Star flight

Chapter eight: into the dark

After buying their food and supplies they sat at the mess hall table, Lexan drank chub berry whiskey while the others drank mist water.

"Raan, I think it's time you told us about the dead space" Lexan said after pouring another cup of whiskey, he sighed and sipped his water, gathering his thoughts.

"You know that the arm of the galaxy that we live in is called 'the Milky Way' correct?" "yes" linn said pouring Raan another cup "well, inside every galaxy is something called 'dead space' because there's nothing there" Lexan pushed his cup away and waved him on "a long time ago, when humans first started to explore the galaxy, they came across the dead space for the Milky Way"

He paused and looked out the window and continued "they had an ingenious way of getting through it, as they went, they placed what's known as star beacons down as they went"

"These things were a marvel, they turned darkness into light, all a traveler had to do was follow the star beacons but......" "something happened to them, didn't they?" Lexan said calmly "malfunctions were common, but they always turned on again, only this time, they didn't" "okay, but I feel as if we're missing something" linn said, sipping her own drink, Raan said nothing, just stared at her "Raan" Lexan said, as a thought struck him.

"Yes, Lexan?" "what happened to the people on the line at the time?" Raan grimaced "they went mad, they ran out of everything, food, water....sanity" "how did they survive?" Raan sighed and said "for food? they ate each other. they also found that the blood can be drank if generations are exposed to it, they turned into cannibals and vampires"

There was a silence that was punctured only by kis'na gnawing a bone "how do people get through? and surely they would have died when their.....food, ran out" Raan shivered and said "the star beacons were repaired and people still use them....occasionally, when they have no other choice" "do.....do we?" linn asked "do we what?" Raan asked confused "do we have a choice" linn said softly.

"How I wish I could say yes, but the planet were going to, and hopefully that cursed place, is in the only star system to ever have a star that burns darkness......the malga star" "that's just a myth!" linn said shocked "the malga star was never found" "and neither has the pla'gr shone, but look at the evidence around you! even your father believes it!" Raan said loudly "enough!" Lexan said "we're allies, not enemies, Raan, what else do you know?" Raan took a deep breath.

"The dead space is over four hundred thousand light years wide, but like any star system, the sun should be in the middle" "is that all?" "there's one other thing......the planets around the star are called 'hive planets'" "whys that?" linn said "because of the insect horde known as the ins'tara" Raan said with uncharacteristic coldness to his voice.

"Are they intelligent?" Lexan asked "not really, all they do is seek out home worlds to grow their increasing colonies" "so, they have a hive complex?" linn asked "yes, they only seek to survive, but do it in the cruelest and most terrible way they can.....the planets are first stripped of every thing, wood, rock, water, when they are certain that they had created a dessert world, they take the inhabitants and use them as a food source"

Raan paused and added "they also pulp others to make the structural security of the queens chamber" there was silence "what....what do you mean, pulp?" linn asked quietly.

Raan gave a sigh and said quietly "they much them up and spit their remains onto the walls of the queen chamber, it also acts as a secondary food source for the queen in times of famine"

There was a disgusted silence, linn looked sick, Lexan reached over and gave her hand a squeeze "are you alright?" he asked, general concern in his voice "that's.....horrible" "I know" Raan said "and to make matters worse, thats where we have to head" Lexan nodded and said "okay, how long from here to there?" "about three thousand meters" was the reply, Lexan stood and stretched "in that case, can you plot a course till we're just at the edge?" "That would be the dead planet Titan, its uninhabited due to infrequent volcanic activity, but the moon has a way station" "we won't need to stay, just form a game plan and such"

Raan said good night and left to do as asked, while linn still looked out the window, visibly disturbed "honey" he said softly, kneeling in front of her "I know that look, you don't want to go, do you?" "I....no, I don't, but as you and Raan say, we really don't have a choice" he smiled and kissed her lips softly "that's right, but if you want, I can put you into stasis until its over?" "no! what do you take me for?" she said hotly, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

He was shocked "it was only a suggestion! no need to bite my head off" her face cleared and she looked embarrassed "sorry.....I.....really don't know where that came from" "its okay, let's head off for some sleep....." she smiled and patted kis'na who grumbled and followed

***

There it was......the dead space. in front of them was a huge expanse of blackness that seemed to send its tendrils out only to retreat back as if hurt by the light of the few brave ships that passed into it, all heavily armed and guarded against the poor monsters that had eaten flesh and drank blood.

"It's....." linn tried to say, but catching her throat "big" Lexan said softly.

Raan looked out the window while standing behind them "well" Lexan said calmly "standing here gawking isn't going to get us any closer" and with that he eased the ship behind a huge transport ship with forty inch guns and plasma machine repeaters.

The plan was simple, follow the traffic until a special sensor told them to turn off (the star beacons were all over the place and led every where, even to the hive worlds) once there, they would scan for high concentration of bacteria or sickness and investigate the ones with the highest content.

As they went, the radar picked up a small ship heading towards them. Lexan waited, and when a warning beep sounded, he, with reflexes like a cat, swooped down and back up, turned and fired on the busted ship ship.

The security escort arrived and helped, then left without a word keeping up with the line "that was odd" "their not supposed to talk to us, its a discipline thing, keeps their minds on the job" Raan said.

As the traveled, they encounter several more of these attacks "you know, if ever these guys organized and banded together, they'd be a formidable foe" Lexan said after blowing up yet another ship "thankfully" Raan added "they do not"

It was the most nerve racking and painstaking trip that they had ever encountered, it was eerie and every little beep of the radar caused them to jump, even kis'na was nervous and she could see better in the foggy dark better then any of them.

Then, there came the slow beeping that indicated that they designated turn off was coming, this caused one battle class eagle fighter to drop back and follow, the person opened a com link and said "the information you are about to recive is classified, this ship is known as a neural fighter, meaning that this ship has no pilot, and is operated by the thoughts of a single person in base"

"Please be aware that this ship has an auto return feature after four months, if your business is not completed by then, you will be stranded here, if this occurrs, please do not panic, but follow the star beacons back the way you have come and merge with the main traffic system, this message will repeat in four hours" then, it was silent.

They looked at each other, the straight ahead, and pushed on.

Authors note: okay lads and lassies, next chapter will be a species log, I need your help choosing, it can be any of the other previously made, minus the vorgons, or it can be the ins'tara, the new race :) again, if no one votes, ill choose for you, until then! adios!