OMEGA CONQUEST®
A text version of the space fantasy podcast. - Episode 2 - "A Good Moon Day"
“Hold up. You expect me to fly this thing with no main gun?” X-Tra responded in protest.
“No worries, X. We’ve got a superior weapon this mission. This time we’re armed with…the element of surprise,” said Shok’aan.
“The element of what?” X-Tra grumbled into the commlink unamused.
“Bossman with the jokes,” Raven said shaking his head in disgust.
“And we must hurry to maintain that edge. Both of you to the bridge, now,” Desik said over comms.
X-Tra and Raven dropped their tools and headed for the lift at the far end of the hangar.
The flight deck level was the widest section of Starship BLISS. Horizontally opposed to the main hull, it encompassed both wings and some of the ship’s center mass where the lift was located. Each wing contained a hangar customized to house an Atom Starfighter. The Atom, standard workhorse of the NOF (New Order Federation) fleet, was built to link together with other NOF vessels, as was the case with BLISS, which was an NOF military vessel disguised as a luxury ‘space yacht’. When the Atoms were docked/linked with BLISS, the rear-facing engines remained exposed and functional increasing BLISS’s max power.
Constructed in three main sections, Starship BLISS’s wings/flight deck area was shaped like a boomerang attached to a longer main hull, which was deep enough to house multi-level living quarters. The third section, the bridge/communications cap, was integrated near the top of the ship in standard-g configuration. It was a clean, tasteful mixture of curves and angles with a slight backward-leaning stance, making her look elegant and fast even while standing (relatively) still.
On the bridge, all team members except for Meccai stood around a circular situation-table where holographic images floated just above the lighted surface. Meccai remained at the helm guiding the ship while listening intently to the youngsters discussing the mission behind him.
Dezik brought up a hologram map of the moon which showed two step-pyramids and a large slave ship docked at one of them.
“We found two trading outposts marked by these pyramid structures. Currently there’s only one slave ship on the moon’s surface docked here at the larger pyramid,” said Dezik.
“So, we blow the pyramids, and everybody goes home. It’s not like the RE (Royal Empire) is going in and rounding up natives on their own,” said Raven.
“We’re not here to destroy indigenous structures nor to be culturally disruptive if we can avoid it,” said Shok’aan.
“If their culture is to sell each other into slavery, and we’re here to stop slavery, then we’re going to be disrupting,” Raven said. “It’s always messy when the natives have adopted slave trade as a way of life. Never understood why they do that to themselves.”
“You don’t need to understand,” said Dezik. “You need only understand your job.”
“Just saying, why would they sell their own people into slavery unless that’s their culture?” Raven asked.
“Imagine if some alien race showed up at your home world offering high-tech weapons in exchange for enslaving your enemies and offered the same deal to your enemies? It’s help enslave THEM before they enslave YOU,” said Shok’aan. “Classic divide and conquer.”
“Except these people have been divided for eons so that just leaves the conquer part, which the RE is exceedingly efficient at,” said Dezik. “Sinister yet effective.”
“The Alphan Way,” MayJay chimed in.
Raven sighed in frustration realizing the others would likely never understand his point of view. ‘If only they had the benefit of a don’s more nuanced, high-minded perspective,’ he thought. “How do we save people from slavery if they’re already engaged in the trade?” he said.
“We save them one star system, one planet, one Being at a time,” said Shok’aan. “The trading posts remain secondary targets. First and foremost, we need to stop that slave ship from a rendezvous with that RE battle cruiser waiting in orbit.
MayJay, once you and Raven are on board the slave ship, disable it first, worry about freeing the captives second. And whatever you do, do not let that slave ship leave the surface. Understood?”
“Question,” said Raven. “What are the rest of you doing while we’re busy saving all these lives?”
“The rest of us will be busy saving yours…from that battle cruiser,” said Dezik.
“We need an air drop, and we need to keep it stealth. Nobody does both those things better than you two,” said Shok’aan.
Raven raised an eyebrow and half nodded in agreement, almost satisfied with Shok’aan’s assessment.
“Alright NOOBeing, let’s get it done,” said Shok’aan. “As-
“-One,” said everyone in unison.
