SITE UPDATED:
08.13.2K3
NEW MATERIAL
ADDED 08.13!
JUMP TO: // DRAMATIS PERSONAE //
INTRODUCTION // PREMONITION //
PREPARATION // ASCENSION //
SPACE // HYPERSPACE //
[PHASE 1]
NEW
REVISED ART!
<Nik Shoan>: male Human from Earth, 19, born 2131. Skills: piloting, navigation,
quick-thinking
<Stefani Shira>: female Human from Earth, 19, born 2131. Skills: technical, logic,
shopping
<Reion Drewid>: male Human from Earth, 20, born 2130. Skills: mechanics,
navigation, comic-relief
<Quinn Kay>: female Phlanix from Phlania, 17, born 2133. Skills: quick-thinking,
logic, knowledge of culture
<Brenn Xian>: male Human from Sanctum, 22, born 2128. Skills: mechanics, logic,
piloting
<Sparks>: male Phlanix from Phlania, 32, born 2118. Skills: combat, sword dueling
<Kai T�won>: male Klatan from Klatanos, 45, born 2105. Skills: navigation,
commanding
<Jai D�Kara>: female Klatan from Klatanos, 38, born 2112. Skills: loyalty,
commanding
[PHASE 2]
[As well as characters from phase 1, if alive]
<Chellmi Kechani>: female Sentinellian from Sentinel, 18, born 2132. Skills:
mechanics, technical, combat
<Erik Marx>: male Phlanix from Phlania, 30, born 2120. Skills: sword dueling,
sorcery (oOoo)
<Tai K�tari>: male Klatan from Klatanos, 21, born 2129. Skills: piloting,
mechanical, navigation
Time, space, and destiny. All objects of the three-dimensional world in which we live in. Objects which cannot be controlled, changed or altered; objects in which we are prone to follow, to become victim to, and to be influenced by. Our futures, predestined by destiny, are prophecies which control every moment of our lives. This in turn, influences time, dictating the speed and pace at which we move at and perform these predefined tasks. Space, which is the medium in which all this action takes place in sums it all up. These three basic elements are the essence of life, and cannot be controlled by normal human capacities.
But what if they could?
Is it possible to bend the limits of each of these elements, twisting them to our own desire, and warping time, space, and our own futures? While humans alone cannot shift these on their own accord�what if they had assistance? The other races of the galaxy, being as yet undiscovered by our own eyes, could of course provide the various means to shift the dimensional plane and modify these components of our lives. In the future, could man come in contact with these races, and thus, push the limits of society?
For years there have been various methods of trying to accomplish just this. A form of art, known as chi, is often used in this process. Understanding chi is believed to give a person the ability to �bend� things at their own will. Various movies and shows have come about as the result of this belief, ones such as Dragon Ball and The Matrix. The concept is relatively simple: use your own energy to �push� at the energy around you, and thus giving you a degree of control over time and space. With practice, this �push� can be used to propel one beyond normal human limits. As of yet, this has not been implemented.
But this isn�t now. It�s AD 2150.
In the future, human kind will come into contact with a race of people, known as the Futurans. These people have learned to incorporate the fundamentals of chi with technology, thus giving them anything superior to what Earth can achieve. By teaching their various methods and fundamentals to the Earthlings, the people will be given the chance to realize the possibilities of what they can do. They will, however, be mainly restricted to the technological aspects of their new found knowledge, and seem to ignore the chi elements. Man will breach space and time, with the hypergates, created for mass travel between systems, beyond the speed of light. With this advent of technology, man will travel virtually anywhere he desires within the limits of the gates.
But does he have control over his destiny? Not yet�but maybe�soon.
Alone. I found myself standing alone on a plain, one of which I had never been to before. The air around me was stale, hot with humidity. The ground was a reddish-brown, mars-like color, and mostly consisted of rock formations, with many planes such as the one I was standing on, and many deep valleys and dried riverbeds between. This formation spanned out as far as I could see, with no vegetation or breaks anywhere. There was no sign of life�no, the air was much too humid; the ground much too arid�no life was here � except for me.
How did I get here? I took a moment to gather my thoughts, and again panned the horizon. Nothing, no ship, no vegetation, no fauna�just rocks, aimless red rocks, everywhere. I felt my fist clench. I don�t remember coming here. What is going on? Was there a battle? The last thing I remember�I was on Earth! But this isn�t Earth�where is it�where am I? I took a step forward, pondering these questions. Ahead of me was a bridge like formation connecting the plain I was on to another one about one-hundred feet away. I slowly was able to move my feet�why couldn�t I before�and stepped out upon the bridge. I looked to the sides, and realized that the crevices below were very deep. Struggling, I walked to the middle of the bridge.
There was no visible evidence of anything being on this barren planet, anything that was alive anyway. But why was I there, then? My memory�I couldn�t remember. Amnesia? I noticed something new at my side�some sort of weapon. I couldn�t tell what it was�but I didn�t really care either. Why am I not surprised? I continued down the bridge, trying to reach the other side, which seemed to be growing further and further away from me. Something beeped, and I checked the ScaniTron. When did I get a ScaniTron? Only officers had those...I�m no officer! The reading disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I shrugged, and moved on.
�Nik.�
I turned cautiously toward the voice, the one which called my name. The wind seemed to pick up, and I could feel my hair blowing in the breeze. I completed the turn, and saw a man in a dark cloak. Suddenly, all sorts of recognition flooded through me. I know this man�but how? I�m positive I�ve never seen him before! But he�he killed�my thoughts were hard to collect. I struggled with the memory; I was tortured by his glare. Who is he�he killed� Why was I thinking that he killed anyone? I�d never witnessed any one die�ever.
He killed�he killed�
He killed Stefani.
�Aren�t you glad to see me�it�s been a long time,� he said menacingly; I noticed he had the same weapon I had noticed on me before in his own hand. �Perhaps this will jog your memory!� He ignited the weapon; it formed a spiral-shaped beam, and gave off a radiant green glow. Instinctively I reached down for my weapon as well; ready to counterattack whatever he threw at me. Why would he attack me�I�ve never met him before. When did Stefani die? I saw her yesterday�didn�t I??
