Futureperfect: Elektronaut

Malcolm stood behind the pilot of the skimmer, his helmet tucked under his arm. Two monitors showed different views of the back of the hovercraft they were parked on. The images were filtered for night vision, but didn’t show anything unusual. Long rows of bulk heads stretching the length of the ship, the occasional exhaust port, the flashing lights to warn other crafts of its presence. The dorsal fins cut an imposing silhouette as the camera tracked by them. Malcolm noticed an irregularity at the base of one of the fins. He tapped the pilot on the shoulder and pointed to it, asking for magnification. The pilots’ fingers danced over the keyboard, and the image sprung into focus. A small shuttlecraft nestled against the fin. It was smaller than the skimmer but of similar design, triangular with swept back crescent wings. As information on the made and model of the shuttle scrolled onscreen, the shuttle slipped backwards, sliding off the back of the hovercraft and faded from view.

Malcolm pulled up a seat in the cockpit as the pilot prepped the skimmer for take off. Metal clamps retracted from the hull, the engines of the skimmer flared to life, and the sleek black ship peeled away and up into the night. They banked around the rear fins and ( raced after the fleeing shuttle. )