Micheleh
February 2nd, 2003, 11:51 PM
Awhile back (last summer) I wrote the first few scenes of my own vision of a continuation. I admit I got inspiration from Richard's stories- I just wanted to see if I could write coherent dialogue, never having done it before. Enjoy! (Or have a good laugh.) ;)
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"The Dark Between The Stars"
Ch 1 Scene 1
"There is never a greater yearning toward light than in the face of the darkness."
Capric, 13th Lord of Kobol
In the heart of the dark, in the space between the burning stars, there was life. They had been a powerful people- a proud, unified presence in the great emtiness. Now a faltering cry was all that remained of the once strong voice of a civilization. The few survivors of their devastated worlds now strove desperately to find escape, solace, a place to flourish and renew. Alone in the silent deep, they persisted against all odds, desperate in their search for light, for place, for hope.
For Home.
A breath in the stillness, movement. A hand reaches to touch the plasteel viewport, shattering the illusion of infinity. For a moment, there is faint reflection. Then and Now meet. Echoes of another time , another life, another face...
*...not now.....*
The reflection fades, dissapears. The present turns away from the contemplation of eternity to face the distractions of the moment. Another crisis... as their entire journey had been, moving from crisis to crisis. It was a marvel that they survived at all. It was the singular purpose of this particular life to ensure that they remained so.
A faint chime indicates that the crisis has arived. A breath, a reach for composure. "Enter."
A young ensign comes in, bravely attempting composure as he approaches the desk, bearing file and fiche and all such clerical augury of emergency impending. He stands, essaying an overburdened salute. "Commander".
Apollo smiles faintly. "Put that anywhere. What do you have to report?" He watches the young man quickly dispatch file and report into a regimented stack in one of the few unclaimed areas on the desk. A bright young man, resolute and eager to present a good impression to the Fleet Commander. What was his name... Dannatere. Ah... "Be at ease. Report, Ensign Dannatere."
A quick forwn warned that this was not a glowing report of felicity. "Commander, the engineers are reporting an inexplicable differentiation in resource availability. The Tylium reactors are showing fuel availibility at 10 percent of their last reading. So far there have been no discernible reasons for the sudden depletion. We have collated all the available information to date in these reports." Having delivered his pronouncement, he stood back, regarding the Commander stoicly. Apollo fought down an urge to sigh. If what the ensign said was true, then this wasn't just a crisis, it was a Crisis. *Again. Ten percent isn't too critical, but I'd better order emergency procedures, in case the situation it gets worse. What could be causing it? There's been nothing unusual reported...*
He realised that the junior was patiently awaiting a response, some kind of order. Some order to make his universe one without such things as dissapearing fuel. *That makes two of us.* Instead of voicing this thought, he spoke crisply. "Tell Senior Engineer Catrins to immediately apprise me of any changes or further information. On your way, please ask the Bridge Commander to report to me. Thank you. Dismissed."
As they ensign saluted smartly and made a quick turn about, Apollo permitted himself to smile at the retreating young man's upright back. *Well, if I can't solve the problems of the unvierse right this centon, at least I can offload some of the work...* He sat at his desk, reaching for the first entry in the stack of reports.
.......fuel stores........ decrease in readings.......... insufficient................ possible situation (surprise).................... attempting to trace............ only factors... conserve ........... strongly recommend a course of action....
A faint sound drew him back from the contemplation of effect and no cause. Distractedly, he realised that the Bridge Commmander had entered, not announcing his presence. The Bridge Commander never did. Nor did the Bridge Commander stand, salute, or observe any of the other protocols which so beleagured the Fleet Commmander. As a point of fact, the Bridge Commander had settled himself into the facing chair, and was scanning the besieged desktop in search of a place to prop his foot. He decided on a tiny open area directly next to the crisis.
"Don't knock that over, you're going to need it." A stifled groan was his response. Apollo supressed another smile, looking up. "I need to know what's going on, and I need it a yahren ago."
"Bad?"
