Colonist Competition

Colonist Competition

The massive colony ship Fragrance drifted through the vast emptiness of space. Built around a electrochemical artificial inertia gravity well it spun slowly, gleaming energy panels capturing every spare electron from the ambient energy swirling around it. Aboard one of its biome pods an ancient man sat in his hoverchair, gazing around at the artificial forest around him.

Three small children scrambled onto his lap. They were wiry and strong from constant exercise in the Biome Scouts program to counteract the weightlessness of space. One of them tossed the 40-lb iron weight she had been using as a toy to the forest floor and tugged on the old man's arm. "Gwandpa, tell us again where we came from." The old man adjusted his hearing aid with his connector pad. "Well, it is a planet called Earth. I was just a child that day, 204 years ago, when we blasted off for another planet, one our scientists said could support human life." The child was not satisfied. "But why Gwandpa? Why did we leave?" The old man shuddered. "Well, um, you see some bad people messed up Earth with garbage and wars, we don't have those things here." The child slipped off of his lap and tossed the iron toy to one of it's playmates. "Where are we going again?" The old man looked up at the artificial sky as if he could see the space beyond. "It is 20,000 years away. They call it E2. You will never see it, or your family, or theirs. But one day we will reach it and have a real home."

Aboard the Fragrance's bridge captain Harold Wipe stared out at the stars, ignoring the instruments before him. His first officer had reported an uncharted meteor from the Earth's solar system that would pass by them in moments. He stared as another ship instead rumbled past the colony ship. A video in crisp HD popped up on his screen.

Metal faceplate inscrutable, a robot peered at captain Harold Wipe and spoke in flat tones. "Greetings captain. I am 953, captain of the United Earth ship Touchdown. I command a retrofitted freighter containing five million human colonists frozen in state-of-the-art suspended animation, along with their pets and slaves. We have been in transit for 187 years 2 months three Earth-days. I find this encounter noteworthy because your vessel is so hopelessly antiquated. Without our metal-nanoparticle alloys and Ionic Fusion engines you cannot hope to reach E2 before your ship falls apart, or you are hit by a meteor, or suffer an internal war. I will recommend that a ship be sent after you to save you. It would be a great pity to have such a historical treasure be lost to space. Have a good day captain Harold Wipe, and fly safely."

Shining and swift, the Touchdown streaked by the Fragrance as the colony ship's human captain stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend that his voyage was now obsolete.

Six million miles later the Touchdown encountered an anomaly. It seemed that a beam of Zeta-particles, born in the heart of a Phlebotinum reactor field, was rippling past the freighter stacked with frozen humans and robots. As the ribbon of gamma particles glowed and bent past a subspace transmission beamed from it into the circuit brain of 953. The robot received an impression, a fuzzy image of a teenager with curly purple hair lounging on a dashboard pushing random buttons. The mind-message came through. "Hey clanker, this is chief Dude Boowap Uggie of the spacesurfer Dunno. We were just cruisin' over on a ten-minute ride to E2 when we saw your old barge driftin' along. By the way we fixed up Earth while you were gone. Tell captain Harold Wipe if you see him that his dad just came out of cryosleep for his 800th birthday and says hi. Id stop ta chat but Iv'e got six instant TV channels transmitting directly to me brain and a load of tourists who want to see that planet we were gonna colonize. Gotta go, stay golden metal dude."

The freighter Touchdown trudged stolidly along towards E2. But it's robotic captain stared after the ribbon of energy, it's circuits unable to cope with what it had just seen.

Greasy and liberally spraypainted, the spacesurfer Dunno slammed to a stop in front of the planet E2. Chief dude Boowap slapped deputy dude Jiggup on the back and flew towards the drop pods with his personal jetpack. "Hey Jiggup. Fly this thing while I be the first dude to ever step on E2."

Hot and spraypainted, the pod hit the rolling green hills of E2 and unfolded like a flower, revealing the tattooed face and gold-suited figure of Boowap. The kid threw a dozen spheres into the air, which deployed into quantum drones beaming footage live back to Earth. He raised his voice, high and squeaky in the helium-rich atmosphere of E2. "Hey everybody. That's right, it's your favorite space-bender, da big Uggie. Watch this. Boowap turned and raised his foot dramatically. "This is one big step for me, and you is all cool with that."

Before Boowap's eyes the air shimmered and three figures appeared before him. Dressed in sensible green robes, with shining eyes and high forheads, the figures stepped forwards. The formost figure sent a telepathic broadcast to his companions. "Brothers, the teleporter works. Let us next transport the Fragrance and Touchdown here, for those pioneers deserve to witness this historic moment.
Boowap blinked as Harold Wipe and 953 appeared besides him in beams of light and quantum fallout. He smiled sheepishly and slapped them each on the back. "Hey dudes, glad ya could make it."

The three captains noticed the three teleporting scientists standing on the crest of the nearest hill and walked towards them over the alien meadow of waving solar fronds. They reached the top and saw what drew the admiration of the scientists. There, on the distant horizon bloomed a gleam of purple splendor. The sun was rising. And the six humans felt at home.

XF-41: Phantom Squadron

XF-41: Phantom Squadron

Somewhere in the South Pacific

Major Duncan swayed on the rolling deck of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hector. He stared off the 

port bow, where a tiny shape approached. The salty sea air stung his eyes. Behind him the sun was 

rising out of the ocean in a pale of spray. The aircraft was less than three thousand yards away now and Duncan could make out it's unique V-shaped fuselage. As it lined up to land the plane turned on its lights. The major smiled as the aircraft suddenly flew straight up, stopped in mid-air and swooped down like a paper plane to land effortlessly on the bucking carrier deck.

A sturdy figure rose from the cockpit and climbed stiffly down the ladder that groundcrew had deployed. Major Duncan jogged across the deck. The chilly morning wind whipped through him despite his wool-lined jacket, thick pants and boots. The figure staggered against the wind to meet him and pounded him on the back. "Man Duncan, it's colder than a wet Christmas up there, but I love flying that plane." Duncan's stiff, stubbly face creased into a smile. "I know what you mean Captain."

