Chase forever: An FTL Fan-fiction

[dyno101]

"We're out of the jump, back to stations."
The Kestrel was on a very important mission that would decide the outcome of a war.
They had information that, if successfully carried all the way to the front lines, could save the federation.
"Engine glare at porthole 6. Enemy ship in-range." The ship security, who was a rescued rebel that had turned to the federation, said to the captain over the communications.
"Analyze ship."
"No connection. Last estimated speed 865 M.P.H."
"Wow, that's a record. Avoid-"
Suddenly, a long-range hail appeared on the captain's communication screen
It was from the federation base. The last federation base in existence.
"Chase it down! The ship!"
Suddenly, a ship information file along with some criminal records appeared on all of the crew's communication screens.
Then the hail ended.
"Captain, Information on-"
"I understand. It appeared for me, too. We need to chase that ship down."

Later, the crew met in the crew quarters for a meeting.
"Captain, this is an infamous criminal 6 ships have tried to chase."
"And what was their outcome?" The captain replied.
"Not a single one ever landed a single hit. Ever."
"So it has no shields, but insanely advanced engines and piloting?"
"Affirmative," The Kestrel's Engi shield operator replied, "The engines are Nuclear Impulse Fission, the most precise engines possible."
"Wow. N.I.F.'s are seriously hard to build," The Kestrel's Human engine operator said, "And all that nuclear material is seriously toxic."
"So how do we hit it?" The captain asked.

[stylesrj]

865 M.P.H!?

865 M.P.H! Great Scott! You know what that means Marty!
It needs to move into the slow lane and let the faster ships pass. Yeah I hate to be the science guy but if you bring science into this and I know about it vaguely, then I'll rip it apart.

You do know that FTL does mean Faster Than Light.

Also, Nuclear Impulse Fission? Is that another name for an Orion Drive, and it mostly involves dropping nukes behind yourself and riding the blast wave? Why would the future setting that is FTL be using something so crude and probably so slow.

Here's my recommendations (text I altered from those paragraphs is in italics):

"Analyze ship."
"No connection. Last estimated speed... woah that's fast!"
"Wow! At that speed... that's a record. Avoid-"

"Affirmative," The Kestrel's Engi shield operator replied, "The engines don't match any known specifications but we do know they emit anomalous radiation."
"Wow, whoever set them up must be insane," The Kestrel's Human engine operator said, "If they lose Life Support, they would be cooked."
"So how do we hit it?" The captain asked.

Sci-Fi might involve a lot of real theories and stuff but the best sci-fis I believe don't go for anything specific and just say "Here's your spaceship, here's your warp drive. Don't ask how they work, this is about a chase." Audiences don't need anything more.

[dyno101]

"Missiles are our only choice. A laser's un-adjustable path makes it a piece of cake to dodge." The weapon operator stated.
The engine operator was quick to reply."When we land a hit, the engines will stay damaged because anything that walks into a room with a N.I.F. Either malfunctions or dies on the spot."
"So that's a plus," The captain added, "But it doesn't make much of one."
"Affirmative. The delivered information shows that the engines have superior armory and titanium system plating."
The engine operator winced. "And N.I.F.'s have a tendency to use a hit's power to boost it's FTL drive charge."
"So the more we hit it, the faster it jumps?" The captain asked.
"Positive."
"So what kind of missiles are best?"
"Missiles with a lock-on feature, such as an artemis or leto." The weapon operator answered.
"Okay. I'll set a course for the next store."

[stylesrj]

If the ship can dodge lasers, I think it can dodge a slower-moving tracking projectile.

"Sir, the enemy can't be hit with bullets!"
"Throw rocks at them men!"

Shouldn't they go for the teleporter route? Lock on the enemy engines and then drop a breach bomb!
Or would that cause the radiation to pollute the space air and invoke the wrath of Captain Planets?

[dyno101]

"Hello. Welcome to rebel outpost 3-5-9. Items for sale: Pike beam. Hermes missile. Small bomb..."
The glitched outpost went on and on, listing its full stock.
"Captain, outpost seems to be stuck in vending mode."
"Affirmative." Added their engi sheildsman.
"Well, it's got the stuff we want. What's our scrap count?"
"98, captain." replied the ship security.
"Alright. I'll begin a transmission."
The captain transmit to the out post with a list of his orders.
After the transactions were done, the crew installed their weapons on the ship.
"A shiny new Mk. 2 breach bomb and another burst laser. Still sad we had to sell the artemis, though."
"You'll be fine." Replied the ship security.
"Aww.. I 360 no scoped a rebel hacker with it!"
"And I got a shock to the hand when they hacked the engines." The engine operator replied, in a mocking tone.
"Stop the bickering and start the engines. We have to track that ship before we can chase it."

[dyno101]

"What's the severity of the ion storm?"
The sound of silence rings over the comms.
"Apparently, high."
The captain of the kestrel commands the crew for a meeting in the kitchen.
"The level of the ion storm is 99.6. Reactor at 2% functionality."
"Well, great. Power the oxygen, nothing else."
Suddenly, a black ship bursts out of the fog.
The ship ejects a small object towards the ship, and disappears again.
"To battle position-"
"Captain, that's not a bomb! That's a message!"
"Oh... Recover it."
The message, in a heavy metal case, floats right into the airlock.
"No recovery necessary, I guess." says the engine operator, who volunteered to recover it from the blackness.
Once the engine operator carries it into the kitchen, he begins to read.

"All will be explained in due time.
Everyone has taken their place in the stage of space, and the time of the universe has struck noon.
The play will begin.

1000HGHJTHGNBHNB86877867788GYHGHBHH..."

Before anyone can even ask, the engi begins his translation:
"ENGTHRAHOUNFHGRJAUEFJSB."
"That's no more translated than it was before." The captain complained.
"Hey wait... Can you recite a decoder for the Enigma code?" said the engine operator.
"Enigma code of earthen war?"
"Yes."
"Which? Code was known to change every 12 hours."
"The.. the third!"
"Translate message?"
"Yes."
The engi began his translation:

Clever!
Every cryptic message comes with a purpose, and you found it.
It's true that al is set up, but not in any sort of play.
The federation didn't give you those orders.
We did.
Just keep your pursuit, it'll guide you.


"I'm going to-"
"Nope. We're keeping pursuit." Interrupted the engine operator.
"But it's not safe any more."
"Oh well. We don't have to jump at all."
"What do you mean?"
The engine operator rested his head on his hands and leaned backwards.
"Oh..."

[dyno101]

"Captain, a single space station orbits the nearby planet."
"Thanks for the report, security. Hailing it now."
A single reply came on the view screen. It was in text, not any sort of live video feed.
The message read:

Hello. I can't properly respond; I don't want to risk my chances.
I was a slave of the mantis war camp on the planet below. I escaped and used an unarmed transport stolen by the camp to get up here.
If you're not here to kill me, I seriously need some help.

The captain thought about it.
The whole thing could be a plot to get unwitting ships to dock, or he could get a reward or even a crewmember out of the deal.
He sent the hail to his crew, and asked, "Should we try to dock? Or play it safe?"
"Docking could lead to mantis attack. I would prefer to remain in med bay during interactions."
"I say we should at least try."
"Nothing points to this being a trap, and mantis don't commonly...be this intelligent, to put it generously."
The captain replied. "Alright. Coming in for dock."
The crew stood impatiently at the airlock.
The doors lid open, revealing an injured human in a ragged rebel uniform.
The chattering crew fell silent and looked the running slave up and down.
"Seriously?" announced the captain.