Young Writers Society

Chapter 1- Manoj

Space is big.

It sounds rather obvious doesn’t it but when you stare at it off planet from Pandora station you can see the dark void in all its beauty.

The abyss calls out as you look upon it and you realise how little is out there, you realise the chance of life existing is so slim and so small I appreciate my existence all the more.

The only real lights you can see are stars that have long since burned out and disappeared.

I looked away from the viewing screen to my name tag; Manoj Sharkar, a Lieutenant of the G.E.S Emperor’s Hand.

It felt unfamiliar.

I looked outside again towards the Hand.

My 2nd tour of Duty was to be aboard the gigantic metal ship that was docked outside the viewing bay.

I could see the passengers being forced on board ship via the glass airlock tube. Well Prisoners.

The G.E.S Emperor’s Hand was a prison ship and we were to take some of the most dangerous criminals to a penal colony about four systems away.

We abolished the death penalty during the Czirnick War.

Dark times for the people of the Empire.

‘Hello Lieutenant!’

Behind me was a familiar voice from my academy days, the unfamiliar title felt stranger from his mouth.

‘Didn’t think you’d see me again Shakar?’

Glooper was a Vrellexian, I know it’s a stupid name but when we found a living metal life form we rushed in with a name that we thought sounded good.

The saying was that the Vrellexians were twice as dense as humans.

Some sociologists argued that since Vrellexians had the natural ability to morph their limbs and their bodies into various shapes and tools needed to survive on their planet they didn’t quite develop like humans who kept designing new and better tools to use and survive but what do sociologists know? They ended up studying sociology.

I hugged my old friend who seemed to have put on a few pounds.

‘You seem a bit overweight Clangs, am I going to have to make you run laps?’

As a Lieutenant I had the ability to order him to do so but I didn’t think I would exercise it.

‘Well I’m pregnant.’

‘Pregnant?’

It wasn’t unheard of I presume for an Ensign to be pregnant, but this was the first time I had ever seen my gelatinous metallic friend and considered Claangs as a female of his, or rather I mean her, species.

I’m not a xenobiologist but in all the years I had known Claangs I had never even considered what gender she was.

‘Are you 1st Ensign?’

‘No, sir, that honour belongs to Ensign Pielar.’

She smiled coyly.

‘You’re gonna like him Looey.’

I could tell from her face he was probably a jackass.

He, I mean she, goddamn I’ll have to learn to remember that, had only graduated the same day as me so Pielar would probably have served longer than me anyway. 1st Ensigns were the ones with most seniority and space time.

I was going to have an Ensign who was mean and snotty and I will have served less time than him and have a higher rank.

Oh God this voyage was looking to be a pile of fwad before it had even started.

‘Well prepare for our superior’s arrival Ensign and don’t put too much strain on yourself.’

‘Yes sir!’

She saluted again and I stared at her enlarged belly.

‘Don’t worry, it won’t slow me down and the voyage is only a week.’

I’ll make sure to ask the Lieutenant Commander to keep my friend away from guard duty for the prisoners.

I can’t have anything happen to a pregnant woman.

The Rebellion was already developing enough propaganda against the GISF. Enlistment had gone down to the Galactic Imperial Space Fleet in the past few years due to some planets not feeling we were giving them as much support as they could provide themselves.

Morons who didn’t realise all the ships we’d lost in the wars against the Czirnicks and the Deevorii or the resources we had given to the most outer colonies of Space.

‘Lieutenant Sharkra?’

I saw a Lieutenant Commander’s badge on the older man who was walking up to me, perhaps in his early thirties, his face had few wrinkles, but his hair was greyed with experience and wisdom that I hoped to never see. Even looking into his eyes, you could realise he had seen horrors facing off against what I presumed to be pirates and rebels.

‘Yes sir.’

Both me and Claangs stood to attention and saluted our superior officer.

‘Are you both Lieutenant Shakra?’

I blushed at the thought; I had only just realised my friend was a female and furthermore not to sound racist but I much preferred human girls over other species.

‘No sir. Just me; sorry about Ensign Glooper sir.’

It was never the place for anyone but the 1st Ensign to talk to a Lieutenant Commander unless of course they were directly spoken too.

‘Well I need to give you a layout of the ship and our crew and passenger manifestos.’

We didn’t have any passengers per sae as there were just prisoners aboard ship but we referred to them as passengers nonetheless. I never understood why, I don’t think my superior officer liked it much either judging by the way he said passengers.

