Hi all, I'M BACK! (Small problem with access) Anyhow here is chapter one of my new fic The Hannaport files, a carry on from the Trapped story. In which we find out that the crew of the Devonport were kidnapped by someone or something unknown.
Chapter 1
Lister, Rimmer and Kryten all lent over the scanner table, each examining the region of space that they had found the in.
Lister pointed to a swirling mass on the interactive table top. "OK Kryten, let me get this straight, you reckon that if we go to that thing over there." Kryten nodded appropriately and Lister continued. "And if we open a multidimensional communication channel we can get signal should get through?." said Lister.
Rimmer who was faining interest snorted. "Impossible."
Kryten looked up at Rimmer. "Sir while it does stretch the boundaries of known science, but it is the instructions he left behind. It does have a 58% chance of success, that white whole is our and the hostages best shot sir." Said Kryten seriously.
Rimmer turned his back on the other two and strode over to the far side of the room. "Why are we even bothering, the hostages are probably all skeletons by now and I am not going to waste my best Esperanto again." Said Rimmer flicking through an in-flight magazine that he had read at least 100 times.
Holly who was listening to the conversation appeared on the nearby screen. "According to the log, the incident with the hostage taking was only 3 months ago, so unless they have met a sticky end it is possible they are very much alive."
Lister addressed Rimmer. "See, it's completely possible that they are still alive, come on Rimmer we have to try."
Rimmer put the magazine down and swivelled to face Lister. "But why him, I mean couldn't we just see who else responds first." said Rimmer with obvious distaste for the individual in question.
"Sir according to the instructions it should be only him that picks up our signal." Said Kryten still calculating the distance required to complete their current mission.
"Look Rimmer, we are going to do it regardless of what you say." Said Lister moving towards the cot pit door.
Rimmer pointed at Lister. "Lister, I am the most senior ranking person on board this vessel and what I say goes sonny, got it!"
Lister turned and did a mock salute. "Yeah, sure whatever Rimmer." Then he turned and walked out of the room.
Rimmer shook his head and turned his attention to Kryten. "Kryten, you'll follow my orders wont you?" Said Rimmer one eyebrow raised in question.
Kryten engaged lie mode and nodded.
"Good, now go set a course for getting us as far out of this region of space, got it." Said Rimmer grinning.
Kryten nodded again.
"Excellent, oh and don't tell Lister." Rimmer said rubbing his hands together at the thought of Listers face dropping as the cruised out of this region of space.
Kryten nodded a third time and left to join Lister and the Cat in the cot pit.
Rimmer joined them and looked down at the navi computer. "Errr Kryten this doesn't seem to be the coordinates we discussed?"
"Yes it is, you said to get us the hell our of here." Said Kryten causing Rimmer to wince at this news flash being shared with Lister. "And that is what I am doing; only it is in the direction of that large white hole sir." Finished Kryten pointing at the large swirly space thing in the distance.
"WHAT! Kryten you utter utter." Started Rimmer but gave up and settled with. "Oh why do I bother." Then stormed out.
"Nice one Kryters" said Lister smiling at Kryten.
"Sir according to my calculations we should be in communication range in 30 minutes. I suggest we run on silent running until that time." Suggested Kryten.
"OK, Holly engage silent running will yeah." Said Lister.
"Err remind me again what that is exactly?" said Holly looking slightly confused. "Is that the thing where we turn the radio off or the one were we reduce engines to minimal?"
Lister rolled his eyes. "Engines Hol!"
"OH right, silent mode engaged, oh and I've turned off the novelty alarm clock just in case." Said Holly looking smug.
"Cheers Hol." Said Lister leaning back and placing his feet on the console. As he did so a burst of flare ignited from the rear engines.
The ship rocked for a second then returned to normal.
"Smeg what was that?" asked Lister pulling his feet off the console and looking concerned.
Kryten rapidly scanned his console. "Some kind of flare, appears to have come from our engines." Said Kryten looking alarmed.
"Holly, is everything ok?" asked Lister.
Holly nodded. "Yeah, apart from the fact that we just sent the biggest location marker in the sector." Said Holly.
Kryten looked over at Lister. "Sir, what have you done, that flare will be visible for several hundred clicks." Stated Kryten slightly alarmed.
"I didn't do anything, honest." Protested Lister.
