Chapter 1: Back from the Dead?
20:03, April 12, 2050
Pluto orbit, Research Vessel USS Explorer
He ran as fast as he could. But no matter how fast he ran he couldn't get
away. The thing had destroyed almost all of his crew but he still couldn't
get away from it. It was chasing him. Tracking him. Smelling his trail.
Following him everywhere. It had appeared after the Trans-Gravity Temporal
Drive was activated.
Suddenly he heard a noise and turned around. He was a half-second too
late. Before he could even finish a blink the thing was on him. As the
thing was attacking him he activated a nearby airlock to the hangar bay and
felt the air being sucked out from all around him. He felt the creature
lose its grip and go flying into the cold vacuum. Then he felt his grip
failing and his only thought was how he regretted not being able to tell
his daughters goodbye.
4:13, June 17, 2070 Earth orbit, United North American Aerospace Command Center Since he had the early-bird shift Jake could barely keep his eyes open. The communications center was dead during this shift. He yawned and put another Mini-Disc into the MD player and winced. It was that girl group from the early 21st century, Bound or Bonded or something like that. "Bond," he thought, "it's Bond." Amazing how many useless facts he memorized while he was on duty. He couldn't wait until the Lunar Colony Base opened. Anything was better than sitting in Earth's orbit and being weightless 90% of the time. He started thinking about what he would do when his shift was over. Maybe he'd go down to the cafeteria and try to hook up with that cute girl that always sat alone at a table in the corner. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the blinking red light for a couple of seconds. Then he snapped back into reality and answered the incoming message. And he forever wished that he hadn't.
6:08, June 17 Earth orbit, UNAAC-Civilian Area It took three rings for Jeanna to finally turn on the wall screen and answer the call. As she slowly woke up she looked at her clock and shook her head. It's 6 in the morning, she thought, who would call at 6 in the morning? When she had fully woken up she turned on the vid screen and looked at the face of Admiral Huey Thompson of the UNA Space Forces. The first time she had seen his face was twenty-two years ago at a gathering for scientists and SF personnel held in the Command Center. She had been two at the time but still could easily remember his face. It had the hard lines of someone who has sacrificed a lot to get where they are in life. "Good morning Admiral. What can I do for you?" she drowsily asked. "We got a communication from a vessel this morning Jeanna." Why can't he ever say "Good morning?" she asked herself. "Why do I care admiral? I'm a scientist not a member of a rescue squad." "The vessel was the USS Explorer." At the mention of that name a picture flashed into Jeanna's mind. A space dock. Looking at a sleek ship slip slowly out into deep space. Seeing a young man on the bridge waving goodbye to his family. Then igniting its focused-ionic reaction engines and heading for the outer reaches of the solar system. "We have a pair of ships departing in 5 hours. Do you want to come?" "You make space on those ships for two people admiral." "Two people?" "Yeah, two people. I'm willing to bet that Tenna won't want to miss this either."
6:03, June 17 Pluto orbit, USS Explorer As the automated response returned to the ship the computer came out of its slumber and began scanning the ship for structural failures. It detected none but took no notice of the bloodstains on the walls.
10:00, June 17 Earth orbit, UNAAC Space Docks, USS Hermes As Teanna stepped onto the Hermes she couldn't help but wonder what her twin had gone and done. She had been in the middle of a fashion show when she got a call telling her that she needed to be at the Hermes by 11. Here she was, an hour early, and nobody else was there. As she was about to turn around she ran into her sister and stopped. Jeanna had changed out of her normal two-piece work jumpsuit into a one piece spacer's jumpsuit that seemed to emphasize her curves and dips. Teanna had always wondered why her sister had never gotten a boyfriend and yet flaunted herself like she did. Jeanna was a mystery to her even after twenty-five years. Teanna then noticed the flight patch on her sister's shoulder, an eight-pronged star surrounded by two concentric rings. It was the flight patch of the USS Explorer. Teanna almost screamed. She hated the Explorer Case. A ship had disappeared. So what? Before the orbital stations, people were lost all the time in launches. Hundreds were killed when the cruise ship Intrepid collided with an incoming asteroid. Only twenty died on the USS Explorer. So why was the Explorer such a big deal? "I know what you're thinking Teanna." Teanna just rolled her eyes. "The reason I have this patch on is because the Explorer has been found." Teanna fainted.
