Fan Fiction ❯ Fission ❯ The Crew ( Chapter 1 )

Fission

By: Jeremy P. Courville

Wolfen Fallion stared at the ceiling of his quarters quietly, listening to the light breathing of his partner. He wondered how long he would be with this woman, a young cadet named Miki who had entranced him as soon as he arrived for duty aboard the Explorer. He looked down at the pretty redhead, her long straight hair lying softly across his chest as she slept. Not for the first time, he wondered how many girls he had slept with before finding her. He had never imagined he'd meet someone he would actually care about before…

He glanced out the window in thought, watching as the stars passed by slowly across his window. He had been aboard the ship for two years, and he was finally beginning to think of it as home. It was an unusual feeling for him, an ace pilot who had spent his entire career being relocated from one ship to another. He had not expected to stay on this ship for longer than a year.

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt a soft hand caress his cheek. He looked down at Miki and smiled into her gorgeous green eyes, her most striking feature. "What are you thinking about?" She asked him in her soft, musical voice.

"I'm wondering why I was chosen to have an angel like you with me." He answered sweetly, and placed a light kiss on her forehead. She giggled musically, then rested her head back on his chest. "You spoil me." She whispered.

Wolfen watched her for a moment as she snuggled up against him, twisting her hair around his finger playfully. "Why should I not spoil my little goddess?" He quizzed her. She hugged him close and grinned. "You only do it to get in my bed."

"So now you're claiming my quarters along with my body?" He cracked, "My Pa always told me women would take everything I owned."

"And your Pa was right." She replied, moving up and kissing him. "You're all mine, every part of you."

"Every part…?" He asked with a wry tone, and she grinned.

"Every part."

At that moment the door to Wolfen's quarters opened wide and in stepped Ambrose Gallion. Miki gave out a surprised cry and covered her body up in Wolfen's sheets. Unfortunately this left Wolfen with very little to cover himself in. He sat up straight, his face in total shock as he stared at Ambrose, who didn't look at all surprised.

There was a short pause as the two stared at one another, with Miki cowering in embarrassment behind Wolfen. Ambrose was a tall, African man with a bald head and deep-set blue eyes. He was Wolfen's superior officer, and wore a decorated uniform. After a moment he crossed his arms purposefully and shook his head.

"Stop gawking, Fallion, and put some clothes on. I'm going to be waiting outside, so hurry up!" And with that simple statement he turned and left. Wolfen could only stare for a few seconds, then he came to his senses and turned to Miki. The young woman was staring at the bed sheets, her face red.

"I think I have to go." He stated dumbly. She didn't answer, only hugged his arm for a moment more. He stood up and began to put on his uniform as she sat there in his bed. He straightened his hair and put on his cap, then turned back to her. She seemed to have recovered a bit, for she stood up and walked to him, still covering herself with the sheets. "Don't get in trouble again." She said in an attempt to hide her continuing embarrassment. He smiled and gave her a hug. "I won't, I promise."

Leaving her in the room, he stepped out into the hall and saw that Ambrose was just beside the door, waiting as promised. For a brief moment Ambrose once again intimidated him. Wolfen knew he didn't strike a very imposing figure. He was extremely short, and nowhere near as old. His curly brown hair was short, his eyes were an uninteresting grey, and his voice was low and quiet. Compared to this man he was small and unimportant.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" He asked with a salute, his face suddenly flushing red at the memory of what had just happened. Ambrose gave him a mean look and signaled for Wolfen to walk with him. As they stepped down the hall, he said, "No, I don't. I've seen you in my office enough these past two years. It's the captain who wants to see us."

Wolfen paused for a brief moment then quickly caught back up. "The Captain? What would she want with me?"

"Not you, Fallion, 'us'." Ambrose corrected, stepping onto an elevator and setting the controls to carry them up a few decks. "And I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. I suspect she wants to give us our orders in person."

"They're that important?" Wolfen asked, feeling his excitement rise. He hadn't been on a major mission in years, and he was tired of doing small recon jobs and the like. "How the hell should I know, Fallion?" Ambrose replied grumpily, "The damn woman won't tell me a thing."

Wolfen went silent as they stepped off the elevator and made their way to the bridge. He had forgotten that Ambrose was the type that didn't believe a female could handle such a large job as commanding an entire spaceship. The two walked on silently, Ambrose brooding and Wolfen contemplating the mission.

The Explorer was just what it sounded like; an exploratory vessel intended to travel through space exploring new planets, relaying new information to Earth. The entire mission was designed in preparation for colonization, for humans had come to realize that they couldn't live on the planet forever. Earth was suffering from pollution and overpopulation, and it had become the great objective of humans to find and populate new planets. Everyone hoped that by leaving Earth now they could save the planet from further damage, letting it heal back to normal. Earth was home. They wanted it preserved.

