Carpathia IV: Episode 277 - Cytosia's End
Cytosia
Aire: Set course for the communication station. Kit, tell them we will be landing near there. Take us down.
Teek: We're on our way, Captain.
The Shadowdancer made a swift departure, arcing gracefully over their previous position and making directly for the planet like a dart.
Aire: Kit, get me Joust.
Kit: Right away, Captain.
While awaiting Joust, Amenaru spoke up, his tone confused.
Amenaru: Shouldn't I vent the nacelle plasma?
Aire turned, his reply both swift and curt.
Aire: Lieutenant, do you really think it's going to matter if we pollute their atmosphere?
Amenaru did not answer, simply shaking his head and burying his face back into his console. Good timing for him that Joust came on the comm immediately after.
Joust: Joust here.
Aire: Most of the cytos are still on the surface. We're landing the ship. Close the bay doors and send Baal back to the bridge. You, Phobos, and Ryuu get to the cargo ramp and get ready to lower it as soon as we land. Have the crew clear as many paths as possible to the atrium. Stairs. Lifts. Don't be picky. Finally, I don't want anyone in the cargo area who can't fly. Anyone else is going to get trampled down there.
Joust: Got it, Captain. We'll be ready.
The ship's ride started getting rough, like a car on an old gravel road that gradually deteriorated the further they went.
Teek: We're entering the atmosphere. I expect considerable turbulence.
Nalma: Gravity distortions are rapidly intensifying. We need to do this fast.
Aire: Teek, go quickly but carefully. We won't do anyone any good if we crash.
Teek: I will get us down safe, Captain.
If anyone labored under the misapprehension that the ride down might get any smoother, the worsening shuddering and sudden jolts quickly dispelled that notion. Every second, every moment, was more violent than the last. Halfway down, Aire strapped on his seatbelt for fear of being shaken out of his chair or worse, thrown out of it by one of the sudden jolts. Jolts that felt like the ship was slamming into a series of brick walls of increasing thickness on the way down.
The lift doors opened, coinciding with another big jolt and Baal tumbled out, clear across the bridge near the lift doors on the other side. Aire swivelled his chair toward him as he jumped to his feet.
Aire: Baal, get on the science station. Help find a good place to land, preferably not on top of any cytos.
With a quick nod, Baal ran to the science station next to Amenaru, only reaching it after another jolt sent him careening into the window.
Baal: On it, Captain!
More shuddering and Aire wondered how long they would be able to keep this up without crashing.
Baal: Plenty of flat spots, but there are thousands of cytos right under us. I suggest we stay on course and then redirect to an empty spot at the last minute. I have a good candidate for landing.
Aire: Relay coordinates to helm.
Baal: Sending now.
Aire: Extend landing struts.
Amenaru: Extending landing struts.
Aire: Kit, tell Joust to open the cargo ramp the moment we touch down.
The view out of the windows wasn't helping at all, for the closer they got to the planet, the darker and more dust-filled the environment became, with only swirling clouds of dirt to indicate that they were actually moving.
Teek: 500 meters above the surface. Shifting to the landing area.
Even there, they couldn't see the ground, but Aire's instruments told him where they were and the many cytos that were just below them, clamoring to get on board. Teek took the ship forward, away from the cytos to Baal's landing area.
Amenaru: Joust is already deploying the cargo ramp.
Teek: Setting us down now. This is going to be rough.
The ship slammed into the ground hard, sending up a billowing cloud of dust, but the landing struts held. Even there, the turbulence was not over, for the ground heaved and shook continuously, rocking the Shadowdancer from side to side.
Nalma: Cytos are boarding. Putting the area on viewer.
The viewer showed pure chaos at the cargo ramp, thousands of cytos in a mad rush for the Shadowdancer with their home disintegrating all around them. Pits opened up. Boulders floated away, caught in pockets of fluctuating gravity before plunging back down to the surface. Just outside the door, above, Joust and Ryuu hovered, urging the cytos to hurry.
