Disruption (Short Story)

in Scholar and Scribe3 days ago (edited)


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The turret control room was dead. No light. No hum of machinery. Nothing but the sound of the three of them breathing. The sounds of hollow explosions outside the ship, projected through the hull would occasionally break up the silence, but even then started to fade away and stop completely.

"What do we do now?" Kearl asked, the sound of the the leather of his chair crunching became apparent.

"We should get to the food hall." Gardara said to the darkness. His voiced carried through the silence louder than he intended.

"Oh, yeah? Thinking with your stomach." Kearl said sarcastically.

"I'm not. I assume it'll make a good meeting point for other crew members."

"I know, I was joking." Kearl replied.

"Would the two of you shut up, help me to my feet and lets move out." M'Tyuse said.

The sound of shifting leather became apparent as Kearl moved to help M'Tyuse N'ag. "Guess the three of us are all the same now." A silence grew after Kearl spoke. "You know, since none of us can see." He nervously laughed.

"Kearl," M'Tyuse said sternly.

"Sorry," he replied awkwardly.

The halls of the ship was dark and still. In the distance there were shuffling movements, and the sounds of footsteps. Over it all there was a voice barking orders.

"Sanga, I want positions taken up by the main hatch." General Ordine told one of his men.

Everyone in the vicinity had luminescent bands ignited. There was just enough light to make out facial features, but they also made people seem monstrous, casting large shadows.

As Gardara, Kearl, and M'Tyuse made their way up the hall, many people were scrambling, running past them, and some in the distance running in the other direction. Surrounding Ordine

"Tirne, take the rest up to the cockpit, make sure the captain is armed and ready." Ordine commanded, and with that, the final people standing by were off.

"That you, Ordine?" M'Tyuse said.

"M'Tyuse, what happened to you down there?"

"I lost one of my batteries, because your guns couldn't keep a few jumped up scrap jobs away." M'Tyuse chuckled lightly. "What's the word?"

Ordine let out a sigh. "Walk with me, I'm walking down to the engine-bay,"

They walked, and non-combatants passed by. As they did they were swiftly told to clear the halls, and remain out of the way. Two engineers passed, but were left to carry out their business.

"If I'm right, we were hit with a drillers. You'd be familiar with that little tactic, being a Trisken and all." Ordine said.

"Trisken drillers." M'Tyuse said distantly. "Not a bad tactic,"

"If that's the case, I'm sure they used a disrupter to knock our power out, and keep it out."

"A disruptor would have worn off by now, it has to be something else." Gardara interrupted.

Ordine didn't speak for a moment, and the four of them just walked in silence momentarily. "Could your subordinates overlook anything?" He asked M'Tyuse.

M'Tyuse coughed. "Kearl. Gardara. I want you to make your way to the med-bay, and let them know that I'm enroute to the engine-bay."

"Are you sure? I thought you needed help walking." Kearl objected.

"I'm sure I can manage him from here." Ordine said, as he lent an arm to M'Tyuse N'ag.

Gardara stopped walking, as did Kearl. The two stood together as they watched the luminescent light fade into the distance leaving them in utter darkness.

"Nice work," Kearl said, as he turned around to walk back the way they came.

"It was true, disruptors reset a system, but it all reboots momentarily." Gardara replied as he started to follow Kearl.