He flew at me with such ferocity and speed as I had never seen before. He brought his weapon above my head, and I had only an instant to unsheathe mine and engage it, before he brought it down. I managed to parry�how? I�ve never used this weapon before�and jump back several feet, while maintaining my position on the bridge. He lashed out several times more, and almost by instinct I parried, following the blade with my own, working against his feverish attempts to slice at me. After several maneuvers I saw an opening and made my attack, but he dodged it with the simplest of ease. Why am I fighting�My ScaniTron blipped with every opening�that�s right, the ScaniTron is supposed to assist with targeting�and at every chance my sword attacked, seemingly on its own. Things were happening without my thoughts, my muscles moved on their own, on whatever predefined agenda they were following. Suddenly my attacker leaped up into the air at least 50 feet, and my feet were compelled to follow. I felt my insides pushing, pushing down towards the ground. It was a sickening feeling, really. Suddenly, I exerted enough force to escape the gravity, and I found myself hovering. How am I doing this?? With added force and energy, I propelled myself higher; up to his level�I had little chance to stand in awe at my feat, since he came at me with just as much power as he had before.
�Your instinct serves you well,� he commented, �and your skills with a beamsword are fairly adequate. But can you match�this!� He thrust his sword at me, and I moved to parry, however at the same instant he threw his own leg at my stomach, and scored a direct hit. I reeled back in pain, and tried to control my nausea, when he brought his fist down upon my skull, and I careened out of the air and rammed into the red rocks below. I struggled to recover, but the agonizing pain of his blows brought dizziness to my head, and I wobbled around, as I saw him land nearby. �Do you want to know the last words out if your dear partner�s mouth, before she died?� Is that what he just said? My ears were ringing�so she really is dead�
�If only Nik wasn�t dead�you�d be in Hell right now��
My eyes opened wide, and I took in the realization of what he was saying. Me? Dead? I�m living, standing here in the flesh, as I speak! I found myself coughing up blood, then managed to utter, �Wha--what are you sa--saying?�
�Apparently she thought you had died in that little skirmish. As a matter of fact, so did I. I didn�t expect the tracker on your ship to move again and yet, it did, along with your ship, and as faith would have it, here you are. Truly amazing bit of recovery you went through there.�
�What skirmish? What are you talking about�?� Nothing was making any sense.
The wind picked up as he spoke. �You�you don�t remember, do you? Ha, it seems that I caused more damage then I thought�a shame.�
I found myself in total shock. I never participated in any battle. I had never been through a hypergate! And yet here he was talking as if we had fought, and he had brought me to near death, and then I somehow made the trip to the current planet that we were on. Nothing added up; nothing at all.
I felt my rage burning. He had killed Stefani, injured me to near death�yet I didn�t remember a thing. My blood boiled. I clenched my fists and saw him begin to move toward me again. I couldn�t take it, he had cost me so much�and I didn�t remember any of it. I leaped with all my might, soared into the air, and brought my fist down upon his head. He had no time to react, thus he was pushed back, and skidded a bit on the plane.
�That�will cost you,� he commented bitterly. He moved at double the speed I had before, and flipped in front of me. The shock in my eyes must have been apparent; he smiled as he double-punched me. I hit the ground hard, and coughed something up. He was still hovering in midair, so at this point he turned and thrust himself at me, but again I used all my energy, and dodged at the last instant, causing a flurry of dust and rocks to appear. At this point, my energy was gone, but I maintained my floating status. He came up though, and seemed to have all the energy he possessed originally. Who is this guy�?
And at this point, he said, �This�this is where you die, Nik Shoan.� At this he gritted his teeth, and clenched his fists�a level of aura surrounded him. It was like he was on fire. He was on fire. His eyes�I won�t forget the look his eyes had when he stared at me. He brought his arms apart, and unclenched them. What was to follow would be the most shocking thing I had ever seen, heard of, or experienced. I had no energy left, I could only watch and stare in awe. Glowing�his hands began glowing�with a light and energy that I had never witnessed. This was pure energy, generated with his power, his own will and mindset. He was collecting this energy into sphere shapes, structures that surrounded his hands, and added to the glow. Energy sparked off the sides of these spheres as they grew, and eventually, he moved his hands together, and formed a giant ball, sparkling and glowing with pure energy and fire. What�the hell�is he doing�I couldn�t move, only float, and watch.
�Now�YOU DIE!!�
He released all the energy, forming a beam that careened toward me. There was nothing I could do, it approached at full force. I yelled as it hit, the sensation of energy moving everywhere, all over my body, fell upon me. It took over every aspect of my mind, body, and heart. I was torn apart, from the inside, the energy filling me, and changing the phase of my matter. The last breath of consciousness left me, and everything went black. It was a cold blackness; the initial heat that I had felt from the wave had disappeared almost instantaneously. There was nothing now; I was in a true void, devoid of all signs of anything. All I could hear was the words vibrating through my head.
If only Nik wasn�t dead�You�d be in Hell right now��
�So�is that it?�
�Yeah.�
�Well, Nik�I�d say that was the stupidest dream yet.�
�Hey, at least I have dreams, Reion.�
�At least my dreams don�t suck��
�If you had any that is��
The lounge of the ComCenter was particularly dull today, and around the room various students and officers sat talking quietly, or eating, or catching up on the latest reading material. It was an �off� day, meaning that the classes were out of session, and most students had left the Center to shop, see a flick, or prepare for the excursion the following day to Futura. The excursion included students and officers alike, and was for most their first trip off system.
At one particular table, a small group of students had gathered, and they listened intently to the story of one of their own, who was known for having vivid dreams which he claimed to be predictions of the future. Up to this point, none of them had come true yet.
�I don�t have any because they had to bypass those nerves after that accident two years ago�that you caused,� countered Reion. Reion was at the table, sitting across from Nik. He was of medium build, average height, and had curly black hair. He claimed to have best shot in the Center; however he had yet to prove it, as there had been no need for combat in the last twenty years. Often fairly brash and full of himself, Reion was one of those people who would tell a joke and nobody would laugh, then about an hour later, someone would get it, realize it was funny, and the entire room would break out laughing.
