Prologue

March 3^rd, 2253

Vigris Sector

UTFS Intrepid – Pod Bay Alpha

Chief Engineer Jim Dockins and pre-flight technical staff

“What the hell is it now, Smitty?  You told me that pod was ready to go an hour ago, and now I’m seeing the red light of death on the monitor.  Captain’ll chew my ass if we don’t launch on schedule,” said the burly chief engineer.  The Forerunner Intrepid held a compliment of twelve pods: three groups of four for three separate system surveys.  Each pod had to function or the survey wouldn’t be complete and the mission would be construed a failure.  For a ship carrying almost eight hundred crew, explorers and scientists whose sole mission was system survey and colonization preparation and with nearly forty billion Federation credits invested, everything came down to the Mark II Sensor Pod.   If the pods didn’t work, the mission was a wash.  And if the mission was a wash, nobody got paid.  Chief Engineer Jim Dockins would be held fully responsible for this, so of course, the man had stress-induced stomach pains since last Tuesday and was visiting the toilet once every forty-five minutes.

“Sorry, Chief.  It’s not a big deal, just a blown coupler.  Takes thirty seconds to replace,” said the scrawny man named ‘Smitty’.  Zack Smith was one of the oldest men on board, and the only man with a previous duty onboard a Forerunner.  Dockins could not, for the life of him, understand why the man had wanted to go out again.  Sure the reward was great, but the risk was almost too damned high. 

“Whenever you say ‘Not a big deal’ my gut ties itself into another knot, and if it ties one more knot, it’ll be a noose.  Just get it done.  I need these stupid song birds to sing in perfect pitch for the whole duration.  You’re last simulation didn’t exactly fill me with hope, Smitty.”

“Sir, honestly, the chances of one of these probes getting nailed by a meteorite is a million to one, a million to one.  I guarantee ya boss, they’ll work like a charm.  Just wait and see.  It won’t be a big deal.”

Dockins winced and shuffled uncomfortably.  “Stop blowing sunshine up my ass Smitty and get it done.  Final pre-launch checks are in less than five minutes.  Launch itself is only twenty-five minutes away.”

“It’s okay boss, really.  They’ll be ready on time, tuned up and ready to sing!”

Dockins sighed and moved to check on the next pod. 

UTFS Intrepid – Main Bridge

Commander John Philip

            “Sir, twenty-three minutes until launch.  Pre-launch checks are entering final stages,” the launch specialist called out.

            “Understood,” Commander Philip said.  So far, the mission had gone completely to schedule.  All jumps had been completed as predicted with less than .003 error.  The Patterson Drive had shown no faults or hiccups since its initial startup test at Jupiter.  But, frankly, the two months to get the ship this far out was nothing compared to the next step.  The Intrepid’s real mission started in 23 minutes.  Philip re-adjusted himself in the chair.  It was one of the longest periods of Philip’s life: waiting for the pods to finish pre-launch checks.  He re-adjusted his seat, the locksuit chafing at his neck where the metal extender ring sat. 

The locksuits, a marvel of modern UTF technology, were standard UTF space uniforms that doubled as fully self-contained space suits.  Form-fitting but comfortable, they resembled a loose-fitting wetsuit covered in pockets and metal devices.  The devices, placed at most of the joints, were kinetic generators and batteries.  Moving an arm once a day could keep the suit powered indefinitely.  The multiple units provided redundancy.  The extender ring, which when not in use resembled a collar, was made of a not-quite-liquid, not-quite-metal memetic material, and when activated, extended over the wearer’s head in a pre-set pattern forming an air-tight helmet completing the seal of the suit.  The pseudo-metal even had the ability to become transparent at the front for a face-plate.  Extension and pressurization time was just under five seconds making them ideal for emergency decompression situations.  UTF regulations required all active duty personnel to wear the locksuit at all times. 

The Commander scanned the bridge taking in all the readouts and floating status screens.  Several technicians were huddled near the launch specialist’s console.  The Forerunner mission was considered a very important mission by UTF high command, and was also looked upon highly by academic institutions.  Serving a Forerunner mission was a dream for most technicians from any specialty.  The mission pushed the boundaries of UTF technology, and territory. 

On paper, the mission was simple.  The ship would go out into unexplored space, and via use of multiple space probes, would survey system after system seeking habitable planets.  When a habitable planet or near-habitable planet was found, the Forerunner would survey the planet, catalogue the results, drop a Jump Buoy, and move on.  Forerunner missions could last years.  Colonists and terraformers would follow in their wake creating new colonies enriching the United Terran Federation: Earth and her twelve colonies.

