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Stories from Alpha Centauri
A Monumental Event: The Spartan Tale.
Sergeant Strom looked out at the sandy ridges that stretched out from horizon to horizon in every direction. If it weren’t for the stiff breeze the heat would have been unbearable. As it was, it was just uncomfortably sticky.
“Phew!” the Sergeant sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his scarf. “Sure is hot today, isn’t it?”
He turned to his Communications Officer, a young Spartan named Nina.
“Not called the “Great Dunes” for nothing, Sir.” She said, opening the cooler and throwing him a can of “Colonel’s Best lager.”
The Sun-tanned Officer swung herself over the windshield, reclaiming her space on the Tank’s bonnet where the other Scout Troopers, Pep and Dozer, were sitting. The Sergeant sat on the Gun rig, leaning over the edge and squinting into the distance as he took sips from his can.
“What’s the ETA for Fort Survivalist, Rozly?” he shouted back into the cabin to the Officer who was driving the “Betty-Boo”, as the sergeant had affectionately nicknamed their HoverTank.
“Forty eight hours, Sir.” Said the serious woman at the controls.
“Are we in communications Range yet?”
“Yes sir. Do you want me to patch through?”
“Yep. Get Captain Jade online then shove over.”
“Sir, there’s not much that needs doing…I…”
“Get out on that bonnet and get a tan, and that’s an order!” he shouted, mock serious as the officer scrambled out of the way of the burly Sergeant.
He punched in his access code and the familiar face of Captain Jade blinked into view. It was well known through out the Scouts that the Blonde, Blue eyed Sergeant had a soft spot for the Captain, and she for him.
“Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes, Gal!” he bellowed, good-naturedly.
“Welcome back Sergeant Strom. Had a good trip?”
“Not really. Nothing to report except miles and miles of bloody desert.”
“That your official report, Sergeant?” the Captain laughed.
“You’ll get that when I arrive, Sweetheart. Talking of which…how’s your schedule looking for two days from now?”
“I got a weekend pass when I found out you were on your way. How long is this stop over, anyway?”
“Three days max. We’re meant to hike the long way to Fort Liberty through the Great Dunes and map it on the way. Gonna need a lot’a beer for that trip, Sweetheart.” The Sergeant grinned.
“See you in two days, hotshot. Over and out.” Said the Captain with a smile, and signed off.
Fort Survivalist was one of the bigger bases on the outskirts of Spartan Territory. It lay almost in the middle of the Great Dunes, and was a popular spot to take some leave and get a tan, and the Facilities for entertainment were almost as good as back home at Sparta Command. They had everything, from a Recreation Commons, a holotheatre, and a Cyber Library. Two days of beer, sand and bad jokes, courtesy of Pep, followed swiftly as everyone looked forward to the Stopover at the Fort.
“How many Believers does it take to change a light bulb?”
“Oh, shut up Pep.” Said Nina crossly.
“No, this is a good one, honest!”
“Oh all right…how many?”
“None,” laughed the irrepressible Trooper. “Miriam just says, “Let there be Light!””
The Scout Patrol was greeted by Captain Jade herself. As the Betty-Boo pulled into the Fort The Sergeant jumped down and picked the pretty Captain up and spun her around while the other Troopers ditched their armour and put on their off duty jumpsuits.
“Put me down you big lump!” laughed the captain. “Urgh, you’re all sweaty.”
“I’ll be even sweatier later…why don’t you come find me then?” He Said, Winking at her.
“Sure. You’ll be at the Stomping Ground, Right?”
“Yep. See you when you get off.” He watched the Captain’s retreating form until hearing s******s from behind him.
“What are you lot laughing at?” he said, knowing full well what had amused the louts under his command.
“She has a great arse, Sir.” Said Dozer, the self-professed Spartan playboy.
“That’s enough of that, sonny. Now, you’re all dismissed. Get yourselves to the Recreation Commons. And I want to see you all at the Stomping Ground tonight! No excuses.”
Later that night Nina and Rozly were getting ready for the nights entertainment at the Recreation Commons.
Nina had put on a pair of black canvas hot pants and a black string vest and left on her dog tags. She had grown her hair long in emulation of the Great Colonel Santiago, and tied it up in a high ponytail. A splash of “Brute” perfume later and she was done.
Rozly, true to form, had been ready ages before. Not really one for Nightclubs, she had changed to a grey boiler suit and shaved her head again and that was it. She sat on her bed and was pulling on her boots when Nina burst in shouting for her to hurry up.