[Author's note: I got this story idea after watching "Lost Voyage." That is one freaky ass movie! Teanna and Jeanna are both twins if you haven't guessed by now. Tell me if you can guess who the man in the first part is?
Jeanna: you've casted me as a slut! CobraJc: so? J: Im not one! CJc: I'm the author. J: so? CJc: bite me bitch!]
4:13, June 17, 2070 Earth orbit, United North American Aerospace Command Center Since he had the early-bird shift Jake could barely keep his eyes open. The communications center was dead during this shift. He yawned and put another Mini-Disc into the MD player and winced. It was that girl group from the early 21st century, Bound or Bonded or something like that. "Bond," he thought, "it's Bond." Amazing how many useless facts he memorized while he was on duty. He couldn't wait until the Lunar Colony Base opened. Anything was better than sitting in Earth's orbit and being weightless 90% of the time. He started thinking about what he would do when his shift was over. Maybe he'd go down to the cafeteria and try to hook up with that cute girl that always sat alone at a table in the corner. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the blinking red light for a couple of seconds. Then he snapped back into reality and answered the incoming message. And he forever wished that he hadn't.
6:08, June 17 Earth orbit, UNAAC-Civilian Area It took three rings for Jeanna to finally turn on the wall screen and answer the call. As she slowly woke up she looked at her clock and shook her head. It's 6 in the morning, she thought, who would call at 6 in the morning? When she had fully woken up she turned on the vid screen and looked at the face of Admiral Huey Thompson of the UNA Space Forces. The first time she had seen his face was twenty-two years ago at a gathering for scientists and SF personnel held in the Command Center. She had been two at the time but still could easily remember his face. It had the hard lines of someone who has sacrificed a lot to get where they are in life. "Good morning Admiral. What can I do for you?" she drowsily asked. "We got a communication from a vessel this morning Jeanna." Why can't he ever say "Good morning?" she asked herself. "Why do I care admiral? I'm a scientist not a member of a rescue squad." "The vessel was the USS Explorer." At the mention of that name a picture flashed into Jeanna's mind. A space dock. Looking at a sleek ship slip slowly out into deep space. Seeing a young man on the bridge waving goodbye to his family. Then igniting its focused-ionic reaction engines and heading for the outer reaches of the solar system. "We have a pair of ships departing in 5 hours. Do you want to come?" "You make space on those ships for two people admiral." "Two people?" "Yeah, two people. I'm willing to bet that Tenna won't want to miss this either."
6:03, June 17 Pluto orbit, USS Explorer As the automated response returned to the ship the computer came out of its slumber and began scanning the ship for structural failures. It detected none but took no notice of the bloodstains on the walls.
10:00, June 17 Earth orbit, UNAAC Space Docks, USS Hermes As Teanna stepped onto the Hermes she couldn't help but wonder what her twin had gone and done. She had been in the middle of a fashion show when she got a call telling her that she needed to be at the Hermes by 11. Here she was, an hour early, and nobody else was there. As she was about to turn around she ran into her sister and stopped. Jeanna had changed out of her normal two-piece work jumpsuit into a one piece spacer's jumpsuit that seemed to emphasize her curves and dips. Teanna had always wondered why her sister had never gotten a boyfriend and yet flaunted herself like she did. Jeanna was a mystery to her even after twenty-five years. Teanna then noticed the flight patch on her sister's shoulder, an eight-pronged star surrounded by two concentric rings. It was the flight patch of the USS Explorer. Teanna almost screamed. She hated the Explorer Case. A ship had disappeared. So what? Before the orbital stations, people were lost all the time in launches. Hundreds were killed when the cruise ship Intrepid collided with an incoming asteroid. Only twenty died on the USS Explorer. So why was the Explorer such a big deal? "I know what you're thinking Teanna." Teanna just rolled her eyes. "The reason I have this patch on is because the Explorer has been found." Teanna fainted.
[Author's note: I got this story idea after watching "Lost Voyage." That is one freaky ass movie! Teanna and Jeanna are both twins if you haven't guessed by now. Tell me if you can guess who the man in the first part is?
Jeanna: you've casted me as a slut! CobraJc: so? J: Im not one! CJc: I'm the author. J: so? CJc: bite me bitch!]