Coppertop
Dec 22, 2003, 09:06 AM
Before you all ask, this is not a thread for story continuations, such as Tales of the Tavern. Nor is it a thread for one person's story =P Actually, I made this thread because I (and I'm sure other writers) have a few short stories that don't fit in with any of my major works, and that I didn't think were worth a whole thread, but that were too good to throw out. So, put yer one-post stories here!
My contribution, starring CT, Claw and Shinyso:
The starliner rocked violently. The artificial gravity shorted out for an instant before coming back online. A shudder ran through the mirror-finished hull of the Xiatan, and a hollow, metallic boom rang out like a muffled gong. The lights flickered, dimmed, and finally flicked out. The entire liner was filled with darkness for an instant before the glaring red emergency lights came on with an audible click.
Another tremor ran through the Xiatan, rattling the grates that covered the stark walkways beyond the restricted areas. Crewmembers ran around frantically, footsteps ringing metallically on the grids, like worker ants when their anthill is destroyed.
The grinding screech of tearing metal drowned out the din of panicked voices. Another shudder threw several people off their feet.
"What's happening, sir?" a young crewmember frantically shouted to the head engineer. "What's going on?"
"I don't know," came the answer. "Where's those medics? Shaevin's out cold and Kadonna's got a head injury!"
"What?" someone else shouted. "Shaevin was piloting - Kadonna was his copilot this shift - we're without a pilot?"
"Looks that way," the engineer yelled. "Get those medics up here now!"
Another rumble drowned out the rest of what he said. The entire starliner trembled. A moment later, the medics went rushing by. The head engineer followed them nervously as they passed the yellow and black restricted area boundary markers, into the well-decorated passenger area. He hung behind uncertainly.
"What is going on?" A tall grey rabbit stepped in front of him. With a jolt he recognized her as one of the passengers. "From this thing's action, you've got no pilot! Who's in control up there?"
"No one at the moment," he said, and steadied himself against the wall. "It's under control, miss. Let me by!"
"Like I believe that," she said, ignoring the last part of what he had said. "The moment I believe it's under control is when I turn into a green Hellantran! The way this is yawing, we're goint to hit something big, soon!"
"Miss, let me by - it's all under control -"
"Have you got a replacement pilot?"
"Not yet, miss! He's out of action!"
"You're bloody lucky I'm a pilot, then. Claw! Get out here! What's taking you so long?"
"Excuse me," her partner said with dignity, coming up beside her, not even moved by the tremors rocking the starship. "I believe being slammed into a steel bulkhead might have slowed me down."
"Claw, they're short two pilots."
"Oooh, lucky them ... so?"
"Shut up. Where's the cockpit?"
"Miss, I don't -"
"That way? Great. Let's move."
"I don't think -"
"Claw, shut him up, will you?"
Her partner gifted her with a look of disgust. "I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."
"Sir - miss -"
"Oh, and try not to smash into the walls again, Claw."
Claw drew himself up. "I am Claw. As such, I have an innate sense of balance."
"Uh huh, yeah, sure, whatever."
"But - I don't -"
The grey pilot ignored his protests. She pushed by him and stalked through the open door that led to the cockpit, her partner trailing behind, feet ringing authoritatively on the metal floor of the suddenly stark corridor. The glaring red emergency lights lent a hellish glow to the scene, glinting off the floor, the metal bulkheads, the steel doors at the end of the short corridor. It was reflectedin the grey rabbit's intense green eyes and mirrored in her companion's blank scarlet ones. The Xiatan bucked and trembled again, but they kept their balance easily.
Still protesting, the engineer stumbled after them. The grey rabbit hit the access button; the buckled and dented door rose with the ear-piercing screeche of metal on metal, grinding on the bowed walls. Halfway up it stuck. The pair of pilots coolly ducked under it, leaving the bewildered engineer standing in the red-lighted corridor.
Slipping around the medics, who were lifting the injured pilots onto stretchers, Coppertop took stock of the situation. The pilot was unconscious, and there was blood on his face. The copilot had a deeper slash on his forehead which was seeping blood, and appeared to be stunned.