�You�re always so brash and full of yourself,� replied Nik. Nik was the tallest in the group, and stood a good 6�1�. His hair was neatly combed and he sat rocking back in the chair. �I didn�t cause the accident�I couldn�t help it if the speeder ran out of gas��
�You�re supposed to check! Isn�t that the first rule of combat? Check your gas before you leave?? Back me up here, Stefani.�
�Eh,� replied Stefani in a bored tone, �First rule of combat is to shoot them before they shoot you. Anyway I�m not getting involved in this argument again. You boys can settle it yourself�good story though, Nik. Of course it�s too bad that I died. It�s a good thing I don�t believe in all this �destiny� crap�� Stefani got up and headed over to the counter for another drink.
�Why do you always dream about her anyway�why am I never in your dreams?� inquired Reion.
�Do you want to die? And besides, it would be pretty messed up if you were in my dreams,� replied Nik.
Stefani returned with some drinks. �Where is everyone? You�d think they�d all stick around today because of the excursion tomorrow�I know I�m going to pack. And I got all these things to buy before we leave�I gotta go over to the mall and get that stupid uniform thing we all hafta wear.� She grabbed her drink and stepped up, swooshing back her long hair. Standing up, she was taller than Reion, and had a more definite aura about her�she seemed always happy and radiant. Her beauty was surpassed by her technical skills, however, those of which only Reion could come close to. Nik was lost technically if he didn�t have one of them�although his navigational and piloting skills were first-class. Most of the room was empty now, and Stefani moved to leave.
�I�ll go with you,� commented Nik, �I�ve got some stuff to get as well, no sense going alone later.�
�Great! You can carry my bags!�
�Um�yeah�sure.� There was no use in arguing, Stefani had him by the arm and half-way out the door before Nik could finish his drink. Great, dragged into another stupid �mall� adventure. �Hey you�re gonna come, aren�t you�Reion??�
�Hey sorry, you got yourself into this. I gotta pack, see you later alright?� Reion walked off, snickering.
�HEY come back here! C�mon! Do you realize the amount of stuff this girl buys??� Nik was pulled harder towards the door.
Ensign Drewid, please report to the Main Deck. Ensign Drewid, report to the Main Deck.
�Sorry man, boss is callin� me. See ya!� He ran out the other door.
Nik sighed, and gave in to his captor. �Damn.�
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The other areas of the ComCenter were bustling with activity. The mall, in particular, was filled with people scurrying about, buying last minute things for the excursion on the following day. The crowds obviously formed near the military-related stores, out of only two still had the uniforms. These uniforms were required by the Solarian Federation to be worn on any flight to a representative planet, in order to establish the presence of the Earthlings and their respective federation. They were not standard issue, so they had to be purchased by the students themselves, and of course, most waited until the day before.
ComCenter was the bristling military center of the Solarian Federation. It was located within the limits of the central hub of the Western Confederation. Its main function was to provide a home for the Earthling/Solarian ground-fleets; however it also served as a training station for ensigns. The main building consisted of a large, round, dome structure; which contained the main control rooms and operation centers. Ships were docked along extensions that ran across the outside of the dome. Also extending from the dome were several wings; a north, south, west, and east. Training facilities and the various other buildings necessary to run those facilities took up the east and the majority of the south wing. Outside various fighter-class craft were docked on a platform near the north wing. A pylon stretched from the center of the dome up into the sky; docked several thousand feet up on this pylon were the stationary cruiser-class craft. The Earthlings only had a few ships of their own design, most others docked or flying about in space were of Futuran or other Earth-friendly races design. The main spaceport, used for main traffic and trade, was located in a separate structure outside of the west wing, which was mainly used for civilian and trader traffic.
The training section was divided into two wings, with a tram-type system operating between the two. In the south wing, auxiliary buildings and those which could be used by other military personnel (the mall, for example) were held; and the east wing contained all other facilities for trainees and ensigns. Various recreational facilities, complete with a river, ran through the middle of the south wing, which was why it was particularly crowded on �off� days. Cadets and trainees ran all over the place, getting materials for their excursion the following day.
The line for the clothing department was out the door.
�Dammit, we�re never gonna get outta here!� exclaimed a frustrated Nik.
Stefani nudged her companion. �Settle down�ah, see? It�s moving.�
One person came out of the store.
�Super. Really, just super�� Nik had reason to be irate; they had been standing in the line for near thirty minutes. A man came out of the department, carrying a sign of sorts, and placed it near the line a couple of people ahead of Nik and Stefani. �Why don�t you go see what that says, hmm?�
�Yeah,� Stefani walked over to check out the sign. Nik glanced up. The dome and its auxiliary extensions had glass roofs, so that the exterior could be viewed. There were stars in the sky, and the lights of starships and vehicles could be seen overhead. The slight whine of engines and thrusters could be heard over the crowd. Well, at least it�s nice out tonight�I�m gonna miss this place. A whole month on a planet that I�ve never been on before, I wonder if I can handle it. At least�at least I�ll have�a tug at his arm interrupted his thoughts.
�What did it say?� he inquired.
�Nothing much, only �the wait from this point will be thirty minutes,�� Stefani replied nonchalantly.
Maybe I will be glad to leave this place. Nik sighed.
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�So what was the call for?� inquired Nik.
�Oh, nothing important, really�� responded Reion.
The dorms were located in the east wing, and were divided according to squad and rank. Reion�s �pad�, as he called it, was located on the third level of block C, near the end of the wing. Reion had the advantage of windows on two walls, as well as a slightly larger living area. Reion was less than enthusiastic, however, since he often had little money to fill the space.
�Nothing? I doubt that. C�mon, tell me, what happened?�
���
�Oh, he found out about that little thing you pulled off last week, didn�t he?� Silence answered him. �So he did. The silence proves it.�
�Shove it, Nik.� Reion clinched his fist.
