Copyright © 1984-2008 Event Horizon
This is a work of fan fiction.
Rights to other excerpted copyrighted material contained within are not inferred.
In other words, have fun with it. And tell 'em where you got it from.
Log of the I.S.S. Galactus
Here Be Dragons
Cruiser: A starship capable of independent action.
I.S.S. Galactus
AHL-CF-6425
Imperial Azhanti High Lightning Class Cruiser
Extended Edition Length: 330 meters
Displacement: 66,600 tons.
First Flight: Imperial Year 1099 (5620 AD)
Declared Lost With All Hands: Imperial Year 1103 (5624 AD)
Galactic Imperium Quick Fact.
The average life expectancy in the interstellar Imperium is 143 years.
Approximately 238 years in the technologically advanced star-faring portions of the Imperium.
This is the story of the little girl and her pony.
Once upon a time.
Nova Armani, one of the space-borne. Her flight time journal started as a not quite day-old infant drifting alone in an emergency capsule from the starliner Nova Armani, lost 54 years previously.
Enter the Imperial X-Boat Network (IXN).
The business of the growing Imperium would grind to a halt without speedy communications, and IXN serviced that need. The interstellar X-Boat system functioned in the same capacity as the Pony Express of Old Earth. With no faster-than-light (FTL) electronic communication available, the FTL but tiny X-Boats ferried physical messages, information, and the occasional priceless small cargo between star systems.
The IXN pilots were young and dedicated. Which was good because X-Boats do not stop moving.
One day a frontier X-Boat pilot found her by chance, because as it happened her X-Boat was at a relative dead stop. The off the main route rendezvous with the Imperial Destroyer went flawlessly, and Sandi Mylner made preparations for the return voyage home. Her X-Boat crammed full with a year's worth of station personnel goodies offloaded from the Destroyer. Plus one tiny Classified Military packet.
Seconds from departure, Sandi visually sighted the relatively slowly drifting emergency capsule nine clicks away. Well past it's safe operating margin, the capsule was dead save for the last ergs of power running the life support stasis field.
'Report it and go home,' she thought. 'Nothing could be alive in there.'
She looked anyway. The Destroyer left her X-Boat with a full load. With fuel to burn she moved closer. With oxygen to spare she externally examined the capsule. And managed to peek inside.
It took her two hours to dump the cargo, except the Military packet.
It took another three hours to jury rig the emergency capsule to the too small cargo hatch.
It took less than a second to cross fingers and pray that the jump field would not collapse due to the irregular configuration of X-Boat and emergency capsule.
We'll skip what happened immediately upon her return. Fortunately sounds do not carry in a vacuum.
Named after the ship stenciled on the capsule, she was christened "Nova Armani" by her adopted mother. In time as the grumblings of 'out the airlock' died down, a second Mom adopted her. Then a Dad. And in time the entire small post.
There came a day when Nova was old enough to be entranced with a threadbare vacation brochure. A fantasy land to dream upon. And within a photo of laughing children on ponies.
"I want to ride a pony Mommie."
"There are no ponies here Dear."
{sniff}
Cradling the sobbing child near the porthole, she said, "We have something much much better."
And the child's eyes went wide at the outside lights.
Not limited by the mental constraints of 2D planetary horizons in her new environment, Nova grew adept in the ways of 3D space. She wanted to ride that pony in the window. She learned safety. She watched everything her parents did. And her parents were the best.
And in the Zero-G areas she could do everything her parents could.
There came a day when Nova copied what one of her parents did and rode the pony. Her first solo flight at age 3.
Without permission.
One of her parents, already at a separate destination station, waited grimly for the stowaway toss out the airlock. Living on the frontiers of the Imperium, station consumables were life-and-death matters. There were margins, and every body had an allotment. You don't hold your breath for 30 minutes to make up a for loss. Then again that was the law, which was as flexible as the airlock hinges. Waste everyone's means to survive, and You make up the difference.
All of Nova's parents had 'forgotten' to report about the then infant, now a consumable using precocious little girl.
"Nova?"
"Yes Sir."
"How old are you?"
"Three Sir."
"Interesting. And three years of 'leakages and spills'. Nova, do you know what you did?"
{squealing} "I got to load the saddlebags and ride the Pony Sir."
He looked at Nova, then the airlock.
"Don't do this. Fire me, I got six years weight allowance and she'll fit."
"It's placed in a vacuum."
Before he could speak, the Manager's hand went up.
"Do you know how to read and write?"
Head shook.
"Yet you managed to pack an X-Boat to over-brimming, and make a perfect non-fuel wasting run?"
Nova looked up. "Just like Daddy Sir."
"Want to be a pilot Nova?"
"I am a Pilot Sir. Pilots ride Ponies Sir.
Manager looked at 'Daddy', then the airlock.
"At the very least, she knows how to say "Sir." No stowaway has piloted one of my X-Boats. Ever. So it's called embezzling. OR, overlooked paperwork for the cost of three years room and board consumables. And tack on ninety days expenses Teach Tapes. No one stays here who can't read, write, or sign a contract. Throw in Deep Space Certification training expenses, and we'll overlook the flying without a license. Expense for a proper fitting suit and scheduled upgrades as long as she stays here. Expense for real clothes and uniform."
"Would you like your own room Nova?"
"Yes Sir!"
"Room and board expenses starting today."
The Manager looked 'Daddy' in the eyes.
"She's your sole doing."
"Yes, Sir."
"I doubt it." and handed him a Padd. "You're all in on it. And that's the itemized bill and allowances for her and your den of thieves."
'We'll work freebies for the next 20 years but she'll live.' Daddy thought, then looked at the Padd.
"It's Green??"
"Do you know how substantial the cargo bonuses are, given the weight difference between an adult in a suit and an bubble suited child?"
The Manager broke a smile.
"Especially when it's the entire Emperor's Special Handling Required Cargo."
"Special Dispensation. Do you know what that means Nova?"
"No Sir."
"It means, You Ask Permission First."
Dejected, "yes sir."
"It also means No deadheading. You have permission to take the next loaded pony back."
"YES SIR!"
"And put extra stuff in the saddlebags."
A relative 43 standard Imperial years later.
"Even my first adopted Mom didn't know why she dumped valuable message cargo for an unknown passenger. After all, a standard Imperial rescue on the frontier wouldn't have take more than a couple of decades.
And I regret I will never know for certain whether J.J. Samuels was motivated by credits or wanting to find any reason at all to keep a little girl alive. Despite the uncertainty I remember my X time fondly.
But there was one X-Boat rule I would never follow. I will never leave anyone in space. Ever."
Nova Armani, Pilot.
And so it came to pass that the little girl who rode ponies.
Became the woman who rode horses.
On the biggest range in history.
I.S.S. Galactus Log Entry IY 1125 (5646 AD)
A wailing sound and flashing lights accompanied words that echoed off ceiling, wall and deck armor.
"общие четверти!"
"безопасный для переход фазы."
Roused out of his temporary sleep, a suited and seated pilot verified the automatic deployment of the seat restraints.
"пять, четыре, три, "
Then switched on the universal translator.
"two, one. Phase Transition."
I.S.S. Galactus exited the void between universes with a burst of sparkling blue light, and entered a new universe.
"We are now in normal space. All hands to Battle Stations!"
All breach births being traumatic, entering a universe induced systems trauma on the starship, as major electrical systems scrammed. Priority went to maintaining the massive engines that sustained the starship's quantum signature. Without this protection, in an incompatible universe Galactus would simply disappear.
This left Galactus militarily vulnerable for 30 seconds to 10 minutes, while the major systems were restarted and brought back on-line. Ironically the longer the period the more compatible the universe. With an average wait of 3 minutes, starfighters would be the eyes of Galactus in the new universe.
