This is my entry to the Inspired By Images Of Eve Competition 2. More details and links to all entrants can be found at Starfleet Comms
‘ We are fast approaching the Nav point, ’ Westman looked over his shoulder at the WarpCore Sysops station for hundredth time; sure the built in remote indicator on his pilot seat showed green, but if this scouting mission went belly up their only way out was a fast, a very fast exit and those Core Stabilisers would be needed badly.
Engineer Anek ’reporting, warp tunnel inversion field is decaying, entry into normal space in ten...’
The mottled, lacework of the warp tunnel walls began to dissipate into plasma streaks as the ship decelerated.
‘Right people, sharpen up! Anek; you start boosting those capacitors as soon as we hit normal; Jeb, scanners 360 degree sweep at ten thousand kilometres.’
A Weapons Hot confirmation from their only Minmatar crew member cut across the bridge chatter.
Westman couldn’t help but think that their Weapons Officer was either taking the piss or simply didn’t give a shit; either way fighting would not be an option in this scenario, not with this ship or these weapons, pure speed was this ships best asset.
‘ We’re getting a crap load of interference from that blue white, scanners are showing nothing, and useless beyond that range, are you sure this is the right Nav point. ’
‘ The only thing I am sure about at moment Jeb is that we are at the point NavCom pre programmed this ship for, so stop the chatter, and keep focused.'
Westman had never been one for getting the creeps in a mission but this, this feels wrong, as if someone has a gun to the back of my head, he thought, he could sense an involuntary reaction to turn his head build up; Nah! Like I told them stay focused, and we may stay alive.
‘I am increasing orbital distance from the insertion point, keep on those scanners and make sure the telemetry is getting sent back.’
‘Still nothing, can’t increase the scan distance the star is creating havoc; Wait!... no nothing, sorry.’
‘Never mind nothing! What did you pick up?’
` Just a slight, and I mean a very slight shift in the neutrino flux, if it had been any smaller the scanner would not even have defined it at all.
The mission timer was rapidly decreasing, ‘Increasing orbital distance from insertion point again’
‘ There! It happened again,’ Jeb shouted, ‘on that same line to the star, hold our position. It almost as if something is between us and the star at this point, odd, there is nothing to see.’
‘ Skipper, maneuver us at one quarter speed; zigzag on a 5k vertical grid let me take some more readings.’
‘ Could a cloaked ship do that? Jeb ’
‘ I suppose ’, came his unconvinced reply, ' but it would have to be right on top of us or be larger than a Titan if further away, judging by the readings I have. ’
‘ I have plotted the locus, from this point to the star in a straight line and should bisect any stationary object, however a problem we will encounter, is the closer to the star we go the shorter the scan range will have to be in order to compensate for the crap it is emitting. ’
‘Oh, Shit!’.....................................................
. . . .
‘ Gentlemen! Regrettably at 09:00hrs telemetry from the scouting ship GNS Annelle’s Dream ceased abruptly, Information as to the cause was relayed by a cloaked probe ship close by, the weapons signature detected was unmistakably that of Sleeper origin, the approximate size and mass of the object dwarfs our titans, by a factor of 5, there were enough distinguishable features to attribute it to Sleeper a designed structure. More worrying is that it is no longer on that vector, the probe ship has continuously monitored the region of space, and there is no evidence of jump drive activity, worm holes or folding of space in the area, nor were any residual or decaying warp signature’s. ’
NavInt summary as follows:-
1. That it was definitely a Sleeper ship or base which may have recently and
actively entered into our s
elsewhere.
2. Somewhat more disturbing is that it may possibly have a been there for a significant period of time before being stumbled upon by the unfortunate privateer two days ago, this was after all an out of the way system, no settlements, no viable resources and not on a main trade route .
3. Sadly we cannot determine where it is now, or why it was there.
Did it simply have had a defect with its cloaking system which has now been rectified and simply moved elsewhere in system? Or was it some test of our abilities or response?
These and so many others questions began a riotous chase around the table, and all begging answers.
Shit! A ship or base that size and cloaked, Artmmand shook his head to clear his mind and drive away the spectres looming there, finally he raised his voice and called the meeting to order.
‘The strategic, technical, political and other issues can be dealt with as this unfolds; with an unknown time scale and motive we must not become complacent with the events. True it may be an isolated incident, however it might not.’
‘Our priority question is; what do we do next?’
