Close to the End by BeatBoy

Published on Kiith Iopia date Unknown

Close to the end – Part1

Excited

It was as clear Autumn afternoon, nothing special. As we watched the screen a silence grow inside the classroom. Ussually this classroom was one of many voices and chaos, such as was to be expected from teenagers testing the nerves of any teacher in sight.

“As you all know, today will mark a great day, a day of celebration and a day of a new beginning.” The teacher continued. “With the courtisy of Yahel Sjet, your principal, we were able to rent these Holoscreens to give you a more insight into that big day to which we have been working the past sixty years.”

What was I thinking into going to school today? I must be mad! Their are only six of us. The others are probably watching at home. I shouldn’t have listend to my mother..

“Do you care on sharing that thought with us, Mr. Sjet? Or were you thinking of your classmates who preffered to stay home and watch this event in 2D?”

Suddenly I was back on the planet.

“I was thinking of that last comment indeed Mr. Paktu, I’m very glad to be here” I responded to my own suprise.

“Good, than would you mind turning on the screen? Your sitting right next to it. And while your at it, please dim the lights.”

I stood up and walked towards the wallpannel. For a school with such a high degree on teaching physics and AI (Karan Sjet is probably the most well-known person to graduate from this school) it sure lacked the luxery of a voice operated computer. The light dimmed and I turned on the power for the holoprojector.

I just wished I was three years older, so I could be on that ship up there. Exploring the stars. Searching for Hiigara. What secrets woul ly out there?

“As you can see, the Scaffold has moved into higher orbit the past few hours to avoid small collisions with old abandoned satellites and debris.”

“Can’t the Mothership take those small bits of debris?” one of the girls in the front asked, ”I mean, she’s built to take a lot of punishment.”

“I know what you mean. But the HyperspaceModule is calculated to the smallest of gramm to take in the mass of the Mothership. We have yet not tested its effect if only a small portion where to be missing. Thats why they are calibrating it’s mass again, once it reaches it’s final orbit.”

The scaffold’s retro-burners where burning at full power, slurping huge amounts of ionized fuel. The direct link to the probe wich followed the Scaffold, showed it slowely moving. She was not moving fast, neither did she apeared to move slow. Then the small tv probe made a quick pass alongside the Scaffold, still focussing on the center of the Scaffold and now you could clearly see the Mothership inside it, still docked.

After half an hour the orbital platform reached the designated area, from wich the Mothership was to be launched, tested and hyperspace. The tests were common, what we realy wanted to see, was the jump the Mothership was going to make. Nothing that big had ever jumped before.

The retro-burners were turned of, and countdown for the launch started. Then suddenly all the lights on the Mothership came to life. You could see the bright blue ligt from the launchbay and all navigation lights (red and white) sparkle against the dark background with a few stars.

Fuck, I forgot to turn off my computer. If mother should see it, she could read all about me playing truant. Ah heck, she couldn’t crack my door-code even if I punched it in for her.

“Attention kids! They are about to launch in two minutes.”

“How long is the testing going to take?” I asked.

“About ten minutes, just as long as it takes to charge the hyperspace module.”

“…Counting down; twenty, nineteen… All systems green, internal doors sealed… We are go for launch…

” Then a familiar voice kicked in: “Fleet Command online, Fleet Intelligence report go for launch. Cryo sections A till J online. Switching on power for main drives.”

“Roger that Fleet Command, engage at your discretion. Good luck Karan!”

“Thanks Launch Control. Engaging… now!”

With a small thud lights lit up at the center of the Scaffold and slowely, but surely the Mothership came free. After only a few seconds, applause could be heard from other classes and ours. A rescource collector and a few scouts were launched from the Mothership itself. And Fleet Command gave the order for the construction bays to start building a research ship.

“Thanks to the PDA and the automated constructionbay it would only take a few minutes to make a ship like a research vessel. And just a few seconds to make a fighter-class vessel.” The Teacher explaned.

We all knew the posibilities of the Mothership, they where teached a little too intense, in my opinion.

“Could you switch the image to the onboard camera of the lead fighter?” I asked.

“I knew you where going to ask me that,” the teacher replied, ”Of course, here we go.”

Next image we saw was one of a camera beneath the belly of the lead fighter, wich we could hear giving orders to change formations, first delta then X. Impressed and in silence we watched as the fighters engaded the target-drones. All where destroyed within seconds. The scouts went back to dock with the Mothership after destroying another set of target-drones, and so did the Collector, full with resources. The Research Ship –or station as most people called it- returned to the Mothership. Now, the best part was to come…

Close to the End – Part2 - the Jump

While the fighters (I counted six or eight) docked, Fleetcommand guided the Research Vessel into the right side of the Mothership. I thought it fitted through the launch doors easily but as it showed it had a very narrow marge. Then, while the last Rescource collector docked, Fleetcommand began with the last Mass calculations.