The snarl on his face as he had said it was filled with anger and bitterness.

‘I am Lieutenant Commander Jeoff Codfold but you may call me sir.’

He looked at me sternly and then smiled.

‘Or Jeoff if we are not in front of other superior officers to yourself.’

His voice was quite pleasant to listen to; he seemed like he would be a reasonable superior officer.

He stared inquisitively at Claang’s enlarged waist.

‘Ensign Gloopers I will put you on Conn duty for the journey away from any serious danger. How many days do you have left?’

‘One more month sir.’

‘Congratulations.’ Jeoff said with sincerity.

He obviously understood more about Vrellixian physiology than I.

The Commander took me to the bridge leaving Claang to wait for the other assigned Ensigns, there was to be two more under my command.

Under my Command.

What a phrase!

Perhaps I would soon say that a ship and her crew will be under my command.

I kept thinking about it as we walked through the bright corridors towards the bridge.

I also looked around at each of the door seals in the corridors, there were a lot of them but I needed to know where they were because one attack from an enemy vessel then we’d need to protect ourselves from the vaccum of Space.

The bridge was extravagant, larger than you’d expect. Filled with consoles and the other Lieutenants manning them.

I really shouldn’t have shown up late, it felt like all eyes were on me for it.

I could see the Conn that I would hopefully get some time on, it was the only thing I knew I was not trained well enough to do without supervision.

Flying a beautiful ship like the G.E.S Emperor’s Hand would be an awesome terrifying challenge I could barely wait for.

‘According to your files you were 2nd best in your class at Astronavigation.’

Jeoff commented.

‘Yes sir.’

‘I can see you looking at the Conn but not today Liutenant, I think you need some more practice hours looking at your record. So you are on Astronavigation this mission. Since this won’t be a long journey you won’t need to be on your post much and will be positioned in making sure the passengers are looked after well.’

He spat out the word passengers again.

‘Looked after well?’

I didn’t understand what he meant by that.

‘I need you to make sure that they have no chance to escape. There are some dangerous criminals on board. Most dangerous is this rebel.’

He brought up a file to my computer screen.

A rebel leader who defected from the GE.

Lieutenant Commander 35513. Species: Human (Esperian).

Oh.

My Fiance was an Esperian, an offshoot of humanity in that they were all clones of a genetically engineered woman who was supposed to be the toughest and strongest warrior ever.

As I stared at 35513’s picture all I could see was the face of the woman whom I loved.

‘Will the fact she’s an Esperian factor in Manoj?’ the Lieutenant Commander really had read all our files thoroughly.

‘No sir, she isn’t Cassie, she is a completely different person.’

Technically I was right she was completely different but this was still the face of the woman I loved, I will stay away from her cell block most likely.

‘Any other prisoners I should know about?’

I was inquiring of Commander Codfold not to know but more to stay away from this prisoner.

‘Well we have some space pirates, a few murderers, a Deevorii and we have this cell here.’

I stared at where my Lieutenant Commander pointed. It was strange, energy seemed to be going to some sort of force field device inside the cell and the Oxygen levels were too low for most living species to survive.

‘Who is there?’

I had to ask; Jeoff seemed like he wouldn’t mind me breaking protocol just this once.

‘I don’t know, only the Captain does. Apparently if there is anything outside these readings, even the slightest fluctuation in energy of Oxygen then we are supposed to immediately report it to the Captain and Doc because Doc has the genetic profiles on everyone on board obviously.’

It was going to be a strange voyage that was for sure.

Chapter 2- Bob

‘It’s kinda dark in here.’

I was just saying it as it was, the only light in the room is the overhead light surrounding me and my handcuff’s buttons are flickering.

I can hear a deep booming voice and behind it whispering murmurs.

‘Robert Hermanson, you are charged with the crime of being a Czirnik, how do you plead?’

How can I answer? They’ve done a DNA test, it’s not untrue that I am a brain eating parasite, the last one I know of.

I’ve been using this body too long, I knew I should’ve dumped this one but his brain was so tasty, like seriously he kinda had the fudge brownie ice cream flavour of human brains.

Dang I could go for some ice cream right now; not necessarily fudge brownie, but not not fudge brownie, if I could get some.

‘Guilty.’

I bet they can all see my smile. I can hear a smidge of fear in their voices, these must be some of the powerful beings in the galaxy and they are afraid of me.