He glanced behind his friend's back at the strange, tailess aircraft. "The XF-41 is one strange bird, but it can pull a turn like nothing I've ever seen. I can turn so tight in it that I get queasy." Captain Charles Baker, or "Chum" as the squadron called him, began pacing the deck, suddenly sober. 

"Yeah, it can turn tight all right. Several test pilots died after blacking out on a tight turn, pulling to many G's. We got lucky that this plane ever got out of the laboratory." Duncan fell in step alongside Chum. "Another thing about that plane, you can fly it straight up and it won't ever stop. Doesn't stall or anything, just keeps going up. It's incredible, like the air currents don't even touch it." Chum reached the barracks door. "Yep, Incredible machine, make sure those powder boys don't overfill my 

fuel tanks." And he was gone.

Duncan leaned against the superstructure, sheltered from the worst of the wind, and glanced at the beautiful sunset. His blue eyes narrowed. A tiny speck rose from the sun-drenched sea. The carrier's radar seemed to see it at the same instant because alarms began blaring across the deck. Groundcrew 

sprang out of hatches and raced across the deck. Duncan slipped through the door and steel hallways crowded with red lights and piping towards the briefing room.

A dozen pilots met him there, buckling on webgear and harnesses. The squadron's chief officer, Burt 

Bannister, stood at the chalkboard. "Listen up boys. We have a problem. Nobody but the occasional fishing boat is supposed to be crazy enough to sail this far south. But some lost Japanese patrol plane has been spotted. Speed is everything. Our escorting Wildcat fighters are not fueled yet. So I am deploying  Phantom Squadron to take down that plane before it can tell the enemy anything. Remember

how important it is to keep these new planes secret. They could change the war. You think you can catch that nosy pontoon-scooter?" "Yes Sir" echoed the pilots.

Duncan charged back on deck and sprinted to his XF-41. He patted the blue sparrow painted on the nose for luck and jumped into the cockpit. He skipped the takeoff checklist, this was an emergency.

Goggles on, oxygen tank and electric heating plugged in, windshield lowered, fuel mixture full rich. He had done this too many times to forget anything. The twin engines roared to life as the groundcrew spun the props. Duncan wiped his foggy cockpit glass and taxied over to the takeoff strip. His XF-41 lurched across the icy deck, followed by the other four planes of Phantom Squadron.

Takeoff. Major Duncan swooped off of the deck and sailed into the blue sky, his controls throbbing and shaking from the twin engines. His four-plane command lined up behind him, sweeping the skies for the scout plane. Duncan raced northeast, the last known direction of their target. 

At 7:43 AM they saw it, gliding across the clouds. Duncan opened his throttle all the way. Slowly, so slowly it seemed, they drew closer. The scout must have seen them. It banked away and turned west.

Duncan wondered what the enemy pilot must be thinking. The five XF-41's made a strange sight, some sort of bat, not your usual bird. Scary. Duncan shook his head, to clear it. He needed to focus on the mission.

Duncan could clearly make out the blood red rising sun insignia on the scout's wings now. He glanced down the gunsights and fired a burst of shells from the twin canons mounted in the XF-41's nose. The bright stream of tracers fell short. Patience, Duncan scolded himself, wait until you can't miss.

Duncan maneuvered his flight until they were right above the fleeing scout plane. He gripped his radio, palms sweaty inside his leather gloves. "O.K. Phantom's, lets go get 'em." The Major pushed forward his stick and his plane responded instantly, swooping down on his target. A quick burst of shells and he raced past the enemy plane. One after another his flight followed him in. Purple shell bursts rippled through the scout. It's pontoon was blown off and whirled down to the water. One of the targets wings was shredded, it's tail rudders torn off. Somehow the scout kept flying, sweeping and straggling through the sky. 

Duncan came for a final pass from below, Flying straight up. This is why he became a pilot, to do the things that nobody else could, the thrilling feelings, of flying upside down, of rolling and even going straight up. Major Duncan pulled the trigger. The purple puffs of doom followed the scout as it dove in a desperate bid to survive. Duncan followed, and overshot his target. He yanked back the stick. The whole plane shuddered, diving towards the rolling sea. For an instant He thought that the ailerons had jammed. Then the XF-41 curved upwards, the wings slicing white trails in the wind. Duncan felt faint, 8 G's pushing his head back into the seat. His plane shuddered straight, his eyes cleared and he was flying point-blank towards the enemy scout. Duncan squeezed the trigger and rolled his plane to the side. The enemy scout whooshed past him, exploded into flaming debris and hit the Pacific Ocean in a burst of spray.

Duncan and his flight headed home. He removed his goggles to wipe them clear of fog. It was still extremely cold in this cockpit and the controls were stiff. But he would not trade it for a seat in any other plane in the world. This plane couldn't carry many guns, or fly very far, or fly very fast. But it 

could turn like no other. It was just plain FUN to fly.

Phantom Squadron settled in for their approach and one by one touched down on the aircraft carrier Hector. Duncan came to a stop, shut down the engines and raised the cockpit. He stood, stretching, the salty air stinging his eyes, wind rumpling his flightsuit, and gazed into the Pacific sunrise.

Metal Spring

Hi readers.

I am back and can begin replying to comments more often. My trip was quite inspiring and someone asked me to come up with a twist on the generic poems about spring. So here it is. Wrote it in the sunset while I was supposed to be studying. Please comment and tell me what you think of it.

Metal Spring

My ice cocoon cracks.

Oh! My hydraulics!

Spring.

Sensors click on,

and pick up sound,

trickling.

Memory banks crammed with data,

remember civilizations,

burning.

I rise from the puddle,

gears on green turf,

churning.

Programmed for war,

I watch peace,

returning.

Missiles hang useless,

I am a robot,

healing.

Not valid targets,

dappled deer,

spring.

Steel Beast Handler

Steel Beast Handler

Now For a much overdue post. My new job is the culprit for my recent tardiness. But it was also the inspiration for this little poem. Please comment below and tell me what you think and how you think it could be improved. I am always glad to see comments.

It roars to life, my Steel Beast.

Oil dripping from it's jaws.

