The Attack on the Jaan

"The Attack on the Jaan" is one version of an urban legend of the category "mysterious horror attacks an unsuspecting Stenza vessel going about its business", told by the Engine Technicians of the Annihilator to new hands as a rite of passage/instructive tale about the hazards of the job (but also primarily because of its terror potential).

Purpose

The tale of the attack on the Jaan is part entertainment, part rite of passage, and part instruction about the fact that some things cannot be fixed, and that disasters can occur despite our best efforts.

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The Attack on the Jaan

(As told by Ta'zhen to the Doctor and her companions)
“It was an ordinary rotation, on a ship much like this. The engine forewoman prepared for one final inspection when she noticed unusual sensor readings. Being a diligent person, she went into the engine room and inspected each sensor herself but found no abnormalities. Then she turned to the cameras, thinking someone had played some kind of joke on her, but all the cameras showed was her team doing their routine work. Now she thought to herself, this is a glitch, and made a note to have a technician inspect everything at the earliest opportunity. As she finished her inspection and left to carry out this final task, she heard a thud against the door to the engine room. Who could be in there? She turned and peered into the engine room, locking eyes with the intruder, a grey rock creature clinging to the door in the microgravity environment.
“She immediately engaged the emergency alert system, and as yellow light flooded the corridor and she ran for the exit, she heard another horrible sound, like two metal plates sliding across each other. She turned, to find the creature had broken out of the engine room. The door lay against the corridor wall like so much crumpled paper. The forewoman bolted for the opposite door, but never reached it.
“Pandemonium erupted aboard the ship. Distress calls were sent, people tried to evacuate only to find the escape pods had lost all power. Many armed themselves and prepared for a fight. All the while the ship continued to lose power, with system failure after system failure until only critical life support remained. Strange thuds and scraping sounds echoed throughout the vessel. A final distress call was sent, using the ship’s last remaining power, and the vessel vanished into the cold, unfeeling void with all hands.”

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Type

Manuscript, Literature

Medium

Oral Tradition / Word of Mouth

Myth

Urban Legend

Signatories (Organizations)

• Engine Technicians of the Annihilator