Cargo Ramp
Joust hovered just outside the cargo door waving waving the cytos in and they tumbled through by the hundreds. The crew inside had a hell of a time cramming them into lifts and stairwells, but it helped immensely that the cytos were both speedy and flexible. Stairs were nothing to them, for they could just roll right up.
So long as the cytos continued to flow into the ship and no traffic jams ensued, Joust remained where he was, urging them to hurry. There was, however, something else that caught his eye periodically. Off in the distance, he could see a small group of cytos on top of a hill. One, larger than the others, dead still, and several others hopping frantically around it. Something told him that this was important and he took out his tablet and stuck it under his armpit.
Joust: Ryuu, you can manage here. I'll just be gone for a few minutes.
Ryuu: Hurry back!
Joust backed to the hull of the Shadowdancer and used it as a springboard, kicking off to gain his maximum flying speed quickly. The closer he came to the cyto group, the better he could see. The larger one in the center was clearly older than the rest, wrinkled and sleepy. The Elder Cyto. Joust guessed that either he was asleep as usual or refused to move. Joust soared around to the other side and landed in front of the Elder. His eyes were open, confirming Joust's second theory. He held up his tablet with the cyto translator and spoke.
Joust: You have to get to the ship! Your planet is being destroyed!
The Elder, at first, did nothing and then slowly swayed from side to side. Joust's tablet told him that was a "no."
Joust: This isn't a game! We have to go now!
The Elder swayed again, but this time also producing an appendage, using that to wave the others away. The young cytos stopped their bouncing and now squashed themselves mournfully to the ground. Joust landed himself in front of the Elder and sat before him, crossing his legs. It would have been a beautiful scene around him, but the erratic lighting and the sound of rocks churning just beneath the surface served as an all too real reminder of the stakes.
Joust: Please... We will find you a new place to live. Just come with us.
Joust found himself being overcome with emotion, though he wasn't sure why in that moment. It wasn't as though they'd had long, deep conversations together. Just one meeting, during which the Elder was only awake for maybe ten minutes. The Elder Cyto reached out with his appendage and patted Joust on the head before swaying one last time. The surrounding cytos gave sad wobbles. With a sniffle, Joust stood and directed his attention to the others.
Joust: It is what it is. Let's get the rest of you to the ship.
The other cytos gave two hops and bounced away, slowly at first, but picking up speed as they went. Before following, Joust returned the Elder's gesture and patted him on the top of his body.
Joust: May you always live free.
With that, Joust kicked off from the ground and hurtled back to the ship, looking back to cast one last glance at his placid cyto friend.
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
Aire observed with increasing alarm how quickly the planet tore itself apart. On a few occasions already, the Shadowdancer felt like it would tip over, but he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet. Just a few more, he thought each time.
Baal: Captain, we can't stay any longer. The planet is going to collapse at any time.
Aire gripped the ends of his armrest hard, digging his nails into the keypad casing. It had to be now. He tapped at his communicator.
Aire: Commander, get inside and close the cargo door.
Joust: Thirty seconds, Captain! I'm almost back!
Back? From where? Still, thirty seconds was enough time to get something done to speed the escape along.
Aire: Teek, hover in place. Amenaru, retract landing struts as soon as we're airborne.
Teek: Initiating hover.
Amenaru: Ready to retract struts.
Nalma: Implosion is imminent!
Leaving behind cytos was bad enough, but his first officer was something else entirely. Just as he was about to hit his communicator again to give Joust a good yell, Joust contacted him first.
Joust: We're in! Let's go!
Aire: Teek, punch it!
Teek gave the throttle a yank and the Shadowdancer rose from the dying planet.
Aire: Full induction as soon as we're clear.
Teek: Two minutes, Captain.
A long two minutes indeed, as the Shadowdancer rose through the dust, floating rocks, and lightning strikes, several of the latter striking the Shadowdancer as it rose through the murky clouds. Finally. the view outside turned to clear space. Teek switched over to the induction engines and gave it full throttle, just as the planet started to fold in on itself for the last time and then explode outwards.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
