(Episode 1: 5 months left)
Only 5 months left on the space ship until we return... just 5 months. That's good, I'm already getting tired of eating the same food for almost 3 years.
I'm the first to wake up from my sleeping pod, I looked at the other sleeping pods in the area, all but one of them were empty, we had more people for a mission, but we lost many of them during the return trip, staring from 90 to just 2.
I went to the other occupied sleeping pod and sat next to it, i placed my hand on the glass, as it felt cold. I checked the heart rate monitor near the pod, signs are normal.
I went to the cafeteria to get some food. It's the same MRE crap we kept eating for the past 3 years. We still have a supply that may last 20 years at best. I picked two out, one for me, and one for Ratchet.
I then saw Ratchet walk to the cafeteria.
Rivet: Morning, Ratchet..
Ratchet looked at me and grabbed his MRE and sat down.
Ratchet: morning...
I sat down on a chair and looked at Ratchet.
Rivet: I've been in contact with the administrators, they expected our return trip to end in 5 months.
Ratchet: I see..
Ratchet opened his MRE and dumped the contents of it out onto a tray.
Ratchet: I'm getting sick of eating the same old shit for the past 3 years.
Rivet: Same. It's technically food, but it makes me just want to have a burrito instead.
Ratchet: More of a chow mein guy personally.
Rivet: Yeah.
I opened my MRE and dumped them onto a tray, I grabbed an MRE pizza and started eating it. It tasted okay, but it wasn't really food... After having the same stuff for nearly 3 years, I quickly lost my appetite. I pushed my tray aside, got up, and went to the bridge.
I sat down at the captains chair just to talk to the ship's A.I Montana.
Montana: Good morning, captain.
Rivet: How far is Earth, Montana?
Montana: Earth is "UNKNOWN" miles away in the lowest speed, expected time remaining until arrival is 5 months.
Rivet: thank you, Montana.
I looked at the steller map, and I saw a little blip on the map, indicating any planets, strangely only one planet had the blip. It's a few feet away from out current location, I looked at the side window, and I saw that there was a wing malfunction that wasn't noted.
I got up and went to the cafeteria.
Rivet: Ratchet, there's a wing malfunction that wasn't recorded.
Ratchet: I'll go check it out.
Ratchet went to get equipped in his space suit and he went to the airlock, I went to bridge to monitor what's happening.
Ratchet goes outside to the front wing to fix it.
Ratchet: I found the problem, one of the flaps are jammed.
Ratchet proceeds to unjam the flaps, as soon he finishes unjaming the flaps, we're suddenly attacked by a meteor shower, Ratchet got hit by one of the meteors and was flung off the wing as his support snaps off him.
Ratchet: My supports gone!
Rivet: Oh shit!!
I turned the ship's shields on, ran to get my space suit and went to the airlock, I put my gear on and went outside the airlock to get Ratchet, I glided to Ratchet's location and grabbed hold of him, I glided back to the airlock, and I thought we were safe, but one of the rocks shatters the glass from Ratchet's helmet, which was causing him to suffocate. I managed to get into the airlock, closed the door, and activated the air filtration system.
Ratchet took his helmet off, trying to breathe.
Rivet: You okay?
Ratchet: Yeah... I think. Thanks.
I opened the door to the main area of the ship, and took my space suit off. As soon as I get in the main area, Ratchet falls to the ground out cold. I ran to him and picked him up and took him to the medical bay, quicky removing his space suit and put an air respirator on him.
Rivet: Everything's going to be okay, Ratchet...
A few hours went by, and Ratchet was slowly regaining consciousness. I had already went to the bridge and sat at the captain's chair.
Rivet: Montana.
Montana: Yes, Captain?
Rivet: Show recordings of the dead crewmates... I want to know what happened on the planet Vixin.
The A.I proceeded to show me what happened a year ago. It showed the remaining 29 people trying to flee from a unknown force, all ended up being killed one by one, but one managed to survive, but is not in the best of shape, begging Ratchet to mercy kill him, but Ratchet refuses before being forced to kill him.
I looked at what killed the crew before looking away.
Rivet: Montana, stop the video.
Montana: Video stopped, captain.
I got out of the captain's chair and walked to the medical bay to check up on Ratchet. He seems to be okay, as he was sitting up.
Rivet: you okay?
Ratchet: Yeah. What happened?
Rivet: You went out cold because you couldn't breathe. I guess space really took a toll on you.
Ratchet: Damn. Help me up.
I helped Ratchet up onto his feet.
Rivet: I had to look at the video of what happened on Vixin.
Ratchet: What's wrong?
Rivet: What the hell was that thing?
Ratchet: I... I don't know what it was. I'm shocked that it killed the the remaining number of out crew, after many of the crew was killed during the exhibition, or had lost their minds before killing themselves.
Rivet: Yeah...
I heard a beep from the intercom, indicating that a nearby planet has been discovered.
Montana: Nearby planet has been located. Air status: Questionable.
Rivet: Montana, take us to the planet.
Montana: Yes, captain.
Montana guided the ship to the planet, as soon as it got near the planet, we went to suit up and set foot on the planet. The ship landed on the surface, we got out of the ship and looked around.
Rivet: Ratchet, do you see anything?
Ratchet: not really, it's all dark.
Rivet: Montana, shine some light here.
Montana: Yes, captain.
Montana turned the ship's front lights on, which reveals a barren wasteland. Me and Ratchet turned on the helmet lights and our shoulder mounted flashlights.
Rivet: There has to be something to this planet.
Montana: I analyzed the planet's habitat, and the air quality for this planet is habitable.
Ratchet: Does that mean this planet is breathable?