***
X-Tra was sitting in Atom-1's cockpit preparing the fighter for launch. There wasn’t enough time to perform a full preflight workup, so he focused on only the most crucial of systems, which in his opinion was the music system. X-Tra scrolled through a list of songs on the screen in front of him, trying to find the perfect soundtrack for their mission. Before joining NOOBeing, X-Tra was a known DJ/selector around Omega Star System. He believed the right beat was the key ingredient to the best fight and flight plans. He selected a fast-paced song with a driving bass. He turned it way up, and the bass boomed through the hangar like war drums preceding an ancient battle.
At the far end of the hangar, MayJay and Raven exited the lift walking nonchalantly toward Atom-1. The loud music was so infectious Raven and MayJay couldn’t resist the urge to bounce a bit to the beat as they walked. X-Tra’s music selection served a few purposes. It helped them relax before tense missions. It helped them all get in sync with each other and most importantly music helped NOOBs better connect with Source Energy, which was the root of their special abilities. A N.O.O.B. (Neuro-Ontological-Original/Source-Biologic) carried defective genetics which failed to sufficiently sever their connection to original-source (creation-of-the-universe) energy during their 3rd dimension incarnation.
Normally, the connection to source is mostly blocked so that Beings can experience the illusion of separation allowing the soul to learn and grow as an individual without actually being separated from Source. Nearly all matter in a galaxy is creation-of-creation-of-creation…but on the rarest of occasions Original-Source energy going all the way back to the very beginning bleeds through into a sentient being causing the NOOB effect. First-creation energy manifested inside sentient beings as what would appear to be ‘special abilities’ but in actuality was merely the power to re-create local reality in real-time. A NOOB’s abilities were tied to that soul’s unique expression and varied widely like any other phenotypical characteristics. The stronger a NOOB’s connection to Source Energy, the more powerful their abilities. Meditation and music were two of the simplest ways for NOOBs to increase their Source connection. Since group meditation wasn’t feasible for warriors in the heat of battle, most often, for NOOBeing, music was the Way.
Walking next to MayJay, Raven didn’t appear nearly as small as he did in comparison to X-Tra. He looked almost tallish next to her wearing his trademark all black outfit. Raven’s wiry frame was streamlined with lean, well-toned muscles; He looked to be built for efficiency rather than power. Whenever possible, Raven wore his signature black wide-brimmed hat to top off his ensemble of custom fits with special openings at the top of his back to accommodate his barely noticeable extra appendages. In a motion that was part ritual, part instinct, Raven reached down to check both sidearm blazer pistols he wore on each hip in a gangster-style double gun belt. Aside from Dezik who only wore a sidearm occasionally as part of a formal NOF military uniform, Raven was the only team member who relied on ordinary blazer pistols as his primary weapons.
“Ready for another one of Shok’aan's suicide marches?” said Raven.
“Suicide? All these missions later and you're still alive to complain about him,” MayJay said. She also carried a tiny blazer pistol smaller than the palm of her hand. She checked its full/ready status then tucked it into a tight pocket on the thigh of her dark blue body suit that fit so tight it was like an additional layer of skin. “Shok’aan hasn't failed us yet.”
“Yet,” said Raven. “He'll fail. Everybody does. Only I’m not trying to be around to see it.”
“You planning a holiday?” said MayJay.
Raven didn't answer.
“When you go, you better find a way to leave that neuro-badge behind. Otherwise…” MayJay mouthed an explosion sound and gestured likewise with her hand.
“Hurry up! This ain’t no stroll in the park!” X-Tra yelled from inside the open cockpit.
MayJay and Raven started running across the hangar toward Atom-1.
“I got waybacks,” said MayJay.
“Not if I get there first,” Raven said. He liked to sit in the furthest back position because it meant MayJay had to sit in front of him between his legs; a position most men would enjoy in tight quarters with such an attractively built woman.
As the superior athlete, MayJay reached the ladder first and began a fast climb up to the cockpit. Before she could hop inside, Raven extended wings from the top of his back and sort of jump/flew himself right up into the seat before MayJay.
“You always cheat,” said MayJay as she squeezed into the seat with Raven.
Schloomp! The canopy slid shut and the engines powered up significantly.
“Stand by for separation,” X-Tra said. “Everybody, hold on to your butts.”