�Hey, chill�I know how you feel�I had to wait in line for two hours just to get that freakin� uniform thing.�
Reion snickered. �Well, that�s what you get for waiting �till the last minute�Notice how I got mine two weeks ago�damn, I can�t believe that you didn�t get caught.�
�Well Rei, I wasn�t the one who messed with the fuel cylinders��
Reion looked away, down at his feet. �You never get caught,� he smiled, �lucky bastard.�
Nik laughed. Reion got up, and went over to the window, where he had been packing before Nik�s arrival. There were several ships outside on the platform, and one was coming down as they spoke. The lights of two other ships could be seen following it in the distance. �I don�t know if I�m ready for this, Nik.�
�What do you mean?�
�I don�t know if I can handle space. Hypergate travel is supposed to be a horrid experience��
Nik gazed out the window. �Look, those ships�those three ships coming down�they will take us from here to Futura, no bugs at all. They were designed for hypergate travel. Nothing will happen, I can guarantee that.�
Reion looked at his friend. �How?�
�Because, Rei, I haven�t dreamed it yet.�
Dawn. The day of the Futura excursion had arrived. Students and officers gathered within the west wing to be delegated their ship assignments. It was common for the military and civilians to occupy the same craft during long distance flights and hypergate travel, as few ships were available. The �fleet� traveling to Futura consisted of two large shuttle-class craft, and a smaller shuttle craft. Shuttle craft were usually used for interplanetary travel within the Solar System, however sometimes they were equipped for hypergate flight. Nik and Reion walked down the corridor leading to the spaceport, toting along their luggage.
Reion was walking a little ahead of Nik. �Hey Nik, you�re moving so slow! Hurry up or we�re gonna get stuck in the small craft with all the civilians!�
Nik was sloshing along behind him, carrying his own bags plus two that Stefani had given him the night before. �I�really don�t feel that well��
Flight A-235, leaving from terminal A2, destination Mars East Complex, delayed until 6:45 due to weather conditions.
�What did you do after you left my pad last night??� inquired his companion.
�I went to my own. Stefani had left some bags inside and a note tellin� me to take then to the port for her. I finished packing some of my own stuff and went to bed�but I��
�Are you sure you didn�t have anything to drink�you look drunk, man.�
�Shut up, Rei,� Nik shifted the weight of his bags, �I don�t think I slept well�and�and I��
Reion interrupted again, �C�mon, suck it up we�re almost there. Once you get into the ship you�ll feel a lot better.�
�Somehow I doubt it�when did you lose your fear of space travel, huh?�
Flight group B-707, leaving from terminal HY4, destination Futura via hypergate, will board in 10 minutes.
�You told me you didn�t dream anything bad yet. Listen, our flights boarding soon�get a move on.�
�But the dream�� Reion was too far ahead of him now, �the dream�I dreamed�� Nik sighed, and struggled with his load.
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No. No, I can�t ride the horse, mommy�It�s too fat. No mom! No I don�t want to! No I can�t! Mommy! NOOOO!!! Stefani awoke in a cold sweat. She sat up for a second. �Damn dream�why do I get the same lousy one�s every night�Nik gets all the good �� she paused, and glanced over at her clock. The time read 6:26. She yawned, �Oh good, I�ve still got 10 minutes��
Stefani got up and wandered over to her console and clicked the coffeemaker on. She opened the cabinet above the console and pulled out some Cheerios and a Milk Cube�. She plopped the cube into the cereal and ran it under the faucet, took in a few spoonfuls, and got her coffee out of the maker. The NewsCom flashed on the HoloNet, Stefani opened it with a touch of her finger. She plopped down in her chair and read the Com while finishing her cereal, at one point she glanced over at the uniform dress skirt thing she had bought the night before. �Bags�where are my bags�oh yes; I dropped them off in Nik�s dorm�that�s right�yawn�the tickets�I put those in the dress�� She put the empty bowl in the sink and walked over to her uniform. �Tickets�there they are�� she picked them up. �Ah, leaves at 6:45�ok�plenty of ��
She stopped dead. �DAMMIT!�
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Flight group B-707, leaving from terminal HY4, destination Futura via hypergate, will board in 3 minutes.
�What are we waiting for, Nik�we should get in line��
�This stuff isn�t gonna be hauled any farther unless it�s by Stefani.�
The terminal was bustling; crews were entering and leaving, getting the three ships ready for launch. Students and officers were settled in, awaiting boarding. Others were in line attaining their passes and flight number. Nik and Reion were in line at the Starbucks across the terminal.
�Let me have a tall iced mocha with whipped cream.�
�Sure,� said the attendant. He reached under the counter, and came back up with a small cube. �I�m assuming that you�ll need some water with that?�
�Yes please.� Reion got the water and the cube, and went to go wait in the check-in line. Nik was still sitting with the bags.
�Why is everything now contained on small cubes�� he asked.
�Because, Nik. It�s the future.�
�Oh yeah, huh�� he glanced around. �Where is that girl�?�
Reion put his cube into the water, and it dissolved into his mocha. �I don�t know�she�s always late.�
Flight B-707A, leaving from terminal HY4, destination Futura via hypergate, is now boarding. Flight B-707B will board in 5 minutes. Flight B-707C will board in ten minutes.
�Augh, they�re already boarding the first craft�we don�t want to get stuck on that last one�all civilian�where is that blasted girl. Nik�I�m gonna get in line for the B flight, ok�?�
�Do as you wish. I�ll wait.�
Reion got up and hesitantly walked over to the check-in line. He surveyed the area around him�Off to the side were the majority of civilians headed for Futura. The majority of these people would end up on the third flight, B-707C, the Dreamweaver. Obviously, whatever military personnel was left after the first two left would end up stuck on that ship. Reion took a moment to scan the crowd; it consisted of families, children, and merchants who could not afford their own ships. On further scanning, he noticed a familiar face. His eyes shot open.
Nik was playing on his game-pad. �Augh! Dammit Charizard, use you�re flamethrower! Aw, kuso!� He glanced up to see a crowd of smaller kids huddled around him. �Uh, nothing to see here, c�mon get out of here�� He switched it off and put it in his bag; the children, disappointed, wandered back to their guardians.
Flight B-707A, leaving from terminal�
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�HY4, destination Futura via hypergate, is now leaving. Flight B-707B is now boarding. Flight B-707C will board in 5 minutes.
