A Captains Folly - Part 2 (Short Story)
Many sets of hands restricted all movement. The captain tried desperately to push against the swarm, but he couldn't withstand the strength of the many.
"No, stop, you can't do this!" When physically stopping the mass of people proved impossible, pleading became his only option.
The crowd ignored his words, so he broke down and screamed, and shouted incoherently. The short burst expensed all of his energy, leaving him limp.
Scanning over the crowd, and seeing all the once trusted members of his team filled him with regret, but seeing the face of his second in command - the person who had been apart of his team the longest - the person who he had been training all this time - broke him.
Judging by the look in their eyes, the captain could tell he felt guilt for his betrayal.
Many thoughts swirled through the captains mind, and he barely noticed one of the crew stepping up to the command console, as they prepared to drop from their jump.
"No, you can't! We need to get to a safer system." The captain said.
"You are no longer fit to lead this vessel, or this crew. Your rank has been stripped, and with that, you opinions do not matter." They replied.
As they finished they turned back to the console and disengaged the jump.
The ship shuddered and shirked. The captain felt the grip of the ones holding him, loosen. He fell forward with the force of leaving their jump, and out of the grip that previously held him suspended.
He crawled on his hands and knees, and nobody seemed to notice him. He could hear the odd sigh of relief, before a cheer broke out among the entire crew. All but him were happy.
As he made it to his command console, he fingered the chart. Where the hell are we. He wondered, and then the nav-systems flickered to life after its brief update.
Zim'Marador.
It was far from a safe system. Far from a civilized system. Far from a habitable planet. Really, it was only a pass by system. Many years before it had been mined of any and all valuable resources; like many systems that were harvested, it was left a worthless husk.
"Throw our old captain in the hold, while I figure out a punishment for the attempted murder of a ship full of people."
The captain turned around to face them.
"You have no idea what you've done to us, you fool." He said, completely lost and taken aback.
"I know I saved us,"
"Some systems are malfunctioning," one of the crew said.
"Life support is operational, but our jump state systems are fried." Another said.
"What does that mean?" They asked.
"It means that we are now stuck traveling base speed, and are far from any habitable world." The captain said. "Our rations won't last the time it takes to find a dock."
"Well, we'll have one less mouth to feed pretty soon!" Through squinted eyes he shouted and snapped his fingers. "Take him away, now!"
Perhaps they will mutiny again and reinstate the old captain when they realize how stuck they are? Or maybe they will be able to make repairs and jump away?
I have a pretty good idea for this story, and I think it'll turn out to be a fairly good one, filled with a few twists and turns.
I've kind of gone back to the drawing board a bit though, because I thought of the idea before working on character names, or a ship name. Before I continue with this, I'll think up some names for them.
Sometimes names or people and places are really difficult for me. I'll get stuck trying to come up with something believable or that feels right for the character and I just can't. Then realize later that it's really all the same to the reader because it's our world we are bringing them into and our characters we are introducing them to. Generally it works out as long as it's not something crazily outlandish!
Good luck and looking forward to reading the next episode! !PIZZA
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