Settles to a growl and roars again.

Hungry and eager to begin.

It's hot breath is on my hand.

I grip it tight, ready to stop

the Beast, to reign it in.

I lead it to the feast, and the Beast,

roaring in anticipation, bites deep.

It bites with metal teeth and spits,

 spraying me with chips and dust.

Devouring everything it can reach,

the Beast fills the air with howls.

Leaping up, it tries to bite me,

the filed teeth snapping at my face.

Now the Beast thirsts and I slake it, 

pouring a cocktail into it's roaring maw.

I file it's teeth as it sleeps, panting,

hot and always hungry.

Again I awake the tireless creature

and we walk through the forest,

A handler and the Steel Beast called

Chainsaw.

Welcome Aboard Captain

Welcome Aboard Captain

Captain Jokko Moranian materialized in the transporter room without his usual dashing grin, he was nervous about this new command. He had spent four years on impulse transports and a internship aboard a dirty dwarven freighter but nothing like this. An assignment to the Dragonheart, the Triumvirate’s newest hybrid starship, on a 5 year voyage of discovery. Who was he, to be given this momentous commission? Jokko brushed away his uneasy thoughts, straightened his impeccably pressed microfiber uniform and cleared his throat.

The room was as clean as his uniform, sparkling white tile and gentle blue light panels. The floor was green carbon carpet. Jokko went over to the wall and pressed a panel. The panel slid up. There, beyond a forcefield and 6ooo kilometers of empty space lay the planet Earth. Great, rotting megacities lay on it like a brown stain. Enormous banks of polluted fog rolled over irradiated oceans. And here and there, small patches of green, small but growing. Trees retaking the world, healing the soil. It would take 6000 years before Earth returned to its former glory. And humanity could never have done it alone. Mankind had only realized what the price would be when they had ruined every beauty, spent every resource and looked up from the grim ruin of relentless Industrialism and realized that they could no longer see the sun.

All was lost, hope had fled, the remains of civilization hid, buried themselves in virtual worlds run on failing electricity or inside vaults and tunnels. And then came the Elves, blasting through the garbage belts and smog of Earth's poisoned atmosphere in their sleek, silver and green ships. When least expected they came from the sky, with biotechnology no one dreamed was possible, but more importantly with hope and beauty and order. Elves, stern but compassionate that began to heal the Earth and helped humans take their first step into the stars.

Jakko started as a young man trotted into the room, tucking in his uniform shirt and smoothing back his blonde hair subconsciously, even though the regulation haircut left precious little to smooth. He shook Jakko's hand, an old earth custom, then saluted formally. "Welcome aboard captain. I'm Corgo Morek, your first officer. Sorry about the reception, but I drank too much elven Silvis last night and overslept." Jakko gave the merest hint of a smile. "Is this by any chance your first assignment Mr. Corgo?" The first officer fell into step besides his captain as they headed through the automatic door and down the hall. "I hardly think that they would send a rookie onto a ship like the Dragonheart sir. I have three years in a Triumvirate cruiser, the Jaguar. We stopped the revolt in the Mars colonies, the Phobos incident."

Jakko was impressed, this man looked inexperienced but he was already a veteran, a quiet hero. During the Phobos incident the Jaguar had been heavily damaged by the rebel Martian colonists but had managed to almost singlehandedly destroy the rebel fleet of modified mining ships.  

As they walked a door leading into the hall whooshed open for a crewman to enter. Corgo indicated it. "Sir, this is sickbay." Jokko swept into the sickbay, taking in the perfectly sterile white walls and neat beds bolted to the floor amid retractable cabinets of medical supplies. He noted the hooks and loops installed in the ceiling. The wonders of dwarven technology had made artificial gravity possible, but there were still provisions for stabilizing patients in zero gravity. Off to his right a slight woman turned and fluttered up to him, hovering on glassy wings. Jokko was startled. She wore the regulation green microfibre shirt, pressed pants and brown jacket emblazoned with the Sigil of the Triumvirate, but also tiny slippers instead of the usual boots. She was small, like a child, with a gentle face. Corgo noticed that his captain was staring and coughed. "Captain Moranian, this is Seelo, our chief medical officer." Seelo smiled and took the captain's hand. Her voice tinkled like a little bell. 'Has the captain ever met a fairy before?" Jokko blinked. “Uh, no, heard of fairies, but never met one, mostly traveled the Earth-Homestone route, nice to meet you and, uh.” Jokko realized that he was rambling and fell silent. There was an uneasy silence. He looked around, desperately wishing that the fairy had a patient to care for, but all he saw were rows of tricorders and several full-body scanners. Seelo hovered respectfully. Corgo rolled his eyes behind his captain’s back and coughed. “Uh, sir, would you like to see engineering?” Jokko breathed in relief. “Thank you first officer Morek, let’s get going.” The captain rushed out of sickbay and trotted down the hall, nearly colliding with two crewmen heading the other way. He returned their panicked salutes and slipped into the hydrolift. Seelo turned back to retuneing the instruments. Her new captain was much younger and less disciplined than she had expected, but there was no malice or haughty pride in his heart.

The hydrolift deposited Corgo and his captain at engineering. In sickbay it had been so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop. Here the air throbbed with a constant roar. Before them lay a gray room 300 yards square lit by harsh yellow lights and crowded with machinery. Engineers hurried from panel to panel, finishing the final checkouts. Corgo motioned one of them over. “Captain, this is Chief engineer Darvas Stoneheaver.” Darvas was a dwarf, four feet tall, with a fluffy red beard and piercing blue eyes. He looked Jokko over, seized the captain’s hand in his own iron grip and shook it until his new superior’s eyes watered. “Sure is nice tae meetcha cap’n. Didn’t expect sich a pretty boy gittin charge of this boat, beggin yer pardon sir, an’ no disrespect intended.” Jokko nodded, still trying to process the dwarf’s thick accent. “So what are you doing right now?” He asked. Darvas beamed under his beard. “I’ve been makin’ some adjustments tae the Inversion Reactor.” He waved in the direction of the center of the room. Jokko looked up and took a closer look at the massive cylinder bulging with pipes, the heart of the dragon. The walls vibrated and hummed. Several of the rivets dotting its base glowed red-hot. Darvas chuckled at the look of dismay that washed offer his captain’s face. “Ach, dinna worry about tha reactor sir. She’s my baby, an’ I won’t let nothin’ go wrong wi’ her.” Jokko swallowed, not convinced. “And if something, uh, goes wrong?” Darvas never stopped smiling. “Well sir, that reactor operates on the infinite inversion principle an’ she is lined with the metal of Azokathom. If there were a serious leak tha heat of a sun would seep through the quantum relay an’ burn a hole clean through this ship from end to end.” The dwarf walloped his unnerved captain on the back and escorted him back to the hydrolift. “Dinna worry cap’n. There ain’t no danger, this reactor should last fer a thousand years. You just fly me ship an’ let me worry about the propulsion. Darvas was still chuckling as the officer’s left on the lift. The new captain was a good sport, he just hoped Jokko knew what he was getting into.

