A few questions may arise after reading, these questions will be dealt with
in following installments but to save you frustration I have included the
answers here.

1) What is this whole part about Nathan? I thought this story was to be about
Alex?
A) It is, but Nathan is essential to the story as you will see in further
installments.

2)The Dilettante?
A) A ship that supposedly disappeared in 2117

3) Why does Alex have such lousy accommodations?
A) All the unused rooms except a few were being fumigated for roaches. He
chose the first room given him as an option.

4) Why roaches?
A) they are essential to the story, wait and see.

...and now our feature presentation.

Prologue
	Nathan stared out the window at the vast expanse of space stretched
out before him, a trillion infinitesimal points of light, all combining to
create the soft diffused illumination in the E-frame launch bay of the E.F.S.
Dilettante. Amongst the flood of the cosmos he felt as insignificant as an
insect must when confronting a man. This was Nathan's second day on the
Dilettante and his first time piloting an E-frame. His E-frame, an Aerial
Attack frame modified for deep space reconnaissance, was one of the most
elegant models ever created.
	"Hey Nathan!" Somewhat startled Nathan turned around to see the blue
eyed bald head of his portly Colleague, "Are you ready to go get that survey
buoy?"
	"Has there ever been a time when I wasn't ready to fly?" Nathan
replied, brushing a strand of his raven hair back from his brow.
	"I guess not." with those words the two walked to their E-frames,
preparing for the mission ahead. Nathan stepped backward into his frame
satisfied at the click of the Cyberjack fastening to his implant and by the
short burst of static in his mind while the processor configured itself to
his brain waves.
	Within moments he was mounted within his frame, the pressure
equalized, and each segment securely latched. He tested the Hydraulic arm, it
matched his desired movements with mirrored precision. He grinned.
	"Well cake eater, we leaving or staying?" Nathan's partner shouted
jeeringly pointing a mechanized arm of his modified Reconnaissance frame
toward the vast expanse of space that waited immediately beyond the bay
doors.
	"Ha, ha, hayseed." Nathan replied, "Open the hatch flight control."
	"Confirmed." came the female voice from the other end of the comm.,
"Nathan, Charles, you are cleared for departure. Nathan... keep it safe."
	"Don't worry Amy, I'll be careful."
	A kiss could be heard over the comm. system followed by a whirring
sound in the launch bay as the room decompressed and the doors began to open.
The cold of space greeted the two intrepid men with a deafening hiss as the
door opened at a steady rate. Both men stood, posed to launch, the doors
opened completely gaping into the void of space. A paper, carelessly left on
deck, blew out with the last currents of air, reeling and rotating as if
propelled by a perpetual wind.
	"Lets roll!" Charles shouted.
********
	"Okay Nathan, buoy secured. Hey Nathan. Nathan!"
	Nathan slowly turned to acknowledge Charles, blinking for a moment as
if disrupted during deep thought.
	"Sorry Charles, I was just thinking..." Nathan replied with a solemn
voice.
	"...About Amy." Charles finished his sentence, "You two worry about
each other _way_ too much."
	"It's just that I really care about her and we haven't seen the ship
since the asteroid turned away from it." Nathan retorted.
	"It's a well armed ship with a capable crew and Amy is a big girl,
I'm sure she'll be fine."
	"Yeah, yeah." Nathan responded not cloaking his anxiety well, "If the
buoy is secured then let's head back."
	Almost before Nathan could finish his sentence Charles had fired his
thrusters forcing Nathan to race to keep up. Nathan expected Charles to make
some smug remark like "I thought you were the one who wanted to go back.
What's keeping you?" But instead he only froze mid flight as he rounded the
asteroid. Nathan Increased his velocity to catch up, as he rounded the
asteroids horizon he met a horrifying sight.
	The Dilettante listed, slowly rotating through space. it's lights
blinked in erratic intervals, sparks flew from small holes in its hull,
casting streaks of light to accentuate its drift.
	"What the..." Nathan tried to finish his sentence but found himself
suddenly overwhelmed with dread. Paying no heed to his partner Nathan rushed
toward the ship at full speed, forcing Charles to follow.
*********
	"The ship took a hard hit." Charles said as he entered one of the
holes in the ships hull." "Those aren't blaster holes Charles, they're too
precise, to circular. They look almost like holes cut by a boarding tube, a
