Into the Void: Chapter 1 - The Lighthouse
26 Sep 2017Karlin Vos
There it was: the Lighthouse. Jackson's Lighthouse, to be specific. Any logical person wouldn't get within 50 light years of a magnetar, let alone 50 light seconds. However, explorers weren't known for their logical decision-making skills. You've got to have something wonky in the head to go out into the depths of space, all alone, for months or even years at a time.The magnetar star that defined this otherwise unnoteworthy system was the result of two white dwarfs that used to reside there getting a bit too chummy with each other. The result of their collision was a little hyperactive ball of death and destruction.
Think of your typical neutron star. Now make it rotate 100 times faster. Do it again. Once more. Now skew its axis a bit so the rotation is crooked and unpredictable. Have it rotate another 100 times faster. And now to top it all off, make those two plumes of deadly radiation and supercharged particles twice as potent. That is a magnetar. Get hit by one of those plumes and your ship could get torn apart in seconds.
Yet even with all that danger, at least 5 explorers passed through there every day to purposefully fly through those plumes. Why? Because doing so could boost your frame shift drive far beyond anything possible otherwise, allowing one to travel literally hundreds of light years in a single jump. For any explorer worth their salt, the risk was worth it. Jaycen Krieg, however, was having second thoughts.
Jaycen toggled the view on the data panel at his station to the crew communications tab. He requested a call with his lifelong friend and captain of the Asp Explorer he was serving as copilot on, Elizabeth Willows. He licked his lips nervously before speaking to her in a hesitant, shaky tone.
“Last chance to turn back Ellie, are you sure this is a good idea?”
Sweat was dripping down his forehead from anxiety, despite the best efforts of the ship's atmospheric control unit. He wiped his brow for what felt like the hundredth time as he waited for her to answer.
She finally accepted the video call and her face appeared on his viewscreen. The numerous freckles, bright eyes, and curly red hair he had known his whole life distorted into a scowl.
She spoke, her tone condescending. “For the last time Jay, we are NOT going back. Besides I already took out a massive loan for this ship, and I don’t feel like becoming an Imperial slave to pay off my debt.”
Jaycen fidgeted uncomfortably. She made a good point, but the thought of flying into the plumes of a magnetar still terrified him; and rightfully so.
“I know, but isn’t there any other-”
She cut him off before he could finish. “Look, do you want to spend the rest of your life digging up rocks for a living? This our ticket out of that life! When we get back from this expedition, we’ll be able to sell the data we collected for enough credits to set us up for life. So are you with me or not?”
She stared at him expectantly. He gulped and nodded. “You know I am. Just…. Don’t stay in the plume for too long, okay?”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Relax Jay, all explorers do this. It’s perfectly fine! The ship’s frame shift drive is reinforced and the shield generator is at max. There’s no need to worry. I’m gonna count us down now, are you ready?”
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. Ellie nodded back, brushing a few curly strands of hair out of her eyes as she faced forward. She stared at the spinning plume with fierce determination.
“T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.”
She pushed the throttle forward, and the ship began heading directly toward Jackson’s Lighthouse, and the beginning of a big adventure.