Holly interrupted them. "Actually he's right there seems to have been a blockage in the waste system and it just happened to unblock at the moment Dave here put his feet up. The resulting release of methane gas caused that flare to go off." Informed Holly.
Rimmer raced in. "What was that?"
"Just a small tinsee tiny flare, nothing much Rimmer." Replied Lister trying to look not concerned.
"Nothing much, have you seen the readings, we may well set up a stall with great big flashing neon lights saying 'WERE HERE! COME AND GET US!'." Said Rimmer panicking slightly.
Lister held out his hands to calm Rimmer. "Don't panic man, Holly anything on radar?"
Holly's eyes look left then right then takes a second and then replies. "Nothing Dave, looks clear."
Lister smiles, trying to look relaxed about the situation. "See, everything's OK, now let's get to the rendezvous point."
On the fare side of the sector commando X24B1 scanned his radar station and noticed a blip. He tapped the screen and zoomed in on it, the reading indicated a flare. X24B1 looked up at his senior officer. "Sir, something in sector 3AD4. Some sort of flare."
The officer turned his attention to the reporting commando. He noticed it was X24B1 a good and loyal recruit, one of the more deadly on his team but came with a rare trait of having some brains. "Run an analysis on it, I want to know what the source is." He asked.
"Running scan now sir!" A few seconds pass and he continues his report. "Scan shows high levels of methane sir."
The officer grinned. "Life, somebody is alive out there, and it's up to us to change that little detail."
"Yes sir, plotting a direction change sir, permission to make course change?" asked X24B1 in a string of snappy requests.
The officer leaned forward in his command chair. "Granted."
The two females huddled together for warmth; the small candle that flickered in front of them did little to appease the cold of the cave surroundings. Their clothes torn and tattered, feet sore and hair a mess the two looked a sorry sight indeed.
"Hey Wilma do you think the boys will be OK?" asked the shorter of the two women.
The other squeezed her friends shoulder. "Sure Betty, you know Fred he will get them through it."
"But we haven't seen them since that day in the quarry, and that was over a month ago." Said Betty.
"True, but we haven't seen any of the men since that day either, I am sure there just keeping us apart, you know were us down." Replied Wilma in a supportive tone.
"If I get anymore worn down you're be able to use me as a dish cloth." Said Betty adding her trade mark nervous laugh.
The lightness of the joke broke the hardship of the situation and Wilma joined her friend in there moment of tittering. However it didn't last, as from the front of the cave a low growl was emitted followed by a short sharp command. "SILENCE HUMAN SCUM!"
Kryten prepared the communication relay that they had borrowed from Legion, he plugged in the power lead and watched as the lights flickered into life.
"There It's good to go." He said stepping back and admiring the small piece of tech.
"Nice one Kryters, Hol can you prepare the signal please?" asked Lister.
Holly nodded her head and faded from view. A few seconds later she re-appears. "All done Dave, anything else you need me for, I overdue getting back to my latest chess match and I think I've got a killer move."
Lister looked up at Holly. "Who you playing Hol?"
"It's a master of cunning, a specialist in slicing through the action and always gets to the point." Said Holly.
"Hol, are you talking about the Auto cut bread knife that we can never find?" asked Lister.
"Yeah that's the fella, he's sharp that one." Said Holly winking.
Rimmer who had nervously monitoring the long range scanner chipped in. "Holly it's a bread knife, it has an electronic IQ of -5, how on earth do you expect to have a sensible game of chess with it?" asked Rimmer.
"Oh he's slick this one, I've been playing with him for over a week and he still hasn't made a move." Said Holly.
Rimmer raised an eyebrow at Holly. "That might just because he has no ability to play chess or do anything outside the realms of cutting up bread products. And anyway I thought Lister dismantled him after that hair cutting incident." Said Rimmer.
"Yeah Hol, that thing is insane man, one min I was getting a slice of toast cut and the next it was trying to lop me dreads off man, why'd you fix it?" Said Lister.
"I didn't Kryten did." Said Holly.
Kryten looked slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry sirs but after that last picnic and all those little tiny tini triangles I had to cut. I just thought he could help me out. I did make him promise to be on best behaviour." Said Kryten.
"Well if he comes anywhere near my dreads again, it's going to be a personal one on one date with Mr lump hammer for him, got it!" said Lister pounding his fist into his other.
