[Fan Fiction] I179 *** WARNING! This thread rated PG

[Prej]

Hi there, fellow Captains! It's me again, Captain Prej from the Wobbly Goblin. Taking a couple of days off in Rigel, I wanted to share a little story with you.
Maybe it's good, maybe not, you be the judge. Please hold back on any grammar nazism, as english is not my first language.

**************************************


„I179.�, thought the Captain. „Goddamn I179.�

The nav computer has been showing the same sector for five days now. Stuck right between Sirius and Sol, they were slowly running out of fuel and, even worse, good ideas.
The whole journey wasn't a good idea to start with. Taking a rookie crew, promising them quick cash, not having a deep-space worthy ship – it all added up now. Being a drug addict with debts didn’t help the situation either, and the good stuff ran out a couple of days ago.

He was on edge, hell, he was starting to panic. Looking around the bridge of the “Perseus�, he saw three other faces, faces of kids in their early twenties, gradually suspecting what they’ve gotten themselves into. Trying to cover it all up by telling them how well the trip was going wouldn’t do it anymore. They may have been novices, but they weren’t that stupid.
He was hanging around the nav computer, pushing random buttons, trying to look busy and professional. It was all good when he still had his stash stocked. Yet now he was just an unshaved, sweaty bum in his mid-forties who’s clearly been experiencing withdrawal, and he was everything else than trustworthy.

The fuel level got two serious hits during their journey. The first was when the Navigator messed up the coordinates and sent them way off their course. The second one was when they got jumped by two hostile ships looking for easy prey and had to rely on the afterburner to get out alive.
He took a glance at the fuel gauge. 327 units. Definitely not enough to get them to Sol. Definitely not enough to get them back to Sirius either.

He was dead whichever way. Even if he got back, McInnes would shoot him like a dog for not paying back his debts. Slowly suffocating and freezing on his ship once the life support went down was door number two, and seemed not much of an improvement. Well, there was always the third option – the gun he hid in his quarters. Compared to the other two, this was the pleasant way out.

The Captain took another look at the nav computer. I179.

**************************************

Do you want me to continue?

[Edited on 1-14-2014 by Marvin]

[SeeJay]

Great start.

Gonna be interesting following this wicked crew!

Keep 'em coming!:P

[Edited on 2014-1-10 by SeeJay]

[Marvin]

That "stash" ... Ovaltine and herbal tea, right?

[Prej]

That "stash" ... Ovaltine and herbal tea, right?

Yep, along with oregano and marjoram.

[Prej]

A wise man once said: “You may hire a ragtag gang as your crew, but always get a good grease monkey.�

He was a 23 year old kid from Sapphire, freckled face, a little chubby. Said he knew his way around the engine bay which seemed more than enough to hire him when the Captain was smacked out of his mind, making big plans while hanging around a cheap bar, trying to lay low from McInnes’ thugs. The kid didn’t need much persuasion either, mentioning an easy trip to Sol through no man’s land and the riches that lay there was just right. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but his salary demands made up for it.

The “Perseus� wasn’t a complicated ship, so the trip was quite easy for the Engineer. Well, easy up until the pirate attack, which necessitated squeezing every ton of thrust from the old engines. He may have managed to do that, but at the price of damaging the starboard engines’ heat compensators, which resulted in the ship running at shoddy fuel efficiency.

Fearing the Captains anger, he decided not to tell anyone about the damage.
Only two days later, during a standard check, it all came out.

“How’s the old thing running?�, asked the Captain entering the engine bay.
“Errr... Fine, Sir! Everything’s a-ok.�, answered the Engineer, his voice trembling slightly.

The Captain approached the engine console and started inspecting the subsystems.

“The starboard engine temperature is going through the roof, why didn’t you report this?�
“I thought it wasn’t that important, Sir.�
“Not that important?! We’re in deep space, bleeding fuel like a stuck pig, you idiot!�

He quickly went through some basic diagnostics.

