The Rock Raiders

[ChrisJG777]

The ROCK RAIDERS

Foreword:

If there was ever a Rock Raider movie to be made (doubt it) and I was asked to produce it, this would be the story I'd go with.

Warning: I am very unreliable when it comes to writing stories and finishing them, so if it's been a while without updates to this thing, don't hesitate to PM me!

Blurb:

In the 30^th Century humankind has advanced greatly. The Exo-Geological Mission (EGM), a civilian branch of the Earth Space Navy, has gone out and discovered all sorts of new planets and delved deep into their innards, pioneering new mining technology in the process. Amongst their discoveries was the Energy Crystal, a revolutionary fuel source- clean, reliable, and rechargeable with the aid of certain minerals.

In the year 2985 the vessel the LMS Explorer goes missing and is flung deep into a distant galaxy. Whilst the severely damaged can drift for centuries on emergency power whilst sustaining its crew of 5000, the ship's commanding officer, desperate for a solution to return back home, takes the ship to a nearby planet rich in Energy Crystals. On this uncharted world, a crack team of miners called "the Rock Raiders" delve deep into the rock to retrieve the crystals, whereupon they encounter the remains of a long dead civilisation and the revelation that the planet's previous inhabitants had tapped into secrets mortals were never meant to know and had inadvertently awoken a most terrifying primal force of the universe...

---

The story will be written in chapters of arbitrary length. If you have any comments, if permissible could you please put them in a separate thread (as so not to interrupt the flow of the story), or if that's not possible, then feel free to PM any feedback, fan mail, hate mail or death threats directly. :)

[ChrisJG777]

Chapter 1

Long in the past it was widely believed by many civilisations throughout the universe, before the advent of modern science, that there were four elements: earth, air, fire and water. Little did any of them know that the origins of this old school of thought came from a planet in a now long forgotten part of the universe, a planet which orbited a large white star with an unnaturally long lifespan. It was there, a long time before most of the known universe came into being that a ritual was performed, a most dangerous ritual indeed.

"We are ready then?" said a high priest.

On the top of hill in the middle of a great city stood a congregation of 43 clerics about to partake in a ritual that they hoped would give them god-like powers. But, there are some things in which mortals should never delve into. The gathering was arranged such that the area they were in was a square like formation, with ten clerics on each corner and three senior priests at an altar in the middle. At each corner was a mini altar, and on each of them was a sample of one of the mythical elements: earth, fire, air and water. The high priest began to recite the incantation, unaware that one of the representatives had been treacherous and altered the texts for their own purposes.

A white light engulfed the ceremony as its participants stood there, eager to receive new powers. Suddenly, the light changed from white to green, and at that point everyone knew something had gone wrong. It was not long before accusations began to fly, when a member of the earth delegation stood forward and pointed towards the air delegation.

"He did it! He betrayed us! He's doomed us all!"

The shroud of green light grew and grew until it engulfed the entire planet, and then in a brilliant flash it dissipated, and the planet hung in space, dead.

Billions of years later...

Date: 31/03/2935, Location: Peak District, Derbyshire, England

A group of teenage boys clamoured over the rocks and into the cave. The retrieved torches from their rucksacks and switched them on. It was night time, close to midnight, and these boys knew they weren't really supposed to be there as the cave in question had been cordoned off by the police in the wake of a spate of disappearances there and unusual sightings.

"So, what d'you suppose we're gonna find here Rob? I hear that some monster lives down here." said one of the boys.

"Nothing! Come on, that monster story's just urban legend. Look, these caves are incredibly cramped, and when people get into situations like this, chances are they're gonna see things."

"So why did those people go missing?"

"Potholes. It's what you get for not looking where you're going. Besides, you don't really believe in those things, do you?"

At that moment another member of the group tripped over.

"What's this?" he asked, holding the offending green, glowing object over his head.

"It's an Energy Crystal," said Rob, "apparently this cave is one of the larger caches on Earth. Come on, let's go."

And so they began their trek through the caverns.

They had made good progress through the cave when suddenly another one of the boys stopped, causing everyone to halt in the tracks.

"What is it?!" said Rob.

"I think I saw something!"

"Trick of the light!"

Then suddenly a very loud and unsubtle roar resonated throughout the cavern, and the group froze. The boys pointed their torches in the direction of the noise. In the distance they spotted a crystal cache, and above it a large ominous figure loomed.

"That's it," said one of the boys, "I'm outta here!"