“Countdown at t-minus 30 seconds!”

Tension was high.

“This is Fleetcommand, Hyperspace module charged, all systems are go for jump. Good luck everyone!”

“This Fleet Intelligence, engage Hyperspace!”

Bright sparkles engulfed the Mothership, the colours becomming brighter and brighter. Then a bright blue colum emerged in front of her. It became wider and we viewed it with an awe of it’s immense size. To completely engulf the Mothership it had to be miles long! Then suddenly it started to move into the Mothership. The front sections and the bridge vanished within seconds. In the left corner of the image, energy readings went of the scale. By now the middle part of the ship was gone, and then the window moved faster towards the back-end of the ship. Then suddenly, the ship was gone. The projector showed nothing but the Scaffold and a few shuttles. She was gone…

Cheering could be heard from the street and from other classrooms. It worked! I still couln’t believe what just happened. A great journey, possibly a colony deep into space. They expected the journey to take a few months, since we were not able to make great leaps with our hyperspace technology.

“It still will take the Mothership a full hour to get to the hyperspace testing area. When she restablishes contact with the supportvessel, Fleet Command will contact the Great Diiamid directly, this will also be broadcasted live, but we will have to wait till then.” the teacher explaned.

Josh’k (being not the smartest) raised her arm to ask a question. “Why didn’t they hyperspaced the supportvessel directly to the testing grounds, instead of flying her on conventional drives? We still know what longcryo-sleeps does to a persons psyche.”

“That is because, miss Somtaaw, the composites used for a Hyperspace Module are so rare, we barely were able to find enough for the Mothership. As a miner’s daughter you should know that.” He added.

“I don’t care what my Kiith knows about mines and ores, I’m a scientist, I don’t care for anything else.” She replied irritated.

Is that my beeper going off? Shit! It’s mom, did she crack my door-code? Naah… She probably is going to remind me that I forgot my lunch.

Close to the End – Part3 The End

I did forgot my lunch, but I did not have any apetite, I was too nervous. The Mothership was due to report in about one hour. We where still sitting in the class room while the news network was displaying some info on the Kar’l Selim (the support vessel). I couldn’t recall if I had any breakfast at all, Heck…

“The Kar’l Selim will aid the Mothership in calibrating her Hyperspace Module. In doing that she will work with much more accuracy.” The Teacher Continued “The Mothership will then jump back to Kharak, for her final outfit and to load the Cryo trays.

” Something caught his attention. It was his comm-link vibrating and flashing.

“Sorry kids, it looks like I’ve got to report to the principal. Maybe I’ll be getting that fatigue duty you kids love to do.”

The six of us laughed.

He hurried out of the classroom, while we were trying to relax untill the expected great news of the succesfull Hyperjump would be broadcasted.

Suddenly there was a sound, a noise wich filled the air. Like a scream… Sirens!!!

We all ran to the windows to find out what set of the alarms. We could see nothing but the hill-side of downtown, everything was as ussual. A few clouds and a bright autumn sun was all that we could notice. Probably just a false alarm. That thought just run through our heads as we suddenly heard a large hum from the other side of town. We quickly ran to the other side of the class, exiting it, to look thrue the windows on the corridor.

What we saw scared the shit out of me…

What the fuck are they doing? Why are they launching fighters? And why are the missile defenses out? They can’t be having a drill while they’re testing the Mothership!

Someone said to watch the news. We went back into the classroom and our teacher was back too. He looked a little more pale than usual. Must be as scared as we are.

“This is the Kharakian NewsNetwork with a special news bulletin.”

The reporter was as pale as our teacher.

“Sjet listeningpost have picked up unknown hyperspace signatures near the Scaffold. It is believed that these signatures are not Kharakian, but this is yet to be confirmed.”

“What is reported is that these signals apear to be a large number of vessels heading towards Kharak. We have no idea on who or what they are. The Kiith Council will now adress the people.

“This is H’ran Nabaal, leader of the Daiamid Council. The question if we are alone or not has been answered in a very rude way. While we welcome this great event, there are still many uncertainties. Thats why these last minutes where used to activate and mobilize all Kharakian defense forces in case the unknown vistors would turn hostile. Our brothers of Kiith Sjet are using every possible means to try and establish contact these visitors. News of this event is being broadcasted to the Mothership but we were still unable to reach her. We must ask the people to stay…

” The image faded, and then there was a lot of static. I looked at my scared classmates who couln’t believe what they just heard. My hands were sweaty. My clothes felt cold.

Then the static chanched to image again. But what we saw made everyone’s flesh creep.

“This is Captain Capell of the Imperial Taiidan Fleet. The Kushan people have violated the Hyperspace Treaty.”

