Chapter 1
The violet rays of light barged into the room like an enraged bull. Tensayn's eyes shot open, they were filled with terror and surprise. 'Violet skies at morning, a pleasant warming. Violet skies at night, you better take flight.' A mantra spoken by airship sailors played in his head. Tensayn checked the time. 6:00pm. He donned his leather fitted jacket, goggles, and ran off to the airship bay. "It had to be today... couldn't possibly be any other day but this one if I'd really thought about it. It's my birthday and that's always enough of a reason for some new disaster." He lamented, rushing down the corridor as fast as his feet could carry him. The violet rays lit the hallways turning the steel blue metal into a deep purple color. The refractions distorting the ambient lighting making the world feel ethereal and surreal. This was bad. The warning for airship sailors had been said for hundreds of years and in the last 50 or so it seemed like a delusion from the olden days. Until today. Finally arriving at the airship bay he entered to find several other sailors boarding their vessels. A few of them looked excited but most everyone else seemed on edge. The tension and anxiety permeated the thick hot air made possible by the steam powered ships all around. Tensayn walked the dock until he spotted his own ship. Valkyrie "I am not prepared for this at all Val." He said as he boarded Valkyrie. The steam engine for Valkyrie was designed for top speeds and manuverability. Great at dodging, even better at leaving a bad situation. The engine room came to life spilling steam outward. The exit doors to the airship bay opened and the light spilled in like grasping tendrils, twisting and squirming; almost searching for something.
Chapter 2 Valkyrie lunged forward out of the bay doors. The copper plating of the airship transformed into lavender as the stars rays danced along the hull. In the engine room Tensayn grabbed his binoculars and tried to catch a glimpse of what was going on. He focused in on an extraordinary explosion of light and debris. One of the planets' lumin stars had erupted. Everyone here would be dead in the next 20 minutes if it was the closest and in 4 hours if it was the farthest. "Val, how much time do we have?" Tensayn asked the ship via comms device. The ships melodic tones beeped a happy tune before it responded. [According to the rising temperature readings and the atmospheric shifts. I calculate you have two hours and thirty-nine minutes until the moisture in the atmosphere completely evaporates.] The beeps played in reverse and the voice of Val was silent once more. "Thanks Val...It's always such a pleasure." Tensayn squeaked out through gritted teeth. Tensayn ran to the engine room; portable comms in hand as he sent out a memo to all sailors and all denizens of Skur. {ATTENTION EVERYONE: WE HAVE TWO HOURS TO LEAVE TO A SISTER STAR OR SYSTEM BEFORE IMMINENT DESTRUCTION. (quietly: No that was stupid... I'm sure they all know that now... come on Tensayn...) IF WE ALL EXIT VIA THE NINE SPACE GATES IN AN ORDERLY MANNER WE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME. CONTACT VALKYRIE FOR ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS... also if you just want to chat. Thank you.} "Alright Val, let's head for the closest gate." [Unfortunately, the nearest gate has just been destroyed by the S.S Anitol. Would you like to search for a different gate?] "Destroyed?! Why would they..." {ATTENTION S.S ANITOL. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! RESPOND.}
<static> {S.S ANITOL. RESPOND OR I WILL FIRE} <static> Tensayn went to the control room, an angry blur as he passed the housing cabins; all wooden but lined with the same copper on the outer hull of the ships gondola, and flipped the switches to arm the ships cannons. "Val, engage the crystalline laser system." [Engaged.]
{S.S ANITOL. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE. REPORT TO VALKYRIE OR I WILL DESTROY YOUR VESSEL.} <static> <F...o.....> <static> {HELLO?? WHAT WAS THAT ANITOL?!} <static> A thunderous gust shook Valkyrie, tossing Tensayn into the control pannel of the ship. Every weapon on Valkyrie landed a direct hit into the steam coil of the S.S Anitol. The explosion lit up the sky for miles. Tensayn watched in horror as pieces of the gate and the Anitol rained from the clouds above. {ANITOL.... ANITOL.. ARE THERE ANY SURVIVORS? PLEASE? IT WAS A MISTAKE!}
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