HIP 29596 Horrors(Venus Chronicles)
21 Dec 2022Silvia Sharpe
+// Log Entry Start+// [Date: 20.12.3308]
+// Location: Imperial Sanctum, Cemiess]
What the hell was I thinking? I spent 6 hours in HIP 29596 fighting to protect stations as other commanders rushed in to evacuate as many people as they could fit. Just when we thought we had won more interceptors showed up. We suffered heavy casualties while protecting Adelman Dock. I was caught off guard by a group of scouts and a basilisk. Man those things pack a punch. I was forced to dock at De Kamp Vision and requested my Imperial Cutter be delivered. My alliance challenger may end up being lost to the Thargoids.
My cutter arrived and the look on the pilots face said everything. he had come face to face with death and survived. The scorch marks and the acid burns on her hull told me he had been hyperdicted entering the system and thanks to my ships moderate engineering he had managed to survive. The pilot booked a shuttle out of the system to safety. I on the other hand prepared myself for the trip into the red zone to assist in the evacuation on civilians. I entered the airspace around Brule Arsenal and requested immediate docking access. I touched down and was brought into the hangar. I was briefed on the situation and authorized the boarding of 124 refugees. I requested permission to launch which was hastily granted. Once on the surface the situation had grown much worse.
The moment my landing gear left the pad we were target by a Thargoid caustic missle. It made contact. Then a second and a third hit. I could hear the passengers screaming and crying as I shut down the exhaust vents of my ship and engaged my FSD. I managed to burn off the goo but not before sustaining heavy damage to the hull. Leaving the system went off without much trouble. I dropped the passengers off at the Imperial Sanctum in Cemiess. The search and rescue team on site deployed repair limpets as I made my way to the landing pad.
We touched down and I made my way to the exit of the ship to see the passengers off. Every single one of them thanked me for getting them out of that awful place. I didn't have much time to wait around for the ship to be cleared out there were more people in that station that were needing evacuation. I returned to HIP 29596 18 more times. The last run I performed I witnessed an awful tragedy.
As I was making my way in to the landing pad to dock another commander escorting refugees was targeted by what looked like a Medusa interceptor. I watched as the ship and its passengers was mercilessly destroyed. I touched down and authorized my final 120 passengers. I held my breath as we made out way to the surface.
'Landing restraints released.'
'Landing gear retracted. WARNING! Incoming caustic attack. WARNING! Hull breach attack, Taking internal damage. WARNING! Energy surge detected'
Systems went dark. We were stranded. The roar from the Medusa and one other interceptor resonated through the hull of the RIPJAW. Every single person onboard went silent the ships canopy began to freeze over as the Thargoids rounds impact the hull. I sat there thinking to myself myself and everyone on board this ship is dead.
My ships thrusters roared to life. I hit the boosters and began to flee.
'WARNING. Thrusters malfunctioning. WARNING! Power Distributor malfunctioning power output reduced.'
I remember thinking this is it. This is how I die. Just then a wing of AXI Challys dropped in and began raining down hell fire on the bugs chasing us down. We weren't out of danger yet though my FSD had began malfunctioning and wasn't charging. I was forced to do something extremely dangerous, I had to reboot the systems on my ship. Not only would this leave us unable to maneuver we would be completely exposed.
I began the reboot sequence my passengers crying and screaming as the scouts sat there and wore down the ships hull caustic goo still eating away at us. After what felt like an eternity, all systems cam back online. I looked at the hull integrity, 35%. I engaged silent running engaged my FSD and hit boost trying to bring temps up.
'WARNING! Temperature critical. Caustic substance removed.'
With 25% hull remaining I managed to burn off that goo. I got us the hell out of HIP 29596 and proceeded to the Imperial Sanctum, Cemiess. As we approached the dock, a feeling of relief washed over me. I proceeded to my quarters and turned in for the night. The events of the day flooding my thoughts. The looks of the terrified civilians waiting for their turn to board a rescue ship knowing that there was a chance they may not survive past that moment.
I can't leave them there. I have to go back. The Maelstrom can wait. These people cannot.
+// Log Entry Ends