Beast
Page 3
“Aye-aye, Captain,” she replied. The Captain turned to look at the Commander, who had moved to stand beside her. “Report,” the Captain said.
“Half of the ships are in position and have begun their scans. The rest of the fleet should be in position in a few minutes and we should have a preliminary analysis in a half an hour,” the Commander replied, referencing the info-pad in his hand.
“Good,” she responded. She walked back to the captain’s chair and pressed a button on the right-side console. After a few seconds, the door to the bridge opened and the Bridge Ensign entered, giving a small nod to the Captain. “Bring me a cup of tea, please,” she said. With another small nod, the Ensign exited.
Sitting in her chair, the Captain waited for the Commander to sit before speaking. “Inform me when all the fleet has moved into position.” The Ensign returned, handing the Captain a plate holding a full cup, steam rising from the liquid’s surface. The Captain took a sip and sighed. Taking another sip, her eyes scanned the bridge, pausing briefly at each station to see if anything needed her attention.
The Commander made some final notes, pressing buttons on his console before speaking. “Captain, all ships are now in position and have begun their scans.”
”Lieutenant-Commander,” the Captain said, “Open a communication line to the fleet so I may address the crews before the scans are completed and the mission begins.” The Captain took a final sip of tea before holding it out to the Ensign, who stepped forward from his post at the door and retrieved the cup. The Captain stood. She ran a hand over first her hair and then down the front of her uniform to smooth the folds that had formed as she sat. Letting her arms hang loosely at her sides, she stood quietly, waiting until the Lieutenant-Commander turned to her and nodded, signaling that all ships were reading, listening, and watching.
“Crewmembers of the PPA fleet now orbiting Planet 3AR-T4. This is the Captain of the fleet flagship Chimera, in charge of Mission 249-6.” The Captain paused as she imagined the crewmembers on the ships pausing in their work, setting down equipment and silencing their conversations to listen to what their captain might say. “Some of you are new to these missions, fresh out of the Academy and on your first trip out among the stars. Others have been on even more of these that I have!” She gave a small smile as if to let them all in on the joke. The Captain had been in charge of these almost long enough to lose track and had been a crewman on many missions before her promotion.
“This is an important thing that we do, ensuring the habitability of planets. Of the millions of planets in the galaxy, only a few are able to sustain life. We have taken it upon ourselves to ensure that they remain so.
“But this is not an easy task,” the Captain continued, her face turning serious. “It often requires difficult choices. The planet below is suffering from many of the same issues that once threatened to destroy our home planet. Overpopulation plagues some species, while the threat of extinction faces others. Disease and pollution are everyday occurrences for the inhabitants below.” The Captain paused, taking an info-tablet from the Commander and quickly glancing at it. “Our scans show that without intervention, the planet below will undergo a massive extinction event in only a few generations with only a 37 percent chance of recovery if that happens. We cannot allow that.” She handed the info-tablet back to the Commander, clasped her hands behind her back, and squared her shoulders. “Therefore, by the authority given to me by the Powers That Be and the PPA, I declare Mission 249-6 to be a go. The analysis scans will be completed in six hours, at which time the mission will officially begin. During these final hours, make sure your workstations and all equipment are ready, and then I suggest you get some rest and prepare yourselves. We have much to do if we are to save this planet.”