An Introduction to the Crucible Universe
Time travel. Impossible? No, but you must also ask why? ISA Mercon
International Space Agency Warship
Jovian Equatorial Belt - 2061 C.E.
“Follow bogey, lay in a course for that exact entry point. Sound collision.”
Beads of sweat on Lt. Casowry’s forehead were the only indication of his fear, “Sir, that’s obviously not a Mars Confederation vessel. I suggest we break off.”
White, straining knuckles dug furrows into the arms of the command seat but not a word sounded on the bridge as the ship flung itself against the storm wall. A last second’s hallucination materialized from a spot ahead in the form of a black fog growing in their path. The shuttle hatch alarm sounded and, faster than the ensign could react, an unnatural fog enveloped their ship and they slammed into the wall.
* ~~ * ~~ * ~~ * ~~ *
A million shards of human-manufactured materials flared in a brown smear on the inside shell of the cyclone. It existed for less than a second before a smudge of black fog materialized, somehow retaining an oblate cohesion as it churned and boiled in its emergence from the swirling wall of clouds.
Clear of the storm wall, the cloud dissipated and in its place a silvery shuttle took form. Not the smooth sleek shape of a starship but a boxy, sharp-cornered, purely functional design. The shuttle’s AI began repairs even as the fog dissipated. Power levels stabilized from the overload and ventilation pushed a life-sustaining high-oxygen and nitrogen mix through the cabin.
ISA Lieutenant Nichols Alsoi was the first to recover. Training kicked in and his eyes called up shuttle status, a moment later he nodded and turned to look for the others. Words formed unconsciously on his lips, “Only four?”
Engineer Jack Arlow groaned, “Not exactly my first thoughts after having gone through all that. Where’s …. Hey Jerry, you made it!”
Spacer Jerimiah Johnson was on the deck resting cross-legged in a corner, the body of that annoying, slim brunette lay across his lap while he held his hand to her head, “Sara needs help. She skull-butted something and has a broken leg.”
“First time I’ve ever seen the great ‘Sara Prakset, Journalist’ with her mouth shut.” Whined the engineer.
Alsoi’s eyebrows knotted in disapproval, “Enough of that Mr. Arlow, get up and make yourself useful, we aren’t out of this yet.
“It appears that only four of us made it. I can’t locate the Mercon or any other shuttles.”
Jack Arlow let out a low whistle then held his head from the pain that flared as he rose, “Cheez on a crutch. Four? Only four of us out of a crew of four hundred and thirty-eight?”
“Plus, the journalist,” Jerry added. “Hey, you got the forward display working. Good job but where’s all the jetsam? Shouldn’t we be in the middle of the debris field?”
The forward walldisplay panned its view as Lt. Alsoi replied, “Good question. Nothing around and look where we find ourselves.”
“We ain’t in Kansas no more,” Jack grumbled.
Jerry looked at the engineer, “Where the heck does he come up with these sayings?”
“Clam up and take a look around,” the lieutenant’s command voice filled the cabin. Their shuttle traveled within a cylinder or more accurately a long tube, its sides were rotating angry walls of discharge-laced storm clouds that managed to reveal a small circle of distant stars at one distant end of the tube and fade off into some invisible destination far below.
“Think that’s sexy? Look over here where my marker’s pointing.”
In the near distance lay the mysterious vessel they’d fired upon, tracking as close to the storm wall as possible as it came on in an indirect but obvious approach pattern. Eventually, the strange vessel began taking shape. It was black, not a dull light-absorbing black but shiny with fine rainbow Lissajous ribbons of light dancing over the skin. Its surface took on details, sleek like a black teardrop at times, then rippled like the shallow guidance channels of a hypervelocity missile before transforming on to a thousand other patinas. Then a spinning, black jet emerged from its side visible only by portions of the distant storm wall it occluded and the play of rainbows across its surface. The cloud expanded, increasing its density as it neared.
“Oh shit, this is it. No more for us, Betty.” Jack whined as he mindlessly backed off from the approaching threat. Like a bad dream, it was upon them with impossible speed, spreading out until it engulfed the shuttle. “Cheez Lieutenant, get us outta here!”
Lt. Alsoi was already lunging for the controls but, just as rapidly, a patch of black mist entered the cabin, defying the solid walls of their shuttle as though the plastisteel barriers were no more tangible than a sunbeam and settled over the control panel where it solidified to a hard, silvery surface.
“Pry it off.”
“I’m not going anywhere near that stuff. You too, back off.” Alsoi’s eyes moved to the walldisplay, “Even if we could run, there’s nowhere to go unless you want to try that stormfront again. Besides, it hasn’t tried to hurt anyone so far.”
“That so? How about what it did to our ship?”
Controls blocked, the mist somehow permitted the visuals of the walldisplay to continue as it drew the shuttle towards the mysterious black object and, as they approached, they began to appreciate its huge proportions. A portion of the ship’s black-skin lightened as their shuttle approached the great vessel. To their surprise, the ship’s skin enveloped them, sucking the entire shuttle in like waves of water flowing over a rock passing through a waterfall.
Then the mist was gone.
They were in a huge chamber that was an obvious docking bay complete with light gray walls but no clear source of illumination. Alsoi noticed the control panel was now free and lunged for it.
.....
