Amalthean Quests One

by Jeri Dion

  Tom was inspecting a newly arrived container down in the Flight Hanger Bay that housed a new fighter (a self assembly Kit) he figured in his off duty times he could put it together, as a means of a way to relax and it was something he could do when he and Tayce couldn’t share off duty time together. Now he’d heard about the sudden arrival of Lydia, he had a feeling that he would be spending a lot of off duty time alone in the bay. But in one way he was glad she was returning for Tayces sake, he wondered also if her early return had to do with the fact that Vargon was back in the Universe again and someone aboard had informed her Tayce didn’t take the news to well. But who could blame her, considering what she went through at the hands of the evil woman the night Traun was destroyed. He for one loved Tayce and understood her hurt after losing Alenea he’d like to get his hands on the creeps who attacked their craft, made him lose her. He continued in thought on the matter. It seemed strange to think monthons had passed since he’d lost his wife.

  Lance was in Organisation at the cruisers operational main controls, something he hadn’t had the chance to do since joining the team, even though he was an expert pilot. Midge was scanning the immediate path they were currently travelling. Something ahead didn’t seem right as right in the centre of his vision field was a space station drifting with no power. The on board emergency alarm sounded suddenly, this was an emergency. The alarm sounded throughout the whole cruiser, in every corridor, section and deck. Lance nearly fell off his seat, had he done something, he thought until he realised that the alarm was warning him of the unexpected sight ahead.

  “Relax Lance! We have trouble ahead, I’ve picked up a space station that appears to be powerless, no lights, nothing”.announced Midge informatively.

  “Midge run magnification scan, make sure this is not Vargons first elaborate trap, we have to be on our guard, considering she’s back out here,” ordered Lance.

  “Running magnification scan, now,” replied Midge.

  Lance watched as the magnification view showed the whole station, as it glided over the whole structure. It came to rest on the name and a name that Lance was not expecting to see, but knew well.

  “Oh my God Greymaren Station, this can’t be right, she shouldn’t be here,” said Lance almost speechless at the thought that a station such as Greymaren, was generally a living thriving community in it’s self, should be drifting void of all life.

  “According to my research this station has been in the missing files of your Father’s Lance, for some time, it has been missing for almost two yearons, it appears to be a long way from it’s original orbit, but how it got here is unexplainable,” informed Midge.

  “Midge get the others up here now, Tayce is never going to believe this,” commanded Lance.

  Whilst Midge summoned the rest of the team to Organisation Deck, Lance carried on studying the somewhat deserted Greymaren Station. The station was roughly two milons in diameter over all. It was still as good in appearance as the first dayon she’d been placed completed in the Universe, for the sole purpose of galactic exploration. It catered for several aspects of space exploration, some termed it as scaled down version of Questa Headquarters Base. Tayce soon arrived on deck, walking briskly in. Dean followed on behind. Tayce immediately looked through the main sight port at the sight of the Greymaren Station in a stationary orbit and walked to the control seat. Lance quickly got out, allowing her to take over. As she did, so be began explaining that the station had been missing for almost two yearons, lost from it’s original stationary orbit. Lance continued, that his Father had been great friends with Commodore Martin Travern, the head of the station as she too herself was familiar with the Traverns and Greymaren. Lance headed away to the research console suggesting to Dean on route, he watch and learn. He sat down and began to key in the request for more information, on their current subject of attention. A few minons passed, then it began coming in thick and fast.

  “All life void aboard, according to this, there’s no further information about what might have happened, or where the people of the station went,” said Lance informatively glancing back at the screen from time to time.

  “How many people should be on the station, when it’s fully operational, I can’t remember?” asked Tayce listening.

  “According to this, roughly 460, give or take a few,” read Lance.

  Without warning Dean suddenly spoke up recalling one fact about the Greymaren and the inhabitants, the Commodore had a daughter her name was ‘Kelly’. Lance nodded, he too remembered Kelly Travern. If she had managed to escape the demise of the station, she would be around twenty-four yearons old. Dean for a moment went into deep thought over the last encounter he’d had with Kelly, it hadn’t been a happy one.

  “Lance you say no lifeforms, try scanning for even the most smallest of life signs, anything that signifies a remote chance someone might be on their own over there, living rough, it might give us something to go on, as a base for a Quest to go over and investigate, that includes you trying anything Midge.”

  “You’ve got it scanning now,” replied Lance.

  Lance could see Tayce was hoping for a small miracle, but would it happen? Tom entered Organisation and glanced at the station through the sight port. He crossed and paused asking was their present sight the reason for being summoned? Tayce nodded and began to explain their current situation. Tom wondered what force had attacked the Greymaren Station, to put it in it’s current state, whoever they were, they had to be a real deadly group of beings judging by what had occurred. Suddenly Lydia arriving on board and getting a top priority welcome had been put at the back of everyone’s minds. Greymaren Station had now become a top priority instead.

  Lydia was unpacking her holdall in her quarters. Marc was with her, he figured that Tayce could more than take care of anything that was currently under way. Lydia and himself were discussing the unforeseen abrupt ending to Vargons trial. Marc explained how it had shocked Tayce to the core, knowing what had happened. Tom however had helped her realise, that she would not be alone should Vargon make another appearance. She had the whole team, that would be therefore her, should Vargon try anything untoward.

