Dissonant Sky Part 1: Revelations

The SN-Oshima drifting through an asteroid field

Revelations is the first entry in the Dissonant Sky series. It follows Captain Thomas “Major Tom” Striden and Lieutenant David “Junkie” Morrison as they voyage to Earth II after a long cargo journey, only to discover something terrifying

## Dissonant Sky Part 1 - Revelations

“Oshima to Earth-II, do you copy?” Striden said, while attempting to test the ship’s communications systems. The SN-Oshima was the pride and joy of Captain Thomas “Major Tom” Striden and Commander David Morrison. While not much of a looker, the 2nd generation cargo freighter was well suited for all missions the Solar Fleet System sent them out on, and the ship had seen many of those. Its major outing was helping bring supplies and terra-walkers to the barren planet KR-826-25/G that would eventually become the lush green Earth II. 3 years later, and after 7 months of helping set up the new Galactic Web Communications Center near the Galactic Center, it was time for them to return to the home they helped build. To the crew’s satisfaction, a voice came on the air and said “Earth-II Landing Center 0-5 to Oshima, you are clear for landing, sending FTLD coordinates now. Upon receiving the Faster Than Light Drive (FTLD) coordinates, the ship activated its FTL guards and the crew felt a heavy jolt of force as they blasted across the galaxy at light speed. Eventually, they received a transmission signal coming from the High Orbit Research Center (HO-RC) Zion Prime, in orbit around Earth II. “Commander Morrison, we’re receiving a transmission, tune the radio interceptor to the signal origin” Striden told Morrison. Morrison quickly began tuning the receptor tubes to the coordinates. Once they successfully connected the signal, they heard sounds of alarms, screams and loud, unrecognizable sounds. Through the chaos, they could make up the voice of a woman saying “Zion Prime to Oshima, we are… large, unknown, unoccupied ship, do… proceed… armed with… planet-killing… I repeat… not proc…

And then, the receivers deactivated, cutting the transmission

“What the hell was that, Tom?” Morrison said, worriedly.

Striden looked at the controls of the ship, reflecting on what he had just heard. “I don’t know Morrison, but we’re going to find out” Morrison was quivering in fear with what they could find, but he knew not to question Striden, for he knew what he was doing.

Eventually, they exited FTL state at the coordinates they had been sent, but something was wrong.

“There’s nothing here, it’s just an asteroid field!” Morrison said “Why would they send us the wrong coordinates?”. Striden examined the asteroids. Many of them appeared to be very hot, as if they had been freshly blown off of something, or that they used to be one singular mass that was blown apart.

“No Morrison, we’re in the right spot” Striden said, his body shaking and his eyes wide with the weight of the realization of what had happened.

“Well then where’s the planet? Where’s the HO-RC? Where are the planetary defenses? Where are any signs of life?” Morrison said, getting more annoyed by the second

Striden pointed at one of the asteroids

But it wasn’t one of the asteroids

It was the burnt wreckage of Zion Prime

And that’s when it clicked for Morrison

They were at the right coordinates

They were looking right at Earth II

They weren’t in an asteroid field

They were next to Earth II…

Or what was left of it

But they weren’t scared of the remains

The thoughts of the screams

The alarms

The chaos

The lives lost

They were terrified by what could have caused this

And more importantly…

Where was it?