"Save The Last Waltz" - a short story fragment.

Blimey. Haven't been here in awhile.
Anyway, I've been posting a bunch of stuff over on 'The Atomic Think Tank', a fan community for Green Ronin Publishing's superhero ttrpg 'Mutants & Masterminds'. 

I've been meaning to get back here and post a bunch of that here, because it's been pretty good stuff if I do say so myself and I'm hoping people will enjoy it.

Anyway, that's not why I'm here now.
Over on the ATT, one of the posters has been setting up plot ideas for us to flesh out. One of these plot hooks inspired me to write this...

"Save the Last Waltz - A Tale of the Terminus"

        In the centre of the Multiverse, there is a place. It is called The Doom-Coil and it represents the final end of everything. An endless stream of worlds, galaxies, universes are drawn inexorably into its unholy abyss and are shattered to fragments by the nightmarish forces within.
        It is a place beyond life, beyond death and, it is said, beyond hope.

        Yet there are still those who would bring hope to the hopeless and struggle against the inevitable. One such group calls itself The Life-Line. Comprised of the final survivors of dozens of worlds, the Life-Line pilot their ships dangerously close to the Doom-Coil, diving like Ospreys into it's abyssal fury and seeking to trawl out the shattered remnants of otherwise lost universes. It is dangerous work, and many ships and their crews have been lost, but they are relentless. They have lost all that they once had, and the only thing that remains for them is the hope that they might spare others of such a fate.

        As if the Doom-Coil itself were not dangerous enough, crews of Reavers, Slave-Takers, Brigands and other predators have become aware of The Life-Line's work. Seeking the favour of Lord Omega and his Annihilists, they swarm forth to prey on the Life-Line's ships, waiting for them to collect their bounty before swooping in to steal it from under their noses.

        One such vessel is 'The Bitter Mercy' commanded by the deranged pirate known as 'Skull-Doll'. After weeks of slim pickings and having to bloodily put down several attempted mutinies, The Bitter Mercy finally struck paydirt. A Life-Line ship, its hold filled with Reality Shards, had damaged its thrusters during a dive and now listed... half-crippled in the crackling crimson radiance. 
        With a shriek of glee, Skull-Doll commanded her helmsman to dive down upon it at full speed.
        Meanwhile, aboard the crippled Life-Line vessel, the crew-members bitterly lamented their fate. "What would you have me do?" muttered Major Ursus, "I can have the crew prepare to repel boarders. We won't survive, but we can still make them pay dearly for their bounty." 
        The ship's captain, Colonel O'Truth gazed into the holographic screen. She laughed bitterly. "We knew this day would come, my friend... My love... And if this death isn't the one I would have wanted, I can think of no place I'd rather be." She stood, turned, and took her first mate's hand in hers. Her eyes shone with barely-suppressed tears.
        "This is a hard life. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, but without it... I'd never have met you." 

        A resonant chime interrupted the Major before she could reply. "What is it?" she snarled with perhaps a touch more anger than was necessary.
        The comms crackled for a moment until a voice emerged through the static; it was Mance Ruin, the ship's engineer. "I hate to interrupt. But I may have news. One of the refugees from that last shard had managed to save a power source.  It's not enough to get us going again, but I might be able to jettison the cargo hold. The shards would survive, but we've no idea where they'll end up."
        The Colonel snatched up the comms-horn, "Ruin, you crazy bastard! It's not like anywhere's going to be worse than this! Get that thing launched! We'll hold off the Bitter Mercy long enough for them to warp out and escape!"
        She turned back to the Major, a manic grin on her face and a spark of mad hope in her eyes. "You heard him, how would you like to teach some pirates the true meaning of hell?"
        The Major snapped off a salute, "Can't imagine anything I'd rather be doing... present company excepted, of course."
        The Colonel laughed, "Gods I love you, old bear. Let's go show 'em something."



(The Doom Coil, Terminus, Omega and The Annihilists are property of Green Ronin Publishing, Art by Storn Cook)