  “I had a feeling she’d take it badly, thanks for telling me Marc, that’s one of the reasons I returned early,” said Lydia softly.

  “We’ve a new recruit on board, temporary as he maybe, ‘Dean Addams’,” said Marc bringing Lydia up to date with what had been happening whilst she had been on Questa.

  “The Ambassadors son of Deltaline 4, yes I had heard,” said Lydia plainly.

  Marc was about to go into the reason for Deans arrival when he was cut short by Tayce announcing overhead that his presence was requested, right then in the Organisation Deck. Marc could tell by Tayces tone, she was not amused. He stood to his feet exclaiming he’d continue their conversation later. Lydia nodded. She smiled to herself right from the first dayon he’d arrived on Traun, Tayce had always managed to make him jump to her command and nothing had changed. Marc briskly walked from the living area out through the opening doors, heading up to Organisation in urgency.

  In Organisation it had been decided to contact Jonathan Largon at Questa. Tayce ordered Midge to contact Jonathan, she wanted to speak to him urgently. In the moments that followed Tayce sat studying the station wondering just what had gone on aboard. Jonathan suddenly appeared on screen. He wondered what was so urgent and it showed in his facial expression, by his questioning look.

  “Tayce what’s wrong, your Mother made it back all right, I was concerned that she wanted to head back out to you, so soon after the trial, that’s why I had security fly her back?” explained Jonathan hoping that nothing unforeseen had happened to Lydia on route.

  “Yes, she’s fine and safely with us, I contacted you General on a different urgent matter,” began Tayce.

  Jonathan gave her his full attention, with Adam listening in, in the
background. Tayce didn’t quite know what to tell him. Jonathan prompted her to start at the beginning, it was generally a good place to start!

  “It would be better if I show you the outside view of Amalthea right now,” suggested Tayce.

  Midge sent Jonathan a sight that he had not expected to see ever again. He was speechless, to say the least at the sight of the deserted in darkness Greymaren Exploration Station. He didn’t know what to say.

  “How come she’s in your current orbit, I’m aware that she went missing two yearons ago, we lost all trace of her it was simply assumed she had met an untimely end, that everyone on board had perished in some unforeseen accident, any sign of life?” he asked greatly interested.

  “At the moment both Lance and Midge are trying everything to determine if there’s a small chance that there might be some kind of life, but it’s unsure whether there will be,” replied Tayce.

  “I want you to treat this as your next Quest, I want you to go and investigate, go aboard, find out what’s happened to the 460 or so crew and the Travern family,” ordered Jonathan seriously.

  “Don’t worry, leave it with us, I’ll come back to you the moment we uncover anything that may help us track down the crew if we can,” replied Tayce.

  “Good luck and be careful over there,” said Jonathan then ceased communication.

  The screen went blank. Tayce ordered Midge immediately to compile a suitable Quest team for investigation. He agreed undertaking to find the right team members for the Quest ahead. Meantime Lance continued on trying to find some in depth information, to help on the Quest, but all he had been able to find out so far, there was an atmosphere, but very thin. It was due to the stations current orbital state. This would mean that suits would have to be warn on the Quest and portable air containers would have to be taken along. He informed everyone present as much. All listened, plus Marc who had just walked into Organisation.

  Greymaren Station. In total darkness. All that seemed to be on board was the patrolling Securidroids in operational mode, patrolling the corridor’s for the first sign of trouble not knowing that there wasn’t anyone on board. They had been in operation since the crew had gone missing, it was not quite clear where they were getting their power charge source from to keep in operational mode. It was possible they were still in their self sufficient programme, which enabled them to take care of their charging without the need for human operation. They were around 1.47 metres in height. But these Securidroids were still patrolling as if the crew were in night sleep mode. Something the team from Amalthea would have to try and avoid, as these Securidroids were programmed to kill any intruders on sight. To them the Quest team were going to be just this, intruders. It was not going to be easy. They were silver metallic grey in colour and had a tough shell that was hard wearing. They would prove not the easiest to bring down if need be. Amongst their many duties they would pick up corridor rubbish and patrol for intruders. Any intruders would be shot on sight and disintegrated. There was an extreme feeling of eeriness aboard. A cold feeling was felt in the thin atmosphere chilling even. Equipment and work surfaces around the many deserted sections, rooms and centres, looked like the crew had gone off duty, to return later. Empty Coffeen beakers sat on the work surfaces where people had been working. In the quarters of the once crew, bunks looked like they hadn’t been slept in. Uniforms for the next shift discarded by the various members, never to return to change into them again. The whole station looked like somewhat of a ghost port, in space. Whatever had happened, happened without warning and fast. To add to the eerie feeling of desertion the stations structure, creaked and groaned. Was the team entering a somewhat perilous situation, were they about to put their own lives in danger, just stepping on board?