The hydrolift was as silent as death after the racket of engineering. Jokko felt sweat on his forehead, from the heat in engineering, he told himself. “I’ve been on five dwarven ships in my career, and I never seem to get used to the Inversion Reactor.” Corgo sensed his captain’s unease. “Well sir, without the dwarves and their amazing reactors we wouldn’t be going on this five earth-year cruise, exploring the universe. Only a 500 year old dwarf like Darvas would understand the reactor. Imagining how to harness near-infinite energy still baffles me, even the layman’s explanation leaves my head spinning.” Jokko felt relieved that his first officer knew as little about dwarven technology as he did. “I still wish that we could have got the elves to lend a hometree for the Dragonheart.” Corgo shivered. “Well captain, personally I prefer riding on a dwarven radiation-bomb to trusting my skin to some hocus-pocus magic tree.” Jokko was baffled by Corgo’s hostility towards magic. The elves disdained conventional technology and powered their ships with magic, an ethereal energy that flowed in channels through space. They used sentient plants called “hometrees” as ship computers. A single hometree could simultaneously maintain artigrav, cycle air and pump water throughout the ship, coordinate communications and, with the help of an elven mediator, open a “splice” in a channel of magic, propelling a ship through space at many times the speed of light.  

The two officers got off of the hydrolift at level 5. Corgo pointed down a hallway packed with crewmen. “This way to the bridge Captain.” Jokko pushed forwards. Crewmen quickly got out of the way when they saw the double gold bars on his sleeve. But Corgo was not so lucky. He tripped over a hovercart full of replicators. Jokko pushed on, unaware. He hoped that things would be more orderly once the ship got into open space. Confused by the crowd he turned into a side-hall, and again into a room marked 10-4. This appeared to be a lounge or bar of some kind. Everyone was busy getting the ship stocked. Two dwarves passed him carrying boxes of drinks for the bar. Jokko’s legs were aching after his long stroll through the ship. He began wishing that he had spent more time working out in the Fleet Academy gym and less time loafing in bars like this one, getting chummy with fellow cadets.

As Jokko headed for a couch to rest he was jostled by a trio of rowdy ensign’s. He considered reprimanding them, but decided to let it go. Everyone in the bar froze as a deep voice bellowed across the room. “Hold it there, you orcish scum.” A towering man strode across the room and glowered over the ensigns, his muscles rippling under a short-sleeved uniform shirt. “You spunkless trollings, you dare to pass your commanding officer without saluting? I should throw you goons out of the airlock. Sixteen demerits and sanitation duty for you, now do it right.” The cowering ensign’s saluted, as did everyone else in the room. The muscled man, obviously an officer, turned to Jokko and saluted. “Chief of security Baran Hew reporting sir.” Jokko resisted the temptation to take a step back and hoped that Baran couldn’t see his knees shaking. “Uh, very good Chief Baran.” He turned on what he hoped was still his winning smile. “I am sort of, confused about where the bridge is.” Baran pointed to a microchip panel embedded in the wall. “Is the ship computer broken?” Jokko walked over to the panel, feeling very ignorant. “Thank you, that will be all Chief Baran.” Baran watched as his new captain asked the computer for directions and hurried out of 10-4. He liked this guy, who was obviously intimidated enough to be not stupid but brave enough to avoid being a coward. Jokko seemed a little distracted, but it took everyone time to get used to this ship.

Corgo found his captain in barracks hall 21, chatting with two ensigns about developments in hydroponics. “Captain, sorry I lost you there.” Jokko bid the ensigns farewell and resumed his walk. “That’s alright, my new Chief of Security found me.” Corgo turned pale. “I hope he didn’t scare you sir, I mean, well, he grew up as an enforcer in the Mars colony. He can be rough but he is really a nice guy once you get used to him. Rather protective. Not that you would be scared, I mean.” Jokko held up a hand to stop his first officer’s flow. “I was scared for a minute there.” Corgo was silent. Jokko laughed. “Yes, even brave starship captains get scared sometimes. I remember my first time I entered slipspace. I nearly threw up on the bridge, not from the trip but from being so nervous. It amused my captain to no end.” Officer Morek smiled. “The first time we ran the Orc battle simulation in the holoroom I actually fainted. Scared my teachers. They gave me a “energy shield” on the next run to boost my confidence.”

The two reached the last lift and arrived at the bridge. As the doors opened Corgo straightened to attention and called out “Captain on the bridge.” As one the half-dozen people sitting at control stations stood, turned and stood at attention. Corgo led the captain to a side panel where a young man with curly hair and blue eyes stood stiffly. “This is Dingo Komandus, our tactical officer.” Dingo smiled and shook his captain’s hand. “Just you tell me where to fire the torpedoes captain and I’ll be cool.” Corgo nodded. “Dingo is always cool. And this is Elara Silvaru, our communications officer.” Elara was an elf, with long, pointed ears and spiky white hair. Dingo’s station had been covered in taped notes and several instruction manuals. But Jokko could see his own reflection in the glistening instrument panels of Elara’s station. She stood at perfect attention, green eyes straight ahead. Jokko ran his hand along the instruments as if looking for dust, although he was really looking for something to say. “Very good, um, what are your qualifications tactical officer Elara?”