“I’m coming already!” she shouted back as her friend and fellow Scout ran down the corridor ahead of her.
The twenty-four hour nightclub known as The Stomping Ground was packed to bursting that night. Nina was in her element on the dance floor, throwing herself about violently in time to the music, as a crowd of male Troopers looked on appreciatively. This was her first chance to let herself go in six months and she was determined to make the most of it.
Rozly, however, was not as happy as her friend. She lingered by the bar for a while, downing shots of Imperial Spirit and meth-tonic till midnight before taking an ampheto-pep and going to the Cyber Station and looking up a Treatise on quantum mechanics.
Sergeant Strom made a brief appearance before meeting Captain Jade and Disappearing with her to somewhere more private. Rumour has it she had filed for a partnership and they were celebrating the event.
Pep and Dozer were to be found on the second level in the arcade, blasting virtual Mindworms and sharing a bottle of Muscatel. When the hallucinations started to kick in they went up to the observation deck and watched the Needlejets fly in and out.
By dawn the crew of the Betty-Boo were back in their beds, most nursing hangovers, one on a comedown.
They met again at 06:00 in the queue outside the medi bay where the doctor was doling out hangover cures and uppers. Rozly was the most animated any of the crew had seen her, chatting merrily about the properties of Organic Superlube and giggling strangely while Nina threw dirty looks at anyone who commented that she was walking with a limp and had scratch marks all down her back. Pep and Dozer had been first in the queue that morning, after waking up seeing huge beetles in their beds. The rest of that day was spent resting and testing. Nina and Dozer were up for an Engineering exam and Rozly applied once again for Scout.Rec. She had applied two times previously and been turned down, but was still hopeful.
The results came back the next morning. Both Nina and Dozer had passed their exams, and were rewarded with increased ‘Zone allowances and Rozly got promoted to Provisional Rec.Officer for a trial period.
The third morning Rozly collected her new Uniform and met the others at the Scout Briefing Room.
“We’ve got a routine mapping job again,” Said the Sergeant, reading the memo he had been given. “On to Fort Liberty through the desert. One tank, and us, just the way we like it. Nina, Get the Beers in. Rozly did it last time and there weren’t enough…oh, and pick up some amphetos, use my clearance code- we might need them.”
“Sure Sarge. Shall I pick up some ‘Zone as well? It’s gonna be a while before we get the chance again.”
“Yep. Get about three each. Oh, and while were on the subject, congrats on your results, people. Especially you, Rozly, Our new Rec.Officer.”
The troopers cheered and set about re-fitting the Tank and fetching supplies.
“How many Gians does it take to Change a Light bulb?”
“No idea, Pep. How many?” said Dozer while he stacked crates of beer in the cooler.
“None, they wait for the sun to rise!” laughed Pep.
“Bloody Hell, Pep; that was the worst one yet.”
The Troop set off from the Base in high spirits, helped by the Canna’Zone that Nina had ‘liberated’ from the supplies warehouse. By midday the singing had started and Rozly, who had volunteered to drive as usual, complained that she couldn’t think for the noise.
From his Perch on the Gun rig the Sergeant conducted a rousing chorus of “A Dashing Young Cyborg” and handed out the beers.
It was only a little while later that the reached Uncharted Territory and they immediately swung into action. Dozer took over Driving so Rozly could man the Scanner, Nina was on Deep Radar and Pep and the Sergeant took up their posts on the Flame Guns. The rest of that day passed uneventfully, until they made camp at nightfall. They had a meal of Rothe stew and settled in for the night, taking turns at standing guard.
Rozly took last Watch, and spent the time conducting various scans of the surroundings. When the results of the Radiation Scan came through she noticed a large amount of some unknown energy to the north. She looked at her watch then took an Ampheto-Pep from the container on her web-belt. It was nearly 05:00 anyway, no one would mind being woken up now. She flicked on the sonic alarm on its mid urgent setting and told Sergeant Strom what she had noticed when he reached the cabin. A few minutes later the Scouts were wearing their radiation suits and respirators and the Tank proceeded north, towards whatever it was that lay ahead.
The saw it before they got within a mile. What lay ahead was a gigantic pillar of completely alien design, made of some unknown substance that produced an unfamiliar type of radiation.
“Any ideas, troops?” asked the Sergeant, obviously as baffled as the rest of the group.
“Looks like a Gian thing to me, Sarge.” Said Nina.