Long seconds elapsed before the decision was made to launch the starfighters, least they too evaporate like soap bubbles on a hot sunny day. Each pilot was aware that should a situation deteriorate, Galactus would exit the universe.
With or without them.
-Mustang Sally, now baby-
-Guess you better slow that Mustang down-
"Core system transferring control to alert craft, launch when ready."
-Mustang Sally, now baby-
-Guess you better slow that Mustang down-
Launch tubes powerless, the manually instrumented alert starfighters sped unassisted and unguided through them and into the void.
-You've been running all over town-
-Ooh, I guess you gotta put your flat feet on the ground-
"Mustang Sally" had left the building.
-All you wanna do is ride around Sally-
-Ride, Sally, ride-
"Green Lights." Nova Armani, call sign "Finder"
-All you wanna do is ride around Sally-
-Ride, Sally, ride-
The "Evil Dead" emerged in short order.
"Green Lights." Ash, call sign "Lefty"
Operations, "Good job Chief."
Chief West ran the operations decks for Galactus's fleet of spacecraft. Nothing that flew off Galactus did so without his final checks.
"Quantum Signature stable. All systems remain green. Starboard visual scan clear. Rotating. Clear. Engaging outward search pattern." Armani
"Quantum Signature stable. All systems remain green. Port visual scan clear. Rotating. Clear. Engaging outward search pattern." Ash
With Galactus still vulnerable, the starfighter pilots completed the spiral pattern visual inspection of Galactus and immediate space. Their attention now focused to deeper scans of surrounding space.
"We have a body out here. Visual sighting. Three point seven clicks. 140 mark 10."
"Scan confirms. Human female." Ash
"Fredo. You in the mood yet?" Armani.
Coded: [Are systems operational?]
"Another bottle of wine, and we'll be fine."
Coded: [10 minutes]
On private channel
"Damn you're good."
Ash zoomed the optics, and shared the fine details of the visual.
"You didn't deserve this Red" Armani.
"Coordinates stored and transmitted. Don't worry Nova. We'll bring her home when the transporter is up." Ash
Something flashed on Ash's console. "No." Quickly and calmly he keyed the autopilot.
Open channel. Ash: "I'm suiting up. Get a medical team to docking bay two. She's alive."
Spacecraft launched and methodically searched surrounding space until Galactus sensors were fully restored. Nothing else living was found.
While the trauma team worked to keep the woman alive, the Amazonian Shaman Doctor Doctor M.D. whistled. Ogi of the Ancient Oni race nodded in agreement.
"Spill." Admiral Nogumo.
"You mean her surviving in hard vacuum without a suit?" Doctor
"We have crew that can do that. The question is always, how?"
"Magic." Ogi, "Protection Spell. A very strong Protection Spell that completely encapsulated her."
"We're in intergalactic space. There are no substantive or otherwise close astronomical objects out there. Save our presence, there are no traces of nearby space travel. All relatively speaking of course." Nogumo. "She'll have a fascinating tale to tell."
Doctor, "If she lives."
"Get back in Finder. Fourteen hours is enough."
"And if I miss someone?"
"There's nothing else out there Finder."
{thump}
"Thump?" Moving at maneuvering thruster speed, Armani's fighter shields brushed by something equally physics oriented.
"A worm hole??"
The 3D briefing room hologram displayed the position of the anomaly relative to Galactus.
"It's perfectly edge on to our sensors."
"This is where our visitor emerged?"
The course plot of Galactus's guest was overlaid on the display.
"No. And we expanded the search both ways. This time we're certain there's nothing else out there."
"Is it stable?"
"Formed around the time of creation of this Universe."
"Launch a probe. Launch a lot of probes."
"And get me a", and was immediately handed a Padd. "Except for my name, because I just gave the order, every pilot ..."
"And Robot Union 18." something mechanical intoned.
"ah hem."
"and other assorted personnel are on this list.
Eyes in the room and scattered throughout Galactus stared intently.
"Draw lots?"
"By the book this time. My book. First in, first flight out."
The Padd displayed the last names on the list. Nagumo scrolled upward and reached the top of the list.
"Command deck. Bring the ship to Yellow Alert."
"All Hands Condition Yellow."
Nagumo overlaid the top of the list on to the main display.
"Wouldn't going straight to Red be easier?"
And the unmanned probes returned.
At the end of the worm hole, a Solomani-type system lay a half-light year away.
Starbuck entered the Deep Exploration Shuttle or D.E.S., and spotted Lufy in the pilot's chair. Boots on the panel controls.
"You're in my seat."
"You know how many shuttles you've crashed in the last ..."
Starbuck planted himself in the co-pilots seat, and looked at the boots.
"You're on the emergency booster controls."
"Panel's dead until I say so hotshot."
They smirked at each other.
"But if you behave, I might give you the keys to fly us back."
"Oh would you Mom?"
"Don't press your luck Pops."
"Interrupting family business?" said Duncan Macleod as he entered and strapped in.
"Speaking of old."
Duncan leaned forward. "You codgers have a couple of million years on me."
Feigning a pained look, a middle-aged human M.D., aka 'Junior', marched in, "That's what that is. Arthritis."
"Good to see you Junior."
"You want to tell me why I'm always stuck with you?" Jack Deth.
"My good looks and rapier wit." Ash.
"And completing the ensemble, the Odd Couple."
Boots dropped to the deck and main panels lit up.
"Core system transferring control to probe craft, launch when ready."
"Show time."
After a leisurely hour flight through the twisty turny winding worm hole, the shuttle exited back into normal space.
"Probe results confirmed. Ship to ship Comm remains down." Junior
"Planet three is inhabited."
Everyone shrugged.
"Like it's never." Ash.
A quick hyper-jump placed the shuttle just behind and above the Moon.
Lufy starred for a moment and wandered back ten million years.
"You okay with this?"
"Anything to get in my seat."
"Am I that transparent."
"GET A ROOM."
"EM bands dead. No orbital traffic. Probe results confirmed." Junior
"Time to spook the natives." Lufy
The sound of multiple throats clearing was heard.
"You kids are no fun."
On the descent to a lower orbit, all heck went loose, as an energy burst from the surface struck the shuttle.
"Right through the shields."
"Main drive out."
"Falling rock time."
The shuttle plunged through the atmosphere, and at the last moment managed a soft landing in a forested area.
"Think they bought it?"
"Except for the explosion and crater, we went down like a dead ship."
"Where's the source?"
"Between 5 and 10 kilometers."
"Ash, Junior. Get to work on the mains. Time for the rest of us to invite ourselves to the party."
"Some of you get all the fun."
The optical view of the outside, from inside the shuttle, looked no better than being outside. Dead bodies littered the landscape. The smell of burnt flesh was everywhere.
"Coordinates and clothing confirm Old Earth China."
"Old?"
"Very. Old Earth calendar 12th to 14th Century." Duncan.
Half in the open drive panel Ash responded. "Medieval screw-heads with high power energy weapons. How wonderful for us."
From horizon to horizon, the region was a mass of rolling hills, large open field patches, and forests. Save for the ongoing signs of death and destruction, the area was rather peaceful.
Duncan whispered, "Life signs." as the group avoided the open areas and stealthily moved through the forest toward the approximate source of the energy burst. "Doesn't make sense. Ten meters that way, but there's no energy signature."
From the forest, Lufy peered through the optics into the clearing. "More bodies."
"No. They're alive, but barely." Duncan
'Not again.' she thought. "Junior grab your medkit and grav lift. Our position."
Lying prone she watched four warriors walk into the small clearing.
'It's over.' she thought.
