An Echo Through the Void

[Necroth]

Part : 1The Beginning

A slender man walks into a large office and sits before a large desk. He slowly removes his glasses and hat and sets them down in front of him. He leans back in his chair and closes his eyes in an attempt to relax. But the memories flood into his mind. As he sits, he tries to forget these things that haunt him so. But to no avail, and a deep brooding horror overcomes his very waking state and his hands begin to shake uncontrollably. He begins to recall the nature of this darkness and the world seems to dim and then fades to black.


Several months ago...

The vessel (\^/)Thanatos was undergoing some minor modifications to its jump drive system in the Omicron Zeta star system. During a preliminary test, a massive power surge caused the jump system to activate and jump the vessel into an unknown region of space. The vessel was under the command of Captain Necroth Shade. As he began to asses the situation with his officers, it was apparent the situation was a grim one indeed. Initial scans indicated that they were several months away from any inhabited system in Sirius via conventional drive systems. Communications and also the jump dive systems were damaged in the power surge. The only thing left operational in the communications array were the low-band systems. Any messages sent would still take weeks to be received.

Captain Shade set course back to inhabited space by conventional means, while work crews began working on the communications systems. The captain an engineer by trade, worked diligently night and day with his esteemed colleague Doctor Esquinton Quail on the jump system. Doctor Quail's background included several area's of expertise that qualified him to act as chief science officer aboard the Thanatos. Several weeks had passed in the cold darkness en route to their destination when a great discovery halted the journey home.

Long range sensors detected a large and dark object moving through space and the Captain ordered an investigation. The object was a rouge planet hurtling through the void and great speed. The planet was massive in size, and had several key features not to be expected by a planet void of a star system. The planet had both flora and fauna on its surface. Most of these life forms were basic in nature but several more complex species did exist near its equator as this was the warmest area on the surface. The planet also had active volcanism, which indicated an active system of tectonic plates. A full atmosphere existed as well, and it did not different to greatly from "Earth" norm. The planet had a strong electromagnetic field, and the initial accounts indicated the rouge planet could possibly support human life. Due to the crisis at hand, Captain Shade ordered only low orbit scans of the surface. Getting the Thanatos repaired was the top priority at hand. The scans continued periodically during this time but most of the crew were busy working on the ship to pay close attention to the planet below.

Two weeks passed...

The Thanatos was ready and Captain Shade thanks his crew for their hard work promising free drinks at Phoenix Spaceport upon their return home. The captain gave the order and the jump drive powered up...Several moments later the vessel appeared in the Omicron Zeta star system. The efforts of the people had payed off and joy filled all of the crew accept for one. Doctor Quail had seemed distant during the time before the jump, and even while working with the Captain a dear friend he had seem to be drifting away. He had ordered that all planetary scans to be sent directly to his personal quarters for examination. This was not odd for the Chief Science Officer but his attitude had seemed to change after every day of being in orbit of the rouge planet.

Captain Shade had become concerned about these changes on several occasions and tried to provide support to his friend. But this growing aloof nature seemed to be pushing the good doctor further and further away. Captain Shade figured it was simply due to the stress of the situation and thought things would be much better once they had returned to inhabited space. Once the Thanatos was back in Omicron Zeta the good doctor seemed to be returning to normal and the Captains apprehensions faded away at the same time as his friends distant nature. Things began to return to normal and several more months passed. Life seemed to be returned to normal, well as normal as Sirius can be.