Stefani burst into the port at full speed, nearly running over a kid getting out of a car. �Augh, I�m not gonna make it�I can�t be on that last flight�the guys surely won�t wait for me!� Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Security.
�Ok, that�s fine�nothing wrong with me�� she grimaced and got in line behind a few people. Three minutes went by before it was her turn. �DAMN I�m gonna miss it�!� She walked through the scanner. It beeped.
�Ah, ma�am, we�re gonna hafta have you stand over here for a moment��
Stefani winced. �Bye guys��
Flight B-707B, leaving from terminal HY4, destination Futura�
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�via hypergate, is now leaving. Flight B-707C is now boarding.
�Well, that�s that. Reion will hafta wait for us��
Reion showed up next to him. �My God! You won�t believe who I just saw!�
Nik fell over. �Rei, you got out of line. You know we hafta go on the small ship now.�
Reion didn�t change. �Dude! It was the governor!� He grinned.
Nik just stared. �I thought it would be the president, or something��
�Well, I thought it was cool��
�You would.�
�HEY guys!� said a recognized voice.
They turned, to see Stefani standing behind them, out of breath. She carried a small tote bag. �So�what�d I miss?�
�You�are late.� retorted Reion. �Now we have to go on the small flight.�
�THAT is the rest of the bags that you couldn�t carry�!� said Nik, eyeing her tote. �Dammit.� Hey got up, and picked up his bag. The civilians had begun to file in the craft. Nik looked around. �You know, all the other military personnel managed to get on the other flights�it�s because of YOU� he pointed at Stefani, �that we�re forced to go on this one��
Reion nudged him. �Man, the governor is on this flight! Sweet, dude!� The other two looked over at him. �What?�
�It�s just the governor�probably going to some conference on Futura or something,� remarked Stefani. �Let�s get on this stupid plane already��
�You�re fault that we�re late,� muttered Reion.
�Shut up.�
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Three shuttle-class craft, the Juniper, the Halcyon, and the Dreamweaver, were aligned along the landing strip. Ship launch followed standard Solarian procedure. Each ship took off one at a time by hovering off of its landing gear and floating using its repulsorlifts, which aligned with magnets on the landing strip below. The magnets conducted with each other, and the ship would maneuver itself down the line, traveling faster and faster, until it disengaged from the magnets and at the same instant ignited its atmospheric engines. The craft would then ascend into the sky on a relatively diagonal plane, and once clear of the city it would fire off its main rocket. The rocket would propel the craft safely out of the atmosphere and into space.
Nik, Reion, and Stefani sat in the back. Reion was messing around with Nik�s game-pad, Stefani fiddled with her hair, and Nik looked as if he was ready to puke. �Nik�we�re not even moving yet�what�s wrong�?� inquired Stefani.
�I�don�t feel that well, that�s all,� replied Nik.
�Why not?�
�I had�I had a dream��
�Oh hush dear; you know your dreams never come true.� Stefani slapped Nik on the back. Hard.
�Um, ouch�that kind of hurt,� remarked Nik.
�You�re such a pansy, Nik,� Reion commented.
�I said I wasn�t feeling that well, Reion.�The ship began to move. The captain has now turned on the seatbelt sign. He would like to remind you to keep them on until we are safely above the atmosphere. Our flight today is leaving on schedule for the Futura hypergate, and we have a brief stopover at the Century Station for those of us departing there. The Dreamweaver began its hovering procedure; and the sound of the repulsorlifts could be heard as they were firing up. Our course today will put us in a smooth orbit along the Earth at approximately 7:05 AM. After a standard orbit we will arrive at the Century Station at approximately 8:30 AM, and depart there at 8:50 AM. Upon departure we will travel to our hypergate and await hypergate travel, which we are scheduled to begin at 11:30 AM. After hypergate travel we should arrive at Futura in approximately 22 hours at 9:45 AM on the 5th of December.
�How many�hours�did she say, Nik�?� inquired Reion.
�Twenty-two,� confirmed Nik. �This is gonna be one hell of a ride.�
We are now moving along our designated track, and I will take this moment to show you our introductory video. Thank you for flying United Airlines, and we hope you enjoy your flight.
�Yay. The video,� remarked Stefani.
A HoloNet cube dropped from above and positioned itself in front of the group. It automatically displayed a screen, and in moments the United logo appeared. A woman showed up, with a nearly identical voice as the Shuttle Attendant.
�Hello, and welcome to United Airlines flight�� her voice altered, obviously using a predefined set of numbers, �Bee dash Seven-Oh-Seven-See,� her voice sounded normal again, �We know that you have a choice when you choose your airline, and with our record, we�re not exactly sure why you chose us�anyway, the emergency��
Nik yawned. �Can�t you guys turn it off or something��
�Ah, these are the foolproof kind�� said Reion.
��beneath the seat compartments, if we happen to be on a water planet. In the event of an aerial emergency, space suits will drop down from your overhead compartments, which you will be able to put on. If you have a child, please get yourself into a suit before assisting him or her. In the event of��
�This is so�utterly...boring. Are we up yet�� Reion fidgeted.
�Nik looked out the window. �Nope�still on the track��
��marked �Emergency use only� are located throughout the ship. In the event of a hypergate emergency�� the Com clicked off. Stefani appeared from behind it with some wires pulled.
�I got it��
Reion put a hand on her shoulder. �Thank�you. You are a genius.�
�Yeah, I know�it�s a gift,� she shrugged.
Nik gazed out the window, unaware of the proceedings. �We�re accelerating��
The group sat back as the ship began to move faster. Outside, the engines disengaged from the body of the craft and fired up, emitting a loud roar throughout the cabin. �Nik, give me your �buds.�
Nik reached into his bag and handed the ear buds over to Reion. Reion plugged them into his part of the cube, but nothing happened. �Uh, Stefani��
�Oh, yeah�� she fiddled with some wires in the back. It clicked back on.
�Thanks. I need to listen to the pilot conversation.�
�You�re weird, you know that��
- ComCenter control, this is B-707C, in position for final acceleration.
