STRANDED - SHERINGTON LANDING ,OREGAL SYSTEM
15 Jun 2020Horza Harklosp
'THE THRUSTERS ARE TOTALLED, BUT ITS THAT FRAME SHIFT DRIVE.. I MEAN SURE, IT MIGHT GET YOU BACK HOME, HOW FAR YOU SAY SIR?'. 'HIP 14031'I TOLD HIM..' THE PORT ENGINEER SHOUTED 'HEY EVA, HOW FAR IS THAT FROM HERE?' A SYNTHETIC VOICE ANSWERED HIM FROM A SPEAKER ON HIS SUIT '108.28LY'. THE SPIDERY MECHANIC SHOOK HIS HEAD AS HE CAME FOLATING DOWN TO ME FROM THE OPEN SIDE PANEL OF THE CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE. 'HELL YOU MIGHT MAKE IT.. IF YOU KEEP TO HALF THROTTLE WHILE SUPER CRUISIN' THE TALL THIN MECHANIC IN THE PALE BLUE COVERALLS HAD NOW PULLED HIMSELF UP ALONG SIDE THE LANDING GEAR TUGGING AT HOSES AND CABLES. 'AND HOPE YOU DONT EXPLODED, OR GET LOST IN THE WITCH SPACE. THAT HAPPENS YOU KNOW. SHIPS DISSAPER, IT'S FUCKING DANGEROUS WIERD STUFF WE PLAY AROUND WITH. NO WAY I,'D RISK IT.'CAN YOU JUST PATCH UP THE FSD?I ASKED AND TO GET THE THRUSTERS BACK TO ROUGHLY 50% I'VE GOT A STACK OF SPARES IN STORAGE BACK AT PORCO. I CAN PROPERLY FIX THE OLD GIRL THERE'. THE MECHANIC SROKED HIS LONG CHIN WITH HIS DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, 'WHAT BOUT TTHIS PORTSIDE BEAM LASER, OH AND YOU GOT THEM FRIED SCANNERS, YOU CAN'T GO OUT BLIND SIR, SURELY! WITH NOT EVEN BASIC BLOODY RADAR?'
I NODDED TO HIM FROM MY PERCH ON TOP OF A CRATE OF WHAT WAS LABELED COMPENSATOR COMPONENTS. 'I'LL MANAGE WITH JUST ONE LASER. CANNIBALISE ONE TO GET THE OTHER OPERATIONAL. I'LL NEED TO BUY A WHOLE NEW UNIT FOR THE PORT SIDE THOUGH YOU'RE RIGHT MIND, CAN YOU RIG ME SOME SCANNERS? AS YOU CAN SEE' I POINTED TO THE COLLECTION OF NON STANDARD COBRA PARTS PROTRUDING FROM THE HULL IN PLACES. HE CHUCKLED 'WELL IF YOU AIN'T TOO FUSSED BOUT STUFF LIKE THAT, SAFETY AND ASTHETICS AND ALL HA HA. YEAH I CAN PUT A SCANNER ON FOR YOU ITS QUITE CAPABLE, A GREAT ROD OF A THING OLD THOUGH HA HA.
I HAD FOLLOWED A TARGET FOR THREE JUMPS. GAINING ON HIM EACH JUMP. I'D TAKEN CARE AS TO AVOID HIM KNOWING I WAS FOLLOWING HIM. I CAUGHT UP WITH THE TAREGET AS HE DROPPED OUT OF CRUISE INTO A DEBRIS FIELD, HUGE TWISTED CHUNKS OF WRECKAGE. THIS GUY'S RANKED DANGEROUS SO AS SOON AS I DROPPED IN, I HIT HIM. DIDN'T WANNA GIVE HIM A CHANCE. JUST AS I OPENED UP ON HIS WITH MY BEAM LASERS, I GLANCED AT MY DISPLAY AND NOTICED TWO MORE CONTACTS. BOTH MOVING IN ON ME FAST, FROM EACH SIDE. PULLING UP AWAW FROM MY STRAFING RUN I TURNED A LOOP TO GET AN EYE ON THE NEW CONTACTS.
THEY'D BEEN HIDING AMONGST THE DEBRIS. THE PYTHON HIT ME FIRST. CANNON FIRE SRIPPED AWAY MY SHEILD AND STARTED RIPPING AWAY CHUNKS FROM MY HULL. THEN TWO COBRAS, THE ONE I'D BEEN FOLLOWING AND A MK IV BOOSTED PAST ME FIRING. MISSILE LOCK WARNINGS SOUNDED AS I STARTED THE FSD BOOT UP SEQUENCE, ALL THE WHILE I WAS BOOSTING AND WEAVING. THREE MISSILES WERE INBOUND . THE FIRST STRUCK ME HEAD ON, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO COME STRAIGHT THROUGH MY CANOPY. I PULLED BACK ON THE STICK, THE MISSILE STRUCK, KNOCKING OUT BOTH MY MAIN LASERS.. MY POINT DEFENCE TOOK OUT THE SECOND. THE THIRD MISSILE WHEN IT CONNECTED, FRIED ALL MY SENSORS. MORE HEAVY CANNON FIRE FROM THE PYTHON SLAMMED INTO ME, I REALLY THOUGHT, ANY MOMENT I WOULD BE DEAD. THEN THANKFULLY SHE BROKE MASSLOCK FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN JUMPED. I WAS DOWN TO FIFTEEN PERCENT HULL INTEGRITY AND HALF MY MODULES REGISTERED AS COMPLETELY GONE.
I DROPPED OUT OF CRUIUSE WHEN I'D GOT SOME DISTANCE FROM THE AMBUSH SITE. I WAS SHAKING LIKE A LEAF, COVERED IN SWEAT. ATHIN SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT, IT SMELLED OF MELTED PLASTIC. A GULP OF MOONSHINE BURNED AS IT WENT DOWN. THE HARSH LIQUOR SOOTHED MY NERVES ENOUGH THAT I COULD BEGIN TO THINK.. I TRIED TO REBOOT WHAT SYSTEMS I COULD. I'D LOST A LOT OF FUEL IN THE FIGHT, MY TANK MUST HAVE BEEN HIT. LUCKILY IT HAD SEALED ITSELF, LEAVING ME JUST ENOUGH JUICE TO GET TO THE NEAREST SYSTEM, OREGAL. I MANAGED TO LIMP TO THE SMALL OUTPOST I'M AT NOW. THEY HAVEN'T A PROPER SHIP MAINTAINENCE FACILITY. BUT WITH THE HELP OF THE BEANPOLE OF A MECHANIC, WE COBBLED SOME REPAIRS TOGETHER. I REALLY OWE THAT GUY A DRINK. HE DIDN'T EVEN CHARGE ME FOR THE 'ANTIQUES' AS HE CALLED THE OLD COLD WAR ERA SCANNER ARRAY, THAT WE'D MOUNTED ON THE FRONT OF THE SHIP. ANOTHER DAY OR SO AND I SHOULD BE ON MY WAY HOME. HOPE I DON'T RUN INTO TROUBLE ON THE WAY, SHE'LL NOT HANDLE ANY HARD MANOUVERING..