Friday, August 28, 2009

"Not Enough Gasoline"

>>>>>>> WELCOME TO THE X9-MARAUDER NAVIGATION MENU <<<<<<<

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VERIFYING IDENTITY

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HELLO MAJOR THOMAS JENSON D'ARCHOUS - USN #69148830XQ - DOB 04/22/2231 - SPECIES: HUMAN MALE - PLANETARY ORIGIN: EARTH - COMMAND POSITION: POINT COMMAND

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CURRENT POSITION OF X9-MARAUDER: X = 0924429, Y = 9611049, Z = 5934440, PLANETARY PLANE 211B12 - WARNING: CURRENT LOCATION OUTSIDE OF TETHRA COMMUNICATION ZONE. NO COMMUNICATION TO TETHRA AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. WARNING: CURRENT LOCATION OUTSIDE OF TETHRA EMERGENCY BEACON DETECTION ZONE. NO EMERGENCY BEACON DETECTION AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.

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WHAT IS YOUR QUERY?

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Thomas' sweat accumulates on his pale face as his weak fingers type commands into his Marauder's control panel. The systems controlling the Marauder's cabin environment are failing. Oxygen levels in the control pod are borderline sustainable. Carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas levels inch up by the second. The nearest Galactic Aid Station is 23,901,811 miles away.

Thomas punches in the request for an update on the rest of the starship's crew.

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SCANNING HABITABLE ZONES...PLEASE WAIT.

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46 ENTITIES DETECTED. SCAN FOR VITAL STATISTICS, MAJOR?

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Thomas, his vision blurred by the enlarging veins in his eyes and his voice obfuscated by the build up of blood and mucous, manages to speak.

"Yes," he says.

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PROCESSING

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42 ENTITIES DECEASED. 4 ENTITIES ACTIVE.

"We still have survivors..." Thomas mutters to himself. "Must...reach aid station..."

With the little energy he had left, Thomas keys in the coordinates for the aid station, then sits back in his chair and waits.

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NEW COORDINATES RECEIVED. PROCESSING...

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Thomas feels his consciousness slipping from him as he looks over his shoulder, through the cabin window, out at space...solitary, black, cold space.

There are no sounds and no light. There is no life at all.

An empty ration packet floats by his face as Thomas begins convulsing, his bloodshot eyes rolling back into his head.

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PROCESSING

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COORDINATES CONFIRMED. GALACTIC AID STATION #T-11EWA-TETHRA.

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ATTENTION MAJOR THOMAS - INSUFFICIENT PROPULSION RESOURCES. DESTINATION UNREACHABLE.

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Thomas' body stills. Froth from his mouth begins drifting forward into the cabin. His eyes still open, Thomas' corpse remains buckled into the cold, grey, metal command station.

...there is complete silence.

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WHAT IS YOUR QUERY?

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