The Universe and Beyond!

This week Billie Jo Woods challenged us to write a flash fiction piece of up to 1000 words with a Spacey theme. I can definitely be spacey! And I only needed 500 words to do it too! Billie, thanks for such a great challenge this week!

The Universe and Beyond!

Ladies and gentlemen welcome aboard White Star Line’s spacecraft TransFarer. We hope that you will enjoy your stay here with us as we explore the universe…and beyond! Thanks to the wonder of trans light thrust we are now able to travel at speeds far faster than what was previously attainable.

This will be the maiden voyage for the TransFarer, and we are certain that we shall be able to break out the universe to see what actually lies beyond! As a side note, White Star is pleased to report that TransFarer’s sister liner the GonaWayFarer has finally reappeared near the Betelgeuse system. Investigators are confident they will be able find the missing crew and passengers soon.

The captain is signalling that we are now ready to get underway. Please engage your holosuites. The slight disorientation is quite normal. The holosuite is another White Star first. Thanks to millions of cameras on the ships hull we are able to reproduce the feeling that you are actually swimming across the universe.

…..

As we begin our acceleration, I would like to point out Mars, which is now passing just to the left. The red planet which was home to the founders of the ancient Egyptian and Mayan races has recently been ordered to stop creating the image of Elvis Presley on its surface do to copyright infringements.

I will note also was we exit the solar system that we will be passing quite close to Pluto. Demoted from planet statis in the late 20th century, it has never recovered from the economic repercussions of that decision. Donation boxes are located throughout the ship to help its inhabitants. Please be generous.

…..

Ladies and gentlemen we have obtained maximum speed, and are now leaving the Orion–Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Please enjoy the view while we start the in flight meal service. Our selections today include both fish and chicken. Just may make your choice by using the key pad in front of you and shortly afterwards the meal capsule should arrive. Bon appetite!

…..

I ask that all passengers please now return their trays to the upright positions as we are fast approaching the edge of the universe. You will note the bright white light ahead which marks are destination. There have been reports of enormous shadowy figures being visible as well and we are speculating that these may actually be the creators. Please brace for our attempt to breach the edge of the universe.

It would seem that the first attempt failed so the captain will be going around to try it again. Please rest assured that we shall continue to try to break through. All day if need be! In the mean time might I suggest a beverage?

THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, THUNK, THUNK!

“Daddy, daddy look! That one is running into the side of the aquarium over and over again. Why would it do that daddy?”

“Well Billie, those creatures aren’t very smart. They keep trying to escape from the tank. Looks like that one might actually keep it up all day.”

“‘That’s funny daddy!”

“Yes it is Billie, yes it is”

F.B.T.I.

For this weeks Sunday challenge Billie Jo of  “Out of the woods”  invited us to wordsmith a story of not more than 500 words that contained theme of sabotage. Below is my offering.

F.B.T.I.

The airlock shuttered as it reached its destination. Davis checked his Blackberry. Arriving May 6, 1937 flashed on the display. Oh well, back to work then. He open the Timeline Attire App and punched in “1937, North America”. His jumper twitched slightly, then changed to a pin stripped business suit complete with spats.

He activated the portal controls and was greeted with a small pop as the air pressure balanced in the lock. He looked around.Right where he was supposed to be. Carefully Davis stepped out on to the superstructure. Once settled, he surveyed his surroundings. Below him was a long metal gangway with a stairway leading to a hatch door. He pulled out his scanner and looked at the readings. The bomb was easy enough to find. He ran a diagnostic on it and saved the data. Now all he had to do was wait.

The bang of the hatch door opening gave him a start. Two crewmen dressed in coveralls seemed to be searching for something. “Ach mein Gott” one yelled as he pulled the bomb from its hiding place. As fast as they had arrived they were gone, along with the explosive device. Waiting a few more minutes to make sure they weren’t going to return, he retrieved the data from the scanner and feed it into the replicator.

Once the bomb had been returned to its hiding place, he pulled up the timer on his watch. Damn, cutting this one a bit close he thought as the portal popped open. Safely on the ground Davis wonder who had tipped the crew to the incendiary. Likely some future relative trying save an ancient family member. When would people learn not to mess about in the time stream!

Suddenly the sky became bright red, but he didn’t bother to look as he made his way through the now running crowd. Hurrying past a newsreel reporter, he heard the man cry “oh the humanity”. No one noticed him open the airlock and step through. Back inside, he dropped into his chair. What a day, and it was only Monday too! He glanced at the report that he had started on the Dallas incident. Most likely he’d catch hell for that one. Destroying the roofed limousine had been a last-ditch effort on his part, but it had all worked out in the end. He had even received a smile and wave as the motorcade had turned the corner.

Davis worked for the Federal Bureau of Timeline Interference as a field agent. Ever since time travel had become available, people seemed to think they could just alter things to suit themselves. But time was a fragile thing, similar to a house built of cards. It could be messy if someone tried to pull a card out of it. So the F.B.T.I. was formed to keep things as they had been.

His Blackberry chipped again. Looking at it he swore “Damnit, can this day get any worse. It had to be the Ides of March?”  He punched in Roman Senate;Rome;March 15, 44 BC and hit engage.