I am so tempted to just say boo and see what happens.

‘You are the most dangerous being in the galaxy.’

‘So you’re gonna kill me blah blah blah blah, you think you’re the first to try and kill me, let’s get it over with.’

Am I laughing at my death?

Damn; age is getting to me, I think I’m having a mid-life crisis. I’m only like a million years old, I’m too young to have a mid-life crisis.

‘Don’t presume as such Mr Robert.’

‘I prefer Bob.’

In about 5 sound based languages I’ve encountered Bob and it means things like death and destroyer of worlds, in one language it actually means their equivalent to what I guess humans would see it as the being behind all bad that ever happens. How was I supposed to know on Earth it’s just a common place name that means going up and down really fast?

‘Well, Bob we want to find out a cure for your condition if we are ever attacked by your species again.’

‘A CURE FOR MY CONDITION! You mean you want to learn how better to kill me.’

Why am I still laughing?

‘I’m going to be honest you should have killed me, when I get the opportunity I will kill all of you, or if I don’t make it to you your descendants.’

They are all scared, I can hear the breathing.

‘If you think I can’t act on my plan then you don’t realise how long I will live, I will see your planets as they turn to dust, I will see your planet’s descendant’s descendant’s descendant’s try and escape their inevitable doom. I’ve done it before and I will do it again. You think this is the first Empire I’ve seen start? This will not be the first I see fall.’

Evil smile cue.

I really hope I gave one of them a heart attack, that would be hilarious.

‘Exactly why we want to experiment on you Mr Roberts.’

Whoever was behind the deep booming voice was really peeving me off.

‘We want to study you, see if using you can improve us as a species.’

This hadn’t been the first time this had been attempted on my species, not even the first time it had been attempted on me. Some species wished to gain immortality.

It’s like every being stared into the abyss of space and realised, that abyss is death; taunting them and scaring them because it will catch them and take them away forever.

Suddenly a zapping pain was coursing through the host and it caught up to me.

The electric shock was painful enough to shut me down, even with the adrenaline I pumped into this body.

Us Czirnicks only really devour the brain matter but we use the rest of the body, I’m not sure the science, some of us studied it but basically we improve the species, somehow I know what will make one species stronger and faster and tougher and then we activate that ability.

The room I was in was empty and reasonably large for a cell. I looked around and I saw nothing else in this empty metal space.

Stepping forward I bounced into a small cylindrical force field surrounding me. If this body had the ability to feel pain it probably would’ve hurt its nose.

I wonder where I am.

If I jump, oh yes, the gravity is artificial, just a smidge of a fraction weaker than Pandora station; my best guess I was on the starship taking me away to wherever.

Judging by the gravity I’d say the host was about a gram lighter than on station, barely even something you could feel but enough that I knew I was on a starship, a big one at least. Maybe a large crew, or a big feast.

Either I was on a starship or they removed fat from somewhere; God I hope it’s the thighs, these thighs could use a few grams less.

Due to our species unique ability we only took over dead organisms, living ones were hard to eat, like a meal running out of your hands as you tried to take a bite.

It’d be too hard to explain to humans but I guess that’s the best metaphor they could understand.

I pressed my hands against the force field and realised that there was no gaseous resistance on the outside of the field.

Outside was a perfect vacuum. You can’t easily move inside a vacuum and I’ll still need oxygen which I just realised means that I must be getting oxygen from somewhere.

Brilliant.

A prison cell perfectly designed that even if I escaped the force field I would be stuck in the vacuum of space whilst still stuck on board the starship.

I looked up to the ceiling.

The unit above my head must be an air vent allowing the host body to still stand, barely enough oxygen but I was slowing the oxygen functions anyway, why pump too much oxygen to a brain that wasn’t being used.

What little O2 I gave this brain was to keep certain functions active like the limbs and motor control. I could leave this body and try an go up the air vents but there is no telling how long I would survive if at all.

I figured I’d just sit on the floor and slow the hosts functions.

Rest now Bob.

I will survive.

I will survive.

Oh as long as I know how to love, I’ll stay alive!

God that is such a great song.

I miss the eighties.

Didn’t have big metal ships like this back then.

Chapter 3- Codfold

Seeing this magnificent Imperial ship was taking my breath away, hopefully not literally of course; Karen would never forgive me for dying and leaving her with Lila and JJ.

The flagship of the Empire though, they say the drive is more powerful than any other, to have been handpicked to be in this beautiful girl was more than I had ever hoped for even if it's first mission was prisoner transport.

