'Enceladus'

 

Commander John Maury:

Log for John Maury, in command

Of the Starship Timothy Leary.

International Reformed Calendar date

Twenty-one twenty-five point six point 3.

Almost twenty-four hours ago Earth’s Sun,

Without warning, went completely dark.

With so many of Earth’s systems operating

On solar power, the lives of billions

Of people are in mortal danger.

The U.N. Space Command ordered the nearest

Space ship to the Sun to investigate.

The science vessel Timothy Leary,

With Lieutenant-Commander Nathan Boone

As our science officer and engineer,

Lieutenant Julia Graves at the helm,

And myself, responded.  U.N.S.C.

Replied, ordering us to the Sun

Without any delay.  Graves and Boone

Opened a wormhole, we have made the jump,

And now we are making our approach to the Sun.

 

[On the bridge.  Maury and Graves]

 

Graves:

Five minutes until we’re in visual range, Sir.

 

Maury [A concerned grimace across his face]:

Steady as she goes, Lieutenant.

Keep us at maximum speed till then.

 

Graves:

Aye Sir.

 

[A commotion is heard.  Boone enters the bridge from the rear, forcing a squalid, elderly man onto the bridge with him.]

 

Boone:

Commander!  A stowaway!

 

Maury:

Lieutenant, keep her steady.  Boone, who is this?!

 

Boone [With his arms still wrapped tightly around the unknown man]:

Don’t know Sir.  Just found him in one

Of the supply rooms, muttering with his arms

Stretched out.

 

Maury:

                                    Who are you, and what are you doing here?

 

Stowaway [Laughing, carefree]:

I was baptized Mosaker

Though you may call me Little Tater

As I’m not enough to fill a gator!

 

Maury:

Okay, Mosaker.  Why have you decided

To hitch a ride in the back of my ship?

 

Mosaker:

I needed to find a throne.

 

Maury:

                                                You’re a king?

 

Mosaker:

Not a king,

But every man has a need,

At some time, to pee!

Hee, hee, hee!

 

Graves:

Sir, he’s insane!

 

Mosaker:

Yes, yes, no understanding,

But neither am I hiding

Any anatomy by clever tucking-

Jonathan Graves, dead-naming!

 

Maury [With a fatherly, good-natured smile; he is starting to find humor in Mosaker’s behavior]:

An impressive façade, Lieutenant.

We’ll discuss this later, assuming for the moment,

That we live over the deadly peril.

 

Graves [Sheepishly]:

Yes Sir.

 

[Looks at panel]

                        Commander!  We’re in visual range.

 

Maury:

All stop.  Image on screen.

 

[Hordes of black objects are seen circling the Sun, blocking its light.]

 

                                                            Boone . . . what is this?

 . . .

The rest is at https://www.newenglishreview.org/articles/enceladus/.

--

Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!