Lockdown On Planet Sem

"Yes, Commanding Officer Godwin, this is Alpha Radio Station 1," Akira said to the radio, "We haven't managed to fix the connection yet, no. Look, it might be easier if you could send someone over... I understand that it might not be the easiest right now but..." Tristan, who had told Akira to call the CO since she had the radio, motioned for her to hand it over to him, "Officer Godwin, Officer Godwin, this is Captain Tristan Kearney of the Rising Star Battalion. I must say that Akira is right. Miles, by his own volition, is excellent with technology but, even he has no idea what to do here. We could really do with a technician, even if you send them in a Hazmat suit, over?" There was a long pause, but Akira could see that the team's CO had given in from the look of relief in Tristan's eyes. "Thank you, Officer Godwin. We will have a deep clean before they arrive and take all safety precautions as always. Out." "That...

A foul, foul smell awoke Akira Akiyama. She sprung out of her camp bed, slipped her feet into a pair of fluffy slippers and opened the door, saying, "How smelly is this cheese?" The three other members of the Rising Star Battalion were also stood outside their rooms, they all looked up and down the hallway at each other, waiting for someone to say something. Miles put his hand on his nose, Akira and Kain followed. Tristan sighed, "I'll call the CO." He pulled the door to his room open again and disappeared. "I'll try and learn some Sterculian today then, might come in handy," said Miles. "You're always two steps ahead," Kain looked at him in slight bewilderment. Akira nodded. "A strategist has got to be," he pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose and went back to his room. Akira and Kain shook their heads at each other. ****** "Good evening, fellow citizens," said a muffled Trist...

Miles sat in his room of the radio station, his hands knitted behind his head, "Come on Schafer, script these questions as best you can, the people of Sem deserve it." He lifted a fountain pen, always a man for the classics, and started to write, scratching out rejected questions and sentences as he went. He barely paused for breath. This was how he always preferred to work, locking himself away and burying himself in paper and ink until he was finished. The research room he was staying in had been emptied of all equipment, with the research team now working from home. The only real remnants of it being an office was the large strip of wood stretching round the room which had been used to maximise the space, one forgotten earbud and a random cable still left on it. Miles was presently sitting at this to write, in a particularly modern swivel chair with an interactive call and clock feature. One of the walls was also just a screen, which the strat...

Waking up bright and early on the third day of the lockdown, Tristan Kearney sat with a pen and paper ready to write the script for that evening's radio show. There was a knock on his door. Startled, he got up. The person standing down the corridor was Kain Douglas, holding a cup of coffee. "Kain, what's up?" He said, the faint Irish twang appearing in his accent. "Top of the morning to ya," the other man mimicked, "Thought you might like a coffee." "Oh. Thank you." "No problem," he left it on the rough grey carpet in front of him for Tristan to pick up. The Captain appreciated that his crew were taking the military's measures on board but, he remembered, "Oh wait, Kain, I prefer tea." "Okay then, your Majesty, tea it is," he picked the coffee up with a smirk and walked away. "Thank you very much, peasant," Tristan laughed. ******  "Good evening, fellow citizens. This is...

BANG! "What was that?" Captain Tristan Kearney of the Rising Star Battalion hollered down the main corridor of Alpha Radio Station 1. "Errm… popcorn?" A sheepish Kain Douglas replied. He ran his fingers down a strand of hair drooping over his forehead, re-reading the instructions on the packet and knowing full well he'd had it on too high a temperature setting. The scent of the burnt treat wafted through the building. The sound of three people slow-clapping ensued. Akira Akiyama walked into the kitchen, keeping a fair distance as per the health guidelines, and swept her dirty-blonde hair up into a ponytail, "What did you do?" "I just had it up too high. Anyone could make that mistake, you know. Please stop making that face at me." Still frowning at him, she remanded, "Nope, not if they read the instructions." "That's a fair point." Miles chuckled as he walked past, re-positioning his glasses on his nose...

“Good evening, fellow citizens of planet Sem. Hope the current lockdown is treating you well. This is Captain Tristan Kearney of the Rising Star Battalion, your youngest military air fleet, here to keep you entertained and informed during the military’s best efforts to slow the crāpulavirus outbreak. My team and I have been posted in Alpha Radio Station 1 and will provide updates on our situation everyday between 1800 and 1900 hours, before the rise of the second moon. Listening is obligatory, but we will try to keep it as light, breezy and hip as possible... Apologies, my co-pilot, and navigator, is in the corner shaking her head at me. Our team is as follows: myself, Captain Tristan Kearney; my second-in-command, Kain Douglas; my strategist, Miles Schäfer and my afore-mentioned navigator and co-pilot, Akira Akiyama. Over the course of tonight’s segment, you should get to meet them all. So, here’s what we know: Crāpulavirus was first contracted by humans living on Sem over a hund...