Music and Lyric by David W. Jacobsen
Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.
A Bad Omen
The mission successful, the crew settles in for their final night on Rexel 4. The captain and several others all dream of a great fire and a disaster.
The Homeward Journey Begins
Leaving Rexel 4, the ship sets off towards home. The mood of the crew varies. They accept the dangers of the journey, but that cannot dampen their great anticipation and excitement about the homecoming. Although it is over a week's journey and there is much work to do, the crew all look forward to their return.
Moving Slightly Off Course
Everything seems OK at first, but a slight glitch occurs and the ship moves off course. There is concern and all crew members are sent to work. However, such navigation errors happen and almost everyone expects the crisis to pass. The few pessimists are ignored as the crew's eagerness to return home makes most of them assume that they will soon get passed the danger.
Turbulence
Unfortunately, the ship passes into a turbulent place where it is violently moved about by the elements. This continues for several hours as the ship is pounded from all sides. Finally, when things calm down the ship, severely damaged, is in an unfamiliar place. The navigation equipment is damaged and several critical pieces are irreparable. It is at first eerily quiet.
Lost in a Hostile Place
The quiet passes and other ships appear forcing them to land in an unfamiliar place. The captain and crew land and attempt to repair the ship. However, in this strange place, they find little assistance. Desperate, one of the crew is caught stealing and taken away, never to be seen again. They are able to use some money to repair some of the more critical pieces and restock damaged provisions. They are able to determine their location and chart a course towards home.
Everything Falls To Pieces
The ship departs on the new course home. Unfortunately, the course is dangerous and risky. However the crew are optimistic about their chances of seeing their homes again.
Thoughts Of ...
The parts they bought on the strange planet were of poor quality and begin to malfunction. They had been cheated on the provisions as well and many of them are no longer usable. The crew all think of their homes and try to determine the best course of action. Things seem bleak, but they've been bleak before. There is still some hope they will find a place to land and be able to contact someone for supplies. However, in the midst of it all, the crew discovers that the captain has hanged himself.
The Stillness Before ...
A general gloom and feeling of hopelessness overtakes the crew. A few try to chart a course to the closest place to land, while many take a moment to reflect.
A Turbulent End
Before the ship can set out for a place to land, the elements take hold again. This time, however, the ship is not prepared. There was too much damage from the previous storm and the turbulence is too much. The crashing about causes a fire and the ship explodes.