The Doctor leaned forward to look at Aaen. "How are you feeling?"
Aaen just nodded he was fine; he suspected the Doctor picked up on the same hint. The Doctor nodded back. "Okay. You can go back to your station," she cooed.
Aaen wasted no time. His uniform was completely repaired, and his shoulder felt fine. He started scanning the readings on his screen.
"Warp drive is almost back online, Captain!" said the Engineer. Aaen grinned wryly, liking the announcement just broadcasted through the bridge.
"There's enough power for three-quarter impulse." said Operations.
"Confirmed!" Aaen acknowledged.
"Aaen, do you have any suggestions as to how we should proceed?" the Captain asked humbly.
Aaen turned around sharply. "Get the welding tools out from the equipment locker, and seal the hatch in the Engineering compartment. We should keep the main hatch open, but covered just in case the intruder decides to come back up. Without Dimitri, we'll have no warning should it try to come up to the bridge again."
"What else?"
"We need to find some place to either land or dock to make repairs. Odyssey's badly damaged from that little skirmish with the Relentless. Sauce for the goose. If we are engaged in combat again, we have no way of protecting or defending ourselves."
"I agree, Captain." the First Officer said directly.
"But we destroyed the Relentless." the Captain asked skeptically.
"That ship passed into the planet's terminator into night as it was entering the atmosphere. We have no definitive sensor data confirming the neutralization of the threat, nor visual confirmation that the Relentless was destroyed."
The Captain looked at the First Officer who nodded agreement. The Captain turned around.
"Okay! Here's what we're goin' to do: we're gonna find some place to dock the ship long enough to make repairs. Sensors: are there any planets nearby that we could land on?"
"None that I can detect—but—"
"What?" the First Officer asked.
"There is something at long-range at our three-o'clock."
"What is it?" the Captain asked. The First Officer stood behind Sensors.
"Not sure. But it's big."
"Another ship?" Jason asked.
"No idea. Long-range sensors haven't offered definitive readings since we left space dock."
"Engineer!" said the Captain.
"I know. I'm working on the long-range sensors." the Engineer replied with a slight shortage of enthusiasm.
"Okay. Good. Hurry." the Captain said directly.
"What are the coordinates of the sensor contact?" Aaen asked aloud.
"Hold on! I didn't say to calculate a course." the Captain interjected.
"It's a good question." the First Officer asked. "That might be where we're headed next."
The Captain released a stern gasp. "Fine." he returned to his chair.
"Should I scan for the coordinates?" Sensors asked.
"Do it." said the First Officer. "Read them out to Aaen when you have them."
"Yes, sir." Sensors said with determined enthusiasm. Ten seconds later, Aaen entered the 'X.' 'Y,' and 'Z' coordinates into his computer's controls, and then looked at the First Officer.
"Lieutenant. Enter the coordinates when ready and then standby to engage engines."
"Aye, sir. What speed?" Aaen replied.
"Best possible speed."
"Aye," Aaen replied with enthusiasm. "Warp drive is still offline. . . I can go as fast as three-quarter impulse."
"At that speed, we'll get there in about three to four days." Sensors said skeptically.
"There's just no power in the warp drive, right now. I'll take the power in the impulse engines and put that into warp engines." Operations said.
The Captain remained silent.
Five seconds later— "Aaen, try warp engines now!"
"Engaging: warp factor six."
"We should get there in about five seconds at that speed." Sensor said. The bridge crew had a laugh.
"Get ready to stop us, Aaen. Don't crash the ship." the Captain said.
Aaen nodded acknowledgment. The warp drive powered up, the bridge filled with subtle rolling thunder as the stars became streaks across the main viewscreen.
"Our heading isn't stable! She's struggling to maintain her course! She's shifting on the 'Y' and "Z' axis.' I might have to perform an emergency full stop!" The bridge began to shiver. The apex of the cone of fine white streaks started gradually shifting randomly around the center of the main viewscreen.
"Get ready!" said the First Officer.
Aaen nodded, bracing against his station with his left hand while trying to use the manual thrusters to stabilize the ship before it tumbled uncontrollably into the vast darkness.
"We're about to start losing some more hull plating!" the Engineer yelled through the bridge.
"Destination ahead!" Sensors said.
"Full stop!" the First Officer said. Aaen was quick to comply.
"Warning: Warp core breach: Imminent. Recommend—" the Main Computer Announced. The stern hum of the warp engines gradually became louder, quickly turning into a groan.
Aaen clicked the control. "Full stop!" he watched the yellow bar quickly inch across the top of the screen from right to left. "The helm answers!"
The stars soon became still.
"The intruder's moving!" Sensors said.
"Where?" the Captain asked directly.
"I don't know; it's just moving. I'm showing it's moving towards the bow."
We've gotta dock, Aaen thought, looking up at the main viewscreen. "What is that? A space station?"
"Computer: activate forward lights!" the Captain said. The Main Computer chimed acknowledgment as twin spotlights blared against the metallic hulk ahead and seemingly slightly above Odyssey. The station featured a bulbous upper section with two square gaps he assumed were for landing and docking, and peripheral landing platforms extending from the central connecting lotus, which Aaen guessed must be the station's power reactor or computer core.
"Looks Federation, by design. Abandoned." Aaen said.
"Sensors: scan the station for life signs!"
Seconds later, "—None detected, Captain."
"Why would there be an abandoned space station way out here." the First Officer asked. Aaen guessed the question was rhetorical, but still came up with multiple possibilities, but none that he could prove. He kept to himself.
"Doesn't looked damaged," Aaen noted. Something else must have happened, Aaen reasoned. A station like that way out here . . . ?
"I've detected a docking port on the station where I think we can dock." Sensors said.
"Do it!" the Captain said aloud.
"Scan for the coordinates." said the First Officer.
"I've got the coordinates. 'See main viewscreen for navigational instructions.'" Sensors said.
The bridge filled with an original sequence of beeping sounds, and then manual thruster instructions appeared on the main viewscreen. Aaen followed the instructions precisely, which brought the ship down about fifty meters, right for a hundred, up for twenty-five, and then forward for a hundred.
"Easy. . . Easy. . ." the Captain said determinedly. "Now, down thrusters."
I can read the screen, Aaen thought annoyed but kept to himself. The forward lights were the only light source in the dark square cavity in the station. The distance indicator on his computer screen turned green, indicating Odyssey was now within docking range.
"Engaging docking clamps," Aaen said. A repetitious, hissing alarm built for five rounds as a series of metallic clashes echoed through the bridge, followed by a sequence of subtle rhythmic alerts, immediately followed by loud pneumatic hums. The bridge briefly rattled.
"We have soft dock." Aaen said.
Sensors snapped. "The intruder's coming back to deck one!"
"Is there atmosphere on the station?" the Captain asked Sensors, alarmed.
"In most of it, yes—but it's pretty thin."
"If we could go on the station, would we survive?" the First Officer asked directly.
"Yeah. We'd be fine."
"Okay! All hands: prepare to leave the ship!" the Captain said to the main viewscreen.
We're gonna fight the intruder on the station. Aaen reasoned.
*****
Steve H. told Jordan Foutin, "You are the next Tom Clancy. You really are a gifted writer."
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