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Logfile #23
Date: 16.4.819
Location: Omega-3, Freeport 1
Vessel: Invisible Infinity
Captain: Eve Taylor
Subject: Jumpdrive tests. Mission failure.
It was a disaster. The whole mission was a failure.
I got command of that Zoner research vessel, a ZBT-100Z 2, equipped with a jumpdrive and cloaking device prototype. The task was to test those in practice.
So did I.
Zero point was Omicron Delta, Freeport 11.
Arrival point should have been Omega-50, Boa Vista Station.
It was the 'maiden jump'. A risky mission. But it was worth the effort. Everything went well. Ian, my co-captain, a trustful young man engaged the cloaking device, run by high-quality deuterium. Stage one complete. After that, I inserted the destination coordinates, which I had given already. I gave a last "ok" and started the jumping progress. Silence. The jumpdrive engines were online. A silent buzzing was heard from the machine room. Every second, which passed it got louder. Suddendly a bright light appeared, sourcing from our vessel. The external cameras were showing nothing. The video monitors were white. Then it happened. We jumped.
A few seconds later, a strong shaking threw me of my control chair. There was something wrong. I got swinged through the control room. I heard screams and red lights flashing. Someone called for help. I smelt smoke coming from the machine rooms. Then I fainted.
I didn't knew how long I laid there, until Ian helped me back on my feet. I still felt clouded, and only understood a few parts of what he was saying in a hectic tone. "Fire. Machine room. Jumpdrive failure. Stranded." I laid my hand on Ian's shoulder and told him to calm down. I risked a view out of the large windows. This was not Omega-50. I didn't saw Boa Vista Station anywhere.
Ian noticed my distressed gaze and stuttered: "We're in Omega-52!"
I began to sweat. I paniced. It took me a while, until I saw the green light for the cloaking device flashing. It was still online. Blessing in disguise! But now, we really had a serious problem. The homesystem of the Coalition, the Revolutionary Army. I had the feeling, that we won't get out there alive.
Just a few seconds later, we had the first contact on scanners. I checked the green light for the cloaking device, saying "online". It worked, we were not on their scanners. But they were able to hear us. Local communication system surveillance. We had to act fast. But the fact, that we weren't able to send a emergency call out of this system, since all communcation links were broke, scared us.
We had to find an exit on our own. Under the presence of multiple pilots of the Coalition, we searched for a Jumphole, leading out of this nightmare. I ignored their requests, to shut off the device. I mean, they would have executed us on sight, because of 'espionage'! I doubt, that they would have listened to us for just one minute. So I decided to get to a safer place first. They'd have followed our communication signals anyways.
Soon, we discovered a Jumphole, guarded by a pair of heavy armed Gunboats, which lead to Omega-5. They followed us. We hasted through the system, towards the Omega-3 Jumphole, which was saved on our navmap already. And another few minutes later, we had intervisibility with Freeport 1.
Saved! That was really close. Just as we entered the not-firing-zone of the Freeport, still followed by a small fleet, Ian disengaged the cloaking device. Citical hull damage! We were under heavy fire, just as we appeared on their scanners. I nearly lost our ship, if I wouldn't have operated quick enough. Nanobots! Shield batteries! Our ship was nearly collapsing. Suddendly, they ceased their fire and gave me a minute to explain my situation. But it had no sense. They accused us for being spies. And they didn't really cared for the Freeports NFZ. I had no choice. I was forced to dock our vessel, to save my crews lifes and the expensive prototype devices.
That was it. I'm going to loose my work. That'll have consequences for sure. I won't get away with an excuse. And my employers will deny all responsibility for that failure. What am I supposed to do now? Can I run away? I need to talk with my crew.
Logfile #29
Date: 20.4.819
Location: Omega-49, in open space.
Vessel: Invisible Infinity
Captain: Eve Taylor
Subject: Treachery and exile.
A few days have passed now, since that mission failure.
And it got even worse. Our employer cut the contact to our ship and rejects the blame for our malfunction. Furthermore, our vessel stands now on the top of the Coalitions shooting list. But that's just the beginning. It has been already too late, when we came to know, that the Zoners authorities got informed about our 'small accident'. From the Coalitions view though. Yes, me and my crew got declared as 'spies'.
People will deny what I'm going to say now. No matter if anyone will tractor our blackbox from our soon-to-be-destroyed vessel. But it's a fact, that half of my crew got murdered on Freeport 1, just two days after we crash-docked our Border World Transporter there. Luckily, the major damage on our ship had been repaired already. So I managed to escape from the Freeport. Later, a survivor of that assassination told me, that it were Zoner pilots, who ambushed them. Seems like the Coalition put pressure on the Zoners, forcing them to surrender me and my crew. But I didn't excepted, that they'd go that far. Zoners aren't murderes. The survivor must have been wrong. I hope so.
We had a three-day trip to Planet Gran Canaria, where we hoped to be able to explain the authorities the whole truth. But it was a huge mistake to believe that. The Zoners are afraid of the Coalition's presence in Omega-49. I even heard of plans of evacuating Gran Canaria...
"Disaster tonight, as reports are flooding in of an explosion at the Kremlin Dome." That's what I read in the news last night when we just entered Omega-49. "The Commissariat is investigating the situation, but all leads point to an extremist group of Zoners opposed to the Coalitions ideology. These extremists are known to base out of Gran Canaria." At once, I saw the horrible link in that incident. They will seek for revenge, they need a punching bag, they want to see blood. They will accuse us! We're lost...
Logfile #31
Date: 21.4.819
Location: Omega-50, in an unknown asteroid field.
Vessel: Invisible Infinity
Captain: Eve Taylor
Subject: Blinded by rage.
Since we had to refill our tanks with Deuterium, there was no way to avoid a small visit at Planet Gran Canaria. When we arrived there, everything seemed to be safe. Nobody recognized us. We landed on Gran Canaria and filled our bays with supplies. My crew has been quite nervous. I even lost two of my engineers. They just disappeard. I can't tell if they got 'cought', or if they just went mad and ran away. The atmosphere aboard is depressed. I wanted to leave the Planet as soon as possible again. I can't promise safety to my crew, as long as Coalition forces are near.
However, it was a jump into the darkness when leaving Gran Canaria's orbit. Just as we entered space, our transporter got hit by a mortar projectile. "Shields down." Fallen down by the massive explosion I jumped up and hit the cloaking device controller. I nearly raped the buttons. I must have stopped breathing for like a minute, until the cloaking device been online. Then I took a first view at the silent aggressor. A Coalition cruiser. No, two of them. Guarded by several fighter and bomber vessels. It was a mess. I haven't really been in the known, so we fled. I doubt, that there would have been a peaceful way to talk to them, since they attacked our unarmed transporter with heavy cruiser guns. Without any notice even. I don't know. It all went so fast. I even let Ayla Brown, my co-captain, do the speaking, in fear of losing control of myself.
I moved the Invisible Infinity to Omega-50, to get out of the system wide broadcast range, since they could have located us through communcation hacks. There arrived, we took a route into an inconsiderable asteroid field. I'm desperate, what shall we do now? I doubt, that the Zoners will stay behind us. Don't trust anyone - just yourself.