He ran, as did the others except Rob, who stood there, transfixed as the figure got closer to his position. The figure moved out of the shadows and there Rob saw, a 5 meter tall creature, apparently made of rock and stone and had red glowing eyes. Rob stared at it, his look of fear practically universal amongst everything. The creature itself stared at Rob, before it turned round, consumed the crystal cache and promptly disappeared back into the rock before it...

50 years later...

Date: 31/03/2985, Location: Solar System of classified designation, Deep Space

A ship, long and large, cruised through the star system, its crew returning from a long expedition to one of the worlds in the system. This was the LMS Explorer, EMG exploratory vessel, staffed by the best geologists and miners in the service. To its left loomed an asteroid field in visible range but otherwise a safe distance.

"Helmsman, I want you to move us away from the field, don't want any accidents happening," said the commanding officer, a tall gentlemen with grey hair, clean shaven and a prosthetic right arm that was coloured a conspicuous shade teal, contrasting to his black uniform.

In fact, all of the bridge crew wore a black uniform, barring of course the occasional silver decoration and whatnot.

The helmsman, a woman in her thirties with long, tied back platinum blond hair, responded.

"Aye sir, moving us out."

"Good," said the captain as he swivelled around on his chair towards the station directly behind him, "Docs, that asteroid field there giving off any odd readings?"

"Not at the moment sir, but I'll keep an eye on things. So far there hasn't been any sign of that periodic gravitational anomaly yet, but I hear it's due soon so best to remain vigilant!"

Docs was the LMS Explorer's Executive Officer and Head of Geology. His real name was Professor George Parker, born in London, England, and he held many degrees and doctorates in fields ranging from geology, to physics to exo and terran biology. It was clear why he was hired. He held an appearance typical of genius scientists, his hair was unkempt, he sported an untrimmed moustache and had a pair of glasses that seemed to be permanently attached to his face that he occasionally used to read small text. The conversation about the asteroid field soon drew the attention of a nearby officer with bright ginger hair and black sideburns.

"So what's this I've been hearin' of a gravitational anomaly of sorts, eh?"

The officer's accent was a thick Scottish one, namely Glaswegian. Docs answered.

"That anomaly, Axle, is a recurring phenomenon within these parts. Once every nine months, the Astrophysicists stationed around here have been reporting an unusual gravity well in the middle of that asteroid field that either draws in asteroids or somehow repels them. Last time, it was pushing them away and the next occurrence is believed to be very soon."

"So, d'you know if it's gunna be a repel or attract this time?"

"Well, they do alternate quite regularly between the two each time. Personally my theory is that in the middle of that belt is a wormhole that opens and closes, either sucking things in or throwing them out. However I've just never had the guts to test it."

"Nor will you," said the captain.

"No," said Docs.

"My sentiments exactly!" said Axle.

Axle was a Lt. Commander aboard explorer. His real name was Douglas Campbell and he was born and raised in Glasgow, Scotland.

"Hmm," said the captain, "I think I speak for all of us when I say I do believe we'd all like to get back home..."

"Have a nice drink at t' pub!" said Axle.

"Oh yes certainly, I agree."

The daydreaming was short lived, as without warning the ship shook violently.

"What was that?!"

"I'm looking into it Chief!" said Docs as he ran to his post, "Asteroid impact!"

"What, but how?"

"Something's messing with that belt sir!"

"Any ideas?"

"Well, I...uh oh!"

The LMS Explorer was being dragged into the asteroid field. On the viewing screen on the bridge the ship's nemesis soon appeared, a wormhole opened in the middle of the asteroids.

"Not good!" said Axle.

"Understatement," said a nearby brown haired and bearded officer in response.

The two looked at each other briefly, before gawping in fear once again at the wormhole.

"Jet," said the captain, "I want you to turn this ship around and get us out of here, A, S, A, P!"

"Yes sir!" she said.

Jet was the ship's main helmsman, and her real name was Annette Fairfield, and she was born in Southampton, England. Jet struggled with the controls as she turned the ship away from the wormhole and put all the ship's power into the engines. Soon, the ship began to break free, but as hope began to rise it shattered once again as a large asteroid rammed into the ship. Docs had managed to divert some of the power into the shields, but at the cost of breaking free from the wormhole, and so the Explorer drifted helplessly into the wormhole, awaiting its fate.