“The heat baffles are down, they need to be fixed ASAP. Grab your tools, suit up and prepare for a spacewalk.�
“But, Sir...�
“What?�
“I... I can’t do that.�
“What the hell are you talking about? Get your arse in gear and fix the damn engine!�
“I don’t know how to do that.�

The Captain looked at him in disbelief.
“You what?!�
“I’ve never been on a ship before. I only used to repair my dad’s ore harvesters, not ships.�

A chill ran down the Captains spine the moment he realised he hired a completely unqualified person for the most important job on the ship.

“I don’t care! You get out there and try to fix the friggin’ engine right now! You do that, or I’ll take this wrench and beat the living daylights out of your skull, you get that?!�, he yelled, shaking like a rabid dog.

The Engineer looked at him in terror.

“Sir... I...�
“Go, goddamnit, now!�

As the Captain entered the bridge, the Science Officer approached him.
“Sir, the Engineer is in the airlock, and it seems he’s preparing for EVA.�
“Yes, I’m aware of that.�
“Is something wrong?�
“No, everything’s under control, get back to your job.�, he answered the Science Officer and sat down, staring into space through the cockpit windows. He tried to remain calm, but he was losing grip and he knew it. He was facing a critical situation, had an inept crew and a craving he wasn’t able to satisfy. The whole thing was going sideways, it was bad karma from A to Z.

Suddenly an alarm went off and a warning appeared flashing on the status screen.

“There’s been a pressure drop in the aft stabilizer, Sir!�, reported the Science Officer.
“What?! What the hell?!�, cried the Captain as reality ruthlessly caught up with him.

He cycled through the external cameras until he found the Engineer, hanging on the cable in the ships rear section.

“The leak seems to have sealed itself, Sir. The pressure is back to normal.�

Staring at the monitor, the Captain waited for the Engineer to spin around. Then, finally, he revealed his fate. Something must have hit the visor, causing the helmet to implode.

“Sucker’s got lucky.�, said the Captain with grim envy.

Both the Science Officer and the Navigator looked at him in contempt.

“Sir, that wasn’t nec...�, the Navigator
“Can it! It’s his fault we’re going to... We’re in this situation now!�,
“But he’s dead, don’t you have any respect for that?!�
“Don’t you raise your voice at me, boy! I’ve got more serious things on my mind now than some dead moron dangling off the side of my ship!�

The bridge went silent, and the “Perseus’� remaining crew members observed the Engineer as he calmly performed pirouettes, the starlit universe his final stage.

“There’s nothing we can do for him, release the cable.�
“Sir, at least let him have a proper funeral.�, objected the Science Officer.
“Cut him loose, I said!�

They watched the Engineers body slowly drift off into space, soon disappearing among the stars.

With the only EVA suit onboard now destroyed, there was no way of repairing the engine.


[Edited on 11-1-14 by Prej]

[NLS]

Fantastic work.
Seems you've got it.

Good space odyssey's need a space novella. Elite, lesson 101.

Will be great if this evolves to some more complete background story for EM, maybe tie it with a quest in the future...

[Prej]

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it.

There's still more to come, so stay frosty.

[DaveK]

I like it - please continue posting!

[Prej]

Will do, the next part is already in the works.

[Maarschalk]

Wow, amazing story writing, very cool I like it, waiting for more!....

[Prej]

Things weren’t looking bright aboard the “Perseus�. After the Engineer’s accident, the crew didn’t talk much. Actually, they didn’t talk at all.
They didn’t even leave the bridge anymore and slept at their consoles, waking every now and then only to realise that the situation they were in wasn’t just a dream. It was an astronaut’s nightmare coming true.
Even though silence engulfed the bridge, you could feel the tension growing with every passing hour.

The Captain constantly checked two things: the nav computer and the fuel gauge, both of which didn’t deliver any good news. The nav computer was still showing the dreaded sector I179 and, even though they were drifting, the fuel level was decreasing due to the onboard systems being powered.

He was a mess. The situation they were facing strained him to the extreme. Furthermore, the withdrawal symptoms were getting worse; he had the shakes, was getting hot and cold and was completely exhausted. Taking all this in account, he was just about to blow a fuse.