The cockpit was lit by starlight, for the artificial lights had shattered, as had the console covers. Glittering pieces of broken glass and plastic littered what could be seen of the floor, reflecting the light amidst splashes of blood, which were disguised by the crimson light from the corridor. The viewports were cracked and warped. Both pilots had faint patterns of blood, traced over what could be seen of their limp bodies, from where shards of flying glass had strucke them. The floor and walls were dented and bowed out of shape. Beyond the viewports, asteriods hurtled and spun in random directions, catapulting past the Xiatan. The hull rang with impact, and a vibration ran through the floor.
Coppertop ducked around a clump of multi-colored wires, hanging in stiff disarray from the bent ceiling, and strapped herself into the vacated pilot's seat. Then she reached over and flipped off the artificial gravity. Hopefully it would minimalize injuries.
"Claw, these asterioids are tearing this ship apart - see if you can get us out of here -"
"That's if the hyperdrives work," Claw said with grim humor. "Y'know what these idiots did? They plotted a hyperspace course right into an asteroid cluster."
"Nothing I've done can beat that for sheer stupidity."
"What about when -"
"Be quiet, you. The shields are intact - what about the hyperdrive engines and the weapons?"
"They work. Barely. These weapons are junk, though."
"I'm sure they are. Can you plot us a course to where our original destination was?"
"Sure. Uh, where were we headed again?"
"Claw ..."
"Sorry."
"Shantar, Claw. We were headed for the Shantar spaceport. Remember?"
"Right. Shantar spaceport."
Copper concentrated her efforts on getting out of the asteroid cluster. THe damaged starship was sluggish and slow to respond as she sent it skittering to the side away from an asteroid.
"Course set," Claw said quietly. "Get us out of here!"
"I'm trying! You could help!"
"Sure, any time ... " Claw grimaced at the unresponsive weapons system. "This is definitely not a fighter craft."
Apparently it was worth something, because quad lasers lanced out a second later and vaporized an asteroid. Copper glanced at him.
"Almost there ..."
They dodged a large, slow rock, and then they were in open space. Copper sighed and sat back.
"Initializing hyperdrive."
There was a final shudder as the sublight engines cut out and the hyperdrive started up. They they were in hyperspace.
Shinyso ducked under the door a second later, and glanced around the ruined cockpit with a grimace.
"So, what'd I miss?"
My contribution, starring CT, Claw and Shinyso:
The starliner rocked violently. The artificial gravity shorted out for an instant before coming back online. A shudder ran through the mirror-finished hull of the Xiatan, and a hollow, metallic boom rang out like a muffled gong. The lights flickered, dimmed, and finally flicked out. The entire liner was filled with darkness for an instant before the glaring red emergency lights came on with an audible click.
Another tremor ran through the Xiatan, rattling the grates that covered the stark walkways beyond the restricted areas. Crewmembers ran around frantically, footsteps ringing metallically on the grids, like worker ants when their anthill is destroyed.
The grinding screech of tearing metal drowned out the din of panicked voices. Another shudder threw several people off their feet.
"What's happening, sir?" a young crewmember frantically shouted to the head engineer. "What's going on?"
"I don't know," came the answer. "Where's those medics? Shaevin's out cold and Kadonna's got a head injury!"
"What?" someone else shouted. "Shaevin was piloting - Kadonna was his copilot this shift - we're without a pilot?"
"Looks that way," the engineer yelled. "Get those medics up here now!"
Another rumble drowned out the rest of what he said. The entire starliner trembled. A moment later, the medics went rushing by. The head engineer followed them nervously as they passed the yellow and black restricted area boundary markers, into the well-decorated passenger area. He hung behind uncertainly.
"What is going on?" A tall grey rabbit stepped in front of him. With a jolt he recognized her as one of the passengers. "From this thing's action, you've got no pilot! Who's in control up there?"
"No one at the moment," he said, and steadied himself against the wall. "It's under control, miss. Let me by!"
"Like I believe that," she said, ignoring the last part of what he had said. "The moment I believe it's under control is when I turn into a green Hellantran! The way this is yawing, we're goint to hit something big, soon!"
"Miss, let me by - it's all under control -"
"Have you got a replacement pilot?"
"Not yet, miss! He's out of action!"