In reality, however, Forerunner missions were long and dangerous.  Forerunners traveled alone into places that even the latest optics could barely see.  Their navigators were handpicked elites paired up with the latest astrogation super computers, necessary to calculate the free-jump coordinates and insure the ship didn’t jump out into the middle of a star.  Even then, free-jumps were hazardous.  Moving hazards, such as radiation storms, meteorite clouds, comets, couldn’t be detected so far out and always posed a threat to the jump out.  Chances of hitting such things were small in the vastness of space, but were ever-present.  Anything could happen.  So the designers packed the ship with everything they could conceive of being needed for almost any situation.  This made the ship itself, a technological nightmare.  Bleeding-edge technology designed by paranoid neurotics.  The Commander frowned at the thought.

“Anything wrong, sir?” asked his first officer, Lieutenant Commander Jerrod Lovell.  Lovell was observant and intelligent, good qualities for a first officer, but sometimes he was almost too observant.

“No, nothing, just thinking to myself,” Philip said to him before raising his voice to the launch specialists, “Are the pods in launch position yet?”

“Yes, sir.  The technical staff worked out the fault lamp and all pods are green.  They were just loaded into their tubes.  We are on schedule.”

“Excellent,” Philip said as he waved his hand over the console on his right.  A translucent screen appeared, hovering in midair.  Philip typed some quick commands and opened a communications line to the pod bay.  “Chief Dockins, I show all pods green and ready for launch.  It’s your show.”  Philip hit another floating, translucent key, terminating the comm line.  He nodded to the launch specialist.

“All hands, stand by for Sensor Pod launch.  Mission Specialists, report to posts and prepare for data acquisition.”

UTFS Intrepid – Pod Bay Alpha

Chief Engineer Jim Dockins and Assistant Chief Zack Smith

            Dockins walked over to the Pod Master Console and took a seat.  Smitty grabbed a vacant chair and rolled up behind him sitting in it backwards leaning on the backing.  The PMC itself was large, taking up most of a wall.  It held the master controls of all twelve pods, one panel of controls for each pod.  Four panels were currently lit up, several rows of green lights gleaming brightly.  Translucent, dull yellow screens floated above the consoles reporting information, diagnostic results, and command interfaces for each pod.  Dockins reached out, grabbing the corner of the floating display and moved them one at a time into a semi circular arrangement in front of him so he could have easier access to each pod.  They all reported the same thing: launch status green.  Each pod was loaded into a special airlock specifically designed for sensor pod launch and capture. 

            “See, Chief?  I told you it was no big deal.  They’re all hot and ready,” Smitty said in a smug tone.

            “You got lucky is all,” Dockins muttered.  “Let’s make with the fireworks shall we?”  He hit a button on a fifth, smaller display opening a comm channel to the bridge.  “Captain?  All pods are green to launch, I have control.  Launching in five,” he moved his hand over another, larger button on the smaller display, glowing distinctly red.  “Four, three, two, one,” Dockins counted down, sweat running down his face.  Smitty white-knuckled the backing of his chair, and a hush fell over the technicians in the room.   

            “Launch!” Dockins called slamming his thumb onto the red button.  There was an immediate sound similar to that of rushing of air, and a rumble in the deck plating, then nothing.  Data began streaming down the four displays.  “All pods launched, heading straight and true on designated courses.  Pods are Jumping to designated coordinates.  Jumpouts completed!  We are already receiving downloads!”  A cheer went up from the technicians and was echoed across the ship.

            “Well done, Chief,” came the Commander through the communications line.  “The data crunchers have it from here.  I’ll be expecting launch reports by this time tomorrow,” and the line clicked off.

            “Hey, he actually complimented you, boss!  When I grow up, I wanna be just like you,” Smitty said with a lopsided grin.

            “You dumb bastard, you’re older than I am.  Go get your damned report ready,” Dockins said, although he wasn’t able to suppress a grin of satisfaction.  He turned to the rest of the staff, “Same for the rest of you.  You heard the captain; I need reports from each of you.  Hard part’s done, now time for the paperwork.  Get to it.” 

            The staff dispersed, leaving the pod bay.  Dockins moved each of the screens back into position and double-checked the data feeders and backups to make sure the data was being sent in triplicate the separate, redundant memory banks.  He then locked down the PMC and left the pod bay headed for Main Engineering, his home away from home.  Smitty was waiting for him at the hatch. 

A deep, rhythmic, humming grew stronger as the two men headed aft.  The hallway opened up onto a massive spherical room almost eleven stories tall.  The walkway had transparent flooring allowing full view of the bright swirling vortex of purple light.  The Patterson Drive Reactor, a near-inexhaustible energy supply was the marvel that made everything possible.  Created accidentally by scientists in 2163, it had changed everything.   Power ceased to be a precious commodity and no longer acted as a defining facet of political power.  It had turned the world upside down.  Now, nearly a hundred years later, it powered man across the stars.  The vortex below was the heart of the Intrepid and Dockins’ only love. 

            “Chief, you need a girl,” Smitty said as he caught the gleam in Dockins’ eye.  “It’s unhealthy.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say you was an otaku,” the old veteran laughed.  Dockins rolled his eyes and power walked the rest of the way to the Engineering Bunker three levels above. 

