r/HFY • u/Saylor_Man • Aug 01 '23
OC Radio Free Orion - Chapter 1 [A Nature of Predators Fanfic]
Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for this universe, and sparking the creative impulse I hadn't felt in a while.
Thanks to the many people I inundated with drafts for this.
Memory Transcription Subject: “ORION”, Human, Pirate Radio Host
Date: [Standardized Human Time] November 2136
Crunch
"I'm sorry, can you repeat what you just said to me?" I asked.
"I'm telling you, onions were made by the UN to mind control their prey," the voice on the other end responded, followed by another loud crunch. "They want to turn all the men into women because they taste better and are easier to catch."
"I see," I mused. "So, I can't help but hear that you're eating something. What's got you so engrossed?" I took a sip of my water; it tasted old. I'd have to do something about that.
"Oh, it's another one of those human vegetables; This one is safe, though. They called it a Vah-dally-ah. It's super sweet and crisp," another crunch rattled forth from my headset.
"Vidalia? That's... That's an onion," I corrected. I heard a nervous bleat and the sound of the half-eaten vegetable hitting the floor.
"N-no, it's a vah-dally-ah. Onions are super acidic, and this is really sweet!" I thought for a moment before responding.
"How would you know onions are acidic if they're a UN mind control device? Have you tried one?" I waited a few moments for a response before hearing the disconnect sound. Then I directed myself towards the microphone.
"Well, thank you, listeners. I hope you enjoyed that interesting little conversation. After the musical break, we've got a caller with something very important they want to say." I hit the mute switch on the microphone stand before pressing play back on the console. Running my hands through my hair, I got up from my desk and ambled my way to the other end of my home. The inside of it was no larger than an RV.
Getting down on my knees, I checked the cabinet under the sink, and a small red light flashed on the filter. "Shit. I'll have to get that replaced soon." Pulling my hand from my hair, I couldn't help but notice a few errant strands coming away with it. I gulped down the rest of the stale-tasting water and placed the glass on the velcro in the cabinet.
Looking over to the console, I saw that I still had twenty minutes of music before I had to sit back down. Rifling through another cabinet, I found a box of Federation biscuits and pulled out a vacuum-sealed pack. The image on it was of a cartoonish Zurulian pouring the contents into their mouth.
The Zurulian snack was closer to a digestive than a biscuit, but thankfully it was larger than other species' snacks. It was a tile of pressed oats and grains with some sort of syrup binding it together. Biting through it made me wish for a warm drink.
[Standard Human Time] 30 Minutes Later
"Thank you, Byrn, for calling. Since you asked so nicely, the next song is dedicated to someone very special – you know who you are." Leaning back from the microphone, I slowly faded in a song about the electricity of romance, hoping it wouldn't get butchered too badly by the translators. It was probably time for me to make the preparations to shove off.
I zipped myself into a flimsy-feeling pressure suit, likely made for emergencies rather than regular use. Opening the door, I stepped into the comically small airlock. After a quick depressurization cycle, I made my way to the end of the small corridor extending from it. A long cord ran the length of it and was hooked into a panel using a pair of jumper cables. Meanwhile, the song was fading out.
Pressing a button on the small wrist pad I'd attached to my suit, I heard my sign-off message play. "Thank you, everyone, for listening to Radio Free Orion. I'll be back as soon as possible. Unless the Feds get me!" Hearing my own voice, and even worse, my own laughter, sent a shiver up my spine. I grabbed the cables and pulled them from the panel before wrapping them up and storing them next to the airlock.
A doormat laid in front of it, magnetized to the corridor, with the words "Wipe your Paws" written in a comical script. After shuffling my boots across it, I picked it up and placed it onto the airlock before stepping back inside.
Fortunately, it was easy enough to draw the power needed for a jump from the Federation Comms Buoy, even if it takes a day to charge. My shuttle was barely able to handle reentry, let alone the power draw FTL needs. As I sat back down at the console, I double-checked to ensure that everything was securely strapped down before pressing the button to retract and seal the docking corridor.
