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From: rick@blkbox.com (Rick Jones)
Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn
Subject: [VAD] Into the breach?
Date: 31 Jan 1995 00:32:25 GMT
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[The Astral Dancer and her crew are all Copyright 1995 by Rick Jones. 
Other APDI characters, are copyright their respective authors.  Permission
is granted for the distribution of this story on the usual alt-net
channels and for archival but all other rights, including repost, are
reserved to the author.  All rights reserved, all wrongs revenged.]

The Astral Dancer (Mark II) rocked as another bolt of blue lightning 
skittered across the shields.

"Report," shouted Drake.  

Crewman Green looked up from his console.  He was still a shade unfamilar
with the new equipment.  The ship's wheel was where it was supposed to be,
but the 'kan had added a few new stations. Green sat to the left of the
wheel.  In front if him was a short podium, with a crystal globe mounted
in the center of it.  Surrounding the globe was a series of controls and
buttons for controlling various ship functions.  On the other side of the
wheel was an engineering station, where another crewman stared at a
glowing, translucent model of the ship.  Currently, far too red lights
were highlighting the new Dancer.  This new ship was much more slender,
built for speed, not carrying cargo, or even supplies for the crew.  Green
looked back down, and adjusted the Astrolabe.  "The... the shields are at
60%."  Another bolt of lightning struck, causing everyone to lurch to the
side.  Green tripped and fell to the deck.  sss'Tok, standing as ever to
the Captain's side, caught and steadied Drake. 

Kestrel shouted over the roar of winds.  "Another meteor shower at 0 mark
32.  Adjusting course ten degrees starboard, minus five degress yaw to
compensate." He turned the wheel, and the ship lurched again.  He then
pushed the wheel, causing it to tilt forward on its axis.  The ship dipped
to follow his commands. 

Green pulled himself to his feet.  He examined the Astrolabe.  A small
silvery representation of the ship sat in the middle of the crystal
sphere.  It was surrounded by transparent images of it's surroundings, the
cloudy vortex of the wormhole.  As he watched, he saw the meteors appear
in the crystal on an oncoming course.  He pressed a button in its base and
a red line shot out of the front of the ship, marking the intended course. 
"Captain, that will take us closer to the edge of the wormhole.  The
discharges are going to take out the shields.  We can cut it a little " 

"It's better than going splat on those oncoming meteors, but I'll see what
I can do."  Kestrel adjusted the course of the ship again, moving away
from the edge of the wormhole. 

Green looked into the Astrolabe, watched its course, and nodded.  "That
may do it, sir." The ship rocked again from another discharge.  The
astrolabe flashed a warning.  "Damage to jibsail, sir.  We are losing
minor maneuvering surfaces." 

"Felgercarb," cursed Kestrel.  He fought the shaking of the wheel.  

Green's face paled, starting to mirror his name.  "Captain, we are on a 
collision course with the edge of the tunnel."  

Drake asked quickly, "Kestrel?"

Kestrel tugged on the wheel, trying to divert it.  "Can't.  We lost more 
control surfaces.  It's the rock or the edge."  

Green looked down at the Astrolabe again.  It gave a grim forecast.  
"Sir, a discharge is building."

"All hands, brace for impact." 

"I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time?"  asked Jessica, walking through a 
wall.  

sss'Tok hissed with irritation.  "End program."  Kestrel and Drake's
figures dissappeared, and the ship's rocking came to a stop.  The Astral
Dancer II hung in space, in a room barely larger than it.  The crew looked
at Jessica gratefully.  "What isss it, Lady Egg?" 

Jessica looked down at her shoes.  The lizard man had always intimidated
her.  The stories her parents told her when she was a child said the
Dragon Empire was fearsome and merciless.  She had had nightmares about
giant snakes.  "Um, Captain Drake said to say that LORELEI is back, except
that she's now called MERMAID." 

"Humanss and their sssilly namesss," grumbled sss'Tok.  He looked around
at the crew, who were glad for the break.  sss'Tok had been running them
through simulations for days, trying to train them as much as possible on
the new ship with it's new features.  "Thank you, Lady Egg.  Tell the
Captain that the crew isss ssstarting to become accusstomed to the new
ssship. We can now do a better ssssimuation with the computer online.  Now
pleasse go."  He looked to the ceiling, "Computer, run sss'Tok program ten
again, sssstarting back at time index zero."  Green sighed thankfully. 
They had done this one before.  "But incressse the difficulty twenty
percent." 

"Goodbye, Crewman Green," said Jessica, waving good-bye as she walked 
through a wall.

The Astral Dancer (Mark II) approached the wormhole, for the sixteenth 
time that day.....


--
Rick Jones              This life has been a test.  If it had been an
rick@blkbox.com         actual life, you would have received actual
Meyrick@aol.com	        instructions on where to go and what to do.
        			--My So-Called Life