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Chapter 1: Drifting in Space

Chapter One: Drifting in Space

No matter how routine it became, there was nothing truly average about a shift spent hauling materials between Jupiter and Saturn’s orbits, at least not to the crew of the Aurora Opera. The crew of five members was almost too small for the freight class ship, but they were not alone--work robotics helped to round out the rest of their workforce, which was in and of itself no small feat.

To an outsider, the Aurora’s crew came across as a patchwork of alliances, two humans, and three extraterrestrial beings (though they’d rather just be called aliens, after all it was rare for even the humans to have been born on their native planet this far out) --though if they were judged solely by behavior, it didn’t seem to matter to them much at all.

“Disabled shuttle up ahead!” Elias’s voice came across the coms system, the navigator had taken over piloting for the moment, as the pilot went to help secure one of their robots which had malfunctioned near the galley. As he maneuvered the large freighter to slow, and come up near the listing shuttle wreck, Elias kept an eye on the coms unit for the telltale bulb to switch over with his awaited reply.

“Enable standard protocol, Elias. I’ll be back to the bridge in a moment, we have Lucy under control.” The pilot’s voice mostly sounded exasperated, and Elias suspected it was because Lucy must have given them a good chase around the galley.

He had only gotten into the first two steps of the protocol, when one of the sensor monitors lit up, though it certainly shouldn’t have. The results on the screen startled Elias as he instinctively reached for his coms unit again.

“Boss, we have an anomaly on screen.” Elias hadn’t looked away from the monitor, handling the coms with one hand, as the other attempted to adjust the readings he was getting.

“What kind of anomaly, Elias? Dirty screen anomaly, or crossed wires?” Though he wasn’t entirely sure, Elias wondered if she wasn’t giving him a bit of that human sarcasm.

“Lifeforms detected on-board the shuttle.” Elias wasn’t sure but he suspected the mutters of reply on the coms probably had to do with the surprise of his response. Or disbelief, even in his intelligence, he was still learning about human reactions.

The sounds of boots hitting the steel grate covering the bridge up to the cockpit, announced to Elias that his pilot was back. While he waited, he had pulled up the results of the scans as they had been completed, and being as thorough as he was meant he had started every scan he could think of that might help.

“Life forms, on that wreck?” Elias turned to meet the gaze of the woman who effectively ran the ship, Alvina Frost. Though he was not prone to lying, he wouldn’t have wanted to lie to anyone like Alvina, with her mismatched eyes, though they kept telling him that was cultural bias.

“Check for yourself, Alvina. Two of them, in the inner--the middle of the shuttle. Though the stress report is lighting up, like a Yule tree, as you say?” Elias’s attempt at humor, brought a slight smirk to Alvina’s face as she glanced from him back to the monitors.

“Almost. Keep working on the humor, Elias, you’ll get there.”Alvina shook her head, a stray curl escaping her ponytail.

“There’s only one thing to do then...All hands to the bridge, prepare for a boarding.” Even as Alvina spoke into the coms unit, her voice echoing around the ship, her brow was furrowed in thought.

One by one the rest of the crew filed in, Baako the first to arrive, their purple hue slightly heightened by Alvina’s actions as she piloted the ship within boarding distance of the sparking shuttle.

“What are you doing?” Baako was often an imposing figure, some days presenting male, some days presenting female, but always the imposing one in the group--the one that looked like they shouldn’t be crossed (or mildly irritated). It was often a stark contrast to Alvina, who even when serious looked more approachable.

“Parking. Hold her steady Elias, we need to find a lock that still works on that shuttle.” Alvina’s voice was steady, even as she switched over the controls to Elias and got up to pull on her pressurized suit.

“That is not what I meant, and you are aware of it.” Baako followed Alvina a frustrated tone slipping into their voice.

“Baako, you heard Elias, and saw the scans. There’s two life forms on that shuttle, still showing signs of aliveness. This is now a rescue mission” Alvina’s reply didn’t falter much, even as she began pulling on the light grey pressurized suit--her words of course not just for Baako but also for the remaining crew who had gathered on the bridge.

“You cannot just go onto a disabled shuttle alone, not knowing what matter of what is on there awaiting you...” Baako’s reply was only cut short as Alvina, now donning the bottom half of her suit, just reached over grabbing the corresponding pressure suit for Baako and shoved it toward them.

“Come now, Medic--you can lecture and suture if necessary. I’m pretty convinced you could probably perform surgery and give me a discourse without missing a beat to either.” There was no other real discussion on the matter, as Alvina pulled on the top of her suit while turning to the rest of the crew to dispense instructions.