'Sir if I may ask why are we transporting prisoners for the first flight?'

It was a good question from my Lieutenant; Shakra I think, I'm going to have to learn all these fellow's names considering we should be serving with each other for some time.

'I think firstly all first flights are normally short jumps, so we dont get too far lost within our borders, secondly Lieutenant, as strange as it is to make the first flight something like prisoner transport it is efficient, the Hand needs a first flight and these passengers need transport, even if we fail the test the only people hurt will be prisoners anyway.'

It was a callous little joke, there were almost never fails in the drive tests, two ships had disappeared in our whole history, the Callemento, which we discovered had been captured by the Czirnicks using a wormhole manipulator during the war, and the Fredricks, which although never found was assumed to be pilot error, why we have the 100% needed in the theory tests; can’t be losing whole ships of people now can we.

The Czirnicks were all dead, all bar our private VIP at least that I wasn’t allowed to tell even the Lieutenants about, and we had found a way around their technology, my Engineering teacher Mr Hoggle reassured us in my class when we learnt of the Callemento.

'You know the Pilot don't you Lieutenant, Im sure you trust her with your life.'

'Yes sir I do.'

'Well I'll trust the hero of Dawnbreaker and his friends.'

All of us were distinguished, we had to be to be on the flagship but this one Lieutenant was as honoured with medals as I was and was less than half my age, at the rate he was promoted the joke was he'd be Captain in 2 more postings.

But war wasn’t all glory and promotion, I could see in his eyes he'd seen loss and pain just like any other soldier.

I preferred the Naval forces over the Armed because I had to think of Karen and the children; I was less likely to die if I was surrounded by thick near blast proof metal then at a base.

I always went for a ship posting, a starbase like Dawnbreaker was stuck in one place build around a small planetoid with resources valuable to the Empire, few navy, and the armed treated us with contempt.

We didn’t actually think we were better but all trade in the Empire was done with the Navy. They wouldn’t even have food or shelters without us.

The Empire protected every wormhole capable ship that moved our people’s resources around our part of the galaxy right up until the Dark Zone.

The rebels called it control but we protected it, or at least tried to since rebels and pirates had been building their own docking yards or buying from Deevorii or Q'lchi or whichever non-Imperial state would sell to them.

Non Imperial ships weren’t helping build independent trade, they were just getting primed for attack by one force or another.

If a planet joined the Empire they could expect an increase in trade, easier access to resources they normally wouldn't be able to easily collect on their planet and the ability to join the most powerful naval force in the galaxy.

Why not every planet joined was beyond me?

'Lieutenant, I'm going to say hello to the Captain.'

'Yes sir.'

A perfect academy salute, I guess Mr Shakra was near fresh out of the Academy considering he'd been out for only a year.

The Peace protestors on Earth were against training of more troops, they said it brought us back to the days of anarchy when Earth was fighting against each other; truth was we were undermanned, they were protesting because they were in the heart of the Empire, not on the outskirts, they’d never see an attack, hadn't since the Czirnick Wars, God we can barely hold against the Deevorii and their Estrani or the Rebellion, if the Czirnicks came back by damn we may not survive this time.

'Captain Raddison!'

The wispy white-haired man looked me over with a straight face that quickly turned to a smile.

'Codfold, I was surprised to see your name, I asked myself is it the same man who I fought with on the Everforge.'

'Well it was one fist fight sir.'

'None of that sir fwad around me young man, we have tasted battle together.'

Raddison laughed.

Perhaps it was improper protocol, but we had been in a brawl fight together, that's how I met Karen, putting her abusive boyfriend in hospital was certainly a conversation starter.

‘Well I’d love to catch up but we’d best be off to duty sir!’

‘We’ll grab a whiskey some time, long way to the system.’

The Captain was being too informal now. We were friends, but I would never drink on the job.

‘Mr Shakra I’d like you to meet Captain Raddison.’

The young man had just been staring at the both us, friends catching up after years apart.

‘Ah yes, my wife spoke highly of you.’

‘Your wife?’

Radison asked.

‘Yes Cassandra, she was an Esperian.’

‘I don’think I ever met her sorry.’

‘Oh she said she had met a Captain Raddison, it must’ve been another sir.’

A strange interaction indeed.

The young man saluted and we walked towards the prisoners, time to get to know these passengers we were taking to their new home.