Montana: Yes.
Ratchet: I see.
I took off my helmet, and took a breath. Montana was right, the planet is habitable. Ratchet took his helmet off some time after.
Rivet: How is this habitable when the planet has no life on it?
Ratchet: Not sure, but I sense something wrong here.
Ratchet went to explore a bit of the planet, He then saw something shocking.
Ratchet: Rivet, you should see this.
I went to Ratchet's location. What I saw was... I don't know what.
It was an abandoned settlement, very war torn.
Ratchet: Oh my god... What happened here?
Rivet: It seems that the settlement was attacked...
Ratchet: ... By what?
Rivet: I don't know.
Me and Ratchet looked around the settlement a bit, trying to figure out what destroyed it. I looked at one of the buildings and saw a audio recorder. I pressed play on the recorder, it then started playing a really disturbing recording about what happened to the habitants of the planet, filled with screaming and sounds of war.
Recording: This planet has officially gone to hell! Everyone is screaming and dying due to the war that is happening! We need to get off the-
I then heard crackling from the recording, and it sounded like a bomb exploded, but wasn't like a airstrike, more like a hydrogen bomb blowing up, which would of be their end. The recording stopped as Ratchet went to see me.
Ratchet: Anything?
Rivet: Someone dropped a hydrogen bomb, killing everyone on the planet.
Ratchet: Damn. That can explain why all of the bodies are just charred bones.
Rivet: ... We have to get off this planet. The sun won't be able to rise in a no man's land like this.
Ratchet: Yes, Rivet.
Me and Ratchet went back to the drop ship and strapped in. The ship went back to the main ship in time. Me and Ratchet got inside the ship and went to the sleeping quarters.
Ratchet: Well, only 5 months left until we're back home.
Rivet: yeah.
I set both Ratchet's pod and my pod to hyper sleep mode, and set a notification to remind both of us we are slowly near Earth.
Ratchet: You going to sleep yet?
Rivet: I got some unfinished work first.
Ratchet: I see. Sweet dreams.
Rivet: yeah.
Ratchet closed the pod door as he went into hyper sleep. I went to the captain's chair to do modifications to the speed of the ship a bit. I took out a hyper space drive to send us straight to Earth in 5 months time, a bit faster than what the ship originally had.
Rivet: Good thing I stole this drive off of Nefarious.
I put the drive into the ship and it activates, making the ship go faster, perfect timing too, as the time remaining until we return to Earth is lowered. I went back to my pod, got into it, layed down, closed the door, and went to sleep. Montana finally turned off the ship's lights... now, all we have to do... is wait and sleep.
(5 Months Later)
The ship's lights turn on and our pods began to open. Me and Ratchet then woke up with a notification that we are near Earth. Ratchet went near the wide window of the ship. Ratchet gave out a cheeky smile.
Ratchet: We're slowly heading home.
I looked out at the side window, and I saw the moon in the distance. Only a few hours away from landing on the planet. I grabbed the MRE and gave it to Ratchet.
Ratchet: You're not hungry?
Rivet: I'm getting tired of MRE food.
Ratchet: Right...
I checked the cargo in the storage area, over 5'000'000 dollars worth of space ore are being sent home. I went back up and went to the captain's chair. I turned on the com radio to talk to the command center.
Command Center: SS Ryback, this is Houston, do you copy?
Rivet: Houston, this is Rivet of the SS Ryback, I copy. We're almost heading to the planet.
Command Center commanded me to do what I needed to do for the ship's landing. Ratchet gets into the co-pilot seat to help me out. In the halfway mark, me and Ratchet were getting a bit excited. But as soon as we were about to celebrate, something started blaring. It was the danger alarm.
Rivet: What the hell? I thought we are safe from any harm. What can be the problem now?
Ratchet looked out the window and he sees a meteor heading to the ship.
Ratchet: Houston, we have a problem-
Before Ratchet was about to say that we have a problem, the meteor crashed through the ship and slammed into his arm, shattering it and causing him to fall down.
Ratchet: AAAGH!! FUCK!!!!
I heard Ratchet scream in pain as I tried to fix the damages. I managed to fix the ship as I head to Ratchet.
Rivet: Oh god, Your arm!
Ratchet: I-I know.
I helped Ratchet up onto his feet and I helped him head to the medical bay.
Ratchet: Oh this ain't good...
Rivet: I don't think I can fix your arm, Ratchet... The only way I can think of is to amputate your arm and replace it with a robotic on.
Ratchet: Do what you can. My arm feels like it's been in lava!
Rivet: It's gonna hurt a bit.
I proceed to amputate his arm, he would of likely not feel it due to his arm being completely broken. I had already build a new robotic limb for this occasion and put it in Ratchet's arm socket. He began to move a few fingers a bit. His new arm was working.
Ratchet: Wow.
I hold Ratchet's metallic hand. I feel like I'm going to miss his old arm.
Rivet: Let's get back to the bridge. We gotta have to get the ship back home.
I helped Ratchet to the bridge and helped him sit on the co-pilot seat.
Rivet: Let luck save us all...
Me and Ratchet directed the ship towards the planet, when we got to the atmosphere, the ship slowly became unstable, I feared that the ship would be destroyed when we land. Thankfully it didn't. The ship landed on the landing pad, with a crew ready to collect the resources we gathered on the ship.
Rivet: Well... This is it...
Ratchet: Yeah...
We went to the hatch, I then pressed the button to open the hatch door, we were slowly revealed by a group of collectors, NASA crew, news agencies, and citizens of the city, we slowly left the ship, shocked... but alive. The people cheered. We may be the only remaining crew members of the ship... but we made it home...