“Duško, man the extend...try and find a working airlock on that thing we can use--” Alvina’s instructions were cut short as she finished with her suit.

“All the airlocks on the shuttle are sealed. The shuttle seems to have shut off most of the functioning systems, except for in the middle section. I’m still running a search to figure out what ship that shuttle might have come from...or from where.” Elias shook his head, glancing away from the rest, and back to the computer displays which were beeping for his attention.

“Figures. Your brilliant plan then, Alvina?” There was a tone of amusement in Baako’s voice, even as they finished pulling their suit on.

“The usual. Linnie can I borrow one of your plasma welders, preferably a pocket one--we don’t really have time to spare here, do we?” Alvina motioned to the monitor that showed the gathered data on the lifeforms detected.

“I hate when you wing it.” Baako’s tone had shifted to resigned, as they finished with their suit, and strapped on their medical bag, checking their weapon.

“I know, but I’m just so damn lovable the rest of the time...” Alvina stopped her response to Baako for long enough to focus on Linnie’s instructions on how to use the welder, everyone used to the telltale sounds of the extended airlock, docking with the shuttle.

“Duško--” Adjusting the straps of her own holster, Alvina had turned to the only other human on her crew, when he interrupted her with a half smile.

“Roo is equipped to be a Medic, or fetcher.” Duško patted the top of one of his rounder robots, who in turn blinked his lights at Alvina in greeting.

“Always on the same page, thanks Duško. So we’re all set, we’ll keep coms open with you. In the unlikely event something goes wrong ten ways from Elucides, you lot make sure to get to safety...and don’t forget to pick up Baako...” Alvina flipped her visor down after securing her helmet, and made sure Roo had a lock on her, and Baako, heading for the airlock. Purposely ignoring that Baako had opened their mouth to argue with her again.

“Airlock secure.” Duško’s voice came over the coms clearly, as Alvina put in her code to walk into the accordion corridor; Alvina’s steady steps added to the gentle hum from Roo, and followed by Baako’s footsteps created a familiar symphony between them.

“One day I will live to see you make choices that will not be classified as noble....but stupid, Alvina.” There was a sense of resignation in Baako’s voice, even as they double checked their suit settings.

“By the book doesn’t always mean right, or successful Baako. We both know that....” Alvina shifted her visor, before readying the plasma welder to give Baako enough time to shift their visor as well.

“I know, but it does not have to be at the cost of your safety.” Baako shifted, and unholstered their hand weapon, short range and good for personal protection.

The airlock gave, and easily swung in on the hinges left by Alvina’s cutting; the corridor it opened into was in disarray, and immediately the visor sensors displayed the levels of oxygen, nitrogen, or general lack there of. With Alvina leading the way they slowly made it onto the shuttle, checking their environment as thoroughly as possible.

“This looks like it was scrapped...” Alvina’s voice was slightly distorted to her own ears, thanks to the helmet, and coms unit.

“You are right...bandits would have stripped out the wiring...How far from our position is the first life force on the shuttle, Elias?” Baako’s voice sounded deeper through the coms, even as Alvina shuffled closer to the nearest wall, reaching out to touch it. She first felt the shudder of the metal, before they finally heard the groan, and Alvina shared a glance.

“10 feet ahead, and to the right, Baako. The second seems to be moving away from the first, and is registering as much smaller in size.” Elias voice broke their glance, as the two nodded and set to work. Though they could tell the structure might not hold up too much longer, they could only speculate that the shuttle had been scrapped, and not hit by bandits on the route--so they proceeded with caution, keeping an eye on every opening they came across, just in case it was in fact a distraction for an ambush.

What they found in the main open room was an unconscious male alien, wearing a lighter duty pressure suit in white, which was flashing red, alerting Baako that he was injured. As Baako got to work, stabilizing the male, Alvina made sure to check the room, but nothing else moving was in it.

“Roo, a stretcher please.” Baako’s voice brought Alvina back to help strap down the male to the Stretcher provided by Roo, both paying attention to the beeps, and hums that told them what Roo’s scans revealed about their surroundings.

“There’s a fuel leak...Baako, you and Roo get this guy back. I have to find the other life form...” Alvina waited long enough to know she had strapped Baako’s patient on right, before moving to the entrance while they headed for the airlock, accessing Roo’s scans so she could use them as she searched the shuttle.

“Alvina, you will not have long--the leak does not have anything to stop it.” Baako’s brow furrowed in what Alvina knew was worry, so she gave them a smile.