MayJay slammed her elbow into Raven’s rib so hard it might’ve cracked if his bones weren’t abnormally flexible. “He meant your own butt,” she said angrily.
Raven couldn’t think of a witty response. He couldn’t breathe nor speak even if he wanted to, given the fact she knocked the wind completely out of him. Raven gasped quietly for sips of air, trying to conceal his inability to breathe. Along with the excruciating pain, Raven was also concerned at how easily a woman without super-human strength was able to knock all the air out of his body with one strike. ‘MayJay’s combat lessons from Shok’aan were definitely paying off,’ he thought.
X-Tra touched a switch on the console and a catapult rose up through the floor and jettisoned Atom-1 backward out of Starship BLISS’s wing at high speed.
X-Tra kept Atom-1’s wings in the horizontal locked position, giving the fighter a more traditional fixed-wing stance, which handled better in thicker atmosphere and especially under water. X-Tra sent Atom-1 into a series of high stress wing-over-wing rolls; a sort of unofficial systems check. He figured if anything was going to malfunction, he wanted to know about it sooner rather than later. X-Tra ‘adopted’ Atom-1 as his own personal baby after his own ship was destroyed. X-Tra’s adoption, or rather stealing of the Atom Starfighter occurred when he was part of a system-wide extortion ring and DJ selector extraordinaire. After he was arrested and took the deal, the NOF returned the ship to him for use as Atom-1. Although X-Tra never officially own the ship, he’d made several outlaw modifications over the years and knew it like the back of his hand. He bolted on a bigger main gun, massive lumi-tube engines, and a sub-space navigation system, which was almost unheard of in a fighter-class ship. But best of all Atom-1 had the best sound system of any fighter in the galaxy. Custom multi-color sound bars lit up the psychedelic cockpit in sync with the music. X-Tra boasted that his system was so loud it could even be heard across the vacuum of space…almost, but not quite.
“Alright Noobeings. Let’s boogie,” X-Tra said as he aimed Atom-1 toward the surface. The fighter gained speed, engines powering to full throttle. Atom-1 pierced through the water’s surface like one of Meccai’s incalculably fast-moving throwing daggers. Atom-1 leveled off immediately and skimmed just above the surface at ultra-high speed.
MayJay stretched her neck to look behind them, and noticed an awful wake they were making across the water. Then in an instant the ocean scenery switched to a thickly wooded area with magenta color leaves on the trees that were pulled and bent like toys when the fast-moving fighter passed by close above. She thought about the many life forms may have lived in the trees that may have been disrupted or destroyed by Atom-1’s other worldly speed.
“Take us up. You’re disrupting the ecosystem,” MayJay said into commlink, which caused the music volume to lower automatically.
“Much higher and we’ll pop up on scans. I’ll see if we can find a sweet spot,” X-Tra answered.
“You’re quiet, Raven” said MayJay. “You caught your breath yet? Or did I really hurt you?”
“Nah, my ex hit twice as hard as you,” Raven said patting his chest as though her previous elbow strike had no affect. “But keep up that dragon dancing Shok’aan’s teaching you. Works good for you.”
“It’s not dragon dancing. It’s called way-walking,” she said.
“Whatever. With your body style, it’s good,” he said.
“Is Shok’aan promising to make you like a full-fledged she-dragon?” X-Tra asked.
“No. I don’t even think they let women become Chioto. It’s all so secretive. Shok’’s just showing me some basic combat techniques…not the good stuff.”
“It’s secret alright, must be some kind of dark magic,” said X-Tra. I mean how does Shok’aan have these powers but he’s not even a Noob?” said X-Tra.
“Dragons my friend. Dragons give Shok’aan all his power,” said Raven. “One thing I know for sure is do not trust him. He looks humanoid, but Chioto Warriors are not really human, not fully.”
“You ever go up against one?” said X-Tra.
“Never even seen one outside of Shok’aan. Very rare. Very dangerous. I heard they have some kind of ceremony where they die and then a dragon gets inside their body and brings them back to life. Never trust a man who’s of more than one mind,” said Raven.
MayJay laughed. “How can they die and come back to life? That can’t happen,” said MayJay.