- Copy that, B-707C, you are clear for magnet discharge and engine firing.
- Affirmative, ComCenter.
The ship lurched as the engines fully ignited, thrusting the ship forward toward the skyline of the Hub City. The Dreamweaver hit the final magnet, and the ship maneuvered directly up over the city. Within moments it had achieved the necessary diagonal arc for orbital entry.
- B-707C, prepare for ion rocket initialization.
- Ion rockets engaging in 5�4�3�
�Well this isn�t so bad�,� said Reion, wiping some of the sweat off of his brow.
- 2�
�Yeah, really�they made it sound much worse in the briefing,� said Stefani.
- 1�
�It�s not over�� Nik winced.
- 0. Engaging ion rockets�
�What do you mean��
- NOW!!
The ship lurched for a moment, then suddenly a huge force erupted from the ship, and the entire thing went soaring into the beyond. Reion�s mouth slammed shut, Stefani gritted her teeth, and Nik still looked as if he was about to throw up, except maybe a little more this time. They could feel the vibrations and waves coursing through the seats, and with a pop the Dreamweaver broke the sound barrier. The sky turned colors�first it was blue, then a darker version of it, then purple, and indigo, and finally hit black among the upper atmosphere. Stars soon appeared. But the force and speed of the craft remained, and the Dreamweaver breached space.
You have successfully breached Earthling/Solarian hypergate GT-201. Welcome to Earth, please enjoy your stay.
A small, silver craft appeared out of hyperspace at the GT-201 hypergate. It closed its hypergate engines and re-ignited its main thrusters, thus propelling it forward.
�Are we on time�?�
�Yes, sir. We have approximately 25 minutes before the civilian ship reaches the station.�
�Good. Set course for the Century Station.�
�Setting course��
The ship engaged its main engines, and headed for the Century Station at a speed not normally seen in around Earthling space. The ships design, in fact, was not one of Earthling or Futuran. Nevertheless, it proceeded to the check-in station.
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- Engine output decreased to 75 percent. We are preparing to enter lateral Earth orbit.
- Copy that, B-707C. You are clear for course to station CNTRY-437; your ETA is 25 minutes.
�Ouch. I think my brain shifted��commented Reion.
�I can�t feel my legs�or my rear�� said Stefani.
�They really need to turn off that seatbelt sign�� complained Nik, his face hung to the ground.
The Dreamweaver re-positioned itself above the Earth, in an orbit that took it flying toward the Century Station. It followed its two sister ships, the Juniper and the Halcyon. Space, which was once a barren void of nothingness, was now full of craft and ships of many shapes and sizes. Until about 50 years ago, no contact had been made with other people, however once the Futurans and Earthlings met, the Futurans introduced a variety of races and species to the green planet. With many new partners to trade with, Earthlings also found new elements and materials, and discovered a way to harness the energy necessary to travel at speeds beyond light. With this capability, stored in gates, Earthlings moved through the stars to these races in which they had been visited by. Futurans aided the Earthlings with the necessary technology when necessary.
It may seem odd that the Futurans have helped the Earth so much. The reason for this is the lack of hydrogen on their planet. Unlike Earth, Futura has much less hydrogen, thus many hydrogen-bearing products, such as water, are not abundant. When the Earth learned to duplicate the hydrogen atom, among others, in 2025, water and other hydrogen based compounds became abundant. The reason for such a duplication to be necessary was the fact that most fossil fuels were depleted by 2020, and Earthlings needed other sources off energy. Ionic engines were discovered after a successful fusing process which fused artificial hydrogen into helium, thus allowing the energy to be stored and used. The advent of this technology, however, caused tension between the world powers to increase, and eventually, this tension turned to war. In a large scale war that lasted over sixteen years between 2043 and 2059, the world powers effectively ceased to exist, and countries that attempted to remain neutral throughout these years prospered in rebuilding the planet. Several treaties were ensued, and the establishment of several new nations as well as the combining of others led to their being only around fifteen countries in existence. The largest of these was the Western Confederation, which consisted of most of the American continents, excluding a few who wished to remain solitary. Most former European nations were joined to become the Euro Integration, and Russia effectively remained the same. Alliances were fairly loose, and most �inter-countries� retained their own governments.
In 2073, however, all that changed as the first �aliens� made contact with Earth. These were the Futurans, greenish-blue skinned humanoids from the planet of the same name. The situation was held with surprising calmness, as the Futurans made contact with the not-quite operational Century Station. A meeting was held, and the Futurans described their situation. They offered some of their technology, if the Solarians, as they called the Earthlings, would allow them access to their hydrogen technologies. After some negotiations, a deal was worked out, and trade between the two planets commenced. At first, it was only Futuran ships that made the journey using their hyperdrives, however eventually the Earthlings used their technology to control the necessary energy required to travel beyond the speed of light into a single portal, which they called a they called a hypergate. This proved more efficient, and the Earthlings founded the Solarian Federation, which built ships, researched space flight, and instituted the use of hypergates. From this, the first civilians were tossed into space as the Century Station was completed. And out of all this grew the clutter of ships that now infested the orbit of�
�Dammit Reion, turn off the History Channel���
�Oh, sorry�.are we almost there yet��
�Look like it�� answered Nik.
�Are you sure that you�re feelin� all right?� inquired Reion, with concern.
�Ah, I�m just�not used to space flight��
�But Nik, you�re a great pilot�better than me, sadly,� said Stefani.
�Well�I haven�t gone up in a while, that�s all�� he said.
�Maybe you�ll feel better once we hit the station��
�Yeah�maybe��
The shuttle flew on.
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Flight vessel AK-236, you are cleared for landing on pod bay 623.
�Thank you, command,� said the captain of the silver ship that had left the hypergate moments before.
No problem, AK-236. I�d like to comment on what an interesting craft you�ve got there. I�ve never seen one like it before.
�Yes, it is�quite unique, shall we say? It is not from any of your Solarian factories.�
Yes, it is very interesting�well, sir, enjoy your stay.
�Thank you again�command.� He shut off the communicator and turned to his pilot. �ETA?�
�Five minutes, Captain D�Karadu.�
�Excellent�keep us on schedule, I can�t fail Phlanix again��
The ship continued on its course, aiming for the Century Station.
