Get By With A Little Help
26 Aug 2016KronenBrg
Space had become a little boring. Ok, maybe boring was a strong word, but I had been feeling a little lost when it came to purpose for some time, in truth, ever since I retired from President Hudson's service.Oh yes, I hadn't mentioned that, had I? Oh well, that can wait until another time.
I was idly sitting, pressing aluminium foil up my nose as the latest attempt to block the smell.
I swear I'd tried everything. Wax, polycarbon, hamsters, but nothing stopped that smell. Shipping this stuff was soul destroying alright, but not through repitition, simply because the stench of 300 tons of Bio-waste, well, sh*t, not matter how well sealed it was, no matter how thick the bulkhead between the crew bridge and the cargo bay was, still got through some how.
And as a wise man had once told me; "the smell of something is carried by particulates of that something". Yes, the money was good, but the health 'benefits' were somewhat lacking.
So anyway, there I was, sitting in my chair on the bridge, rolling up some more aluminium, watching the star's corona visously burning below me as my fuel scoop churned away, filling the tank on The Good Ship U-Bend (new name, like it?) and feeling very nafai, when a loud crackle came from my transceiver and a voice quickly followed;
"KronenBrg? KronenBrg? Are you there? Please say you're there?"
I recognised the voice in an instant.
"Hiredgun you old Octavian ringrunner, how you doin?" I replied.
"Have you got a cold?" Came his reply, crisply, and then with more than a little desperation "I'm in big trouble..."
"What's wrong buddy?" I enquired, hastily pulling out the foil and then finding myself fighting the urge to wretch as the smell came back like an uninvited guest.
"I was running shit from Sortis," he started (the profanity filter doesn't work on radio transmissions) "when I guess I miscalculated, now I'm low on fuel and don't have enough to get to a good star!"
My thoughts started to race.
"How much fuel have you got exactly?" I asked, "And what sector are you in?"
"'I'm down to 0.014 fuel, and I'm in COL 285 SECTOR NE-C A15-1" came his muffled response "I really thought I could make that next star, sure the computer said I could... wrong"
I tried to think quickly. I failed, so out came a sheet of paper and my trusty wax crayon. A quick sketch and a glance at Inter-Galactic Google and I responded;
"Turn off all your unimportant stuff, everything apart from your life support and transponders, and I'll come and help you out"
"OK" came his more upbeat reply.
I mapped out my route to him; 11 systems and the last 6 were all T class stars. I then looked for the nearest HiTech sector, knowing I couldn't waste time on checking random sectors for a Fuel Limpet Control System. I found one, three jumps away. Wax crayon to work again I realised that would push my journey out to one that would leave my tank empty on arrival.
I had no choice.
My finger flipped back the safety cover over the one button that you never wanted to press, and I pressed it. There was a loud clunk and I watched as 277 tonnes of sh*t and some assorted engineer material floated off into space. Strangely it seemed to head away from the star that I was orbiting, floating off into the deep black of space. Someone would have a pleasant surprise. There was a Refined Focus Crystal in amongst that load.
"Ok, I'm on my way" I said with firm resoluteness. "K" was the only reply.
Two jumps later I slid U-Bend into the Coriolis Station, and down into the belly of the station. The Outfitting screen appeared. A minute later machines were pulling out two of my size 4 Cargo Bays and replacing them with a Fuel Limpet Control system and a new Fuel Tank.
"I'm on my way" I said, not knowing if he was still awake, or if the coldness of space mixed with the smell of pooh had killed my buddy.
"..." Nothing.
"It's a shame but I don't see any of the old crew on here" I heard the sadness in his voice.
"I've seen ColinR flying around a bit, but not recently" I said helpfully, whilst gently bouncing my canopy along the station exit.
I lined up the jump. "Here I come, 6 jumps away" I'd forgotten how nice this ship was when it wasn't loaded with crap.
I have never passed through untravelled sectors so quickly. No stopping and scanning, I didn't even deploy the Deep Space Honker, I was a Man on a Mission.
Two sectors away I realised that I would still be low on fuel if I was transferring. As luck had it the next sector, HIP 10245, had a scoopable star. I hovered in position as my Fuel Scoop churned in the gases and processed them.
"KGB FOAM" I said, helpfully, "it's the best thing anyone ever told me, saved my butt so many times"
"You can scoop an F class white star?"
"Yes" I replied, "just don't get too close to it"
I hit the final jump and dropped into his sector, seeing his Wing Beacon almost immediately, and dropping from slipstream seconds later to land 800 meters from his Asp.
"My knight in armor" he joked.
"Right, let's see how these damn things work" came my reply, as I suddenly realised I had totally forgot to read the instructions that had accompanied the Limpet Controller. "DAMN!!"
"What's wrong?" enquired Hiredgun.
"I didn't realise that I needed bloody limpets as well, and now I'm kicking myself as I can't think what else I was expecting a Limpet Controller to control!"
Inter-Galactic Google was instantly on.
"OK, I'll be back in a mo, just need to fetch some limpets"
- I'd swear I heard him snigger.
The nearest sector with a large station was an Industrial, 4 jumps away. This was a faster journey than the last one, although my landing was just as 'crunchy'. Loaded up on Limpets I headed back out.
By the time I reached him there was frost starting to form on his canopy.
"You OK in there buddy?"
"Yeah, just wondering if Bleachin was ever going to get his ship out again, and wondering if I should burn something to keep warm"
"That historic program from Wales versus Belgium" would be a good starting place" I helpfully suggested.
I pulled my ship alongside his and began to deploy limpets. With the pop as each one finished it's job I could see more systems coming on through the glass of his canopy.
Eventually his voice came clearly across the comms "All done pal, I can easily reach civilisation now. Thank you, that must have ruined your evening?"
"No" I replied, "It's been quite educational and it's given my ship a real blast of fresh air!"
A long evening, but really worthwhile.