Lufy sadly looked back, "Bastards. They're fighting children."
Back at the repaired shuttle.
"Take care of them first." said The Priestess fading in and out of consciousness.
With blood everywhere except her, Junior did not argue and moved among the other wounded.
"Pack the limbs carefully gentlemen."
{hiss}
"That's the last of the meds. They're temporarily stabilized, but they all need emergency treatment. And it gets worse. Most of this damage is mana based."
"Experts on Galactus. Two trips." Lufy.
"Then pick which half dies." Junior
All the crew were capable pilots.
"Hell we can wait."
"We can all wait."
"Doctor, Pilot. Full ambulance. Cold Equation problem." Deth.
"Tanks are full. Drain out anything not needed for the return trip. No matches."
The laugh heard was the joke that the fuel for this specially equipped shuttle actually took a lot of science to get it to ignite.
"Toss gear and ship ordnance. Full burn margin." Lufy
Crew reacted before she finished.
"Safe flight Luf." Starbuck.
"Now while we have a few seconds. What happened here Prie ...".
And then a Mana burst slammed Lufy into a nearby tree.
"Get them on-board!" .
"Leave ..."
"Over my dead body you're staying." Standard issue crew armor had the feel of cloth with the strength of hull armor. Something had penetrated Lufy's armor and her tunic was completely red.
A fire-fight ensued with the crew fighting something in the forest.
Closest to the hatch, Junior and Starbuck loaded the wounded onto the shuttle.
"Starbuck. Get them home." Lufy.
With Priestess firmly in his grip, they moved back toward the shuttle.
Something leaped from the forest and landed between them and the shuttle. Claws slashed Starbuck's head.
He stared upward and pointed, "Look. Up in the sky."
The Demon looked up. Starbuck and company rolled under and past the demon.
Amazed he said, "And what planet are you from??" while ducking into the shuttle.
The Demon approached the shuttle but was deterred by what looked like gnats. Not gnats at all but gauss rounds, the contents pouring from Lufy's well aimed mini-gun.
"You better have a fresh uniform for me."
"Clean and pressed ..." the hatch clanged.
"Ordnance and fuel dropped." Junior grabbed the last passenger. "Go!"
Starbuck leaped into the pilot's seat.
"Emergency Boost." Disaster solids ignited and threw the shuttle into the sky.
Disoriented the Demon, peered into the smoke.
Lufy tossed a catalyst and ordered "Distance and fire!" ordered.
The crew repositioned, took cover, and fired at the piles near the Demon.
Ordnance and fuel exploded.
"Got ya, ya bastard." Lufy.
Despite the declarative, the battle raged.
Radio traffic continued.
After barely clearing the atmosphere, the shuttle hyper-jumped to the worm hole. Starbuck opened the throttles and plunged in.
Long minutes later at full thrust.
"Talk to me Junior."
"Help him ..." then silence.
Junior ran the scanner.
= No pulse. No respiration. =
He grabbed and tossed the long emptied hypo.
= No motor activity. No chemical activity. No electrical activity. =
With nothing left he began CPR.
= No neural branch activity. No brain activity. =
And with much hesitation stopped.
"She's gone." Junior
The shuttle cleared the worm hole and the dormant radio sparked to life
"Galactus to D.E.S. One. Report."
"We have eleven wounded."
"Meow."
"Now where did you come from?" Junior pet the little creature, and found fur and blood covering his hands.
"We have twelve, repeat twelve wounded. Code Blue. Code White. Code Pink. Scramble all Med teams." Junior
"Clear the dock. We're coming in hot." Starbuck
"O.R. Stat."
"Most of them have rapid metabolisms. No way to tell how long they'll be out."
The Chief Surgeon remarked on the stability of the patients. "You did good Junior."
Robots, projections, and other personnel rapidly transported the wounded.
One determined figure went in the other direction.
"Where you going hotshot?" Chief West grabbed Starbuck.
"Catch the next ride out."
"Not with that wound."
"Watch me."
Yank.
Yank. "I got him."
Junior shouldered Starbuck, and both headed back into the shuttle bay.
"Not good enough."
They somberly walking past the cloth covered figure on the stretcher.
Chief West watched. "Yea. If I could, I would too." then faded out and in to another section of the bay. "Get that in position NOW!"
As the last survivor of a humanoid race wiped out by mechanoids, casual banter with the current pilot was easy.
"You're in my seat." Starbuck
The large humanoid shaped Omega, the last survivor of a mechanical race wiped out by humanoids, turned and gave Starbuck a one lens stare.
"That a new head?"
"You belong in sickbay."
"I can get us there faster."
Long picoseconds later, Omega moved over.
"You're bleeding."
"I don't have time to bleed."
"You Did like it."
"Chief, I promised Lufy a fresh uniform."
"Doesn't she, as you carbon's say, grate on your cheese?"
{sound of a hatch closing and pressure seals}
"That's nerves."
"Pressed and dry cleaned." Chief West.
"Looks like stringy cheese to me."
{hist} A hatch opened.
"Prepping launch sequence."
A hatch closed. {hist}
{tap}
Omega turned and gave a two lens stare at Red.
"Something tells me I must go."
"Weren't you in a coma and dying?"
{deathly cough} "I got better." Staring at Starbuck, "I'm sorry I was interrupting."
"Okay look, I, empathize with her. Her entire race was wiped out." Starbuck
"She's the last of her kind, do tell?" Omega
"All of you?" Red
Murmurs in the back of 'sure' 'yes' 'sadly'
Looking back, "Hey, I know for a fact that You aren't."
Omega looked at Starbuck, looked behind, and silently counted internally.
"Us against a Demon. You do know when 7 is involved this becomes epic?" and moved to third seat.
"There are only 6 of us in here."
"Call it a 'human' hunch."
"Strap in tight. Shutting down the inertial dampers to get more boost."
"ahem" said Omega motioning to Red.
"She's covered," said a gravely voice in the back.
"Ready Alert One and Two have launched. Armed Response Transport you are go for position two. Standby and prepare for launch.
Core system transferring control to Hammer's Slammers, launch when ready."
Starbuck executed a full throttle launch, and burned by the previously launched starfighters.
Nova Armani watched with some amusement.
"He must have switched off the dampers." Nick
{click} "Works for me." and Armani pursued.
Starbuck entered the worm hole neck and neck with Armani. She flared by.
"You'll get yourself killed. And don't you ever sleep?" Starbuck
"I read coordinates fast, and it's that damn insomnia again, lowbie 'shuttle' pilot."
"That thing is trouble."
"Aren't they always? Junior. Give me everything on the hostile. I'll be on the scene and have this mopped up before you touch down. Armani out."
"Don't get cocky kid."
"Not built for it. And we're clear. Catch you later." A safe distance away from the shuttle, Armani switched to turbos and disappeared from sight.
Meanwhile back on alternate Earth.
"Is that your best shot?"
{BAM} and Ash sailed into the trees.
{zack} "Don't tick him off pal." {zack} Deth run'd and gun'd.
"Why don't you die?" roared the Demon.
"Not our week."
"Oh such soft tender skin."{rip}
"Hey Ash. Move two feet."
{BAM} Deth sailed into the trees.
Duncan and Demon slashed flesh from each other.
Lufy leaped on the demon's back, performing light sabre acupuncture.
"Why don't you die!"
The Operating Theater was full and angrier than usual.
"Relax. We don't all look it, but we really are the good guys."
With the Doctors running the gamete between looking like something from Sector General to the Cantina Bar, there were some problems with the patients.
"They're stirring."
"Watch the second Tranq dose people. We don't want permanent comas."
"Human male approximately 10..."
"He's first. Get the armor off."
