Blackwing
March 2213 CMS Constellation
The ship rumbled as the sight outside the window changed from that of slipstream space to that of standard space. The flowing, swirling, blue fading away until black replaces it entirely and the freighter finally heaves its self out of subspace tunnel.
"We're not due to leave slipspace for another two days. Why have we stopped" inquired the captain of the engineer over the intercom. Captain Healy of the Colonial Movers was transporting fifty cubic metres of high-grade titanium A from the mines and refineries on Charon VI to the factories and shipyards on Epsilon Eridani III. He was already behind schedule and in the life of a trader time was money.
"Engine trouble, the slipstream drive has packed in again. This engine, no this entire freighter should be decommissioned. The company is all about profit margins." The ever grumbling chief engineer answered. Peter Davieson was the best and only engineer on the ship, also, the only other crewmember other than the Captain and Lt Halverson, who was serving as the ship's tactical and security officer.
"Davieson, I don't need to hear about how cheapskate Colonial Movers is, I do need to hear how long it will be before you can get the drive to work again. If we lose cash to delays, I'll sell your brain to one of those research groups to make up for the losses.
"There is no way this drive is ever working again. Luckily the insurance covers this, but it'll stop your no-claim bonus and it'll probably take a few days for the repair vessel to arrive." replied Davieson.
"Are you sure, because if you are, don't reply, just meet me and my scalpel in the sickbay." shouted Healy, Davieson being unsure if he was joking, or just being his usual unstable self.
At this point, Lt Haverson made his entrance. "Alert unidentified vessel picked up on radar, arming railguns."
"Oh sorry, didn't I mention, railguns 1 through 5 are offline, the conduits powering them are broken. So the only one working is the rear turret." butted in Davieson, obviously trying to prove his point.
"Doesn't matter anyway, it looks like a derelict now we're closer." Answered Haverson, now much calmer since there probably wasn't going to be a combat situation.
"A derelict you say, presumably then, it might have a functional slipstream drive. So, you Davieson are going aboard." Ordered Healy, suddenly seeing a viable way to replace his ageing slipstream drive, loot a ship, as he had a full ten cubic metres of cargo space left, and now he knew the location of a wreck, so he had the opportunity to enter the lucrative salvaging business.
"Ahhhh shit. Why do I have to go aboard the spooky derelict." Protested Davieson
"'Cause you're the engineer who has to bring back its slipstream drive anyway, I'll send Haverson in with you, I'm sure a big man with a big gun will be very pleasing to you." replied Healy, the insult obvious.
Soon, the single shuttle that the CMS Constellation had been launched; piloting it was Davieson, headed for the derelict.
As the shuttle landed in the hanger bay of the derelict, Davieson stepped out, followed by Haverson. The ship was obviously military. The hanger bay had multiple dropships and recon vehicles, even a few tanks. The ship still appeared to have rudimentary power as the lights still flickered dimly. "Must be some pretty damn good reactors to keep the ship powered all this time, especially without anyone to maintain them." remarked Davieson. "Wish I had some of them". As they approached the door to the rest of the ship, it opened without any action from Haverson or Davieson. They entered through. There was a holopad still powered, as Davieson approached it, a menu popped up. Davieson selected the map and found out the way to engineering, where the Slipstream drive would be stored. However, he also saw the ship's name. ONI Blackwing. So, this was an ONI ship, the Office of Naval Intelligence zealously guarded all its assets, if they were ever caught, well, let's say ONI had methods for making them 'disappear'. They headed to engineering quickly, not wanting to be here if ONI ever came back. Yet unknown to them, they were already being followed.
As the two walked through the long empty corridors, past crackling wires and leaking hydraulics, they heard a scuttling noise. Haverson turned round an unholstered his gun, only to see a small spider like creature with tendrils and a sickly yellow green colour about to pounce on him. As he was about to fire, a hatch on the ceiling opened up and a small turret opened up, it shot yellowish golden beams of light which vaporised the small creature. The turret then packed itself back up into the ceiling. Then a hatch next to it opened up and few small cubes fell out of it. They then unfolded to reveal a pair of stubby wings each with the letters ONI stencilled on the side with some kind of miniature VTOL thrusters attached to each end. Under the nose was an object unmistakably a barrel. It took off and proceeded to scour the hallway. Another small sickly coloured creature emerged from behind a terminal and was immediately fired upon by the small drones. The drones used smaller versions of the turreted laser. Lasers were expensive and rare, so this was obviously a top project with ONI. Davieson's unease increased ten-fold. He unholstered his small pistol as well.
The moment the doors to engineering opened up, hell assaulted Haverson and Davieson. The whole floor was covered in the sickly organic substance, whilst multiple creatures jumped about trying to attack the flying drones which were busily trying to destroy the infestation. One creature appeared to be wearing the remains of a uniform, it was a human, or used to be a human, and then neck twisted round at an unnatural angle. It still carried a pistol, firing up at the circling drones, destroying one and knocking another out of the air, at which point the grounded drone was savagely torn apart by the other creatures, before being finally burnt to ashes by other drones.
The two explorers were not unnoticed as they had hoped though. A creature succeeded in jumping onto Haverson's neck, at which point, it pierced the flesh with its tendrils, and Haverson screamed and fell to the ground. His flesh started to turn green, at which point, he lumbered up and stumbled towards Davieson. He, no, it raised the gun Haverson had been holding and tried to fire at Davieson. Davieson shot him first. The loud noise attracted the attention of all the creatures in the engineering section.
Davieson's comm crackled. "Ahhh! Die you motherf *Static* Holy fu *static* Davieson! This is Healy. The shuttle returned, but these, things were on board. They're all over the ship now. I've barricaded myself into the bridge. But they'll get though soon. I'm going to activate the self-destruct. Good luck.
Haverson soon felt a shockwave, presumably from the CMS Constellation self-destructing. Whilst the creatures were disorientated, he rushed through the mass of them, escaping unscathed, he made it to the drive room. He looked around for the self-destruct. As he looked through the computer console, he saw that the self-destruct was disabled. He had to destroy the ship somehow. He saw what happened to Haverson. This ship could never be allowed to reach civilisation. He felt despair, he would die here, he regretted so many things. That last argument with his wife before he left port. Not being able to go to his father's funeral, oh so many things. But he would not falter now, he was an engineer and there was a ship that needed to be destroyed. He looked at the reactors next. There wasn't enough fuel for an explosion powerful enough to completely eradicate the ship though. Next, he saw what the original objective of the mission was. The slipstream drive, slipstream drives sometimes sucked those nearby into the realm of slipspace. It was every engineer's worst nightmare. Now, he was going to suck the f****** that killed Haverson and Healy into hell with him. He misaligned the drive then routed all the power from the reactors into the drive. It glowed. He would die. He had shut off life support for more power, and he was already absorbing fatal doses of radiation. Soon, a glowing blue aura appeared around the drive. It expanded, till all Haverson saw was light. Then he was gone. The walls disappeared, the creatures did. Soon the entire ONI Blacking wing was gone. And after a blinding flash. There was space. Empty the stars glittering innocently among the void.