tangled in the mess he had already made.
The lights of the ship flickered wildly and the engine's humming noise was erratic pulses of varying pitch. It felt oddly like going into a seizure, or at least what Phil imagined it would be like. Then as he was about to give up all hope of salvation the engines resumed their comforting thrum and the lights were restored. Phil found himself free of the wreck of wires and somehow the ship was remarkably still in one piece.
Hanniman gaped at him. 'Captain, how in blazes did you do that?'
He slowly picked himself off the floor, feeling a few bruises that hadn't been there but a moment ago. Should he tell his Engineer that he had no idea? That this had all been some massive fluke? Or would the man rather believe that the fate of the entire ship was resting on his gloved hand?
Instead of answering, Phil shrugged the question off and tried to get his bearings, he felt like a very battered and somewhat disorientated peach that had just been dropped out of a basket. He wondered briefly whether peaches really could feel disorientated before shaking the thought clear. He had to focus now, there was no time for idle musings.
Finally rising to his feet, he ordered Hanniman to put one of those force field thingies around the tangled mess that he called cabling in the hopes that it would stay intact for whatever the universe had to throw at them next. After this he made his way back up to the cockpit, where he found Agent Smith back in his position in spite of a lack of order to resume his post.
'You're back in one piece!' Annika smiled at him, a look of relief spreading across her face.
Phil offered her a nervous smile back and greeted the rest of the crew, even Smith. 'Yeah, but most importantly our engines are still fully functional.' he stared out at the bluey purpleness of the viewscreen and realised that his statement had been rather redundant.
'How long until we reach the planet that the Scavanger was picked up near?' he asked, feeling oddly like there were marbles in his mouth as he stumbled over the sentence. Being a Captain wasn't as easy as they made it sound.
RJ swivelled round in his pilot chair after briefly looking at a readout.'I'd say another twenty minutes at the speed we're going, Captain. Whatever you did to those engines not only seems to have fixed them, it's boosted their efficiency.'
Phil stared down at the glove in his hand and flexed it experimentally, if gloves could smile this one would be giving him a knowing wink with it.
So much for avoiding idle musing.
He had twenty minutes to prepare for that which he couldn't prepare for, it was time to turn his attention to his least favourite member of the crew.
'Agent Smith?'
The man turned slowly and deliberately. 'Yes, Captain Jones?'
Well, at least it was better than 'Mr. Jones.' Phil thought to himself, wondering why there was a change in Smith's attitude. Had he won him over by repairing the engines? No, he knew it would take much more than that to change this man's opinion on him.
'What can we expect when we reach the planet? I need your tactical analysis!'
Smith smiled back at him coolly, was that a hint of positivity at being used correctly?
'The planet is known as Vardell VIII, a dense jungle world with many predators and no known inhabitants as of yet. It has regularly been subjected to much debate by the terraforming committee due to the bountiful natural resources it possesses, the general consensus as of this time is that it's simply too dangerous to cultivate.'
Smith tapped on his holoboard and brought up a screen in front of Phil's face, forcing him to edge back in his seat slightly.
'Judging by the projected coordinates of the Scavanger with the actual mission detail, it is most likely that they engaged the Voravians over the planet and were blown to smithereens. We're likely to encounter a debris field as soon as we jump out of hyperwarp, I suggest utmost caution as the Voravian threat may
The lights of the ship flickered wildly and the engine's humming noise was erratic pulses of varying pitch. It felt oddly like going into a seizure, or at least what Phil imagined it would be like. Then as he was about to give up all hope of salvation the engines resumed their comforting thrum and the lights were restored. Phil found himself free of the wreck of wires and somehow the ship was remarkably still in one piece.
Hanniman gaped at him. 'Captain, how in blazes did you do that?'
He slowly picked himself off the floor, feeling a few bruises that hadn't been there but a moment ago. Should he tell his Engineer that he had no idea? That this had all been some massive fluke? Or would the man rather believe that the fate of the entire ship was resting on his gloved hand?
Instead of answering, Phil shrugged the question off and tried to get his bearings, he felt like a very battered and somewhat disorientated peach that had just been dropped out of a basket. He wondered briefly whether peaches really could feel disorientated before shaking the thought clear. He had to focus now, there was no time for idle musings.
Finally rising to his feet, he ordered Hanniman to put one of those force field thingies around the tangled mess that he called cabling in the hopes that it would stay intact for whatever the universe had to throw at them next. After this he made his way back up to the cockpit, where he found Agent Smith back in his position in spite of a lack of order to resume his post.
'You're back in one piece!' Annika smiled at him, a look of relief spreading across her face.
Phil offered her a nervous smile back and greeted the rest of the crew, even Smith. 'Yeah, but most importantly our engines are still fully functional.' he stared out at the bluey purpleness of the viewscreen and realised that his statement had been rather redundant.
'How long until we reach the planet that the Scavanger was picked up near?' he asked, feeling oddly like there were marbles in his mouth as he stumbled over the sentence. Being a Captain wasn't as easy as they made it sound.
RJ swivelled round in his pilot chair after briefly looking at a readout.'I'd say another twenty minutes at the speed we're going, Captain. Whatever you did to those engines not only seems to have fixed them, it's boosted their efficiency.'
Phil stared down at the glove in his hand and flexed it experimentally, if gloves could smile this one would be giving him a knowing wink with it.
So much for avoiding idle musing.
He had twenty minutes to prepare for that which he couldn't prepare for, it was time to turn his attention to his least favourite member of the crew.
'Agent Smith?'
The man turned slowly and deliberately. 'Yes, Captain Jones?'
Well, at least it was better than 'Mr. Jones.' Phil thought to himself, wondering why there was a change in Smith's attitude. Had he won him over by repairing the engines? No, he knew it would take much more than that to change this man's opinion on him.
'What can we expect when we reach the planet? I need your tactical analysis!'
Smith smiled back at him coolly, was that a hint of positivity at being used correctly?
'The planet is known as Vardell VIII, a dense jungle world with many predators and no known inhabitants as of yet. It has regularly been subjected to much debate by the terraforming committee due to the bountiful natural resources it possesses, the general consensus as of this time is that it's simply too dangerous to cultivate.'
Smith tapped on his holoboard and brought up a screen in front of Phil's face, forcing him to edge back in his seat slightly.
'Judging by the projected coordinates of the Scavanger with the actual mission detail, it is most likely that they engaged the Voravians over the planet and were blown to smithereens. We're likely to encounter a debris field as soon as we jump out of hyperwarp, I suggest utmost caution as the Voravian threat may
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