Kevin Gibson

Future Space: Ascension of Humanity (Chapter One)

[This is a novel that will only be available on tumblr.com]

“Commander Marin C. Cador reporting!” Marin saluted upon entering the bridge but refused to break her stride. “Status.”

                “Commander we are being waylaid by several frigates equipped with warp scramblers. Shields are at 80% and falling. Some sort of new ammunition, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

                “Fleet status.”

                “The fleet remains in the Nerexus system, zero activity.”

                “Thank you Captain.”

                “Commander.”

                “Operator, lock seven targets and give me ship scans.”

                “Commander, shields have dropped to 30 percent.”

                “I’m well aware Captain, Operator?”

                “Commander, I have four locks and no scans, we can’t get past their electronic countermeasures.”

                “How long until our warp drive is descrambled captain?”

                The captain of the Aggressor turned to his navigator, “Warp status.”

                “Forty seconds Captain!”

                “Warp to Nerexus as soon as drives are active, understood?”

                “Yes Commander,” the navigator returned, “25 seconds.”

                “Commander, our shields have just been depleted, hull at 98 percent.”

                “Thank you Captain, Navigator, please continue T minus countdown.”

                “Yes Commander. 20, 19, 18, 17…”, as the navigator counted the ship began to rumble and quake.  The cockpit staff stumbled to grab hold of anything close. Sparks exploded out of the control panels to the right. The woman working that station screamed in pain as her face was burned.

                “Hull at 47 percent Commander!”

                “Thank you Captain! Warp status!”

                “14!, 13!, 12!….

                “We’re fucked! We can’t even get to the pods because of you! We’re doomed you bitch!”

                And with that Marin ripped her pistol from her holster and gently planted a bullet in Captain Ross T. Welland’s head.

                “7!, 6 !, 5!…”

                “Navigator begin warp jump!”

“Yes, Commander!” he yelled as he whipped his body to the right and yanked hard on a lever.

*****

“Captain, the flagship Aggressor has been destroyed.”

                “Impossible. I want a directional scan immediately; set a course that puts us in range navigator.”

                “Yes, Captain.”

                “Hmm,” Lt. Palond interrupted, “Captain, Comm. Link one is being queried.”

                Captain Andrew Sparkus responded, “Accept.”

                Palond moved quickly typing away as the rest of the deck fell silent. Sparkus slowly stroked his moustache. Eventually Palond made a fierce stroke of the keyboard, everyone who ever worked with her before knew she had just hit enter. They all turned their heads and gazed into screen one.

                The picture was black but made a few whirring noises and flashed green before a person wearing an old Nazi war helmet, goggles and a facemask gazed back at them.  As he exhaled, his breath fogged up his cockpit.

                “Identify yourself vermin.”

                “The name’s Fog. Open galaxy space to civilians or you’re as fucked as your commander,” he exhaled another cloud into his cockpit, concealing him from sight, “got it?” The screen blinked green and faded to black.

“Captain, Comm. Link one is terminated.” Palond announced.

                “Fuck. Marin’s gone?” Sparkus closed his eyes for a few seconds and then looked down at the floor for a few more. “Open all Comm. Links to the fleet, full retreat. Abort mission.”

                Fingers hacked away viciously at keys and headsets were damaged in attempts to equip them.

*****

“Where the fuck is it, Sven?” Fog jerked his head around his cockpit, “I can’t see it anywhere. No wreckage, just shrapnel.”

                Small L.E.D. lights flickered and his ship made a faint grinding noise before a small screen flickered and revealed Sven.

                Sven was a bigger man, taking up half the Comm. Screen. His hair was short and blonde. He spiked it up every morning before flying.  Fog didn’t know why since he was the only one Sven seen every day. “I don’t get it man. We brought it down to zero, flash of light, but no explosion.” Sven exhaled through his checkered scarf.   “Let’s head back to base.”

                “Hold on, I’m gonna leave a probe here.” Fog replied, flicking a switch underneath his seat. Air whipped out of the bay as his probe launched itself amongst the debris.

*****

“How are we on those scans?

                “Just entering range now, Captain.” The marine paused a few seconds, “I have five small ships identified with warp signatures recently activated and a sixth ship of large class….”

                “Something wrong?”

                “Sir, I don’t think this is right, but I’m getting a warp signature from the sixth ship.”

                Sparkus looked at his boots and stoked his moustache, “So Marin tried to escape..”

                “I’m not so sure Captain, the warp signature is corrupt, and its half Earth Military and half something I’ve never seen before. It looks like gibberish.”

                “Copy the signatures before they fade.”

“Yes, Captain.”

11 April 2010 ·

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