Doctor Quail could not forget this rouge planet, and he began to study the scans on daily basis. He conferred with several associates about the planet and began to plan a full survey mission. This had become a secret obsession that he dared not share with anyone. He began to have dreams of walking the landscape on this dark world. He felt safe in these dreams, he felt as if he was meant to be here. The dreams seemed to grow every night until at length they seemed to be happening even in his waking state as well. Day by day he fantasized about walking upon the surface of the planet and worked diligently on a way to return to the planet so his secret obsession could be fulfilled. He took his completed plan for a "survey" mission before Captain Shade, this would be the best way for him to gain access to the planet. The plan consisted of three survey teams launched from the Thanatos, these teams would be established on the planet using several survey vessels. It was to be a long term stay and Doctor Quail insisted to Captain Shade that he be the one to lead the survey personally. As his general attitude seemed much more stable, Captain Shade agreed that this mission could be a valuable asset both for planetary research but also the potential for the world for the Phoenix could not be denied. And the good doctors background could be of great usefulness to the mission, Captain Shade granted Doctor Quail permission to hand pick the survey teams and make his preparations.

After a week everything for the mission was a go. Doctor Quail had mapped a possible trajectory for the rouge planet based on the data they had collected while in orbit. With this information the jump drive was powered up and Thanatos jumped back into the darkness. When the Thanatos came back into normal space it seemed the calculations were perfect. The rouge planet was only 50 km from the jump point, Captain Shade congratulated Doctor Quail on his calculations. This was an almost unheard of event, even after this time the chances of finding it this easily seemed almost impossible. Captain Shade could not believe the luck of the matter but Doctor Quail seemed to have a strange little smile and exuded a confidence that seemed abnormal in the eyes of the Captain. Even with this, the mission was given the green light and Doctor quail and his research teams departed to the looming planet below. The Thanatos would then return after a three month period of time to extract the teams and bring them back to inhabited space. Each survey craft had been equipped with a back up communications array in the event of the emergency, and would transmit in real time an accurate jump point for the Thanatos if it were needed. The teams made planet fall with out issues and Captain Shade wished the researches the best of luck. With everything in place, Captain Shade ordered the jump back to inhabited space.

Current time...

Three months have passed and Captain Shade is eager to reunite with his dear friend Doctor Quail, and to examine the findings of the research teams. The Thanatos receives the automated rendezvous message from survey craft #1 providing the up to date jump coordinates for the rouge planet. Captain Shade orders the jump and the Thanatos jumps back into orbit of the rouge planet.

Captain Shade opens the communications channels to the world below. After several minutes of silence a message is finally received.

Dr, Quail in a shaky voice "Captain Shade, so good of you to join us. It has been far to long my friend" Captain Shade "Esquinton, my friend! How has your mission been going? Dr. Quail again in a shaky voice "Well, things here have been rather complicated...it would seem...There have been problems you see. For We are the only one left" Captain Shade "What the hell are you talking about? Where are your teams doctor? What happened down there? Why didn't you contact us? Dr. Quail "Well you see, after they all started to well...<a moment of silence> disappear We disabled the communications systems of the other two research craft. Their "efforts" it would seem only inhibited my Our research and all they wanted to do was to look for the others...We could not waste Our time on such pointless affairs...as they never were able to find anyone. After a week of being here We were the only one left so We didn't bother to look for them...for they will never be found you see?" Captain Shade "Doctor, you need to come back to the Thanatos now! I order you to report to me directly a.s.a.p.!" Dr. Quail his voice now echos with irritation "Our work is not done here Necroth! We will only leave once it is done and not a moment before!" The transmission terminates, and rage overcomes Captain Shade. "Mr. Cross get your security team down to the planet now! Get Doctor Quail aboard and start looking for our people immediately!" Mr Cross gathers his security team and makes planet fall onto the dark world. After an hour, survey craft #1 docks on the Thanatos with Doctor Quail aboard. He is bound at the wrists and Mr. Cross and the security detail report that the other two survey craft cannot be located. After several hours of searching Captain Shade orders the Thanatos to return to inhabited space, so that a rescue plan can be worked on with other Phoenix vessels.

A well built man walks into the office with two armed guards, each of whom take a place at either side of the doorway. The slender man looks over and grins in a most foul kind of way. The well built man walks and sits behind the desk as the slender man's eyes follow the movement evilly. The slender man rasps out the words in a hideous fashion "Captain Shade..." and he begins to laugh

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