Elara kept her eyes straight ahead, her voice snapping out perfect syllables. “300 years of experience in the Elven guard, including 27 years 4 months as a mediator. Graduated Triumvirate Fleet Academy with honors. Majored in Communications, Diplomacy, Navigation and Tactical Operations. 6 years’ experience in the Triumvirate Fleet as Comms officer, recommended by the Elven Ambassador Mellion and Tulias, Prefector of the Trium office of liaison coordination. Perfect record, no demerits. Three commendations.”

 Jokko was nodding as a reflex action. He extended his hand and Elara shook it before returning to attention. It may have been his imagination, but her hand seemed cold, like gripping ice. He moved on the next station. Corgo whispered in his ear. “Elara is very proud of herself. One of the ensigns who knows elvish heard her say that she could run the whole ship herself, and I almost believe it. I keep asking her questions and she always has the answer.” 

“Now this.” Said Corgo in his normal voice. “This is helmsman Root Taku.” A dark-skinned man with serious brown eyes took Jokko’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you sir.” Something in his grip made the captain felt more confident, felt that he could trust helmsman Root completely, with anything. “Likewise Officer Taku.”

Jokko turned around to the Navigator’s seat and found himself facing a beardless, nervous youth with large, round ears. Corgo suddenly sounded uneasy. “This is Ensign James Chevo.” Jokko turned back to his first officer. “Ensign? This kid can’t be over 20 earth-years old. Why is he the Navigator?” Corgo began smoothing his short hair. “Sir, we are already behind schedule for the launch. And when our assigned Navigator suffered a serious injury two days ago I had to improvise and find the best qualified replacement.” Jokko was still not reassured. “How qualified is he?” Corgo stood straight and with an effort kept his hands away from his hair. “James is older than he looks. He is not really human, he is a Shortling and almost 24 years old. And he is a fully qualified Navigator who graduated with honors, as well as the best non-dwarf engineer I know.” Jokko let his frown fade a smidge. “Captain, He may be inexperienced, but I personally vouch for James. And if you insist I have two other people who can Navigate if necessary. But it takes several hours to fill out a transfer application and several days to get is approved. We must launch today.” Jokko nodded and turned back to James. The young Navigator shook his hand warmly, giving out a winning, chubby-cheeked smile. “Don’t worry Captain, I won’t fail you.”

Jokko restrained himself from wiping the sweat from his forehead. Making a good impression on his new crew was hard work, perhaps he was overdoing it. Corgo broke in on his captain’s thoughts. “Sir, your Science Officer, Tuol S’cop.” A tall elf stood straight before him. Jokko was impressed, not just by his perfect uniform and station, but by how regal he looked. High cheekbones, straight eyebrows, impeccable poise and blue eyes that seemed to stare at some distant galaxy. The captain extended his hand for the mandatory handshake. He had lots of practice, one had to shake a lot of hands-and other appendages, to become a captain. But meeting all of his officers in such a short space of time was putting stress on his hand and his good humor. Tuol did not help, gripping Jokko’s hand so firmly that the captain fought back tears threatening to escape his eyes. He decided not ask about his Science Officer’s qualifications. Elves were always so annoyingly accomplished. “Well, glad to have you aboard Tuol.” Tuol raised his eyebrows a fraction. Jokko coughed and glanced at Corgo, who leaned in. “He doesn’t say much captain, not chatty.” Tuol shifted his electronic tablet and glanced at it. “Captain, we have been given permission to launch. I have checked all of the equations and we are ready begin our voyage.” Jokko ran his hand over a console. “What about the Inversion Reactor?” Tuol didn’t glance at his tablet. “Operating at 110% power, full efficiency.” Jokko turned to Officer Morek. “So, have I met everybody?” Corgo smiled mischievously. “You can relax now captain. There are only 3026 more people on this ship that you must meet. But they will understand if you just talk over the intercom for now.” Captain Jokko Moranian took a deep breath, straightened his impeccably pressed microfibre uniform and sat in the Captain’s chair.

 “Officer Elara, open a shipwide channel.” A beep. “Attention crew of the Dragonheart. This is Captain Jokko Moranian. I’m not great at making speeches, so I’ll keep it short. Today we set out into Space, that final frontier. Our mission is a five-year voyage into the depths of the universe. To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man, no dwarf, no elf has ever gone before.”

Jokko switched off the intercom and swatted his combadge. “Engineering, are we ready for Warp?” Darvas’s deep voice bellowed back. “Aye cap’n. Ready fer Inversion on yer mark.” Jokko winced and lowered the volume. “James, plot a course for…oh, somewhere in the Beta quadrant.” James activated his charming smile as he punched in the numbers. “Course set Captain.” “Mr. Tuol, release the mooring lines.” “Mooring lines and stabilizers released Captain.” Jokko spun his chair, sinking into the soft fabric. “Mr. Chevo, one-half impulse please.” The Shortling pushed forward the throttle with infinite care. “One half impulse Captain.”

The Dragonheart swung out off Homestation 2 with grace, it’s dozen impulse engines pulsing with blue fire. In three minutes the ship had cleared the dock. Jokko relaxed, his back muscles loosening. He had worried all day, about his crew, how they saw him, if they were capable, if they would respect him. Now, at the helm of the newest ship in the Fleet, embarking on the most unique and challenging mission of his career, with a bridge full of new friends that he was learning to trust, that were beginning to trust him, Jokko began to feel at home.

James glanced at his consol. “Captain, we are clear of Earth’s magnetic field.” Jokko ran his hands over the armrests of his chair. “Commence inversion on my mark Mr. Chevo. Three, two, one, mark.”

Beams of read plasma rippled from the Dragonheart and whirled in a spiral, faster and faster. The ship’s engines glowed, emanating a purple aura. 500 yards from the prow a wormhole appeared, bending space and time. Beads of plasma drew the ship into the gaping abyss. There was a final blinding flash, a backwash of red plasma and the Dragonheart was gone.

