(Posted on 01-27-2001)
Air raid: Knox
Chapter One
Mallock Lee strode into the Outpost Sigma bar. Because he was feeling the best he had in the last year and a half, he ordered a bottle of expensive imported Saalian brandy. He hated this outpost. He hated the whole Obron system. If you could call it that. When he enlisted four years ago Obron was the edge of the UE frontier, and the fighting was wonderful. Mallock loved to fly. He was probably one of the UEs best pilots, but because of his maverick nature he was still quite low ranking. Now, however, the Hinwar had rebelled, and Obron was no longer the center of the fighting.
Mallock was feeling good because he had just received his honorable discharge from the UE navy. He had saved up enough credits to buy a Hellion, and soon he would strike out on his own. In fact, because of his service record, he would receive the highest end model, the one that the UE itself enlisted for courier and scouting missions, and have it delivered to him the day after his discharge. That gave him 24 hours to celebrate.
Some time (and drinks) later the bar began to empty out. The enlisted men had to report for duty the next morning, and soon only Mallock and a few others remained. 10 hours left...
At three AM (Sol time) a lone figure stumbled into the bar. Mallock was asleep at his table, but the sound of someone sitting down across from him brought him out of it.
Do you want to hear a tale? asked a voice.
Why not?
Have you heard of the DSN-1156 system?
Theres a lot of DSN systems.
Aye.
Aye There was a silence, as both men pondered the significance of this statement. Soon, the stranger began to speak.
I was a great scientist, once. I had it all. Power. Money. Fame. I even helped the Miranu develop the NPD. I began to grow cocky, and even thought that the Voinians respected my work. On my way to Grentis one day to help out on a new ship design, I passed through the Vorik system in my private shuttle without an escort. The Voinians moved quickly, and before I could radio for help, they disabled my ship. They boarded her, and killed the captain and the crew. I was imprisoned on my own ship. They towed her to Svass, where I was informed that my scientific talents were needed for a top secret project. I said I would never help the Voinians. I was wrong. At this point the speaker stopped for a drink. He cleared his throat, and began again. The Voinains brainwashed me. They convinced me that it was in my own best interests to help them, and I believed it. Soon I became so engrossed in my work, that I didnt even need the brainwashing. I began to help the longtime enemies of humanity, out of my own FREE WILL! The speaker banged his fist on the table, startling the other patrons. Mallock motioned him to go on. He loved a good yarn. The stranger began again. Soon the Voinians project was near to completion. As the final testing stage was entered, I realized what I was doing. The Voinians were developing a device that would allow them to go hundreds of millions of lightyears in a single jump! Just think of the implications! With a good sized fleet, they could conquer the galaxy in a few years! But it was too late to do anything. The fusion jump drive was almost complete. I had gained the Voinians' trust, however and began work on a project of my own. I built a device that allowed blaze cannons to fire with triple speed, power, distance, and accuracy. One night, I slipped out past the guards, stopping only to silently kill one of them and steal his access codes. Little did I know how high up the command tree he was. I stole a small fighter, and jumped out under the cover of the asteroid field. As I entered hyperspace, I saw the fusion jump drive being towed toward DSN-669 for final testing. DSN-669 is the farthest (galactic) west point in the galaxy.
That was a good story, said Mallock.
No! All I have just said is true! I need to be taken to Sol! Look, I will pay you 100,000 credits, and mount the blaze device on your ship if you take me there. He opened up a briefcase on the table, and four gleaming silver-blue objects stared up at Mallock. Just the number needed for a Hellion.
After calculating the fuel costs in his head, he said,
All right. Ill need fifty percent up front when my ship comes in, and I want you to mount those things pronto. If they work, I take you. If not, it costs you fifty percent extra. Agreed?
The scientist smiled and said, You know, I could get to like a man like you.
(This message has been edited by moderator (edited 01-27-2001).)
