• 17:00
    Have you ever noticed, when you stare at a blank piece of paper for long enough, it seems to open up, and become a realm of infinite possibilities, but as soon as you write on it, the realm dissipates, because now you have limited it to one single line of fate.

    I feel sick.

    How long have I been out here in this No-Man's-Land region of space? I don't know. But I'm not alone. Every time I look behind, I can see a ship following me. But the ship is different, every time. Or is it? I don't know.

    I want to go home.

    I'm engaging the Ion Compression drive.

    ...

    Where am I? A.. nebula? This place is evil. I can feel it. Oh, god... I'm afraid. There's something out there. Is it the phantom? No, this ship is different again. Or is it?

    That ship... Has no life-signs on it. It's a ghost ship. A phantom. I think that ship is my memory. Memories never die. It's trying to tell me something. I'm looking at it. Trying to make me remember.

    I was on assignment. No, that's not right. How could I be? I'm not a mercenary. Or am I? My name tag reads Lieutenant Daniel Jacobs. I'm military? That's not right... The phantom... I think I understand it, now..

    It wants me to kill it. Yes, then it can be free..

    ...Lieutenant Daniel Jacobs, signing off.

    ...

    5:00

    "Alright, Delta, form up on me!" I called out over the comms. My name is Daniel Jacobs, Lieutenant of the Earth Defense Navy. I am currently the co-Commander of the 101st Raven Talons. We specialize in chasing down warheads and enemy fighters.

    My squad, consisting of 4 pilots, including me, formed a wedge as we flew around the Crow Nebula. Some strange radiation patterns had been coming from the area, so patrols were stepped up.

    "You hear the news?" Delta 2 said, "These signals are not of known human configuration. We could very well be about to find a new species!"

    Delta 4, our only female pilot, said, "Well, we don't know for sure. It could be one of our probe's signals got funked by that nebula. Worry about Jupiter Rogues, not aliens."

    I quelled the conversation with, "Maintain radio silence! We have multiple bogies coming in. Looks like more than a scouting wave. I think it's an ambush!" Sure enough, two wings of fighters disengaged their Ion Compression engines about 5,000 kilometers away.

    "Ravens, spread out! They're forming ranks, so expect a missile barrage!" I called out, keeping my finger poised over the Countermeasure button. They launched Fury missiles, dumbfire, but rapid. Our shields took most of the hits, but my starboard wing was clipped at the tip.

    "Reform!" I called. We flew fast in wedge formation, our lasers and missiles tearing up their ranks. We were flying deadly fast, front-line quality fighters. Theirs were at least half a decade old.

    The Jupiter Rogues are a group of pirates intent on causing havoc for the Earth Defense Force. They were a constant problem, but not necessarily a threat.

    We broke formation, and quickly mopped up the last of the Rogues. Two more ships jumped in behind us. They were Earth Defense Navy, but were flying ships I'd never seen. "David Jacobs, stand down, and prepare to be taken into custody. You are wanted for high treason."

    I couldn't believe this. "What!? Treason! On what grounds!?" I was met with, "Stand down immediately."

    I sat back in my cockpit. I had just repelled an ambush from Jupiter Rogues, and am now being accused of working for them?

    Then, my head hurt. I heard screams. My vision grew static-like, and a vague face appeared before me. "W--hat is th--is place----" I heard, a roar in my ears. The voice was full of static, and I realized that the voice came from my comms. I reached to turn them off, and the face in my vision turned to watch my hand. My vision took a red hue, and my head pounded harder. "H--elp me! H---el--p me---"

    Then the phantom ship appeared. It glided smoothly between me and the mystery Navy.

    Then they were gone. My squad gasped. "What the hell!?" Delta 4 shrieked, "Where did they go!? Ship's don't-" And then she was gone, too. As the phantom flew in a circle around me, my squad dissapeared. Then the phantom turned away from me, and flew towards the Crow Nebula.

    I engaged my Ion Compression Drive and followed.

    ...


    1 million kilometers from the Crow Nebula

    ...

    10:00

    I've been fleeing for hours. The Earth Defense Navy is sending almost half their fleet after me.. They think I'm the Jupiter Rogue Admiral! I've come to an asteroid field, I'm going to try and hide here. But... What was that phantom? My wing.. Sharon...

    Here comes the Navy. I'm nestled in a magnetic asteroid, so I should be safe. Christ.. Two Behemoth Cruisers, two Mammoth Corvettes, three X-Shuttles... A Marsflier? They sent a DESTROYER after me!? Wait.. The... Phantom.. Argh! My head!

    My vision went static again. "L--EAVE THIS-- PLACE--- SO--ME-T---HING ---- STR---AN---GE"

    And the Navy was gone. The phantom turned toward me....

    ...

    500k kilometers from the Crow Nebula

    ...

    16:00

    They're all here. I've found all the ships that the phantom has taken, but.. They're all dead. Lifeless. Sharon... Even the Destroyer. There's no lifesigns. The crew is just.. gone.

    I feel sick.

    "TOLD YOU TO LEAVE THIS PLACE!"
    "FREE US"
    "SAVE US"
    "HELP US"
    "SOMETHING STRANGE ABOUT THIS PLACE"
    "die."

    With that last whisper, the dead ships all came alive, the fighters shooting.. Sharon, shooting, the Destroyer's turrets firing, the Cruiser's AAA beams aimed at me.. I fled.