"Gangrene? Necrotic??"
"Human male approximately 20 ..."
"His hand is bleeding." A surgical trainee moved to unwrap a cloth hand wrap. "Leave the superficial he's not bleeding out there."
"Scan says 4 years old."
"What kind of a wacko?"
"Rest child. You're in the six tentacles of a healer not a demon."
{hiss}"Please don't eat me zzzzzzzz."
"They're only children."
"Who's leg is this?"
"Keep your minds on the job. We save them first."
"He's next. Crack him open."
"Human female approximately 6 ..."
"Put her under again now."
"Get off him!"
"Lie back, we'll fix him good as new. Use gas on this one."{hiss}
"NOoooo."
"These two are a matched set."
"Cordrazine."
"Get that heavy worlder orderly in here."
"Restraints. Heavy Tranq before there's organs all over."
"They're trying to kill each other??"
"Get the Velociraptors in here Stat."
"More Tranq!"
"Human female approximately ..."
"They're Healers! Let Them Help You!"
"Sleep child."
The sounds from the wounded quieted, replaced by methodical wet sounds.
"Where is our Junior?"
"He's representing us, in a different operating theater."
Meanwhile back on alternate Earth.
The battle raged, each side chipping away at the other. But it was not going well for the side with numbers.
"Only children huh? That's what you call people with no brothers and sisters. WHAT the hell kind of children were they??" said Deth.
"Spirited." said Duncan.
"Least you'll survive this." Ash
Leaving what remained of the forest, the battle had moved to a larger open field, the smell of death overpowering. Hundreds of human heads sat on pikes carrying the extra scent of the Demon.
Duncan looked at Ash. Ash looked at Duncan and shrugged.
"You think?" Duncan
Finally conscious, He slowly gathered his remaining strength. His opponent left him alive, and that was a mistake. Then He saw the tableau in the distance and knew why He was rudely ignored.
There was no more backing up of the crew. No groveling at this last stand. Leaning on each other, they stared at the approaching Demon death.
{click} "Empty" {bizz} "out of gas" Ash
{sparkle} "Empty" Deth
"Drained" Lufy
"I can't believe it ate my sword." Duncan
"Run Duncan."
"Over my dead body."
"Which should be in about 8 seconds." Ash Deadpanned.
"I knew I should have gotten that haircut." Jack Deth grabbed a nearby pike with skewered head. "How about a little head baby?"
He saw the Demon was distracted and made his move. Only something slightly above and behind him moved much much faster.
'Another enemy?' {BOOM}
{WHEERVROOOOMM!} Hydrogen propelled death zoomed by.
-Fire all of your guns at once-
Twin plasma cannons from the starfighter scattered ground and Demon pieces into the sky.
-And explode into space-
"Someone order two topping pizza?"
-I like smoke and lightning-
"You always know how to make an entrance Nova." Duncan.
-Heavy metal thunder-
The fighter executed a high-G burn turn and soared back.
-Like a true nature's child-
"Give a working girl room to work."
-We were born, born to be wild-
'Nothing human moves like that' He thought, and continued to move forward to battle.
The Demon grew physically in size. The horrific head on monstrous body supported by gigantic legs faced the oncoming fighter.
"Here's a freebie you don't see everyday." said Armani, "A bigger target."
Lufy laughed, "You're almost as good Nova."
"Aw shit." Deth.
Armani swooped to the deck on full afterburners. "Koochie, koochie." and burned underneath the monstrosity. A trail of small canisters thunk-ed loudly on the ground.
Proximity mines exploded.
He moved ever swifter. His extraordinary hearing picked out her voice as she whooshed past again. Perhaps, unfortunately perhaps, He found a canister.
'Possessive Demoness, you want him as badly as I do.' and was quickly stunned.
The ballet of death continued.
"Time to end this." said Armani.
"We're clear. Toast him." Lufy.
Armani armed the miniature anti-matter missile.
The Demon lashed out with magical flares. Again Armani weaved skillfully around them. But this time the flames turned back and seared away sections from both sides of the starfighter as she launched the missile. Fighting for control she watched the missile miss the Demon and destroy a kilometer of forest and ground beyond.
"Come on lock on. I know you got one more in you girl."
Cockpit indicators blinked red. And winked out.
"Mayday. Mayday. We have an in-flight emergency."
From horizontal, the mortally wounded starfighter streaked space-ward riding emergency boosters.
'Climb.' mouthed Lufy
The Demon shot a spear of mana at the starfighter.
-One of these early mornings-
-I'm gonna be wiping those weepin' eyes,-
Suddenly the white bird plunged toward the horizon. In the west a second sun shined.
-yeah-
"Nova" Lufy.
The funeral pyre of the starfighter rose into the heavens.
Fading in and out of consciousness, He watched the new sunrise. 'I should be your opponent. Not ...'
"You Bastard!" Lufy dragged herself toward the Demon, but something powerful lashed out at her.
In victory the Demon laughed.
"Hey! Ugly!" "Pick on someone your own size."
The Demon turned and stared below at the unarmored diminutive peasant before him.
"What the hell?" Duncan
"Now why don't I feel sorry." grinned Deth.
"Are you crazy?? Mouser that thing is lethal! Stop playing around and get out of there!" Duncan.
The Demon one handed thrust Grey Mouser into the ground, then turned to finish off his ...
{tap}{tap}
The Demon turned and stared into a orange face on a moving rock wall.
"Know what time it is?" as the orange eight foot tall rocky armored figure picked up the Demon.
"It's Clobberin' Time!"
{BAMM!!!}
[1 The Grey Mouser aka Rocky]
"OOou, that's gotta hurt." Ash
Dazed the Demon fell up and gravity arced down toward a humanoid shaped metal figure. Omega appeared calm, as always.
"My Great Granddaddy used to say." {BAMM!!!} "It's the Machine, not the man."
[2 CMDR Omega aka Heavy Metal]
In mid-flight the Demon began shaking off the haze.
{tap tap} Demon looked at the flying fire and magic of an Oni.
"Don't fly impaired." cracked Ogi.
{ZACK!CRACKLE!BASH!!!}
[3 Ogi, Ancient Oni aka Spellslinger]
The Demon was deflected downward toward something white and soft looking. It wasn't a pillow.
"As my father before me, I swore an oath to do no harm." said the M.D.
Twelve feet of furious Great Master Mellor lashed out {BAMM!!!}
"Tumors don't count." said Junior, looking like a nightmare polar bear with the mouth of a great white shark.
[4 LT Robert Ito, JR, M.D. aka Junior]
The Demon struck the ground, missing a man standing next to a large boulder. It raised it's head slightly.
"The coward has returned."
"That's harsh." Strangely tapping and rapid tinking the boulder. "I'm just a simple tinker." The man circled the Demon. "And tailor. Didn't I tell you, I had to bring back Lufy's suit from the cleaners?"
Before claws lashed out the Demon smelled a familiar scent of blood, but not from the mortal striding before him. The Demon rapidly expanded it's physical form and extended body upward, and slowly turned.
Seven meters above the ground, body broken and bleeding from every pore, but ever defiant, Lufy stared the Demon in the face.
{tink}{tink}{Thunk}
"Next time more starch." Visor quickly resealed she waded in.
57th Century gleaming white combat MechSuit claws grasped Demon, while expanding defensive screens shredded surface flesh.
"Know what time it is?!"
{WHOMP!!!} The Demon sailed skyward.
"I Don't Know! That's for breaking my favorite chronometer!"
[5 CMDR Lufy aka Starleaf]
"OOou, that's really gotta hurt." Ash
If anyplace could be called safe, Red watched the Demon battle her new friends from it.
