The Evolution of Vaughn

Chapter 2 Homeward

Date: 432nd Year of Emperor Valek Foger XXVI

A week after Matty was stung by the shrolg, the ship’s computer woke Vaughn from his nap in his seat in the galley.  Her soft, silky voice came from everywhere and nowhere.  “Sir, we are nearing Vaughnville.”

Vaughn sat up in his berth and scrubbed his fingers through his long, dirty hair before wiping the sleep from the inside corners of his eyes.  The transport captain cleared his voice and spoke out loud, “Halle, drop us out of the fold.  I’ll come up and pilot the approach.  Vaughnville?  Really?”

“You’ve lived there for fifteen years, Captain.  It needs a name.”

“I know.  But Vaughnland?  You make me out to be quite the egotist.”

“Perhaps something historic then?  The name of the earliest Earth settlement in my memory is Sharonton.  There was also an earth city called Duluth, and one called Red River Falls.  Queen Willa the Great was from Red River Falls.”

“I remember history classes, Halle.  Sharonton?  I like it.  How about New Sharonton?”

Instinctively, Vaughn reached out and grabbed the railing high along the wall.  The entire ship shuddered as Halle unfolded space around the bubble containing the ship.

“Argimonium levels at eighty percent.  Approaching New Sharonton at one quarter light.”

“Slow us to approach speed.  How is the field looking?” He asked, letting go of the railing and swinging his legs off his seat and into his boots on the steel flooring.  Every floor of the ship was metal.  If the gravity generators failed, he could slip magnetic soles into his boots and still be able to maneuver around the ship.

“Magnetic field strength around New Sharonton is forty one percent above operational parameters.  Full systems shutdown will be required during ionosphere re-entry.”  That magnetic field was the reason Vaughn Troupe had chosen this particular moon to call home.  It kept the E’Clei sensors from detecting the argimonium fields on the moon, and that kept his family safe.  The field was caused by the gravitational interplay between the iron core of the moon Vaughn called “home” and the massive gas giant it revolved around.

When the system’s sun and his moon’s gas giant were in alignment, the tidal swell was enough to bring the ocean to his doorstep.  At low tide, the ocean was almost forty miles away across a massive salt flat.

Vaughn sat down in the captain’s chair and punched a series of buttons on the arm rest.  Three virtual screens appeared in the air in front of him.  The far left showed the optimal approach path and his ship’s trajectory.  The far right was the tactical screen, weapons systems and sensors.  The middle screen had his focus at the moment, it was the flight controls.   He adjusted speed and attitude, pitched over and started the descent.

“Halle, full shutdown.  All controls to manual.”

“Yes Sir.  Have a safe landing, Vaughn.”

“Thanks, Halle.  Have a nice nap.”

Seconds later, the projections disappeared and the cover of the dash rolled back to reveal a large ball and dozens of buttons and levers.  He put one hand on top of the sphere, and rolled it back and forth.  Thrusters fired from the left and right side.  He pushed the levers back and felt the drive thruster spin up.  A huge ball of blue flame shot out the back of the ship, which lurched forward and nosed over towards the surface of the moon.

Manual reentry was always a thrill for Vaughn.   As the air thickened outside the ship, the hull heated, causing it to expand.  Tings, pops, creaks and groans sounded off all throughout the aging ship.  “Come on baby, hold together for me,” he whispered.