“Can’t be. The Gians inhabit the southern continent, and this is the northern. They’d be way out of their territory here.”
“Believers?” said Dozer.
“Hmm…could be. Well, we’ll know once we get closer.”
“Reaching radiation range now Sarge.” Said Rozly.
“Is it harmful?”
“Not sure, Sarge. There is no indication of harmful energy, but don’t quote me on that.”
“Right. Suit up, everyone. We’re going in.”
Strom, Pep, Dozer and Nina approached the Monolith while Rozly made continuous sensor scans of the area.
As they got nearer to the Strange Construction each trooper felt a sense of peace descend upon them. So unfamiliar was the sensation that they thought they had contaminated gas in their respirator tanks. At less than three feet away the troopers felt so strangely happy that they laughed and smiled involuntarily. Then unanimously, as Rozly looked on in horror, they took of their respirators and radiation masks and touched the Monolith. As they were enveloped in the white light that shone from it, Rozly Jumped out of the Tank and Ran towards Nina, intending to put her mask back on and drag her away, but as soon as she touched the Trooper she too became enveloped in the light, and felt the energy flow through her.
Three days later the Scouts arrived at Fort Liberty. To the officers to whom they reported, they seemed the epitome of Spartan Training. Their reports were precise and error free, their persons calm, obviously well trained and dedicated, and in perfect health.
The Discovery of the strange Alien Monolith in the desert had sparked quite a lot of interest, and it was recommended that a large number of the research crew should be dispatched immediately to investigate it further.
Meanwhile, it was put forward that the Troopers who had discovered the Monolith, so obviously well suited to the task, should form a new task force specifically for the location and detection of other such Monoliths, under the command of Captain Jade, and the New Talent Rozly, having been promoted immediately upon the discovery of her natural aptitude and high I.Q, previously undiscovered.
The newly re-named Investigative Exploratory Unit were immensely successful in their work, discovering several new Monoliths and Artefacts, adding to the Strength and Glory of the Spartan Federation.
“How many Morganites does it take to change a Light bulb?”
“Ok, I give in…how many?”
“None…light bulbs cost money, don’t you know?”
“Oh, shut up and die, Pep."
The End.
i'm currently writing another Story, which may crossover with this one. i intend to write a story from the point of view of each Faction.
A Monumental Event: The Spartan Tale.
Sergeant Strom looked out at the sandy ridges that stretched out from horizon to horizon in every direction. If it weren’t for the stiff breeze the heat would have been unbearable. As it was, it was just uncomfortably sticky.
“Phew!” the Sergeant sighed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his scarf. “Sure is hot today, isn’t it?”
He turned to his Communications Officer, a young Spartan named Nina.
“Not called the “Great Dunes” for nothing, Sir.” She said, opening the cooler and throwing him a can of “Colonel’s Best lager.”
The Sun-tanned Officer swung herself over the windshield, reclaiming her space on the Tank’s bonnet where the other Scout Troopers, Pep and Dozer, were sitting. The Sergeant sat on the Gun rig, leaning over the edge and squinting into the distance as he took sips from his can.
“What’s the ETA for Fort Survivalist, Rozly?” he shouted back into the cabin to the Officer who was driving the “Betty-Boo”, as the sergeant had affectionately nicknamed their HoverTank.
“Forty eight hours, Sir.” Said the serious woman at the controls.
“Are we in communications Range yet?”
“Yes sir. Do you want me to patch through?”
“Yep. Get Captain Jade online then shove over.”
“Sir, there’s not much that needs doing…I…”
“Get out on that bonnet and get a tan, and that’s an order!” he shouted, mock serious as the officer scrambled out of the way of the burly Sergeant.
He punched in his access code and the familiar face of Captain Jade blinked into view. It was well known through out the Scouts that the Blonde, Blue eyed Sergeant had a soft spot for the Captain, and she for him.
“Well, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes, Gal!” he bellowed, good-naturedly.
“Welcome back Sergeant Strom. Had a good trip?”
“Not really. Nothing to report except miles and miles of bloody desert.”
“That your official report, Sergeant?” the Captain laughed.
“You’ll get that when I arrive, Sweetheart. Talking of which…how’s your schedule looking for two days from now?”
“I got a weekend pass when I found out you were on your way. How long is this stop over, anyway?”
“Three days max. We’re meant to hike the long way to Fort Liberty through the Great Dunes and map it on the way. Gonna need a lot’a beer for that trip, Sweetheart.” The Sergeant grinned.
