Captain Watts was slumped over the control desk of the shuttle. His head was pounding and he hadn't been able to check any hangover pills on the flight.
As he glanced out of the cockpit window, all he saw was inky blackness. How far were they into space already? He wasn't sure. His attitude last night had been to go out with style. He'd rounded up partying with his buddy Melvin Schrauwen. He was wealthy and connected, which meant they got VIP access into every club on Ganymede. He couldn't remember returning to Europa and he definitely couldn't remember doing the boarding call for the mission. He was too far gone.
Mission Control didn't care. They were sending him out here to die, he was sure of that. Well if he was going out on a ghost ship full of killer aliens or whatever it was, he was gonna make it a night to remember, which sadly he didn't. The ship had a pre-programmed destination, it was gonna fly if he did anything or didn't, so there was no escape or turning back. Time to face up to this godforsaken mission.
A rush of pain hit his throbbing temples as he remember he probably needed to go speak to the crew. He didn't recall any of them but he'd picked civilians thinking they'd cancel the mission. They hadn't.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw a sight to behold. His party buddy Melvin was comatose on the bridge sofa! The idiot had followed him on board. Probably didn't realise what was happening and now he was stuck on this mission. It was sick but Watts found it hilarious.
On the panel in front of him, a red light was bleeping. Somebody was trying to speak to him. He picked up the comm transmitter and waited. A familiar crotchety voice came back.
"Watts! You have broken another six or seven mission control directives and you've barely even left Europa!"
Oh great, they were just starting out. He took a breath and spoke back through the transmitter.
"Sorry Mike, won't let it happen again buddy. Literally won't!" There wouldn't be an again for it to happen in.
Michael Lindberg on the other side of the comms device was a stuck up officer who wanted badly to make rank but had failed where Watts had glided through. He was bitter and it was entertaining. Lindberg was a guy who followed protocol to the book. When Watts had come out telling him after the brief that the mission was allowed a civilian crew, it had almost broken his brain. He'd obviously gone to some authorities and confirmed that wasn't the case and was now trying to dress the Captain down, despite the fact that Watts was a superior.
He could feel the hiss of disapproval as Watts called him "Mike". He hated being called Mike.
"Well you've gone too far this time! Mission Control has ordered me to correct your mess! I now have a command of my own! I will be leaving shortly with a non-civilian crew. We are taking one of the Fusion X4 shuttles so we'll outrun that thing you're in and catch up to you before the Dalia boarding even begins."
Watts sighed. All he needed was to be stuck on a ghost ship with that jerk Lindberg.
"We shall do the mission by the book! Lindberg Out!"
All Watts could do was sigh. Were there any hangover meds on this thing? As he left to go to the rec room, he stopped and glanced at Melvin's comatose and drooling form one more time.
"Gonna have a worse time than me buddy!" Said Watts with a grin.
Another young woman was milling about. There were a few things off about her though.
Firstly the fact that she was barely dressed. It was a little jarring to say the least. Watts might've enjoyed it more if he had the mental capacity to process all this nonsense.
Secondly, she had a name tattooed on her arm. It said "Eliza".
"That your name?" He asked curiously.
She didn't reply, merely glanced up and smiled and walked around some more.
There was a resounding crash outside of the rec area. The assembled group ran over to look down. A very strangely dressed man had just rolled into a wall.
"Kip DeBarge is..."
"Space Shuttle."
He looked up at the crowd and launched himself at the stairs, running up them at a frantic pace. He jumped into the room and slid across the floor. Then paused at the pile of vomit.
The group was stood in stunned silence at Kip's entrance, to the point where nobody quite noticed the strangely dressed woman in red hovering in the background.
"There are bad omens on this ship."
She approached the central attraction of Melvin's vomit with a ghastly expression.
"You have banished the demons that plagued you!"
Melvin nodded. He'd still got some left to banish.
"There are bad omens on this ship." Agreed Eliza.
The woman was happy to have a captive audience.
"I go by Morwena. Be warned, for there is no easy ride ahead. Grave danger awaits us all. But destiny calls."
There was another noise from the deck below, and some people went to go and check it out. Watts marched out ahead. Kip readied his fingers like a gun in case it was an alien invasion.
"Even more noise!!" Said Tesimal excitedly.
Down below there was a figure climbing out of one of the cargo pods. They seemed to be quite small.
Dusting herself down, the young girl looked up at the onlookers with a bright smile.
"It is only child?!" Said Tesimal in disbelief.
The girl in question was only a kid. She'd snuck on board in one of the cargo pods. But the ship was already mid-flight. This was something even Watts wasn't ready for.
"You can't be on here! How did you get on here kid? This is a dangerous mission!"
She frowned.
"Where else am I gonna be now? The ship's in space. Looks like there's nothin' you can do to stop me!"
Watts groaned. This was a disaster. This was something they wouldn't overlook in debrief if they even made it that far. Why hadn't he swept the ship first? Because he didn't give a shit. But he did now!
"Anyway you'd better get used to having me around I suppose. I'm Rin! Nice to meet ya!"
A child!? What kind of ship is this? Why is it not kept in its nursery???
Kip DeBarge... I am happy to meet you. I am Tesimal Adetokunbo. You have style. I like this. Did I hear you say you are from Callisto? A land of wealth! You must be a man of good tastes and savvy!
