07:20 September 23, 2298 (military calendar)

DELPHIC EXPANSE GRID 4, ALDANIA SECTOR, DAY 230 OF UEC MISSION

UEC HEAVY BATTLE CARRIER – 798 "SPIRIT OF ENDURANCE"

Commander Barnes looked out of his quarters window and saw a purple cloud approaching. It was massive, from what his own estimate from his visual, at least a couple thousand miles across. Per Kellen, it was approximately 23 parsecs in length, and packed with enough delta radiation that it'll temporarily fry the ships systems, so they would be navigating blind, the only issue was that the ship's hull would not protect them from the amount produced by the EM storm, Ragnar was a gas giant which produced a EM storm, but it didn't produce delta radiation.

"Commander Barnes to the TOPR, Commander Barnes to the TPR." Barnes threw the rest of his uniform back and began quickly heading towards the Tactical Operations Room, for whatever they were planning.

"How bad is it?"

"Well, Sir. We have determined that the amount of radiation from the storm is around 300 parts per million, if we go into the storm unprotected, it will fry the ship, and us. The delta radiation will kill us in a matter of minutes."

"Kellen, we have a schematic of the ship in the computer correct?" Kellen nodded and clicked a button, and a holographic image of the Spirit of Endurance appeared.

"I once heard of a cargo vessel taking cover in the catwalks of the engine room. Its hardened against most radiation, and it does have shielding against small amounts of delta radiation."

"That could work, but our catwalk has no external support. We would be in the catwalk for a minimum of two weeks. No way to navigate, and how are we going to maintain the ship?"

"Our hazard suits should work for some crew, we would rotate crewmen in 2 hour cycles. In the dense parts, we must bear down."

"Are you saying we send people to work, and then nearly die."

"We have radiation meds for this kind of radiation, it's given to those who work with the FTL drive. We just need to up the dosage."

The science crew nodded, and began to jot down the required medications.

"With the catwalk, we will need to take the FTL offline so we can superheat it, with the FTL on, its cooled down. I'll have someone install a shower and toilets, and we need a way to navigate."

"I can rig a navigation control directly to the engines."

~ ~ ~

Barnes quickly grabbed anything he would need. Mostly it was just necessities, toothbrush, change of uniform, and a photo of his family. He glanced outside and could see the storm fast approaching. The last time he was stuck in such a storm was in his first tour of duty – in the badlands, it was once thought to be the most dangerous sector in the alpha quadrant, but they were wrong. They were stuck inside for two weeks before they managed to repair their engines -two weeks of radiation exposure – two weeks of constant nausea. There was a loud beep that came from the ship system terminals that ran along the wall of his desk. It was flashing a radiation symbol.

"Radiation alarm." He grabbed the handset which was crackling from the radiation already. "Barnes to CIC, all set?"

"Yes, Sir. Sounding alarms for people to evacuate the catwalk. I need your code to lock everything up."

"Okay." Barnes went over to his computer where a line appeared, he typed in his command code, and the words: ALL SYSTEMS LOCKED. "We're set." Barnes threw the rest of his stuff in a bag and began the walk to the belly of the beast. In his entire life, he never thought of spending a week or more inside a normally highly cooled area, along with highly irradiated. This would probably take a decade off his life.

He walked to the Catwalk with the rest of the crew who were shutting down their stations, and locking them. Once they were all in, they would have no communication outside of the catwalk, and with nearly 4,000 people shoved in a area that is only about 2,000 meters in length, they will be packed like sardines – about 3 feet per person, not much for comfort, but they would manage. The only distance that was not covered was about one meter by 2,000 meters the length of the catwalk. Kellen was standing by the door taking every person into account before closing it.

"Commander Barnes, Crewmen Mitchell, Doctor Kendel ..." Barnes walked to the middle of the catwalk and looked at the crew choosing bunks, he hopped over the edge of the railing and threw his bag on top, they were chosen at random.

"Hope no one cares."

"No, Sir."

"Commander Barnes, call crew accounted for." Barnes leaned over the edge and nodded, and hoped back and walked towards the nearest bulkhead and grabbed the handset.

"Crew of the Spirit. I don't think any of us were expecting this day – or any day like this. For the next 3 weeks to two months. I know this will be difficult, being packed like this. But we have endured attack, after attack, and we continue to endure. The bulkheads around you, is the only thing between us and the radiation storm. Our navigation officer is going to be navigating our way out of the storm, hopefully in the next 3 weeks. I'll keep you posted. Hope you all have a book to read." Barnes placed the handset back on the bulkhead and headed forward to the temporary Commander Center.

"Lieutenant."

"Commander..." Barnes looked at the lone Navigation officer as he began plotting their path. "Our FTL is offline until we exit the storm. If we did turn it on, we would all freeze to death."

"I know. ETA?"

"With storm density, around 5 weeks. Our thrusters and propulsions will be raging hell, so I am going to navigate the ship in bursts."

"Sounds good. Keep me posted." Barnes stepped around the corner and looked at the crew – twiddling their fingers, waiting for something to happen, but nothing would happen, not until they were out. Barnes walked over to his bunk and grabbed his STATPAD, the only thing that for him to view external sensors, navigation, and ship status. The entire senior staff, and engineering crew had them. Kellen walked over and sat down on the bunk next to him.