"Hey guys, I think we're at the coordinates, the pink flashy thing on the dashboard is blinking." Said the Cat pointing to the light.
"Indeed, permission to send transmission sir?" Kryten said looking at Lister.
"Yeah go for it." replied Lister.
"Hang on a tick there captain messy pants, I give the go commands around here." Said Rimmer from his console station. "Kryten, deploy the signal." He said nodded to Kryten.
Krytens finger hovered above the button to start the process but did nothing.
Rimmer saw what was happening and glared at the mechinoid.
Lister gave a small nod to Kryten who then proceeded to press the transmit key.
"You know something Kryten, I used to like you, but now, now your just a person I work with." Said Rimmer in disappointed tones.
Kryten looked pleased, which was not the effect Rimmer was hoping for. "Oh thank you sir, that is a high compliment indeed." He said.
Rimmer shook his head and returned to the scanner.
The Hannaport communication officer scanned his latest report and processed the information, then he turned to the commanding officer. "Signal sir, unknown destination, origin Mining vessel Starbug class 1. " He reported.
The commanding officer grinned. "Humans, confirmed, more canon fodder for us lads." He said enthusiastically.
He scanned the ships database and pulled up the stats on the class of vessel. 'Hmmm, not much defence, very little maneuverability, should not present many problems. He thought. "Get us within range for a snaring beam and decode that message." He commanded.
If Rimmer could have turned a perfect white, he would off. On his screen which had been blank only a matter of seconds ago, now showed the largest blip he'd seen in a long time. "Errr, there appears to be something out there." He stammered.
Kryten scanned his console. "Agreed, it's a ship, some sort of battle cruiser class. Hang on I'll see if I can get an ident."
They waited while the computer sent a communication ping to the other vessel. While onboard the Hannaport the commander allowed the ping to respond, a grin of knowing the fear it would cause spread across his face.
The console beeped and flashed up the ID.
Battle Class Cruiser
Commission Data 2415
Last reported mission : Gelf Commando deployment
Crew : Gelf Commandos
Rimmer gulped. "If anyone needs me I'll be packing my bag to the smallest hole on the ship."
Lister motioned for Rimmer to sit down. "Hang on Rimmer, we don't even know there intentions yet."
"Sir, may I posture that given the message from the lady on the and the fact that these are Gelf Commando's." said Kryten.
"So?" said Lister still looking unconcerned.
"They are the most feared unit in the galaxy. It is highly likely that Mr Rimmer has the right opinion of them." Concluded Kryten.
"OK so they might have a bad rap, that doesn't mean we can't have a chat over a beer does it." Suggest Lister mimicking knocking back a beer.
"It does buddy if that beer happens to be served in a head shaped cup." Said the Cat.
"Well we are about to find out, they are requesting communication." Said Kryten looking up from his console.
"OK, let's see what these dudes have to say shall we. Play it nice and cool, OK everyone." Said Lister looking directly at Rimmer.
Back on board the the communication screen flared into life and the image of a middle aged human with dread locks faded into view.
"Alright, Dave Lister here, we are from the mining ship Red Dwarf, and wish you no harm." Said the man on the screen.
The Gelfs ships commandos broke into a rapturous laugh.
The officer in the central chair grinned. "My name is X666 and we request permission to board your ship and rip you from limb to limb." He said in a manor that was far too casual for what he was suggesting.
Lister not fazed by this unfriendly request made an offer. "How about we send over a few beers and we carry out our little chat over this link."
The commander was not amused. "Listen Human, we are the famous Gelf Commando squad Z4 what makes you think you can insult us and live."
"Hey calm down mate I was just being friendly." Said Lister.
The commander grinned again. "In that case I have bad news for you human, we don't do friendly. Your ship will be confiscated and you will be taken to our base for interrogation."
A second face, slimmer with black well combed hair and an H on his forehead appears. "Hello your mightiness, great warrior that you are. We surrender, and ergo invoke space code 446N6."
The commander looked insulted. "We have no need of a swimming pool right now, and we have no need of you." He moved his finger to his command console and pressed a button. Rimmers light bee tumbled to the floor inactive.
"Hey, what the smeg have you done to Rimmer?" Said Lister over the link.
"We have no use for Holograms, now prepare for transport." Commanded the Gelf.
Thats it for now, please do review and say if you want more of this story, I need some motivation as a lot going on outside of Fanfic writing.