From: Jason Self Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2019 23:13:42 +0000 (-0700) Subject: Add 003 X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=commitdiff_plain;ds=sidebyside;p=sierraone.git Add 003 --- diff --git a/003 b/003 new file mode 100644 index 0000000..38248d5 --- /dev/null +++ b/003 @@ -0,0 +1,128 @@ +$-- Copyright (C) 2019 Jason Self +$-- SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later + +Back before the Star-splinter left the space station, Sierra One was +occupied by a few aliens that were living among the crew, apart from +Bxnak. However, the majority of the occupants of Sierra One were of +Earthly origin. + +After dinner service for the station was finished, the crew members +usually migrated to their bunks. Bunks were equipped with video +entertainment and aromatherapy for Earthlings. The aromatherapy was +proven to reduce space nausea. Not many of the other beings aboard +Sierra One enjoyed aromas, however. Those from the gaseous planets +found aromatherapy to be a cruel and distasteful way of dispersing +elements in the ether. + +Bxnak and the other Ujuians could hardly smell scents coming from the +aromatherapy pods placed in every bunk. When he would sit and study +with humans, there were few instances of Bxnak noticing the pods were +even engaged. They turned on whenever the pod's sensors detected the +sulfuric, pungent vapors that rise from Bxnak's sneakers. + +There was plenty of time between graduation from the academy and when +the Star-splinter took off from the space station. By the time the +launch occurred, Bxnak and Tomás had become the best of friends. + +Two weeks before launch, the element, which the Geptokians named +sin-steel, was first attached to a flying rock that was plummeting +towards Earth's atmosphere. It seemed to be a wonderful coincidence to +all Earthlings and aliens. Though it seemed unlikely that the rare +element would find its way to Earth, the new information could save +the planet, so scientists agreed to send a spaceship to explore the +distant planet of Geptok. + +On Geptok, there was no mistake or coincidence, however: + +"Our gracious hosts," said a Geptokian chairman to a great council of +spiritually evolved Geptokian priests. The chairman continued his +address, "It is our design to be in touch with distant emergent +energies." + +"Yes," said a shaman, "but what is the design you are crafting, +chairman Gracktor?" + +"With all the energies of all the stars uniting one evening last +week," said Gracktor, "my wise mind did witness a surge of energy +departing from one point in the galaxy to an opposing point." + +"A materialization?" asked the shaman. + +"I believe to be so," said Gracktor. "Yes, and I may suggest combining +our energies to detect its origin." + +"In your truthful mind, we do have faith, dear Gracktor of Geptok," +said the shaman. They combined their mindful energies to witness the +surge that Gracktor mentioned. They knew where it was coming from, but +before they could even plan to make preparations, the culprits +revealed themselves among the Geptokian landscape. + +The poor, peaceful Geptokians made a final heroic stand together +before their species was annihilated by the mad marauders with no home +planet of their own. These beastly creatures drifted upon space +garbage. Connected by strings of slime to each other, they rose from +beneath bushes and blades of grass that covered the face of Geptok. +They demanded all the sin-steel for their own planet. + +"The cause of the energy surge has revealed itself to us at last," +said the Geptokian shaman. + +"We've decimated," said the slimy alien of the race known only as Acid +Beings. "We've taken from the planets out of your ring of stars. We'll +piece together our own world in time to populate it with our beautiful +offspring." + +The slime-covered beings twitched and revealed to be carrying living +offspring sacks underneath their slimy stomachs. + +Two weeks went by after the Geptokians left the sin-steel on a flying +rock headed for Earth. They moved the sin-steel in time to avoid a +black hole opening, yet they were too late to save their own planet. + +As Bxnak and Tomás continue towards their target, the space station +they left and the very existence of Tomás’ home planet is threatened +by an imbalance that requires more sin-steel to remedy its cause. + +All of Sierra One awaits their return, including Captain Alves, Tomás’ +father. Presently, the captain has retired for the night to his bunk. +He plays records and enjoys some aromas by himself. When he has +trouble sleeping, he returns to the flight deck to try communicating +with his son's ship. He stops himself before radioing to the +Star-splinter. + +"You okay, sir?" asks a crew member that witnesses the captain's +delayed actions. + +"I'm having trouble seeing my son grow up," says Captain Alves. "He's +always going to be my son." + +"I know that feeling, sir," says the crew member. He points to a +picture at his station to show the captain his twin girls. "They're +waiting for me to return to Earth. I've been here six months next +week." + +"Congratulations," says Captain Alves. + +"I've missed two birthday parties already," says the crew member. + +"I'm sure you miss them," says the captain. + +"You bet I do," says the crew member. "I'll have lots of stories to +tell them when I get back" he says before indicating to the pictures +to show him once more. + +The captain goes back to the transmitter. He pauses and looks at the +monitoring screen that shows the Star-splinter on its course. "All is +well, I suppose. I'll leave you alone for the night, my son," says the +captain. "Goodnight and godspeed." + +When he leaves the flight deck he is confronted by the crew member +again. "What is it now?" + +"Look!" exclaims the crew member. "There’s something coming our way +fast, sir!" + +They look out the flight deck blast shield to witness the collision of +a mega-impactor vessel that was sent barreling towards the space +station. The result of the collision covers the charred fragments of +Sierra One in a coat of slime. \ No newline at end of file