The nearest place to heaven... (a story)

[/)eathKiller]

MSCV 1101 The Overant: An ominousely large station orbiting Scythera 12, situated in the darkness of space, it served as they waypoint for pilgrims ready to reach out and touch the stars for over a century. in Line 12, a group of mercenaries who had been selected were already standing in a line, muscular in build, one rather timid looking with glasses, they were breifed and headed toward a small spacecraft which would be their home for the next few months as they traveled at the highest speeds reachable by modern science to their destinatoin, in line 11, a family, hoping to colonize new and undiscovered worlds, in line 10, bounty hunters and asorted ex-militia, ready to hunt and destroy the scumm which the parties in all other lines would produce, line 9, the Watsons, line 8, the Belviews, line 7, The Thomases, line 6, the Fredericks, like 5, Some interstellar truckers, line 4, Freighters, line 3, Sortied Military Pilots, line 2, a party of scientists ranging from old to just out of the academy, all prepared to explore the galaxies ahead of them and discover new things, accompanying them a few bodyguards each with their own skills, a robot, and a very silent but freindly figure in a cloak, line 1, a single man with grey hair, his name yet undisclosed...

"Wait a minute Jerry" A feild officer said to another...

"That dude waiting to board his craft in bay 1, does he look familiar to you?"

"why if i didnt know any better, i'd say he looked like the political activist... nah... he's got the wrong body type and he's not wearing a suit... that guy woudl never get caught dead wearing a sweathirt and pants in public like that... heh plus i'm sure he's skinnier than that..."

"Line 2, Dr. Hermonuclulies," A plain looking man in a red scientific suit with solid black hair stepped up, he was weighed and measrued and then allowed to proceed... "Dr. Vandred," A green haired woman bearing an electronic eyepeice stepped up, her outfit seemed tightly wound around her body, yet concealing, being solid white. "Dr. Digrinder," A muscular man, looking almost too strong to be a doctor stepped up wearing a white labcoat with a slightly revealing shirt. "Dr. Harris" the plain man in glasses stepped up, he pressed them against his face and walked through wearing a red suit like Hermonuclulies', " Sythera Malkavil," a woman wearing a medium body armor stepped through" Teernog Vin, "A short almost dwarf like individual wearing a futuristic tunic walked through, "Sleeverashog Targo," A man with an exposed chest stepped on through, every inch of him appeared to be hairless and well tanned, "Shino Korosha" A pale man with red eyes and hair stepped through, "and Bob Wagner," a broad-chinned advenuter with a useless-looking weapon at his side which he apparentl though was 'futuristic' stepped through with a very dumb smile, his fans waved him farewell, "you may step beyond the line in the order which - *click*, thank you..."

A news reporter prepared her hair and stood before a crude filming device, fluffing her hair and preparing to be projected to the universe... "You heard it! Our first brave explorers of the great unkown have been released and are now underway! it will be shortly now until we get to see their launching into the great unknown as they plan to travel farther than any known humans in the galaxy... to... well... another galaxy!

a recorded earlier symbol sparked up in the top right corner...

"I got to speak personally to the Project leader Dr. Hermonuclulies earlier this week..."

"So Doctor, where is it that your party will go?"

"We have seen a galaxy, which has just recently appeared in our telescopes, which means that it is so far away in space that we havent been able to see it for billions and billions of years, with our knowledge of stars and interssteller travel we can understand that transversing a distance to such an object might take a few years, in this time we will deplot relay satelites, these have been known to create a feeder band frequency, in other words I could speak into a microphone near the star's orbit, and you could hear my voice, where you stand, in a matter of minutes because the sound would be relayed faster and faster witht he feeder chain of dropped satelites communicating in synch with one another constantly! on top ot this: The satlelites cna be used for interstellar navigation and communication between ships while on the long voyage! now as we proceed we WILL report any findings which occur and will be sure to tell you everything that occurs, we are a private organization and keep no secrecy..."

"Now of course there will be a little delay before other such parties travel as far as they're going but this bold party will be the first to pave the way in super intergalactic travel!

Dr. Joe Hermonuclulies himself has been regarded as the most valuable mind in the scientific community, and his views are rarely challanged though this descision has been met with some strong opposition from the political cannidate, Brock Hallaway, who had this to day:"

"we... the brothers... of HUMANITY cannot TRY and pave a way unless in BLOOD! Why is it that such a SMALL party be selected to travel and not an ARMY or a MILITIA or a FAMILY of loved ones! without love... well then... there is DEATH... and uh... with death.... there... is.... NOTHING.... and END to humanit will come! Eventually and if we want to STAY alive we shouldnt think of progress but PROTECTION which comes with CONgress! do you undesrtand?"

"Brock... to be honest, no one really seems to understand you aside from your political partners..."

"oh that's what they all say... heh thats what they ALL say to ME! but i'm an ELECTED OFFICIAL!" he squaked when he talked, lifted a single finger wearign adouble breasted suit covered in fake medals... "AND THAT makes me SOMEONE opinionable in a DEMOGRAPHIC!"

"the latest gallop poll released said that 0.0001% of every 200,000 people agree with his views, the opposition went on further to say:"

"It was decreed in the book of the three sons that ONE DAY man would try to leave his bondaries and take a LEAP off into the unknown and on that day he would hit a WALL that would forever shatter his confidence and his hopes and dreams! we shouldnt be getting there so QUICKLY! rather we should take our time... slowly , enjoy and savor this time that is existance before we're all snuffed out!"

Here is what one of our fellow "human brothers" Rashog Targo, who will be venturing along with the scientists to offer them advice and technical support had to say in response:

"If there is such a proverbial wall as Mister Hallaway put it, then i say we FIND it! and that way we can BREAK IT DOWN and keep on going! Such is the human nature!"

"hmmm very proverbial words from an engieneer..."

"Ah but sally" a man in the newsroom interupted on the air "He's been given that job for a reason, He is what he is because he is the best at what he does..."

"Hmm seems to me more like he should be a philosipher..."

"it was his minor in college..."

"Alright and we're just minutes away from the history-making launch!"

The figure in line 1 began to sweat, his eyes looking to and fro with anticipation of something... but what?

"Line 12, Vince Starsinger," A heroic man bearing medium body armor, silvery with discuss structures and toting a large unarmed cannon on his arm " Vallery Nira," A woman with something that looked like a crude pole at first glance was eminating with a mysterios group of orbs for some reason... " ECV-1107," An all metal humanoid figure stepped through making loud clunking noises and the sound of turning gears as it moved, it was obviously all machine... " Lila Selek," A woman with a sword in a hilt at her side stepped through while reading a book... "and finally ... Tak" A short deranged individual wearing goggles stepped through making gittery sounds , he seemed to be freinds with the large and heavily armored black machina which had corossed the security feild with them...

The others lines were randomoly called to pass one at a time, the man jittery looked to his left and right sweating further...