'Non-Zero Sum' - by Larissa Thompson

Upon arriving in CDC-41-Gamma, Captain Jinn of the Union Warship Abigail rallies her crew.

Check out this Patron-Exclusive Anthology short, written by Larissa Thompson and performed by Tori Danner.

Thank you all for your continuing support.

Fair winds! 

Full Transcript:

[boatswain’s whistle as the PA turns on]

JINN: Attention crew! It’s time you were all made aware of the unfolding situation.

We have confirmed that we have reached the nebula. Edric’s Gate was a success. Short range scans show us that we are in an asteroid field almost entirely composed of ice, so there will be no shortage of water here. And where there’s water… 

Several hours ago we established contact with the Sunbeam, one of the fuel tankers from the Assembly. She sustained very minor damage and is rendezvousing with us shortly. I hope this kills any doubts you may have about the nature of this expedition. To think we were the only ones lost out here, that we were tricked somehow, is exactly the kind of thinking we all vowed to leave behind in Tantalus.

As I’m sure many of you are already aware, we have sustained some damage since the jump. Tech Sergeant Rhadal has told me that the Primary CO2 Recycler has been badly damaged, and we do not have a replacement recycler on board. Based on his calculations, we have five days before we begin experiencing symptoms of monox poisoning. Medical staff have started their preparations already, though we are not equipped to keep everyone alive for an extended duration should we reach that point. We are preparing enough sedatives for everyone for the end - no one on my crew deserves to suffer.  

Our priority, first and foremost, is finding the Avalon. It is our responsibility to ensure that the Sunbeam, and anyone else we find in our search, is able to rejoin the fleet. When we made the jump, when you came aboard my ship, you made a promise to everyone back in Tantalus to put the needs of the mission first.  All our resources are to be used to boost our long range scanners to find the Avalon. Finding that platform is our top priority, followed by making the necessary repairs to ensure that we can travel to her location once we do find her. Nothing else. If what you are working on does not serve either of those two purposes, then you will be reassigned. 

While some of you may have considered the possibility of taking the Sunbeam’s recycler, by force if necessary, [back to the whole crew] I refuse to allow that to happen. Our survival here is optional. Our mission’s survival is critical. The Sunbeam and the resources she carries are more important than us. The Avalon is more important than us. All we do here, is done to save our loved ones back home. To feed our children on Teldrin, to provide for our husbands and wives in Nightbridge City. Trust that no matter what happens to us, that we will have done something that would have been considered impossible years ago. That we will be instrumental to finding not just food, not just resources, but hope. Trust that this expedition will succeed, and it will. But if we sabotage it, then all of this will have been for nothing, and those children, those husbands and wives, will be lost forever. And we will carry the blame.

I know this is a challenge we were not prepared to face. I know this turns a desperate situation into an impossible one. But I also know that you, the people of the Union, have faced worse, and triumphed again and again. I know that we have endured so much for the hope and future of our people, for the dream we all share. I know that no matter what the universe throws at us, we rise! We rise to the occasion and we surpass it! Amal-Karah!

[cheers and clapping in the background]