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AD 2506 Term 1
Mission Briefing: Investigate Star System JUC-4624 for suitability for colonization. Prepare survey results, make formal recommendation.
Ship: JSS Extrapolator, Corvette Class, Hyperdrive mkII
Pilot: Liza Kantry
Ground: Bertram Trodd (replacing Sodo Coetzee)
Sensors: Argan Brooks
Specialist: [vacant]
Previously: The ground crew encounter an unexpected danger, and everyone must react quickly.
In This Episode: After another attempted interception, a crewmember rises to the occasion and shares some surprising information.
INDEX | Mission 1 | <(Mission 6) Previous | Next (Mission 8)>
Intercepted
It was a strange feeling, boarding the Extrapolator with just a crew of three. Argan felt Roman’s absence—like he was whisked away, and no one got to say anything. It had spoiled the months between missions; now to come back and find that the Union had not replaced him was salt in the wound. Liza was agitated, she was holding her hand against herself like she was trying to pin it in place—Argan could see the gears turning in her mind, thinking through every situation, thinking through how to handle it. He didn’t envy her—she took on a lot of responsibility for this ship.
Their new ground-man, Bertie, had all the charisma of a grey wall and had the nervous energy of a man who was kidnapped and forced into service while he was on his way to buy a pack of cigarettes. He kept looking around like he wasn’t sure what was happening. Liza had wheedled him for biographical information before they boarded and it was painful to listen to. Sodo’s absence was felt double for how poor his replacement seemed.
But—such was the time of war. There were no formal announcements but everyone knew the war with Theyst was straining the Union. Trimming down the surveyor crew to three was painful and left very little room for error. News reports contained heroic sounding descriptions of battles which, to Argan, sounded like wishful thinking more than decisive victories. But then again, what did he know about war?
Liza’s voice cracked through his reverie. “Hey, Argan? Bertie’s on his way back from the surface—eyes up.”
“Yes ma’am!” Argan sat up straighter and turned to face her in the doorway. She didn’t smile anymore. At least—she smiled more on the last mission than this one.
“Can you bring him in when he docks? I want to get moving as soon as the shuttle is secure—waiting makes me nervous.”
“You got it.”
Liza walked away without another word. Argan dialed in the sensors—nothing but the interference pattern of the drone shuttle approaching. All was quiet—just how Argan liked it.
Argan left his sensors monitoring to greet Bertie and make sure there were no issues. As the airlock opened, he called on the intercom, “All clear, Cap!”
“Copy.” Liza replied, and Argan felt the gentle acceleration of the ship as she maneuvered out of this planets orbit.
Bertie stumbled in the acceleration as he stepped out of the airlock. “She doesn’t linger, does she?” he said.
Argan smiled, “You get used to it.”
“Didn’t she say she got rotated off the Extrapolator after this?” Bertie asked, placing his helmet in the locker, oblivious to the winged horseman.
“I guess she did. Maybe you won’t have to get used to it after all. How was it down there?”
Bertie shrugged, “Dead rocks. No atmosphere in this system, huh?”
“You win some you lose some. Need help with that?”
“Nah,” Bertie replied.
“Alright. Take a breather, doubt you’ll have long to rest at the rate Cap’s going. We’re making record time.”
Argan turned around, and the alarm sounded from the sensors station. Not again, please God not again.
He rushed to the computer, Liza was already on the intercom. “Talk to me Argan, what alarm is that?”
Argan maneuvered the console expertly to confirm. “Hyperspace signatures. Looks like four of ‘em.”
“Where?”
A moment of calculation. “In front of us—getting a fix on them.”
“How do they do this?” she said, exasperated. “Put ‘em on the map for me Argan, I need to get us out of here.”
Argan almost didn’t notice Bertie walking casually past his station. “Bertie!” he called. “Get on observation, see if you can spot these ships!”
“Me?”
“All hands on deck, you see anyone else around?”
Bertie stomped down the causeway to observation, while Argan tried to fix coordinates for the Theysian ships.
Argan worked quickly, but it wasn’t easy. The sensors equipment showed magnitude but not direction—and while the Extrapolator was cruising the direction was a moving target.