"You're bloody lucky I'm a pilot, then. Claw! Get out here! What's taking you so long?"
"Excuse me," her partner said with dignity, coming up beside her, not even moved by the tremors rocking the starship. "I believe being slammed into a steel bulkhead might have slowed me down."
"Claw, they're short two pilots."
"Oooh, lucky them ... so?"
"Shut up. Where's the cockpit?"
"Miss, I don't -"
"That way? Great. Let's move."
"I don't think -"
"Claw, shut him up, will you?"
Her partner gifted her with a look of disgust. "I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."
"Sir - miss -"
"Oh, and try not to smash into the walls again, Claw."
Claw drew himself up. "I am Claw. As such, I have an innate sense of balance."
"Uh huh, yeah, sure, whatever."
"But - I don't -"
The grey pilot ignored his protests. She pushed by him and stalked through the open door that led to the cockpit, her partner trailing behind, feet ringing authoritatively on the metal floor of the suddenly stark corridor. The glaring red emergency lights lent a hellish glow to the scene, glinting off the floor, the metal bulkheads, the steel doors at the end of the short corridor. It was reflectedin the grey rabbit's intense green eyes and mirrored in her companion's blank scarlet ones. The Xiatan bucked and trembled again, but they kept their balance easily.
Still protesting, the engineer stumbled after them. The grey rabbit hit the access button; the buckled and dented door rose with the ear-piercing screeche of metal on metal, grinding on the bowed walls. Halfway up it stuck. The pair of pilots coolly ducked under it, leaving the bewildered engineer standing in the red-lighted corridor.
Slipping around the medics, who were lifting the injured pilots onto stretchers, Coppertop took stock of the situation. The pilot was unconscious, and there was blood on his face. The copilot had a deeper slash on his forehead which was seeping blood, and appeared to be stunned.
The cockpit was lit by starlight, for the artificial lights had shattered, as had the console covers. Glittering pieces of broken glass and plastic littered what could be seen of the floor, reflecting the light amidst splashes of blood, which were disguised by the crimson light from the corridor. The viewports were cracked and warped. Both pilots had faint patterns of blood, traced over what could be seen of their limp bodies, from where shards of flying glass had strucke them. The floor and walls were dented and bowed out of shape. Beyond the viewports, asteriods hurtled and spun in random directions, catapulting past the Xiatan. The hull rang with impact, and a vibration ran through the floor.
Coppertop ducked around a clump of multi-colored wires, hanging in stiff disarray from the bent ceiling, and strapped herself into the vacated pilot's seat. Then she reached over and flipped off the artificial gravity. Hopefully it would minimalize injuries.
"Claw, these asterioids are tearing this ship apart - see if you can get us out of here -"
"That's if the hyperdrives work," Claw said with grim humor. "Y'know what these idiots did? They plotted a hyperspace course right into an asteroid cluster."
"Nothing I've done can beat that for sheer stupidity."
"What about when -"
"Be quiet, you. The shields are intact - what about the hyperdrive engines and the weapons?"
"They work. Barely. These weapons are junk, though."
"I'm sure they are. Can you plot us a course to where our original destination was?"
"Sure. Uh, where were we headed again?"
"Claw ..."
"Sorry."
"Shantar, Claw. We were headed for the Shantar spaceport. Remember?"
"Right. Shantar spaceport."
Copper concentrated her efforts on getting out of the asteroid cluster. THe damaged starship was sluggish and slow to respond as she sent it skittering to the side away from an asteroid.
"Course set," Claw said quietly. "Get us out of here!"
"I'm trying! You could help!"
"Sure, any time ... " Claw grimaced at the unresponsive weapons system. "This is definitely not a fighter craft."
Apparently it was worth something, because quad lasers lanced out a second later and vaporized an asteroid. Copper glanced at him.
"Almost there ..."
They dodged a large, slow rock, and then they were in open space. Copper sighed and sat back.
"Initializing hyperdrive."
There was a final shudder as the sublight engines cut out and the hyperdrive started up. They they were in hyperspace.
Shinyso ducked under the door a second later, and glanced around the ruined cockpit with a grimace.
"So, what'd I miss?"