"Course set!" Aaen declared.
"How long can we maintain this speed?" the Captain asked.
Aaen turned right and looked at the Captain with a determined looked before answering, "As long as we've got coolant for the warp engines. We've got enough warp engine coolant to last us for up to an hour, at maximum warp,"
"That's about how long it'll take us to get to those coordinates." Sensors said.
"How fast are we going, now?" the First Officer asked.
"Warp six. . ." Aaen eyed the yellow horizontal meter along the top of his screen. "Now seven, and our speed continues to increase." Aaen was surprised that the deck plating and the computer stations weren't vibrating at all, despite their velocity. The Engineer must have really come through with repairs in the last few hours.
"Do we have enough coolant to make it to those coordinates?" the Captain asked.
"Just enough, if we don't exceed maximum warp." Aaen replied sharply.
"How long until we reach the coordinates?"
The yellow line finally stopped just shy of 'Emergency Warp.' "I don't know. My screen doesn't tell me that." 'Why' whoever programmed this computer station didn't include that function. . . Aaen jabbed at the computer's programmer.
"Sensors. How long?" the Captain redirected his question.
"One hour—if we maintain maximum warp."
"What if we increased our speed?" the Captain asked.
"Then we would get there that much sooner, and use more flush coolant more quickly." Aaen quipped.
"Would we have enough to get back to Starbase One?" the First Officer asked.
"No. We'd be running on the impulse engines, which I doubt would get us even to the nearest Starbase within a realistic timeframe. Captain. If we go any faster, we will effectively burning what engine coolant reserves we have left. We'll need to signal Command to send a ship to tractor us back to either the nearest Starbase or Starbase One."
"Captain." Sensors said. "We'll arrive at the coordinates in forty-five minutes if we maintain our current speed."
"Understood."
"Main power levels are rising." Operations said.
"Captain! You'll have full main power in about an hour!" said the Engineer.
"We'll arrive at the coordinates in forty-five minutes!" the Captain replied alarmed.
"Sir, the ship's too badly damaged, even with the nanites. I can only give you up to seventy-five percent of optimal main power."
"Okay. Fine." the Captain combed his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Captain." Sensors said.
"What?"
"Long-range sensors show some kind of 'metallic mass' in our flight path."
"'Metallic mass?'" the First Officer asked.
"Yes, sir."
"How much 'metallic mass?'" Jason asked.
"According to the most recent long-range sensor scan, approximately two-hundred-fifty thousand metric tons."
Hole-lee—Aaen turned right around in his seat wide-eyed in shock at the announcement. "That's bigger than a Galaxy-class!"
"Hold on!" the Captain gestured his palm toward Aaen as a 'stop' gesture, leaning over Sensors' right shoulder, wide-eyed.
"It might be an asteroid." Sensors suggested.
"Maybe." the First Officer said skeptically. The Captain looked at the First Officer.
"What do you think it is?" The First Officer shrugged his shoulders.
"Is the sensor contact stationary?" Aaen asked Sensors.
"Doing another scan. . ." five seconds later. "Yes. It hasn't moved since we first detected it."
The Captain looked at Aaen. With eyebrows raised, Aaen said, "I highly doubt that's an 'asteroid,' sir. Asteroids are rarely stationary."
"What do you suggest, Lieutenant?" the First Officer asked.
"Captain. I strongly recommend having the stealth system on standby."
The Captain's eyebrows dropped. "Why?" he asked sharply.
"Because—"
"He's got a point!" Operations interrupted.
"I agree!" the Engineer interjected. The Captain turned at each comment.
"So far nothing that we've encountered in this mission has turned out to be what it seemed. That thing Sensors detected may not be registering right on our sensors. If Aaen's right. . ." Operations paused.
"—We should get the ship as combat-ready as we can before we get too close to. . .whatever that sensor contact is." Aaen said.
"What makes you think it's not an asteroid?" the Captain asked Aaen.
"Operations?" Aaen said.
"Captain. According to these diagrams, the torpedo we beamed aboard appears to be designed for a specific type of torpedo launcher—nothing that I think is installed with any current class of starship from any known alien race."
"Do the documents say anything about the intended launch platform?" the First Officer asked.
"Negative. They only include coordinates."
The Captain gasped in frustration as he sat in his chair.
"If the sensor contact at those coordinates isn't an 'asteroid'. . ." Aaen said. The emotional atmosphere on the bridge darkened; Aaen felt a cold tingling chill gradually go up and down his spine twice. "It would be a good idea to do continual long, and short-range sensor scans to gather as much data as we can about whatever's there. In the mean time, we should get this ship as much combat-ready as we can, and standby the stealth system."
