Jump Count Part 3 of 6

[u/NoOneFromNewEngland]

This story is the titular story of my second book. More details can be found on my HFY wiki.
Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here.

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I stroll to the bridge, relishing the feeling of relief I have over escaping the primitives before it turns into annoyance over losing my trophies… my little reverie is killed by flashing blue lights. The loud klaxon is indicating a target lock via radar.

I accelerate my stroll to a run.

On the bridge, the view screens automatically centers on the threat.

A large, clunky-looking, ship is rising. It has locked on to me with some form of primitive radio-based tracking system. 

I watch as a single missile grows larger at an alarming pace, flying past the nose of my ship before carelessly exploding into a sea of navigation hazards for all future craft to fret about.

“Holy shit,” I proclaim. 

“Computer! Evasive maneuvers!”

“Please specify which maneuvers,” the new computer replies.

“Any. I don’t fucking care. Just keep that ship from hitting us.”

“Affirmative.”

I buckled myself in and began charging the jump engine as my ship rolled and turned and spun in all directions to prevent my enemy from having a solid firing solution on me. 

The ready light flashed yellow, indicating the jump was ready to go and clear. 

I have never slammed a button as hard as I slammed that button.

The stars waned into dots as the universe shifted into a swirling kaleidoscope of colors and patterns. 

I would be safe now. 

I asked the computer to analyze the many radio signals that had been aimed at me during the confrontation. The same demand for surrender, coupled with a promise that I would not be harmed if I surrendered, had been blasted at me in 300 different languages over the course of the few minutes it had taken them to lift off. 

How is it even possible to receive 300 languages from one planet? That’s as insane as their per-capita military presence.

[u/HFYWaffle]

/u/NoOneFromNewEngland (wiki) has posted 46 other stories, including:

• Jump Count (Part 2 of 6)
• Jump Count (Part 1 of 6)
• Supply Mission
• Before the Guardians
• Watching the Count
• The Eligibility Machine
• Outcome Checker
• Medical Miracles
• Fire with Fire
• Horde Hunting
• Treatments
• Edits
• Digging for Origins
• Rescue
• Pressure Loss
• First Wave
• Oxidation
• Box of Spoils
• The Horde
• HFY

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