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Another vessel, in fact another three vessels, was also on approach to the Station. The Juniper entered the docks of the Station, with the Halcyon tailing behind. About ten minutes back, the Dreamweaver followed its course. The Century Station was a large, circular structure, with several large bays around the perimeter for the docking of ships. Most ships exiting the system made a stopover at the station, and all incoming ships were required to check-in at either it or one of the substations around the Earth. In general, the station was nothing more than a giant hub and relay center to the hypergates.
�So�what�s this hypergate thing like, Stefani?� asked Nik.
�I wouldn�t know.�
�But I thought you had gone off-system before?�
�Yes,� she replied, �but not using the hypergates. My father had his own freighter when he did business, and since it was built before the hypergates were, it had its own hyperdrive. But the last time I went with him, I was about 3�so I don�t remember what it was like.�
�So, wait,� said Reion, �you�re the only one of us who�s been in another system, yet you were too young to remember what it was like?�
�Apparently.�
�Nik�haven�t you��
�Not out of system,� said Nik, �plenty of times within Earth orbit though��
�You haven�t been to Mars, or any of those desolate moons out there, then?�
�Not really�why should I have��
�Yeah, I guess you�re right�the moons are sparse, and Mars is nothing but a Futuran colony��
�Yeah�� Nik had been gazing out the window ever since they had left the port, now his eyes turned away, and looked toward the ground.
�Nik, something�s obviously bugging you. Why don�t you tell us what it is�� inquired Reion.
�I�I don�t want to disturb your thoughts�I�ll tell you after the flight��
��� Reion hunched back in his seat. Stefani looked worried, but didn�t say anything, and sat back for the remainder of the flight.
The shuttle began its docking procedure. The hangars were hexagonal in shape, large enough for a large cruiser to fit in, but they had the capacity to take on smaller ships as well. This dock was made for smaller ships, and several docking tubes and connectors were built within the bay for these ships. The Dreamweaver flew into the hangar, and was snagged by a large crane instrument which extended from the ceiling. A tube extended from a nearby pylon and connected itself to the hatch. Outside, several technicians and operators in spacesuits floated about and began the standard maintenance check.
The captain has turned off the seat-belt sign, and you are now free to leave the ship. The Dreamweaver will be departing for Futura in approximately 20 minutes, so if you are continuing on the flight, be sure to return by then.
�C�mon, let�s go check this thing out�� said Stefani, getting up out of her seat.
�Yeah, maybe we can find the governor�funny that I didn�t see him on this shuttle�� commented Reion, excitedly.
�He�s probably too important to get stuck on this craft�most likely he was on the Halcyon, and has already gone��
�No WAY�I wanted to meet him�now I gotta wait until we get there? Man��
�Seriously guys�� muttered Nik, �where�s the restroom��
The trio left the shuttle with the other passengers through the suction tube that had fixated itself outside the hatch. The tube was for the most part clear, so space could be seen outside of the hangar. The group proceeded to the end of the tube, and entered the pylon. The pylon was nothing more than four elevator shafts, two going up, the other two going down. The shafts ran straight into the ceiling and floor, with the only stop being the tube.
�This must be the way to the food,� said Reion.
�Where there�s food there�s refreshments�� commented Stefani �
��and restrooms,� added Nik.
They rode the elevator up, and arrived in the area above the dock, which consisted of food and small recreational facilities to entertain passengers who were stopping by. Nik located the restroom, and ran off toward it, leaving Reion and Stefani to scramble for food. A variety of selections were presented in front of them, and they both found a place to their liking.
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�Who are you, again?�
�Replacement technician, the other one called in �sick�.�
�Oh yes, that�s right�you�re Zan, are you not?�
�That would be me.�
�Oh then go right in, you�ll find the gear you need to you�re left�according to the roster, you�re supposed to do maintenance on the Dreamweaver? Is that correct?
�Yes sir��
�Ok then, get right to work��
�I will�sir.�
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Nik returned from the restroom and found his colleagues sitting down with cups in hand. �Here,� said Stefani, �we got you a latte cube from Starbucks�.wait, maybe we shouldn�t have�then you�ll just hafta pi--�
�JUST drink it Nik�� interrupted Reion, �we don�t really have that much time to spare, our twenty minutes are almost up.�
�Thanks guys�but I�m more hungry than thirsty�those pretzel cubes didn�t quite fill me up,� said Nik. He walked over to the cube vendors and checked out the selection.
�So, Rei,� said Stefani, �what do you think is up with Nik over there�?�
�Well, seems to me like space-sickness, he�ll get over it.�
�But he�s flown in space before�wouldn�t he have gotten sick already?�
�Maybe it�s one of those �twenty-four hour� things��
�Maybe it�s none of your concern�� interrupted Nik, sitting back down at the table with his cubes, �Rei, let me use some of your water�� Reion hesitantly passed him some of his water. �Look, my problems are only your concern if they deal with you�I�m fine, really. Don�t worry yourselves about it.� He poured some water into his �saucer� and dropped one of his food cubes in; it materialized into something remotely edible-looking. �Is it true that they have real food on Futura�?�
�Yeah, if you like Futuran food�otherwise you�re still stuck with cubes�� said Stefani. �Hurry and eat that, we have five minutes.�
�Yeah, I�ll take it with me. Let�s go and get this over with��
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�Zan, are you sure you know what you�re doing over there��
�Trust me, I am fully capable of completing this task without human intervention�� said Zan, who was leaning over the computer console in the Dreamweaver, �you can go over your specified tasks, I�ve dealt with these situations before.�
�Um�yeah, whatever you say�freak.� The last technician exited the ship through the hatch. Zan stayed behind.
�Now maybe I can accomplish this without intervention�your plans cannot be put into action�Governor Sagredo.� He slipped a small chip into the console, and closed the cover. �Hopefully they�re hypergates aren�t sophisticated enough to thwart this...D�Karadu would have my head�� He paused to make sure everything was secure, and then he left the shuttle.
