| A moment of shocking disorientation, suspended in a thick gelatinous blue void, while tiny lights wink like distant stars just out of reach. The muffled sound of some sort of metallic impact further penetrating this moment of realization. Jolts of light, blackness surging in, smothering out that other place. The gossamer veiled silhouettes of Minnmitar attack craft moving across the gaseous nebula their hulls flashing as weapons fire repeats. You follow the exhaust flares trailing a flock of inbound missiles. There is no time to react and you are dropped back into the false security of your pod as damage once again obliterates your interface with the ship. “Get me out of here!” your thoughts roar. The umbilical breather remains steadfastly affixed to your face making it impossible to scream. You are jolted to one side of the tank your body sloshing up against the padded interior. Looking up you see the emergency release mechanism’s ruby pulsing. Your legs flex and you bob upwards reaching for the recessed controls. The blackness pours over you once again as your thoughts are redirected to the strategic cruiser which has become your skin. You reach out immediately finding navigation beacons and reorienting yourself. Your body flinches as the prickling sensation of multiple warp scrambling fields attempting to cut off your escape is ignored. You smile inwardly as you feel the exorbitantly expensive warp core stabilizers rotating the frequency modulation of the drive fields. Then space all around the aft portion of your ship is obliterated by dazzling blue fire as the Proteus bounds forward. Audio simulators announce the rumble and crash of the hyperspace insertion which your eyes see as a tunnel of ghostly wisps rushing past. A shiver passes through you, relativistic velocities always feel cold like a great wind buffeting against titanium alloy. You call up the velocity and trajectory figures as the Medusa races towards the star gate. Proximity alarms confirm your suspicions as specks appear in your wake and slowly resolve themselves into frigates pushing their engines hoping to overtake you. In less than the time it takes to blink you have sent off an update on your status and situation to your employer along with a request for a substantial bonus for safe delivery of the goods. Your commercial codes are exchanged with the outbound gate requesting priority access. The menacing black fighters have closed the gap on your position just as the gate blooms in front of you. Your body tenses diverting power to the remaining shields as the staccato flares of multiple missile launches predicts your imminent departure from this realm. The cry building in your throat is interrupted by the blinding angelic light of a capital tachyon sweep from the gate. Time is suspended just before everything inverts for the nanosecond it takes for quantum level disassembly. The missiles fly harmlessly through the empty space the Medusa occupied. After an eternity of nothingness you become aware of the cool darkness of Empire space. Sparkling superheated plasma is venting from one of your engine manifolds attracting the attention of gate control which summons a nearby customs ship to investigate. Far above you four ripples in space are waiting hoping for opportunity. “Medusa this is Narai gate security, are you in need of assistance?” a voice as comforting as the father you never had inquires. “Affirmative Narai control, I will need immediate medical attention for my crew, they aren’t responding, please hurry.” “Not to worry Medusa, medical frigates are launching now. Prepare for boarding.” “Thank you,……thank you.” Your body finally relaxes as an Amarrian battle ship comes alongside dwarfing you in its shadow and hiding you from the little black birds racing off before you identify them. |