He sketched in as much of the situation as possible, part of his mind focusing on the problem at hand. Another part observed his listener, Colonel recently turned Bridge Commander Starbuck carefully, watching his reactions. It hadn't been the easiest of transitions for anyone. It had been crucial in maintaining unity in the Council for then Commander Tigh to take on the role of Civilian President. The constant disasters and enormous stresses of the journey had required having a strong, reasonable voice to head the Council. The situation had made it essential to have one not inherently biased against the military command, and that meant Tigh. This had, however, left the post of Bridge Commander vacant. Apollo had honestly regretted having to take his friend from what he knew he loved most- overseeing the pilots and the recruit training- to put him in an administrative position. There was no choice.There were never any choices. He knew it, Starbuck knew it.... Apollo needed him there. The new Bridge Commander had, in fact, risen to the occasion. He approached the position with the same attitude with which he approached any battle, with courage and fierce determination, the main difference being that unlike the enemy, the paperwork occasionally survived. He was excellent at what he did- effective, thorough, and a bastion of strength. He just refused to keep his feet off the Fleet Commander's desk.
Thank the Lords.
".....all we have at the moment. So what's your assessment?"
Starbuck's foot abruptly parted company with the desk, hitting the floor with a bang. He scowled at the massed reports. "This is all they could come up with?" His tone was ascerbic.
"For the moment."
"All of it an elaborate way of saying 'something's happened and we don't know what it is'. Why don't they just come out and say it, instead of drowning people in filofiches?" He sighed "I don't like this." He folded his arms, staring broodingly at the reports.
Another supressed smile. "I'm not exactly overjoyed either, Starbuck."
The Commander shot him a penetrating look. "That's not what I mean. I feel like something is missing. And I know it isn't buried in all this felgercarb, either. Something just doesn't feel right." Sighing, the Commandr rose, collecting the mass of incomplete information. "Let me take a look at this, and I'll tell you what I come up with." He turned to leave.
"You will *read* it."
Starbuck flashed him a quick, conspiratoral grin. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
Starbuck quit the office as unceremoniously as he had entered, crisis-laden and looking faintly martyred. Apollo chuckled softly, knowing that his old friend could never accept an assignment without at least a token display of suffering. He sighed, then, staring into nothign for a moment. He had learned, throughout the years, to trust his friend's uncanny instinct for trouble. It had kept them all alive more than once. If Starbuck insisted that something was missing, you watched sleeves and checked under the tables. But what could it be?
Frowning, he rose, returning to his study of the void. He stared almost fiercely out at the unrevealing depths, as if by sheer will he could make them reveal an answer.There was something there, something important, if he could just remember Tentatively, he found himself trying to locate the thread of unease he had been feeling, searching for something elusive, which only made its presence known by its absence. He *reached*.............
Out............ back............ in....................
*.............. Now.................*
**********************************************
"The Dark Between The Stars"
Ch 1 Scene 1
"There is never a greater yearning toward light than in the face of the darkness."
Capric, 13th Lord of Kobol
In the heart of the dark, in the space between the burning stars, there was life. They had been a powerful people- a proud, unified presence in the great emtiness. Now a faltering cry was all that remained of the once strong voice of a civilization. The few survivors of their devastated worlds now strove desperately to find escape, solace, a place to flourish and renew. Alone in the silent deep, they persisted against all odds, desperate in their search for light, for place, for hope.
For Home.
A breath in the stillness, movement. A hand reaches to touch the plasteel viewport, shattering the illusion of infinity. For a moment, there is faint reflection. Then and Now meet. Echoes of another time , another life, another face...
*...not now.....*
The reflection fades, dissapears. The present turns away from the contemplation of eternity to face the distractions of the moment. Another crisis... as their entire journey had been, moving from crisis to crisis. It was a marvel that they survived at all. It was the singular purpose of this particular life to ensure that they remained so.
A faint chime indicates that the crisis has arived. A breath, a reach for composure. "Enter."
A young ensign comes in, bravely attempting composure as he approaches the desk, bearing file and fiche and all such clerical augury of emergency impending. He stands, essaying an overburdened salute. "Commander".
Apollo smiles faintly. "Put that anywhere. What do you have to report?" He watches the young man quickly dispatch file and report into a regimented stack in one of the few unclaimed areas on the desk. A bright young man, resolute and eager to present a good impression to the Fleet Commander. What was his name... Dannatere. Ah... "Be at ease. Report, Ensign Dannatere."
