Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:06 am
Pandamonium of The Mind, A Story Of Doubt, Pride, Regret, Ha
CHAPTER ONE
Mactan Base Docking Bay 14:30 Hours
Saturday, January 9th, 801 A.S.
Thomas climed up the docking bay ladder into his Dagger, the, “Tiger” as he called it.
Thomas ran thru his flight checklist, his adrenaline beating, hearing the blood pumping in his ears, anxiously waiting for what would be assured a hard battle ahead.
Thomas slid on his flight helmet and buckled himself in, his HUD lighting up with a “beep!”
He went thru the list again.
“Emergency Beacon,” he muttered to himself. “Supplies, Weapons.”
“This is Lane Hacker Delta Leader 6, Weapons on line, powering up main shields and deflector dish, Manuevering thrusters are online. Life support is optimal, Main engines on stand-bye, Main Computer activated. All systems are go. Delta 6 Squadron report status.” Thomas ordered, loving being in control, when others his age were just wingman.
“This is Delta Six dash 1, all systems nominal.”
“Delta Six dash 2, all systems nominal.”
“Delta Six dash 3 all systems online and nominal, ready when you are boss.” That was Jimmy.
The 2 more men went thru there systems check.
“This is Delta Leader 6 to all squadrons. Lets get this party started. Mactan base, clear all personnel of the docking bays, open the bay airlock number 1.” Thomas ordered.
The huge sideways oval rolled into the asteroid base pull back spot. The ships fired their thrusters and put themselves past the first airlock.
“Docking bay cleared close airlock one.”
The airlock closed behind them, Thomas not sure if the large pounding he heard was more the airlock or the blood pumping thru his ears. The monstrous doors in front of him opened, and the ships were sucked out in barrel rolls, flips, and backwards.
“YEEEEHHHHHAAA!!!!” Jimmy yelled, this was always one of his favorite parts of a mission, the sudden disorientation and g’s pulled on you.
They got their maneuvering thrusters into action and stabilized.
“Delta Squadron 6, form on my lead.” Thomas ordered, as they headed into the white and light blue abyss of the barrier ice field.
CHAPTER TWO
MANCHESTER JUMP GATE TO FREEPORT 4 TRADE LANE
“Delta 2!” Thomas screamed as one of his pilots’ ship was riddled with laser fire and exploded into an asteroid.
Thomas cursed at the Bretonian Police escort for killing one of his men.
It didn’t matter if they were the best police in all of Sirius, he was going to make them pay.
“Miranda Rights this you Bretonian….” Thomas screeched toward the Police ship in a barrel role, his fiery blue eyes ablaze with vengeance.
He pulled back on the trigger, squeezing it like hugging a lost long relative.
KI! KI! KI!
Screamed his “hellfury” laser cannons, scorching down the police officer’s shields.
Timothy Whitmore, a 21 year old Bretonian Police recruit’s shields were down. He had to make sure this shipment got thru, if he didn’t get paid, and he died, his father would be alone and now tottaly broke.
“Shields down.” The computer voice said so calm it seemed almost maniacal.
“I KNOW!!” he screamed at the computer, punching in the shield battery command, the quick screech of the electromagnetic pulse bringing his shields up still didn’t take away the adreanaline feeling inside him.
The Lane Hacker that just brought his shields down flew above him, into the ice field, Timothy in hot pursuit.
Thomas cursed, the cop was still after him. He increased his thrusters to maximum, his engines screaming in protest.
Timothy saw the pirate increase his engine speed, he was trying to get away, and that he would not let happen.
He increased speed to catch up.
Both the pirate and the police officer flew at high speeds, rapidly dodging the ice asteroids.
Both of them barely missing a couple.
“Time to say good-bye Bretonian.” Thomas muttered, a grin on his face some might call evil. He pulled back on the throttle, like he thought, the Bretonian flew past him, trying to stop, fortunately for Thomas reducing enough speed to sight him. He pulled the trigger with vengeance.