            “Report status,” he said as he entered his sanctuary.  Commander Philip may run the ship, but he was nothing in here.  Main Engineering was Dockins’ world and it revolved around him.  He had been allowed to hand pick his own staff, which he had done.  He’d picked the best and brightest. 

            “Everything showing green, Chief,” said the brunette at the console, Engineer’s Mate Caroline Cho.  Another engineer came by and handed Dockins his mug of coffee. 

11-02-07

“Chief,” called a technician flicking through floating displays at a station in the back.  “I have a few reports of power spikes in Green Block.  They’re reporting flickering lights and someone reportedly saw a spark.”

            Dockins sighed.  Half the time, these types of reports proved false, but even so, reports of sparks weren’t something he could ignore.  “Alright, get a technician up there to check it out.  I don’t want to have anything explode during the data dump.”

            “Already sent out Fledgely, sir.”

            “Good.  Has anyone confirmed that all three redundancies are operating on the data streams?  I don’t want to be blamed because some piece of information was deleted by an egghead and the backup wasn’t complete.”

            “Yes, sir, I’ve checked and double-checked the redundant backups,” the technician flicked one of her screens forward, than back, checking again.  “Everything’s running smoothly.”

            “Excellent, now all there is to do is-“

            “What the hell?” Smitty said to himself from his station, just loud enough to pull attention.

            “Smitty?  It better not be bad news, I don’t like bad news,” Dockins said as he got out of his chair to take a look at Smitty’s holo-display. 

            Smitty moved slightly so Dockins could see more clearly.  Some of the technicians also bunched up to see what was going on.  “I’ve lost contact with Pod Three, she’s stopped singin’.” 

            Dockins nearly choked.

            “Say that again?”

            “Here, sir,” Smitty said pointing to a line of data on a graph.  “There’s a sudden spike in data transmissions here, I think it might be emergency warning signals or some such, because here, the whole board goes red, and then here, there’s nothing.”

            “Smitty, you better swear to whatever God you believe in that it wasn’t a meteorite,” Dockins said quietly, then turned to the gaggle of techs behind him.  “Get everyone up, everyone off-duty just went on active.  Get them on the backup stations in Orange Block.  I want everyone working on reading the data streams, get me an answer of what the hell just happened.  Caroline,” Dockins stopped to look through the sudden chaos of running engineers for the brunette that had been in charge when Dockins had entered.  He finally found her looking at him over her shoulder while manning her console.  “Check the other pods, make sure we haven’t lost any others, and keep a constant eye on the streams.  Grab someone if you need help.”  She nodded and pulled up three holo-displays. 

            “Smitty, I have to go tell the Captain, you stay here and find me answers.”  Dockins left the bunker, the purple light and pulsing hum of the PDR filled the large room briefly as the door opened and closed behind him.

            Dockins rushed through the open walkways of the Core to the nearest lift.  He stepped in and rode it to the top, Red Block.  He then walked through four airlocks to the bridge anchor.  He passed the security check and then rode the command lift to the top where the flying bridge sat nestled atop the long angled tower.  The Command Tower was elevated almost seven stories above the ship giving a commanding view of the forward half of the ship and an excellent view of space.  Large windows lined the outer wall and were covered in holo-displays.  The command lift opened to the left and right at the aft of the bridge into the control trench that followed the windows around the outside of the bridge.  Most of the operators sat in the trench, with the exception of the two helmsmen, and the Commander and XO.  Dockins followed the trench around to the front of the bridge and then up the ramp in between the two helmsmen to come face-to-face with Commander Philip.  His XO, Lieutenant Lovell stood behind him and to his right. 

            “Chief, we just lost communication from the number three Pod,” Commander Philip started as Dockins came up.

            “I know, sir.  We’re trying to discover the cause now.  I’ve activated my entire engineering staff.  But honestly, sir, it is going to be difficult to find out what happened to the pod unless we investigate ourselves.  We can read the datastreams as much as we like, but frankly, they’re only going to tell us what we know: something catastrophic occurred and the Pod is dead to us.”

            Philip nodded, “I agree.  Helm, prepare to move the ship.  Set coordinates for the last known position of Pod 3 and prepare for quickjump.”  Philip inclined his head back to Dockins.  “Prepare your team for EVA.  We’ll be there in a few hours.”

            “Understood, sir.”  Dockins saluted and left the bridge. 

            Lovell leaned forward, “Do you think it was a meteorite?”

            “If it was, Dockins is going to be shitting bricks for a year.”