"How do we know we haven't been detected yet?" the First Officer asked. "That sensor contact might be where the torpedo is to be launched from."
"Good point," Aaen said. "It may be too late—"
The Captain snapped. "Operations. Divert power to the stealth system.
"Diverting power to the stealth system." Operations said. "—When you're ready, Tactical."
"Engaging stealth system!" Jason sounded as though he enjoyed making the announcement, Aaen noted. A electrifying building hum filled the bridge in waves as the lights darkened over ten seconds, and the color outline of bridge computers changed to a dark shade of navy-blue. "Okay! We're dark!"
Odyssey just disappeared, Aaen pridefully grinned at the realization, glaring at his computer screen, and then up at the center of the main viewscreen at the apex of the sharply streaming stars. The deck plating was starting to vibrate slightly. So far so good, Aaen thought.
"Aaen?" Communications asked. "Are you okay?"
Aaen subtly turned his head as he replied, "I don't think that 'asteroid' is what the sensors are suggesting it is."
Communications looked up at the main viewscreen, and then at Aaen. "What do you think it is?"
Aaen slowly exhaled, and then replied, "I think we're heading straight for the torpedo's launch platform." he looked at Communications through the corner of his eye.
"Charge all cannons. Load a full spread of torpedoes." the Captain said to Jason.
"Charging cannons. . . Loading torpedoes." a series of subtle, sequenced mechanical sounds filled the bridge as the order was carried out.
"Captain. The energy from the cannons might be detectable by whoever or whatever might be at the coordinates. It might be a good idea to power the cannons down until we know what we're dealing with." the Doctor suggested. Aaen so badly wanted to walk into the medical compartment to talk with the Doctor. There may not be another chance, he reasoned.
"Okay. Take power out of the cannons until further notice." a diminishing sound filled the bridge and then gradually faded in five seconds.
"How close are we to the coordinates?" the First Officer asked.
"Thirty minutes."
"Lieutenant, how much coolant do we still have?"
"The warp engines aren't heating up as fast as before, undoubtedly thanks to the Engineer's work. We are at eighty-five percent of maximum."
"Any more information on long-range sensors about the sensor contact?" the Captain asked.
"Not yet." Sensors replied calmly.
"Okay. Keep scanning."
"I will."
"What if we were to increase speed to 'Emergency warp'?"
"That would increase our speed to one-point-five times warp nine, we would go through more coolant more quickly, and there's an increased chance that we would permanently lose warp capability until we could get to a Starbase. The stress on the engines would gradually start to become permanent the longer we maintained that speed. In two minutes, the warp engines would blow up in our face, and we'd lose probably one-third of the hull in the process."
"What about 'Destructive Warp'?"
"I wouldn't recommend that, Captain!" the Engineer said.
"Why?"
"—Because that would increase our speed by one-point-nine times warp nine, add all of the possible problems of 'Emergency Warp', and they would happen a lot faster, and we would face a warp core breach within sixty seconds. Even if we shut down the warp engines before the end of the sixty seconds, the warp drive would still suffer permanent damage that we would need to go to a Starbase for for repairs." Aaen said. "The impulse engines would only get us part of the way there, at best. We'd have to signal Command to send a ship to come and tractor us to either the nearest Starbase or Starbase One. Besides, it would be best if we didn't go faster, because the warp signature would be so intense it would light us up light a Christmas tree to whatever or whoever might be there, waiting.
"There's no way to know if it's not an asteroid, Lieutenant." the Captain said.
"How many asteroids are stationary, Captain?" Aaen asked.
"He's got a point, Captain." the First Officer said.
The Captain gasped. "Alright. Maintain course and standby to slow the ship down on my order." he said directly. "First Officer, standby red alert. Communications, have we received any messages from Spacefleet Command?"
"Yes, Captain. Starbase One has restored main power, and now has ship launch capability."
"I wonder why the intruder attacked Starbase One?" Aaen asked. "So deep into Federation space. . ."
"I'm wondering how it eluded the rest of the fleet." the First Officer said.
"No idea." Aaen said. "It must have been looking for something. In any case, Captain, I think we should start communications' silence with the rest of the fleet to maintain as much stealth as possible until we know more about who or what is at those coordinates."
"How do you know we haven't already been detected?"
Aaen shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. But I think it would be a good idea to keep an eye on the sensors."
*****
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