  On Amalthea the Quest team had now been picked by Midge. They were suiting up in their specially made close fitting atmospheric suits. No sooner they were ready, they were heading along to the on board Travelsport Centre. Tayce, Tom, Lance, Dean and Treketa in case she was needed, all were in thought of the uncertainty of what lie ahead and what they would find on Greymaren. They took their Slazers, fully charged in case they needed them for protection, though Midge hadn’t detected anything other than a small sign of life. They soon entered into the Travelsport Centre, crossing they stood in the Travelsport square, marked on the floor. Tayce raised her Wristlink giving command to Marc up in Organisation to commence Travelsport. The de-materialisation oscillated around the Quest team, and they de-materialised off Amalthea.

  On arrival on board the Greymaren Station, the team were met by the dark and cold eerie atmosphere. Each Quest member took a moment to take in their surroundings. They activated their pencil shaped light hand held torches known as ‘Light Pencil Torches’. Treketa suddenly shuddered as if someone had walked right through her, like a ghost. In the light beams from the torches, the team began looking about. They guided the torches over signs on the walls. Tayce walked forward into what must have been the Main Operational Hall where personnel obviously were always kept busy. Now dark and eerily lifeless, like most of the station. The computers silent, screens blank. Several chrome and black Leatherex chairs were dotted here and there, either pushed out, as if someone had got up to leave, some had even been tipped on the side. Tayce broke the unnatural silence of the atmosphere.

  “Let’s see if we can get some light and life support up and running,” she suggested.

  “This is a far cry from what this place should look like, it’s generally full of life, people working, living their every dayon lives, like they should be,” said Lance recollecting what it had been like in the past.

  “Your more familiar with this place Lance, as from now on, your in charge of finding and restoring light and life support,” ordered Tayce.

  “You’ve got it,” replied Lance.

  “And while your at it, keep an eye out for that small sign of life we detected,” said Tayce.

  “Sure!” replied Lance.

  Tom turned to Tayce suggesting that as soon as life support was up and running, assuming they could get it up and running, they should find their way around the station, maybe split into small groups. Tayce quickly informed him that she was in charge of the Quest, any decisions that were made, would be made by herself. She would tell him what they were, when ready. She was not prepared to put anyone’s life in danger by walking off on their current surroundings, in the state that it was. There was no telling what was lurking in the dark, around the corridors. Tom fell silent, he could see her point. Lance announced that he had found the stations main operational panel. Dean was with him, shining his light pencil shaped torch, high enough for Lance to look over it. He searched for the activation switch. Tom felt he’d rubbed Tayce up the wrong way, so decided to wander off to the far wall, where there seemed to be a directional map of the entire station. He stood following the various routes with his torch, where they lead to. Tayce walked over to see what he was making sense of.

  “This place is giving me the creeps, I can see Treketa feels the same,” said Tayce discretely by his side.

  “Scared of ghosts are you!?” he teased giving her an amused look.

  “After all I’ve gone through in the last yearons since leaving Traun, never!” replied Tayce shuddering.

  Tom looked down at her, he had feeling she was just being brave at the fact that maybe the station was haunted. Lance found the activation sequence. He pushed it home and waited along with Dean for the worst to happen. Suddenly the wide computer keypad began coming to life, as did all the computer keypads in the Main Operational Hall. He found that the key symbols for each command, was the same as Questa’s computer language. He remembered the language from when he grew up and went on duty with his Father, he had in fact seen this particular console when he visited Greymaren with his Father in the old dayons. Dean shone the torch so Lance could key in the sequence for hopefully activating the life support. A
s Lance worked so the station began coming back to life, bit by bit.

  “At last! Now things don’t look so bad in the light,” said Treketa as lighting overhead came on showing the vast size of the Main Operational Hall.

  “But where are the crew, that’s the main factor here,” said Tom discretely, deactivating his torch, slipping it back into his suit pocket.

  “Life support now operable, keying in the command to bring it up to full operating power,” announced Lance keying away.

  Tayce wanting to see what the console was like, walked over to him, leaving Tom studying the map. She also wanted to make sure in him bringing the station back to life, that he didn’t accidentally activate the control to set the station in motion and it started moving off into another orbit with Amalthea chasing after them across the Universe trying to catch up as they headed on to wherever. Just to make sure that the atmosphere was gaining full strength, Tayce contacted Midge on the cruiser. Ordering him via Wristlink to double check life support was running and increasing as Lance was getting the readings as such, before they removed their head shields. A few moments lapsed.

  “Air breathable Tayce, at the required human level of normal operation,” replied Midge, over her Wristlink.

  “Thanks Midge, contact you later,” said Tayce deactivating her Wristlink.

  She removed her head shield and shook her blonde hair back into place about her shoulders. The rest of the team discarded their head shields and placed them down. Tayce clapped Lance in a congratulating way on the shoulder. She then ordered Tom to stay in the Main Operational Hall and see what he could find out on the missing crew, if anything from the stations on board computer banks. He nodded agreeably. Tayce then suggested that she and Lance go one way and look around for the faint sign of life, whilst Treketa and Dean head off in the other direction, anyone who found anything, were to report back, using Wristlinks. Lance left the console in Tom’s hands and followed Tayce, while Dean and Treketa began off. Tom set about keying in a request for the last log entry.