I've recently started reading alt.fan.elite on and off. I've consequently read some of the fan fiction, and I thought I'd have a little crack at some myself - with a bit of a slant ;-) This little piece follows after the start Chapter 12 of Simon Challands' Aftermath Elite fan fiction story - see how long it takes you to figure out what's going on :-)

Aftermath 13 and a third ;-)

There were a few minor incidents, scuffles brought on by anxiety and worry. As time went by they became more frequent but less severe. People were feeling the effects of the rationing, and lacked the energy to continue a fight for long. The rest tried to take their mind off things by playing games in a cramped wardroom behind the bridge.
Then the ship dropped back into normal space. Unlike the entry to the tunnel this was a much more gentle affair. The bridge team even failed to notice anything for a few minutes, then Arrachachak, who was squeezed tightly into the front seat, glanced up and shouted "We're out!"
Another bridge member, the insectoid Tikapora, left the bridge to rouse Aeyris and Kirrik, who were both asleep at the time.
When they arrived they looked around in some hope at their surroundings. Arrachachak had turned the ship around. Blotting out the stars behind it was a structure wholly dissimilar to the ringed construction that had thrown them into witchspace. This was composed of four struts, between which a cone of swirling blue light was gradually dissipating.
Kirrik, taking up the command seat, considered the instruments as they gradually cleared themselves. A massive signal appeared on the scanner, directly behind them, with other minor signals clustered around it. "It looks like we've got company here. Let's take a look."

The battered ship rotated about its x axis, flipping end on end, spinning about the z axis to re-orient with the crew's perception of up. As the star field steadied everyone on the bridge gasped.
Aeyris recovered first. "What sort of station is that? It's totally misaligned. Some sort of Navy installation? Thargoid even?"
Kirrik shook his head. "Doesn't look either to me. Not that it's a design I recognise any more than you do. It's spinning like your average Coriolis though. Comms back up yet?"
Arrachachak shook his head. Then the instruments went wild again. Aeyris swore under his breath. "Now what?"
Kirrik frowned, and called up the rear view. Cursing under his breath he stabbed the main engines into life. Or tried to. "Engines are off line again. Give me what you can on the thrusters. Throw whatever's left into the shields and hang on..."
The blue cone was back, but now growing in intensity, not diminishing. At its apex there was a flash of light and something appeared. And grew in size. Rapidly. The disrupted Constrictor, floundering on the edge of the vortex, was unable to avoid the collision.
Aeyris hung onto the nav console for all he was worth as the star field spun sickeningly. "What the hell hit us?"
"It looked similar to a Transporter - but I don't think it actually was. Whatever it was, it had no shields - it's got major hull damage, but we're OK. In fact, it's kicked us out away from what I'm guessing is some sort of witchspace portal. I'm just glad it wasn't something the size of a Boa..." replied Kirrik, as he stabilised the ship with the now responsive engines. He consulted the scanner again. "I think we've breached the local regulations."

Aeyris groaned. "Vipers?"
"No. Much smaller, and not coming from what looks to be the main egress point for the station. More the size of Sidewinders I think. Scanner's still not quite with us. We could really use some Comms. Marchero, any idea where we are yet?"
"Not a clue. NavComp's doing about as well as our Comms at this point..."
"Alright. I'm going to take us in for a closer look at this station. If we've annoyed the locals I think we may as well fight closer in to the planet anyway."
The Constrictor copy headed in towards the stations. The bridge crew noticed a lot of smaller ships, all wholly unfamiliar. Some of the craft which had scrambled headed to the stricken Transporter - the rest closed with the Constrictor. And opened fire.
Kirrik raised an eyebrow. "Those aren't lasers they're firing. Plasma charges?"
Aeyris shrugged. "Whatever they are, they're not bothering the shields worth a damn. If they're the best this place has I'm surprised it's still here."
"So am I. I'm not reading any shields on the station. The sensors might still be down though. Either that, or they're just not readable anyway."
Aeyris shook his head and paced the bridge. The small ships continued to dance around the Constrictor, the impacts of their weapons causing ripples on its shield but no real drain on its energy reserves. It continued in towards the station. The local traffic began to scatter.
Marchero was watching the station as it grew on the screen. She grabbed Kirrik's shoulder. "What is THAT?"