“See you in two days, hotshot. Over and out.” Said the Captain with a smile, and signed off.
Fort Survivalist was one of the bigger bases on the outskirts of Spartan Territory. It lay almost in the middle of the Great Dunes, and was a popular spot to take some leave and get a tan, and the Facilities for entertainment were almost as good as back home at Sparta Command. They had everything, from a Recreation Commons, a holotheatre, and a Cyber Library. Two days of beer, sand and bad jokes, courtesy of Pep, followed swiftly as everyone looked forward to the Stopover at the Fort.
“How many Believers does it take to change a light bulb?”
“Oh, shut up Pep.” Said Nina crossly.
“No, this is a good one, honest!”
“Oh all right…how many?”
“None,” laughed the irrepressible Trooper. “Miriam just says, “Let there be Light!””
The Scout Patrol was greeted by Captain Jade herself. As the Betty-Boo pulled into the Fort The Sergeant jumped down and picked the pretty Captain up and spun her around while the other Troopers ditched their armour and put on their off duty jumpsuits.
“Put me down you big lump!” laughed the captain. “Urgh, you’re all sweaty.”
“I’ll be even sweatier later…why don’t you come find me then?” He Said, Winking at her.
“Sure. You’ll be at the Stomping Ground, Right?”
“Yep. See you when you get off.” He watched the Captain’s retreating form until hearing s******s from behind him.
“What are you lot laughing at?” he said, knowing full well what had amused the louts under his command.
“She has a great arse, Sir.” Said Dozer, the self-professed Spartan playboy.
“That’s enough of that, sonny. Now, you’re all dismissed. Get yourselves to the Recreation Commons. And I want to see you all at the Stomping Ground tonight! No excuses.”
Later that night Nina and Rozly were getting ready for the nights entertainment at the Recreation Commons.
Nina had put on a pair of black canvas hot pants and a black string vest and left on her dog tags. She had grown her hair long in emulation of the Great Colonel Santiago, and tied it up in a high ponytail. A splash of “Brute” perfume later and she was done.
Rozly, true to form, had been ready ages before. Not really one for Nightclubs, she had changed to a grey boiler suit and shaved her head again and that was it. She sat on her bed and was pulling on her boots when Nina burst in shouting for her to hurry up.
“I’m coming already!” she shouted back as her friend and fellow Scout ran down the corridor ahead of her.
The twenty-four hour nightclub known as The Stomping Ground was packed to bursting that night. Nina was in her element on the dance floor, throwing herself about violently in time to the music, as a crowd of male Troopers looked on appreciatively. This was her first chance to let herself go in six months and she was determined to make the most of it.
Rozly, however, was not as happy as her friend. She lingered by the bar for a while, downing shots of Imperial Spirit and meth-tonic till midnight before taking an ampheto-pep and going to the Cyber Station and looking up a Treatise on quantum mechanics.
Sergeant Strom made a brief appearance before meeting Captain Jade and Disappearing with her to somewhere more private. Rumour has it she had filed for a partnership and they were celebrating the event.
Pep and Dozer were to be found on the second level in the arcade, blasting virtual Mindworms and sharing a bottle of Muscatel. When the hallucinations started to kick in they went up to the observation deck and watched the Needlejets fly in and out.
By dawn the crew of the Betty-Boo were back in their beds, most nursing hangovers, one on a comedown.
They met again at 06:00 in the queue outside the medi bay where the doctor was doling out hangover cures and uppers. Rozly was the most animated any of the crew had seen her, chatting merrily about the properties of Organic Superlube and giggling strangely while Nina threw dirty looks at anyone who commented that she was walking with a limp and had scratch marks all down her back. Pep and Dozer had been first in the queue that morning, after waking up seeing huge beetles in their beds. The rest of that day was spent resting and testing. Nina and Dozer were up for an Engineering exam and Rozly applied once again for Scout.Rec. She had applied two times previously and been turned down, but was still hopeful.
The results came back the next morning. Both Nina and Dozer had passed their exams, and were rewarded with increased ‘Zone allowances and Rozly got promoted to Provisional Rec.Officer for a trial period.
The third morning Rozly collected her new Uniform and met the others at the Scout Briefing Room.
“We’ve got a routine mapping job again,” Said the Sergeant, reading the memo he had been given. “On to Fort Liberty through the desert. One tank, and us, just the way we like it. Nina, Get the Beers in. Rozly did it last time and there weren’t enough…oh, and pick up some amphetos, use my clearance code- we might need them.”
