The Titan War, Chapter Three

Excelsior · #1 February 6th, 2008, 02:11 PM

Sorry 'bouts the delay peoples, here is chapter three:

The Titan War, Chapter Three:
'Computer, Replace Earth view with tactical overlay, and display impact points.' instructed David.
Everyone was one the bridge of the Heimdall. In addition to David, Joe, Sam, Nick, and James, there were about 10 other people, each one dressed in a black jumpsuit with grey shoulderpads. The only distinguishing features were respective bands of colour for division, and pips on their collars for rank.
The general feeling in everyone was one of tension, mixed with sadness.
Ever so slowly, the computer worked out the impact points. Red dots began appearing over Britain, France, North America, Mexico, China, and Japan. To the left of the screen was a number, it read 201,983.

'What's that number for?' asked Sam. Not very bright, is he? David thought to himself, and everyone else who heard him seemed to agree, most just shook their heads slowly and subtlety.

'Number of people confirmed dead.' answered David in a clinical tone of voice, devoid of emotion. Even as he said this, the number blinked off, then reappeared. It then counted upwards, 210,000... 220,000... 230,000... onwards it went, until it stopped. It now read 345,834. All around there were mutters of 'damn', and 'jesus' as people read the new figure.

'What story are we going with?' he asked one of the people.

'Freak meteor storm. We're also censoring the media as usual, scrambling a few random frequencies to add to realism of atmospheric disturbance from the meteors, and filing reports to place the blame on the UN and NASA.'

'Hmm, that'll have to do, but that isn't going...'

'Sir!' called another officer on the other side of the bridge, 'We just received an urgent transmission from our long-range sensor platform on Mars, they've picked up an armada of Titan vessels, heading directly for us! They must have tracked him...' David cut him off, 'How long till they intercept us?'

'They're moving at incredible speed, two minutes until they're within boarding range!'

'Can they pursue us into the Transwarp tunnels?'

'Erm... No sir, they don't have enough shielding, they'd be torn apart.'

'Take us in. Once we're in, take the second left, then hang a right at junction four.'

'Yes sir.'

David turned round to regard Joe, Nick, Sam, and James. 'You four, come with me.'

Two hours later...
Joe, Nick, Sam, and James sat in the observation lounge alone eating their dinners. David had instructed them on how to use the food dispensers, and left, but not before he'd promised to find out whether their families were allright or not. All four of them just sat there, picking over their meals.
The doors to the room rumbled open, very much unlike the smooth swishing sound one would imagine, and in wandered David, looking very despondent, and looking as if he was carrying the weight of the universe on his shoulders.
Almost immediately everyone started asking about their families, and it took some time for him to be able to get himself heard.

'Alright... Alright!!! Will you please for god's sake let me speak! Thank You.' He looked around, taking everyone's faces, until he eventually spoke, and when he did, his voice was filled with something rare for him, emotion. He fixed his stare upon Joe.
'I am truly sorry Joe, honestly I am... but your family was caught in the attack. They are currently listed as missing, however I have tasked some of the Fleet's Elite Intelligence Units to see if they can find them... but I.. I'm not holding out any hope.'

With all due credit to him, Joe's face remained an expressionless mask, but David didn't need to being empathic, even though he had a mild empathic ability thanks to his implants, to know that Joe was deeply upset.
'What... What about your... family?' asked Joe earnestly, in an uncharacteristic display of concern for another. This took David by surprise.

'My family', he took a deep breath, 'My family is confirmed dead, by both British Police, and Fleet Intelligence.'

David, unable to stand the strain any longer, took a seat at the head of the table. He gestured for the others to do the same. He sat there for a few moments trying to calm himself, before he even dared to speak.

'I'll bring you up to speed with what is going on, in a minute, but first I must say, I truly am sorry for tearing you all away from your family and friends, but I hope in time you can come to understand what I did, and forgive me.' David continued, 'I've arranged for each of you to be transferred off this ship once we've reached our destination. You will board the luxury liner Heart of Gold, and she'll take you all the way to the planet New Terra. There you will each be given accommodation in a normal tower block, and assigned a Rovent. Any questions?'

'Yeh,' asked Joe, 'What's a Rovent?'

'A Rovent,' replied David, 'Is a mix of the words Robot and Servent. A Rovent is a robotic servent that cooks, cleans, tidies, pretty much does all the household work you need. They can accompany you if you like wherever you go, and they are sentient. That means they think for themselves, so be polite and kind to them. Anything else?'

Everyone just sat there, thinking things over. David let them sit there for a minute, before going over to a wall panel and pushing a button.

'Mr Garak, please meet me in the observation lounge, bring your tailors kit.'

'Tailors kit?' asked Joe again.

'With clothing like what your wearing now, you all stand out like sore thumbs among the general populace' smiled David before sitting back down.
Everyone suddenly looked down at their clothes, their faces looking as if the realization that they were in a different world now apparent on their faces. It was strangely comical, so David couldn't help but to smile wider.

'Before Garak arrives though, I have to tell you, he isn't human. He is a Cardassian.'

'Cardassian?' echoed Joe.

'Yes. He was originally an agent for the Elite Cardassian Intelligence service known as the Obsidian Order. A few years ago however, he was exiled from the State, and he joined the Fleet as a tailor. He's just on this ship on his way back to Deep Space Nine, he owns a shop there. Might as well put him to use seeing as how he's bored and threatening to sabotage something out of boredom.' Almost as soon as David had said this, the doors opened, and in walked Garak.

He could quite easily be described as a humanoid with a head, torso, two arms and legs, and had a vague resemblance to a human being, but that's where it ended. His skin was a mottled grey complexion, and protruding off his forehead was a raised being of skin-covered bone resembling a spoon, flanked by two vertical ridges that started from the ends of his eyebrows, and finished at the top of his forehead. At the same time, protruding from his neck, were ridges either side than ran over his traps, giving him that appearance of a Cobra. In contrast however to his odd and mildly fearsome appearance, he carried a pleasant air about him, and wore a friendly smile on his face that had an air of mischievousness about it.

'Ah Captain,' he greeted, addressing David, 'Before I forget, I must tell you that in relation to your order, NOTHING beats Ti'lonian silk for warmth, and if you change your mind about that new uniform, i'll keep it on hold for you.'

'Thank You Mister Garak,' David replied with an embarrassed smirk on his face, 'But I need you to sort out civilian clothing for this lot here.' he answered, gesturing down the table to the others sat there with dumbstruck appearances on their faces.

'Oh my oh my...' Garak said in a mocking tone, whilst taking a comical double take as if he'd just noticed they were there, 'What god awful styling. I must say captain your planet really does have an abundance of awful and downright disgusting. I bet your all wearing boxers?'
Joe, Nick, Sam, and James looked down, and answered yeh and maybe.

'I thought So!' exclaimed Garak, 'I thought so... hmmm... I must tell you now that briefs and thongs are all the rage lately, and in no particular order between the genders I can tell you. If you give me an hour alone with these fashion luddites, I'll have them looking snazzy in no time!'

'Please Garak,' David pleaded, 'I just need them to blend in.'

'All right, All Right!' surrendered Garak, 'Just blending in, but I must say, your letting a good style go to waste this season.

'Please, just place the charges on my account, now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.' And with that David left.

'Now,' said Garak, 'Strip!'