ENSIGN (A Starship Hope Prequel)

CHAPTER 10

Dana didn't give two sous if her father approved of Wade or not. The next day when she entered the bridge, she kept her eyes averted from her father, sliding into her chair at the nav console with her back to him.

He'd ruined whatever she'd had with Wade, and now she had even more reason to be angry with him. If every man on board had the same ideas about her as Wade did, she'd never get another date while serving under her father.

She was contemplating her future when something appeared on the long-distance sensors that didn't make sense.

"Captain, I've got something coming in on sensors. It's..." she trailed off, unsure how to even describe what she was looking at.

"Well, Ensign? Spit it out."

"I don't know... It's bigger than anything we've ever seen, and it's headed right for us."

He moved closer standing just over her left shoulder and stared down at the console. "Why didn't we pick it up before?" His anger palpable enough to fill the bridge.

"We were targeting our sensors on the shuttle team, sir. It's moving too slow to trigger the proximity alerts," Dana said.

"Whatever it is, put it on the display screen–now."

The stars in front of them went white, then black again as something rolled into view. It appeared to be an asteroid–much larger than one ever should be.

"Can we magnify that image?"

"Yes, sir," Dana replied, quickly working the console to do just that.

"Tactical, what's the potential damage to our current shielding?"

There was a tremor in his voice. The tactical officer stared down at his console and with a tremor in his voice answered, "total annihilation, sir,"

The captain's head snapped his way. "What?"

He cleared his throat and met his eye, "Even if we hit it with everything we have, whatever's left will crush us and keep on going. The impact will devastate Zelenia."

The silence on the bridge was palpable. Dana and Davis whirled around in unison to face the captain, awaiting his orders. Dana knew the moment he'd made up his mind. There was a vein in his neck that throbbed in time with his stress level, and she could see it pulsing now. That scared her more than anything else. What could they even do against something that massive?

"Comms, inform base of the incoming threat," he ordered. His body had gone unnaturally still. "Let them know we'll do everything we can from here. Davis, hail the shuttle and tell them to get back here on the double."

"Yes, sir."

"Ensign," he said, looking at Dana for the first time all day, "how much time do we have before that asteroid hits us?"

Dana turned to recheck the numbers, then turned back to face him. "Half an hour, sir," she said, her voice tight.

"Tactical, prepare to give it all we've got. Keep sensors on that monster."

"Base confirms they received our message, and they're taking precautions," Davis reported. "General Hughes is on the line for you. Do you want to take it in the preparation room?"

"No, here is fine. There're no secrets among friends now."

The General's worn face appeared on the front viewscreen, his eyes focused on the Captain.

"Captain," he said, inclining his head slightly in greeting. "What's the situation up there?"

"There's not much time, sir, but I'll do my best."