1.1.1

The black ship creaked and rattled as it broke through the atmosphere. The small, conical shuttle lay flat, like an arrow pointing off toward the horizon. The pilot punched the reverse-thrusters as gravity took hold, and slowed its descent. Up here, the sky was pure blue, but far below hung thick black clouds, amongst which a million silent forks of lightning danced.

The pilot sat in the tight cockpit, incognizant of the machinery's constant low hum, with knobs and switches as far as he could reach. He entered a series of commands into a terminal, and the began to turn upright to accomodate a faster drop through the clouds. A proximity alarm sounded as the ship's sensors detected the incredible electrical energy in the oncoming clouds. He pressed a button and silenced it. The cracks of the lightning below were now audible. Another series of commands, and a diagnostic screen flickered on, with a schematic of the ship. The pilot re-routed a portion of the ship's power to the shielding system, and the reverse-thrusters sputtered out. No ship this small could fit an energy cell strong enough to continue running full-function, and survive the electrical storm below.

The ship was engulfed in a loud buzz as the shields engaged, but soon the lightning became even louder. Another screen flashed, warning of the immense electrical energy within range, and the pilot continued to run his diagnostics. Everything was in order for descent. The ship dropped into the clouds with a deafening roar.