I hope you enjoyed this short story, which is a blend of the fantasy genre with the classic TV show Star Trek. Please comment below and tell me how I did and what I could have done better. And maybe recommend my blog to other bloggers, because I am trying to expand my audience.

Thank you for reading. Merry Christmas

Ultimate Avenger: Into the Sun

Ultimate Avenger

Smoke poured out of the broken wreckage of skyscrapers. Thousands of Chitauri littered the blackened streets of Detroit. Above the embattled city a giant world-ship floated, Chitauri sky-chariots streaming from it's hangars. The mad Titan Thanos gazed down upon Earth, below him he beheld a circle of tiny specks, the Avengers, this planet's pitiful guardians. All the might of his armies was concentrated on them. Soon the only beings capable of stopping him would be slain.

Thanos settled back in his floating throne and flexed his arm. There was nothing so satisfying as conquering a planet, watching millions of life-forms plead for mercy. . .and then destroying them. A lowly slave approached him, not daring to look upon him. She presented him with his golden Infinity Gauntlet. Thanos slipped it on, admiring the Green stone gleaming in it's center. He had not used this in a while. Thanos decided he should test it, no good going into battle with a faulty weapon. He turned to the slave and smiled. "Run". She only got halfway to the observation deck door before a green beam of energy melted her. The gauntlet still worked.

On the streets of Detroit the battle for Earth raged. Captain Steve Rogers caught a dozen laser blasts on his shield and threw a grenade into a squad of Chitauri. A block away The Vision's forehead shone as his Mind Gem took control of a huge floating space wyrm. The wyrm turned and plowed through a squadron of sky chariots. Hawkeye leaped from rooftop to rooftop, pelting the alien invaders with arrows. Thor landed beside Captain America and blasted a chariot out of the air with a streak of lightning. The Asgardian was grinning. "It has been to long since I fought such a glorious battle." Steve glanced around and saw a dozen civilians lying dead outside a mall. "The longer this battle lasts the more people will die. These things just keep coming, just like New York." Thor lost his smile and threw his hammer, knocking a space wyrm into a building. Iron Man landed behind them. "We need to take down that world-ship. We do that and every one of these aliens will go kaput." Steve looked up at the vast starship casting a shadow over the city. "O.K. Barton, Romanov, Scarlet and me will hold down the fort while Thor, Hulk, The vision and you fly up and get that ship into space. If it gets destroyed here half the city will go with it.

Thanos glanced down through the observation room force field and noticed the little heroes blasting through the atmosphere towards him. They had finally deduced that this ship was the key to his conquest. In a way he was pleased. They would almost be a good challenge.

Thor arrived first. His mighty hammer carried him through the force field and onto a balcony. A few yards away Thanos floated in his chair. Thor fired lighting at him. The green gem glittered and a lightning rod appeared between them, channeling the bolt into the world-ship. Thanos smiled. Tendrils of energy whipped out of the gauntlet, swirled around Thor's defenses and stabbed at him with piercing blades. Iron Man rocketed into the room and fired bursts of power from his palms. Thanos was hurled out of his chair. Now he was annoyed. A gleaming green T'Mirak crystal raced across the room and latched onto Thor's chest-plate, burning with unbearable heat. Iron man raised his arms for fire again but green tendrils slammed him into the wall, holding his arms in place and tearing apart his armor. Thor tore at the slippery crystal and toppled off of the balcony into space.

Vision had taken a little longer to get to the ship because he was giving the Hulk a boost. He flew into the room and took in the scene at a glance. He tossed Hulk at Thanos and caught a battered Anthony Stark as the tendrils released him. Hulk lashed out, catching Thanos by surprise. The Titan slammed through a wall, but was ready for the follow up punch. He caught the Hulk's fist and held it there, seemingly without effort. Hulk kicked at him. Thanos sidestepped it and kicked the beast's other leg out from under it. He had memorized several hundred pressure points for every type of humanoid species. As Hulk leaped back to his feet Thanos threw his first punch of the battle, right under The Hulk's chin. The green beast's head snapped back and Dr. Bruce Banner sailed through several walls and out into orbit.

Back on the ground the Avengers regrouped in a warehouse. Steve leaned against a crate and shook his head. Clint Barton and Romanov were busy helping the National Guard to hold a perimeter. Thor lay propped up against a forklift, burn marks all over his chest, his beard burned away. Tony Stark tried to rise and sank back with a cry. Scarlet Witch was using her telekinetic power to hold shut his stab wounds and stitch them shut. The Vision flew into the warehouse, holding the sleeping form of Bruce Banner in his arms. He told Steve about the being they had fought in the ship. Steve tried to think, although the laser burn on his leg made it tough. They had to stop the aliens, but more would always come from the ship. They had to destroy the ship, but a being in the ship had stopped them. So, they had to destroy the being.

As Steve shared his thoughts with the remains of his team Stark raised his hand. Steve knelt, removing the Billionaire's oxygen mask so that he could speak. "I've got a crazy plan." Steve looked around at the others. "Right now I would try anything."

Thanos flew across the room and sat back in his chair. The invasion of Earth was going well. He decided to send some space wyrms over to the country named Japan. Shake up Asia a bit. Several laser batteries fired up and spewed streams of energy into the sky, shooting down the missiles that the earthling army had been sending up all day. Even if any got through they would not penetrate the energy shield surrounding the world-ship. He noticed another figure flying up straight towards him. Another hero come to challenge the invincible Thanos. He signaled the laser turrets to leave it alone and sat back in his chair to wait.

Thor's hammer Mjnolnir hit his chair, shattering it into a thousand splinters. Thanos smashed through the ceiling, and another, and another. His head felt rather sore after blasting through all 300 stories of the world-ship and into orbit. Thanos turned to observe his new attacker. Before him hovered a suit of powered armor, forged of a gold-titanium alloy. The armored figure held in one hand the hammer Mjnolnir, in the other hand the vibranium shield of Captain America.

