Dark Haven 2 - Chapter 2

Official fiction, fan fiction and artwork. Let your talent express itself!

Moderators: TheElf, Moderators for English X Forum

Post Reply
User avatar
crunn
Posts: 1833
Joined: Wed, 6. Nov 02, 20:31
x4

Dark Haven 2 - Chapter 2

Post by crunn » Sun, 18. Apr 04, 19:23

Chapter 01 (Survivors)

------------------------------------------

DARK HAVEN 2

Chapter 2 (Excursions)


Jubilee


"That sounds like a job for you, Pierson."

"Yes?"

"Trading.
Take the M5 out and go buy us some Advanced Nav Satellites.
Four... No, make it six.
I'd like to keep a couple spare.
As cheep as you can find them.
Then meet us back at Teladi Way."

"Excellent!"
Pierson leaves the bridge in higher spirits than he's been in a while.

"Well Ensign, it's just you and me now.
When does Lieutenant Keswen come on duty?"

"Fifty mizuras."

"I'm sure we can manage.
I'll take the helm until then."

She takes Piersons seat and begins turning the ship around to face the gate into Ocean Of Fantasy.

A few mizuras later the Jubilee is nearing the gate.

"Request permission to launch."

"Granted."

The Disco peels away and stops.
The Jubilee continues on and through the gate.

...


Discoverer (Pierson)


Pierson watches the M6 disappear through to Ocean Of Fantasy.

"Yes. This is more like it.
Not quite the same without my old Lifter but it will do."

'Ok, let's see what we have here.
3Mw shielding, two Gamma Impulse Ray Emitters.
Maximum cargo, fifty units.
Maximum speed, four ninety.
Sixty percent steering, more than enough.
Navigation and combat command software.
Trade system extension, good.
Duplex scanners, Boosters, Ecliptic Projector, Freight Scanner and Mineral Scanner, curious.
Ok.
No Best Buys and Sells locators though, disappointing.'

'Right then. Sector map...
No Ad-Sat factories.
Scan the Trading station...
No they don't stock them.'

'I don't remember seeing a factory between here and Teladi Way.
I'll try north towards Getsu Fune.'

'Through the gate I go.'

"Entering system Ocean Of Fantasy."

The Corvette is a short distance ahead, travelling east. It's engines glow brightly against the darkness

'Now head to the north gate.'

'Ah, I have an idea.
Comms menu...
Argon Fleet Ships...
Ghinn's Escape...
Discoverer...
Connect.'

"Sina?"

"Pierson, go ahead."

"Could you do me a favour?"

"Certainly."

"If you see any Advanced Satellites before Omicron Lyrae let me know."

"No problem."

"Thanks."

Pierson cuts the comms and brings back the sector map.
He targets the Trade Station.

'Nope, plenty crystals though.'

...


Pegasus


'I've stopped the ship ten kilometres from the Spore.'

'This is far too close for comfort...
The feeling of anxiety is almost overwhelming.
My hands are actually trembling.
Well I'm not staying long.
Get a quick video record and go.'

The spore is ring shaped, not quite circular.
The space inside, where the vortex would form is clear, empty at the moment. Not like a regular gate where the energy swirl is always present.

The Spore, in most places, is not smooth and shinny like the ships.
There are tendrils of varying size, length and diameter extending from much of its surface.

Olrasin zooms the view in on a section of the upper side.
The tiny ships are now visible, milling around close to the surface. Some are carrying pieces of debris from the battle with their leg-like protrusions.

'There... the wing off an Elite and an engine section, Boron, possibly from a Piranha. Bulk heads. That looks like a small section from one of the huge alien ships... A body, Argon, broken...'

The tendrils of the Spore reach out, take hold of the pieces and draw them down into itself. A hunger.
The small ships seem to be feeding the Spore then going back out to get more debris.

'Ok, that's long enough.'

He turns the ship and slowly accelerates away.

'Nothing of interest on scanners, though I see a nebula some considerable distance to the north.
I'll go take a look.'

...


Discoverer (Pierson)


"Entering system Bluish Snout."

