IMPALA (Farside Saga: Book One)

...The dark-gray suited figure sat in his large swivel chair in his office staring out his nano-transparent wall overlooking a stadium-sized docking bay. Hundreds of robots and machinery moved across the floor working the conveyor lines housing the fighters. He admired the organized chaos as the tugs towed the cargo to their assigned areas and disappeared behind walls and panels. After a while, the robots and machinery disappeared in the walls leaving the docking bay barren but knowing that it housed hundreds of cutlass class starfighters and enough supplies to start off their journey. There were thirty bays somewhat identical to this one along both sides of his large ship. Just then the intercom on his desk chimed. Holding a chrome colt .45 loosely in his lap. The same gun that has been passed along as an heirloom through his family's history. He slowly brought the gun to his mouth and pulled the trigger spraying blood and brain matter all across the office. He had the sound in the room dampened and internal sensors turned off in his office so no one was the wiser as to what was happening. The gun slowly fell to his lap as the blood and brain matter began to disappear. The gaping hole in his head slowly began to close as his intercom chimed for the 7th time. He swung around and pressed the receive icon.

"We're ready sir. Cleared for departure lane 7. They wish us the best of luck sir." The voice said.

"On my way." He responded, ending the connection.

He stood up, still holding the gun checking the ammo (3 shots left), then placed the gun back in his bottom drawer. He looked around his spartan like office before heading out the door with a heavy sigh......

"Disengage the docking clamps and move us from station half quarter impulse." The captain said as he settled into his chair. He cocked his head to the side.

"Danny, line us up with lane seven and take us out on my mark, let me know when ready and what is that humming I'm hearing?" He said as he continued listening.

"Sir yes sir......" the ship's A.I. said in a cheery tone.

"...and that humming you're hearing is the delegate and his daughter in the council chambers. It appears they're celebrating the maiden voyage." Danny continued in the same tone. "Somebody's happy." The captain said.

"Just glad to be out that box..." Danny said making a sound the equivalent of a shutter. ".....besides, can't wait to see what my new shoes can do....speaking of which, we're pulling up riiiight aboooouuuuttttt now." He continued excitedly.

Chuckling to himself, the captain gave his order.

"Engage thrusters....prime main engine and warm up the stardrive."

The crew busied themselves with their orders while Danny calculated the departure and exit points. The ship gave an unnoticed lurch as it began to move forward. The captain stared out the view screen as the ship glided slowly past the lane lights towards open space. They cleared station's traffic lanes and set their course.

"Main engines ready, star drive is online." The engineer said over his shoulder.

"Engage the main engine and take us to jump point." The captain ordered.

"Main engines engaged. E.T.A. to jump point 3hrs 27mins." The helmsman announced.

The large twin turbine arc electric generators slowly grew to an imperceptible whine as the two quarter-mile diameter thrusters lit up. Staring out the viewscreen, at first the view of Jupiter and its rings was just as pristine as a still image against the darkness of space, then out of nowhere, it disappeared and the stars began streaking by in ribbons of light giving it a tunnel-like effect but before anyone could make any comments on its sheer beauty, the ship was rocked violently and started to slowly pitch and roll over to the right. Normal stars slowly spun passed the flickering view screen as the captain and his bridge crew tried to regain themselves.