Never, has a story time entry been revamped and redesigned soooooooo many times before its post. Originally planned as a three part miniseries to occur over the weekend, the Exploits of Nah Lonely were forced to undergo a number of revisions. Why so much revising you ask? Well, being away from my portal to the Sub-Etha net for a few days made it difficult to post. Unable to get online I was left to reread Nah's exploits and ultimately molded two stories into one, to show appreciation for your patience reader. Will there be another story or follow up for Nah Lonely? You tell me!
This weeks submissions were:
Setting: Deep Space
Genre: Steam punk
Characters: Space Bears
Teenage Martian monkeys
Protagonist: Nah Lonely: Space pirate/privateer
Antagonist: Galactic Federation Ship Capt. Jimmy Timbuk Perk
The Intergalactic Exploits of Nah Lonely
Part 2
After getting back to the Raven, it didn’t take long to see that wryly old grizzly had been completely serious. The semi polished girders and flooring of the engine room, were now a mess of wires and pipes; all culminating into some sort of phallic protrusion, imbedded just above the opening of my combustidium burner. I feel violated and angry; but I can’t. If this prototype engine can really do what its suppose to and the Federation knows it exists, I’ve gotta run before I get tagged with it. I pick up a pail of combustidium and shovel three scoopfuls into the burner; that should be more than enough fuel to get me into the Sol system.
Leaving the engine room, I make my way through the worn but maintained corridors of my precious ship. She may not be the latest model or the most retro fitted, but she has saved my life more times than I can count. The reassuring thrum of her inner machinery at work starts to spread forward from the engine room; with the fresh batch of fuel, she’s waking up and powering on.
Inside the cockpit I find another unexpected addition; a large red button has been installed amongst the levers that control my astro train. Leave it to Space Bears to harness the greatest travel advancement in a giant cliché.
Whether or not I’m going to do this mission is irrelevant, one way or another I gotta start moving. I grasp the drive rod and shift it to locomotion, before releasing the wheel lock. With a slight turn of the stack valve, steam begins to escape the exterior towers and the Raven begins to exit the landing bay and approach the launch pad.
I flip the three switches on my transistor and rotate the dial to the planet’s traffic control station. The speakers crackle while the frequencies located. I take the microphone from its housing on the transistor, depress the on button and make contact.
“This is Centennial Raven, requesting launch clearance on pad 1138.”
“Centennial Raven, this is Krrrrylk traffic control, you are clear for launch on pad 1138.”
“Thank you control.”
Once the ship is settled nicely on the landing pad, I reset the wheel lock and shift the drive rod to the take off position. The engine quits creating forward motion and focuses solely upon pushing all steam out of the smoke stacks and into the helinium canopy. I turn the stack valve until its fully open, feeding more steam out of the towers. Slowly, she begins to lift. The climb starts fairly slow, like a newly filled dirigible. With the ground receding below, I need but wait to achieve necessary altitude.
As she advances to the necessary height, I tighten the stack valve, until her ascension stops and we are only hovering. With take off achieved, I shift the drive rod to the flight position; the mechanisms in the canopy and smoke stack shift; with no further steam being pumped that direction the canopy separates and folds out; giving the Raven her wings. The redirected steam finds its way to the main propulsion drive and begins to power the system. The conical engine protruding from the rear of the ship, begins to spin and while she slowly starts to fall, forward motion is achieved. While the speed increases until the ship reaches a necessary velocity to perpetually orbit the planet; then with a final loosening of the stack valve, the Centennial Raven achieves just enough force to break the orbit of the planet, and uses the celestial bodies own gravity, to sling shot the ship into space.
Now, to the nearest worm hole gate; with any luck I can jump from this system, before this sublimation drive, gets me into any trouble. The biggest problem is the nearest gate, the Centari Gate will provide me with a direct shot to the Sol gate; too bad both of them are federation controlled and operated. Technically, I can use it. I have all necessary licenses and credentials, to operate within the federation as a privateer; and unless my old buddy Perk is on guard duty at either of them I shouldn’t run into any problems. But do I really want to do this mission? I suppose I should make my decision quick; the sooner I act the less chance of anyone catching wind of it. Ah, what the hell; I haven’t been to earth in a while.
