Community Event / Creation The (Real) Distress Call poll.

[Ian Phillips]

This is it. A very popular theme this week with 19 entries!

If there is no clear winner, I will revert to toting up the vote per author to see if we can get a winner that way - we will see.

As always - read carefully!

 

[Ian Phillips]

(1) Ian Phillips: The last place you look for help!

The white haired guy over there is Frank, also known as Mr. "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning".

Over by the juke box, with wings stapled to his nipples, is someone in disguise.

That dark shadow over there in the corner is Alien.

That suggestively moving patch in the private booth is Mark and Amber.

Reighdar is over there propping up the bar.

That's not everyone, but you are looking at the core of 'The TF team'.

If you have a problem...if no one else can help...and if you can find them (sober)..maybe you can hire...The TF-Team.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(2) psykokow: Fashion Concious

In the velvet darkness, shots of light flash from little dots.. the glowing flashes are blinding and the noises are like a thousand clacks.
It is hard to see where I am going but I just don't feel right.. five minutes ago I was pushed out here and not by choice.

My onesie isn't sitting right and I fear everything is going wrong... the flashes intensify and I hear a sudden rush of air..

My onesies dissapeared, flashes illuminate my naked rippled body, it had been ripped off by the fashion designer... no no... wear this dress on the catwalk.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(3) The Lone Gunman: Enemy of the Federation

The distress call made, likewise by the enemy
A ship responding, but who’s?

The fighting was finished, Damaged Done
Vessels no weapons, no Engines

She could see the Federation pilot clearly, as they her
Hatred on the face of the enemy pilot

Their peoples at war, ideology alien to each
Stranded with her mortal enemy

Both knew one would live, one would die
The ship arrives! she is pulled in by her people’s ship

The Federation pilot makes a gesture across their chest like a cross, and then slowly closes their eyes, Evaporation!

She doesn't understand, for she is Thargoid!

 

[Ian Phillips]

(4) Scorpio: Siren song (99 words)

The Thargoid withdrew its proboscis from Commander Lucky Lindelofs ear with a pop. The body slid from the navigators chair onto the cold floor amongst the shards of the Vodka bottle. To the loud keening of the alert signal the Thargoids powerful thoracic limbs pulled its bulk into the chair and a spindly claw came forward and lightly touched the disable alarm and audio on icons.
The cabin went silent,the transmit light came on, and a small orifice appeared in the Thargoids cranium beneath the cluster of black eyes.
' Please help me '
said a husky,breathless, feminine voice.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(5) Frank: The Blues'n'Twos Blues

The Cobra was surrounded by Police Vipers with their blue and red beacons flashing like some manic Christmas decoration.

The cops had boarded the craft. “You should start the stirrer first on your pre-flight check. If your reaction mass isn't mixed properly your jets can be a bit... lumpy”

Psykokow was red with embarrassment, “I thought the motor was going to explode!”

The cop's battle to stifle his laughter was lost, “These old girls are sturdier than you think.”

The stern faces of his younger colleagues showed they didn't find this so amusing. They joined the police to fight pirates.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(6) Cathy: The Last Distress Call

When your shields no longer crackle, because there's no shield left.

When auxiliaries won't hum, because there's no power left.

When bulkheads cease to creak, because thrust is gone and you're past stress.

And the cause - it's that hunter you couldn't out-run; that star you didn't give a wide berth; that burst of x-rays far away you didn't even know about.

Families huddled in shelters once, listening for the emptiness seconds before death. And you in your small ship, systems spent, frozen in mute fear and knowledge, the moment you return to stardust...

The last distress call is Silence.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(7) Bikky: Oh Crap!

‘This is great stoo.’

‘Ain’t it just.’

‘Just slow the turns I feel queasy.’

‘Hey, now don’cha go barfin’ all ower dadz baby. He’ll kill me if he ever finds out we bin for a spin in ‘er.’

‘Best be heading back, your fuels getting low.’

‘Nah worries, Dad always has spare, I just get it replaced when I dock.’

Lave station acknowledges your distress call, you’re billed one thousand credits for needing a re-fuel at the mouth of the station.

‘Told you!’

‘He’s just had new engines installed, how was I to know he’d not added extra fuel yet!’

 

[Ian Phillips]

(8) psykokow: Trapped in the Dark

“This is Minerva emergency helpline how may we assist you?”

'Mmmmmf!!'

“Im sorry we can't understand you can you repeat?”

'mmmmmf!!!'

“This line is for emergencies only.. it's an offence to tie up our lines.”

'Mmmf mmfffmffm mfmfff!!!!!!!!'

“Im sorry sir, we have notified the security services in your area...they will be round shortly to process your fine.”

'Mmf MMMFFFF!! MMFFFF!!

“ Sorry sir, we gave you a chance.. have a nice day and thank you for calling Minerva's emergency helpline.”

In Sector 4 private residencies.

“Officer requesting backup, some eedjit has his onesie on upside down and is trapped.”

 

[Ian Phillips]

(9) Ian Phillips: The Lure

“This looks to be a good one. Look at that crater. Deep enough to put a mining rig in. High walls to hide it. We’re far enough away from normal shipping lanes that we won’t be found by chance.”

The ship settled into the crater and fired anchors into the asteroid’s rock, dust spraying out from the impact sites. Then the wires to the anchors tightened and the ship was drawn into the crater.

“OK lads, lets get to work.“

The crew busied themselves with their well rehearsed preparations and soon everything was ready.