“Truth. Because once you dead, you dead,” X-Tra said. “Although Shok’ almost did die on us once. You two were gone, tracking that ice freighter full of slaves. Shok’ got real sick, even started to look…different. They called his PULP. I thought it was last rites. But instead…”
“…Instead it was Diara to the rescue as usual. How’d she save him this time?” asked MayJay.
**(P.U.L.P. stood for Procreative Union / Life Partner; a strictly male-to-female life union for the primary purpose of procreation where a love bond may exist, but is not necessary)**
“She brought him some, uh…gross creatures to eat.” said X-Tra.
“More of that raw meat you like so much,” said Raven.
“Worse. It was still alive,” said X-Tra. “And I’d guess sentient. We was under attack. Shok’ was dying or changing into something else, and there was Diara barking orders at everyone like all of a sudden, she was boss. You know how she is.”
“Well, in her defense, she’s a Queen, or used to be. That’s how they’re raised, to take charge like that,” MayJay said.
“She gave Shok’aan the slimy, squealing stuff, and it got real quiet. Next time I see him he’s good as new,” said X-Tra.
Raven shook his head as he stared out the canopy at the magenta blur of trees whizzing by on the surface. “Sounds unstable,” Raven said. “All the more reason I’ll soon be taking leave of Shok’aan and his Noobeings.”
“Here you go dreaming again. You. Ain’t. Going. Nowhere, brother. Your stuck like the rest of us,” said X-Tra. “Dez and Shok’ will hunt you to the edge of the galaxy and into the next if they have to.”
“Or they just blow up that neuro badge implant inside you,” said MayJay.
“I do not fear, Shok’aan and Commander Dezik,” Raven said. “You both need to get over your fear and consider joining me. ‘The Don’ could always use top warriors like yourselves.”
“The Don? Stop bro. I mean we all play along with you and let you call yourself a pretend don, but you’re going too far saying you know 'THEE Don’. It's a myth. Everybody knows there's no unbeatable gunfighter called ‘The Don’. He doesn't exist so get out’ta here with that,” said X-Tra.
“Or maybe she? Maybe 'The Don' is a she?” said MayJay.
“He, she, it? It ain't no such thing. Bird man, you’re flying too high if you thinks we’re dumb enough to believe you actually know 'THE DON’," X-Tra said.
“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t. All myths are based on some truth,” Raven said plainly.
“Raven, see this is why no one can take you seriously,” MayJay said.
“To be clear, we’re talking ‘THEE DON’, the fastest-gun-in-the galaxy don, that no that one has ever seen?” said X-Tra.
“Is there any other worth speaking about?” Raven responded.
“How can you know them if nobody's ever seen them?” said MayJay.
"People see ‘The Don’,” Raven said. “Only it’s right before he kills you.”
"Then you can't know 'The Don' because if you actually saw them, you'd be dead," MayJay said.
Raven thought for a moment while gazing out the canopy at the moon’s pale blue sky. MayJay did have a point. Then it hit him, Raven noticed his reflection staring back at him in the canopy window. He smiled at his reflection and said, "You are correct. I have never actually seen 'The Don'...But I've seen his reflection many, many times."
MayJay and X-Tra both laughed.
“You?” X-Tra said in a doubting tone. “You are not the fastest gun in the galaxy. We’re your partners, Raven. You’re good and everything, but we’ve seen you lose a gunfight before.”
“Multiple times,” MayJay added. “Besides, if ‘The Don’ was real there is no way, and I mean no possible way someone that gifted would ever allow themselves to get captured and sent to a prison colony.”
Raven stared out the canopy recounting the time he spent in prison. MayJay’s pinprick of truth had pierced his bubble of fantasy. “Your point is valid,” he said. His forlorn stare mere indication of the horror he faced while chained up in one of the worst prison-planets known to humankind. He sighed, then gazed at his reflection once more, forcing it to smile back at him. “Unless,” Raven said, his face washed in hope, "unless maybe ‘The Don’ had a bad day.”
MayJay and X-Tra laughed.
“A bad day? You just turned mine into a good day 'cause you made me laugh, Don Raven. No matter what happens from here, it's been a good moon day,” X-Tra said as he checked the warning beacon flashing on the console. “We’re coming up on the drop zone. I’m gonna grab some altitude. Get ready to deploy.”
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