_really big_ boarding tube." Nathan's words sounded calm but inside he was
reeling, a million thoughts running through his head, a thousand fears
threatening him with every passing moment. 
	The two slowly, cautiously entered the hole. Charles approached a
door and opened it staggering back for a moment as air blew out of the
passage. The corridor was clear and sealed at the opposing end, only a pair
of flickering lights illuminated it's empty length. With discretion Charles
and Nathan cleared the passage, closing the door behind them and then opening
the next. The door slid open with a swoosh, bringing atmosphere to the
corridor. 
	"We can't proceed in our E-frames. We'll have to continue on foot."
Nathan maintained his calm.
	"But we'll have no protection." Charles protested.
	" If we continue in these we'll be detected, and if the crew couldn't
hold them off we have no chance of succeeding where they failed. Now get out
of that frame." Nathan commanded.
	Both exited their exoframes and proceeded down the hall. As they
walked they passed several blue-tinted, rigid corpses that littered the
halls. Each corpse appeared as though it had died of suffocation, but Nathan
couldn't fathom how, the atmosphere still remained. Nathan wanted to go to
flight control, to see if Amy was okay, but he knew that it was his
responsibility to secure the bridge first.
	After several minutes of traveling, encountering only dead, oxygen
deprived bodies, Nathan and Charles arrived at the bridge. As they opened the
sliding doors they were assaulted by the tart odor of ozone.
	"Welcome good sirs. Please, Make yourselves comfortable."
	Nathan drew his blaster, but before he could fire it flew from his
hand, hit by the gunfire of a man hidden behind one of the consoles. 
	"Now is this anyway to treat your host?" The man who spoke slowly
strode out from the shadows. He wore a pirate captains uniform, but without
any insignia, his hair was wild but his beard was short and well groomed.
Overall he held a regal demeanor. 
	"My name is Odin. Please, have a seat." The Odin gestured toward the
captains and first officers chairs. Nathan and Charles were forced to sit by
a group of pirates that came up behind them.
	"There now, and your names?" After waiting a moment and hearing no
response from either Odin continued, "No matter. I offer you two a new lease
on life, I offer you a chance to surrender and a moment to deliberate." with
that Odin turned his back to the two.
	"What are we going to do?" Charles whispered leaning toward Nathan.
	"We're going to surrender."
	"We're what?!?" Charles shouted trying to whisper but failing.
	"They've likely taken the entire ship, and we're unarmed. We have no
choice but to..."
	"Have the two of you arrived at a decision?" Odin interrupted.
	"Yes, we surrender." the two spoke almost in unison. 
	"Very good, very good indeed. Now the two of you will be searched."
Odin clapped his hands and Charles and Nathan were lifted, each by two men,
and held, back against the wall.
	"Why restrain us like this? I thought you were going to search us?"
Nathan protested.
	"I am, but not for possessions, for character." with those words Odin
drew a long dagger from his belt.
	Nathan craned his neck to see Charles wincing before the blades edge.
	"Now my rotund friend," Odin stabbed the blade through Charles' right
shoulder into the wall, Charles released a grunt. "beg for mercy."
	Charles began to blubber, a flood of indiscernible pleas flowing from
his mouth. Odin slowly removed the dagger and then turned around, walking a
step away.
	"Thank you, thank you." Charles cried.
	"Oh, don't thank me yet." with a single fluid motion Odin spun about
slashing Charles' gut. Blood and bile sprayed through the air, staining
Odin's clothing. Slowly, then in one sudden mass, Charles's Viscera fell to
the floor and then Charles himself.
	Odin walked up to Nathan, looking him in the eyes a moment before
plunging the dagger into his shoulder.
	"Now beg for mercy." Odin demanded
	Nathan bit his lower lip to stifle a scream that threatened to erupt
from his throat.
	"I said BEG FOR MERCY!" Odin twisted the dagger causing Nathan's
shoulder to split as tendon tore from bone. Nathan heard a grunt but his
senses were so dulled from the pain that he wasn't sure if it was his.
	"This one will do nicely." Odin turned to his subordinates, "Bring
him to the ship and be sure that his wounds are treated, but leave the scar."
	Hearing these words Nathan tried to bolt, but when he tried to run
the dagger caused him to fall limp in pain. Slowly Nathan succumbed to the
pain and something else. He felt his vision dimming, the room falling black
to the sound of Odin's menacing laugh.