It wasn’t impossible—just needed focus! More data, more coordinates—
“Argan! I need ‘em five minutes ago.”
“I’ve got it, I’ve got it—heading your way!”
A few clicks on his console and he was able to send his data to Liza’s Navigation console.
“Got it,” she said. Argan rushed down the causeway, stood at the door of both Navigation in front and Observation on his left, watching both Liza and Bertie work. Bertie found the Theysian ships and was watching—they were moving to intercept, and quickly.
“There’s no time—they’re matching speed, they’re intercepting,” Liza said.
On Bertie’s Observation screens, Argan saw the Theysian ships matching speed and getting closer. A trio of warning shots thumped the exterior of the ship.
Liza’s hands were shaking. They didn’t have a choice—they couldn’t run.
Liza’s radio crackled to life.
“Unidentified vessel, you are trespassing a Theysian system. Acknowledge.”
“Trespassing?” Liza shouted—not into the radio, Argan was relieved to see— “We were here first you half-wits! This is so stupid.”
“Unidentified vessel, please acknowledge or you will be treated as hostile.”
Bertie walked sheepishly out of observation. “Let me talk to them,” he said with surprising decision.
Liza looked at him, half offended and half confused. “What? No, why?”
“I can call them off. Get us out of here,” he said, plainly as if it were not a time of war.
Liza’s eyes narrowed. “Do it. You’ve got some explaining to do.” She handed him the radio.
He said, “Theysian vessels, this is the Survey Ship Extrapolator, do not fire, repeat, do not fire. I am Bertram Trodd, Citizen of Aristane, Theyst Republic. Theysian ID… One Six Two Zero Six Three Two. We are not a military vessel, we are making exit calculations, do not fire.”
The moment stretched painfully. Argan barely breathed. Liza stared holes into the viewscreen.
The radio crackled to life again. “Survey ship Extrapolator, we acknowledge you have a citizen of Theyst aboard. Make hyperspace exit within two hours or you will be fired upon regardless. Please acknowledge.”
Liza grabbed the radio, “Hyperspace exit in two hours, confirmed, making calculations now.” She slammed the radio down and stood, to face Bertie.
“What the hell is that?”
“I’m from Aristane.”
“The Surveyor Corps was de-Theysianized, why are you still here?”
“Aristane joined the plebiscite late, I probably slipped through. Maybe they didn’t expect me to show up.”
“Why did you show up? Are you aware of the war going on?” Liza was incredulous.
“I, you know, I need the work. Moneys tight and—listen, I don’t know who is going to win. I just need the work. I’m not an agitator I just want to work.”
“You know I have to include this in the debrief.”
Bertie sighed. “Yeah.”
“And they’ll kick you out anyway, right?”
Bertie nodded, forlorn.
“This was stupid of you. But, thanks. I’ve got to make calculations.”
Liza slammed her fist on the doorframe, and the door slid closed. Bertie was suddenly aware of Argan.
“Sorry, I—”
Argan shrugged, “Nothing to apologize for. War is weird. Looks like you’re off the hook for another survey, let’s get to work.”
Argan let Bertie pass him down the hall, and his mind raced. He couldn’t imagine the Extrapolator with anyone but Liza at the helm—next survey both she and Bertie would be gone. It would be like a brand new ship. But only he would remember. Can I look on a ship like the Extrapolator with new eyes? he wondered.
He walked involuntarily into the shuttle bay after Bertie passed it to the mess hall. Argan sat on a bench there and his eyes were drawn to the winged horseman on the locker.
And even if I could look on the ship with new eyes—would I want to?
The winged horseman didn’t answer him, keeping it’s silent vigil, the memory of ships crews long before Argan and long before Liza, a memory impossible to access.
To be continued…
Thank you very much for reading! This is Before The Maps Are Final, a science fiction adventure episodic serial set in the Sandbox Earth Universe. This will be a serial publishing every week, for a tentative total of twelve episodes. Please subscribe to be sure you don’t miss an installment sent directly to your inbox!
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AJPM
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I have a sense that we're gonna see that winged horseman a lot more often after this episode.
Nice to meet a Theysian who doesn't yap about it all the time