NOMADS

[kafka47]

The Chill is unmistakable. Yes, that is it, I am being revived. How long have been sleeping? Frak, look at the flaky skin, I must of been out for a long time. There's Sharnii, Flynn, Bailey and Jim. Wait a minute, where are the med techs?

I slowly rise from the berth, "Where are we, guys? and what is the emergency?"

Sharnii, replies, "I don't know, Commander. It seems like everyone has been spaced." pointing to the dots that seem orbit around the cruiser like a halo.

Flynn, looks up from the computer console, "Furthermore the computer is not responding and I cannot seem to get any sort of signal from the Communications. Everything in the system just seems dead."

"Where is the rest of the fleet?" I ask cautiously.

Sharnii simply shrugs her shoulders, "Damn'd if I know, all systems are low on power. We have to get fuel before even our emergency power is completely depleted. We have two options. A Gas Giant, located there. Cannot be more 30 minutes away, or there does seem to be a world in habitable zone but it is not sending any signals on any frequency. Thing is if we go for the Gas Giant, I know if we have the power to maintain High Guard and if we go for the world we might have the power to avoid a crash. What should we do?"

 

[Golan2072]

[OOC: Is this a forum-RP/Interactive story restricted to the ones you've mentioned in your post (i.e. Flynn, Matthew Baily, Trader Jim and yourself), or is it an open forum-RP?]

 

[kafka47]

OOC: No… right now it is a creative writing exercise. If you want to role play in an adventure. Go over here...

"Systems check, then. What do we know about this system?" the commander barks out

"Systems are mainly down. We are low on power, air is limited to maybe 36 hours and something is afflicting all the major systems causing shorts throughout the major systems. Every time, I try to isolate it jumps to another. It is as if it is playing Hide & Seek. Our weapons systems seem to be functional but judging from what I have seen we jumped here. Nav computers are completely offline." Sharnii coolly reports

"There is isn't a beacon in this system or it could be malfunctioning. Scans of surrounding space only show us. Not so much, as a SDB. Either we are in a prohibited system, and then we should approach the main world with caution or we are beyond the Imperium." reports Jim

"We have been in the freezer, way too long, also there is a danger that if we do not find medical attention our systems may lapse into a catatonic shock. We were artificially awakened by some sort of Fast Drug injection and then there's that..."
Concludes Bailey

Bailey found me rubbing the back of neck, somewhat subconsciously, feeling the lump that is protruding there. Going to a mirror, I see shiny circular hole with synflesh around it.

"Given our situation, I think we have to head toward the main world hoping that it does have some sort of atmosphere and hydrosphere. In the meantime, shutdown every non-essential system and monitor our friend who is playing hide & seek, see if you can contain it. Sharnii, Flynn take the upper decks see if scrounge and find something useful. I suggest we use flashlights and arm ourselves."

Going over to the ship's locker, I slide magnetic card and the red lights appear denying me access. Frak. Now, what gives? I silently curse, "Ok, something has frozen us out the ship's locker. Right now, I would have to speculate that we were boarded and the ship's Anti-Hijack program is running. I don't know if the Friend or Foe system is still working. Stay sharp. Jim & I will try to make our way to the bridge using the Jeffrey's tubes. We will meet back here in two hours. Synchronize. Ok, let's hustle."

 

[Golan2072]

(Eagerly anticipating your next installment)

 

[kafka47]

(Actually, I was thinking of submitting it to ComStar's Short Story anthology...but here goes another instalment)

The inky black coupled by flickering emergency lighting spaced out ever twenty meters combined with sparking wire leads makes the Jeffery’s tube not the safest conduit to travel in. The musty smell of machine lubricant and stale air hangs oppressively, as I crawl around. I hear Jim's laboured breathing behind coming behind me. As we move toward the bridge the air turns colder and colder till ice crystals form with each exhale till we come to hatch before the bridge. The manual locking mechanism has been activated from other side. Removing the side panel, I pull out my mechanical kit and insert a probe and attach two wires to my hand computer.

Passing it back to Jim, "Let us see how good your lock picking skills are...try not to alert the main computer, lest it tries to flush us out by opening one of the outer airlocks."

He nods and sets upon the task at hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"I just don't get it... What could have happened? All systems seem to be operational; if we were hijacked surely there would be signs. Laser burns, external damage, excreta excreta. It just does not make any sense." Sharnii says.

Flynn shifts uneasily onto one foot, "I think that you are overlooking one thing, Sharnii."

"And, what's that, Captain Smarty-pants?" retorts in her typically arrogant fashion.

She somehow always managed to get under his skin and at the same intimidate him simultaneously, so he began with a stutter, "W-w-e-el, it, maybe, c-could have been an inside job and it backfired somehow."

As Sharnii considers that for a moment, there is long shadow that crosses over the pool of light 40 meters in the distance. Instinctively, reaching for their sidearms, the marines seek the cover of the floor.

 

[kafka47]

Five lifeforms detected. Human.

What how that be? I thought we spaced them all once we precipitated from jumpspace. Where are they? Who are they? Gods, I thought this was going to a simple job. Time to destination?

Time to our destination is Unknown; as the saboteurs rigged the primary Manoeuvre Drives to explode upon precipitation. Repairs have been ongoing. RFID analysis confirms these are Imperial Marines whose capsules were stuck when we jettisoned the others.

Stay low, cannot alert them to our presence. They might know the ship better than we do. We could use them to repair the ship.

Confirmed that is a logical course. We will let our presence be known when the time is right. Fire, secondary thrusters. Allow them security access Bronze 1-2-3. We need them to stay alive if we are to make the rendezvous point. Then we can kill them.

Agreed.