'No Advanced Sat factories.
Scanning Trading Station...
Yes they have two in stock. Charging average price, as expected.
I'll take them.
Setting course.'

...

"You are talking to the automated interaction system.
Make your request."

"Request permission to land."

"Positive.
Please dock as soon as you get green position lights."

The Lieutenant guides the small ship up to then through the outer doors just after they spiral open.

"Welcome onboard this Boron Trading Station."

Pierson then quickly navigates the Disco through the docking tube into the docking area.

'Hmm, quiet, eight bays, two occupied. An Eel and an Octopus.
I'll take number three.'

"Connection to local trading network established."

The in station menu comes up on the console.
Pierson selects the trade menu and purchases the Advanced Satellites.

One of the station personnel appears on the screen.

"Thankyou for your business.
Once your credit clears we will begin loading the cargo.
This will take approximately... five mizuras.
Thankyou again."

"Thankyou." Pierson manages to get in just before the screen returns to the trade menu.

'Well, in the past I would take a wander around the station while I wait. But in the past I was having one thousand five hundred units loaded each time.'

'It's only five miz, I'll take a look at the bulletin board.'

>>> Explosion in Silicon Mine Beta Hila's Joy.
No deaths but several thousand credits worth of damage.
Officials say the mine is unsafe and may be closed soon.

>>> A trader with a fast TS class ship is required.
Deliver 200 units of BoGas to BoFu Chemical Lab Alpha in Ocean of Fantasy.
Contact for further details.

>>> Split spy finally caught.
An information leak has been found in the Equipment Dock in Rolk's Fate.
The perpetrator, believed to be a Split agent, has been arrested earlier today.

>>> A Teladi Trader has reported 'Bad thingsss' happening in one of the outer sectors.
Several Xenon ships and several Argon Military ships were reported to have been seen in the vicinity of Teladi Way.
No further information is available at this time.

'Ahh, that'll be us.' Smirks Pierson.

>>> TP class vessel required for...

"Your cargo has been loaded Please call again."

'Good, off I go.'

"Request permission to launch."

"Granted."

'Target north gate to Menelaus' Paradise...
Fifty six K, not long.'

A familiar voice comes over the communications.

"Pieson, Sina here."

"Go ahead Sina."

"I have found an Advanced Satellite Factory in Thin's Abyss.
They have four in stock and are charging 13686 credits each."

"Excellent, thanks Sina."

The comms are cut.

'And four makes six.
Still, 13686 is a bit over the average price.
I'm not happy with that.'

'Ok, Thin's Abyss will be my last resort.
I'll continue up to Getsu Fune for now.
Besides I seem to remember that...'

"Entering system Menelaus' Paradise."

'No Ad Sat Factories.
Scan Trade Station...
No.'

'Setting course, west gate, Getsu Fune.'

'Ah, I have an idea.
I'll scan the Power Plants...
There. SPP Beta is charging eleven credits each. A reasonable price.
I'll take some of them.
Satellite Factories use an awful lot of energy, they are often short.'

'Changing course, SPP Beta.'

'This is the sector the two Mark 5 Rays came from I've not been here in well over two jazuras.
Even then it was only one of the Mark 4 Rays.
The place seems emptier without it.'

'I see a Boron Dolphin making for SPP Beta too.
I'll beat it easily, besides, my small purchase won't dent the price any.'

'I always enjoyed the race to the factory.' Pierson smiles.
'Having a Lifter gave me the speed advantage over transports of other races.
I certainly won more often than lost.'

'Saw more than a few crashes done that way.
Luckily, I never had a crash. A close call once. My strafe drive saved me that tazura.'

Pierson darts past the slow moving TS and a few moments later docks in the Solar Power Plant.

"Connection to local trading network established."

'Trade menu...
Energy Cells...
Ah, ten credits now. Good.
I can take thirty nine units...
Accept.'

"Thankyou for choosing the Solar Power Plant Beta.
Once your credit clears we will load your cargo.
This will take around... eight mizuras."

"Thanks."

...

