Stardust

Chapter 1: Captain's Logs

Log 1: Week 1

           This is Captain Fenala of the starship Borealis. It has been one week since I left my home planet of Vedraxa. I'm excited to be in space, though I still haven't left the solar system. Sadly Vedraxa is no longer visible but a spec amongst the other specs of light that dot the emptiness of space. So far there hasn't been any issues, well unless you count that I forgot to pack my favorite candy in the supplies. I probably left it sitting on my desk at the command outpost...damn. I suppose a few years without the cherry taffy will be good for my health, if not my sanity.

            I'm not sure what I am to write in these logs. The scientists back home said that it is good to keep a record of my thoughts about what happens on the ship as it happens, but there isn't a whole lot going on in space. It's just a bunch of nothing that I'm floating through while the ship collects data. I watch some movies and other media that I loaded into the ship's computer before I left and eat and then I sleep and do it all over again. Most of the time the ship can fly itself even though I am trained to manually control it if need be.

            The ship computer says it is another week before I exit the solar system proper and enter blank space as they call it. The probes we sent out of the solar system didn't really gather much information about what is out there so that is why they asked for volunteers to man spaceships to fly into the blank space. I guess I'll make another log in one week. Fen out.

Log 2: Week 2

           This is Captain Fenala logging another week aboard the starship Borealis. The ship passed by the outer asteroid belt of the system just yesterday. At least I think it was yesterday, everything is starting to blur together without a day/night cycle. The ship tries to simulate it with lighting but I think my body knows it isn't real. I've taken to just sleeping on and off every few hours instead of trying to keep to normal times. It seems to be working better.

            I had to manually avoid some of the smaller asteroids floating around since they kept getting bumped into different directions by the larger rocks. Supposedly command is still getting these even if it won't be for a while so I guess I should say that the ship is still in good condition and everything is up to snuff on the safety checks. Yes I am still doing all the safety checks Serena (you can't see but I'm rolling my eyes at you).

           Tomorrow is the big day, I can actually see the edge of the solar system. It's kind of unnerving to actually see it. It looks like nothing but also...something. Like we are in a fish bowl. Hopefully I wont get killed in any number of the horrible different ways you can die in space. If I live, I will be the first person to discover what is actually beyond our own system. If I die....well I guess it won't be my problem anymore then will it. I've got to get strapped in, the ship says I should be strapped in at least 12 hours before we reach the edge. Fen out.

Log 3: //..[ERROR]___\\

<Emergenc///....Ship.. Co\\>>//////......lost.>[\\]<Emerg>>>............>

///{Sh<>..}\\\<_ication_<t>.................................................................._

         Fenala gasped for air as she regained consciousness, her throat aching and dry. She looks around the cabin with blurry vision as her eyes slowly begin to refocus. She can see things floating, having come loose from their containers that were suppose to be strapped to the walls. What happened..? she thought as she fumbled with the buckles keeping her secured in the safety harness. Finally getting most of them undone she simply slid out of the rest leaving them tangled as she pushed herself up. The first noticeable thing was that she began floating. The ships artificial gravity must be out due to whatever caused... What? A crash? She didn't remember a crash. Her suit seemed to have run out of battery and had automatically opened itself to allow the ship's life support to sustain her. She wiped her brow of sweat as she strained to remember what had happened.

        She was strapped into the seat looking out the window of the front of the ship as it crossed the outer edge of the system. Just as the shipped passed through, everything went crazy. Anything electrical shorted out it looked like. At least the main power for life support seemed to still be working or she might already have been dead. She shuddered to think about that outcome. She pushed against the ceiling of the cabin that she had floated up to while thinking, trying to angle herself towards the door. Having to knock a few loose containers and supplies out of her way as she made her way to the only door, she finally reached it attempting to use the console on the wall to open it. The screen wouldn't even turn on. She sighed and moved to manually open the door, having to use her feet to brace against the frame in order to pull it open.

        In the next room, it seemed that nothing had been forced free like in the pilot's cabin. She pushed off the door frame and towards the middle of the interim room connecting the pilot's cabin to the engineering compartment. Pulling herself and the extra bulk of the suit through the porthole into the small compartment, she looked for the main instrument panel connected to the ship systems. As she suspected the ship's computer was out but the main life support and engines were still operating fine. She knew she would not like what came next, but that it had to be done if she were to continue on her mission. She would have to spacewalk outside to inspect her situation and the ship.