The Hauler
Author: Calus Valmont
Entry for YC125 New Eden Capsuleer’s Writing Contest in the Prose category.
The hauler was tired. The war in Auga had been going on for what felt like forever. The cause always demanded more ships, and the front lines were stretched to their limits with supplies running low on both sides. The first months in this job he had been filled with dread and terror at the sight of wrecks around him, but at this point the sight had become commonplace. Just one more haul through low security space today. One more delivery to the front lines, and he could get back to them. He never meant to have a daughter. Who chooses to have children in a time like this? It feels like the entire universe is trying to blow each other to pieces. But when he saw the joy in his wife’s eyes, how could he ever refuse her?
Another cup of coffee. Bitter tasting stuff, but it would keep him alert. Just one more jump into Auga, and he could unload another shipment. The Minmatar cause always needs more ships. As he approaches the gate he feels a moment of doubt. What if they are waiting for him on the other side? The stargate activates, and he holds his breath. 1… 2… 3… The systems of the ship reactivates and his scanners fire. Nothing on grid. His faithful Mastodon aligns to station, the cloaking devices fire, and the ship accelerates. Just another few hours and the ships will be assembled. Deadly devices of war that will wreak havoc and destruction. Was he doing a good deed to bring these into the hands of those who would use them for murder? He shuddered at the thought. The alternative would be so much worse. The Amarr aren’t known for their gentle spirits towards those they enslave.
Once the cargo holds have been emptied he sets his destination back home. The ship aligns, and warps towards the star gate. An Astero is picked up by the local scanners. Explorers usually aren’t much trouble. They tend to fly beyond the reaches of normal space, and make their livelihoods chasing down thrill and treasure. The hauler smiled at the thought of such an adventurous lifestyle as the stargate activated. 1… 2… 3… The systems reactivate and the scanners fire. His heart skips several beats. The scanners pick up 2 Osprey Navy Issues around the gate.. And Two Exequror Navy Issues.. And a Slasher. And a Jackdaw. The ship identifier blinks red alerts all over the bridge. They’re Amarr. They’re all Amarr. The hauler gasps a deep breath as he frantically considers his options. He won’t be visible to their sensors until he releases a digital signature by taking action. It gives him some time to think. 60 seconds at the most.
Their ships are a bit far away from him. Maybe he could escape? His ship takes 30 seconds to reach full warp. 10 seconds if he uses his cloaking devices. There are so many of them. As he closes his eyes to blink he can see his girls again. His little daughter running around their quarters playing. Her laughter. Her smile. 15 seconds left to decide.
“Damn it, we’ll have to try.” He orders the ship to align. Fires off the cloaking device and fires up the accelerator. 10… 9… 8… The slasher picked up his location when he started aligning. It is fast approaching. The moment it reaches within 5km the cloaking device will surely fail. 7… 6… 5… The slasher is approaching too quickly. 6km… 5km… A hissing sound can be heard throughout the entire hull as the cloak breaks and the slasher flies within range. It is visible to the naked eye now. 4… 3… 2… The hauler is too afraid to breathe as he starts repeatedly pressing the dial for warp speed to engage. The other enemy ships can see him now. Bridge alerts him that he is being targeted by several hostile ships. A new red notifier pops up on his screen..
Warp disruption attempt from hostile Slasher.
His heart sinks for a moment, before the warp engines suddenly activate at full force. The sudden gravitational forces nearly cause him to lose his footing as the ship shoots him away from the hostiles at hyper speed. The hauler is standing there statue-like on the bridge, frozen in place. “You did it.. I can’t believe you did it.” He runs his hand along the control boards on the bridge. The warp cores of the ship had been too powerful for the slasher to overcome. It was as if the Mastodon had seen its pilots fears that day, and it said that this would not be his final day. There are more ships needed on the front lines tomorrow.