A warning signal suddenly broke the silence.
“Fuel level critical!�

The Captain didn’t even turn around to face his crew, but the Science Officer and Navigator exchanged long and terrified glances. They knew, that once the fuel was gone, the life support system would power down, which meant certain death in a matter of hours. Since the “Perseus� wasn’t equipped with escape pods, they couldn’t leave the ship either.

The Science Officer gathered all his courage and addressed the Captain.
“Sir, maybe I should activate the S.O.S. beacon?�
“And attract vultures from all over the sector? Are you out of your damn mind?�, the Captain sneered.
“This may be our only chance! Either way we’re dead, so what’s the difference if we suffocate or get blasted by pirates?�, cried the Navigator, slowly rising from his chair.

Spinning his seat around, the Captain noticed the Navigator leaving his post.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going, boy? You stay right there at your console and do your goddamn job!�, he yelled at the young man.
“I can’t take this anymore! You’re going to get us all killed, you lunatic! Screw you!�

The Navigator charged through the door to the ship’s aft section, leaving the other two crew members perplexed. The Captain immediately followed him down the corridor past the crew quarters, straight to the cargo bay’s airlock.
The security lock was engaged from the inside, leaving the cargo bay inaccessible.

“Open the door right now, you bastard!�, shouted the Captain, yet to no avail. He slammed the thick steel door with his fist, cursed and ran back to the bridge.

“Engage the manual override for the cargo bay airlock, now!�, he commanded the Science Officer, who went to work without delay. “God knows what this idiot is doing back there!�
“Yes, Sir, but this may take a couple of minutes.�


Meanwhile, the Navigator cowered in the back of the cargo bay. He was trembling, his heart was racing, he was gasping for air, trying to get a hold of himself. Like a cornered animal, he was looking around in order to find a way out of this death trap.

Just a week ago he was bragging to his friends about that great job offer he got, about the cash he would bring in and the parties that awaited him after his return from Sol.
Being 24 and straight out of university on Olympus Prime, life was looking good. His parents were proud, his girlfriend was making wedding plans, the cash would definitely come in handy.

Only seven days were enough to turn his life upside down, send him from promising graduate to raving madman aboard a ship, drifting at the far end of the universe.
Despair set in and he started crying, wailing at the thought of what he left behind at home. No one would ever know what happened to him, neither his parents, nor his girlfriend to be wife. He was stuck here with two strangers, one of whom was clearly going pants on head nuts from withdrawal and had already sent a crew member to his death without batting an eye.

In a last ditch effort to regain control of his situation, he stood up and assessed his options.


“Sir, the airlock has been opened from the inside.�, the Science Officer reported.
“What?!�

The same moment the Navigator entered the bridge, holding an industrial nail gun in his hand.

“You, turn on the S.O.S. beacon, right now!�, he frantically yelled at the Science Officer while pointing the gun at him. The Science Officer looked at the Captain, uncertain how to react.
“You do this, and we’re screwed. Don’t let this piece of crap intimidate you, he hasn’t got the balls to shoot!�, the Captain responded, not letting the Navigator out of his sight.

The Navigator aimed the gun at the Captain and pulled the trigger.

[SeeJay]

Excellent stuff but you can't leave that story hanging like that! Darn you!:P:P:P

[Prej]

Don't worry, there's more to come.

[NLS]

Hahaha.

[Maarschalk]

Another one that keeps us hanging from the cliffs above shark invested waters!....LOL!......Hurry up please my fingers are slipping!.....

[Prej]

And they lived happily ever after.

[Maarschalk]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.0..0...0....0.....0......0.......0........0.........0..........0...........0...........0............0.............0................0...................0.....................

Splash!...............

[Prej]

Or didn't they?

Hang in there, Maarschalk, this isn't the end.

[Rubber Chicken]

Really good story so far Prej. Though, I do feel a need to join a convent after reading this.

[Marvin]

I do feel a need to join a convent after reading this.

Or, at the very least, go to Confession.

[Prej]

Oh, come on, it's not that inappropriate, is it?

[Rubber Chicken]

I was just making a joke that nobody got... I'm a rooster. Convents are for nuns. Think about it.....