March 4^th, 2253

Vigris Sector, Hatch System

UTFS Intrepid – Hangar Three

Chief Engineer Jim Dockins and Engineer’s Mate Lewis Fledgely

            “All hands brace for Jump Out,” came the call over the P.A.  The two engineers in spacesuits grabbed the railing with both hands and widened their stance.  The ship stuttered and groaned, lights dimmed and for just the briefest of moments the feeling of weightlessness.  After a moment, the complaining of the ship stopped and the lights came back up.  “Jump Out successful.  Designated coordinates reached, less than three meters slide.  Target acquired.  Running sensor scans,” the voice from the bridge continued.

            Dockins held up his heavily padded arm and punched in a command on his computer bracer.  A holo-display flickered to life and Dockins patched in the sensor feed.  Fledgely watched the vid from his own bracer.  The feed showed an artificially enhanced live camera feed of the silent pod.  Fledgely groaned.

            “Power’s out for sure,” Dockins reported.  “Looks like something beat the crap out of it.  Heavy structural damage.  Did we get any errors on the Polyhedron Shield?”

            “Nothing, it was fine right up until everything else died,” Smitty said over the channel from Engineering.  It was operating normally according to the data.”  Polyhedron Shields were a recent technological development.  A defensive barrier made of multiple near-invisible polyhedrons comprised of densely packed Patterson Reactor particles; it could withstand blows from heavy metallic mass accelerated to near light-speed as long as it was given enough power.  The power supplied to the shields on the Pods was just enough to cover small meteorite hits. 

            “Whatever did this went right through the shield.  Alright, let’s go in for a closer look.  Fledgely, you ready?”  The Mate flashed Dockins a thumbs up.  “Bridge, requesting permission for EVA.”

            “Permission granted, Chief.”  The lights flashed to red in the airlock and Dockins watched a large meter on the wall drop as the pressure was cycled.  The meter reached the bottom, and with a vibration felt through their feet, the large airlock door began to slowly open.  Unfiltered UV light streamed into the bay from the nearby sun.  Dockins’ and Fledgely’s faceplates dimmed automatically. 

            When the door finally stopped, Dockins disengaged the maglocks on his boots and tentatively pushed off from the deck.  He used his thruster pack to move forward and out of the hangar.  Fledgely followed, riding in a small equipment sled.  Dockins kept his eyes on the silhouette of the pod out in the distance to keep from getting vertigo.  There was nothing above, below, or anywhere but stars and empty space. 

            Dockins and Fledgely finally made it across the gap of nothing to the derelict pod.  Dockins flipped out a hand light and passed the beam over the pod.  This close, the damage didn’t look like it was kinetic at all.  In fact, it looked more like it was melted.  “Dockins to Intrepid, I’m examining the pod and it doesn’t look like a meteorite after all.  It’s very strange, but it looks to be completely melted.  I can’t think of what could have done this.  Maybe chemical?  Not sure without further analysis, but the pod is completely wasted.  The electronics are gone, and it seems the mini-reactor lost containment.”

            There was silence on the comms for a moment as Intrepid digested the news.  The fact that the reactor lost containment at all was shocking enough.  “Understood, Chief.  Pull it back in.  We’ll investigate in full on board.  Commander Philip wants to return to Launch Point and wait for the three other pods to return.”

            “Understood, Control.  Returning home with payload.”  Dockins helped Fledgely hook the pod to the bottom of the equipment sled, making sure it was secure.  Then they thrustered back to the hangar and waited for the airlock to cycle, then waited through the medical scan.  The scanner paused a lengthy time over the pod, giving Dockins a slight twinge in his gut, but finally passed them as ‘safe’.  Smitty met them at the door and helped them out of their bulky suits. 

            “Three hundred years and you think we could have made a smaller space suit,” Smitty complained as he hoisted one of the suits onto the service rack.  Caroline came in with a heavy equipment power loader and oversaw the loading of the pod.  She looked over the damage with an intrigued expression.

            “You’re right, Chief.  Something definitely melted right through the shell and into the electronics bay.  It even melted right through the triple-thick containment wall of the Patterson Reactor.  That must’ve been the signal spike we saw before everything redlined.”

            Dockins frowned at the pod and waved Caroline and it away.  “Get started on an analysis; tell me anything you find, no matter how small.  I want details.”

            “Roger,” she saluted and followed the power loader out. 

            “Well hell, Boss.  At least it wasn’t a meterorite!” Smitty said with smugness.  Dockins slapped the back of his head.

UTFS Intrepid

Engineering Bay 3C

Engineer’s Mate Caroline Cho

            “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Caroline said to the three technicians in the room.  She stood over a floating holo-display using her thumbnail to flick back-and-forth between several graphs, chemical compositions, and charts.  “Call in the Chief.  He’ll want to see this.”

            A few minutes later, Chief Dockins and Assistant Chief Smitty walked into the bay.  “Alright, what you got for me?” Dockins said, going straight for details.

            “I thought at first, that it was some sort of metal-eating organic acid.  But that’s not quite right.  It didn’t leave any of the normal traces of chemical decomposition.  Instead, there was nothing.  I mean, it looks melted, but it’s not really melted.  In reality, the atomic structure just stops there.”  She paused, they were looking at her as if she were speaking machine code. 

