The Stag Gem: Part 1 Chapter 2

ARG/LOG#2313 Capt. Limwash

Body Temp/Weight:  12.6/170 ms

Initiate Host Consciousness…

The dark room began to hum and beep with activity once more as the ship’s onboard systems awoke from its programmed hibernation.

“Estimated time of arrival: twelve hours,” a mechanical female voice chirped.  The lights of the small vessel blinked on revealing the cramped flight cabin.  The bowl shaped robot in the corner of the room awoke and immediately looked towards the navigation systems.

“Oh my,” The robot appeared slightly surprised.  “Computer, is there a reason specific as to why we are currently residing in our escape pod?”

“During the hibernation phase we experienced a situation regarding a catastrophic collision with an uncharted asteroid belt.  I felt it prudent to transport you and the captain into the smaller vessel so we could proceed on the mission,” the mechanical female voice answered.

“When did this happen,” the robot asked as he rolled on his three wheels to the ship’s memory log.

“Eight days into the journey.”

“A day after we went into hibernation?  Where is the rest of the crew?”

“Their pods were directed back to Argonia.  They contacted this ship 134 days ago when they returned home.”

“If you directed their pods back home, why did you not direct this pod back home?”

“The captain was given direct orders to fulfill the mission.  The others were only assigned as support services.  They were not an integral part.”

“Not an integral part,” the robot began to turn in circles, his thin wiry arms flailed in the air, “They were the soldiers and scientists!  The captain has no knowledge of Earth!  You have doomed the mission!”

“The probability of the mission’s failure would have increased dramatically if all escape pods were directed back home,” the computer responded.

“What is our probability of success now,” asked the robot.

“Slightly more than zero.”

The robot sighed and rolled back to the rear of the ship.  “I think it is time to wake up the captain.  Let me tell him all the good news.  You appear to lack an understudied skill of diplomatic resonance”  The robot slid open a large glass doorway, revealing an average built man with a large nose and ship captains hat resting on a round head.  He was in a peaceful sleep in a small, cramped bed with sterile white sheets wrapped tightly around his body.

The robot gently poked the sleeping man, “Sir Limwash?  Time to wake up…”

Limwash slowly opened up one of his small eyes and blinked a couple times until his vision came into focus.  “Who are you?”

“My protocol is as a medical technician,” the robot responded.  “My providing name is Fractor.”

The Captain sat up in his bed and looked around the room.  “This isn’t my chambers…”

“Your observational curiosity is a skill to be admired,” answered Fractor quickly.  “We are presently residing in one of the emergency excursion pods continuing our journey to our mission’s destination.  We are within short twelve hours of Earth.”

“Where is the rest of the crew?”

“It appeared that shortly after our hibernation, the ship collided into a collection of space debris, completely decimating the vessel.  The onboard computer launched the rest of the crew back home, leaving us to continue on with the operation.”  The captain half listening to the robot began to frantically search the cramped space.  “They contacted us while you were still in slumber.  They are safe and anxiously awaiting our return home.”

“Uh huh,” Limwash picked up his mattress and peered underneath, flopping it back in place, he began to open up the two large over head compartments.

Fractor continued, “So in my most capable opinion, the mission has been compromised by our lack of numbers…”

“Uh huh,” The captain picked up the metal grate in the floor and anxiously scanned the darkness.

“I feel once you give the onboard computer the orders, we could alter our course back to Argonia,” the robot finished.

“Computer,” Limwash dropped the grate and looked towards the cabin’s control panels.

“Yes, Captain Limwash,” the tinny female voice answered.

“When you transported my body to this vessel, did my personal belongings accompany me,” he asked hopefully.

“Are you referring to any belongings in particular?”

The Captain measured with his hands in the air, “I had a container about this big that was in my quarters.  It contained my arsenal.”

“Processing search…”

Fractor looked over to Limwash.  “Do you want me to prepare our coordinates back home,” he asked.

“Hold on, tin man.”

A sudden hiss of air released from the ceiling in the rear of the ship as a compartment descended with a large black case nestled within it.

The captain smiled widely as he leaped back to the compartment and pulled down his case.  With a loud and hollow thud it landed on the floor.  Limwash anxiously unlatched the case and opened it to reveal his pride and joy.

Fractor rolled over to the captain and examined the contents of the container.  “Is that your ‘arsenal’?”

“You betcha,” Limwash raised up an incredibly large sledgehammer that measured twice his height with its head the same size and double the weight of its wielder.

“Cranker in full, computer; let’s blast to this planet and get this job over with!”  The captain jumped into the cock pit and flipped on a couple switches.

“Sir Limwash, we do not have the proper amount of people or equipment to succeed in this mission,” Fractor rolled over beside the captain.

“What are we missing, Fractor.”

“Well for one, we do not have any military with us.”

Limwash motioned over to his newly reunited property.

“Okay, we have one beastly large sledgehammer.  Well we do not have the science experts who were hand picked by the United Counsel to find the planet’s cure.”

Limwash looked over at the robot.  “Simple enough.  All of the mission’s information and research are stored on the computer’s memory.  You are more than capable of downloading it onto your frame.”

“Sir, I am not designed for terrain movement!  I can not accompany you!  I was intended to stay on the ship!  I am a medical technician!”

“Calm down, Fractor.  You’ll be fine.  Now start downloading.”  The captain leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up onto the control panel.  “Now let’s go over this mission again.”

Fractor plugged himself into the ship’s frame and began to copy all of the mission’s relevant information.

“How are we supposed to save our planet from its inevitable destruction?”

“Our world’s greatest minds have discovered the planet’s cure can be found on Earth, Sir Limwash.  It resides in an unassuming artifact that has been labeled as The Stag Gem.”