Savior to Stranded -- Tales from the Gnosis
10 Sep 2018Xxcrashcourse
CAPTAIN’S LOGARTEMIS' VOW
COMMANDER MASON CALDWELL
6:37:56
SOMEWHERE NEAR OUTZOTZ ST-I D9-6
When the news broke about the Thargoid attack on the Gnosis, I was in the middle of my well-earned vacation out in the Witch Head nebula. As an explorer, I was still doing my job – but I’d cozied up at the Witch Head Science Center and had been resting there for a month or so. Nothing urgently needed my tending to.
And the reports came flooding in. Over long-range communications, over radio stations, over news broadcasts, I could hear about the carnage. It was everywhere. Video of commanders and pilots screaming for aid. Ships being absolutely gutted before they even had a chance to leave the landing pad. Explorers under attack and at the mercy of the Thargoids, under the protection not of any security force, but of whoever dared stand up and fight for them.
It was heart-wrenching.
It was terrifying.
But I had to do something.
I was only about 50 or so jumps out. A day’s worth of travel, if my navigation computer cooperated (a rarity, but I liked to think optimistically). I figured I could make the trek. I wasn’t outfitted for combat against Thargoids. I was barely outfitted for combat against other human ships. But I had an empty cargo hold and the willingness to fly in and out of the fire of burning stations. I’d done it before, in the Pleiades. I figured I could show up and ferry survivors or belongings off the ship in crisis.
I’d heard the ship even had outfitting and figured I could always make it out there, re-outfit my ship for mining, or get an SRV, and collect materials for the repair of the ship or data on the attacking ‘Goids.
And maybe make some money with exploration data in the process. A win for everyone, right?
So I made the trek. It took me about two days, split up into several-hour chunks. The navigation computer wasn’t, in fact, cooperating – no surprise there. On more than one occasion I had to manually plot a route through what seemed to be permit-locked space. Not only did this slow me down considerably, it made me incredibly paranoid. What was going on out here that the Pilot’s Federation didn’t want me to get in to?
But I pressed on. And I made it to the system unscathed; OUTOTZ ST-I D9-6. The system at which the Gnosis had been stranded.
It seemed quiet enough. I even dared explore a nearby planet before daring drop in at the megaship. Through a run of good luck I found my first Thargoid barnacle – totally inactive, though I’ve heard active ones may be guarded by Scouts.
But then it was time.
I braced for a rough landing. I’d heard through various reports that Thargoid Scouts liked to ambush pilots as they neared the Gnosis. I’d even heard horror stories of a blockade around the megaship.
But as I dropped in within 10km of the ship… nothing. All quiet.
I landed, I introduced myself, and I made my rounds.
I found myself useless.
The outfitting I had heard tales of was empty. No stock, but they could request modules be shipped in from elsewhere if they were already my own property. As an explorer who had not only never had mining lasers outfitted but didn’t even know where to start with Anti-Xeno combat, I was S.O.L.
And despite everything, there was no cargo nor passengers needing immediate evacuation from the ship. They all preferred to wait, certain the ship’s damaged Frameshift Drive would be operational again shortly.
And then it happened. Claxons blared. The ship rocked. I was knocked off my feet. I scrambled back to my ship and found “Unknown” all over my contacts board.
Terror gripped me.
I didn’t move. I didn’t undocked. I didn’t try to leave.
I was truly as underprepared as I felt.
I stayed docked at the Gnosis for four days. Many drinks were had in that time. Many friendships struck. In my attempt to rush to the aid of those stranded, I myself became one of them. I went to help, only to need the help I was trying to give.
Days passed with only the intermittent Thargoid attacks to tell the time. Every time we heard them approach, commanders would launch. Half as many would return at the end of the day. We never knew for sure who made it out of the system safely and who was killed fighting or fleeing. There was no real way of knowing.
But it grew dull. If anyone was working on fixing the ship, there was no evidence of it. And the ‘Goid attacks were certainly not letting up anytime soon.
The way I saw it, I had two options;
A.) Sit here and either rot on the ship or die in a fiery ‘Goid attack doing nothing but sitting helplessly by.
B.) Saying ‘fuck it’ and making a run for it, against all odds, likely dying in the process but at least going out in my ship amongst the stars, instead of in a dying station.
I clambered into my ship and waited. I checked and double checked my contacts tab, counting not only the Unknown contacts (which I knew were waiting Thargoids) but also how many human commanders were in the sky – and what they were in.
It felt like hours, but the opportunity came. One unknown contact. Two Anacondas. The ‘Goid was outnumbered and, odds were, outgunned.
I put in the launch request. They approved. My ship jolted forward, out of the hanger and onto the landing pad.
All quiet.
The moment the restraints unlatch I take off, pulling my landing gear up and shooting off towards the plotted escape vector.
Frameshift Drive charging.
A deep breath, pushing the throttle farther. Hitting the boost on my thrusters as much as I can, so quickly errors appear on my screen.
“Frameshift anomaly detected.”
Shit, shit, shit. More ‘Goids. Jumping in right behind me. My heart pounds.
And then… boom. Launched into witchspace.
It lasts a second, and something pulls me out. My ship lurches so suddenly I black out.
I come to just seconds later. My route planner has gone completely kaput on me. I don’t know where I am or why, just that there’s no course plotted and none of my thrusters are on.
“Frameshift anomaly detected.”
I check the navigation panel.
There, about 15km behind me, the Gnosis.
Also behind me – roughly 10 Thargoids, according to my contacts panel. I don’t know what kind. All it says is “Unknown.” That’s all it ever says.
All I can do is pray they aren’t Hydras. The new variant that appeared in the airspace around the Gnosis. The kind now crawling over the whole system.
I hear an EMP. I hear fighting. A Python disappears from my contacts panel.
I push the ignition and the throttle. I don’t even bother mapping a course. Shots whizz past me. A missile locks on. Corrosion damages my hull.
Frameshift drive charging.
Go, go, go.
Shields down.
Throttle up to engage.
There is no more throttle, I’m going as fast as the ship will let me. But there it is anyways. Throttle up to engage. Mocking me. You’ll never be fast enough. The Thargoids are everywhere. You can’t outrun them.
Hull reaches 70%. Then 50%. Then 30%.
This is it, I think, watching the numbers slip down faster and faster. I wouldn’t even have time to turn around and stare them down.
20%.
Here goes nothing. What a stupid mistake, coming out here. I knew I was underprepared. I should have guessed this would be how I die.
Fwoom.
The ship lurches forward. Space compresses around me.
Witchspace.
I make it into Supercruise with 17% hull remaining, but the Gnosis and the Thargoids far behind me.
17 percent.
50 jumps from the nearest station where I can repair. Or I can turn around and go back to the Gnosis.
I take my odds with the cold vacuum of space over returning there.