            “English, Brains,” Smitty said, using his pet name for her. 

            She sighed, exasperated.  “Ok, whatever hit our pod wasn’t chemical.  Whatever it was, destroyed, or ate, the pod all the way down at the atomic level.  It wasn’t melted, it was vaporized.  The arrangement of damage would suggest some sort of liquid, or gaseous form.  Other than that, I have no explanation.  This is something, to my knowledge, that has never been encountered before.”

            Dockins ran a hand back over his scalp.  He sighed and paced a bit while Smitty examined the data for himself.  “Boss, she ain’t kidding, this is some serious shit.  We may have to inform UTF command of a new space hazard.”

            Caroline swallowed, “Or a weapon.”

            Dockins stopped pacing and stared at her.  “A weapon?  Are you kidding?  From where?  From who?  Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and go bouncing off the walls.  I’ll inform Commander Philip and see what he wants to do.  Keep working on the analysis, and send updates to my commpad,” Dockins stormed out leaving Smitty and Caroline looking after him.

            “Well, one thing’s for sure, the schedule’s screwed,” Smitty said before grabbing a sensor and burying his head in the pod.  Caroline sighed. 

11-03-07

            “I still think it might be a weapon,” she said softly.  Smitty looked up from the insides of the pod.

            “What did you say, Brains?”

            “I said, I still think it might have been a weapon.  We’ve never once recorded something like this happening naturally.  And the ability to destroy something at the atomic level, just seems, I don’t know, unnaturally aggressive.  I’d like to think the Chief could at least acknowledge the possibility.”  She shrugged and looked at Smitty. 

            Smitty just stared at her for a moment, mulling over the possibilities.  “Honestly, Brains, it’s not that he’s not accepting the possibility of it being a weapon.  It’s more that he doesn’t want to accept the possibility of who would be using that weapon.  I mean, think about it: humanity has been unified under the banner of the UTF for the last hundred years, and there have been no terrorist of separatist acts in the last fifty.  Why would they have waited until now, when prosperity has never been higher?  And more importantly, why us way the hell out here?  A weapon just doesn’t make much sense.”

            “You’re right, it doesn’t,” she began, “unless the weapon was not human in origin.”  She watched his features darken.

            “If that’s the case Caroline, then I hope to God you’re wrong.”  Caroline looked slightly startled at the use of her real name.  Smitty’s face softened, “Enough of this talk.  Let’s get this analysis done before the Chief comes back.”  Smitty buried himself in the bowels of the Pod once again, but Caroline’s words still haunted him. 

UTFS Intrepid – Briefing Room

Commanders Philip and Lovell, Chief Engineer Dockins

            “A weapon?  I don’t like the thought of it,” Lovell said.  “I don’t like the thought at all.  There’s just been no anti-UTF activity, and the Forerunner mission has undeniably high public appeal.”

            “I know,” Dockins said.  “I don’t want to think about the alternative, sir, but I think Ms. Cho is correct.  If it was a weapon, we need to be open to the possibilities, and that includes the extra-ordinary.”

            Philip cleared his throat.  “Just so I’m clear here, gentlemen, you are referring to extra-terrestrial life, correct?  Just come out and say it.  We’re hundreds of light-years out of our own galaxy.  The possibility is definitely not zero.  My question: was it a warning?  To not proceed further?”

            “I’d agree with that.  The Sensor Pods, I think, would be obvious to just about anyone that had scanner technology.  Has there been any word from UTF Naval Command?” Lovell asked.

            “Not yet.  Communications tells me there’re some radiation storms interfering with the signals, so they’re being delayed a few days,” Philip sighed, thinking over their current predicament.  “Still, I plan to proceed with the mission.  We’ll just be more cautious.  I want the sensor suites manned around the clock, and put the Shield teams on rotating shifts as well.  Dockins, continue analyzing the remains of the pod, but, moving forward, prepare for Pod capture according to the schedule.”

            Dockins rose from his chair, saluted, and left the room.  Lovell came around and sat down in the seat Dockins had vacated.  “They had said this was a possibility before we left, but still, I’d never thought I’d see the day.  Hundreds of sectors scanned and mapped out, hundreds of worlds, and never have we discovered sentient life.   What worries me the most is that we don’t seem to be welcome.”

            Philip looked over at his first officer and sighed.  With the loss of the pod, the chance of the first meeting being friendly was extremely low.  Philip sighed, “Same.”  Philip thought of something then added, “I want you to put together the emergency beacon, just in case.  Start downloading data to it, every hour.”

            “Aye, sir,” Lovell rose, saluted, and left the room.  Philip sat by himself, thinking over the possibilities and thinking how much he disliked the current situation they were finding themselves in.  Eventually, he left and returned to the bridge. 

