Shipping Mishaps Chapter 2

Somewhere in the galaxy, around a blue and white dirtball, a fleet of star ships was gathering.

*-*-*

The year is 2041, Georgia-Ann “Geo” McConor had just turned 14 years old, and she was on an expedition in the boundary waters canoe area, up on the US/Canadian border. Her new Unified American Scouts troop (Troop 524, Northern territories council) was having a wonderful time canoeing, fishing, camping and practicing orienteering

She had been coming back from a late night fishing excursion just up the shore from base camp when she had heard something in the bushes. Turning her flashlight in the direction of the noise she saw a rabbit huddling under a giant red oak tree, staring up past her. She felt a mosquito bite in the middle of her back, then everything faded to black.

Sadly for her, this was the night that the lights in the sky appeared.

*-*-*

It had taken almost all of the six hours to locate and arrive at the 12,000 year old cryo-tube. The amount of stuff they had to move was mind boggling. Frankly, thought Captain Lodjvgne, I should just space all this junk. To hell with the company protocols. With what we are going to find down here, it just isn't worth it.

The last bulkhead into the bowels of the ship was finally opened. The dank stale air was being circulated out so they could breathe. There, under a small amount of clutter, was the tube. The tube that held their certain demise.

*-*-*

Georgia-Ann (or Geo as she liked to be called) was waking up. She was cold. It was dark. The air smelled damp and a bit musty. As her body started to warm, she opened her eyes. Above her was a metal ceiling, maybe 40 feet away. The area was mostly dark, the red lights she could make out, barely illuminated anything.

She felt a sting as a needle was withdrawn from her wrist. She sat up and looked around. Her scout training had prepared her for many things in life: Hiking, fishing, boating, archery, marksmanship, mugger defense (she had liked that one!), but it had not prepared her for what she saw.

Over the edge of the tube; Why am I in a tube she thought; were three things out of someone's opium dreams. Two things that looked like 3' slugs, and a third that looked for all the world like a mutant miniature ostrich

She vomited, and passed out.

*-*-*

They were standing outside the med bay, waiting for the Dirt-rockian to wake up. Looking around at each other, no one was willing to speak up until Grug finally broke the silence.

“I can't believe it spat acid at us! Why didn't the report say they could spit acid!” Grug was alarmed.

“Maybe the Fleet decided to obfuscate that, in order to keep soldiers more calm while sending them to their deaths?” Responded Glug, waiving his eye-stalks in distress.

Captain Lodjvgne looked at his subordinates, his feathers having finally returned to normal coloring, “Gentle beings, we are clearly not equipped for this experience. I believe we should contact Fleet again and ask for them to carry out this mission.”

“Bit late for that Captain, the Dirt-rockian has seen you already. For all we know, it will fight its way back to you, upon whom it has imprinted. Or perhaps the fight will be because it wishes to do you grievous physical injury.” Glig, the ships medic stated, eye stalks gently swaying, in the calm manner of medical professionals everywhere. “After all, their species is a known pursuit predator.” She made a stalk gesture of amusement as the captains beak dropped in worry.

Glancing into the bay through the window, Glig made a noise of surprise, “Looks like it is waking up again.”

“Bugger”, they all said in chorus

*-*-*

She was slowly waking up. Again. The air here was clean, with almost the right amount of humidity. She opened her eyes. The ceiling was different, painted an off white. The walls a light cream color. Very hospital chic.

OK, lets not be like dads drunk college friend, she thought to herself, lets not sing our sneaking song at the top of our lungs.

She climbed down off the hospital bed, and slowly stepped towards the door. Completely ignoring the other beds and all of the medicinal supplies. Quietly singing to herself, “I want to be the very best, like no one ever was..” as the door whooshed open, and klaxons started to sound.

*-*-*

“It moved off of the bed!” Glig said, almost relieved. Pushing the door open pad.

Clakstons started to sound, followed by the main computer making announcements “WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! DIRT-ROCKIAN WORDS DETECTED! EMERGENCY MILITARY BEACON DEPLOYED!” it repeated. Over and over and over.

The door whooshed shut.

“Well bugger.”

*-*-*

Geo dived under the bed, panic welling up inside her. It was all just a dream, right? There were no things, I just got bitten by a mosquito, and had a delirious dream. Right?

She finally looked around. The sight of a large room, fully 30 meters across and deeper than she could see, stared back at her. The room, if she could really call it that, hadn't been cleaned much past where the full illumination of the recessed lights fell. And the area was packed. Boxes of several sizes were stacked (badly) all over the place. Strange arms hung from the ceiling; walls covered in more screens than her dads college comp-sci walls could ever hope for.

There was pounding from the door. She could now see three slugs and a Ostrich out in what she assumed was a hallway. “well shit”. Finally, the alarm klaxons went silent.

*-*-*

In the hallway, Captain Lodjvgne gave orders over his wrist com. Eventual the computer stooped the alarms, but the lights remained red.

“Um...Captain? What was all of that about? What did Campy mean by 'Emergency military beacon'? I thought we had been striped of all the military stuff?” Asked Grug.

“I don't know son, I don't know” Captain Lodjvgne responded.

A Gorakian came running at full speed down the hallway, “Captain Lodjvgne, Sir!” he saluted, “We have a problem!”

“We have several problems, Head Technical officer Ovkew, of which one do you speak?” Captain Lodjvgne responded.

“Well sir, we have been pinged by the Fleet Cruiser LHUIVTRMYUK. They want to know our current situation. They have also assured us that there is a full battle group on its way.” Ovkew swallowed. “What in the 17 happened while I was asleep? Sir?”

“What happened? WHAT HAPPENED? The Fleet left an alien time bomb on board this ship when they sold it off. That's what happened. IDIOTS!”

“Um...you mean that the alarm wasn't a fault in the computer core?” Ovkew asked hopefully.

Captain Lodjvgne shook his head, feathers slowly turning green, “No son, we have a real live Dirt-rockian on board.”

“Oh bugger.” Ovkew fainted.

“Well, at least we are next to med bay.” Said a deadpan Glig.

“Glig? Shut up.”

“Yes Captain.”