It is a glorious day for the new and old scouts of Camp Astral Stars. For the 50th consecutive year, young and old members of the camp are going on a different voyage across the stars and into their respective destinations. Fifty Solar Cruisers are in tip-top shape on the planet Pangaea are ready to go.
Rodney Everett, a thirty-seven-year-old veteran of the camp, wiped the sweat in his brow and smiled at the long batch of scouts ready for their adventure. He’s proud that the year-long preparation for this event is coming to a defining start. From the fifty sets of scouts, he eyed a particular one that has grown closer to him these past few months.
“Ready to set off?” Rodney asked Jacobo, commonly named Jake. He’s 25 and by memory, this would be his third time piloting a Star Cruiser. It would be his first time taking a two month trip as opposed to the ones before.
“We’re ready, scoutmaster,” Jake said. “Our supplies are packed and so is our ship.”
“How about your crew?” Rodney asked.
“Stoney’s checking the external thrusters while the rest are inside waiting for a command.”
“You should go too. I think Scout Leader Bruce is going to do his takeoff speech.”
Jake gave his superior a salute and went inside Id Astra, the Solar Cruiser assigned to them. Outside the long line of cruisers stood Scout Leader Bruce Andrews surrounded by other Scoutmasters and investors to he camp. He didn’t give a long speech as he saw it as a bore. He only gave the scouts a bit of good luck and set the starboard to a go.
Three. Two. One. The primary thrusters roared in unison and filled the plains in a silent hum of the neutron engines. One by one they rose into the skies and their respective destinations scattered throughout the galaxy. As for Id Astra, their course leads them to the planet Exoldia, a mystical planet owned by the Filmore Co., one of the primary investors of Camp Astral Stars and the maker of their Solar Cruiser. Their destination leads them through a well-traveled hyperspace path through the Mid Rims of the Elora System. Kazuo Wells, the Co-Pilot of the Id Astra, estimates that it’ll take them at least 80 days if luck is on their side. He hopes that no Neutron Fields nor Solar Storms interrupt their smooth cruise through the stars.
——
“Incoming Transmission, captain” Intelligent Space Artificial yet Articulate Companion, or ISAAC, said just thirty minutes after their take off.
“Ping it in,” Jake replied.
From the Communication Console, a hologram of two beefy men appeared. The neat, buff and buttoned person on the left is Rodney while the one with unbuttoned uniform showing his abs is Willard.
“Sir,” Jake and Kaz saluted.
“At ease, scouts,” Rodney said.
“Yea, at ease scouts.” Willard snickered. Unlike the neat and uptight Rodney, Willard is his opposite. He’s unkempt and he’s not self-conscious about showing off his body. “So how’s it going over there?”
“Everything is fine Scoutmaster Willard. We are on a straight path to Exoldia but we’ll make stops along the way for supplies.”
“Aww…” Willard cooed. “My sweet little Jake is all mature now. So how’s the other crew? How’s Chip and Ray?”
“Call them by their names and title, Will,” Rodney said.
“And you had to call me Will, hypocrite. Okay, Mr. Perfect. How are Scouts Chip and Raiden?”
“Chip is in the Conservatory wing tending the plants while Raiden is already cooking for our dinner even though we won’t be eating till three hours later.”
“The others?”
Jake nodded at Kaz, who then stepped forward and reported the status of the crew. “The twins, Scout Cassius and Callum are in the pod bay tending to their Space Drifters. Scout Stoney is in the Engine Room checking the status of the machinery. Doctor Wat is in the clinic while Scout Fenton is in his quarters.
Suddenly, all the electricity in the bridge flicked and a tiny rumble was heard throughout the ship.
“What happened Scout Jake?”
“I think there’s some minor turbulence. ISAAC, tell me the status of the ship. Kaz, make sure the others are all right.” Kaz swiped upwards from his tablet, showing surveillance of the crew of the ship. They too felt the turbulence and they grabbed onto the nearest railing they could find. Stoney, the ship mechanic, cursed about hitting his head on a metal beam. Several plants in the Conservatory toppled over while the food Ray was cooking spilled all over the kitchen. On the other hand, the others are all right.
“Turbulence? There’s no turbulence in space.” Will blurted.
“The Kinetic and Plasma shields are all down to 20 percent captain.”
“Your shields are down!?” Willard blurted. “How the hell did that happen?”
“ISAAC, how did the shields shut down?”
“Processing… Processing… Data from a few seconds ago states that we were hit by space debris surrounded by plasma. And it seems there are more coming our way, captain. Should we take evasive maneuvers captain?”
“Do it.”
In the main campground, Rodney has already called for back-up but nothing is coming through the other end. Willard was strapped onto the console until everything turned to static and shut down. Willard tried to call them one more time but no one is picking up. He cursed and bashed the console with his bare fist.
Back at the Id Astra, Head Pilot Scout Jake is holding onto the ship steering wheel and he’s trying his best to outmaneuver the plasma coated asteroids whizzing towards them. He checked the conditions in their path before take-off and no data says that an asteroid storm is one their way. Something must be wrong. There shouldn’t be any asteroids in their way. Let alone plasma-coated ones. As much as he tried to steer farther from the debris, one or two still hits them once every few minutes.
“Shields are down to 10%,” The AI said.
“Kaz, tell the twins to man the Plasma cannons and shoot any asteroids in our paths.”
“Already done, captain.”
The Id Astra coursed through space and squeezed between asteroids coming towards them. The twins were a perfect tandem when it comes to shooting stuff as their efforts reduced the asteroids scouring their shields. Nevertheless, they still took a lot of damage which Stoney is doing his best to fix. But nothing would prepare them for what is to come.
In the distance, a fizzing mass of violet plasma with no visible asteroid core is heading their way. Before they could comprehend its presence, a bright flash of light blinded everyone in the crew. Even those inside their quarters. It enveloped the ship in a bright light that seemed to have lasted for eternities. All the ship’s system failed and its crew floated without the aid of gravity. For eons, they were in stasis, unresponsive to outside stimuli. And at once, the light was gone and so was the plasma asteroids.
Kaz was the first one to wake up. The first thing he did was wake up the captain and initiate a system reboot of the ship.
“What the hell happened!?” Stoney cursed at the Communication panel.
“We seem to be barraged by Plasma Asteroids,” Jake replied.
“Plasma Asteroids?” Wat said. “I haven’t seen nor read anything about Plasma Asteroid. I don’t think they are scientifically real.”
“Nice of you to say that after we got hit by them four-eyes!” Stoney said.
“No need to shout, Stoney. How about the others? Is everyone all right?”
The others were more or less okay. Chip said that some of the plants in the Conservatory toppled over but it can be fixed in a day. Raiden thanked the gods that the stovetop he was cooking in has artificial gravity separate from the ship system. The Escargot soup he was cooking is safely intact and would be ready in an hour. The twins suffered sprains on their hand, Cassius on the left and Callum on the right. They are on their way to the clinic where Wat thankfully suffered no repercussions. Fenton, who was holed up in his room, was still sleeping.
While they are too busy fixing everything broken in the ship, the crew didn’t realize that particular energy has seeped through its walls. It coursed through the system valves and vents and waited for an opportunity to strike.