Wolfen had been transferred to the Explorer because it was believed an expert pilot would be ideal for flying in unusual atmospheres. It was a dangerous job, but Wolfen enjoyed it. He glanced at Ambrose again, noted that the man was still brooding, and left him alone. Ambrose had been on the Explorer for eight years, and was now the commanding officer of all the pilots on board, of which there were only ten. Yet the man simply could not get over the fact that his captain, the person he had to trust to keep the ship going, was female.

Suddenly Wolfen stopped, for they were already at the large double doors that led to the bridge. Ambrose turned and punched a code into the board beside the door, and it opened with a swish. The two stepped onto the bridge and stood at attention. The bridge was vast, with fancy leather seats and bright, flashing computer systems manned by a lot of important-looking people. At the front of the room was a large window that showed the vast space in front of them. As Wolfen stared at it he noted the planet the Explorer was nearing. He was disappointed. It was a small rock, covered in a strange black color that made it difficult to see where the planet ended and space began. But the planet was definitely there, and Wolfen couldn't help but think that there was no way a person could survive there.

In the middle of the room was a large seat that seemed to have its own set of controls all about it. This was the captain's chair. Standing beside it was a tall, colored man in uniform. The insignia on his shoulder said he was the Signature Officer, or second-in-command. He turned to look at the two of them for a moment, then turned and announced their arrival. Immediately the seat turned about to reveal the captain.

This wasn't the first time Wolfen had seen Captain Obakeumi, but it was the first time she had been addressing him personally. She was Asian, with long raven hair that reached to just below her shoulders. He guessed her to be in her early forties, or maybe late thirties at best. Her eyes were a strange blue-green shade, and she struck him as plain, if in an oddly attractive way. He also noted that she was short, he would have guessed around five-and-a-half feet, but she was still several inches taller than him. This reminder of his height wasn't welcome, and he grumpily shoved it out of his mind.

Captain Adeyaka Obakeumi stood and saluted to the two pilots, who saluted back. "At ease." She ordered, and the two men happily obeyed. She stepped down a small set of stairs till she was just in front of them, Ambrose towering above her and Wolfen looking up at her with embarrassment. If she noted the great difference in height amongst them, she didn't make any reference.

"Commander Gallion." Ambrose nodded, no expression leaving his face. For an instant Wolfen pondered what was going through the man's mind, as he was about to hear orders from a woman. He secretly wondered how someone could be so… against female captains? He couldn't think of a better way to phrase it.

"Private Fallion." Wolfen nodded, immediately setting his full attention on the Captain. She nodded for a moment, then turned to look at the planet that was slowly growing in the window.

"That, gentlemen, is the planet Gevangenis. Not much to look at, is it?" There was a short pause, but neither Ambrose nor Wolfen answered. "Despite the planet's bleak look, our surveyor scouts believe there is breathable air there. So we must investigate it, despite what our eyes suggest."

The Signature Officer broke in when the Captain paused for a time. "As you know, it is normally the job of the surveyor scouts to go down to the surface and study the planet to ascertain is inhabitability. However, we have just learned that the planet is surrounded by a black cloud."

"The surveyors believe the black cloud exists only at the top of the atmosphere," the Captain continued, "but the strong winds make it impossible for the surveyor ships to get below them." She turned to the two of them, studying them as she spoke. "The surveyors believe only the Gangen Fighters have the control necessary to make it through the cloud to the surface. This means that you and your men, Commander Gallion, are the only ones who can reach the surface. Only your pilots have the training to use the fighters."

Ambrose saluted. "You can count on my men, sir." He looked over at the planet again. "We will need all the information on this planet, in order to evaluate the environment. I will get my best man on it."

"You understand, Commander, that your men will not just be piloting the fighters." The Signature Officer stated pointedly. Ambrose looked at the man with a confused look. "Your boys will also have to conduct the experiments normally performed by the surveyors. They will have to bring all the equipment and follow a strict set of instructions in order to evaluate the planet."

Ambrose hesitated. "With all due respect, Captain, my pilots are just that, pilots. They aren't trained for this kind of mission. Can't we just bring a surveyor along on each of the fighters? It would be much faster and easier than teaching my boys how to use the equipment."

"We considered that," The Captain replied, "But as you now the fighters are limited to two people, a passenger and a navigator. The equipment alone will take up enough room for one person, making it impossible to bring both a surveyor and the equipment down at once."

Ambrose opened his mouth to make another argument but was interrupted by a voice from behind them. "Surely the Commander and his men are capable of learning to use a few simple experimental tools, or does he expect us to believe that learning to fly a craft takes up all of a man's mental capacity?"

Ambrose and Wolfen turned about to see a man standing at the door. He was a thin man, just slightly shorter than the Captain (but again, much taller than Wolfen). He had limp, pale blond hair that reached down to about his ears, and small, studious brown eyes. Wolfen felt the man would stick out in a crowd like a sore thumb, with his long beak of a nose. The man wore a white lab coat, and Wolfen decided he simply had to be a scientist.

"This is Dr. Dios Duberton, Commander." Captain Obakeumi informed Ambrose. "He is our chief Surveyor and Medical Officer, and he is going to teach your pilots to use the equipment. He has assured me that the equipment is simple to learn and will not prove to much of a burden."