Suddenly something human shaped stirred from the brush.
They stared at each other.
His glare changed direction and He rose. 'Five more demons on the field' He thought. He watched intently an armored figure fighting like the possessed. A demon leading the charge and taking blows no human could survive. No, "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD!", a Demoness striking His foe.
"He is Mine Warrior!"
Oblivious of his injuries, Sesshomaru lumbered toward his enemy.
Red placed a hand on his arm. Her hand glowed. And the light of Self illuminated her soul. "I remember now! I am ...'
Moving away from the touch "Naraku" said Sesshomaru.
"Naraku? ah no. I'm not. Oh." looking again toward the battle, "Na ra ku has a powerful mind."
She placed her hand on his one arm, and felt something. And remembered more.
"Test my patience with your death Sorceress."
"This battle can not be won by strength alone. This battle will be won by the superior intellect. Is it his?"
"Or Yours?"
The battle raged on as twilight approached. Maddened almost beyond reason, Naraku did not notice his tormentors disappearing one by one.
Undeterred, he continued to swing at the lone mortal before him.
And missed.
Claws lashed out, and the mortal leaned back slightly to scratch his back. Naraku's shadow passed over the mortal. Mortal hand stretched out "Darkness beyond? Twilight? Or possible rain?"
Naraku's blast of magic missed as the mortal seemingly turned to pluck a flower from the ground. "Lovely color of crimson. Beyond blood that flows."
"Stand and fight me coward." ichor foaming from the mouth, and Naraku thought 'no mortal is this lucky.'
"You wound me. Buried in the flow of time twice in one day you call me coward."
Naraku lashed out and missed again.
"In thy great name, don't you think I'm misleading you again?" and the mortal leaned on the oddly familiar boulder and looked right.
Driven to the depths of paranoia Naraku looked left.
"I pledge myself to darkness that will envelope you Monster."
'What is that other sound thought Naraku? Suddenly the mortal looked left and the distracted Naraku swung right.
The mortal laughed "You're just another one of those fools who rise up to oppose us."
Naraku hovered over the boulder and looked behind it. And in the process completely surrounded the mortal.
Wielding the final death stroke Naraku exclaimed "Who Are You?!"
Sadly, "Someone that shall be destroyed by the power someday."
The mortal looked up hand shading eyes and squinted. "That You?"
"I Do Not Fool A Second Time!"
Faster than Naraku thought possible, the mortal struck a flint off Naraku's nose, lit an odd smelling cylinder, inhaled and blew smoke in his face.
"And I Starbuck, possess Energize. "
Naraku's strike passed through the fading image of Starbuck, and destroyed the boulder.
"Two voices??"
"DRAGON"
"What Is That Noise?! And with sickening comprehension looked straight up."
And Naraku felt final fear as his vision zoomed in on the terrible visage of Sesshomaru staring back, and holding a human female.
And the human spoke one simple word.
"SLAVE!"
Unimagined power from another universe flowed through Sesshomaru and the human. The light of a thousand suns illuminated the field below them.
And of Naraku standing at the epicenter?
All that could be said was his last thought remained unfinished, as it was drowned out by the roar of a spell never heard before on the planet. Or since.
Completely expended, the now harmless words of the spell drifted in the twilight and faded into the background noise of the universe.
In the Operating Theater, surgery continued but at a less frantic pace. One by one patients, and not bodies, were wheeled out. The surgical trainee untied the intricate knot covering the hand of the Monk. The knot proved tenacious, but the orderly finally exposed Moroku's open hand.
And wiped the blood from the palm.
"Where's the cut?"
Meanwhile back on alternate Earth.
In the encroaching darkness, Deth surveyed the moon-like landscape before him.
"Nice work Red." said Ash.
She starred to the west and cried.
"Red. Why do you cry for her?" intoned Sesshomaru
"One of our pilots." Deth paused and turned westward, "Nova"
"Armani" Ash look at the still rising pillar of flame.
"Found 'Red' floating in space."
"Wrapped in a spell"
"That was failing." said 'Red' "I would have died alone in the darkness if she hadn't found me."
"RED" intoned Sesshomaru
"A nickname. She was completely covered in her own blood, and couldn't remember who she was."
"Somewhat traumatized."
"Until a few moments ago."
"MY followers." intoned Sesshomaru
Tears flowed down her face, "You will see them again soon. This I promise you, or I Sylphiel Nels Rada forfeit my life to you."
[6 Sylphiel Nels Rada]
{crackle} "vac. CQ." {crackle} "ello??" {crackle} "izza delivery. You forgot my ti" {crackle} "home. Request" {crackle} "nyone alive out there???" {crackle} "CQ. Strike Leader to Home. Request Evac. CQ." {crackle} "uit clowning around gu" {crackle}
{crackle}
"Damn. I gotta walk home?"
"Nova??" Ash
"You're alive?" Deth
"Deth, Ash, Darlings. Someone could have clued me in about the plan to TOTALLY NUKE THE ENTIRE PLANET!"
"Wasn't the Entire planet." Ash
"Where are you? How are you?" Deth.
"Two thousand meters upwind. Of. My. Ride. On a small hill. Compound fractures in both legs. Sharp pointy bit through my uniform down there. Must be in shock. Half my ribs are cracked or broken. One shoulder dislocated {crack}{crinkly} smashed. Some creaking {snap} snapped back bones. Concussion. A few other possibly terminal nagging injury thingies. And I think I'm bleeding to death internally. Think one of you 'gentlemen' could send me your coordinates so I can drag myself over there?"
"The eject failed?"
"West's hair trigger ejection system worked perfectly. Close touchdown thought, fifty meters from the crash site. Rolled into a deep gully with a jammed hatch. I would have gotten out and been fine, UNTIL YOU SET OFF A HUMONGOUS ANTIMATTER BLAST TUMBLING AND TEARING APART THE CAPSULE AND ME STILL ..."
{click}
Sesshomaru had an odd look on his face.
"Nice girl." Ash
"Really." Deth
{click}
{crackle} "AND ANOTHER THING! IS THAT WALKING FREAK SHOW DEAD?! IS IT DEAD DEAD! 'CAUSE IF IT'S NOT GOOD AND DEAD DEAD, IT WILL WISH IT WERE DEADER! WAIT UNTIL I GET MY GOOD ARM {pop} HAND {crack}{snap} FINGERS ON IT! I HAVE NEVER! Ever! Lost. A ride. before."
[7 CAPT Nova Armani aka Finder]
"Retrieve The Demoness. Before she comes here and kills all of you." Sesshomaru, "Painfully."
Ash and Deth sped toward Nova, outpacing the racing Mech.
"Who is That Demoness." motioning toward the Mech.
"She's metahuman or protohuman. I'm sorry. I'm so terrible with words."
Sylphiel walked past Sesshomaru, reconsidered his question, stopped, turned, shrugged, "The one we're rescuing, she's metahuman too."
She bowed, "None of us were born on your world Lord."
Then began to run with the pack.
"Know what they call that in other universes? The beings who hop from one existence to another?"
" " Sesshomaru.
"They call us Dimensional Travelers. Demons."
The Oni belly laughed.
For an impossibly brief moment Sesshomaru looked. Strange.
"You may not be a complete utter hopeless fool Inuyasha."
The Armed Response Transport touched down after completing it's final scan of the area. Previously, anything even remotely magically animated was snuffed out by the ship's mana cannons. And hit with everything else for good measure
High in the looming night sky, starfighters maintained their crisscross patrol.
First out and leading the troops, 'Wildman' Beckett strode onto what was left of the battlefield. Looking disappointed he propped the mobile mana cannon on his shoulder.
"Missed the party again." Mouser.