This person who appeared to be Kushan but had a much more muscular face, neck, and a very pale skin, like having missed the Sun for months. He spoke a strange tongue of Kharakian.

“The penalty of violation of the Hyperspace Treaty is instant death. Prepare to meet your maker.”

Then static….

Did a race looking similar to ours traveled from- Sajuuk knows where- just to make us pay for what? And who are those Kushans?

Loud thuds could be heared from the other side of the city, meaning they where launching missiles. People started yelling to get to the shelters. Sirens where still moaning. A formations of fighters flew over the building, their afterburners engaged, accelerating them. A few minutes later we could see a trail of Missiles close behind the fighters, volley after volley…

The image went back up. It was the Kiith Council again.

“Unknown starfighters and starships have launched an assault on the Mothership Scaffold.” It was the Nabaal-Sa who spoke with terrified words.

“Nabaal and Soban fighters have engaged the hostiles but are finding heavy resitance. We must try and stay calm. We have informed the Kar’l Selim to inform the Mothership upon arrival. All effort should be…”

Static again

Explosions could be heard outside. Orbital bombardement? Then the image was back up. We saw images from the battlefield. Waves and waves of scouts trying to destroy larger vessels. The vessels apearded to be equiped with energy-based weapons, and large turrets. A small Mothership-like vessel started launching fighters of its own. And soon we saw nothing but just a few of our fighters fighting a lost battle. Then the NewsNetwork began giving comment…

“The Great Daiamid has been destroyed by precision bombarements, most of Nabaal and Soban Forces are in retreat. Paktu Kiith is launching every new type of corvette they have, but things are looking bad.” The newsreader continued. “We will try and stay in the air for as long as possible, lets hope our Kiith brethern will be able to fend this atack of.

” The image now showed the scaffold being overwhelmed with small fighters launching white balls of energy. The Scaffolds' few defensive turrets tried to take out as many hostiles as possible. Then suddenly dozens of hostile fighters exploded and explosions could be seen upon the armor of the larger vessels too. The missiles finally found their way to the enemy. And it was welcomed by a soft feeling of hope that these attackers could be overwon. From the left corner of the Holo-Image we could see four large vessel with small escorts in sphere formation, pass the scaffold as they either evaded our missiles or simply egnored them because the armor could not be penetrated.

Then suddenly the order was given to abandon the Scaffold Platform. My guts sank into my shoes, was there no hope? And all hope on victory vanished as we saw Paktu fighters kamikazing themselves in vain of hoping to destroy as many fighters and larger vessels as they could. There where just too many of them. The missiles could not be produced in large enough numbers to do enough harm and the comment of the NewsNetwork displayed what everyone was feeling.

“The order has been given to evacuate the Scaffold, structural integrity is low and we fear it will collaps at any moment now.” He sighed “I can only hope that the Mothership will return in time to repell these atackers.”

Then a bright enourmous explosion rocked the Scaffold as we saw big peaces of debris flying in all directions. Then the Scaffold was engulfed in a large explosion… Screaming and horror everywhere. I looked outside and saw people running toward the shelters and people just standing in the middle of the street, in total shock. Strange enough the sun was still shining and it could have been quit normal autumn day if all was normal.

“Capital ships have broken through our defenses and are on course to the planet surface. I can only hope Sajuuk himself will be kind for us and we pray to him in these times of hardship.” the newsreader continued.

The image of orbital satellites showed four large vessels with a large front section moving into lower orbit. Then suddenly their retro burners kicked in and they went into a full stop. Nothing seemed to be happening for minutes, it seemed like hours. Then we saw the four vessels launch volley after volley of missiles.

An orbital bombardement.

With those four ships? They couldn’t do much harm could they? The missiles where so small…

“Look!!! Outside!!!”

We all turned our faces towards the windows on the right side of the classroom, trying to see anything. Still that peacefull autumn sun…

A bright light lit up at the horizon. Becoming brighter and brighter. Screaming people. TTerrified and with horror we saw the phenomenon become brighter and closer. It could only be described as a large wall of fire, from the ground of, miles into the sky, from the left side of my view to the rights side, indeed like a huge wall. It looked like the air was burning, like it was consumed by the firestorm.

In slowmotion we could see it consume the outer urbans of the city, slowly digesting everything in it’s path. There was a eerie silence, and I looked at my six classmates. Some were crying; others just stood there, nailed to the gound. Then you could see the trees begining to wave, as the winds in front of the firestorm increased.

All still in slow motion. What happened in seconds was like it took minutes.

Now the wall of fire was close, how close? One mile? One hundered yards? I looked up and the wall of fire extended from the ground miles and miles upwards into the skies.

The people on the street looking at the firestorm did not move. They simply vanished as they were disolved into fragments of fuel for that storm. It could now only be seconds away…

I closed my eyes and waited for the End…