Dark Haven - Chapter 3

[crunn]

Chapter 1 (Fate of the Armadeaus)
Chapter 2 (Portents)


-----------------------------------------
DARK HAVEN

Chapter 3 (Passing of a Fantasy)


Argon M6 deep space patrol vessel Jubilee


Captains Log ... First Entry :

'This is Captain Jessica Hall of the Jubilee, a new M6 class Corvette on its maiden voyage.

We are currently flying through Hila's Joy. We are being escorted by two Argon Elites. Our destination is one of the newly discovered sectors, X10.
Once we arrive the M3's will return home for their next escort mission and we are to explore and map X10 reporting anything of interest.'


"Lieutenant, what is our ETA to X10?"

"Six hours. We will be entering Ocean Of Fantasy in a few minutes."

...


Captains Personal Log ... First Entry :

'I've never been out this far before. No one has been out as far as we will have been in six hours. This is a little daunting.
I only hope we won't have the opportunity to push the Jubilee to its limits on our first trip out. I like things quiet and uneventful.'

...

"Now entering system Ocean Of Fantasy"

...

As the bright flair of the wormhole jump subsides the Captain walks around the consoles and right up to the main observation window.

She stares out and thinks to herself. 'Space is beautiful. The stillness. Peace, tranquillity.'

She glances to one side then the other to see her fighter escort, then back to the front. There is very little traffic. Her mind wanders for a moment and she is puzzled by the lack of other ships. Then she comes back to herself and knows that it is usually quieter in the outer sectors.

In the distance the Boron Shark glides quietly past a stott mixery. Nearby on the right a plankton farm rotates gracefully as the light from the dim blue sun dances playfully on its surface. Further to the right can be seen the trading station and beyond that the shipyard. If Jessica didn't know better she might have thought it surreal that stations just seem to hang there as if by a string.

The shattered planet can be seen leaving view on the far left. The Captain wonders what it might have been like before the Xenon destroyed it. Being a Boron sector the planet may have been ideally wet, aquatic, for the strangely pleasant race. The atmosphere, thick cloud covering most of the surface. Underwater cities spread throughout the oceans.
The Captain had never visited an alien world before, if time were not pressing she might have been tempted to make a short stop at one of the many intriguing planets they had passed along the way. 'Well' she thought to herself 'X10 might have a planet worth visiting.' She continued to gaze out at the stars.

...


Argon Fleet Command


Commander Reamus had just left the conference room where he had been discussing the 'missing' Armadeaus with Admiral Ornov. He was on his way to his own office where he was to contact Captain Hall of the Jubilee and issue her with new orders.

As Reamus walked down the corridor troubling thoughts ran through his mind.

'Ornov didn't seem his usual self. He seemed to be trying to convince me that was a pirate station, maybe trying to convince himself more than me.
I don't think that was a pirate station. The shape and size was only an 88% match to a Teladi Solar Power Plant, Ornov said 'a couple of minor alterations'. 12% change on something the size of a Solar Power Plant is no minor alteration, that's some major structural reengineering, the whole thing was a couple of feet wider not to mention the dock was on the wrong side. Who buys a station then widens it by two feet?
Besides I've never known pirates to buy or steal whole stations, they build them from scavenged parts and freighters. Also they like them much larger to accommodate large numbers of ships.
Then there's the hull, that was no black paint, I don't know what the hell that was. And the sensors couldn't penetrate it. Paranid prototype stealth or sensor jamming tech? perhaps.

I know Captain Monroe, he may be a little cavalier in his methods, well down right crazy at times, but even he wouldn't be floating around outside a pirate station.

I'm convinced the Admiral knows more about this than he is telling.'

Reamus arrives at his office, enters, closes the door behind and sits at his desk. He inserts his PDP into its slot on the desk and presses a few buttons. The translucent view screen in the center of the desk comes to life, a moment later a face appears.


"Corvette Jubilee, Ensign..."

"Hello Ensign, this is Commander Reamus of Fleet Command. I need to speak to Captain Hall immediately."

"I'll put you through, just a moment."

"Thank you."

...


Argon M6 deep space patrol vessel Jubilee


"Captain, we are getting a priority transmission from Argon Fleet Command.
Captain?"

Hall, still transfixed by the stars, slowly returns to herself.