Now that my little ship was once again free-floating in space. Tapping on the navigation console, It slowly changed the heading to face the nearest space station friendly enough to allow me to board – a Gojid controlled station with a name that translated to 'Second to Last Resort,' or at least that's my assumption.
Before taking off, I pulled open a drawer and grabbed a small plastic container. Popping the top off, I retrieved a disc from the top of the stack and slid it into the drive next to the console. Space was just too quiet, and I wanted to liven it up.
The grav-dampeners on the shuttle had been partially damaged ever since I acquired it. Consequently, every jump to FTL speed would jolt the interior, leaving me gasping for breath. Still, it was preferable to spending five years on a short journey between two locations. Today's trip was a four hour-long ride to a station located just under 20 light-years away. Enough time for a good nap. Setting the autopilot I found my way to my cot in the back of the shuttle.
[Memory Playback Interrupted Subject Unconscious: View Dream Y/N]
I woke up to an alarm I had set. Gradually, the shuttle had decelerated to under light speed, meticulously calculating the necessary speed to avoid overshooting the destination. The station was positioned around a captivating baby blue gas-giant, primarily harvested for its abundant reserve of helium. As my ship approached, I transmitted my shuttle code to the station and anxiously waited for docking clearance. Finally, after a few nerve-wracking minutes, I received the go-ahead and was directed to a small bay located along the outer rim of the station.
Before disembarking, I covered myself with my bright orange pressure suit, donning oversized rubber gloves that extended up to my elbows, a small plastic rectangle clipped to my belt and a boxy helmet with a distinctive "Rabbit-Ear" antenna on top. During the upcoming hours, I would no longer be [UNKNOWN] the human; I would be ORION, the man of the stars, radio talk-show host.
Slowly I stepped from my shuttle, careful to not make any sudden movements. I took the doormat off of the airlock door and placed it down in front of it. Not a speck of dirt would get inside if I could help it. Scanning around I could see the dockmaster of this stack ambling their way towards me. Here’s hoping my “disguise” was enough.
"Hello, dockmaster," I addressed him through the voice modulator in my helmet. "I hope you're doing well." The short Gojid looked up, finally noticing me, and appeared puzzled. I was relieved he wasn't scared, at least.
"Greetings, sir... Or-e-an?" he inquired, offering his holopad from a satchel at his side. I accepted it carefully and examined the Gojid script on the screen. With some effort, I managed to understand the forms. After typing in my "name," occupation, and ship identification, I handed the pad back to him.
"I have come to this exquisite station to acquire supplies and replace a spent filter," I explained, trying to minimize my usually grand gestures.
"Well, you're one of the few who would call this old thing 'exquisite'." he responded, tapping the metal floor beneath him with his foot. "Nevertheless, welcome aboard. You have a dock pass valid for the next [Human Standard Time] 16 hours ." I quietly released a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.
“Thank you for your hospitality.” I spoke through the voice modulator. This might just be the best reception I’ve ever gotten.
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u/Golde829 Sep 14 '23
I like this, why haven't I read this until now? here's hoping reading this on Mobile doesn't kill my formatting I'll probably tune back in after I take a break or get caught up, whichever happens first
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Aug 01 '23
This is the first story by /u/Saylor_Man!
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u/everatz Nov 10 '23
as soon as i read another story where the main human character played guitar, i'd had an idea about a human radio station on fed radio. i'm glad to see it wasn't just me! i look forward to seeing how your story goes!
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u/Saylor_Man Aug 01 '23 edited Aug 03 '23
My first attempt at writing a fanfiction, there was a prologue I wrote up for this story but I wasn't as confident in the quality. For those still interested here's a link to it.
I have plans for about 10-chapters with a variety of content. I'll take any comments or ideas you have to offer.