So, chapter three. Has it really been this far already? Sorry to everyone for not naming my chapters, but if I started now, it would look weird, so too bad. Anyway, if you've gotten this far, you must really think this story has potential, or you want to know all the facts before you trash it. Either way, please review! I'm a review whore. So sad, but true. Happy reading!
A single planet appeared in their view after they exited the wormhole, a stark contrast to the hellish insanity of the nebula. Debris floated past, the torn armor plates from the ship. The planet was covered mostly in blue, patches of green peeked out over the large cloud cover. A single moon orbited the planet, its gray mass like a silent sentry over the world.
Ratchet was the first to recover. "What's the damage?" he finally asked.
Clank shook his head and tore himself from the vision of the planet to his computer screen. He tapped the screen thrice, and brought up a detailed cross-section of the ship.
"The hyperdrive engines are trashed, so are shields and weapons, and our long range com-system. But every thing else seems to be working," he responded.
"Perfect, just perfect, " Ratchet flicked a switch on his side of the cockpit, activating the short-range distress beacon, "Now we wait."
"Hopefully, someone on the planet will receive the transmission and rescue us." Clank stared out at the planet beyond, "It really is a beautiful world."
"They all seem beautiful from space," Ratchet said, leaning back with crossed arms again, it seemed to be a comfortable position for him, "But then you land on the planet, it all goes downhill from there, what with the killer robots, killer locals, and the killer wildlife, all those nice things."
"That's a pretty cynical outlook," Clank observed.
"I can be a pretty cynical guy," Ratchet affirmed.
The last statement killed their conversation, and they sat in silence, both looking past the ship to the stars. This lasted for several minutes, until the computer beeped and began displaying new information.
Clank read the data off the screen, paraphrasing as he went, "A large mass has appeared behind us. Judging from its shape, I believe it is a ship with a cloaking device."
"Hey, as long as there's a ship out there," Ratchet said, maneuvering their vessel to bring it nose-down on the other ship. It had a brown color all around it; the whole craft shaped like a blown-up racing fin.
Flipping two switches, one to de-activate the distress beacon, the second to turn on the short-range com-radio, Ratchet began to speak.
"Thanks for responding to the beacon, ran into a little nebula trouble on the way here. Say, if you could tow us to the nearest ship repair depot, we would gladly pay you for your trouble."
"Ratchet, I'm reading an energy signature from the other ship." Clank warned.
"Their probably just turning on their tractor beam," the lombax explained, "Don't worry, the worse is over, nothings going to-"
That was when the ship's targeting alarms went off, and the other vessel fired their first volley directly into the nose of Ratchet and Clank's fighter, damaging it severely.
"They fired at us!" Clank stated the obvious.
"I know!" Ratchet answered back, bringing the flight engines off of stand-by, moving out of the enemy craft's range.
But it was too late, for as Ratchet tried to fly their ship under the enemy vessel, they fired a second volley into the fighter's midsection, knocking out the engines and sending it drifting through space.
A hissing noise could be heard in the cockpit, the air becoming thinner as the computer screamed an alert: "Warning: The cabin is depressurizing, please evacuate the vessel. Thirty seconds to complete depressurization."
Ratchet opened the compartment between the two seats, pulled out the O2 mask he had placed there, silently thanking himself as be pulled it over his head and activated it.
Clank switched over to short-wave radio, his mouth still moving to his transmitted speech. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"We bail," Ratchet answered, pulling a small lever to the left side of his seat. With a final gust of air, the cabin top shot out into space. After unhooking their seat belts, Ratchet and Clank followed, kicking off from their seats to the darkness beyond.
The enemy vessel had spun on its axis, taking aim at the two heroes floating in the abyss. Its velocity was increasing, appearing larger as it moved closer.
Clank had used his thrusters to move closer to Ratchet, using up the last of his fuel. He had always meant to refill, but he have never gotten around to it. The drifting lombax grabbed the robot's arm and pulled him closer. Then he realized what the other ship was trying to do.
"They're going to ram us," He said, "After everything we've been through, this is how it ends."
"No, not like this…" The robot said weakly.
But as the enemy craft sped up, it was clear that Ratchet was correct. The two looked away and shut their eyes, sure that this was the end; that this was their final brush with Death and now it was time to collect. They tensed up for the final impact-
But it never came. Nothing happened. They weren't spatters on some jerk's windshield, and they still had all their body parts.
"What happened?" Ratchet asked, confused by the unusual turn of events.
Clank simply pointed a thick finger upward, or at least upward by their orientation, and Ratchet followed the fingers implied direction.
The other craft hovered over them, matching their speed of drift, as if this was the plan all along. From their vantage point, Ratchet and Clank could clearly see a curious ring on the underside of the ship, with an unknown script circling the ring. The strange ring opened up, and four more rings, silver this time, moved around the pair, until they were at the center of this strange column. A flash of bright light overtook their senses, the feeling that they were slightly leaving reality ran through them, and the two found themselves inside the ship.
The room was bathed in gold light, emanating from the ceiling. The walls were covered, from top to bottom, with more of the same odd text similar to what was on the ring on the outer hull of the ship. Gravity was available on the vessel, which the duo discovered when they fell hard onto the floor. The same rings that had surrounded them outside were here, as well, gliding into the floor, eventually being covered by a replica of the text-covered ring they had seen in space. Of course, Ratchet wasn't concerned with any of this; he was clearly focused on the dark opening to the front of the ship.
"Ok, what the hell is your problem?" Ratchet yelled through the opening, as he took off is O2 mask, "First, you shoot us down, then you rescue us? Make up your freakin' mind!" His fists were clenched, he was tired of having bad things happening to him, and was ready to vent his aggression on the first being that came through the doorway first.
"Ratchet, this may not be the best course of action," Clank warned.
Ratchet turned to the robot, "You know what, I don't care. I just want to kick the ass of whoever blew up my ship!" He jammed his thumb at the entryway.
Almost as a response, a creature from the other side of the shadowy portal lifted their arm, aiming a mechanism at the pissed-off lombax. This device had a copper tone to it, it's shape reminiscent of a backwards 's'. With a faint hum and cock, the top part of the device moving up, barring an emitter, like a snake ready to strike. It was clear now that this device as a weapon.
"Aw, crap," Ratchet said.
The hand that held the weapon pulled the trigger twice, and two bolts of energy fired from the snake-weapon, striking the pair. The last thing Ratchet say, before falling into darkness, was the figure standing over him, a slight smile on his lips.