The commanding officer of the LMS Explorer was a Captain Robert Sayle, also called 'Chief', born in Highgate, London, England in the year 2919. As the ship drifted through the wormhole, gravity was lost, and as he floated in the new microgravity conditions, his life flashed before him. Today was the anniversary of his encounter with the mysterious rock creature he encountered in the Peak District. How did it get from there to this? Would this be the end?

---

End of Chapter One

[ChrisJG777]

Chapter 2

The LMS Explorer drifted in space. It was no longer travelling through the wormhole but it was seriously damaged. On-board, the gravity had yet to be restored, but it wouldn't be long. On the bridge, an officer awoke and found himself afloat. He drifted for a while before he got his bearings and made his way to the engineering console whereupon he pressed a sequence of buttons and everything promptly came crashing down as the gravity was restored.

"Ack, Bandit! Did ya hafta do that witout warnin' us!"

"Sorry Axle."

Bandit, or Lt. Commander Bernard Evans, was bearded, had brown hair and hailed from Oxford, England, and he was also the ship's Chief Navigational Officer, or at least he was when not down in the caverns.

"Ok gentlemen, play nicely." said Chief.

One by one the bridge crew picked themselves up.

"Now then, Bandit, I want you to work out where we are and Docs, I want you to scan the planets in the system, see if any of them are habitable."

"Yes sir!" they said.

Bandit skipped over to the navigation panel and analysed the travel recorder. The readout was most disturbing.

"Captain, you may want to have a look at this."

"Show me."

Chief looked at the screen.

"Sir, if the computer is to be believed, we have just travelled 15 million light years."

Axle turned round, startled.

"Wha'?!"

Docs remained at his post, silent.

"Ok gentlemen, you see this? Reveal none of this to any other crew member or officer without my say so, understood?"

Bandit, Axle and Docs nodded silently.

"Chief," said Docs, "I've been taking a look at the planets, and I'm afraid that none of them are habitable."

"Damn!"

"But, one of them does have, well, how do I put it, it has an unimaginable supply of energy crystals!"

"Energy Crystals..."

"Yes."

Chief stood there pensively.

"Put me through to engineering!"

Down in the engineering decks, the equipment damage was immense. Engineers scrambled all over the place, frantically fixing any broken item they could find. Then, over the P.A. Chief's voice rang out.

"Mr Sparks to the bridge please."

Then, from under the wreckage, an unkempt engineer climbed out and quickly dashed to one of the lifts, before quickly running to a service shaft upon realising that the ship's lift shafts were out of service thanks to the incident. Fifteen minutes later he arrived at the bridge.

"Ah Mr Sparks, you're late!"

"Had to take stairs, elevator's broken!"

Sparks, Lt Commander Elliot Sparkman, was the ship's chief engineer, born in Melbourne, Australia.

"Right, how are we for power?"

Sparks stood there, his orange jumpsuit standing out sharply compared to the formal black uniforms of the bridge crew.

"Not good. Whilst if we run essential systems only we could survive for five years or more, we don't have enough to get home again."

"And we're too far away to send an SOS."

"We tried loading more crystals into the engines to get them going, but unfortunately about 60% of them fractured, and are now unusable."

"Just as I dreaded. Looks like we'll be visiting Docs' planet afterall."

Chief turned around.

"Jet, can you get us to the planet Docs found?"

"Sure."

"Good, Sparks?"

"I think I can get the engines going again. How far?"

"About 1.4AUs from out position." said Docs,

"I can have us travel 2AUs."

"More than we need Sparks. Docs, give Jet the coordinates, and let's go!"

The crew promptly sprang into action.

In a corner of the bridge stood an officer. Chief walked up to him. The officer was the ship's Second Officer, the one who takes charge when neither Chief or Docs are available. His name was Commander Eddington Graymire, he was well spoken and he came from Norfolk, England.

"Well Ed, we've got about nine months before that wormhole reopens, if it's consistent at both ends and that its termini don't shift."

"Well sir, I hear that we're not to blab about our being in another galaxy. Don't want to worry the crew, eh?"

"I guess not. They'll cotton on sooner or later when they realise and SOS hasn't been sent, but I don't want to let them down just yet."

"I suppose so. Still, this ought to give us a chance to try out some new equipment, wouldn't you say?"

"Who doesn't love testing out new equipment?"

Chief and Graymire look at each other, grinned and chuckled towards each other.

"I know the Commander Sparks has been eager to test out that building construction technique, that's for sure, sir."

In the space of 4 hours the Explorer reached its destination. Docs and Chief were sitting near the Geo-Scanner station.

