Taking Sides 22.03.2268. 1033 GMTSaltlake Naval BaseL5 point in Earth orbit Ted Allbright hefted his kit over his shoulder and walked the last few steps from the docking ramp into the main airlock that joined Saltlake Base to the CNV 534 Redoubt. The Universal Docking Collar and main UDC shaft at the core of … Read more
Shuffling the Deck (cont’d) 21.03.2268. 1008 GMTSaltlake Naval BaseL5 point in Earth orbit One hour after the mission briefing had finished, the officers of the Redoubt sat together in a common recreation lounge a few doors away from Ferris’ billet. “I’m not at liberty to discuss details of the briefing any more than I … Read more
Shuffling the Deck 21.03.2268Saltlake Naval BaseL5 point in Earth orbit Ted Allbright spent a sleepless night, wondering what Chen’s offer had really been about, and why he’d been singled out. He guessed that there was some kind of internal power struggle going on within the Navy. He was fairly certain that he was the … Read more
A New Deal 20.03.2268Aboard the Crack-In-The-WorldTau Ceti “Captain Volochkov, the Quartermaster will see you now,” said the head that briefly peered around the edge of a barely opened hatch. As quickly as it had appeared, it darted back behind the door, leaving Yevgienyi Volochkov without much of an impression of the face, hair color, … Read more
The Rumour Mill 20.03.2268Saltlake Naval BaseEarth orbit It was almost two hours before he made it to The Bad Seal, and he could tell the place was filling up as he approached from the main corridor’s spin-ward side. He heard the susurrations of dozens of voices talking at once, and the melody of some … Read more
Fresh Recruit 20.03.2268Saltlake Naval BaseEarth orbit Ted Allbright’s gratitude for the rescue pickup had worn off several days ago. Since then he had vacillated between irritability, and openly hostility. This whole naval debriefing and protective custody bullshit was just a fancy way of saying he was a prisoner. He was well fed and relatively … Read more
Exposed Feelings 21-03-2268Saltlake Naval BaseEarth orbit Lines were connected and secured, hatches opened, and the CNV Redoubt was, once again, one with Saltlake base. Once shutdown procedures were completed, and clearances given, crew started drifting out through the freezing connecting tube with their kitbags. Navy medical staff was on hand to look over the … Read more
The Politics of Failure 20-03-2268Commonwealth Naval HQJovian L-5 Yves Dupuis sat in the shadows of the conference room, in awe of the powerful names and faces he saw around him. It was one of the largest meetings he had ever been part of, and it boasted more brass and senate cronies than he’d seen … Read more
Redoubt Returns 20-03-2268Earth L-5On approach to Saltlake naval base Home again. At the end of the Redoubt‘s third patrol in as many months, Captain Ferris was certain that his crew was feeling the fatigue as much as he was. His temper was growing shorter, and his thinking was getting fuzzier, which can be disastrous … Read more
The Demonstration 18-03-2268Tau Ceti The bridge of the Independent Navy corvette Wolf-In-The-Fold hummed with the quiet sounds of the ship’s machinery busily keeping the crew warm, breathing, and navigating through the space near Tau Ceti. NAV officer Rydstrom sat at the pilot’s station at the front of the bridge, unaffected by the striking vista … Read more