Into the Abyss: M.I.A.
CHAPTER 2
/.../ denotes thought
AN: I was going to make up a time keeping thing but since I feel lazy I will just use
military time.
After two weeks of nothing but stars and empty space, everyone was getting kind of
paranoid. Although none of them said it aloud everyone of them were thinking about what would happen if they found nothing in the A.T. and were forced to return home.
It’s about 2300, since entering the Territories the four comrades have been keeping a rotating watch so there was no surprises. Jared is now relieving Shal-lania.
When Jared walked on deck Shal-lania smiled at him as she got up from her seat and
walked to the door. Shal-lania bid him a goodnight and was replied with a nod. She
shook her head and made to go out the door when a steady beeping from one of the
console’s made both human and Yrokia whip around and stare.
MIA’s sphere came to life and hovered for a few minutes before settling on the
aforementioned console. The beeping ended and a image came up on screen. Jared and
Shal-lania shared a look before Shal-lania walked out the door to go wake up Dyro and
Kali.
In the five minutes it took Kali and Dyro to get to the deck the image on the screen was that much clearer. It looked to be a drifting military ship of some kind, and it looked like it had been through hell.
“Anything living on that ship MIA?” Kali asked.
“Nothing that my sensors can detect, Kali.”
“Maybe we should just leave it alone, I don’t like the look of that thing.” Shal-lania put in, her people were known for there fear of the dead. They had elaborate funeral services meant to appease the spirits of the dead so they wouldn’t come back.
Dyro snorted, he agreed with Shal-lania but not for the same reasons, “A ship that beat
up? I doubt it has anything of value on it, why bother?”
“We should at least search the vessel. We might be able to learn how it got here.” Jared’s suggestion surprised them all.
Kali looked at him curiously, /Does he know something we don’t?/ She shook off the
feeling and asked MIA, “Will that ship still support life?”
“Yes but only for another 5.6 hours.”
“That’s long enough.” Kali turned and started out the door, she stopped before
she exited and turned to look at Jared, “Well? Don’t you want to check out that ship?”
Jared followed her out without another word.
They took a small four seater Drop ship and docked with the large vessel. It
looked to be of human production, the number 47289-9832 was on the side of it, along
with some strange writing that neither understood. Jared and Kali both had flashlights
since the lights were inoperable. They moved systematically through the ship, checking in
every possible location for some answers.
The ship seemed dead, and the strange thing was that they was no sign that a crew was
ever there. No personal effects of any kind, nor were there any bodies.
The pair entered the last hallway, Jared took the first door while Kali moved on to the
second one on the right. Kali, on pure instinct moved to the left the moment she
opened the door.
Out came a girl that looked a few years younger than Kali. The woman was so
weak that it didn’t take long for Kali to subdue. Holding the girls hands behind her back
Kali called to Jared.
When Jared appeared in the hallway the girl in Kali’s arms whimpered and
wrenched herself from Kali’s grasped with a surprising amount of strength. Jared caught
the girl before she collapsed.
He looked pale as her turned the strange girl over and muttered, “Melian.”
Kali walked over and checked the girls pulse, “Lets get her to Shal-lania. Who is she
Jared?”
Jared barely looked up from the unconscious girl he was carrying in his arms like a china
doll, “My sister.”
A million questions popped into Kali’s head at that statement. She held them in
however as she helped Jared strap the girl into a seat. Before reaching MIA Kali hailed
the main deck and requested that Shal-lania meet them in the hanger.
“Why? What happened?” Shal-lania demanded immediately.
Kali shot a glance at Jared but when no answer was forthcoming replied, “Jared’s sister,
Melian needs medical attention.”
Shal-lania brushed aside her shock before it could take to great a hold on her and cut the connection.
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