Epic Tales from Beautiful Minds: An Ooorah Anthology

#TeamEcrivain - Part Five: Alpha Capella Nova Vega - @elveloy

That being said, as she and Mac approached the galley a smell unlike any she had ever experienced permeated her nostrils and despite her best efforts to prevent it from happening, she began to salivate.

"What is that smell?!"

"Sausages," replied Mac, shrugging. "Reckon Tracy's doing her specialty; a big fuck-off Yorkshire pudding loaded with bangers, beans and mash."

Moments later Mac's assumption was proven to be true and the two of them sat at the galley's table, before two steaming and delectably scented plates of food.

Television? Tracy asked. I wouldn't normally ask, as you know, but as you have company...

"If our guest doesn't mind, aye. Must be about time for the next ACNV episode, anyways!"

// Alpha Capella Nova Vega

by elveloy //

Light years away from Earth, a thousand black ships winked into normal space. One moment there was nothing, the next, a fleet of ships blocked the skies over Bellatru, in the heart of the Orion constellation. People froze in their tracks, staring up in amazement at this first sign of another sentient race.

In the orbiting space station above Bellatru, Patrol officers instinctively raced for their ships. Nothing about the visitors looked like a friendly delegation.

The black ships fired without warning. The space station exploded in a soundless ball of flame, incinerating the Patrol ships as they scrambled to launch. Lasers burned swathes through the planet settlements, destroying buildings and killing thousands in their path.

In less than an hour, Bellatru was a smoking ruin. Then, the visitors launched the ground troops.

Returning from a journey to the neighbouring planet of Mu, the star ship Nova Vega was overwhelmed with distress signals. Approaching cautiously—with cloaking shields engaged—they saw the fleet of black ships hovering like a cloak of Bellatru bats over what had been a thriving colony when they'd left two days ago. Her crew gazed at the destruction with horror. Images from the ground showed alien fighters striding through the ruins. The officers on the bridge peered closely at the figures on the display screen, curious despite their consternation to see what they were facing, then drew in a collective gasp. Although their bodies looked almost human, the aliens' heads appeared to be machines.

"Monsters! We have to attack!" exclaimed First Officer Erix.

"Impossible, there are hundreds of them!" argued Second Officer Rohn. "We should wait, then hunt for survivors."

With a heavy heart, the Captain shook her head. "No. We can't afford either of those options, much as we might want to. We must return to Earth immediately and warn the government. This is an invasion."

~~~

Jetta Carawei glanced briefly at the brightly coloured promo someone had placed outside the entrance to the holo-room. It advertised that week's entertainment scheduled on their star ship, Alpha Capella. In vivid Tri-D colour, the image covered every cliché the average dirt-sider imagined when they thought of space. A pretty young man in a sleek bodysuit stood on top of a molten rock, brandishing a flaming sword, with a scantily clad girl at his feet. The star speckled sky was filled with spaceships attacking a burning city while a giant alien head looked on. Space Wars! screamed the headline. Jetta's lip curled scornfully. She supposed it was better than last week's offering, Fray, a holovid about vampire slayers, for Earth's sake.