The Neptune Nebula Nuisance
Jonno Virek had always found jobs near Neptune a headache. Between the magnetic storms, orbital debris, and moody mining syndicates, it seemed to exist purely to test a pilot’s patience. But the pay was good, and the Peregrine Queen needed fresh spare parts.
Their contract was simple enough: ferry a portable atmospheric processor to a science station deep in Neptune’s orbit. The processor was a sleek silver cylinder, humming with controlled energy, designed to filter methane-laden air for future settlement tests.
Jonno eyed the cylinder warily. “Do you trust it?”
Mara Linskey, sipping her tea, shrugged. “I trust it not to explode, hopefully.”
“That’s… encouraging,” Jonno muttered.
***
Approaching the station, they flew through the Neptune Nebula — a swirl of plasma filaments from an ancient magnetic outburst. The nebula’s charged particles danced in pink and purple sheets, beautiful but lethal.
Mara ran a scan. “Radiation levels are spiking. We’ll need to re-route around the densest pockets.”
Jonno steered carefully, eyes fixed on the thin green line the nav computer insisted was safe. Outside, the blue bulk of Neptune glimmered with a kind of hungry calm.
As they neared the station, a warning buzzed on the comms:
“Unidentified freighter, you are off course. Adjust approach immediately!”
Jonno checked their vector. “We’re on course.”
Mara frowned. “That’s not station control.”
Another voice broke in, gruffer this time: “Stand by for inspection. Power down your drives.”
Jonno sighed. “Pirates. Of course.”
***
A rust-patched corvette slid out from behind a cloud of ice crystals, targeting lasers flickering.
Mara calmly locked down the atmospheric processor. “No way they get their hands on this.”
Jonno gunned the thrusters. “Let’s make this quick.”
***
The pirate ship fired a warning burst, but Jonno banked hard, dodging between plasma streams that would fry their pursuers if they weren’t careful. The Queen rattled under acceleration, alarms squealing.
“Evasive pattern!” Mara called out, gripping the console.
Jonno twisted the ship between a pair of shimmering particle sheets, so close the hull plating rang like a gong. The pirate corvette tried to follow — but one of the plasma filaments licked across its bow, shorting its shields in a crackling blue burst.
The pirate ship tumbled out of control, its systems flickering, drifting powerless in the magnetic turbulence.
Jonno let out a long breath. “One less problem.”
***
They coasted to the science station, both of them slightly shaky but intact.
The station’s comm crackled to life. “Peregrine Queen, we have you on final. Please confirm cargo status.”
Mara checked the readouts. “Processor’s stable.”
Jonno grinned, steadying his hands on the controls. “Just another routine run.”
***
After docking, they helped unload the atmospheric processor, which thankfully behaved itself all the way through customs. The station crew offered them a bonus for on-time delivery — a rare treat in Neptune’s orbit.
Back aboard the Queen, Jonno poured them both fresh tea.
He raised his mug. “To no unexpected holes in the hull.”
Mara smirked. “To no more pirates for a while.”
They sipped in companionable silence as Neptune’s strange blue light faded behind them, and the Peregrine Queen set course for its next cosmic misadventure.
Come back next week for another cosmic adventure with Jonno and Mara!
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