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ULC51: Now Listen Here...
brian334
Member Posts: 2,214 Arc User
Every man has a conscience, a muse, a voice of reason. It helped to know that his was also madly, compulsively, obsessively in love with him. He could rest comfortably, knowing that she lived her life for the sole purpose of his personal well-being.
A man could take only so much of that.
It was no wonder that he fled her side for the wide open galaxy. That he sought refuge among the sordid outcastes of thousands of societies. That he sought comfort in the arms of women and aliens of assorted genders to whom the concept of an emotional connection was repulsive. Why, he didn't even remember the name of that hot-blooded blue girl, (was it a girl?). He did recall emptying the contents of her employer's safe using her identification code. Poor girl would probably get twenty years for a sum so small it was virtually spent already.
"Klingon vessel on a pursuit course," the computer said.
"Klingon?" he asked. "But we're light years from Klingon space!"
"Klingon vessel on pursuit course. Five minutes to targeting range."
"Computer, find a place to hide!"
"The nearest planetary system is seven minutes away at maximum warp," the computer said.
"Set that course and go to maximum warp!"
"Course laid in, accelerating to Warp Seven now."
He could hear the laboring of his hotshot freighter's engine as it struggled to achieve its design maximum speed.
"Where is the Klingon vessel now?" he asked.
On course to intercept, four minutes forty-two seconds."
"Can we evade that ship at sublight speeds?"
"Calculating," the computer said. An eternity of seconds later it said, "The Klingon D7 Battlecruiser is faster and more agile than the Altarian Freighter both at warp and at impulse speeds. Evasion attempts will only shorten the time to intercept."
"Then get me more speed! Go to Warp Eight!"
"Safety overrides prevent attempting to achieve..."
"Override the safeties, I want Warp Eight now!"
"That procedure is not recommended..."
"I don't care! Override safeties and increase speed."
"Increasing speed to Warp Eight," the computer said.
Almost immediately there was a loud pop and the ship dropped out of warp, trailing a stream of warp plasma.
"Emergency shutdown of warp system in progress. Warp plasma conduit rupture at nacell inlet junction WP01-228-0. Antimatter injector shut down, dilithium matrix secured, plasma venting in progress. Warp Plasma pressure below 940 hPa and falling."
"Where is that Klingon?"
The freighter shook and the computer said, "Klingon vessel 100 meters distant bearing 000 mark 015. It has engaged a tractor beam. Shutting down impulse drive now."
"Computer, open a channel to that vessel."
"There is a subspace jamming signal, likely point of origin is that unidentified Klingon D7 Battlecruiser."
He leapt from the pilot console and began to rummage through the many secret compartments of his vessel, arming and equipping himself for the encounter with the Klingons. They were most likely bounty hunters, and if he could get past the 'Wanted dead,' part of the bounty he might convince them to accept payment from him instead. Not that he had the means to fulfill any such promise, but buying time often cost nothing at all.
When his ship finally touched down inside the landing bay of the Battlecruiser he activated the freighter's boarding ramp and exited. There were far too many Klingons pointing weapons at him, and the only one who was unarmed was familiar.
"Captain Krag! It's so good to see you again! How goes your quest to find a suitable mate to sire your legacy? You know, of late, I've been thinking about having children of my own. Their happy little faces, adoring eyes, the sound of little feet dashing about."
The cloaked and hooded figure beside the Klingon removed her hood.
"That's good to hear, Harry. You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that."
"Stella?" Shock and revulsion warred with his emotional control. "Stella, my love! My lighthouse in the dark! I've been trying to get back to you for months now!"
His muse had returned to him. No doubt she would inspire him to come up with great plans and to do even greater deeds of daring to escape her embrace again.
A man could take only so much of that.
It was no wonder that he fled her side for the wide open galaxy. That he sought refuge among the sordid outcastes of thousands of societies. That he sought comfort in the arms of women and aliens of assorted genders to whom the concept of an emotional connection was repulsive. Why, he didn't even remember the name of that hot-blooded blue girl, (was it a girl?). He did recall emptying the contents of her employer's safe using her identification code. Poor girl would probably get twenty years for a sum so small it was virtually spent already.
"Klingon vessel on a pursuit course," the computer said.
"Klingon?" he asked. "But we're light years from Klingon space!"
"Klingon vessel on pursuit course. Five minutes to targeting range."
"Computer, find a place to hide!"
"The nearest planetary system is seven minutes away at maximum warp," the computer said.
"Set that course and go to maximum warp!"
"Course laid in, accelerating to Warp Seven now."
He could hear the laboring of his hotshot freighter's engine as it struggled to achieve its design maximum speed.
"Where is the Klingon vessel now?" he asked.
On course to intercept, four minutes forty-two seconds."
"Can we evade that ship at sublight speeds?"
"Calculating," the computer said. An eternity of seconds later it said, "The Klingon D7 Battlecruiser is faster and more agile than the Altarian Freighter both at warp and at impulse speeds. Evasion attempts will only shorten the time to intercept."
"Then get me more speed! Go to Warp Eight!"
"Safety overrides prevent attempting to achieve..."
"Override the safeties, I want Warp Eight now!"
"That procedure is not recommended..."
"I don't care! Override safeties and increase speed."
"Increasing speed to Warp Eight," the computer said.
Almost immediately there was a loud pop and the ship dropped out of warp, trailing a stream of warp plasma.
"Emergency shutdown of warp system in progress. Warp plasma conduit rupture at nacell inlet junction WP01-228-0. Antimatter injector shut down, dilithium matrix secured, plasma venting in progress. Warp Plasma pressure below 940 hPa and falling."
"Where is that Klingon?"
The freighter shook and the computer said, "Klingon vessel 100 meters distant bearing 000 mark 015. It has engaged a tractor beam. Shutting down impulse drive now."
"Computer, open a channel to that vessel."
"There is a subspace jamming signal, likely point of origin is that unidentified Klingon D7 Battlecruiser."
He leapt from the pilot console and began to rummage through the many secret compartments of his vessel, arming and equipping himself for the encounter with the Klingons. They were most likely bounty hunters, and if he could get past the 'Wanted dead,' part of the bounty he might convince them to accept payment from him instead. Not that he had the means to fulfill any such promise, but buying time often cost nothing at all.
When his ship finally touched down inside the landing bay of the Battlecruiser he activated the freighter's boarding ramp and exited. There were far too many Klingons pointing weapons at him, and the only one who was unarmed was familiar.
"Captain Krag! It's so good to see you again! How goes your quest to find a suitable mate to sire your legacy? You know, of late, I've been thinking about having children of my own. Their happy little faces, adoring eyes, the sound of little feet dashing about."
The cloaked and hooded figure beside the Klingon removed her hood.
"That's good to hear, Harry. You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that."
"Stella?" Shock and revulsion warred with his emotional control. "Stella, my love! My lighthouse in the dark! I've been trying to get back to you for months now!"
His muse had returned to him. No doubt she would inspire him to come up with great plans and to do even greater deeds of daring to escape her embrace again.
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