The Intrepid was back at its initial Launch Point.  The Pods were programmed to return there after their initial and secondary sweeps were completed.  The scans took a few days, so the Intrepid would just wait for the Pods to return home, recording all the data that was sent to it.  Philip scanned the command trench, watching his bridge crew going about their duties with practiced ease.  Four specialists huddled over the Mission Specialist station whispering tech jargon to each other while flipping through holo-displays. 

Suddenly, one of the techs gasped and another called out, “Sir, we’ve just lost data streams from another pod, this time number two!  Same thing as pod three, a signal spike, then nothing,” the tech looked at Philip slightly paled.  The Commander knew that rumors had started to spread.  Before the commander could say anything, another holo-display went red.  “Sir, we just lost number one!”

Philip stood and hopped down into the trench to look at the screens himself.  The technicians quickly parted to make room.  “Here, sir, same thing, signal spike, then nothing.  What’s going on here?”

Commander Philip straightened and turned toward the sensor station, “Sensors to maximum.  Search for anything out of the ordinary.  Don’t let anything slip by.”

“Aye, sir,” came the response, the operator bending over her console, adjusting the sensor settings.

The Communications officer stood up, “Sir, I have Chief Dockins on the line.  He’s reporting on the Pods.”

“Tell him we know.  We’re looking into it.”

“We just lost Pod number Four!” the technician called out.  Philip turned back to the station and confirmed the dead signal. 

“Understood.  Let’s keep calm here, people.  We don’t know exactly what’s happening yet, but keep cool.  Navigation, plot a course to Pod Number Two.  We’ll investigate like we did for Number Three.”

“Aye, sir.  Plotting course.”

“Sir!  I have contact!” the sensor operator called out.

“How far out?” Philip said immediately.  Hairs were starting to prickle on the back of his neck.

“Max range and closing.  I can’t get a good sensor lock.  Permission to launch a sensor buoy?”

Philip returned to his chair and sat down.  “Granted, launch the buoy.  Also get Lovell up here.  Set ship status Level Three.  All crew to Level Three Status.”  Immediately, lighting on the bridge dimmed and claxons blared three times across the ship.  Operators in the trench strapped themselves into their chairs and pushed the small activator buttons on their extender rings.  Philip heard the woosh, snap, and hiss of the locksuits sealing across the bridge.  Level Three status required all personnel to seal their locksuits in case of emergency. 

Lovell entered the bridge a few minutes later, breathing heavily, his locksuit sealed.  Philip still had yet to lock his. 

“Sensor Buoy approaching Contact.  System coming online, I’m starting to receive a signal.”

“Put it up on the main display,” Philip commanded. 

“Online, sir,” the sensor operator called out as a large holo-display snapped to life above the command trench and in front of the Command chairs.  A collective gasp filled the bridge.  The display showed an object gliding through space.  It had what were unmistakably running lights.  A glow from opposite side indicated some sort of engine.  “That’s a ship,” Philip started.  “I’ve never seen the type before,” Lovell finished.

“Checking design with the main computer dbase,” the operator called out.  The image changed, overlaying the ship with a wireframe mesh pulling the design into the computer.  “Computer reports an Unknown, identifier set as VU 001.”

“Communications, is there any word from UTF Naval Command, yet?” Philip asked quickly. 

“Negative, sir, I haven’t been able to reach them at all.  I thought at first it was some sort of radiation storm behind us interfering, but now I’ve got static all over the place.”

“Probably from the Contact,” Lovell said.

“Agreed.  Activate the Polyhedron Shields and set ship status Level One,” Philip called out.  Lighting changed to red on the bridge and claxons sounded throughout the ship.  The Engineering station to Philip’s right came alive and a holo-display with Dockins on it snapped into existence.  “Engineering, here, Patterson Reactor running normally, increasing output; power is being routed to weapons and defenses.”

Lovell looked at his combracer which was currently displaying the status of the ship.  All sections soon had reported in.  “Ship is now in Level One readiness, Captain,” Lovell said evenly. 

“Sir, activity from the Contact.  I’m reading an energy buildup,” reported the sensor operator.

The bridge crew looked at the display watching the strange ship.  A faint glow was now visible at the bow and grew in intensity until it was extremely bright.  There was a sudden flash and the screen went to static.  “I just lost the buoy!” called the sensor operator, her voice carrying a slight panicked edge. 

“Communications, set the emergency beacon to real-time data download.  Navigation: get me a course plotting for the Meran Sector, quickly!”  The Forerunner was not a ship designed for battle.  The greatest worry of Commander Philip had just come to pass.  The chances of their Polyhedron Shield holding was probably slim, if the sensor pods were any indication.  The Meran Sector was in set UTF space, and if they could get there, they could hopefully contact Naval Command and get further instructions.

“Contact is increasing speed!”

“Where is it heading?” Lovell asked.

