Old Frontiers: The Severan Contingency

Chapter 1, Part 2

Big didn't actually do much for the description of the object. Though a speck of dust compared to the mega-station, there had been no encounters with something this large in the Out-Fields ever before. Being almost a kilometer across and half that deep the object could hold any number of dangers within its reflective hull coating. Even the largest JerraCor or Reminkon were tiny in comparison.

"Could be an army waiting in there," Quinton said.

"Army of whom?" Ref asked.

"Or what." Grathe hovered over the screens in the engine room. He had a loose uniform that looked brand new, as much of their clothing now, with a dozen pockets everywhere. His fur was streaked with dark stripes, triangular ears pivoted forward, and yellow cat eyes peered out from a sculptured face. The Bertania was their machinist and had kept the Shifter going since long before they picked up funding from the Silquint.

"Let's not even go there even with speculation," Ref said. She doubted they were going aboard, especially since there looked like there might be only one entrance.

"Might not need to. Look at that." Quinton had a large stupid grin on his face as he pointed out what was becoming obvious as they made their quick flyby observation of the object.

Ref squinted as if that might help her pick out the ship trussed up against the shiny hull of the object. She only needed a split second, upon seeing the ship, to recognize it as a converted JerraCor. That was something they might put together back on Promethean and very likely had a scavenger crew aboard at one time. The rust bucket looked old and used and quite probably halfway broken like the Shifter had been months ago.

"Look at the radiation on the converted JerraCor. Off the scales," Grathe said. He purred with excitement as they finished their quick tour of the object.

"Time to strap in." Ref went to her converted seating and the others followed her suggestion. They were going to brake harder than usual, in order to draw into a close orbit with the intact object. She pulled the harness over her and a couple of moments later she felt herself pushed against that same harness, but it was not particularly uncomfortable yet. "Nothing on coms?"

"Nope, but it is entirely possible that shiny hull is blocking our transmissions."

"What a design oversight—hey we've got a radiation-blocking material, but we cannot talk with anyone—"

Ref didn't mind interrupting the Kith. "That rear airlock the only one accessible?"

"Looks that way," Grathe replied without looking up.

That one airlock worried her and she blinked rapidly as she was pushed harder into the harness. They would have a defensible position with that one airlock, but it also meant they could be cut off from other exits. There should be no reason to assume there was anyone or anything else on the object, but their encounter with the creature on the battleship had taught her things weren't as they believe.

The blackout had left them little options other than a struggle to survive and during that battle with the environment, no one had thought to write anything down. The network had provided them with everything they would ever desire and apparently nobody had considered what might happen if it ever failed. Now they didn't even know where they came from or why the Out-Fields existed.

There were far more questions than there could ever be answers.

"Defensible—one Dark Round could break that corridor." Quinton raised his arm and looked at the recessed weapon pod momentarily.

For once, Ref actually liked that idea. The Kith had proven his aim before so the chances that they could be pulled into the vortex created by the Dark Round was less likely. "You're at the front then."