[Prej]

Adrenalin rushed through the Captain’s system as he stormed towards the Navigator. Two three-inch nails struck him in the abdomen, yet he still managed to tackle the young man and started to beat him into submission.
The Navigator was no match for the bar-brawl hardened Captain and lost consciousness after a few well measured punches to the head.
The Captain grabbed the needle gun and stood up, turning around to the Science Officer.
“Get some ropes from the cargo bay.�, he ordered him.

He tied up the unconscious Navigator and dragged him to the crew’s quarters where he left him, not before making sure he wouldn’t be able to free himself. After a short visit to his cabin, the Captain returned to the bridge, picking up a first aid kit on the way.

One needle perforated his stomach, and he didn’t have to be a doctor to know that this was bad news for him. The pain was excruciating and there were no painkillers left in the first aid kit, since he used them for other purposes. He bandaged himself as good as he could, trying to get the bleeding under control.

“How are you, Sir?�, asked the Science Officer.
“Take a guess, genius.�


This was how a bad voyage could go even worse. The Captain knew it was a matter of hours, the very unpleasant kind of hours.
He was afraid. Blood was slowly dripping from his seat to the floor, creating a small crimson pool at his feet. Staring into the stars, he was trying to figure out a way at having a last ditch at life. Yet, bleeding out on a ship running through deep space on more fumes than fuel wasn’t really a good perspective.
Cursing himself for his foolishness, he looked at the nav computer with disgust. I179.
Another glance at the fuel gauge didn’t raise his hopes either. 68 units. Enough for maybe fifteen hours of drifting.


Time passed. The view outside his window didn’t change. It was beautiful and terrifying at once. The vast, open space with its myriad of stars fascinated mankind since the dawn of days. The Captain envied these shiny celestial bodies for their patience. They would still be here when he was gone, when the “Perseus� was long forgotten, maybe even when the Vonari have conquered every system known to man. The stars didn’t care.


“Sir, I have a radar contact! Incoming ship, distance 9500, speed 1300!�, shouted the Science Officer.
“Friend or foe?�, asked the Captain, his voice merely a shadow of what it has been a few hours earlier.
“Their transponder is off and not responding!�
“God damnit, you gotta be kidding me.�

They knew what this meant. Turning off the IFF transponder was synonymous with a hostile signal, which could be only one thing: pirates.

The Captain sat up straight in his seat, trying to overcome the pain he was experiencing. He transferred 80% of the generator’s power to the shields and armed the two missiles the “Perseus� was equipped with.
He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. He was scared out of his mind, trying to collect his thoughts and focus on getting through this. The “Perseus� was a cargo ship, not designed for space combat. It could hold itself in a fight, but only at the hands of a fit and conscious pilot.

The Captain reached for the controls, his hands sweaty and shaking. His eyesight was blurry, it was difficult to concentrate on the instruments. He switched off the autopilot.

“Distance 3000, speed 1500 and increasing!�, reported the Science Officer, his face pale with fear.

Without taking his eyes off the HUD, the Captain increased the “Perseus’� speed and moved it into an interception course. He was aware that things were about to get ugly and that their chances of survival were slim. Still, he knew what he was doing, relying on his experience and gut. This dangerous encounter could be a blessing in disguise, and he was about to find out.

“Distance 1500, speed 1600!�
“Perform a cargo scan, now!�, the Captain commanded.
“What? Yes, Sir!�, answered the Science Officer a little surprised. “12 units of oxygen and 17 units of antimatter!�

The Captain’s eyes widened. Antimatter. If they could get their hands on this cargo, they could refuel the “Perseus� and maybe reach friendly territory. His hope dwindled when the pain in his abdomen reminded him of his probably fatal wound. Either way it wasn’t going to end well, so he decided to take the risk. He tightened his grip on the controls, preparing for the now inevitable clash.

“Distance 1000, speed 1700!�
“Strap in, kid.�



[Edited on 16-1-14 by Prej]

[SeeJay]

Hmmmm, I'm starting to dislike you more and more Prej.

Can't leave us hanging like this!:P

Exciting story mate. Keep 'm coming!:D

[NLS]

SeeJay part of the atmosphere is where he pauses the narration.
Plus it makes you more eager to read the next part.