A quick forwn warned that this was not a glowing report of felicity. "Commander, the engineers are reporting an inexplicable differentiation in resource availability. The Tylium reactors are showing fuel availibility at 10 percent of their last reading. So far there have been no discernible reasons for the sudden depletion. We have collated all the available information to date in these reports." Having delivered his pronouncement, he stood back, regarding the Commander stoicly. Apollo fought down an urge to sigh. If what the ensign said was true, then this wasn't just a crisis, it was a Crisis. *Again. Ten percent isn't too critical, but I'd better order emergency procedures, in case the situation it gets worse. What could be causing it? There's been nothing unusual reported...*
He realised that the junior was patiently awaiting a response, some kind of order. Some order to make his universe one without such things as dissapearing fuel. *That makes two of us.* Instead of voicing this thought, he spoke crisply. "Tell Senior Engineer Catrins to immediately apprise me of any changes or further information. On your way, please ask the Bridge Commander to report to me. Thank you. Dismissed."
As they ensign saluted smartly and made a quick turn about, Apollo permitted himself to smile at the retreating young man's upright back. *Well, if I can't solve the problems of the unvierse right this centon, at least I can offload some of the work...* He sat at his desk, reaching for the first entry in the stack of reports.
.......fuel stores........ decrease in readings.......... insufficient................ possible situation (surprise).................... attempting to trace............ only factors... conserve ........... strongly recommend a course of action....
A faint sound drew him back from the contemplation of effect and no cause. Distractedly, he realised that the Bridge Commmander had entered, not announcing his presence. The Bridge Commander never did. Nor did the Bridge Commander stand, salute, or observe any of the other protocols which so beleagured the Fleet Commmander. As a point of fact, the Bridge Commander had settled himself into the facing chair, and was scanning the besieged desktop in search of a place to prop his foot. He decided on a tiny open area directly next to the crisis.
"Don't knock that over, you're going to need it." A stifled groan was his response. Apollo supressed another smile, looking up. "I need to know what's going on, and I need it a yahren ago."
"Bad?"
He sketched in as much of the situation as possible, part of his mind focusing on the problem at hand. Another part observed his listener, Colonel recently turned Bridge Commander Starbuck carefully, watching his reactions. It hadn't been the easiest of transitions for anyone. It had been crucial in maintaining unity in the Council for then Commander Tigh to take on the role of Civilian President. The constant disasters and enormous stresses of the journey had required having a strong, reasonable voice to head the Council. The situation had made it essential to have one not inherently biased against the military command, and that meant Tigh. This had, however, left the post of Bridge Commander vacant. Apollo had honestly regretted having to take his friend from what he knew he loved most- overseeing the pilots and the recruit training- to put him in an administrative position. There was no choice.There were never any choices. He knew it, Starbuck knew it.... Apollo needed him there. The new Bridge Commander had, in fact, risen to the occasion. He approached the position with the same attitude with which he approached any battle, with courage and fierce determination, the main difference being that unlike the enemy, the paperwork occasionally survived. He was excellent at what he did- effective, thorough, and a bastion of strength. He just refused to keep his feet off the Fleet Commander's desk.
Thank the Lords.
".....all we have at the moment. So what's your assessment?"
Starbuck's foot abruptly parted company with the desk, hitting the floor with a bang. He scowled at the massed reports. "This is all they could come up with?" His tone was ascerbic.
"For the moment."
"All of it an elaborate way of saying 'something's happened and we don't know what it is'. Why don't they just come out and say it, instead of drowning people in filofiches?" He sighed "I don't like this." He folded his arms, staring broodingly at the reports.
Another supressed smile. "I'm not exactly overjoyed either, Starbuck."
The Commander shot him a penetrating look. "That's not what I mean. I feel like something is missing. And I know it isn't buried in all this felgercarb, either. Something just doesn't feel right." Sighing, the Commandr rose, collecting the mass of incomplete information. "Let me take a look at this, and I'll tell you what I come up with." He turned to leave.
"You will *read* it."
Starbuck flashed him a quick, conspiratoral grin. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
Starbuck quit the office as unceremoniously as he had entered, crisis-laden and looking faintly martyred. Apollo chuckled softly, knowing that his old friend could never accept an assignment without at least a token display of suffering. He sighed, then, staring into nothign for a moment. He had learned, throughout the years, to trust his friend's uncanny instinct for trouble. It had kept them all alive more than once. If Starbuck insisted that something was missing, you watched sleeves and checked under the tables. But what could it be?
Frowning, he rose, returning to his study of the void. He stared almost fiercely out at the unrevealing depths, as if by sheer will he could make them reveal an answer.There was something there, something important, if he could just remember Tentatively, he found himself trying to locate the thread of unease he had been feeling, searching for something elusive, which only made its presence known by its absence. He *reached*.............
Out............ back............ in....................
*.............. Now.................*