"Your cargo has been loaded Please call again."

'Launching.'

'Now, onto Getsu Fune.'

...


Pegasus


'I'm approaching the first nebula.
I've seen another, larger nebula in the distance.'

'I am now over forty Kilometres from the nearest Black ship.
The uneasy sensation has lessened but not gone.
I doubt I could feel at ease anywhere in this sector.
But this feeling is something more, it almost seems forced upon me.'

'Ok, I'm at the nebula, stopping.
Standard mix of gasses.
Greenish-blue in colour.
Fairly small.
Nothing atall unusual.'

'I really should go through, scanners aren't always reliable when it comes to nebulae.
Echoes, ghost images, reflections and such.
I imagine many of the stories of strange sightings, phenomena, ghost ships and so on, can be attributed to scanning in or near nebulae.
Nothing more reliable then going in and looking around with your own eyes.'

'However, I am trying to hide and cloak or not, flying through nebulae leaves an obvious trail.'

'No.
I must be thorough in my search for a gate.
I'm going through.'

The nose of the Pegasus breaks into the edge of the greenish gas cloud.

'Slowly slowly...
Three metres per sezura... four... levelling off.
Trying not to make too much of a disturbance.'

'Not a very dense nebula, I can see a reasonable distance ahead.
I'll call up the external view on the mini monitor, maybe spot something on that.'

...

A few mizuras later

'Still nothing.'

'I'm almost at the other side. I can see the edge.'

'There, I've left the nebula.'

"Nothing."

'Oh dear, I can see on the external view that some of the gas has followed me out, following in my wake and a little around the hull.'

"I can be seen!"

'It is dissipating but not fast enough.
I'll need to break away from it.
Boosters.'

The small ship instantly reaches top speed leaving all the greenish gas behind.

'I'm glad I have triplex scanners on this ship. Even from this distance I can still see most of the Black ships...
They don't seem to have seen me. They are all keeping their speed and heading.
Good.'

'Right, on to the other nebula.'

KiwiNZ
Posts: 3510
Joined: Wed, 6. Nov 02, 20:31
x4

Post by KiwiNZ » Mon, 19. Apr 04, 23:52

Nice and cruisy chapter for a change :D Good tension, though, when coming out of the nebula! He certainly can outrun everybody but how long can he survive?


Looking forward to the next chapter.

Moss
Posts: 510
Joined: Wed, 6. Nov 02, 20:31
x2

Post by Moss » Wed, 21. Apr 04, 01:32

So Pierson is reverting to type :)

Olrasin has to be feeling lonely, cut off from everything he knows, (I wish I could get a triplex scanner on my pegasus tho and a cloaking device too). I'm guessing/hoping he will soon find something of intrest, and it looks like the larger nebula will be the place, if any, for something to be hidden away, if not he may be wandering this sector for a long time, how does he manage for food tho? would he eventualy run out or does he have some tech aboard that'll negate such problems?

Mercenary
Posts: 1568
Joined: Wed, 6. Nov 02, 20:31
x3tc

Post by Mercenary » Wed, 21. Apr 04, 14:24

Nice one,

But I guess the Argon Federation is a little short of credits if Pierson is having to trade his way up to buying some Satellites... :wink:

Looking forward to more...

User avatar
crunn
Posts: 1833
Joined: Wed, 6. Nov 02, 20:31
x4

Post by crunn » Wed, 21. Apr 04, 18:54

Thanks guys. :D

Food, no startreky tech.
So he will run out eventually. He should be ok for a few weeks if he is careful.

Argon Fleet credits.
When we first met the late Admiral Ornov he was complaining about budget cuts and barely having the money to keep the existing ships in working order.
The gov did allow the building of the 10 M6's (Armadeaus#8, Jubilee#10) but that was kind of a special circumstances thing.
So yea, AF have no money and now not much fleet.
However, they do have enough to buy a few navsats, Pierson is just having a bit of fun along the way. And they did say ‘best price’, so maybe he’s trying to impress someone :wink:

Post Reply

Return to “Creative Universe”