"Wonder if there are any more like it?"
"How about that one?"
"Where are you Master?"
{click}{WHOOM}{click}"Too small."
"Rin!"
"More sport if it runs?"
"Hey Fella! The big furry went that way."
Jaken ran in the proffered direction.
{click}"Pull."
"Nice guy that Narackhu." said Deth while taking one last look at the devastation.
Looking at the cratered landscape Ash smirked, "Yesterday Master Villain cursed by all. Today just a sink hole."
And the evil magic that was the late-Naraku settled into the ground. And Ash's words would entwine itself into the magic. It would be centuries before natural rain fell upon the area and filled the craters. It would be more centuries before people would venture into the lands said to be inhabited by demonic lights in the sky and cursed. And those brave enough to make the journey would hear a message from centuries past. American English would meet regional dialect and change into the sound that people would call the area.
"Cursed Village of Zhòuquánxiāng"; Jusenkyo.
EPILOGUE
A repair tech exited the lift, and quickly grabbed a handhold.
"Who turned off the gravity?"
From the other side of the 'room' he saw T.S. Chen point upward.
He smiled, gave a quick upward salute, and leaped toward a panel.
The massive bow, abet the narrowest part of Galactus, was a thick transparent hull hemisphere. Deceptively fragile looking, the 23 meter wide nose was the most armored portion of the starship.
And as Galactus lumbered toward it's close approach of the Moon, the bow was also the best view in the house.
"Try that again and you'll be the first Monk on the Moon." Sango
"But look at that moon. So glowing, so round, so soft, so perfect. Like you. And sending me through the glass would cause us all to die." Moroku slowly reached out."
"She doesn't care." Shippo.
And stopped.
"Hey Moroku, didn't you promise to do something when Naraku was destroyed?"
Moroku appeared distracted by the female pilots and onlookers gathering in the bow dome.
"A starship Captain can perform ..." Deth
Drifting toward the growing female swarm, "Will you bear my child?"
"This is not good." Shippo.
Tapping the transparent shell, Inuyasha asked, "You sure this won't break?"
"Not from small taps like that." Ash.
The other male stood rock solid in mid-air while others around him bobbed, "We are the first to get this close to Luna. And all you can think about is ..."
Inuyasha pulled out Tessaiga.
"SIT BOY!"
"AIIEE!"
"Stupid mutt." Koga
"Medical team to Casual Deck."
"Howl!" Ginta
"Howl!" Hakkaku
"What are you doing?" Ayame.
"It just makes us want to shout."
"I'm so embarrassed." Ayame
"HOWL!"
Ogi and Doctor shook their heads at Junior.
"No harm, no fowl." said the Amazon Shaman as he patted Junior on the shoulder.
"Rookie mistake Junior." said the Oni, pointing at the two individuals gracefully seated on padded deck chairs. Apparently oblivious and unaffected by the lack of gravity.
Blood rushing through his ears, he looked up and pointed, "You weren't all one group?"
"Each of us was drawn to Naraku's foul creation." Kikyo.
"A time portal from Nippon to China."
The Priestess looked up.
"Oh to be young again." thought Myoga watching from the deck as Rin and Kohaku zero-G flew with Kirara.
"I know you consider the distance trivial and time relative. But he sought the remaining shards on a battlefield of his choosing and creation. Naraku sacrificed hundreds to curse the land. The area's curse prevented us from leaving. The place's distance from ... Home. Made us weaker."
"And the shards?"
"Not destroyed. Drawn back through, the, Gateway."
"Starting the cycle again. Where he failed, his minions will try again."
"And we will defeat them too." Myoga spoke and dipped head toward the male arm. And was instantly snatched up.
"A word to the wise blood drinker." said Nick Knight.
Clenching her right hand Sylphiel overheard all and thought, 'They're only children. After everything they've gone through. To do this again and again. That's not fair.'
Galactus main bridge.
"Closer Captain?" asked Crusher wistfully.
"Steady as she goes." DeCarlo
Galactus glided 500 meters and slightly to port of a lunar mountain peak.
"Deploy the package."
A small lunar surface colored object flared away from Galactus, and gently deposited itself half-way up the mountain, becoming another boulder. Except for a web of filaments stretching from the landing site, the rest of the object would permanently remain out of sight. Of this Earth.
A millennium later the ever curious humans of this Earth, would name this White Dragon Mountain; the Lunar Dragon. In part due to a fake boulder with carved markings.
Written on the surface in an oddly shaped rune, it would translate to:
"Log of the I.S.S. Galactus."
"Here Be Dragons."
In a desolate region of Feudal Japan, Lord Sesshomaru looked toward the horizon and concentrated. Unimagined power from another universe began to flowed into him.
"Darkness beyond the twilight,
Crimson beyond blood that flows,
Buried in the flow of time.
In thy great name,
I pledge myself to darkness.
Those fools who rise up to oppose us
Shall be destroyed by the power
That you and I possess.
DRAGON SLAVE!"
A mighty flash of light began.
And turned to sparks crackling from finger tips.
Sesshomaru looked at his hand, and heard Sylphiel's gentle smiling voice whisper to his consciousness.
'to oppose US.'
'That YOU AND I possess.'
" ", Sesshomaru.
'I am only a humble healer. The destruction of Naraku can only be a warrior's victory. The destruction of Naraku is Your Victory Great Warrior.'
Sesshomaru walked toward the horizon. And felt an odd touch.
'I will leave you a final legacy Lord Sesshomaru.'
'May Your Battles Always Be Legendary Great Lord.'
And then she was gone.
"Human? You are a Demon Sylphiel."
And all nearby creatures and demons withered away at the terrible sound.
"HAHAHAHA. You ARE All Demons."
Vegetation sizzled and died around him as He continued walking into the sunrise.
Oddly calm and serene he said, "Hakudoshi."
Watching from above, Kagura was bemused and wary.
Kohaku suddenly hovered before her.
"We will follow him. After a detour.
"What?! How did you?"
"Survive? I don't understand myself."
"Enemies."
"No.", hand extended, "Enter the gateway."
"And feel the final pain of Hakudoshi crushing my heart? You are cruel beyond any demon Kohaku."
{crackle}"Is that all?"
"?" Kagura
{crackle}"Right. Right. Metaphysical De-attachment. Right. Possession. Right. Enchantment Barrier. Right. Displacement. Right. Right. First year stuff. Right. Right."
{crackle}"Dog boy said kill you. But that's not the business I'm in."
{crackle}"I do both, but Kohaku's vouching for you kid."
A tiny speck of hope. 'Free?'
'Traitor.' Goshinki
"AAAYYYRR"
{crackle}"Like we weren't expecting that."
Kohaku jammed the injector into Kagura's chest, spreading ancient magic's and nano-tech throughout her chest.
{crackle}"Good shot kid. First rate demon slayer aim."
Kagura looked wide eyed at her non-death and the hypo buried in her chest.
{crackle}"Hey, no pressure. Pull it out, or when that stuff wears off you can finish everything after the "RR"."
{crackle}"We're easy kid. Bothers you that much though, we can give you two hearts if that's what floats your boat."
-You've gotta have heart-
Alone again, Sesshomaru marched on, leaving a trail that could be seen for miles.
-Miles 'n miles n' miles of heart-
And days.
Sylphiel watched him slowly disappear over the horizon.
"Of all the beings on this planet, only you Lord Sesshomaru never coveted the Shikon Jewel."
She opened her hand and an incomplete gem hovered over her palm.
"I will leave you a final legacy Lord Sesshomaru."
With an arcane enchantment the gem vanished.
"All who want the Shikon, especially the strong and most powerful, hunt and battle the holders. To have the power of the Shikon Jewel for themselves. To corrupt it."