“Here, sir!”

“Navigation, hurry on those coordinates,” Philip said.  He punched a button on his combracer opening up the ship-wide channel: “People, the Forerunner mission is hereby suspended.  In the face of this unknown threat, we are returning to UTF space for further instructions.  Follow the instructions of your Section Heads.  Rely on your training, get your jobs done and we’ll get through this.”  He closed the channel and hit the button on his extender ring.  His locksuit sealed.

“Coordinates still calculating, five minutes,” updated navigation.

“Time till intercept with the Contact?” Philip asked the sensor operator.  She looked at him, “Less than three minutes.  It’s still accelerating.”

“Navigation, I need coordinates in two!”

“Working on it, sir!”

“Shields, make sure you’re set.  I don’t want anything to get through, just in case,” Philip instructed. 

“Aye, sir.”

“I’ve lost the Contact!” the sensor operator shouted.

“What the hell, where’d it go?” Lovell demanded.

“I have no idea!  It’s not on my scope anywhere.  It was there, and then, nothing!”

“Ok people, keep cool.  Navigation, you’d better make those coordinate appear and quick.”

“Working on it, sir, there seems to be some sort of interference.  The Computer is having trouble predicting the proper path.”

Lovell grimaced, “This is not the time for the computer to get picky.  Just get it done!”

“Aye, sir, I’m working on-“ and the ship lurched.  Lovell was thrown to the floor.  The crew were strapped into their chairs, but were still shaken.  Philip had to cling onto the arm rest to keep from being thrown himself.  Claxons began blaring.

“Report!!  Get me a damage report!” Philip shouted over the din.  “Lovell, are you alright?” Philip asked as his first officer got to his feet.  “Aye, I’m fine.  Just shaken,” he said as he took his own seat and strapped in.  Philip did the same.

“I’m showing explosive decompression in B-Block, Green sector.  Damage teams are reporting there now.  I’m showing fires.  Bulkheads have sealed off the exposed compartment.”

“Sir!” shouted the sensor operator, “Look out the window!”

Philip popped his restraint and ran through the holo-display and looked out the main bridge window in disbelief.  The Unknown was hovering right in front of the bridge.  Philip could see a large section of his own ship missing down below on the forward hull, as if it had been melted away.  The Polyhedron Shields had been completely ineffective.  Philip looked back to the Unknown.  It was a wicked-looking thing, with sharp edges and rounded, drooping wings.  Philip could only think that it looked like some vicious bird-of-prey.  Its color was of some blackened metallic that reflected the white hull of the Intrepid and the stars around it.  Philip then saw a now all-to-familiar light at the bow and it began to grow in intensity. 

Philip whirled, “Evacuate the bridge!  Everyone out now!” he shouted.  But it was too late.  The glow flashed, and suddenly, Philip and the bridge windows were gone.  Sudden decompression sucked chairs right out of their moorings.  Operators and technicians screamed as they were sucked out into space.

Lovell holding onto the floor grating crawled to the elevator at the back of the bridge and slammed his gloved fist onto the call button.  But nothing happened.  The Main Computer shut down the elevator as soon as the bridge lost pressure.  Lovell turned and watched the ship, still floating outside the bridge.  He saw the light charge up again and knew what was coming.  He didn’t see anything past the flash, but others did.  This time, the alien ship raked the bridge with the weapon and then raked down the command tower into the bridge anchor.  Sudden decompression erupted across the damaged hull, sucking airlocks off their hinges and blowing people out into space.  Bulkheads gave way, and the ship began to falter. 

Dockins was standing at his console in Main Engineering.  He was shouting orders into his combracer coordinating damage teams.  Caroline and Smitty were with him at their respective stations doing the same.  Finally Smitty stopped and came over to Dockins yelling to get his attention, “It’s over, Chief!  The Bridge is gone and the anchor’s been destabilized!  The Polyhedron Shields are useless and we’re starting to lose structural integrity!  If we start to lose containment down there, we’re toast!  WE need to evacuate!”

Dockins looked at him and all of the damage reports that were flooding into engineering.  He knew the man was right.  One unknown vessel, not even a quarter of the size of the Intrepid had just defeated her in a matter of minutes.  He nodded, “Alright, get everyone to the escape pods!  I’ll send the signal.  Caroline, you help him!  Get everyone out of here!”  His engineering staff looked at him shocked.  “You heard me!  Abandon ship!  NOW!”

Smitty and Caroline immediately began to organize the chaos.  Dockins pulled up a holo-display and punched in his command code.  Since the bridge was gone, and he’d heard nothing from any of the command staff, it seemed he was next in charge.  He submitted the Evacuate Command and immediately, the ship-wide communication system started blaring ‘Abandon Ship, all crew to escape pods, all hands, abandon ship!”