"Yes? Yes Ensign. I will take it in my office."

The Captain left the bridge into her office.

...


As she sat down the view screen lit up, first with the Fleet Command logo, then the familiar face of Commander Reamus, the very same who gave her this assignment not twenty four hours ago.

"Commander Reamus, nice to see you again.
We are approximately six hours from X10. As you may know from our logs, things have been blissfully quiet so far."

"How does the old Xenon sector look? I've never actually been there."

"Looks good. Ever since that brave young trader cleared out the Xenon almost twenty five years ago the place is slowly becoming populated, eight stations now."

"Yes, I believe the sector was named after the trader '(*Your name*)'.
I called because I'm afraid we have to change your orders.
We need you to go to X8 to investigate the possible 'disappearance' of the Armadeaus and the presence of an unusual station. There may be pirate involvement. You should exercise extreme caution, try not to get into a fight if you can help it, we don't know what we are dealing with yet. Take the M3's with you.
I'm sending an encoded transmission containing the final logs we received from the Armadeaus. They show some sector information including the location of the station."

"Transmission received Commander. We'll keep you posted."

"Reamus out."

Reamus' face disappeared and was replaced by the AFC logo.
Captain Hall stood and returned to the bridge.

...


"We have received new orders.
Helm, set course for X8.
Comms, inform the M3's of our new heading.
Lieutenant Pierson come with me."

After several 'Aye sir's' the Captain, followed by the Lieutenant, left the bridge and returned to her office.

...


They sat either side of the desk.

"Being second in command, Pierson, you need to be here for this."

As she tapped a few controls the translucent display screen on the center of her desk lit up. Even though apparently translucent, the display still shows the images and text appropriately for viewing from either side. The Lieutenant, still impressed by this, gave a little smile.
The first page appeared. They both read the text, which was almost word for word what Commander Reamus had said to the Captain minutes before. She then opened the file containing the log. The sector map of X8 was first. She zoomed in on the Armadeaus and the station.

"What do you make of that station, Lieutenant?"

Pierson pressed a button on the display screen and the information, statistics and sensor logs of the station were displayed along side the image.

"The sensors couldn't penetrate the hull. Sensor jammers perhaps? I didn't know such tech existed yet.
Commander Reamus may have been right in suggesting pirates. Though it is smaller than they usually go for, the dark colour and location fits. It does seem rather quiet to be a pirate station, no fighter patrols, no laser towers, no freighters coming and going. Maybe it's abandoned."

"Yes Lieutenant, abandoned was my first thought, but if it were why has the Armadeaus gone missing?"

"Two unrelated incidents?"

"Well, we are going there to find out."

[crunn]

Ok folks, I can't find how to do the personalised name thing, like in Steels welcome to the forum tread where the name of who ever is loged in is displayed.

I was going to use this for the bit where I named the sector, (*Your name*)

Any one know so I can edit it in ?

[Al]

I think that was disabled again after folks didn't understand what it was.

Anyway good chapter. Noticed a couple of things which hopefully you wont mind me pointing out.

1. "The Captain wonders what it might have been like before the Xenon destroyed. " I think there is a missing "it." from the end of the sentence.

2. "We are approximately six hors " hors should be "hours".

Looking good.

Al

[crunn]

Thank Al.

Fixed.


Pitty about the personalised thing
Though other than this I don't think I would have ever used it.

[Admiral Remus]

Nice goin for another interesting one

[crunn]

bumpy

My word that was quick !!
Near off the bottom of the page just a few hours.


Anyway, thanks guys.

I'm fair enjoying writing this.

Chapter4 in a day or two. We will be back at the station with Captain Monroe for a bit of an explore.

[KiwiNZ]

Very nice chapter, crunn! I certainly enjoyed reading this. Good to have some background info.

What I found a bit too much was her intro in the first message "..... 10th ship produced ...." I think that information could be provided along the line rather than in the speech.

Also, found one more typo

" the Admiral is knows more" there is an 'is' too many

Looking forward to more.

[crunn]

Agreed, KiwiNZ

I wanted the fact known, but never really felt that the sentence sat quite right there.
Maybe fit it in later somewhere.
Maybe better without it altogether.


Anyways, on with Ch4, wandering the dark corridors, getting a bit scared, anyone want to hold my hand?