Sylphiel watched his shadow fade away.
"Permanently infusing the Shikon Jewel into a beings essence renders it inert. To have and not be able to wield it. To be unable to remove it except in death. To know the strong and powerful will seek that one out and battle to the death for that essence. It would be a cruel curse for anyone."
Smiling, "Save for a Great Warrior who wishes this."
"May Your Battles Always Be Legendary Great Lord."
And then she was gone.
I.S.S. Galactus Battle Bridge.
"Think we'll ever go home?"
Nogumo activated a display showing a spider web of phase probabilities. Routes to alternative universes.
"That one goes home."
"Not what I meant."
Admiral Nogumo smiled. "The journey is not over."
"General Quarters." Chief Engineer Death
"Secure for Phase Transition."
"Five, four, three, two, one."
"Phase Transition."
With a burst of sparkling blue light, I.S.S. Galactus entered the void between universes.
And the pony died.
THE END
"What kind of Mickey Mouse ending is that?"
"Horses do die Ray."
"Horses do die Ray. What kind of advice is that? If Dief died. No offense pal. If Dief died would you say dogs die so casually?"
"Wolf."
"Don't change the subject."
"Ray."
"A Man's ride."
"Woman"
"A person's ride is sacred. She always came back with her pony. Now she has no pony."
"I understand Ray. That's why they have eye candy at the end of the credits."
"Oh."
On Hangar Deck One.
"Happy 100th Birthday Nova!"
"Tell me your secret. How do you stay so young looking?" Ash
"I credit my looks to my parents, my adoptive parents, my friends, my career. Emergency surgery. And 54 years in suspension."
Chief West handed Nova a large box.
"We all chipped in to get you this."
Nova opened the box and pulled out a detailed miniature of her late starfighter, Mustang Sally.
"Good memories there. And thank you all, but enough mopping about, which one is my shuttle?"
"Shuttle?"
"There are no new fighters until we hit a new universe that has them. You know that."
"Don't you want to open the card?"
"Card?"
Something wrapped in bubblegum plastic was pushed out onto the flight deck.
"Said we all chipped in to get you this." and Chief West pulled on the card wrapping.
"Wasn't credits."
Nova's eyes met the gleaming white Imperial Starfighter.
Mustang Sally II
"What's a few parts among friends?"
Nova put on her shades. "Not friends. Family."
"General Quarters." Chief Engineer Death
-I am still breathing, and I still have my pride-
"Secure for unscheduled Phase Transition."
-And I have my memories, your life it never dies-
"Saddle me up."
-Like the wind that blows in thunder-
"It's not your ..." Chief West
-Or the stallion on the fly - I got it all-
Nova flared.
-And I'm standing tall underneath these blue Alberta skies-
"You heard the Pilot. Get her ride in position NOW!"
-And I'm going to ride forever-
-You can't keep horsemen in a cage-
-Should the angels call-
-Well it's only then-
-I might pull in the reins.-
Footnotes
Not marked in text:
- Background based on a GDW Traveller campaign.
- "lost 54 years previously". 57 years, Ripley, "Aliens" (1986)
- X-Boat described here, not of the same design as in standard GDW Traveller. Nor is it the same as the Xboat described in other references.
- J.J. Samuels, modeled after Samuel L. Jackson
- IY or Imperial Year. The official calendar of the Imperium.
- The Imperium of this I.S.S. Galactus is interwoven in Russian-like language, not English-like.
- Term 'Phase Transition', from "Martian Successor Nadesico", involving tapping into the essence of a universe.
- "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett.
- "Core system transferring control". "Battlestar Galactica"
- NPC, Nova Armani. A veteran combat pilot, she has an athletic build and flaming red hair. But not the associated flaming disposition.
- NPC, Ash, "Army of Darkness". The return potion didn't quite work right.
- NPC, Chief West is a solid light hologram. Modeled after Red West, Mechanic Sergeant Andy Micklin, "Baa Baa Black Sheep"
- "Fredo", homage to Fred Haise, Apollo 13.
- NPC, Doctor Doctor M.D. hails from the Solomani Amazon. Name derived from "Good Lovin'" by the Grateful Dead, "doctor, doctor, mister m.d."
- NPC, Ogi, classic giant variety D&D Japanese Oni. Sole family member on-board, he is one of 26 siblings starting with brother Oai and ending with sister Ozi. Father deceased after wanting child #27.
- PC, Admiral Nagumo. Direct descendant of Admiral Chuichi Nagumo of WWII Japan.
- NPC, "Robot Union 18." Automatons on one of the robot repair decks who gained sentience. Learned fast and formed a union.
- "assorted personnel". While I.S.S. Galactus is of military origin, there are non-military beings on board. Comes from jumping from one universe to another.
- Padd. Personal Access Display Device of "Star Trek" origin.
- Solomani-type system. Earth-Sol system.
- NPC, Starbuck, Original "Battlestar Galactica". This Starbuck saw the entire destruction of his civilization. And died. Sort of.
- NPC, Lufy, "Gall Force" or "GallForce", anime. This Lufy saw the entire destruction of her civilization. And died again. Sort of.
- NPC, Duncan Macleod, "Highlander". Victim of alien, not Galactus, abduction.
- "You codgers have a couple of million years on me."
Lufy and Starbuck pre-date the Imperium by 1 to 2 million years.
Most of the time technically dead. - NPC, Lt Robert Ito, JR, Modeled after too. Spends most of his time in human form. Clone of his father, hence 'Junior' is less a nickname and more his actual family position. Dad was the last of the Great Master Mellors, a created super race of shape-shifters with other impressive talents.
"Fringeworthy" from Tri Tac. - NPC, Jack Deth, "Trancers" The return portion from "Trancers V" didn't quite work right.
- "Odd Couple" 1965 by Neil Simon.
- "twisty turny", homage to the text computer game "Adventure" and the "maze of twisty little passages"
- Moon. In Lufy's time, once a living world, now and forever a dead planet or a long dead civilization.
- "GET A ROOM." Lufy and Starbuck realize they are essential different facets of the same person, so that's as far as it goes. Being them though, they play off it constantly.
- Wounded (approximate appearance age) consisted of, Inuyasha (15), Kagome Higurashi (15), Moroku (19), Sango (16), Shippo (6), Kirara (that cute cuddly pet age), Koga (16), Ginta (15), Hakkaku (15), Ayame (15), Kohaku (10), Rin (8), and Kikyo (19). Myoga (ancient) was not wounded having retired to safety. "Inuyasha" by Rumiko Takahashi.
- "Bastards. They're fighting children." Based on the ages of the landing party, from their perspective these are children.
- Child clones did nearly all the fighting for Lufy's Solonoid race in 'Gallforce'. Seeing children fighting another desperate battle colors her judgment. She naturally sees the dead warriors as the children's doing, but not their fault. An objective look indicates at least another party is involved.
- "Cold Equation problem" alludes to the short story "The Cold Equations" 1954 by Tom Godwin.
- "Over my dead body you're staying." Lufy having done this before in Gallforce, and dying.
- "Look. Up in the sky." One of the oldest tricks in the book, right next to the Trojan Horse. Never works. "And what planet are you from??" indirectly points to "Superman" and the source of the quote.
- "Emergency Boost" and "emergency boosters" one shot, ala "Star Trek" "The Galileo Seven"
- "Code Blue. Code White. Code Pink"
Code Blue is often used to represent a real or suspected imminent loss of life. Code White refers to a pediatric medical emergency.