“I’ll see you back on the Aurora, we’ve got that delivery to make...Trust me I haven’t missed a delivery, no intention of starting now.” She knew better than to stick around, or Baako might convince her to wait for Duško to make it over.

“Where’s the scan showing the second form, Elias?” Alvina made note of the slight shudders the shuttle was making as she walked, flinching slightly as a few lights finally blew out over head as the stress increased on the hull.

“Just up ahead, Alvina...directly across the entranceway.” Elias’s voice was a bit pinched, and Alvina couldn’t help but half smile at herself even as the adrenaline rushed through her body.

What used to be either a storage area, or seating was now in disarray with sparking electrical wires--and fluctuating level of breathable oxygen according to her helmet. Alvina could see places where the hull had been pierced, and focused her attention on finding the other life form, taking a few steps in before noticing a small movement near the floor on the far side of the room.

“Life form found.” Alvina carefully moved closer, not quite believing what she was seeing.

“Elias...Baako....we don’t have any known hostile aliens that like to pass off as small vulnerable children in the database, do we?” Alvina switched her outer coms unit, her eyes fixed on the baby in front of her.

“Hello little one...what are you doing down there?” Alvina focused on the child, her voice catching the attention of the child who turned to her and seemed to view her suspiciously, even as it didn’t move away.

“No, we don’t, Alvina. Are you saying there’s a child on that shuttle?” The surprise, and slight indignation in Elia’s tone, made Alvina smile more for some reason as she holstered her weapon, and crouched down near the scared child.

“It’s okay, little one. I’m not going to hurt you, but we have to get out of here...Oh, is your bunny toy stuck?” Alvina’s tone was gentle, a feat as she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears increase with every shudder, and groan the shuttle made around them. Slowly she reached to place a hand on the back of the child, Alvina would place it no older than 10 months by sight alone, reaching past the child to pull the bunny toy free from the suction of one of the pierced holes in the hull.

The child was dressed in a pressurized suit, the lights of which were running the normal blue along the sides, so in the least Alvina knew it wasn’t injured. Having rescued the bunny toy, had apparently been enough to gain the trust of the child, who after taking the plush back, allowed Alvina to pick them up.

“Alvina, you need to get back to the airlock. Scans are showing the pressure building near where you are...that shuttle will not hold.” Baako’s voice startled Alvina a moment, but she heeded the warning, and headed out.

“On my way.” The shuttle’s shaking, and groaning only seemed to increase as Alvina attempted to make it back out of the corridor without dropping the child in her arms.

A particularly violent shake, as something undoubtedly broke off the shuttle somewhere, caused Alvina to almost trip, the bunny plush falling to the floor as she tried to keep the baby from falling as well. The reaction was almost immediate in the child, who started to whine, and flail, making Alvina have to stop to pick up the fallen toy. Luckily the toy landed nearby, unfortunately it had landed on a hatch which caught Alvina’s attention for a second too long.

Grabbing the toy hastily, Alvina took off at a run, even as the corridor shook violently, she could feel the weight of the child in her arms more acutely as she stepped foot inside the airlock though there was no time to try and seal it even partially behind her. Having made it halfway up the accordion ramp of the extended airlock, Alvina paid for her mistake as she felt the violent shudder of the ramp as it lost support on the end behind her. She willed her legs to move, even if she could now hear herself huffing from exertion, knowing that if the pull of the vacuum caught them before the ramp collapsed it would pull them out to space. If the ramp collapsed first...well she wasn’t sure how many injuries she could sustain this time around, and she couldn’t imagine a baby could survive it at all--neither were viable options to her, so she kept pushing her limbs.

Alvina had blocked out the yelling that was coming over her coms system, but she had to admit a sense of relief when she felt the telltale feel of Roo’s robotic arm grabbing her arm, not even the slight pain from the push of what had to be the force of the explosion behind her bothered her much as Roo pulled her unceremoniously onto the Aurora.

She had landed curled around the baby, but the adrenaline running through her made it impossible to move, so Alvina was fairly relieved to feel Baako pull on her until she was on her back. Duško’s face came into her view, as he pulled off her helmet, allowing her fresh air, though she coughed hard.

“Can’t...get rid of me...yet.” Alvina felt her vision start to waver, dizziness hitting her as her breathing struggled to even out; though she found comfort in the weight leaning onto her side once she realized the baby was sitting up on its own.

“Alvina...” What else Baako meant to say was lost to Alvina, as she felt unconsciousness claim her; a single word in the forefront of her mind as everything else slipped away: Kaleidoscope.

Next Chapter: (Teaser)Chapter 2: Janus Base