A figure skipping in the half-lit gloom. The sweat beads running down her brow and neck. She levels her breathing and counts in her mind 66, 67, 68, 69, 70. She stops and drags the rope to a nearby solid metal crate and takes a seat. The faint humming of a pump and the sound as though the very water was trying to scratch through the steel tanks. It was soothing and quiet, she liked to come here to contemplate.
A bi-tonal warning is heard and a disciplined female voice comes over the intercom. "Captain Ravensborn to the bridge, we are reaching our destination, Captain Ravensborn to the bridge". The female figure picks up a towel from the crate and moves to the exit. The pressure door concertinas out of her way. She heads to a turbo-elivator which is large and whines as it picks up speed. As it approaches the gravitation deck it switches positions like an hour glass. Within 45 seconds it arrives at the bridge.
The captain steps out and is greeted by the cautious otherworldly eyes of a thin male, of similar age as her, holding a datatablet. They both begin to walk towards the bridge security room.
He begins "the navigator says we shall be coming to our destination soon. Roughly 3 months ahead of schedule." He continues. "I have compiled a list of equations re-calculating the amount of dark matter we have likely encountered"
She finally speaks.
"Thats admirable Science officer Courtten, but i purposefully told the announcer to missreport the projected length of our voyage by 3 months."
The bony face of the science officer looked crestfallen. "But why, you could not have told the science division this?" She looks at him with a twinkle in her eye. "At this stage we know that alien species exist yes?", "Affirmative", "And the high Command is conducting a secret inquest on alien influence on our military and strategic operations, and the report is not complete yet?" "Again, Affirmative Captain" "Well, until that inquest is complete i intend to conduct this ships operations as though it could have been compromised". "Surely this is paranoia..." "You have your orders Science officer, as do i." Then they both walked into the lazer volumetric analyzer room. The voice of the technicians behind the glass panel comes over the comms. "All clear."
They enter the large atrium of the bridge room. Many banks of control panels are visible staffed by at about 60 Navel personnel. The captain walks over to the Pilot and Navigators chair. They are both well built females and busy with calculations. "There you are captain, we are about to begin deceleration procedure in the next minute and a half." "Carry on". Both the officers continue pressing buttons on their consoles and communicating to one another. The captain and science officer stand there behind them, watching their movements carefully. Sweat still beading down the captains neck.
"Captain"... "Yes science officer?" [Beginning deceleration procedure]... "You said that it was 3 months out of date?"... [Deceleration beginning in 10 seconds] "Yes"... [Ten] [Nine] [Eight] "Well... by my calculations we are 3 months 3 minutes and 6 seconds early"... [Seven] [Six] [Five] [Four] "Thats interesting science officer" [Three] [Two] [One]. *Ruuumble*
View, External of the ship.
The glass like material coated on the front of the ship begins to break apart.
Pieces crack and flash off into the distance. The blurs of passing stars begins to slow.
[First Stage Successful] [Beginning second stage]
Yet more cracks appear on the crystaline material.
The ship appears in normal space in front of a gass giant, and all at once the glass shatters and flies off into the distance at sub light speed.
[Second stage away] [Thrusters on full reverse]
>>Present location RdA Colony: Supernal Ravensburg
Home 
