Starstorm: Adventures in Space (PG-14) - Original Sci-fi Story
I figured I may as well post this here as well, seeing as this is my latest project and will probably be updated a heck of a lot more than the actual pokemon one. So here we go!
Starstorm
Adventures in Space
Prologue: First Contact
Just outside of the Violite System, 2587
In the vast and spacious vacuum that is outer space, a lone spaceship travelled through the empty darkness like a metal leaf floating down a black stream. The ship was impressive for its size, a small vessel designed only to carry a single being. The metal coat had seen better days, and although the sturdy substance would never give way, faint signs of rust were beginning to show on its weathered edges. This rust did nothing but improve the presence of the ship - it emanated the radiance of an experienced vessel with more than a fair share of danger below its metal belt. And painted on the underside of the ship were the words: the SS FLIEGON-SCHWEIN.
The insides of the ship were nothing like that of its outward appearance. The ship had only four rooms: a small control room, a cosy, sophisticated living room, a compact bedroom and a large supply room that doubled as a privy - even spacemen have to go sometimes. And the spaceman in question was a surprising small thing, so much so that if you saw him at the controls of such an impressive vehicle, you would fall of off your little seat with overwhelming laughter.
The laughable man sat at the controls to the ship, his long mouth bent into a frown in deep concentration, his beady eyes manically twitching as he pressed buttons and pulled levers with masterful accuracy and knowledge. His large, almost sausage shaped nose trembled at his sudden movements, and for all of the small man's comical features, the immediate impression given off by him at that time was one of desperate seriousness. His short, messy hair was lit up by flashing lights on the console.
The lights in question read, "WARNING: LOW POWER. 5% REMAINING.", which of course, was a very bad thing. The spaceman, in his complex protective suit and with glasses firmly atop his head, groaned as the lights continued to flash.
"Oh dear," he sighed, in German, "I'm not going to make it home after all. In fact, I won't be making it anywhere today, apart from maybe the afterlife. A fatal error on my part. I've completely misjudged the fuel allowances." The man wasn't bothered at all that he was talking to himself: there wasn't anybody at all he could talk to in space apart from himself. So the man continued in his fiddling, the warning lights flashing ever brighter until finally he eyed a large red button on the far side of the controls.
"No, you shouldn't," he scolded himself, but he continued to stare at the button. "But, I have no choice." With a dramatic leap, the spaceman pushed down on the button, and the lights flickered off, leaving him in darkness.
For a while, the ship hung in a suspenseful silence. Then suddenly, the lights flicked back on, and a new light flashed on the monitor: "OVERDRIVE MODE ACTIVATED". The engines and thrusters blared to life, propelling the ship forwards at an incredible rate as the spaceman strapped himself into position with one hand whilst still manically pressing buttons with the other. The ship moved surprisingly smoothly, and the man was never once flung from his seat or even knocked about. The SS FLIEGON-SCHWEIN had taken flight.
The battered wings of the ship extended, providing the vehicle with enough control for it to edge towards the planetary system in front of it. The thrusters angled themselves as the spaceman pulled and swung joysticks on the control panel. Soon, the ship was approaching a series of planets aside a calm, orange sun.
"Computer!" he yelled, even though he could easily have whispered for the device to pick him up. "Scan the planets for suitability! I need oxygen levels, gravity, if you'd please." In front of him, a large screen slid down from the ceiling, and computer code ran unrelentlessly across it. Soon, the spaceman was presented with eight planets, and his long mouth fell open in shock. He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
"I can't believe what I am seeing!" the spaceman said, "To have all of the planets in one system so... suitable, it must be a miracle of science!" Yanking the screen out of the way carelessly, the man squinted out of the screen in front of him. He soon gave up, and slotted his glasses onto his long nose, blinking as his eyes adjusted. But finally he could see the world properly, and he steered the Fliegon-schwein towards a large planet that looked almost identical to Earth.
"This planet looks almost identical to Earth," he muttered under his breath, "so let's hope it gives me a heroes welcome like Earth would!" With a manic grin upon his comical features, the man let out a cry of determination, and pushed forwards hard on the two central joysticks, his cry turning into a scream as he lurched backwards. The ship dashed forwards at an incredible speed, heading straight for the planet in front of him. For the first time, the ride was starting to get bumpy.
The spaceman jumped around in his seat as the small ship entered the planets atmosphere. Struggling to turn his head through the g-force, he scanned the warning messages once more: they read, "WARNING: LOW POWER. 2% REMAINING.". "Still enough," the man grunted, pulling the joysticks even more as the ship increased in speed again. For any other man, the controls would be a nightmare to memorize. For the spaceman, it was second nature.
Finally, pushing through the clouds, the man and his weathered spaceship arrived at the planet surface. The sea was vast and impressive like the Earth's very own, but this sea was tinged a pale green colour. Similarly, the grass on the planet stuck out as being a light yellow instead of Earth's green. Once again, the man's mouth hung open, but this time it was in awe instead of in shock.
