Note From the Author:

Well, this is the second part of StarRunner that I could come up with. Expect
only three more (unless somebody doesn't mind contacting me so we can 
collaborate on this thing).

-L.W
*****************************************************************************

Two:

Approximately 1300 hours

	The three converged onto the mess hall for a quick meal. Not 
surprisingly, there was nobody around. "Whoa," Jacob said. "If the AI is 
right, this is going to be a very lonely life." He looked at the bowl of soup
in front of him and sighed. "I'm not sure I want to be doing this."
	"C'mon," Benjamin told him. "It isn't that bad."
	"Of course it's not bad for you! You outrank the both of us!"
	"I don't think rank means anything anymore. I doubt if the stellar
council even remains. So I'm officially doing away with rank. As of this
moment, we work together as equals. Okay?"
	"Eh....whatever!"
	"I think that's a good idea," Ashley interjected. "It will get rid of
tensions amongst ourselves and get wherever the AI wants us to do done 
faster."
	"Please stop calling me the AI," the computer said. "I do have a name
you know."
	"Well," Jacob said. "What is it?"
	"I am known as DEE. I am a Digitally Enhanced Entity, hence my name."
	"All right," Benjamin said. "Dee it is."
	"Thank you. I advise you finish your meals and get up to command deck
as soon as possible. We are slowly approaching the planet of origin of the
energy burst I told you about."

	The command deck was back to functioning when they got there. 
Everything was now automated and under Dee's control. "Dee," Jacob asked. 
"Who's flying this thing?"
	"I am Jacob. I am also controlling engineering decks, weapons 
control, and the helm."
	"Well, let go of the helm. I'm supposed to be a helmsman." He sat 
down at the main control panel at the head of the room, tucking his white
striped black tail to one side so he could get comfortable.
	"All right Jacob. Benjamin, what was your specialty?"
	"I was security on this ship," he said. "I don't have many talents
that may prove useful."
	"Are you sure?"
	"Well, I do have a little training in engineering. I'm sure that can
be useful."
	"All right. And what about you Ashley?"
	"I was one of the navigation officers."
	"Great. I have no idea how to work this program."
	She chuckled. "I can't blame you Dee. It's complicated." She went 
over and sat down at the small pannel off to the side. "And apparently it has
not gotten better."
	Benjamin went over to the engineering panel. "So what are we dealing
with Dee?"
	The front screen lit up, showing a dusty orange planet. "This unknown
planet released a burst of energy with an unknown signature."
	"According to the scans," Ashley said. "It's got a safe, though 
uncomfortable atmosphere. We could go down and explore."
	"Yeah," Jacob responded. "But we don't know what's living down there.
We could end up lunch to some monster."
	"We've got nothing to lose," Benjamin said. "We're probably the last
three people left alive."
	"I'm still not sure. We should run some surface scans to see what's
down there."
	"There isn't much," Ashley said. "A lot of plant life, some single
celled organisms, and one traceable life sign. But that's it."
	"There's something down there?"
	"Yes. Centered around the third quadrant of it's eigth sector." She
looked at the control panel. "Odd. There's some sort of energy with an
unknown signature in that sector. It's near where the lifeform is. Dee, can
you run a thourough scan on that sector?"
	"I shall try." The screen centered in on that sector and started to
examine it. "There are some structures down there, posibility of an advanced
culture. But there is also a sort of machinery. Unknown build and energy 
source."
	"Unknown," Jacob said. "Just like everything else in this bloody 
life." He got up. "So we know what we're dealing with. I say we go down and
find out what's sending out these energy burst."
	Just then, the planet released another blast of energy. The three 
were sent to the floor. "Dee," Jacob said. "Did you register that?"
	"Yes I did. It was coming from the spot we're analyzing. But there 
was something different about this blast."
	"What's different?"
	"This one has a slightly different energy signature. I'd say it's an
amplified laser blast."
	"Did it do any damage?"
	"No-" She stopped momentarily. "Benjamin, we are being hailed."
	"Hailed? By who?"
	"It appears our advanced culture wants to chat," Ashley interrupted.
"I'm detecting a communications relay down their. It's giving off something."
	"All right. Dee, can we get it onscreen?" The screen lit up, 
revealing a cloaked figure. "This is Major Benjamin DuComp of the stellar
council ship Starblast. What can we do for you?"
	The figure jerked as he said stellar council. "You know of the 
stellar council?" it said in a strained voice.
	"We work for them."
	The figure turned to look offscreen. "Stop the cannon, they're 
friendly." He turned back to them. "We're sorry for firing the cannon at you.
It's been a while since we've seen one of our old ships."
	Jacob looked at Benjamin. "What is he talking about? He doesn't look
like a stellar council member to me."
	"Oh, but I am," the figure interjected. He removed his hood. "I am
Eric DuComp."
	Benjamin's eyes grew wide. "You....you look just like me! But that
can't be! I've been out for at least 500 years!"
	Ian shook his head. "I...do not understand what you are trying to 
say."
	"Eh...I'll explain it later. What was with the cannon? What's going
on?"
	Ian shook his head. "You've been gone for a long while, haven't you?
Land your ship on the planet and we will meet you there. We're sending you
the coordinates of the nearest starport."
	"Dee," Benjamin said. "Is this ship capable of landing on planet?"
	"It is possible, but a skilled pilot is required."
	"Damn it." He turned back to Ian. "We've got a problem."
	"That being?"
	"We are the only three living crewmembers of this ship. None of us 
are qualified to land this ship."
	Ian nodded. "Can you leave the ship in orbit and get a smaller craft
down here?"
	"That we can."
	"There's no threats in the area. It is safe. Come down here in your
strongest landing vehicle. We'll see you there." The screen blanked.
	"Communication terminated."
	"Ashley," Benjamin said. "Does Dee have a backup system?"
	"She does. It's sitting right here under the control pannel."
	"Bring it with us. She might want to hear what they have to say."
	Jacob put the ship into park. "Ben?"
	"Yes?"
	"I've got a bad feeling about this. Every hair is on end for some 
reason."
	"I know," Ashley added. "I'm getting something like that too."
	Benjamin nodded. "We'll take the StarRunner. That's the best shuttle
we have. Get the backup system and some supplies. Let's move before anything 
else happens."

	"This is the SC StarRunner requesting landing permission," Jacob 
called into the intercom.
	"This is starport Desert Angel," somebody replied. "Permission 
granted. Welcome home."
	He turned the intercom off and looked at the other two. "Home? Is 
this where we're gonna live?"
	"I guess so," Ashley replied. "I doubt if home exists anymore." She
sighed and looked out the window. The area was like one of the desert planets
she visited. There was little or no vegitation, plenty of rock formations,
and a whole lot of sand. The single spaceport and surrounding town were out 
of place. "It's nothing like home."
	Benjamin put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll survive.
We've lasted 500 years, haven't we? We'll live." She rested her head on his
shoulder. "It's gonna be hard. I know."
	"We know nobody. We don't know the customs. What are we going to do?"
Tears were steadily streaming from her eyes.
	"Hey, buck up. This isn't the Ashley I remember."
	She sighed. "The Ashley you remember knew who she was dealing with.
She didn't have to learn how to live again." Benjamin didn't have a response
for that one. He knew it was true. They would have to learn to fit in with
their new people.