Adrift at Ship’s End
Mist curled in from beside the corrugated steel edges of the catwalk. James could taste blood in his mouth. The readouts from the status panel above him were wrong, indecipherable even. It was a moment before he realized that they were upside down, or that he was.
The world slid sideways as he struggled upwards. Shattered glass tinked around him as his boots disturbed the remnants of his diagnostic screen. Small shards echoing down into the dark as they fell away from the scaffold’s edges. Getting to his feet was not a simple task. Hot roiling nausea swept down his body as he gripped the railing.
Neon green light shot through the swirling mists as the shuddering ship threatened to pitch him once more to the floor. He remembered that he was supposed to be administering the communications check. It was impossible without the glass. He stumbled away from the futile task. The ship shuddered and rocked again and thick waxy fear coated his mouth.
Plasma...Plasma plumes gave off that kind of light, but I shouldn’t be able to see them. He thought, The color should never have reached me in this section of the ship, the communications array was insulated entirely insulated.
Pain flared as he rubbed his scalp in a nervous habit. His hand came away warm and wet. He knew he wouldn’t be able to see anything, no condensation vapors, and certainly not that light. Unless something has gone horribly wrong. He stepped heavily forward until violent shudder brought him painfully to his knees. He crawled out of the corridor and into the bright foggy bend of the hallway.
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Twisted metal and floating debris formed an iris out into space where the main deck lift should have been. Fusion trails of hot sulfurous orange criss crossed the night before bright green blossoms washed out the starry universe. Cries and groans twisted through space as the once proud leviathan screamed a keening cry amidst the vicious and unrelenting assault. James knew the profile, even without a digital readout. Swarms of Eradi light fighters and bombers made passes.
Molten bits of tungsten plating burst outward as another strip of shielding was peeled away from the dying ship. She began to list in a hopeless attempt to put that damaged section on the far side. Or maybe it was just a result of the forceful explosion. James sunk to his knees and screamed as he watched on in horror. The emergency field shimmered as bits of the com tower passed beyond it. Flipping and spinning endlessly, uselessly. Like the pride of the fleet before him.
A glowing white bar of light lanced down from above ruthlessly tunneling into the open wound. He squinted his eyes against the searing brightness, but refusing to look away, rather risking blindness through watering eyes. It flashed off but was replaced by another, and another as they bore deeper ceaselessly.
With clipped wings and broken weapons the once impressive bulk of the Helena only served to prolong her suffering. James watched on as the last remaining Leviathan class warship in Humanity’s fleet shuddered a final gasp before it buckled once more, and then broke apart. Burning salt streaked down the young engineer’s face as watched on from the sheared com tower. The dead hulk’s twisting and burning pieces became a burning effigy. The grave was testament to the displeasure brought down upon his race. He stared out at the tomb of his fellows knowing that hope was lost.
The struggle was over. Humanity would cease to exist. Reaching for his sidearm he chose to join his crew. His legacy would not be decided by the cruel whims of fate. At the very least he would leave this life on his own terms. But his clawing fingers were met only with empty air. The weapon had been lost amongst the chaos.
The formerly frantic activity around the now dead vessel slowly ceased. Orderly wings and formations gathered coalescing into a colossal strike force. Pockets of distant laser fire and muted explosions sporadically lit up the hellscape as the remnants of survivors were hunted down. They could take their time now, none of those ships were capable of making a jump unassisted.
Once collected, the emerald fleet made way. A single engineer languished alone amongst the wreckage. Encased within the failing shield’s power he slowly tumbled. Adrift, at ship’s end.