CHAPTER 2: PROBES ON A SPACEPLANE
January 22nd 2025
Wednesday
Wheels Up + 01:27:01
SIMULATION ENGINE RUNNING
TIMEFLOW INTERRUPTED
You are now: ZIXINUS, ETERNAL FREEDOM, IVAN IVANOV, WHITE CHINESE DELIVERY GUY, BITCHING BETTY, ROBOTIC PROBE, INSANE FILIPINO, PHANT and FUCKER NEWTON.
You are on a SPACEPLANE. The SPACEPLANE is FLYING really FAST. It is PILOTED by ETERNAL FREEDOM and ZIXINUS. It is rather CRAMPED. The CONTROLS are CONFIGURED in METRIC UNITS. There is no SCRAM FUEL. There is 32% of MAIN ENGINE FUEL. There is plenty of HYDRAZINE for the APU. There is a ROBOTIC PROBE in the CABIN. It is not HOMICIDAL for the TIME BEING. The SYSTEMS COOLANT is nearly BOILING. The AIR is no longer VENTING from the CABIN. There is much PEE and VOMIT in the AIR. It STINKS a LOT.
The AIR inside the CABIN is REALLY goddamned HOT. PHANT hisses after TOUCHING a METAL SURFACE. He does not SEEM to UNDERSTAND what is GOING ON.
You have DECIDED not to DO ANYTHING about the DAMAGED RADIATOR. You will HOPE for the BEST. Namely that you WILL not be BOILED ALIVE. Which is quite a LONG SHOT.
The INSANE FILIPINO has LOST CONSCIOUSNESS. ZIXINUS has GOTTEN everything SECURE and in ORDER. Even the ROBOTIC PROBE which is LOCKED in a DEFENSIVE STANCE. It must be REMEMBERING its LAST MOMENTS.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
ETERNAL FREEDOM Says: All right. Entry interface. Let's land this fucker!
You GLIDE into the ATMOSPHERE. The MAGNIFICENT SPACEPLANE begins to SHAKE VIGOROUSLY. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to hold the CONTROLS due to the HEAT.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
The RIDE is getting BUMPIER. You can HEAR the air HOWL outside.
PHANT Screams: Oh my god we're gonna die!
PHANT Adds: Again!
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
The AIR outside the MAGNIFICENT SPACEPLANE begins to TURN into PLASMA. The G-FORCES have reached the HIGH TWOS.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
ETERNAL FREEDOM MUTTERS a PRAYER to the GOD of SPACE.
ROBOTIC PROBE begins to BLARE HORRIBLE MUSIC out of its TINY SPEAKERS. It is VERY LOUD.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Mach 20
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
PHANT SCREAMS something INCOHERENT and BEGINS to UNSTRAP from the SEAT despite the HIGH GEE FORCES.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Mach 15
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
PHANT FALLS out of his SEAT. He SLAMS into the AIRLOCK door. It is VERY PAINFUL. There is a HISS and SMELL of BURNT FLESH thanks to the REALLY HOT METAL.
ZIXINUS SCREAMS as his GRAND MOUSTACHE begins to SIZZLE.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Mach 12
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coolant temperature!
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Hull temperature!
ETERNAL FREEDOM SCREAMS something REALLY OBSCENE having NOTICED your current POSITION.
BITCHING BETTY Says: Warning! Coo...
The COMPUTERS fail ABRUPTLY. The AUTO PILOT stops HOLDING your ANGLE OF ATTACK. You are at 50 kilometres of ALTITUDE and flying at ABOUT MACH 12.
INSANE FILIPINO starts HAVING an EPILEPTIC SEIZURE.
What do you do? _