Interlude 1.1: VoidDancer
-— This message brought to you by Morrigan’s Children -----
Military Boardroom
Clean shaven, no nonsense General. Stern look, military attire. Broad shoulders behind simple podium. Audience filled with young, eager, bright, attentive team
Thank you for attending at such short notice. We’re on the clock, so let’s begin.
This is your mission:
Cut to night sky - inky blackness speckled with bright dots. Zoom on one dot, zoom again larger. Final zoom, swirling gas giant giant fills screen
General [voiceover]: 170 billion km of cold, unrelenting void against -
The orange/red of Morrigan, just visible behind the Military Starport slowly orbiting in the foreground
General [cont. voiceover]: 4,000 tones of shipbuilding capacity, the wealth of worlds, and the brightest minds we have.
Cut back to the General - slight smile barely visible behind stern facade
General: I know who I’m putting my money on.
Quick series of shots: researchers scribbling on bits of paper, engineer hidden behind visor as welding sparks fly, coffee slurped late at night. Coffee cup lifted off stack of papers, leaving brown half-moon stain.
Camera focus on face, frowning down behind thick glasses. Then a smile - Eureka
Plans handed from scientist in lab coat to worker in blue overalls factory. Nod of respect passes between the two
Missile Size: 5.00 MSP (12.500 Tons)
Speed: 640 km/s Fuel: 6,500
1st Stage Flight Time: 20,587 hours 1st Stage Range: 47,431.3m km
Second Stage: Geo Buoy Beta x1
A starport now, shown orbiting the blue / green marble of Wounded Garden loads Farsight Gamma missiles into the waiting vessel
VoidDancer class Geological Survey Vessel 4,000 tons
1562 km/s
Maint Life 4.84 Years MSP 181 Max Repair 100 MSP
Magazine 15 / 0
Plant [6] Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 48 months
StormDrive (1) Power 125 Fuel Use 63.25% Signature 125 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 750,000 Litres Range 53.3 billion km (395 days at full power)
Avarice Launcher (3) Missile Size: 5
Thorn Control Alpha (1) Range 16.6m km RES 100
Geological Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
VoidDancer interior
Captain: Morrigan, this is VoidDancer. Permission to launch?
Morrigan [radio]: VoidDancer this is Morrigan Actual. Greens across the board - 5 by 5, you’re good to go.
Boosters thrum. Young navigator opens heart-shaped pendant round neck - pregnant woman on one half, smiling child on other. Kisses it, looks deeply for a moment, closes it. Game face on
Captain [over speaker]: Approaching LP 1: Brace for jump
Engineers clamber over pipes in the busy interior. Loose bolts stowed, crates tied down. Expert, efficient, effective.
Captain [over speaker]: Jump complete, all systems nominal. Approaching range markers.
Gentle glide through inky space as Minerva hoves into view. The team sit ready and calm
Captain: Targeting?
Targeting [tapping at keyboard] : Ready!
Captain: Launch?
Launch team [in unison]: Ready!
Captain: Missiles - away!
Dramatic burn, missiles flying from ship, gliding towards their destination
Captain [over coms]: Morrigan, this is VoidDancer. Bombs away.
Morigan: Morigan actual to VoidDancer - well done. Now get back here - there are a few fellas who want to buy you heroes a drink!
Captain: You heard the boss - take us home!
Navigator [excited]: Eye eye!
Shot from VoidDancer exterior, turning 180 degrees and burning for the LP.
Yet there’s tension now - it seemed too easy. We see a shot of the young navigator looking nervous, clasping his necklace. Cut to shot of his family, back on home soil, clustered around a radio, listening, hopeful, nervous
The fuel gauge - it’s ticking down… every inch closer is a litre more fuel they won’t get back…
Captain: Morrigan - we’re running on fumes here!
Morrigan: Morrigan actual to VoidDancer - steady now. Hold your course
The drives sputter… the fuel ticks down to empty… is this the end for our heroes?
Captain: Morrigan. Bingo fuel [pause]. Morrigan, do you copy?
A flash as the Dawn jumps through the LP
New voice: VoidDancer this is Dawn. Fancy a lift?
Cut briefly to interior Dawn - a grinning lady in blue overalls smokes a cigar as she talks into the radio
With a thunk, the tether leashes the VoidDancer, to the cheering of the crew
Captain: VoidDancer to Dawn - are you a sight for sore eyes!
Dawn: Next time just remember, it takes two to tango in this galaxy, VoidDancer!
Final cut to a flag, fluttering in the thin air of Morrigan
General [voiceover]: To go where others cannot go. To do what others cannot do. This is what Morrigan’s Children are!
Ambitious scouting of the distant Planet X has given Morrigan’s Children a boost at the next election