Dockins turned and left engineering.  He looked down at the Patterson Drive Reactor, and shook his head in frustration.  He then turned to leave the Core when the ceiling above him disintegrated.  He instinctively grabbed the railing and hit the switch for the maglocks to activate on his feet and he touched back down to the deck.  He watched some of his people that were not so lucky go spiraling out into space.  As his eyes followed the poor souls, he came across it: the dark, reflective bird-of-prey.  It was hovering just outside of the exposed hull.  It seemed to be looking straight down into the Core at the purple vortex of the Patterson Reactor.  Dockins heard over his helmet comm-link both Smitty and Caroline screaming at him to get out, but he knew it was no use.  He saw the green flash arc out and down into the Reactor.  There was a purple flash that blinded him, and then he felt himself blown from the deck upwards.  He felt his ankles break as they were wrenched from the maglocks. 

Dockins bounced off the wall with a bone-shattering crack and felt himself floating outside into space.  He heard Smitty shouting and Caroline crying.  When vision returned to him a moment later, he found himself floating outside the ship looking down into the remains of the Intrepid.  She had been rent into pieces.  The bridge tower completely gone, the forward several decks separated from the aft, and a hole straight through the middle of the ship right down to the Core.  He saw the vortex of the Reactor spinning wildly out of control, Patterson particles leaking out of containment.  He saw it explode.  His vantage point showed him everything.  The alien vessel moving silently off unharmed, the Intrepid’s hull vaporizing from the expanding purple field of pyroclastic energy, escape pods exploding, expanding light, chemical fires, debris striking him, punching through his suit and already broken body, and then finally, nothing.

April 12^th, 2253

Planet Earth, UTF Naval Command

Rear Admiral Frank Miller

            “So this was all that we received from the Intrepid?” the Admiral asked his aide.

            “Yes, sir.  It was the emergency beacon.  It was getting real-time data downloads at the end, and was fired off when the bridge was destroyed, but unfortunately, was damaged in the resulting containment-failure explosion.  It barely made jump-out in the Meran sector and was beginning to fail when it was picked up by the patrol frigate, so some of the data was unrecoverable.  What we do know, is that the Intrepid was destroyed by an unknown assailant, and all hands were lost.”

            “Alright, I want a meeting with the Joint Chiefs and the President.  He must be made aware.”

            “I’ll schedule it right away, sir.”

            The aide turned to leave just as the door burst open with an ensign bearing a sealed envelope.  “This just in, high priority, sir,” he said after he saluted.  He handed over the document that Miller immediately opened and scanned.  After a moment reading his eyes snapped up. 

            “Go find the duty officer at the NCC.  Send out this immediate order: all Forerunners are immediately recalled, return to home ports at once.”  The aide looked shocked and then remembered his place and quickly left the room.  The ensign awaited orders.  “Go find Admiral McArthur and order an emergency meeting of the Joint Chiefs.”

            “Yes, sir,” he saluted and left. 

            The meeting with the Joint Chiefs lasted a little over ten minutes.  Their meeting with the President lasted even less.  Military defense readiness was to be raised.  No reason was given as to why.  Over the next few months, construction orders swamped the Ares Naval Shipyards.  The UTF navy was strengthening its numbers.  Many questioned the actions, but as the orders came directly from the Office of the President, few answers came. 

By the following year, only one of several Forerunners would return home.  The rest were destroyed in a similar manner to the Intrepid, or would simply vanish.  It was never publically announced, but the United Terran Federation was at war with a completely unknown and technologically superior opponent.  The UTF military poured massive resources into their R&D sections, and soon, designs for massive ships: super carriers and dreadnaughts were approved.  Over the next twenty-five years, the UTF Navy would increase its numbers ten-fold to almost seven-thousand ships. 

The year is now 2278.  No sign of hostile aliens has been sighted in nearly twenty-five years.  Unwilling to be cowed into non-action, the UTF again makes plans to send a Forerunner out into deep space.  But this time, she won’t be going alone.  The UTF Navy officially creates the 67^th Special Fleet to be her escort.  The Forerunner Eclipse is also a totally re-designed Forerunner II class ship.  Larger and more powerful than her older cousins, and also loaded down with the latest weaponry and defensive systems – most of which based on combat data taken from the Intrepid’s emergency beacon.  If they are attacked, they will most definitely be ready. 

Grand Admiral Miller dropped the report onto his desk.  It had been a long, tiring twenty-five years.  He had fought long and hard to prepare for what he knew surely had to come.  But, strangely enough, once the last Forerunner had gone missing, there were never any new signs of aggression.  Many of his supporters began to question if they hadn’t jumped the gun as time had passed.  Miller had no means of assuaging their doubts.  So he had come up with the plan to send out another Forerunner.  If it was attacked, they’d know.  Miller massaged his temples.  It nagged at his conscience, sending over three thousand people to their possible deaths to prove a point.  But it had to be done for the greater good.  At least, that thought let him sleep at night.