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+--- Thread: 289 A.E. (/showthread.php?tid=105632)
289 A.E. - Toaster - 10-06-2013
So. I have become rather interested in the lore, or much rather the lack of lore, concerning the Freelancer universe in between the Great War and the present day - Discovery. A pretty large expanse of time, just waiting to be filled with wonderful stories of exploration, war, and fortune.
And so, I will start a little literary project that will, hopefully, last a little longer than my previous endeavors into the Freelancer-based story writing. Please forgive me if the beginning is a bit boring, or perhaps cheesy, but it's rather late, it was a very spontaneous idea, and... I swear, there was another excuse. Oh well.
Of course, I should've sifted through every bit of pre-Disco lore available to me on the wiki, but I am a rather lazy guy and so decided not to. If there are any details, or even major pieces of information, that I got wrong in my story, please let me know. I may or may not care to alter the work accordingly.
Edit: Of course, if you have the urge to share any feedback with me, be it positive or, god forbid, negative, please do so. My inbox is terribly empty and I would enjoy something to read.
That being said, enjoy.
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289 A.E.
Silently, a large, angular shape drifted through the darkness of a vast cloud of gaseous hydrogen. It self provided little illumination, save for small lighted rectangles set in its surface, a half-dozen large cones of energy extruding from one side. The shape was, of course, a starship.
The Columbus, one of twelve exploration vessels sent out by the Liberty Exploratory Corps, plowed on through the nebula, it's powerful engines casting a blue light on the hydrogen particles surrounding it. The ship's hull, splitting into two in the bow half of the craft, disturbed the mist, creating huge swirls of gas that slowly curled away from the vessel and gradually transited back into the cloud's uniform mass.
It was the year 289 After Exodus - nigh on three centuries had passed since five enormous colony ships had departed from humanity's former home system Sol, headed towards the cluster of stars in the Sirius sector. The sleeper ship Liberty had arrived ahead of the others, thus being rewarded with the widest array of systems to choose from for colonization. It was followed by the Rheinland and the Kusari, which both settled down in similarly attractive regions of space. The Bretonia, the fourth ship arrived almost twenty years after the Liberty and ended up having to make do with a dark, little hospitable area. The fifth ship, the Hispania, was lost during the journey.
Now, nearly three hundred years later, the House of Liberty had evolved into a powerful nation, spanning three systems. First contact with descendants of the Rheinland, located galactically south-east of Liberty, had been established a hundred years previously, and a mere twenty years ago, the Empire of Kusari had been encountered to the north. Rumors of a fourth power to the west had spread throughout the young colony. Many suspected that this must be either the colony founded by those aboard the Bretonia, or those of the Hispania. No one yet knew of what had happened to the latter, and it would remain that way for many years.
It was now the Columbus' mission to, along with three other ships of the Exploratory Corps, endeavor into the great obstacle that had limited westward expansion so far - the Barrier, a gigantic nebula of water and ice.
"Attention on deck!" the Columbus' first officer, Lieutenant Barring, shouted as the entrance to the ship's bridge swung open and the vessel's commander, the famous Admiral Caster, stepped onto the raised pedestal on which stood the 'throne' - the commander's seat. From there, the captain had a clear view of the two-dozen bridge officers that worked on the command deck, sitting at computer terminals, discussing charts, or observing wall-mounted screens. The front wall was made up entirely by one immense viewport, providing a clear view of what lay ahead of the ship, though at most times this vista was a dull one, showing little more than a dark void dotted with an infinite number of stars, or, in this particular case, just a dark void.
Admiral Caster nodded at his first mate and, glancing around the bridge at the crew that now stood at attention, facing him with their hands by their sides and their backs as straight as physically possible, muttered, "At ease." The men and women under his command returned to their duties and the usual noise of working officers resumed. The aging man, having just celebrated his sixtieth birthday two weeks ago, slowly lowered himself into his seat. Lieutenant Barring strode towards him and handed his expectant commander a data-tablet.
"Sir, the latest reports from the other ships," the lieutenant said in his crisp, fresh-out-of-the-academy tone. The admiral consulted the information on the handheld, nodded slowly, and looked up to his junior officer.
"There is one report missing," he said in his deep, raspy voice. Years of barking orders at his subordinates had taken much of the strength out of his lungs and vocal chords. Luckily, he had been provided with Barring, who happily took over the shouting. He held out the tablet again.
Barring took it from him, saying, "Aye, sir. The Lewis has yet to deliver its rapport. I assume they are having difficulties with the interference caused by the Walker Nebular, sir."
Caster nodded solemnly. "Let's hope that's it," he muttered.
Ignoring the admiral's grave tone, Barring continued, "The Clark and the Cortez are both following their established courses. The Clark will break off towards the galactic north-west from our position tomorrow at oh-six-hundred; the Cortez will head south-west-wards at the same time."
"And the Lewis?" the admiral inquired quietly.
Barring glanced around uncertainly before replying, "Sir, as you just read, we have yet to receive a confirmation from the Lewis. Sir."
Admiral Caster looked up to the lieutenant. "Of course," he said after a moment of silence and dismissed the young officer with a wave of his hand. He disliked the man personally, particularly his arrogant attitude, but he knew that he was the most reliable officer on the ship and he did his job well. He himself, on the other hand, might need to work on his short-term memory. He could not allow his old age to interfere with his duties, especially on a mission as important as this one.