Carpathia IV: Episode 276 - Evacuation
Cytosia
Aire drummed his fingers on his armrest as the Shadowdancer streaked to Cytosia. Though the Chrono Blade was already on-site, it was unable to evacuate many cytos as her crew focused on repairing the considerable damage. It would be up to Shadowdancer and the Blood Agony loomed uncomfortably near.
Teek: Approaching Cytosia, Captain.
Aire: Condition red. Slow to induction.
The walls took on a red hue while the Shadowdancer reduced speed.
Teek: Slowing to induction, Captain.
Aire: Nalma, scan the asteroids for the highest concentration of cytos.
Nalma: Already on it, Captain. I found a group. Relaying to helm now.
Teek: Got it.
Aire: Set course. Kit, send signal to both shuttle bays to get ready.
Kit: Sending signal.
The Shadowdancer turned and arched over the asteroid field to Nalma's coordinates. Aire studied Nalma's readings and found the results rather disturbing.
Aire: There should be way more cytos up here than this. Kit, they were made aware of the danger, yes?
Kit: Most definitely, Captain.
Aire: Let's get what we can and we'll ask one of them directly.
Teek: Approaching coordinates.
Aire: Slow to thrusters. Point the stern at the cyto group. Send the go signal to the shuttle bays.
Teek deftly navigated the Shadowdancer into position, both swooping in and rotating the ship at the same time. Though he overshot by only a bit, a quick reverse got the ship within just a few meters of the nearest asteroid. Close enough to throw a rock and hit it.
Aire: Good work, Teek. Amenaru, put the evacuation on the viewer.
Amenaru: Switching to stern view, Captain.
The viewscrean appeared at the front of the bridge and showed hundreds of cytos bounding across the asteroids to the shuttle bay. Only hundreds. It was worse than Aire thought, as he was expecting—and prepared for—thousands. As he pondered, a beep came from his console.
Joust: Captain, Hana is here and he wants to talk to you.
Aire: Escort him up immediately!
Aire continued observing the evacuation, now hoping, with Hana's arrival, that he would get some answers.
Aire: Kit, any cytos left at the communication station? Are they saying anything?
Kit shook his head.
Kit: Nothing that I can make out. I can only describe the situation down there as sheer panic.
Aire: Hopefully we'll find out more when Hana gets here.
Kit: I'll translate. I think he might struggle with English like the others are struggling now.
The lift doors opened and Hana bounded out, followed by Joust.
Joust: I picked up a bit of cyto language, but he is too flustered for me to get anything.
Kit jumped out of his chair to help while Hana bounced in between him and Aire. Indeed, he was flustered, wriggling, hopping, and squirting frantically. Kit observed with intense concentration and Aire grew more and more concerned as Kit's face fell.
Kit: Captain, only a few cytos are actually capable of making it into space. I'm sorry. I didn't know that.
Aire: Never mind that. We have to get down there. Get the Chrono Blade.
Kit: Right away.
Shep: Captain, there is a massive energy spike from the Blood Agony. Something is happening.
Aire: Viewer!
Aire whriled around just as the viewer changed from the back of the ship to the Blood Agony. Normally black with red accents, it was now glowing hot, concentrated around the giant orb in the center. From there, it fired black mass from between its serrated projections in the bow.
All on the bridge watched, transfixed, as the black orb streaked toward Cytosia. Aire thought, for a moment, of fleeing, not that they could really get anywhere in five seconds. There was only one thing he could do, expecting the shot to blow the planet to bits.
Aire: Shields to maximum!
Aire braced himself for a catastrophic explosion but, when the inky, black glob passed, nothing happened, leaving behind only a trail of distortion.
And they waited, but the distortion waves dissipated and still, nothing happened.
Aire: Someone explain what's going on.
Many bleeps from consoles as the crew frantically scanned any sign of trouble.
Nalma: Captain, the planet's core is destabilizing. If this keeps up, Cytosia will be torn apart.
Aire: How long?
Nalma: An hour, if they're lucky.
Aire: We're going down there. Kit, you have Captain Tyler?
Kit: Putting her on viewer.
Aire turned again, this time facing Ivy on screen.
Aire: Cytosia is going to implode. How soon can you take over gathering cytos here?
Ivy turned away from the screen mouthing some orders that he couldn't make out.
Ivy: We're on our way. We just finished up with with this group here.
Shep: Confirmed, Captain. Chrono Blade is on her way. I'm reading the Cerberus arriving as well.
Nalma: The Blood Agony is altering course away from Cytosia.
Aire: Right, Ivy, you can explain to Azrael. We're going down now.
Ivy: I will fill him in. Tyler out.
The screen went blank and Aire returned to his chair, practically launching himself into it.
Aire: Set course for the communication station. Kit, tell them we will be landing near there. Take us down.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
