*Action* - New Captain for a New Mission pt1 of 3

**Action** - "New Captain for a New Mission" pt1 of 3
Who: Acting-Captain Phil, Jed Calvert and Dean Thomas
Where: Parrotts bar
When: After Jay left to go to the VR deck
A semi drunk Jed Calvert plonked himself down on a barstool between
Dean and Phil. Jed was an attention seeker, and liked to place himself
in the centre of social groups before telling tales of his dastardly
adventures.
Luckily though, he did tell his tales well, as he seemed to have lived
a very exciting life. Adventure and excitement seemed to follow him
like a trusty steed, and he rode metaphorically rode it through his
life. Or at least that's what he told everyone.
He started telling Dean and Phil about the time he had to venture to
the dangerous bog planet of Moog to trade a crate of plasma grenades
for a dozen barrels of moonshine with the local hedgehog-like inhabitants.
"So, as soon as I had made the trade, the leaders henchmen took me
prisoner and strapped two of my own plasma grenades to my head, and
tied me back to back with a local criminal. And, as you can imagine,
being tied to the back of a hedgehog is painful as hell… however I
devised an escape so devious that this will leave you astonished… "
Dean and Phil leaned closer in to hear the story. Jed was a windbag,
it took them less than 10 seconds of his rambling for them to work
that out, and they did both question whether his stories were true,
but he did tell them in an exciting way that made it very interesting
to listen.
Suddenly, Phil felt something strange come over him. He felt time
slowing down, muck like it had when they first were pushed into this
`Null space' by the SCTP. He looked around and saw that everyone else
in the bar was standing still.
Time was frozen, again.
He waved a hand in front of Dean's face. Nothing, he didn't even
blink. He was paused.
He did the same to Jed, who stayed still as a statue. Then he suddenly
moved. He looked at Phil and grinned.
"Nah only messin' with ya! I'm alright."
"How come you're not frozen?"
"Dunno fella' p'haps cos I'm sat next to ya?"
They looked around and walked out onto the Promenade. "Who you looking
for?" asked Jed.
"A woman. She came before, representing the SCTP. She put us into this
space, and only she can get us out."
"Ahh, I see. The man."
"What?"
"The man. The ones that tell us what to do. They can kiss my ass
like." Said Jed with a grin.
"Well I couldn't do anything to stop her!" Said Phil in his own
defence. "Look, we don't normally let people tell us what to do."
"Yeah yeah." Said Jed.
"Acting-Captain Phil!" Yelled a powerful female voice. The SCTP woman
he had met before stepped out behind a paused butcher on the Promenade.
"There she is." Whispered Phil.
"Want me to rough her up a bit?" Asked Jed, rolling up his sleeves.
"No, better hear her out first." Said Phil.
Jed nodded. "I can wait."
"Acting-Captain Phil. I'm Dawn Keebals, we've met before." Phil felt
the seriousness in her voice. She was about to tell him the verdict of
the Space Corps, they were either going to let them live or wipe them
from existence in time and space. It was a serious moment.
Jed burst out laughing.
Dawn looked at him sternly, and so did Phil.
"I'm sorry, but that's a funny name." He said and slapped his thigh.
"Don't make this any worse for us mate!" Said Phil.
Jed apologised again and his face quickly returned to his
stern-as-a-rock expression.
"The SCTP have reviewed your situation and have a verdict. We agreed
the crew of the Blue Dwarf would either be allowed to live, or be
erased from time forever. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Said Phil.
"Suck my balls lady, you can't tell us what to do." Said Jed.
Jed then realised they were both looking at him and he decided to go
wait in the bar.
"We've decided…"
There then followed a pause as long as the announcement of a Pop Idol
finalist.
"Just hurry up!" Shouted Jed from the bar. "The barman can't pour me
another whiskey if he's frozen!"
Dawn sighed. "We decided your meddling with time was actually
beneficial to the galaxy so have allowed you to regain your place in
the timeline."
Phil sighed in relief and heard Jed from the bar mutter `about bloody
time.'
"We will deposit you back in the timeframe you were supposed to be in,
two months after you have saved the Earth. From the point-of-view of
everyone else in the galaxy, you've been missing for 2 months as you
were here in Null space."
With that Dawn ticked a box on her clipboard and disappeared.
The Blue Dwarf's inhabitants sprang back into their daily routines and
Phil ran to the nearest window. Space was black again.
"There are stars, and planets… and ships!"
He saw a small ship notice them, come close, scan them, and then
quickly dart back to a shiny blue green orb.
"Earth!" He exclaimed.
< To be continued... >