“Right, send out the distress call”

 

[Ian Phillips]

(10) psykokow: Hey there Sonny!

Her long flowing blonde hair was matted with salty sweat, it ran down her forehead dripping from her eyebrows onto the console.. hissing as it hit.
She knew she was in trouble when the fuel scoop bounced off the cockpit window... minutes later and the engines powered down as the last hope for escape left them in a short blast hoping to get her clear...

The lights on the console flickered and died, the alarms slowly fading to silence as all power failed... the heat was unbearable... but it wouldn't be much longer till she wouldn't feel it any more..

 

[Ian Phillips]

(11) psykokow: Hey there sonny part 2

Her stomach grumbled as the sweet scent of her slowly cooking flesh filled the air... she had planned a meal with her husband back in McThargoids... she hoped he would understand, this was THE trip to help them move up in the world.

She closed her eyes and said a little prayer... she waited for the pain to pass. but it didn't. Her arm seared with pain as if clamped in a vice... she opened her eyes..

Through the steamy haze was a shadow pulling at her arm, it spoke

'Hold on, I'm going to get you out of here.'

 

[Ian Phillips]

(12) insanephoton: Rescue crew

Every call out is different. This time we're towing back some rookie that forgot to fill up with fuel. A nice simple job with a happy ending. Better than the last one.

We pulled some kid out of a wrecked Cobra. She was maybe fourteen, she just manged to get a remlock on in time. She was the only survivor of the pirate attack. The rest of her family were all killed when the ship was destroyed. Physically she's ok, just minor injuries. Mentally? Emotionally? Who knows? I'm just glad I wasn't the one to tell her about her folks.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(13) Darren Grey: Betrayal

The comms bleep the urgent tones of an SOS. Guess I should check it out... I arm my lasers.

Y’see on the frontiers, you hear a distress call you don’t know if you’ll end up saviour or sucker. I always go in guns ready.

It’s a wrecked Tiger, hull spilling cargo. Looks like she misjumped into some asteroids. I hail her.

“Help! I’m trapped in here! Please, save me!”

Ah, how pitiful. I send a reassuring message and steer into docking position, charging my pistol with a grin.

Yup, y’see on the frontiers there ain’t so many saviours. Just suckers...

 

[Ian Phillips]

(14) Digital Duck: To Be Continued? (101 words)

“Commander, what's the nature of your emergency?”

Commander Quack had fired a distress beacon in a brief moment of panic; now he needed to explain his actions.

“You see, I'm writing a Drabble–”

“A DRABBLE!? That's no reason to make a distress call!” the voice replied. Quack didn't really know who he was talking to or even how these things work, and it’s reflected in his writing.

“I know, it's just that... I always fill up the Drabble with too much conversation and before I know it I can't bring it to a sensible conclusion because I've run out of

 

[Ian Phillips]

(15) Ian Phillips: In distress

Frank wipes the bar down with a brightly coloured rag.

Taking a swig from his bottle of Lave potion number 9 he spots an unattended bowl of complimentary nibbles and pulls the bowl of Curried Brussels Sprouts over.

Some Jinx on the bar, wipe and polish, some Curried Brussels Sprouts, a swig from the bottle.

Before he knew it the bowl was empty, as was the bottle. His bowels started groaning.

A pained look walked across his face as he turned and raced for the toilet.

A door bangs shut then an agonised distress call slices across the bar...

"Noooooooooh".

 

[Ian Phillips]

(16) El_tel: The last resort

Adrift.
You could activate a distress beacon, but are they still out there? Waiting.
Impossible to know, and besides, the distress beacon was destroyed during the blowout.
Either reserve power will eventually die, or they'll sniff you out first.
Is the air becoming stale in here?
It should have ended when the ship's primary relays went up. Instead, you have no engines, comms, scanners or options.
One option.
Since your first craft, and the ships you've loved since, you knew in your heart that this day would finally come.
You stare at the EC release handle...
Not yet... Not yet!

 

[Ian Phillips]

(17) the Lone Gunmman: You either do or you don't.

The pain was excruciating, tears in his eyes, lips searing with heat.

Jacks hands were covered in the glue like substance sticking to everything, on his skin red blotches broke out

But the smell, oh god the smell was the worse!

The medic operator at the other end talked again

“Help on the way, we don’t know the substance but Bio Chem medics en route,
and your pet Spider Boris tried some and now stuck to the top of the cabin to?”

Jack had wished his quick rich scheme of bringing Marmite back from the dead had stayed that way!

 

[Ian Phillips]

(18) W4rSkull: The Grip

The princes looked at her brother with crystal blue eyes. Rage and confusion ruled his world. Attack after attack had left their empire crumbling and Paldar was dead. Their father.
Revenge was the only remedy now. She knew it. Could see it in his stare. As wave after wave of warships floated past the thin hull of their command ship.

Princes Zeltara cried silently as a tear ran down her chin. War was upon them. And she knew her brother would leave none alive. None. Such was his hatred of the Alliance.
It had his heart in an iron grip.

 

[Ian Phillips]

(19) insanephoton: Survivor

Dad shouts "remlocks on now!".

The ship shudders and then explodes.

I'm floating in the darkness. The only sounds are my breathing and the manic scream of the remlock beacon. Will anyone come or is this the end?

A beam of light probes the wreckage and I try to shout, but my words are stifled by the mask. The beam flicks to me and I'm dazzled by the light. A figure reaches out to me. The badge on his suit reads Diso Rescue Service. I'm saved, but what about my parents and my brother? No one wants to tell me.