The pirate stopped dead behind him. It was that split second Timothy realized his mistake. It was that spilt second, Timothy’s life flashed before short life flashed before his eyes. Growing up on New London, neural net news papering, saying good bye to his dad. His dad. It was that split second he realized, he had let him down.
“NNOOOO!!!!!!!” he screamed, at the pirate, at himself, at space.
The familiar KI! KI! KI! KI!
Of the Lane Hacker laser cannon, tearing apart his cavalier, and quickly ending his career.
He screamed.
CHAPTER three.
MAGGELAN SYSTEM SECTOR OF THE BARRIER ICE FIELD.
He held the trigger down, he could barely hear it with his cannons blasting, a faint cry of “NNOOOO!!” he heard in the background comm.
He stopped firing.
A scream, and the ship exploded.
He sat there in space.
It seemed an eternity.
He had never thought about the man or women in the other cockpit.
Why was he doing this, why were any of them doing this.
He had never asked these questions before.
He remembered the stories he was told about as a child, the Galileo Bypass scandal, all the Ageria workers losing their jobs.
They were doing it for revenge.
But this was a Gateway gold shipment, not an Ageria Trade Lane or Jump Gate parts shipment.
What had they done to the Hackers?
What had that Cop done to them?
Did he have a family?
Questions questions questions!
So many of them and precious few answeres!
He needed answers.
But where?
Who?
When?
How?
What happened if you betrayed the Lane Hackers?
“Snap out of it Thomas!” he screamed, not realizing he had said it aloud, or cared.
He was alone, tottaly alone in the vastness of space.
He couldn’t betray the Lane Hackers, they were family, everyone of them.
But was all of this wrong?
Was there a better way to fight the unemployment?
After all though, it had been 300 years since it happened.
“It was wrong.” He said out loud again.
The old earth expression.
Time heals all wounds.
It doesn't.
He had to talk to Jimmy.
T--T-THATS ALL FOLKS!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When all else fails, tell them you want world peace.
Mactan Base Docking Bay 14:30 Hours
Saturday, January 9th, 801 A.S.
Thomas climed up the docking bay ladder into his Dagger, the, “Tiger” as he called it.
Thomas ran thru his flight checklist, his adrenaline beating, hearing the blood pumping in his ears, anxiously waiting for what would be assured a hard battle ahead.
Thomas slid on his flight helmet and buckled himself in, his HUD lighting up with a “beep!”
He went thru the list again.
“Emergency Beacon,” he muttered to himself. “Supplies, Weapons.”
“This is Lane Hacker Delta Leader 6, Weapons on line, powering up main shields and deflector dish, Manuevering thrusters are online. Life support is optimal, Main engines on stand-bye, Main Computer activated. All systems are go. Delta 6 Squadron report status.” Thomas ordered, loving being in control, when others his age were just wingman.
“This is Delta Six dash 1, all systems nominal.”
“Delta Six dash 2, all systems nominal.”
“Delta Six dash 3 all systems online and nominal, ready when you are boss.” That was Jimmy.
The 2 more men went thru there systems check.
“This is Delta Leader 6 to all squadrons. Lets get this party started. Mactan base, clear all personnel of the docking bays, open the bay airlock number 1.” Thomas ordered.
The huge sideways oval rolled into the asteroid base pull back spot. The ships fired their thrusters and put themselves past the first airlock.
“Docking bay cleared close airlock one.”
The airlock closed behind them, Thomas not sure if the large pounding he heard was more the airlock or the blood pumping thru his ears. The monstrous doors in front of him opened, and the ships were sucked out in barrel rolls, flips, and backwards.
“YEEEEHHHHHAAA!!!!” Jimmy yelled, this was always one of his favorite parts of a mission, the sudden disorientation and g’s pulled on you.
They got their maneuvering thrusters into action and stabilized.
