Night Terror
05 May 2023BigBadShow80
Captain's log, supplemental.After leaving the graveyard of stars at the very bottom of the Mare Somnia region, the Nebula is currently laying in a course for the galactic plane of the region. During the voyage, I found a strange system based on a Neutron star with a strange halo and its companion, a G-class star.
Well it's seems so strange entering this system, the sky is not dark anymore but all around the Neutron star there's a strange, diffuse smoke like someone is vaping all over the system. I think it is maybe an anomaly or one of the many different phenomena around the galaxy. The DSS reports just one small atmospheric world at about 500ls away and there is nothing else interesting. The G-class star is more than 100kls away form the Neutron star and got no planets, just an asteroid field. I decide to drop out of supercruise.
The Nebula surf the dense gases around the star at 200m/s while enlighted by the ray bursts of the Neutron. The view is definitely amazing and reminds me of the old terrestrial ice-breaking ships.
It's about time to engage the FSD and jump to the next system.
Standard procedures activated, frameshift online, ready to jump.
***WARNING - FRAMESHIFT TUNNEL UNSTABLE***
I can't believe my eyes reading this on the ship's computer. The last time I faced this crap was when I got hyperdicted by some lame thargoid and the Nebula was able to overrun them.
This time I didn't even initiated the jump and the wormhole was starting to form. What the hell?
***FRAMESHIFT CANCELLED - UNABLE TO OPEN TUNNEL***
With a loud bang the Nebula comes to a complete stop, just a couple of light seconds away from the deadly star.
Frantically, I try to reset the systems while the computer shows general system failures and other warning that I decide to ignore. A quick reset, might solve all the issues.
Then something made my blood run cold.
From the halo of gasses I witness an unknown vessel emerge.
The design is something I never saw before or maybe something I only read in sci-fy books.
A dark, giant cube shaped ship, glowing a dark blue light.. And it is heading toward the unharmed Nebula.
***THRUSTERS ONLINE***
Without waiting anymore I decide it's time to jump over and engage some relativistic speed to put some good light seconds between me and the 5kms sided ship.
Luckily enough it wasn't able to mass lock me. Actually this giant thing would mass lock a Farragut.
Sensors are unable to scan the vessel and my shields are still offline but anyway I'm able to jump over, laying in a course for planet A1. The idea is to hide on the dark side of the planet and maybe be able to jump away in another system while they are not able to see me.
The Nebula starts gaining speed breaking the speed of light and starting cruising to the planet, but after a few second the cube shaped vessel starts chasing me at the very same relativistic speed.
How it is possible that it's outmatching the Nebula? How? Their frameshift drive is different from anything I've ever seen and in less time than I expected the starts to interdict me.
The Nebula tries to resist with all the bravery she got in her bolts but she's not fitted for war and quickly got pulled out of supercruise just a little over 10Mm short from planet A1.
I'm starting to get out of option.. the FSD is still in cooldown, maybe I can try to jump in another system... maybe i can...
Or maybe not.
As I try to figure how to get out of that situation, a horrible sound breaks into the cockpit of ship.
***UNDER ATTACK - TAKING DAMAGE***
They are firing at me and I got no shields. Well, Nebula's shield are just for protection from space dust so they won't be useful anyway.
An explosion coming from the back of the ship, temporary blind my eyes. They hit the main thrusters of the ship and I'm in a descending course, entering the sparse atmosphere of the planet.
***THRUSTERS OFFLINE***
The Nebula is caught in the 1.2G gravitational well of the planet and I can only use directional thrusters to decelerate the descent.
Another impact breaks the ship and I turn around just to see that the hull has been completely ripped off and there's just the cockpit protecting me along with the atmospheric shielding.
***CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE - SHIP SHUTDOWN***
I never thought this would happen but the Nebula is doomed. I have to save my life somehow, even if this giant piece of crap is chasing me, I have to try.
With the ship falling apart all around me, I decide to try to reach the nearby escape pod that, miraculously, is still intact.
Without further ado, I eject from the ship and see her falling apart from the small window of the pod.
This is the end of the Nebula, this is the end of my voyage and maybe it is the end of my life.
A tail of debris from the Nebula and the giant vessel in the background is all I see before blacking out.
***EMERGENCY SAVING PROCEDURE - POD OPENING***
The pod opens and I find myself alive surrounded by a field of debris scattered far more than my eyes can see. I feel pain all over by body but the suit is doing fine and keeping me alive. I turn myself around but there are no traces of the cubic vessel that assaulted me. There's a piece of of hull laying next to the escape pod. Despite being badly burnt, it still clearly shows "NX-602", the registry number of my little Nebula.
My poor friend.. she lies in pieces all around this area and there are sign of an explosion. Probably when the power plant failed and gave the coupe de grace to the crippled ship.
I'm alone and lost.. I need to find a way to contact someone in the bubble, I might still survive.
Suddenly I feel heat in my back and I fall down on my knees. Some kind of weapon must have hit me. The pain is crippling me and I land face first onto the ground. Thankfully the helmet is still intact and letting me breath.
I turn around just to see three giant humanoids coming toward. They must be at least 3 meters tall.. they got four arms and I cannot see their face since they are wearing blackened helmets.
They are here... I don't know if it's worse the fear that I feel or the crippling pain in my back.. I try to move but I can't.. it's like they inhibited the lower part of my body.. my legs won't do what I ask or maybe it's just the fear.
They are next to me and I suppose they are talking somehow. The only thing I feel is the beat of my heart going crazy.
Then I see the alien on the right raising his arms with the fists closed and the only thing I'm able to feel next its a devastating pain on my waist and chest, while his fists land on me at full speed.
I spit blood and I feel cold. My body is gone.
The last thing my eyes are able to see are those four, king sized fists closing to my head.
***Computer sound***
***Computer sound***
I open my eyes and I find myself in my gravity bed on board of the Nebula.
"Computer, what is the current position of the ship?", I shout.
***Ship is currently landed on Plae Briae NN-W c1-6 1 a***
What the hell was that? Was that a dream? A nightmare?
I still have goosebumps and my heart is still beating like crazy.
I decide to wake up and look outside of the window. My ship is still intact, worn out but intact and there is no sign of other vessels. The K-class star's light, filter through the atmosphere of the gas giant nearby.
It was just a dream.. a frightening dream but still a dream.
Who knows what the galaxy is hiding? Gotta stop eating dried stewed peppers before going to sleep.