"Sir, why didn't we entre Cryo?"

"Radiation would have fried those systems."

"Well, shit."

"Plus, we have no auto navigation on this ship remember? This was a simple cargo vessel during the inner planetary wars."

"That was over a hundred years ago, so your saying this ship is a literal rust bucket?"

"Mhhm. 158 years to be exact. It's not even the same ship. It was 'bout 3 times as small, without a FTL drive. The United Nations Space Command ordered her upgrade, practically rebuilt her from stem to stern."

"And how do you know that?"

"Last CO left a picture hidden in a floor compartment, it was the original schematics, new ones, and a picture. Its hanging up on my wall. Thought it would give us some luck. It was originally called the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. Rumor has it, they named it after a science fiction ship from a video game, from like 2000."

"Halo?"

"How do know that?"

"Rumor has it, it's being remade into a holo-novel."

"At least we're not the Spirit of Fire – yet."

"All hands, this is navigation, prepare for some turbulence, we are going to enter the storm, in about a minute."

"You left him at the helm?"

"Not like I can do much." Barnes reached into his bag and grabbed out a old worn out book, The Odyssey, a famous Greek Epic written by Homer in the 9th century B.C, over 2,000 years ago. He had it in the English translated, the Greek language has since died out, and very few speak it, none as a native language, the only thing that keeps it alive, is the many books and poems written, along with statues that survived. Along with that, very few languages survive, but the remaining thrive in the Expanse, Hungary was spoken primarily on Reach, Spanish practically everywhere, French on some outer colonies. Most of the expanse colonies speak nearly any language based on the original colonists. Meridian II spoke Polish and English, and Drexicon spoke mainly English and German. Being from Drexicon IX himself, Barnes was trilingual, speaking German, English, and Spanish. The only difference being a child of two colonies, is that he has a Standard American accent, plain and simple.

Barnes grabbed onto the side of the bunk as they entered the storm, the ship shook rapidly, and people bounced up and down, even the Inertial Dampeners wouldn't stave off the storms turbulence. The entire crew began to go about their business – or what they had to do. Most were talking, playing cards, and reading. A few had some old handheld game systems, most kept them since they were a child, though they mostly grew up on carriers. Barnes leaded back on his bunk and grabbed the book, and began reading where he left off.

Her speech made steadfast Odysseys shiver. He loudly shot back at her, "Surely, Goddess, something not at all to my advantage, something quite contrary, lives behind this your command – that on a raft I launch out over the great soundings of a sea which is so perilous and difficult that not invariably do the tall swift-running ships pass it in safety: not even when Zeus blesses them and makes them happy with his assisting winds. Understand therefore that I shall not embark upon this raft-venture without your will: not unless you as a goddess consent to swear me a great oath that in this you do not plan further misfortunes for my account"

His words made Calypso, the beautiful nymph, smoke. As she soothed him with her hand, repeating his name, she spoke to him as follows: "Sharp witted rogue you are, to imagine and dare say such a thing to me. Bear witness now, Earth, and spacious Heaven overhead, and the river of Styk that slideth downward (which oath is the greatest and most terrible in the use of the blessed gods) how in this counsel I intend no sort of evil against you. Rather am I planning and advising you with the scrupulous care I should have for myself, and ever I stood in such a case. Believe me that my understanding is ripe: and the heart in my breast is no made of iron, but of pitiful."

Having ended, the goddess turned back abruptly. Odysseys followed the divine leader so that they re-entered the cave, immortal and mortal keeping company. There the man sat down on the throne from which Hermes had lately risen, and the nymph served him a various refreshment of such meat and drink as men usually take. Afterward she places opposite her great hero, while the maids plied her with nectar and ambrosia. Freely they partook of the cheer at the hands till they had had their fill of eating and drinking. Then Calypso the lovely goddess opened her mouth and said: -

"Kinsman of Zues and son of Laertes, many – counselled Odysseys: in it your true wish, even yet, to go back to your own country? God, forgive you: may you be happy there! Ah, did but the mirror of your mind show you what misfortune must yet fill your cup before you attain the home you seek, verily you would dwell here with me always, keeping ym house and your immortality; to the utter rejection of this day-long and every-day yearning which moves you to behold your wife. Think not however that I avow myself her less than rival, either in figure or in parts. It where out and out impious for a mere woman to vie in fame and face with immortals."

Barnes continued to read the passage, for some reason, nearly every Commander and Captain of a interstellar vessel carried the book. He questioned it himself, why they would. Was it out of luck? No. It was out of the idea of how to maintain ones- self while stranded, or lost with no end in sight. In a way, the book mirror what his crew was going through, this was their Odyssey, their own story to tell once they get home – if they get home. If they did, they would be heroes, they would have saved the UEC, and her colonies, and saved millions of lives. While their mission didn't truly mirror that – they didn't have immortal beings, or Olympians. Most of them longed to be home with their families, or children and wives. He himself missed his wife and children. If they ditch their FTL according to plan, it could take thousands of years to return home – by then, they would be lost history, dead to the entire world, more like Galaxy, as if they never existed.

For too long throughout history, there have been plenty of dead heroes. Many of those heroes go forgotten, the only thing that remind the world that they existed was their commendations, and postings. All of those killed during this were heroes, and they would not go forgotten.