“Delta Squadron 6, form on my lead.” Thomas ordered, as they headed into the white and light blue abyss of the barrier ice field.
CHAPTER TWO
MANCHESTER JUMP GATE TO FREEPORT 4 TRADE LANE
“Delta 2!” Thomas screamed as one of his pilots’ ship was riddled with laser fire and exploded into an asteroid.
Thomas cursed at the Bretonian Police escort for killing one of his men.
It didn’t matter if they were the best police in all of Sirius, he was going to make them pay.
“Miranda Rights this you Bretonian….” Thomas screeched toward the Police ship in a barrel role, his fiery blue eyes ablaze with vengeance.
He pulled back on the trigger, squeezing it like hugging a lost long relative.
KI! KI! KI!
Screamed his “hellfury” laser cannons, scorching down the police officer’s shields.
Timothy Whitmore, a 21 year old Bretonian Police recruit’s shields were down. He had to make sure this shipment got thru, if he didn’t get paid, and he died, his father would be alone and now tottaly broke.
“Shields down.” The computer voice said so calm it seemed almost maniacal.
“I KNOW!!” he screamed at the computer, punching in the shield battery command, the quick screech of the electromagnetic pulse bringing his shields up still didn’t take away the adreanaline feeling inside him.
The Lane Hacker that just brought his shields down flew above him, into the ice field, Timothy in hot pursuit.
Thomas cursed, the cop was still after him. He increased his thrusters to maximum, his engines screaming in protest.
Timothy saw the pirate increase his engine speed, he was trying to get away, and that he would not let happen.
He increased speed to catch up.
Both the pirate and the police officer flew at high speeds, rapidly dodging the ice asteroids.
Both of them barely missing a couple.
“Time to say good-bye Bretonian.” Thomas muttered, a grin on his face some might call evil. He pulled back on the throttle, like he thought, the Bretonian flew past him, trying to stop, fortunately for Thomas reducing enough speed to sight him. He pulled the trigger with vengeance.
The pirate stopped dead behind him. It was that split second Timothy realized his mistake. It was that spilt second, Timothy’s life flashed before short life flashed before his eyes. Growing up on New London, neural net news papering, saying good bye to his dad. His dad. It was that split second he realized, he had let him down.
“NNOOOO!!!!!!!” he screamed, at the pirate, at himself, at space.
The familiar KI! KI! KI! KI!
Of the Lane Hacker laser cannon, tearing apart his cavalier, and quickly ending his career.
He screamed.
CHAPTER three.
MAGGELAN SYSTEM SECTOR OF THE BARRIER ICE FIELD.
He held the trigger down, he could barely hear it with his cannons blasting, a faint cry of “NNOOOO!!” he heard in the background comm.
He stopped firing.
A scream, and the ship exploded.
He sat there in space.
It seemed an eternity.
He had never thought about the man or women in the other cockpit.
Why was he doing this, why were any of them doing this.
He had never asked these questions before.
He remembered the stories he was told about as a child, the Galileo Bypass scandal, all the Ageria workers losing their jobs.
They were doing it for revenge.
But this was a Gateway gold shipment, not an Ageria Trade Lane or Jump Gate parts shipment.
What had they done to the Hackers?
What had that Cop done to them?
Did he have a family?
Questions questions questions!
So many of them and precious few answeres!
He needed answers.
But where?
Who?
When?
How?
What happened if you betrayed the Lane Hackers?
“Snap out of it Thomas!” he screamed, not realizing he had said it aloud, or cared.
He was alone, tottaly alone in the vastness of space.
He couldn’t betray the Lane Hackers, they were family, everyone of them.
But was all of this wrong?
Was there a better way to fight the unemployment?
After all though, it had been 300 years since it happened.
“It was wrong.” He said out loud again.
The old earth expression.
Time heals all wounds.
It doesn't.
He had to talk to Jimmy.
T--T-THATS ALL FOLKS!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When all else fails, tell them you want world peace.