digits with remorse. All she could picture was the last expression on Rusty's face when they clung to one another in the Clipper. Memories of a proper gentleman who insisted on using titles when addressing her. A faithful crew member who would risk himself to save another. The guilt of breaking Rusty's fingers felt hyper real, as if it was harming him. A rapid shivering breath left her lips as she softly spoke to herself apologizing for each removed finger. With the final thumb removed she closed her eyes, emotionally drained. Tears swelled up in the corners of her eyes, and quickly froze against her cheeks. Her fleeting breath was consumed by the cold as she tried to gather the strength to pull the arm free. Shreya sucked in one sustaining gasp, and grabbed the arm. With what little energy remained, she jerked her arm free. In a bloom of sparkling ice the arm broke away. She released his severed limb regrettably as it drifted calmly away into the stars. Shreya sobbed one last farewell to Rusty behind quivering lips.
"I'm so sorry."
Shreya forced herself to look away which inadvertently focused back to the remaining time she had. Reading; Oxygen Depleted in 0:45. She watched the seconds slip away as her inevitable fate manifested. Her blue lips quivered uncontrollably along with spasms in her body. It was uncertain if freezing or suffocation would claim her. Regardless of which it was painfully clear she would die soon. Shreya forced herself to look away from the clock. The spinning tapestry of stars became a tranquil blur of glowing rings in her eyes. Her thoughts bounced between memories of herself and Den together. Den would turn his charming smile upon her just before he turned frost white, and abruptly crumbled to the floor. She reached out horrified but was pulled into another memory. She felt herself falling backwards onto a soft bed with Den hovering over her. She wanted to feel the warmth between them as she wrapped her arms around him. Instead, Den fell heavily onto her as he exploded into a suffocating snow drift. Shreya gasped for air as she clawed her way through. The pressure against her lungs crushed her dreams as her eyes snapped open to reality. Before her was two brilliant glowing angels radiating salvation upon her near lifeless body. She struggled to raise one hand out to beg for help. The end had finely arrived as the angels approached, and matched her rotation. Shreya watched with what felt like her last moments, as a pair of flood lights from an approaching ship came closer.
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