Throughout the Night Sky

By TheAwsomeOpossum

Section 1 – The Skipping Stone Part 3 – Pulse Problems

Tosey looked out the sluize's pilot window at the approaching object. According to computer calculations, it was approaching at a speed of approximately one thousandth of the speed of light, quite fast, considering the sluize itself only traveled at one ten-thousandth the speed of light. He heard a slight woosh, as Filba left the pilot room through the chute.

He stared down at the digimeter. The digimeter counted down.
1B...
1A...
19...

Each metaclick seemed slower and slower. At this point, the object was visible from the window. He stared at it... an eerie blue light seemed to propel it onwards towards the ship. Perhaps he should have listened to Filba - but it was too late for that... the digimeter counted.
11...
10...
9...

Each metaclick, coming closer, ever closer. The captain sweated.
7...
6...
5...

The object streaked towards the ship. Water ran down Tosey's forehead, and dripped from his cheek, landing on his stiffly formed hands, still firmly gripping the edge of the hologram projector. Tosey eyes did not leave the window.
4...
3...

Tosey's right most appendage drummed softly, disturbing the silence in the room
2...
1...

Tosey's eyes glazed over, the impact-bidden object forever embedded in his retina.
Impact.

-

The room service was certainly taking a long time. Tehrag got up from his bed, and started pacing his room. Why were they taking such a long time... room service usually only required about 1F metaclicks to respond to a request... he guessed today just happened to be a particularly busy day for the ships robotic attendants.

Tummy growling, and mouth full of unquenched saliva, he stared at the command box. The lunch lever was still flicked down. And yet there was still no knock at the door. Why were they not here yet? He sighed impatiently, rolling his eyes. He flicked the lever up again... maybe some mechanichal error of some sort... his eyes traveled to the button saying 'report error'. After waiting about 10 clicks, he made his decision.

His finger moved towards the 'report error button', and as he touched the surface...
Impact.

-

Filba was swept down the chute to the main deck of the sluize. He stepped into the crowds, knowing he had only clicks to do what was necessary to prevent panic from spreading through the ship. To his left, a short distance away, he noticed the small green intercom box he was searching for, only separated from him by a few shops, and about 20 people. He attempted to move quickly across the rotunda, yet avoid notice. He finally reached the intercom box, and hunched over the device before pressing the button that would activate it. A small beep transmitted throughout the ship. The people in the rotunda became silent and listened.

Still hunched over the device, Filba attmpted to mimic Tosey's voice, "Hello citizens of the Dawn. This is your captain, and I hope you've been a good day about the Imperial Sluize. I just wish to take a small portion of your time to deliver you this message: shortly, this ship will be participating in a practice evacuation drill."

The citizens of the ship murmured quietly - it had been nearly a decade since their last practice drill. Filba continued, "I apologize for the late notice, and hope it will not disrupt too many plans. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy your residency on the I. S. Dawn."

Sighing with relief, Filba lifted his finger from the intercom button. Tosey would be enraged at him for this, but perhaps it would ready the citizens to what was about to occur. EMPs were nasty business.

Filba took a step away from the intercom, towards the center of the rotunda, time seemed frozen as his left foot hit the carpet border which signified the center of the ship.
Impact.

-

Tosey withdrew in a breath. Tehrag pushed the button. Filba set down his foot. The EMP rocket, traveling at a thousandth the speed of light, slammed into the ship slightly below the pilot window, the haul carried in it's nose detonating immediately in a flash of neon blue fire, releasing a pulse of EMP energy into the ship.

-

Tosey watched as the object penetrated the ship slightly below the window. Then terror was released.

Tosey was thrown several meters in the air as the explosion rocked the pilot room. He hit the ground with a muffled 'ooof', knocking the wind out of him. Several of the other attendants were also launched into the air, one even landing on top of a disgruntled Horles. A rush of blue fire ingulfed the window, and a large jolt seemed to pass through Tosey's body, making his hair stand on end.

However, the high-tech glass withstood the heat, and the shocking jolt dissipated as soon as it came. Getting up, he scratched his head, hoping he hadn't broken anything, and looked up at the hologram. It was flickering slowly, seeming to struggle to get the power it needed to display. "Oh no." whispered Tosey as the hologram struggled for it's last breath, before fading into darkness. Then, one by one, the displays and lights which were scattered around the room, faded as well. Only the starlight, barely piercing its way through Tosey's protective-glasses, remained.

Swallowing, Tosey got up, and looked for Horles in the pitch darkness. He could see what he thought was the assitant still attempting to untangle himself from another crew member who had happened to land on top of him. Tosey pointed at the dead hologram when Horles happened to glance at him, and then opened up his hands. Horles nodded, and Tosey's heart sunk. If Tosey had interpreted what Hroles had meant corrrect – this lack of power existed through the whole sluize. And if this lack of power existed throughout the whole sluize - well, Tosey didn't want to think about the disasters that such an event would mean.

-

Tehrag shook his head, and yet things were still black. Slowly he got up... he remembered pressing the button, and then the cabing shook, and something fell on him... feeling his way aroudn the dark room, he felt at the ground, and his webbed hands came upon a tube... ah, so it must have been the light display that fell on him. Tehrag attempted to lift the tube, but couldn't – the display was heavier than he thought.

"Well", he mused, "it's no use staying in here." Tehrag slowly felt his way across the room to the door. After fumbling for a few moments unsuccessfully, he bumped his head against what he thought was the release button. And sure enough the door opened.

"Oof", came a voice from outside, "Watch it there!" Tehrag poked his head outside – and his heart sunk – he couldn't see anything in the hallway – it wasn't only his room that has lost power – apparently the hallway had too... slowly inching out of the room, he moved into the hallway.

"Oooooof", another voice this time, "can't you be just a bit more careful?"

"Sorry" said Tehrag. "Hey, where are you going" Tehrag exclaimed as he felt the resident pass him.

"Didn't you hear?", asked the resident with some disdain, "The captain said there was going to be an emergency drill – although they seem to have the flair for adding some 'realistic' effects."

"Oh" said Tehrag as the grumpy resident moved on. Continuing to feel, Tehrag could tell that what he actually thought was a few grouped residents was actually a line of residents traveling down the hallway. How many of these resident's didn't have power? All of them, judging from what that resident had said.

"Excuse me." said Tehrag, cutting into the line in front of another resident. And slowly but surely, he moved along the hallway, approaching the chutes. Suddenly, a thought caught Tehrag's mind – what if the captain had disabled the chute as well, just to simulate a real disaster – that could be a problem. But as he reached the chute, he saw people being whisked up to higher levels – apparently the captain hadn't found it necessary to test the residents in such a manner.
Entering the chute, Tehrag felt the pressure building, and he was on his way, launched to the main deck.