02-27-2011, 05:03 AM
A filmmaker charters the shuttle Melchizedek for a run out to Pandora.... and they nearly run into something big on the way.
In part inspired by the Tyche theory, though it could be anything really. It wouldn't take much to change it to a rogue planet out in interstellar space.
EDIt: Fixed engine error, moved them to somewhere '8 hours behind schedule' and added a reference to Bill Paxton. (I kept forgetting what his name was)
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
In part inspired by the Tyche theory, though it could be anything really. It wouldn't take much to change it to a rogue planet out in interstellar space.
Quote:“And so we leave the solar system behind and head out into the open space between stars. Ahead of us lies Pandora, a planet that so far has existed solely as the computer image of my imagination,” the passenger spoke to a cameraman. “Cut!” he barked.
The cameraman winced.
“Alright. We’ll try that again. And try get more of the starfield in view,” he ordered. “And can we get one of those Engels out to take some distance shots of the Shuttle? Bill's been meaning to try out his new suit.”
Captain Sullenberger was quiet just long enough to remind the moviemaker who was really in charge.
“When they’ve finished with the repairs on our number three engine.” Sullenberger said. “We’re already 8 hours behind schedule.”
“I do expect we’ll be spending extra time at Pandora to compensate,” the director stated, his voice firm.
“Yeah, I read the contract,” the Captain assured him. “Mel!” he called out. “How’s the repair going?”
A teenaged girl popped up from the mid-deck, dressed in an old too-large t-shirt, combat slacks and steel toed boots.
“I’m doing it.” she said, sounding like a child ordered to do her homework. “Maybe we should turn back to Hades. It might be easier to fix in a dock,” she suggested.
“No.” the captain slammed the door on the girl’s hope.
“Jaaaa~ke,” she whined. “I hate exploring. It boooo~ring. There’s nothing out here.”
“Weren’t you complaining that the others teased you because you didn’t do any exploring?” Jake angled it back at her.
The cameraman had quietly started rolling again, a few whispers from the director telling him to capture the human interest aspect.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want to. They shouldn’t tease me for what I am!” she declared. “But Dizzy said I was just a truck!”
“Yes... this was after you aimed the main transmitter at her and started broadcasting Tommy Roe at her on three separate frequencies.”
“But she started it!” Mel pouted.
“How?” Jake demanded.
Mel shrunk into her Iron Maiden t-shirt “...she just did is all.”
Jake sighed, trying to remember that OV213 really was something of a teenager..... “Look, just focus on getting that engine repaired with Ford and Jet. Unless you want a longer journey,”
“Tch...fine,” the avatar rolled her eyes, before disappearing back down into the mid-deck.
“It worries me that she’s really the ship.” the passenger said, as he watched the metalhead teenager disappear.
“You learn not to think about it,” Jake said, taking a deep breath. “But she’s a good kid really. You just have to remember that.” He checked the Pilot’s instruments idly, not really expecting anything. Course heading was good. Power use was fine. Relative speed was... that’s funny. Faulty instrument.
Jake’s expression grew concerned as he clambered over to the co-pilots seat.
“Something wrong?” the passenger enquired.
“I don’t know,” answered Jake. He glanced up out the cabin windows and saw nothing. Then at the engine power output. Looked normal. Engine three was down with a blown intermix coil.... it always did that... and one had been shut off to ease repairs. Two was still giving normal thrust quite happily. Powerflow was good.
There was only one answer. Damn that girl could be stubborn... she’s been taking lessons from his cyborg employer, that was for sure.
“Mel... why are we decelerating? Did you do something?”
“No!” the teenager snapped back. “It isn’t me!”
Jake looked up at his passenger; he looked quizzically back at him. You’re the Captain, his expression said. Jake glanced back at the speed indicator, still dropping fast... faster. Almost like he was coming back into the...
“Oh Christ!” he yelped, diving to the controls, “We’re diving down a gravity well. Mel, cut your engines now!”
Instinctively, the passenger braced himself, while the cameraman glanced between the two. What do I film?
“The Captain, the Captain,” the passenger whispered, sensing something interesting was about to happen.
“Why?” Mel asked back, from below.
“Do it!” Jake yelled.
“Emergency shutdown initiated.” the avatar intoned in an incongruous monotone.
Moment’s later, the drive field surrounding the shuttle Melchizedek winked into non-existance. Instantly, the ship’s velocity dropped from a significant multiple of C, to almost a dead stop... tens of thousands kph at most.
Anything not nailed down in the shuttle’s cabin was thrown forward as inertial dampeners struggled to compensate. Jake braced himself against the panel, while the passenger did well to hold onto his jumpseat. The cameraman was pitched forward, barking a cry of surprised pain as he clattered into the co-pilot’s seat.
From the mid-deck, came the crash and clatter of everything not nailed down slamming into the nearest forward bulkhead, chased by curses over the radio from the rest of the crew.
“You alright?”
“Yeah, yeah...” the cameraman held up his hand, before pushing himself back to his feet. “Camera seems to be okay.”
Nice to see he had his priorities right.
Mel popped up. “Primary structure will need a maintenance check.” she intoned, her expression flat and mechanical “Possible buckling on port wing elements 13 and 14, starboard wing elements 10 through 13, rudder elements 5 through 9. Hull frame 4, 12, 13, 17 and 22. Suggest ultrasonic testing at next station call. Possible tile loss should be investigated before next re-entry.”
All this appeared on the system’s status monitors. Jake took a deep breath “Damn...”
“What happened?” the passenger enquired.
“Yeah, what happened?” Mel demanded.
“Gravity well,” Jake said. “We nearly ran into something big...” he turned to the avatar “Mel...”
“On it,” she said. “Radar shows one Jupiter scale object, within 1 AU. Directly ahead of us on our course.”
“A planet?” Jake asked.
“Out here... the chances of..” the passenger starter.
“Anything coming from Mars, are millions to one, I know,” Jake cut him off. “But still they come. This is Fenspace, and million-to-one comes up nine times out of ten out here.”
“I found a planet?” Mel enquired, pulling herself up onto the Command deck.
“Found it? We nearly ran right into it.”
Unsaid, was that if they hadn’t have had that engine malfunction, they might never have even noticed the deceleration until it was far too late to do anything about it. Mel seemed to take a few moments to process that statement, it’s full implications. She reached out with her sensors... scanned it... confirmed it was indeed a real planet... and suddenly exploded with a teenage squeal that’d impress any fangirl.
“I found a planet! I really discovered something!. I can’t wait to tell Dizzy about this when we get back, she’s going top be sooo~ jealous. Starting main engine. I’m putting us into orbit...”
The passenger looked over at Jake, “I thought she hated Discovery,” he said.
“She’s a teenager,” Jake shrugged. “She just wants to be different from her Sisters.” he grinned. “And this is rather cool. We’ll have to chart this.” he said. “For safety’s sake, if not for science. Hope you don’t mind us hanging around for a day or so,”
“In this case,” the passenger said, “I wouldn’t mind spending a few days. I think we’re staying anyway,” he glanced back at the avatar. “Whether we want to or not.”
“Told you you’d have a good time, Mel,” Jake said to her.
If Mel heard him, she didn’t obviously show it. She was already diving into a whole battery of sensor scans with the glee of a child diving into her Christmas morning presents.
EDIt: Fixed engine error, moved them to somewhere '8 hours behind schedule' and added a reference to Bill Paxton. (I kept forgetting what his name was)
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
