Star Fable: Failsafe (p1)

[Jerrel]

I never really questioned my sanity, even when every one around me did. The kids from the orphanage called me crazy for signing up with the and. My commanding officer called me nuts for using a homing gta to hit a hold out camp. And my squad mates thought I was certifiable for hitting vacuum in my F-35 just to ensure a spot in the space core. But as the shuttle approached the two hundred meter long colony ship...I think they might have been on to something.

The colony ship hung silently in the sky growing larger in my view port as the shuttle approached. Nothing prepared me for the shear size of the Ark. I had to admire the human effort to create this flat sleek colony ship. The first of its kind, the Ark was built to carry twenty thousand men and women to a near by star system to start the first colony outside the solar system. And I'm in charge of the ten fighter squadrons assigned to protect it along the way.

"This is nuts," I muttered as I stared out the view port.

"No kidding. My first time up I couldn't pull myself away from the window either,"

"You ever get use to it?" I asked as I turned to regard the other passenger. When I first boarded the shuttle I thought I was the last of the senior staff to come up but I found this guy already strapped in ready to go. He looked over his shoulder at me and said that it was about time I showed. We pretty much sat in silence after that.

He stood and looked over my shoulder out the view port. "Nope, you never really get use to it but it does become easier to pull away when you need to," He looked to be in his mid fifties but moved like he spent his hole life in artificial gravity. Heck I'm 25 and I still get a little disoriented when then grav-generators kick in. He stood a good head taller than me and had the look of a born leader with a solid face and enough gray in his hair to tell you he's lived an interesting life. If my completion was as tan as his one could mistake him to be my father. Heck for all I know he could be my father but the odds of it are next to nothing. Mama Sue told me that he fought in the war but that's all she knew and suspected that he died early against the CSE.

"Sorry what was that?" He asked me something but I was caught with my head in the clouds again, thinking about a father I never knew. Pull it together flyboy, I thought as I brought my attention back to the conversation at hand.

"What's your name son?"

"Alex. Captain Alex Stone," I said, trying to hide the brag in my casual manner. If he noticed or was impressed he didn't show. He just nodded like he knew already.

"What's your assignment up here?"

"Oh I'm flight lead," I responded nonchalantly.

"Decide on what squadron you'll lead?" He asked in the same cool manner as he went back to his seat across the isle and turned to listen to me. "I'm thinking about leading the 115th but I won't decide till I get to meet my men."

He just sat there for a moment looking at me as if he was measuring me up then, with not a word, turned around in his seat and sat forward. "Hey what's your name?" I asked a little annoyed. "John," he said without so much as looking at me. Thinking that was that I turned back to the view port to see we where almost there. The Ark filled my view port, warping perspective so much I could have sworn that I could reach out and touch the metallic blue hull. I could now make out view ports as well as gun placements. It surprised me when they announced the ship would be packing, considering all the objections from the remnants of the CSE and the preserve space crowd. Through all the political maneuverings and all the threats to the Ark itself, I would have thought all those politicians would have caved but rumor has it that a major player from the war came out of hiding to support the arming of the colony ship. Just then the pilot came over the com, "Time to strap in gentlemen, we're coming in for the final approach into the docking bay"

"So what are you doing up here?" I asked as the two of us strapped in. "I'm working on the bridge," was all he said and I knew it was a good idea not to press him. No point in getting on the bad side of someone who might have the captain's ear.

comments and suggestions are welcomed

[Skorixor]

Is this your RL biography?

[Jerrel]

Is this your RL biography?

??? no.

Something I'm workin on and wanted to share as I went along. Seret told me this would be the best place to post a non SW story.