I fly the Raven into line behind the other warp travelers. A single Pan Galactical dreadnaught guards the entrance; momentarily detaining every passer by, long enough to check their credentials. It seems like a good sign; no ones being rerouted or captured.
Moment of truth; before I have a chance to rotate the transistors dial to the necessary frequency, the federation auto tunes it for me.
The speakers crackle, “Centennial Raven, Please transfer operating licenses and credentials now.”
“Transfer pending,” I respond; before flipping the transmitter switch, sending digitized forms of my operating parameters across the sub-etha net.
There’s a pause.
“Nah Lonely, during our routine, pre warp travel, scan of your vessel; you have been found harboring, stolen Federation property! You are ordered to power down your ship and await boarding!”
“You scanned my ship? On what grounds! This is illegal!”
“Negative Nah Lonely. The Federation has recently passed new addendums, decreeing that any vessels intending to navigate Pan Galactical Controlled regions, forfeit any and all rights to privacy in said vessel. Again, you are ordered to power down your ship, Nah Lonely!”
Well ain’t that a bitch; you avoid Federation space for awhile and the bastards go all megalomaniac. And I love how, they call the drive, “federation property” that reeks of a treason charge.
“Nah Lonely! Your continued ignoring of our Federation orders, will not be tolerated. The PNGSS Headhunter, is preparing to fire tractor beams at you; resist and be…”
CLICK
“DI-DI-DI-DI-Dum-Dum-Dum-Da-Da-Da-DI-DI,” I really don’t care what the Federation has to say to me; and for what I’m about to pull I need some relaxing tunes.
Opening the steam valve to max, I slam the accelerator forward and pull back on the stabilizer. The Raven, easily shoots out of the tractor beam lock and barrels into the worm hole gate.
Safe from pursuit at the moment, because of the physics in worm hole travel, I know the security won’t last. The federation will be waiting for me at the other gate and I’d hate to stand them up, but you don’t fly through unsanctioned worm holes without picking up a few tricks. I will pop out of this light tunnel, long before its intended exit, and then as long as I keep a low profile, I should make it to earth undetected.
“Da-Da-Da-DI-DI-DI…”
CLICK
“WAH-WAW-WAH-WAW-WAH!” Now there’s a fancy trick, even the transitors bulbs are flashing red.
“WAW! CENTENNIAL RAVEN! YOU ARE OPERATING INSIDE OF FEDERATION CONTROLLED SUB-SPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND WITH STOLEN CONTRABAND! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST BY THE PAN GALACTICAL FEDERATION AND OUR ORDERED TO SURRENDER UPON REENTRY TO REGULAR SPACE! WAH-WAW-WAH-WAW-WAH-WAW!”
I try to rotate the dial, to a less annoying station. No luck; don’t know how they did it, but seems the Federations learned how to jam communications within sub-space. Well that’s a shame.
Pulling free my Zap-Tess-4000, I aim it at my radio and fire a blast of electrical plasma at it. The federation can’t jam something that’s a smoldering heap. It’s really such a shame.
Now I just wait; I light my self a cigarette to enjoy the solace. I push the ash tray compartment, located just south of the new red button, and to my dismay nothing happens.
Again I poke, and again nothing happens.
I punch, continued nothing.
I kick and I quit.
I hate space bears.
The molten pile of my radio will have to make do as my butt can, for now.
After a few, fuel conserving adjustments to the controls I return to the task at hand of watching for my exit. The problem most people have with wormholes is the assumption they have but one exit; wherever they end. For someone looking for exact transport this is true, but to someone familiar with the stars, some one who knows their way around the galaxy, wormholes can provide a less exact means of transport any where in the universe. Simply ride out on one of the light rays that composes the fabric of sub-space and find yourself anywhere between your two connecting worm hole gates.
Sure it’s dangerous ‘cuz you could always smash into a planet, or star, or asteroid, or ship, or any number of other debris, but there is certainly a reason why its not common practice. I’m gonna find me one of these light rays that will deposit me right inside the earth atmosphere, or at least close to earth…
These green ones are looking promising. Pressing the stabilizer down, I jam the accelerator to a stop. I cross my fingers as I embark on the most important step of prematurely exiting a worm hole; getting lucky.