	 Part 1- _The Morning After_
	Through the shadows of the small but comfortable quarters something
lurked. On six spindly legs it scuttled across the room heading intently
towards the man also occupying the compact room. Alex squished it, his
efforts rewarded by a juicy pop and the crunch of chitin.
	"For all their technology, their startling advances they can't even
exterminate a few roaches." Alex muttered to himself "Well it could be worse,
I could be stuck in an even more retched, bug infested room." Emphasizing the
last few words he squelched another cockroach beneath the heel of his
exobrace.
	Alex could see the sun steadily ascending the horizon of mars from
the vantage of his window. 'I don't suppose the captain will change coarse so
I can enjoy the last traces of night.' Alex thought. Alex pulled the transfer
papers out from the pocket chamber of his exobrace.
	"Okay, lets see who's the lord of the land here." Alex's voice
carried a sarcastic tone. Scanning the form he quickly located the captain of
the EFS Normandy, to which he was stationed. "Adrian C. Henry, I guess he's
the one I should talk to, to secure better accommodations." After repeating
the name a few times in his head to commit it to memory Alex continued
familiarizing himself with his room.
	Lifting his bags from the small polymer shelled metal table nearby
Alex released a strained breath as the two cast shell suitcases fell from his
hands, causing the bed to creak upon impact. 'I really need to work out' Alex
noted. The cushion of the bed, sloped by the bags' weight, had served him
adequately the prior night. When he had arrived on the Normandy it had been
after a grueling ride and several days of preparation so Alex had decided it
best that he sleep before meeting unnecessary personal, the ships doctor
seemed to concur.
	His exobrace, which supported his paralyzed legs, matched his steps
with a distinct hum as he strode to the side of his bed and opened the
suitcase that had fallen on top. What met his eyes was a disorganized pile of
haphazardly stowed objects. After rummaging the pile of cluttered items for a
few moments Alex's hand emerged clutching a green electric guitar and a spray
can of holo-paint.
	"What is a can of holo-paint doing in here and why do I have Byron's
guitar?"
	With a sidelong toss both the can and the guitar impacted with the
floor, causing one of the strings to protest with a sharp snap. Intently Alex
scanned the disheveled bag until a small note caught his eye. He lifted it
from beneath a roll of socks and began to read.
	*Hey Asteroth, opening your bags already? If you're reading this note
then you probably found the guitar and paint. DON'T THROW IT BEHIND YOUR
BACK!*
	'A little to late.' Alex thought then continued to read the letter.
	*Even if you did, as I know your prone too, don't sweat it. I rolled
into your socks a few extra cords and an electric tuner. You know me, I'm
always prepared for every eventuality. Anyway, I want you to learn that
guitar and to put a holo-dot on it every time you save that crews' life. When
you come back I expect it to be green with purple polka dots! Well that's
about all I have to say. Oh yeah. While your up there find yourself a girl!
(You may also add a polka dot if you score. Knowing you I won't see many dots
from that!). Peace, out.*
	*--Byron Smith*
	Alex smiled. Byron had been his friend for over three years now and
though he could be annoying at times his intentions were always noble. Alex
had allowed Byron to pack his bags while he made adjustments to his exobrace
so it could compensate for sudden changes in balance, in case the ship was
hit or suddenly lost gravity. 
	Reverently Alex set the note back where it had been, removed a tool
bag, and closed the suitcase. 
	Shooting a glance from his green right eye and red left eye at his
wrist chronometer Alex realized it was time that he met with the captain, but
first he was going to get some breakfast. With a quick swipe of his hand,
removing the band from his hair and allowing the strands of light green to
flow across his shoulders, Alex hastily left the room, hesitating only for a
moment as the door to his quarters opened.
	Entering the hall Alex was met by its blaring artificial lighting and
the smell of oil from the nearby engineers' quarters. 'Better get used to
it,' he thought 'It's home now.'

To be continued...