“Sure Sarge. Shall I pick up some ‘Zone as well? It’s gonna be a while before we get the chance again.”
“Yep. Get about three each. Oh, and while were on the subject, congrats on your results, people. Especially you, Rozly, Our new Rec.Officer.”
The troopers cheered and set about re-fitting the Tank and fetching supplies.
“How many Gians does it take to Change a Light bulb?”
“No idea, Pep. How many?” said Dozer while he stacked crates of beer in the cooler.
“None, they wait for the sun to rise!” laughed Pep.
“Bloody Hell, Pep; that was the worst one yet.”
The Troop set off from the Base in high spirits, helped by the Canna’Zone that Nina had ‘liberated’ from the supplies warehouse. By midday the singing had started and Rozly, who had volunteered to drive as usual, complained that she couldn’t think for the noise.
From his Perch on the Gun rig the Sergeant conducted a rousing chorus of “A Dashing Young Cyborg” and handed out the beers.
It was only a little while later that the reached Uncharted Territory and they immediately swung into action. Dozer took over Driving so Rozly could man the Scanner, Nina was on Deep Radar and Pep and the Sergeant took up their posts on the Flame Guns. The rest of that day passed uneventfully, until they made camp at nightfall. They had a meal of Rothe stew and settled in for the night, taking turns at standing guard.
Rozly took last Watch, and spent the time conducting various scans of the surroundings. When the results of the Radiation Scan came through she noticed a large amount of some unknown energy to the north. She looked at her watch then took an Ampheto-Pep from the container on her web-belt. It was nearly 05:00 anyway, no one would mind being woken up now. She flicked on the sonic alarm on its mid urgent setting and told Sergeant Strom what she had noticed when he reached the cabin. A few minutes later the Scouts were wearing their radiation suits and respirators and the Tank proceeded north, towards whatever it was that lay ahead.
The saw it before they got within a mile. What lay ahead was a gigantic pillar of completely alien design, made of some unknown substance that produced an unfamiliar type of radiation.
“Any ideas, troops?” asked the Sergeant, obviously as baffled as the rest of the group.
“Looks like a Gian thing to me, Sarge.” Said Nina.
“Can’t be. The Gians inhabit the southern continent, and this is the northern. They’d be way out of their territory here.”
“Believers?” said Dozer.
“Hmm…could be. Well, we’ll know once we get closer.”
“Reaching radiation range now Sarge.” Said Rozly.
“Is it harmful?”
“Not sure, Sarge. There is no indication of harmful energy, but don’t quote me on that.”
“Right. Suit up, everyone. We’re going in.”
Strom, Pep, Dozer and Nina approached the Monolith while Rozly made continuous sensor scans of the area.
As they got nearer to the Strange Construction each trooper felt a sense of peace descend upon them. So unfamiliar was the sensation that they thought they had contaminated gas in their respirator tanks. At less than three feet away the troopers felt so strangely happy that they laughed and smiled involuntarily. Then unanimously, as Rozly looked on in horror, they took of their respirators and radiation masks and touched the Monolith. As they were enveloped in the white light that shone from it, Rozly Jumped out of the Tank and Ran towards Nina, intending to put her mask back on and drag her away, but as soon as she touched the Trooper she too became enveloped in the light, and felt the energy flow through her.
Three days later the Scouts arrived at Fort Liberty. To the officers to whom they reported, they seemed the epitome of Spartan Training. Their reports were precise and error free, their persons calm, obviously well trained and dedicated, and in perfect health.
The Discovery of the strange Alien Monolith in the desert had sparked quite a lot of interest, and it was recommended that a large number of the research crew should be dispatched immediately to investigate it further.
Meanwhile, it was put forward that the Troopers who had discovered the Monolith, so obviously well suited to the task, should form a new task force specifically for the location and detection of other such Monoliths, under the command of Captain Jade, and the New Talent Rozly, having been promoted immediately upon the discovery of her natural aptitude and high I.Q, previously undiscovered.
The newly re-named Investigative Exploratory Unit were immensely successful in their work, discovering several new Monoliths and Artefacts, adding to the Strength and Glory of the Spartan Federation.
“How many Morganites does it take to change a Light bulb?”
“Ok, I give in…how many?”
“None…light bulbs cost money, don’t you know?”
“Oh, shut up and die, Pep."
The End.
i'm currently writing another Story, which may crossover with this one. i intend to write a story from the point of view of each Faction.