RoustWriter: Blog

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

..."You idiot," the Commander screamed into his communicator. "I cracked the hatch and tossed in a notepad. There might be a few molecules of it left floating around in the air. The mutiny defenses are still very much active."

Both beings' thoughts were quite similar. As soon as this is over, I will kill him.

Determined to have access to the Bridge, the Commander and his Paladin crew boarded his fighter, expecting to enter an airlock farther along the giant ship and bypass the mutiny defenses. It didn't take long for them to find that all airlocks other than the flight deck were still locked and unresponsive.

"The airlocks still do not respond," he told the Captain via the aliens' equivalent of radio.

"We knew that already," the Captain told him.

"So? Override them."

"The First must have put in some type of lockout. My commands to override still do not work," the Captain admitted.

After a string of expletives, the Commander returned to the flight deck where the Paladin crews were becoming more and more restless, several threatening to launch without permission. The Commander drew and executed the most verbal. "You will not launch now and use up half your energy reserves just crossing this system. The Captain is moving us toward this Earth under impulse power. Now throw this piece of crap out the airlock and think about what disobeying my orders will get you."...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

..."What about the General?" Ann asked.

"He's had some meetings with people who have already been blocked, but telling a high-level politician that aliens might attack is akin to Chicken Little crying that the sky is falling. Even if Whitworth is believed, there is nothing that Earth can do other than having endless meetings to see which politician can get the edge over another one.

"I know that he has talked to several military commanders in other countries, but again, what can they do? Your interceptors and Ship will win this, or Earth will lose. Hell, we might go down in history as the ones who started an interstellar war."

"Or finished it," Arlene grimly said. "We will win. If those assholes attack this planet, they are going to regret it. I want Earth to do the history writing, not a group of aliens from halfway across the galaxy, or wherever they came from."

"That makes two of us," Jeff agreed. "Let's get the family aboard and see if I can contact that ship. We might as well see if we can find out what they're really up to."...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...Deep Space - The Alien Mother Ship

The Paladin Commander groggily came to his feet, cursing as the alarm for Battle Stations blared yet again.

"I will kill that son-of-a-bitch." (Interpreted). But griping would do little good for several reasons: (1) The First Officer was awake too, so there was no sympathy there, (2) The First Officer outranked him, and if they did manage to get back to Base, those complaints on him (the Commander) would be read, even if they were initiated by the First Officer who would soon be dead, and those charges would be investigated since the High Command always investigated. And (3), he, the Paladin Commander, couldn't get to the First Officer, anyway. The bastard still has the mutiny defenses operative. But maybe - just maybe I will get my chance…

The Commander sprinted to the lead Paladin and clambered aboard. He was third. How can they have beaten me? I fucking ran all the way. Shortly, his crew had initiated their restraints and activated their guns, but he still had to wait until all the other Paladins were ready and his board had cleared.

"Better," the First Officer's voice came over the channel, "if… you were racing my Grandfather." (Interpreted) "We have all watched the recording of these Earthlings' practice. Do you think you will be able to sleep - as you seem to be doing - while you engage them? According to our instruments, they were frequently traveling at up to one-half light speed and sometimes beyond. Their fighters have fewer guns and are smaller than our glorious Paladins, but you cannot shoot what you cannot catch up to, and probably sometimes will not even be able to see. If they attack our ship, where will our Paladins' crews be? Oh, that is right. They will be in their bunks asleep," he snarled out sarcastically.

There was a long pause before the First continued, "The next drill will be a full launch. I have instructed the computer to set a random time that none of us will be able to anticipate. Dismissed!"

The Commander didn't even bother to grumble. It didn't do any good, anyway...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

...The nearer that thing comes to Earth, the more frustrated I become. I'm not a General who sits back and waits while his people go out to investigate. I'm the guy who takes his team out and gets things done. "I fucking want to shoot something," Jeff mumbled half-aloud.

A few minutes later just past two A.M., found him on the basement range, his Colt .45 hammering out 230 grain hollow point slugs as he took his frustration out on a target while wishing it were the aliens. At twenty-five yards and with the unconscious assistance of his TK locking the weapon down as if it were in a vise, he blew the center of the target away at a rate of fire that approached the unbelievable category and beyond.

After running five magazines through his pistol, he swept up his brass and dumped it into the .45 can, ready to be reloaded. After reloading his magazine, he was still not sleepy, so he made a pot of coffee, poured a cup and sat to drink it while he cleaned his weapon.

The door opened and Aiko stepped through, shooting tray in hand, only to freeze when she realized the range was not empty despite the time. "I am so sorry. I assumed the range would be vacant at this time of day. I will come back later."...

Have a goodun;

Roust

This week with Arlene and Jeff:

..."Helm, send the coordinates of the object to the Paladin Commander's systems."

"Sent," Helm acknowledged.

"All Paladins, engage and destroy the nearby small planetoid."

The Paladin crews' response time was even worse than that of the other crews.

Cursing, the First stared at the time as he waited for the first Paladin to launch. "They are awake back there?" he sarcastically asked his Second.

"I am beginning to wonder," the Second responded...

Have a goodun;

Roust