"I'll be crowned man of the year for this achievement, for discovering this wonderful place," he thought aloud, and then shook his head sadly, "If I live to tell the tale, that is." Once again, the man pulled on the joysticks, and the ship sprung into action, the man flying it masterfully as it glided close to the golden ground. The spaceman dodged dangerously around golden trees and remarkable forestry, struggling to concentrate on his flying due to the natural beauty below him. After a minute or two of flight, the man began to get inpatient.
"Come on, come on," he murmured, looking desperately at the landscape around him, "Intelligent life, I need to find you. You have a habit of evading me, but I have to find you now." The ship flew onwards, past new forests and impressive landscapes, finally approaching a large field filled with odd, blue rocks that jarred the land, sticking out from the yellow grass like splinters in human skin.
"Those are nice rocks," the man commented, "I shall have to bring one home for my wife. It will make an excellent garden ornament."
Suddenly, the warning lights flashed even brighter, this time stating, "NO POWER. PREPARE FOR IMPACT". As the light sound of the thrusters died away, the man let his jaw drop once again.
"Oh dear."
With momentum carrying the ship forwards, the spaceman pulled down the computer screen in a desperate attempt to activate safety mechanisms, but the screen simply read, "Power failure. You are doomed. Enjoy the afterlife, sucker."
"Curse that joking machine," the spaceman muttered, desperately fiddling with the controls as the ship neared the ground. But before he could do anything, impact. With an almighty crash, the ship bounced forwards, parts of the thrusters smashing into tiny chunks of metal and falling away behind him. Screaming, the man was flipped upside down as the ship made contact once again, the multi-layered glass screen shattering, and the left wing snapping off. With an almighty bang, the ship was finally laid to rest, now a mesh of metal and wiring, resting against one of the blue rocks.
And yet, from the smouldering remains of the SS FLIEGON-SCHWEIN, the spaceman emerged, covered in dirt and muck, a wild smirk on his comical features.
"Well," he grinned, "that went smoothly." The grin soon disappeared, and the man stood on top of the blue rock, looking down at his now destroyed ship with a look of pity and hurt in his eyes. In fact, a small tear-drop began to form, although he wiped it away before it could fall.
"Oh, my dear Fliegon-schwein," he sighed, a lump in his throat. "We have been through so much together. And my recklessness has caused you your untimely demise. I'll avenge you, somehow." With a sad smile, the man patted the ship, the sounds of some kind of equipment breaking echoing from inside.
Unsure of what to do, the spaceman checked the back of the ship, climbing his way through the wreckage. Luckily for him, his food supplies and favourite teddy bear had somehow escaped unscathed. As he turned to return outside, he tripped on something, falling painfully to the floor, his bare hands cut by sharp metal. Yowling, the man clutched his hands, sucking away a small stream of blood from his finger.
Turning in anger, he saw that the cause of his fall had been none other than the computer, which was now blank apart from a small "XP" at the top left, the final comic touch on the now broken machine. "Unfortunately, my love does not extend to you," the man growled, "and you can remain here and rot into a computer skeleton, or whatever. I was going to punch you soon anyway."
Smug with his monologue, the spaceman turned and froze. Now blocking the entrance to the remains was a large, reptilian creature, its silhouette blocking out the light from outside. The man ran from the remains, terrified, not once looking back to see if he was being followed. However, he soon realised that the creature was still stood there, watching him with idle curiosity, and so he walked back to it, stopping in front of it.
The creature stood high at about seven feet tall, its four, scaly legs chunky and muscular. The creature's face was fearsome, all large teeth and piercing red eyes. Its two arms were smaller and hung at its side like human arms, and its tail stood taut, layered with several sharp spikes. It looked like an onyx centaur that had been transformed into a lizard. But behind its fearsome appearance, it radiated a peaceful, watchful presence that caused the spaceman to feel at ease.
"I'm Diedrik Schweinstager," the spaceman announced, carefully pronouncing his words, "Human." Then he realised that the alien creature would not be able to understand his words - to them, he was the alien. But he knew that he had to find a way to communicate with them. Fumbling around in the pockets of his complex suit, he produced a pen and small sheet of paper, writing down his name and species in large bold letters.
The creature opened its mouth, and uttered a strange hissing noise. Listening intently, Schweinstager attempted to write down what the other being had said, and ended up with a mass of scribbling. Eventually, the creature made a subtle noise that could have passed for laughter.
"It's laughing at me," Schweinstager thought, smiling gently. And to his surprise, the creature copied him. For the first time, the explorer felt genuinely safe, and excited. Tentatively, gently, the spaceman held out his hand. And with another hiss, the creature copied him, and for the first time in history, two different types of intelligent life shook hands.
As the pair walked off into the distance, only the slip of paper remained, forgotten and hidden in the golden grass. On it, next to the explorers name, was the word "Spractoss."
To be continued...
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