The Deep Void Chapter 1 Part 1 (new layout)

[vader146]

“Commander we’re picking up a signal on our radars.”

“Let me see.” The commander of the science research centre Remera walked over to the radar which a young man, around seventeen, was sitting at.

“What do you think it is father?” asked the young man of the commander who was now standing next to him leaning on the stainless steel control panel.

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I TELL YOU, DON’T CALL ME FATHER ON THIS STATION!!!”

“Sorry, sir.” Murmured the young man feebly.

The commander stared at the radar again for a minute, then he turned his back on his son and walked over to a broadcasting system.

“This is the research centre Remera.” The commander spoke loudly and clearly into the microphone. “Identify yourselves.“

The young man who was the commander’s son wandered why his father was sweating so much.

No reply came.

The commander spoke into the microphone again speaking exactly the same message.

And again no answer came.

“What the…”, the young man gasped and stared at the radar in disbelief. Another fifty ships had just appeared on the radar. Another man, aged around thirty, flicked a switch on the control panel and a large screen appeared on the wall of the circular room.

“BLOODY HELL.” Exclaimed the commander’s son. For fifty large heavily armed destroyers had appeared on the screen. Another man, there were around 15 in the room all together, flicked a few switches on the control panel.

“Engaging primary weapons systems, sir!” He informed the commander.

Then the commander spoke in a slow, cold voice, “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

All the men in the room turned their heads to the commander in disbelief, and all of them were horrified to see that he had pulled out a gun. He turned the gun to each of the men in turn and shot them all. Finally he was left facing his son.

“Please...father”, stammered the young man.

“I told you never to call me father on this station”, said the commander in a whisper.

He turned his back on his son and only when he reached the door did he look back.

“I’m going to lock the door”, he informed his son, “and if you’re half the man I am you’ll find a way out before this place is blown up.”

“I’m twice the man you’ll ever be”, the young man said through gritted teeth.

“Not nearly as rich though”, retorted his father.

The commander pulled out two test tubes.

“Thirty million for these”, he said, and with that he locked the door and shouted, “I’d guess you have around five minutes”. The commander walked off.

The young man was now beginning to panic. He looked at his watch.

“Only five minutes”, he muttered to himself. He looked around in desperation. Then he saw it his only possible way out. He ran over to a cupboard and opened it. He yanked out a plain silver space suit. He fell over a couple of times in his hast to put it on.



Meanwhile the commander was climbing into an escape pod. He was just about to push the launch button when a technician rapped on the window.

“Excuse me sir but where are you going?” The technician asked.

For a moment the commander considered pulling the gun on the technician but then said through the glass, “Urgent business on Necreminia, unavoidable I’m afraid.”

The technician considered for a minute and then replied. “Well, work troubles us all, have a nice trip sir.”

The technician stepped clear and the commander pressed the launch button, ‘of course nobody else knows what’s going on out there yet, the “enemy” haven’t even fired a single shot’.

Necreminia was one of the main industrial planets in the Sonataha system. It was just a minute or two now until he would be getting paid. With this thought the commander smirked.