Ambrose was bristling in anger at the doctor's comment, so for a moment he could say nothing. Taking the opportunity, Wolfen turned to the Captain. "Pardon me, sir, but I do not understand why I have been called to this meeting. The Commander could have informed me of all this information in the briefing."

Ambrose turned on Wolfen. "You're being disrespectful, Fallion. The Captain will tell you what you need to know when she wishes to."

"That is all right, Commander." Captain Obakeumi interrupted, "After all, I did call him here for a reason." Ambrose was visibly straining to keep his anger in; it seemed to him proof of feminine weakness. Wolfen thought the man's fist was shaking. There was a snicker from Dios that the Signature Officer cast a dark glance at.

"Commander Gallion, we have studied the profiles of your pilots, and after much consideration, " She looked Wolfen directly in the eyes now, "We believe you and Private Fallion are the best men for the job. We have summoned you here, Private, because we want you, specifically, on the mission."

"You have the skills necessary for this." The Signature Officer explained at Wolfen's surprised look. "We know you have studied electronics and spent two years towards a degree in geology. Learning to use the equipment, therefore, should not be too difficult for you."

"Of course," Dios interrupted, "This equipment isn't anything like what you saw at your old college. I intend to start training you immediately, as well as your," he snickered again, "Commander."

Suddenly an officer at one of the stations jumped up and gave a shout. "Captain, we have a situation!" Captain Obakeumi and the Signature Officer turned towards the woman. "Something is wrong with the cooling system. The reactor is starting to heat up!" For an instant the room went silent as this news hit everyone on the bridge. Then, just as suddenly, everyone began to move. Wolfen could only stare in amazement at the control of these officers.

"Check the coolant system!" The Captain shouted, practically jumping into her seat. "I want an evaluation of the situation immediately!"

"Three of the cooling systems have failed!" the officer reported, "We can't control the reactor with just two systems!"

"I'm reading a temperature increase in the reactor." Another officer put in, "All systems in that section seem to be operational."

"Get all our engineers down there. Figure out the problem NOW!" The Signature Officer barked, hovering over an officer and reading the information that was pouring in. Wolfen, caught up in the sudden excitement, turned to Ambrose. "What are we supposed to do?" He shouted over the commotion. Ambrose gave him a worried look.

"What are we supposed to do?" Ambrose echoed, "We don't do anything. Except wait and hope they figure this out."

"Captain," Another officer broke in, "if we don't get the reactor under control soon we'll lose a third of the ship!" This news hit Wolfen like a hammer blow. The situation was far more serious than he had initially thought. It was so sudden, so fast. What had happened?

"We're picking up speed." the Signature Officer reported, "If the reactor doesn't go first, the excess speed will rip the ship apart instead!"

"Severe the reactor/booster connectors!" The Captain ordered.

"Connection severed, but now we can't slow down!" An officer shouted.

"We weren't going to slow down anyways, the reactor wouldn't let us." The Signature Officer stated.

"Change course!" Captain Obakeumi shouted suddenly, "We're headed straight for Gevangenis!"

"Starting backup thrusters!"

"I'm going to the Med-Lab." Dios said to no one in particular, "There's probably going to be some people who need my help when this is over." He turned and ran out of the door.

"All hands," The Captain ordered through the intercom, "The reactor is malfunctioning. All aboard are to move to the front of the ship! Get as far away from the reactor as possible. Follow your commanding officer and avoid panic."

Suddenly Wolfen acquired a horrid thought. "Miki's station is near the reactor!" He spun about and started to run, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going, Fallion?" Ambrose demanded, "The captain said to keep away…"

"I don't care what she said! I have to get to Miki!" He jerked away and started to run back down the hall. It didn't occur to him that she could still be in his quarters. His mind was a blur as he tried to recall where Miki's station was. He couldn't lose her, not her. He jumped into an elevator just before it closed, only to find Dios staring at him.

"A soldier running from the drama?" Dios thought aloud, "Now this is an interesting site."

"Spare me your high-and-mighty talk!' Wolfen shouted at him and practically punched the button on the elevator. Dios smiled but didn't say anything as the elevator began to lower. Wolfen watched the floors go by impatiently. He silently begged for the contraption to move faster. He got his wish.

With a sudden jerk the elevator began to fall. Dios and Wolfen experienced free-fall for a brief moment, and then suddenly they were slammed against the door. The room shook and shuddered, then suddenly they were pulled to the other side of the room. Wolfen felt pain all over his body. He tried to force himself off the wall, but the g-forces were too much for him. He managed to turn his head towards Dios - the doctor was unconscious.

There was a sudden noise that resembled an explosion nearby, and Wolfen realized almost immediately that the ship was lost. As the room continued to shake he heard screams outside the elevator. He wanted to cover his ears, to block out the sounds, but he couldn't move. The last thing that entered his mind before he blacked out was a picture, clear as the purest water, of Miki.