Kirrik followed her finger. There was something behind the station. Something big. A fin. And its tip was rising above the station. "Whatever it is, either the station is masking the signal or it's using a masking device like the one our Viper was fitted with. I get the impression it's big, whatever it is. I..."
The shields sreeched. Aeyris smiled grimly. "Well well. This place has got teeth after all." He tapped the sensor controls, focusing the view onto an area of the station as another concealed gun rose into view. "Can't say I've ever heard of a station packing point defences before though. They don't need them. Which probably means this thing doesn't have shields."
Kirrik abandoned his leisurely approach vector and starting to jig the Constrictor as more defensive fire struck the shields. This time the shields did pay attention. Marchero was preoccupied however. "By the Maker. Get us out of here. NOW!"
"Why? What... Oh." Kirrik could now see the extent of the fin Marchero had noticed. It was still growing in size. Even if the ship it belonged to had been tucked in close behind the station, the thing was monstrously big compared to the Constrictor. Even the Navy carriers in use against the Thargoids weren't that size. He brought the ship around hard, dumping speed. "We need a permanent way out of here, wherever the hell here is."
Aeyris thought for a moment, as the shields gradually decreased under the continuing bombardment from the station. Finally he spoke. "Head for the portal. If it dropped us in here it can get us out again. If not, I suggest we hyperspace out."
Marchero cut in. "Can I remind you that we don't know where we are? What do you expect me to do, just tell the hyperspace computer to engage and hope it understands?"
Aeyris waved his hands in a dismissive gesture. He busied himself checking on the condition of the crew still in the rear compartment. Kirrik consulted the scanner and put the ship on course for the portal. As he did so a new stalk flickered into life on the scanner. When it settled, the colour indicated a ship about the same size as the Constrictor, closing fast. "Everyone hol..."

He didn't get the sentence out. The ship bucked wildly, shields screaming, gravity fluctuating. The new contact over shot. Aeyris caught a glimpse of it as it passed in front of them. Not geometric like the ships he was familiar with; somehow... organic. "How long before we get to that portal?" he shouted over the klaxons sounding on the bridge.
"A minute or so, but whatever that thing is it seems fairly intent on stopping us - and it's got the firepower to do it. The aft shields are critical - they were already hurting from the station's hits. As good as this ship may be, it's not invincible. Plus we have no idea how to activate that portal when we get there."
Further discussion was cut short by a further strike, which ripped away the remnants of the aft shields and drained a full bank of the energy reserve. A snarl came from the gunnery position. Silsi had clearly decided that the time for running was over. Kirrik obligingly twisted the ship to give her a shot. She took it.
"Definitely no shields, but I'm damned if I know what that thing's hull's made of" commented Aeyris, as the aggressor broke away, its hull glowing from the strike but intact. The mood on the bridge lifted - for all of ten seconds before something else rocked the ship, taking energy levels critically low.
Kirrik flicked to the rear view and shot a look at Marchero. "It seems your friend has finally come out to play. We're out of options." The fin now had a body, and it was pulling away from the station at speed, spitting what had to be at least the equivalent of military lasers. Even at extreme range they were potent.
The next shot tore the last remnants of the Constrictor's already tattered shields away. It tumbled end over end into the space between the portal's struts. As emergency lighting flickered on, Aeyris roared above the uproar "Are the hyperspace engines still functional?"
Marchero, now with a gash on her forehead from a collision with her console, tried to focus on the readouts. "Yes, but..."
Aeyris leapt across the bridge and punched the activation sequence for the hyperdrive. Kirrik was too late to stop him. "NO - we'll misju...."
The Constrictor was gone. Moments before the hyperdrive engaged the Comms system had crackled into life. "...ance station ba..."

With thanks to Simon Challands.
Copyright Andy Thomas 2000.

Last updated 31 January 2002