**Action** "Executive decision pt1"

**Action** by David Ball and Andrew Bowers
J.M.C. Orbital facility
Orbiting Jupiter
The Blue Dwarf slowly swings around the massive red giant ball of swirling gas
that was the largest planet in Earth's solar system. As it approached the
station, James Johnson recieved a message clearing them to dock.
The station was huge, it was larger than the blue mining ship, just. Due to the
constant gas eruptions and the JMC's low budgets, the station was looking worse
for wear. It's once clean and shiny metal surfaces were now either corroded or
just covered in general space dirt.
The Blue Dwarf slowly pulled up alongside one of the four arms of the station
and very slowly edged toward it. The station did most of the work. The huge arms
were built specially so that they could extend a few hundred metres outwards.
The entire station seemed to tremble as the arms stretched outwards and pressed
themselves firmly against the Blue Dwarf's hull, fitting perfectly into mining
ship's air locks.
After a few minutes of engineers checking the seal was correct and quite a lot
of hissing sounds like pistons of a steam engine letting off steam, the air
locks opened providing a long passageway from the Blue Dwarf to the station.
The crew had two weeks shore leave. Some of them would stay on the station and
find the best pubs, bars and arcades. Some would return home to Earth to see
their families or to visit the modern-day wonders of the world, like Alton
Towers, Blackpool pleasure beach and the only MacDonalds in Abu Darbi.
Some had more imporatnt duties though, General Mark Anders of the Space Core and
Chairman William Eckerslike of the Jupiter Mining Corporation were expecting a
meeting with Commander Niples and Captain Cannon concerning Cannon's recent
actions.
None of the crew were really bothered about the Captain's apparent recline from
any kind of social presence. They hardly ever saw him anyway, sometimes he might
have been spotted alone in a bar skulking off into the shadows as soon as others
came, but now he never left his quarters. Maybe he was only hurting after the
death of his family, after all he was only human. Maybe the Commander shouldn't
blame him, maybe a second chance was in order.
****The office of Chairman Eckerslike, JMC.****
"The man is a lunatic." Said Niples.
"When we said brief, we wanted a bit more explanation than that." said General
Anders. His voice booming with authority. Chairman William Eckerslike was
sitting at his desk, his fingers steepled. The general was stood next to him,
dressed in full uniform, he General seemed to loom over everyone, even though
his height was only 5'11.
Chairman Eckerslike started to talk next. He was a quieter man, he wore round
glasses and a sleeveless jumper, the kind which he heard was coming back into
fashion again.
"But the Blue Dwarf missions so far have been fairly sucessful. I mean, you
havn't yet found the Red Dwarf- but you have experienced more unusual oddities
that the universe has thrown at you than any of the space core's best-equipped
Destroyers."
General Anders tutted to himself.
Niples ignored the General's rude gesture. "We have a.......unique crew onboard
the Blue Dwarf. Most people can think for themselves, but we need a leader that
pulls them all together as a team, and that leader is not Will Cannon. I have
tried my best to lead the crew, especially when Cannon is unfocused. But there
are things that are impossible for me to do because they need special orders
from the Captain....."
"....And the Captain is not able to do them for himself?" Asked the General.
"Sometimes we do not see eye-to-eye." said Semour.
"And you think Cannon is a bad Captain?" asked William Eckerslike.
Niples stood up and slammed his fists on the table. "Yes, of course I bloody
do!"
"And do you feel it is the sudden death of his wife and daughter that has caused
him to be a bad Captain?"
Niples sat down again, claming down. "He has always been incompetant. It was
the recent loss of his family that caused him to do some..... things."
General Anders stroked his bushy moustache.
***An hour later***
****The office of Chairman Eckerslike, JMC.****
Captain Will. D. Cannon walked into the room.
"Please, have a seat Will." said Eckerslike.
"Thankyou Will." said Cannon. "It's been a long time my friend"
"Yes, so how's life?" said Willy Eckerslike, pouring the Captain a drink.
"Not too bad." smiled Cannon.
Chairman Will Eckerslike grinned at his old friend.
****2 hours later****
****Cmdr Niples' personal quarters onboard the Blue Dwarf****
"A tribunal?!!!!!" shouted Niples after reading his latest mail. This >one was
from the Jupiter mining corporation board of governers.
There was going to be a court battle in weather or not to remove Captain Cannon
from command of the JMC Blue Dwarf. Niples was to go to the JMC Headquarters in
Grinsby, Earth.
The location of the HQ was again because of the JMC's budget cuts. The space
core had their Headquarters in Washington, USA. But the JMC had to put up with
Grimsby, England. Not that it was a bad location for such a highly established
and well run company such as the Jupiter Mining corporation... well the location
actually sums up the JMC quite accurately in the name.
Grim.
The tribunal was ordered to take place in several days time. There would be a
shuttle provided to transport some members of the BD crew to Earth.
"This is so dull" said Niples to himself.
Grim, said a voice in his head.
***The boarding gangway leading to the Blue Dwarf****
The newest crewmembers that were joining the Blue Dwarf had managed to make
their way through no end of security checks, baggage checks, fingerprint tests
and even an unpleasant unine sample test which seemed to take forever because
Tore Sunline had just gone.
But now they were free to board the luxury dwarfstar mining ship. As a word,
'luxury' may have been pushing it a bit, but the dark, damp and rusty quarters
on the JMC Space Station were an experience they were more than happy to see the
back of.
As the newbies D'Arcy-Jada Longwood, Tore Sunline, Jacob Stone and Joe "The
Eyes" Schweeble (If I missied anyone out I do apologise) walked the final few
metres down the long empty tunnel to their new ship they were surprised when
they were suddenly hit by a tidal wave of happy Blue Dwarf crewmembers running
towards the Space station wearing bermuda shorts, holding surfboards, pulling
party poppers and shouting "shoreleave" and "woohoo."
<<OK guys and gals, here's the happenings of the next week to come. The kareoke
will have to wait I'm afraid. But now you all have chance to do whatever you
want for two weeks around the solar system. Make sure everyone is at Earth for
the Tribunal though, even though you may not play a major role- we can still
have a booze up afterwards, Niples knows a few pubs around Yorkshire!>>