The Iron Man helmet opened. The calm purple eyes of The Vision gazed back at him. He looked about to say something. No doubt some appeal to his humanity or reason, thought Thanos. He had no time for this. The tendrils of green energy streaked from the gem towards Vision. The android fired his suit's thrusters and whirled aside. Vision tried to find an opening. But Thanos surrounded himself with a whirling mist of green. Vision darted forwards, but but the mist swirled towards him and he pulled back. Thanos was playing a cautious game, analyzing his enemy's abilities. Vision pulled away as if retreating, then raced forwards, sheltered by his shield, and smashed through the net of energy. Thanos turned to recieve a blow from Mjnolir that made his head ring and hurtled him out into space. The Titan stopped his tumbling, just in time to receive another blow from the hammer. Vision hit him again and again. Thanos lashed out with his gem, forming a huge hammer sweeping through space. Vision took the blow on his shield and struck Thanos again. He reeled, somersaulting through space before the moon stopped his fall. Thanos rose to his feet. He had never lost a fight, and he never would. He formed a wall of green energy between himself and Vision. The android struck it with his hammer, to no effect. Thanos began to recover confidence. Vision could not pierce his defense. Soon he would find this challenger's weakness and destroy him. Then he noticed that his world-ship was no longer hovering above Earth.

Captain Steve Rogers gazed through the porthole as the world-ship blasted past Venus. He wore one of Stark's suits of armor to protect him from the cold of space. Falcon had flown him up to the world-ship while Thanos was busy. It had taken Steve a few minutes to take out the Chitauri guards on the bridge. The navigation system was very strange, but J.A.R.V.I.S. had talked him through it. Now the world-ship was on a new heading, straight into the sun. Steve sighed, he would miss his friends back on Earth, but he HAD insisted on carrying out this plan himself. A dozen Chitauri warriors came clattering down a hallway towards the bridge. Steve was ready for them.

Thanos saw in an instant how he had been deceived. He made his decision, dropping the unbreakable wall and racing after the world-ship. Vision followed him, blasting at the Titan with his mind gem. Thanos focused all his power on speed and slowly began to pull away. Vision threw Mjolnir. Thanos felt it coming and barely dodged it. Vision was still losing the race. He was too bulky. The android launched every missile in the armored suit at Thanos. The space around him was filled with a ripple of explosions. Thanos lost control again and tumbled off course.
Steve kicked the last Chitauri warrior into the wall and turned back to the porthole. The sun now filled his view, a unimaginably gigantic yellow orb. Dozens of warnings flashed on the alien control panel. Steve looked away, studying some strange markings on the wall. This was the part about being a soldier he liked least.

Thanos had lost the race to the world-ship. Vision floated between him and the receding spacecraft. Thanos reactivated his energy wall, keeping it between himself and Vision as he circled around towards his ship."Do you think losing that ship will hurt me?" He taunted the implacable android. "I will return with more Chitauri, or simply conquer your planet alone. You can do nothing against my power." No reply. Thanos got between Vision and the ship. Now he backed towards his prize. Vision closed the helmet over his face, but then noticed a warning. Steve Rogers was in the world-ship. If he did not act Steve would die. Thanos felt the enormous gravity of the Sun tugging at him. He shifted away. To bad about the world-ship, but it was replaceable.

Vision struck, slamming into the energy wall. Thanos watched calmly as he hammered the wall with Mjolnir and his mind stone. Vision drew back to plan. The world-ship was gleaming red now, shaking apart under the strain of gravity. Vision forced himself to focus, focus all his power on one square inch of the energy wall.  He blasted it with all he had, his hammer, his mind stone and the arc reactor on his chest. And the energy wall broke. Thanos did not have time to cringe before Vision streaked forwards and kicked him into the Sun.

Vision flew towards the disintegrating world-ship, he pierced the shattered hull and plunged to the bridge. The glare and heat were terrible. Steve lay on the floor, sliding towards the view-port in the grip of the Sun's gravity. His armor was flaking away in charred embers. Vision grabbed him and boosted away. The world-ship peeled away around him, plunging into the sun. Vision strained, the boosters on his suit failed. He was held in place by gravity, unable to retreat an inch from the rippling ball of gas that was cooking Steve to a turn. Vision felt his strength ebbing, slowly he slid backwards, away from Earth. The blue planet was just a speck now, another point of light in the enormity of space. The Vision looked down at Captain America, who he held tucked under one arm. Any moment now the armor that stood between his comrade and space would chip off and Steve would die.
Vision slid back another centimeter and looked away from the searing sun. There on his wrist hung Mjnolnir. He threw the hammer away and lurched forwards a few feet. Again he threw it, and again. Steve must have regained consciousness because his boosters came on. Faster and faster the two Avengers pulled away. And then they were streaking away, carving through space towards Earth. Three minutes before they landed Steve Roger's suit fell apart, blowing away like leaves in the autumn. On the ground Hawkeye and Thor rushed over to see the Captain. Steve blinked and coughed on some ashes. "I guess I'm gonna have a pretty good tan." He said. Thor thwacked Vision on the back. "Truly, you are a mighty warrior. Can I have my hammer back?" Everyone smiled in spite of themselves. Wade Wilson, the Falcon and the recovering Dr. Banner joined the group. The Avengers were again united and the Earth was free.

Thanos floated in the center of the Sun. His mighty eyes watered in the heat of the plasma exploding all around him. His stomach cramped in the gravity. If he had required air to breath it would have burned in his lungs. He would not die, but could not bear to live in this burning maelstrom of pain. The green stone in his fist glowed, brighter than bright and slowly, ever so slowly, an inch at a time, Thanos began to move, out of the heart of the Sun

Thanks for reading my story. It's just a first draft. Please comment below and tell me how I did. 

Ancient Avengers

Ancient Avengers

The Shawarma restaurant was crowded that evening. Captain Steve Rogers stopped at the door, glancing up at the skyline of New York. The city had not changed much in the past hundred years. He winced at the pain that shot through his back and stepped inside, breathing in the spicy aroma of the Turkish eatery. He glanced around and saw them, sitting in a table corner, giving orders to the robot waiter. Steve strode over and smiled. The hundredth anniversary reunion of the Battle of New York was in full swing.