"I'm detecting vast Energy Crystal seams, plus the typical basic ore signatures."

"Excellent, let's just hope the scanners aren't playing up. Any oxygen pockets?"

"Some. Most are finite and will require air purifiers, though I have detected some with sufficient quantities that they might as well be indefinite."

"Let's go in. I need an exploratory party."

"I'll go in. Fancy a look myself."

"Fair enough. Take a team of five with you."

Axle interrupted.

"Can I go?"

"Not now, I need you here for the moment. Perhaps later. Jet?"

"Certainly sir," said Jet.

"Good. Docs, assemble the rest of your team, and make your way down. Let's just hope the teleporters aren't malfunctioning."

"I'll have them target a broad area, give us room for error."

"Ok."

Docs and Jet immediately vacated the bridge.

At the teleporter station, Docs and Jet had changed out of their uniforms into jumpsuits. A grey one for Docs, complete with pockets and a cloth cap, whilst Jet wore a blue pilot's jumpsuit, complete with facilities for O₂ storage and other life-support. The rest of the team waited on the pad.

"Ok Commander. We've got your area fed into the computer. Error margin is currently at +/-15 metres. Ready to go?" said the technician.

"Ready!"

So, the team was teleported down the the interior of the planet.

In the planet, Docs, Jet and the team found themselves in a slightly dark yet eerily illuminated cavern.

"Phosphorescence," said Docs.

They looked around.

"Which way?" said one of the team.

Docs peered at his hand-held scanner.

"According to my device, it's this way."

Doc pointed to right behind the team member. Everyone looked, and then they began walking to where the crystals lay.

And so it began...

---

End of Chapter Two

[Leumeister]

"So what's this I've been hearin' of a gravitational anomaly of sorts, eh?"

The officer's accent was a thick Scottish one, namely Glaswegian

acculley Axle is Amarican

[Anonymouse]

"So what's this I've been hearin' of a gravitational anomaly of sorts, eh?"

The officer's accent was a thick Scottish one, namely Glaswegian

acculley Axle is Amarican

Who cares? It's a fanfic.

[ChrisJG777]

My, I really need to update this, but not just now as I've got university assignments to do. After 13th August I ought to put up a new update.

"So what's this I've been hearin' of a gravitational anomaly of sorts, eh?"

The officer's accent was a thick Scottish one, namely Glaswegian

acculley Axle is Amarican

Who cares? It's a fanfic.

If I was to direct an animated film of this I'd have Axle voiced by David Tennant.

That, and it was Sparks who I originally intended to be American, until I decided on Australian instead. ;P

[Anonymouse]

If I was to direct an animated film of this I'd have Axle voiced by David Tennant.

Lol. Why exactly him?

[Lair]

They're LEGO people. They were never specified for nationality.

Also, you have won.

[Amauros]

Well since the lego corporation is located in Billund, Denmark, I'd say that all Lego people are Danish.

[Lair]

Jonnhy Thunder is Australian... And what about people that are specified natives of an area?

The Rock Raiders could be anything...

[Anonymouse]

I just have one thing to add: Axle's face makes me think scottish. Don't ask me why, it just does.

[ChrisJG777]

If I was to direct an animated film of this I'd have Axle voiced by David Tennant.

Lol. Why exactly him?

Why not? David Tennant is awesome. ;)

[Anonymouse]

If I was to direct an animated film of this I'd have Axle voiced by David Tennant.

Lol. Why exactly him?

Why not? David Tennant is awesome.

If you say so...

[Leumeister]

"So what's this I've been hearin' of a gravitational anomaly of sorts, eh?"

The officer's accent was a thick Scottish one, namely Glaswegian

acculley Axle is Amarican

Who cares? It's a fanfic.

Good point anon

i always wanted to say that

Not really it was just a joke

My, I really need to update this, but not just now as I've got university assignments to do. After 13th August I ought to put up a new update.

"So what's this I've been hearin' of a gravitational anomaly of sorts, eh?"

The officer's accent was a thick Scottish one, namely Glaswegian

acculley Axle is Amarican

Who cares? It's a fanfic.

If I was to direct an animated film of this I'd have Axle voiced by David Tennant.

That, and it was Sparks who I originally intended to be American, until I decided on Australian instead.

Well i always thought that Sparks was from Texas and Docs be from Bristol england and Chief be from Canada and Jet be from California, Bandit be from Rohde island and Axle from Coreillia

[Tracker]

Hey, Tracker's Story is set in the year 3021.