Code Pink can denote infant/child abduction. At this point it is the Doctor that is pain. - NPC, Omega. Mechanical and outwardly changeable appearance, he currently is in shiny humanoid form. The last built of his kind, Omega was created as a final deterrent to sue for peace in the war against the humanoids. Never used Omega survived the entire destruction of his civilization. And eventually their enemy. Omega has the demeanor of "Cy" from "The Return of Starbuck", "Galactica 1980."
- "I don't have time to bleed." "Predator" 1987 from a ship Solomani classic film night.
- "I got better", 1975 "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"
- "when 7 is involved this becomes epic?" "Shichinin no samurai" aka "Seven Samurai" 1956, Akira Kurosawa
- "Hammer's Slammers" David Drake.
- "Catch you later." From "Blue Thunder" 1983. Yes, she's being deliberately annoying, in a nice way.
- " lowbie 'shuttle' pilot." Resources are not infinite. Pilots with no starfighters fly other craft. Short explanation of why starfighter pilots Starbuck and Lufy covet any Pilot's seat they can get. They do go through a lot of starfighters.
- "light sabre acupuncture". Not a medically recognized procedure. "Star Wars" Lightsaber.
- "Sector General" by James White.
- Cantina from "Star Wars".
- Cordrazine. Potent Starfleet stimulant. "Star Trek", "The City on the Edge of Forever."
- Having expended everything else previously. In order, Ash's boomstick and chainsaw, Deth's signature energy gun, Lufy's light sabre, Duncan's katana
- Think the "play with them" entrance of the Tomcats in "Final Countdown" 1980.
- "Born To Be Wild" 1968, by Steppenwolf
- Stand on tail stall and flip-over. Equivalent to a rider stopping a horse at a dead run, horse rising on it's hind legs, and turning around. Only with more G's.
- "Koochie, koochie." She had inches to spare.
- The anti-matter blast from the missile was a kilometer across. Nova had to keep Naraku busy long enough for her comrades to get to a safe distance. Somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes. About as long as the classic one-on-one anime battles with Naraku.
- "I'm gonna be wiping those weepin' eyes", "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett.
- PC, Grey Mouser aka Rocky. "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser" by Fritz Leiber, and The Thing from "Fantastic Four."
- "It's the Machine, not the man." Mild disagreement here. "The quality of the box matters little. Success depends upon the man who sits in it." Baron Manfred von Richthofen aka The Red Baron.
- "to do no harm." From the The Hippocratic Oath, "To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death."
- "I'm just a simple tinker." "And tailor." The first of many baitings.
Had Naraku attended film night, he would have known that Starbuck was giving his occupation and what he planned next; deception. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" by John le Carre. - MechSuit. Homage to "Starship Troopers" Robert Heinlein. Extra large.
- NPC, Lord Sesshomaru. "Inuyasha" by Rumiko Takahashi. Anime, Manga.
- "battle will be won by the superior intellect". To laugh at the swollen ego of the enemy, "Star Trek: Wrath of Khan".
- 'no mortal is this lucky.' The legendary 'Starbuck Luck' in action.
- Remember there are unarmed people who need protecting, and there are The Seven.
- Starbuck is not one of the seven, abet he does do the most psychological damage to Naraku without laying a glove on him. Match doesn't count.
- Striking match on face. William Holden, "Stalag 17" 1953
- Dragon Slave! "Slayers". Anime, Manga.
- "light of a thousand suns". Allusion to the book "Brighter than a Thousand Suns: A Personal History of the Atomic Scientists" 1956 by Robert Jungk
- "Where's the cut?" With Naraku's death the "Wind Scar" vanished.
- "Why do you cry for her?" and "I should be your opponent". After the crash, Sesshomaru never referred to Nova in the past tense.
- NPC, Red aka Sylphiel Nels Rada, "Slayers". Thinking red haired Lina were you?
- "DEAD DEAD". Standard horror movie drama of the monster coming back.
- "Dimensional Travelers". "Demon" short for "dimensional traveler" homage to "Myth Adventures" by Robert Asprin.
- NPC, 'Wildman' Beckett. IDET, InterDimensional Exploration Team, member. "Fringeworthy" by Tri Tac Games.
- NPC, Jaken. "Inuyasha" by Rumiko Takahashi. Anime, Manga.
- Jusenkyo from "Ranma 1/2", also created by Rumiko Takahashi. Anime, Manga.
- Guest NPC, T.S. Chen. "Galaxy Quest" 1999
- "It just makes us want to shout." "King for a Day"/"Shout" by Green Day.
- NPC. Nick Knight, "Forever Knight". Victim of alien, not Galactus, abduction. Lot of that going around.
- NPC, Wesley Crusher. Similar to, but not from "Star Trek."
- PC, Captain DeCarlo. Previously Captain of a prestigious Alderan Starcruise Liner.
- "A millennium later the ever curious humans of this Earth". Actual players did this during games. Homage to "The Sentinel" by Arthur C. Clarke.
- "You ARE All Demons." A very tiny grudging amount of respect for fellow demons.
- NPC, Hakudoshi. Now heir to Naraku's schemes. "Inuyasha" by Rumiko Takahashi. Anime, Manga.
- "We will follow him". From "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March, and "Chariot" by Petula Clark.
- Kohaku in the Inuyasha manga is a follower of Lord Sesshomaru.
- NPC, Kagura. Has missing heart problem. "Inuyasha" by Rumiko Takahashi. Anime, Manga.
- NPC, Goshinki. Another Naraku heir. "Inuyasha" by Rumiko Takahashi. Anime, Manga.
- "Dog boy." Referring to Inuyasha.
- "You've gotta have heart." The song "Heart" from "Damn Yankees" 1955. Subtle demon theme here too.
- "Think we'll ever go home?" This Galactus is no longer lost in the classic sense of "Lost in Space", "Star Trek: Voyager", "Gilligan's Island", "Quantum Leap", etc. They have the route to go home. But like Dr. Sam Beckett, they "never returned home." But there are an infinite number of multi-verses.
- PC, Chief Engineer Jeanette Death. With I.S.S. Galactus from the start. And Galactus remains combat worthy.
- Constable Benton Fraser, Diefenbaker, Ray Vecchio of "Due South"
If you imagine them sitting in a dark theater watching this, also a homage to MST3K. - "There are no new fighters until we hit a new universe". Resources are not infinite. And Pilots hold on to their machines. Nova is resigned to flying whatever is available, until Galactus can obtain new craft.
- "bubblegum plastic". Homage to Apollo 9, Command Module "Gumdrop".
- "Nova put on her shades." Lights got brighter when the alert sounded. Or so she says.
- From "Due South" the song "Ride Forever" by Paul Gross. The other inspiration for this piece.
Author Afterward
It was a cool winter evening about 14 years ago when there came the recreational task of populating an GDW Traveller upgraded Azhanti High Lightning Cruiser with NPCs. Like extras in film dramas, the non-player-characters fill various roles that keep real people or PCs (player characters), busy.
A pleasing more relaxing past time than doing the same machinations in the real world. Less dangerous for the people involved too.
"It's Alive!"
Born 10 July 1994, Nova Armani was one of the more sketched out NPCs. Many years later she would remain a pile of papers, save for watching a 3 year old girl move purposefully about and getting into, or on anything that would move.
"I'm riding this!"
She also knows what to do with the car keys ......
Well, years ago I did owe someone a story.
If the multiverse exists, perhaps imagination can take form in one of those parallel universes. Then maybe somewhere, somewhen, in the infinite void a little miracle takes it's first breath.
Making the statement.
It's a Girl!
Copyright © 1984-2007 Event Horizon, All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fan fiction.
Rights to other excerpted copyrighted material contained within are not inferred.
/*
Technorati Profile
EventHorizon1984 Log
//