After dropping out of warp, I carefully steered my 'Primae'
class explorer ship into a stationary orbit around a barren desert planet, in
the 'Dour' solar system.
Dour is a solar system that is notorious for pirate
activity, and for the mineral wealth of its planets and asteroid fields. There
was money to be made. And I liked that.
Nestled in my ship’s hanger was an automated command centre.
Once safely installed on a planet’s surface, it would unleash thousands of
drones, which would immediately construct drilling platforms for the extraction
of the planets wealth. Best of all they could be operated remotely. “Set and
forget”, was the manufacturers motto.
Love it.
I knew that my entry into the solar system would almost
certainly have been detected. I also knew that even with the most sophisticated
equipment, it would take the average pirate at least five minutes to track me
down. I had to be quick.
I tuned my radio receivers to monitor the local area
broadcasts for any sign of pirate activity. This would hopefully give me
advance warning of any unwanted intruders. This done, I trained my ships sensor
array at the planet’s surface.
4 minutes left.
Interference from the planet’s atmosphere generated a steady
static on my monitor. Patiently, with my hands showing the first pin-pricks of
sweat, I manipulated my ship’s sensor frequencies to cancel out the static.
Having spent days practicing on planets in high security space I was quickly
able to find the correct frequencies, and was rewarded with a view of the
planets subsurface.
3 minutes left.
I fed the data through to the ships navigation computer and
instructed it to search for any significant deposits of minerals. Even my ships
supercomputers would take a few moments to scan the thousands of square
kilometres of the planet’s surface for any juicy deposits. Time I didn’t have.
2 minutes left.
Suddenly, my attention was drawn by a loud beeping to the
local broadcasts monitor. Amongst the unrecognisable coded messages of normal
pirate chatter, I saw a familiar numerical code. It was my ships unique
identifier. They had found me.
1 minute left.
The ships navigational computer flashed. It had found a
deposit. I swiftly transferred the co-ordinates to the ships launcher bay
controls and began the automated launch sequence. The command deck reverberated
as the hanger’s massive machinery heaved into action.
30 seconds left.
Screeches from the broadcast monitor alerted me to the
impending arrival of warp capable ships. They were almost here. I had moments
left.
A loud clunk followed by an eerie silence signalled that the
ship was ready to release its payload. I pressed launch.
The entire ship shook as it launched the payload at the
planet. Almost simultaneously, parts of space seemed to bubble and bend as the
pirate’s ships coalesced out of warp. They were here.
I was fucked.
Things seemed to move in slow motion. I heard the shrill
beeping of my ships targeting computer signalling multiple hostiles locking
their weapons on my ship. Through the window I saw the reddish glow of the
command centre as it entered the planet’s atmosphere, I heard the computer’s
confirmation that the landing jets had activated and that its parachute had
safely deployed. It at least would survive.
I yelled for the computer to activate the warp computers.
It calmly asked for coordinates.
I saw streaks of smoke detach from the pirate ships and begin
hurtling towards me. The blackness of space was filled the pretty red flames of
their engines.
Panicked I reached for the navigation console and hammered
in a random set of coordinates. Slowly, painfully, the ship began to turn to
align itself for warp.
I stood frozen as I watched the missiles speed closer and
closer.
I could feel my heartbeat. I could feel the calmness that
accompanies the certainty of death. I felt hungry.
Reality began to bend as the ship began to enter warp drive.
Idly, I wondered what the chances where of warping into the
sun.
Then, nothing.
Not even darkness.
Was this death?
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