Steve sat down slowly and glanced around at the familiar faces. Anthony Stark was wedged against the window. He was wearing his iron man armor. But Stark had to wear it these days. He was nearly 150 years old and his health was not the best. He had designed a suit that monitored his vital signs and carried all his medical equipment. It would even shock him if he went into cardiac arrest. But Stark was still perky. He glanced up, fixing a cybernetic eye on Steve. "Hey, the old man made it. You look good for 200." It was true. Steve's skin might be a little wrinkled, his frame a little thinner, but he still carried himself tall.

The robot turned to Steve. "What shall it be Mr.Rogers?" Steve started, he was still not used to how they knew his name just by scanning his bio-metrics. "Uh, the usual." The robot instantly recalled Steve's profile and ordering history. "Shawarma? Very good sir." A old man across from Rogers spoke through a bushy white beard. "Hey, Steve. Earn any medals lately?" Steve smiled, that old easy smile of his. After New York he had stuck with S.H.I.E.L.D. but eventually rejoined the U.S. army and served for four tours in the Middle East. He had quickly become the most decorated soldier in the service, earning several Purple Hearts, the Medal of Honor and the Silver Star, as well as several medals from other nations. He had saved the lives of countless soldiers and personally captured or killed hundreds of enemies. Soldiers had written books full of his exploits. Finally the army promoted him to major general and stuck him behind a desk, reluctant to lose their most valuable soldier. Steve had had enough of the army anyway and had retired, married an old friend from S.H.I.E.L.D. and settled down. But he still made the headlines when he stopped a armed robbery and was given the keys to the city of Brooklyn by the mayor. "No medals these days. How about you Dr. Banner, they run out of awards to give you yet?"

Banner stroked his white beard and adjusted his glasses, which he still preferred even though ultra-compact contact lenses were now available. "Well, they gave me my second Nobel Prize last year. For physics of course. I just published this paper on radiation effects on the Mars colony and the consequences for communication. And they drag me to Switzerland and give me a little gold man for it." Stark broke in. He was always the center of attention. "Of course you would have been spared that if I hadn't built that colony ship for Mars Industries and practically gave it away to them."

Banner looked around at the patrons enjoying their meals, people from every walk of life. "I don't enjoy thinking about the battle of New York, but if it had never happened, if we had never become a team, the world would be much worse off." Stark grinned. "Yeah, when everybody in the universe saw what we could do, they got real quiet. This guy called Aldreich Killian came to my place a week after the battle and asked if I would please help him with this radical treatment called Extremis. The guy was a nut, the stuff was unstable but he had given it to a bunch of ex-army guys. But he couldn't make a move, knowing we would all show up and trash his party. We managed to stabilize a mild form of Extremis, practically cured cancer." Steve nodded. "Thanks for helping me out when H.Y.D.R.A. activated project Insight. If it wasn't for Stark those helicarriers would have gotten airborne." Stark nodded modestly, which was hard for him to do.

Steve took a drink of water. "They offered me a cameo appearance in our movie." Banner looked up. "What movie?" Stark took up the slack. "You know all those documentaries they did, about how we saved the world? Well now they are making a 4D movie about it. They just finished picking the cast. It's called "Earth's Mightiest Heroes". Don't worry guys, our rights are well protected, we get a dollar every time someone goes to see it."

The robot arrived and served their Shawarma. Steve looked up from the saucy meat pastry. "So, is Clint showing up this year?" Stark suddenly looked older. "You still don't follow the news, do you Steve? Clint Barton died last month in Ontario, from a heart attack."

They all sat silent for a moment, First Natasha Romanov, now Barton. Even Colonel Rhodes was dead, killed in a hovercar collision in D.C. Every year it seemed, another familiar face was gone.
The silence was broken by a rumble outside. A beam of pure energy struck the ground outside. Dust billowed into the street. Then, as suddenly as it had come the beam vanished and Thor Odinson, king of Asgard, breezed into the restaurant and dropped his hammer by the table. The Asgardian looked much the same as ever. A majestic golden beard spilled over his silver armor. "So my mortal friends, another of our company has gone to Valhalla. This is a grim day, but we should be happy for them." The robot came over as Thor sat down. "What shall it be today Mr. Thor?" For a moment the king was confused, curiously examining the machine. "Bring us tankards of strong ale, mechanical servant." Now it was the robot's turn to be confused, it hurried off to consult the owner on the best course of action.

Banner took off his glasses and polished them. "So Stark, how is miss Potts doing?" "You mean Mrs. Stark." Tony replied. "She is doing O.K.  She had to have a artificial spine implant last year. Now her arthritis is much better." Thor nodded. "Be sure to treasure your years with her my friend. I remember every moment with Jane Foster, from the moment I met her to when she died in my arms. For the good of the realm I had to marry Lady Sif, and we love each other. But when I am troubled the memories of Jane comfort me." Steve sighed. Thor had always been good at talking about emotional subjects.

The robot came back to the table with four steel cups of beer. Steve took his and sank back in his chair. "So, what are you doing tomorrow Stark?" The multi-trillionaire adjusted his glove. "I'm working on a quantum computing algorithm." He waved it away. "You probably wouldn't understand it." Bruce Banner slowly straightened in his chair. "I have to fly to Malaysia. There is a new super-flu outbreak there." Thor shrugged. "The work of a ruler goes on as usual. What about you Captain?" Steve opened his mouth to answer and his phone rang, a metallic male voice echoed through the restaurant. "Steve Rogers, you are late for the veteran's reunion, repeat, you are late for the veteran's reunion." Everyone erupted into laughter as Steve silenced his phone reminder.

Thor raised his cup of beer in a toast. "To our friends, those still with us, and those who have moved on." They all drank. Dr. Banner began hiccuping. Steve finished his Shawarma and stood. "So long then. See you all next year."

One by one they all left. Steve roared off on his ancient motorcycle. Doctor Banner called in a hovercar taxi with his phone. Stark clicked his helmet in place and roared away. Thor stood carefully in a parking space and vanished in a beam of light as the Bifrost launched him back to Asgard at the speed of light.

I hope you liked this short story. This is just the first draft. Please comment and tell me what you think. How could I have made this better?