Colonization Protocols

The Seige of Exelon

      Ace's POV

The Androsians (as we called) them camped outside of the visual range of the Exelon but they never gave up. At odd hours they would work themselves into frenzy chanting and yelling in their guttural tongue. If you listened to it there was something deceptively hypnotic about it. But after five days the novelty wore thin and it was getting old- very, very old.

There were occasional assaults to the outside doors of the ship. Warriors tried various weapons of stone, copper and brass but the metals they used were no match for the titanium outer shell of our ship. We monitored it via camera but that too became monotonous.

"In an odd way I almost want these guys to succeed." Marcel said.

"You do realize that if they succeed then we've got a major problem on our hands right ?" Paul asked.

"I know it just I hate it when you see a bunch of guys give there all and it all amounts to squat. I mean what does that say about these guys?"

"It says they're a bunch of losers." I replied.

"You guys are just heartless and cruel."

"Yeah remind us how heartless we are at two in the morning when they're still doing the chant of death."

"Well there is that."

On the fourth day they tried piling a large mound of wood around one of the doorways and setting it on fire. All to no avail. The ship was built to withstand extreme temperatures and abuse. Paul laughed and dutifully recorded each event in a log for posterity.

"Might make an interesting article one day." he said when I asked why.

"What is it that we accomplish by staying here while the rest of the crew gets to explore the outside?"

"We don't accomplish anything but we do save on fuel and someone has to watch the ship just in case."

"In case of what?" Marcel asked.

"In case we need to execute an escape plan. There's a whole set of scenarios where we might be needed to evacuate or rescue the crew. We're like the evac helicopter in a war zone. If the train breaks down or there's an emergency we are the only vessel for a million miles who can help. Besides if we're split up then we're not putting all our eggs in one basket if you get my drift. We're the base crew."

"I suppose. I see your point."

"Good you just have to find creative outlets to pass the time. Once we get a reply from Redlands things might change quickly."

"Tell me about it. Those clowns in the top floor think it's fun to push Germinators to their  limits. I heard they make side  bets on who they can force to resign on these missions."

"They ever get to Ziko?"

"He'll never admit it but I've seen them get close. But the captains just a little bit smarter.He told me once there's only one thing he'd quit for- the Prize he called it." Paul confided.

"And what was that?" I asked.

"Don't know he wouldn't tell me."

It was late at night on the seventh day when Paul showed up to relieve me of the night watch.

I told him I'd make one last round before heading off to bed. I walked the main corridors and rechecked the decompression hatches at each end before calling it all in to Paul and heading to my room. He didn't respond, but then he was probably busy getting something to snack on in the kitchen.