For moment, there is nothing but verdant. As the emerald radiance begins to waver, darkness and streaking lights begin to define. As I renter the real space, I pull back on the stabilizer with all of my might; hoping to avoid the screen of asteroids directly ahead of me. Though the ship is no where near the speed of light anymore, its velocity is still far beyond an acceptable level to be controlled by a human. The ship continues to arc, but not drastically enough. Her left wing slams against an asteroid, shattering the stabilizing fin, and making the task of landing very difficult. Still her arc continues, liberating her from the impending doom of asteroids, and careening directly for Mars.
I battle with the controls, trying to slow my damaged ship down. The effort pays off; control is returned, speed is reduced, and now I can avoid Mars and head to earth. The worm hole didn’t put me exactly where I would have liked, but I’m not dead so that’s good.
While passing by Deimos, another problem presents itself. A group of space marauders, launch from the moons surface, in single person steam pods. Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t be a problem, but as it stands I’ve got diminished maneuvering capabilities. Before I can even power up the first chain gun, they reveal their intentions; the six pods hit me with magnetic toe lines and break back toward the moon, with my damage ship intow.
I gun the accelerator but its too late; they’ve already shorted it out with one of their toe lines. Well, this is great; once I get stuck on that planet, I can’t get off until I fix the broken wing.
They disengaged their lines about ten feet from the surface, dropping my astro train rather hard. With their cargo safely deposited; my abductors land their pods and make their way for my entry door. Their banana yellow space suits, tell me exactly who I’m dealing with; another example of humanities ignorance at work; it’s a gang of teenage Martian monkeys.
Not to say all Martian monkeys are teenagers, but this particular gang looks young and hijacking injured ships is a common practice for adolescent Martian monkeys.
How do I even want to handle this? I can’t waste my time here; I’m wanted by the federation and I’m right inside their hometurff. But does that really give me a right to waste a bunch of angry kids? No, I can’t.
Navigating my way from the cockpit, I make the journey to the ships entrance hatch; pausing briefly to mount a Breath-O-rator over my face, before opening the hatch and preparing to handle the situation out side.
The door grinds open to reveal all six disgruntle youths facing my entry way with their hands behind their backs.
I step forward and start to speak; “All right you kids! You’ve had your fun, no go on and get out of here.”
Their response is to reveal what they were hiding behind their backs’.
When the last handful of monkey feces pelts my face, the poo flingers erupt in laughter, hoping up and down, while pointing and laughing. After they finished their hysterics, the ring leader shouted, “cowabunga!” before leading his posse back to their pods and stranding me.
As I continued to stand in my entry, covered in Martian monkey doo, looking over the barren surface of Demios; I made the mistake of wondering how things could get worse.
The thought had barely materialized when a response made itself known. The ridiculous discus bridge, with its stupid giant engines, entered the atmosphere and loomed above my Raven.
A powerful PA system on the frigate, erupted with sound to address me specifically.
“Nah…Lonely…” the irritatingly brazen, buffoon spoke, “THIS IS….Captain……Jimmy…Timbuk………….Perk.”
I hate him so much.
“Of the…Pan….Galactical…….Federation.”
If only I could shoot out his PA the way I shot my radio; then I wouldn’t have to listen to him anymore.
“I AM…placing YOU…under arrest…for….smuggling and…piracy….and….treason. YOU MUST…Surrender…your….SELF….Immediately.”
Screw this. I’m not hanging around to listen to this imbecile. I close my entry hatch and throw my shit covered Breath-O-rator to the ground. I can still hear that annoying voice as I make my way to the cockpit.
“I………..will USE….any……force…….that’s….necessary…..to…..detain….you…..if I………….mUST!”
I look at the intrusive red cliché in my cockpit and light myself a new smoke.
“Well….anything is better than listening to that idiot….into the breach!” I yell; while pressing the red button.
Instantly, the entirety of the Centennial Raven became gaseous and vanished in a puff of steam, leaving the Captain of the Cumulus, rather confused about what to do next.
***To be concluded?***
By: Michael Wilshire
No comments:
Post a Comment