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+--- Thread: Encounter (/showthread.php?tid=135090)
Encounter - Dr. Heider - 01-17-2016
JANUARY 23RD, 817 A.S.
ALASKA SYSTEM
BATTLESHIP MINUTEMAN
NEURAL LOG, CORPORAL IRVING LOCKE
The dim green glow of the Alaskan Barrier shined through the young corporal's quarters, with him lying lazily on the bunk-bed, gazing towards the ceiling. He didn't notice the silhouette of an officer standing by the doorway, illuminated by the hallway lights. The voice of a woman spoke, "Corporal, your shift is beginning. The captain wants you on the bridge." Locke sighed, and got himself up. Looking down, he realized he wasn't in his uniform, and as the officer left, he slipped the Navy-issue fatigues on and left for the bridge.
The whole deck was crammed, as usual, and Locke went to his position as the communications manager. Outside the visual display was the warping phenomena of a jump-hole. The Captain, noticing his arrival, spoke, "Corporal, inform HQ that we have confirmed the presence of an unidentified jump-hole, and are requesting passage." Locke tuned the radio to the desired channel , and spoke, "This is the LNS Minuteman, we have confirmation of the rumored anomaly. Requesting passage, over." After a short silence, the radio responded, "Understood, Minuteman. Your request is granted; proceed through the jump-hole and report your findings, over." Sighing, the corporal replied, "Understood, over and out." He turned towards the captain, giving a short nod. The captain nodded back, acknowledging this. "Navigator, take us in." Locke felt the hum of the live engines, as the Minuteman steadily proceeded into the pulsing glow.
The corporal didn't recount how much time had past, but the next thing he knew, he felt a heavy jolt, and was looking out the display towards a blue-tinted nebula. The captain, unshaken by the jump, spoke first. "What's our location within the Sirius Sector, navigator?" The officer looked into the display, and replied, "Sir, unless the instruments are malfunctioning.. We're all the way out in the outer Omicrons...." The captain's expression shifted to surprise. "That far of a jump? This could be useful. Set a course back to-" Locke was puzzled by the captain's sudden pause, but then looked out of the visual display to see a massive, glowing shape. He couldn't help but ask, "Is that... a Nomad?" Before anyone could respond, a purple bolt shot out from the object, straight into the Minuteman.
Sparks were flying everywhere, and fires ignited all over the deck. Locke couldn't see a thing, and all he heard was coughing and screaming. Out of all the chaos, he heard the captain yelling, "We're evacuating, to the escape pods!" The corporal ran through the masses of terrified officers to the hallway, as he knew the ship by heart. Running through all the destruction, and the dying wreck of what was once his home, he finally found the deck marked EMERGENCY EXFILTRATION. He dashed into the pod, waiting for everyone else. At least 7 other officers made it into the crammed space. He heard one of them frantically yell, "We've got everyone we can, launch it!" The corporal saw the airlock slam shut, and the roar of the thrusters as the escape pod flew away from the Minuteman. The Nomad ship had left, and looming in front of them was the jump-hole. He closed his eyes, ready to be torn apart by the powerful forces of the anomaly, but only a jolt came. Had they made it through? He opened his eyes, revealing the crammed pod to be illuminated by the greenish light of the Alaskan Barrier. Only 3 other pods arrived before the jump-hole mysteriously vanished.
RE: Encounter - Dr. Heider - 01-19-2016
The captain... I should've done something. Why didn't I do anything?!
The thought clung to Locke's mind like a tumor, and the mood inside the cramped escape pod wasn't helping. There were some people sobbing their eyes out; some were praying, and some just looked in a random direction, as if there were something there. The built-in SOS radio remained silent, and a whiff of doubt began to creep into everyone's attitude. What if no-one would come? Were they destined to just rot away in some dark corner of the Alaskan Barrier, without anyone outside even knowing what had happened? Locke couldn't bear the thought, and for the first time, he was ready to give up. He'd never be able to lead these people like the captain would. He was just another one of them.
NEURAL LOG DEACTIVATED; RECORDING WILL RESUME UPON REACTIVATION.