It was just supposed to be a routine flyby of an average life supporting planet with a mid class civilization that was only just beginning to reach space travel capabilities.
But, tale as old as time, something went spectacularly wrong.
Skektal was sitting with all four legs crisscrossed over each other, report tablet balanced on her ankles as she tried to tally up the numbers of the planet's insect population. One set of her arms she had folded over her chest, the other set were laid along her legs as she clenched the sides of her report tablet.
Why did this one planet have so many insects? How was there any room for the rest of the lifeforms?
"Hey Skektal, might wanna strap into one of the travel chairs," called one of her mission companions, a male by the name Tekestek "There's supposed to be a large solar flare and it's going to rock the ship."
Skektal looked up from her report tablet "Why don't we move the ship of the way?"
"The shielding is fine, it'll hold. It was just refurbished before we left on the mission."
Skektal shot to all four of her feet, fear bouncing down her throat "What are you talking about? We are going to refurbish the shielding at the next space station stop!"
Tekestek froze, shock creeping over his features "I put them down as refurbished. The captains thinks they're brand new."
"You need to call them and tell them-!" Before Skektal could even finish there was a rattling, then a roar, and the ship rocked and turned on its axis in a violent tilt, sending Skektal and Tekestek tumbling along the floor. They knocked against each other, the seating, Skektal's report tablet, and finally the window which had become the new floor.
"Everything's probably alright, right?" Kekestek said, blood oozing from a cut on his forehead.
There was another rattling noise, followed by a second roar as they were hit by a second flare.
Another series of tumbling until the ship came to a halt once more and Skektal and Kekestek were laying on what had been the ceiling.
There were alarms blaring and screeching and kicking up all sorts of racket that were aggravating the sudden headache Skektal had acquired.
"Everything probably isn't alright," Kekestek admitted through a mouthful of blood and bashed in filament teeth.
"Yeah, you think?" Skektal scrambled to stand up and checked herself over for injuries. Her back left ankle couldn't support weight and both right arms ached to the point were she was certain they would be bruised "Is your communicator working? Mine is just making buzzing noises."
Kekestek tapped his headset then shook his head "Nope. I think the main communicator routes must be broken. Why don't they use the ship-wide announcers?"
"Maybe they're in no position to use them."
"You think they're hurt? I mean it was kinda bumpy but we're fine, don't you think they're fine?"
"I mean to access the announcers you have to use the main consoles, which used to be on the floor, but are now on the ceiling."
"Oh," Kekestek gave a little laugh "Yeah. Everyone's probably fine. Just fine. They'll get the ship sorted back out and we'll be fine."
"Let's get down to the main deck," Skektal said, hobbling forwards on three legs "The ship needs to be put back upside right before the gravity generators start to strain. Or before we go wildly out of orbit because of the unplanned maneuvers we've doubtlessly pulled."