The Dreamweaver set out from the station and entered deep space. From the station, it would take approximately 2� hours to reach the hypergates, which were located slightly past the moon. The moon itself had little settlement, mostly ore miners interested in the resources found there. Ships passing out of the gates used the moon as a slingshot in order to get to the station faster, though they had to sustain a short period of radio blackout while behind the moon.
Ships leaving the system would pass in front of the moon. And our three travelers sat in the same seats as before: Reion was fumbling through the in-flight magazine, Stefani was, as always, messing with her hair, and Nik still looked wearily out the window.
�This flight is boring�� commented Stefani. She had one hand in her hair, the other holding the water for the pretzel cubes that would be coming around.
�What�s a 7-letter word for �a type of cheese��?� asked Reion, who had apparently moved on to the crosswords.
�Try �cheddar��how much longer do we have, Nik?�
�About 20 minutes�� he gulped.
�Are you nervous about traveling through the gates�If you are, well�I am too man�I mean I almost crapped my pants when I saw that simulation of what the ship would look like when going through that thing,� said Reion nonchalantly. Both Nik and Stefani turned to look at him. �What?�
�I could�ve lived without hearing that, you know,� commented Stefani. Nik smirked.
�Yeah well�I�m just glad I�m not gonna hafta listen to that aga--�
Attention, passengers. We are approaching the hypergates now. We have about a fifteen minute wait from here, so to pass time I will show the hypergate video. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your flight.
�Crap NO�Stefani, turn it off again.�
�Actually, Rei, I�m kind of interested in this�� she retorted.
�Yeah, so am I,� commented Nik. Reion sulked in his chair as the HoloNet cube projected its screen once more.
�Hello, and welcome to United Airlines flight� Bee dash Seven-Oh-Seven-See. This flight is scheduled to travel through one of our fleet�s most glorious achievements�the hypergate. The hypergates function as gates into the realm of traveling at the speed of light. In order to demonstrate the experience you will get when traveling through the portal, we have created a simulated version of the process, which will appear on your screens,� the screen dissolved and showed a model of the Dreamweaver, floating in space. �This is our current location, we will be flying toward this,� the screen showed the hypergate. It was a large structure, which mainly consisted of a large, circular infrastructure with a long platform on the bottom. Several ships appeared to be docked to this platform. �Once we are in position, we will dock with the conveyor which will align us into position when ready.� The screen showed the Dreamweaver approaching the dock, and docking at the farthest platform to the right of all the other ships. �One by one, each ship in line will move along the conveyor and be allowed to enter the gate. When it is time for our ship to enter,� the screen showed each of the other ships entering the gate, one by one, �our platform will rise and our ship will be fastened to the gate entry pylon,� the ship rose on a pylon, and small hooks in the sides of the pylon grappled onto the sides of the ship. �Once this is accomplished, our shuttle will open and engage its hyperdrive engines, which will react to the bubble mesh inside the gate, causing our ship to be �charged�,� the diagram showed this; it showed electricity sparking from the hyperdrives and the mesh beginning to morph around the ship, �Once full charging is complete, the captain will disengage the ship from the pylon, and we will be absorbed into the mesh, at which point everything will become particles of light. Once entering the portal, there will be a momentary lapse before the ship re-aligns and begins traveling through the tube. During this lapse you may feel some slight discomfort�but after a few seconds your body will catch up with the speed and you�ll be fine.�
The three passengers looked wearily at each other.
�Did that just sound�painful�to anyone else�?� asked Reion, his eyes wide open in fear.
�Um�n-no�� quivered Stefani.
�Do they have those vomit bags on inter-planetary flights�� asked Nik.
�Hey, guys, look outside��
Outside the ship was the hypergate, which had un-expectantly snuck up on them as they were watching the film. It was as it had said, a large, circular structure with a kind of electric webbing within it. A number of ships, including the Juniper and Halcyon, were already docked on the platforms below, and a ship was being raised into the center of the ring. Once reaching the hiatus of its climb, the ship paused for a moment and opened up two small wings on either side. As they were opening, a white light began to glow from within them; apparently the craft�s hyperdrives. As they charged, the hyperdrives grew brighter, and the mesh around it became visible. In doing so it began to form around the exterior of the craft and conform to the ship�s design. Soon the whole ship was charged with the bright light, and electricity sparked all over. Suddenly, the clamps on either side of the ship were released, and the ship disengaged from the pylon�and disappeared into nothingness.
�Holy crap.� said Reion.
�That�s gonna be us�?� inquired Stefani, nervously.
Nik looked out the window, unflinching.
By now the ship had arrived at the platform, and had positioned itself above it. The ship hovered its way down to the platform and slowly began docking maneuvers as the raised clamp returned to its original position. As the Dreamweaver lowered itself onto the platform, a large metal clamp appeared from the center of the structure and extended itself to fit the length of the ship. With a giant thud the clamp aligned and locked itself onto the sides of the ship, and the docking operation was complete. Now the entire apparatus began moving in a circular fashion, with the platform that was used to launch the ship into hyperspace rotating around to be used by another ship. The Juniper came into position to be launched, and the clamp began raising the ship in the same manner as the other one.
"We could have been on that ship had we not needed to wait for you." remarked Reion to Stefani.
"Oh, boo hoo. we'll get there won't we? Settle down and stop bein' a baby," she retorted.
"But the governor...I must see him," said Reion with determination, "His autograph will be mine."
"There's something wrong with you, man. The man couldn't be that important to you."
Reion's eyes widened. "Dude. That guy is going to an important conference on Futura. He's going to settle an important matter concerning flight zones in deep space. I don't think there's ever been such an important topic discussed. Ever. And we have a representative! It's so...important."
Stefani just looked at him blankly. "And...that has to do with us...how?"
"I saw it on C-SPAN. The guy said it was important." Reion stretched out his arms on the word "important", and seemed totally into what he was saying. Stefani was not.
"...I'm sure you'll see him there..."
"Oh I better. Or else...I'll destroy you for being late. I'll destroy you so much...that...that...you would DIE."
Nik peeked over. "Rei, you're not making sense. How many apple juices have you had?"
"Um...about sixteen, why do you ask?"
