Blue Nova

Chapter 3

Legion Cargo Port - Dover England

As the last of the transport shuttles touched down from the sinking station, Lieutenant Zoe Conway helped Carl down the ramp of the shuttle and onto the landing bay. The horror of the abusive attack from the union still raging in her mind. Her foot touched the solid ground below her, oh how she had missed the firm feeling of concrete below her boot, she never thought she would feel it again. The thoughts of death fresh in the mind during the attack on the station. Zoe helped Carl to a waiting medical shuttle "name" said a nurse "lieutenant Carl Burnton" Replied Zoe "Severe burns to his back" "thank you lieutenant, we will take care of him from here" replied the nurse. Zoe handed him over and stepped back, Carl was in so much pain that he couldn't speak. She stumbled around not knowing what to do, she knew she just wanted to sit down before she fell down. Crew members sat around on the ground taking it all in, a few hours ago they where happy at work and now their station was sinking into a watery grave under the English Channel.

"Lieutenant Conway" came a voice from behind her it was Major Furbar. "Captain Strong is dead sir" said Zoe, "we know lieutenant, his life sign went out when the station crashed" answer Furbar in a sad tone. "In that case, you are now the commanding officer of the station" said Furbar "Do follow me lieutenant". Zoe followed the major into a large building off to the side of the landing zone. They entered a elevator and Furbar pressed the button that said sub basement. The doors closed and the elevator started to descend at a high speed, then it stopped and the doors opened into a long corridor. "We have called a meeting of the emergency committee here, when captain Strong sent us through the location where the station would come down" said Furbar. "With all due respect, why does that involve me" asked Zoe, "as captain Strong is dead lieutenant, that makes you acting captain and you have a right now to address the committee" replied Furbar "Very well sir" said Zoe. They continued their way down the corridor.

They entered a room down at the bottom of the corridor with a long table surrounded with the members of the emergency committee. One end of the room had a large screen with images of the attack and also the sinking station. Furbar ushered her to take a seat beside him at the table. "Gentlemen thank you for joining us" said Furbar, "This is lieutenant Conway, acting captain of the station". A man in a grey suit arose from the other side of the table, "Major Furbar, with all due respect, the Mars Union have just attacked our new space station and you expect us to make decisions with a child" said Deputy Director Smith. "With all due respect Deputy Director" boomed Zoe as she stood up from the table and banged her surface, "you weren't there, you didn't see members of your crew die, friends get sucked out into space to a horrible painful death, not knowing if you will live to see another day or even see your home again or your family". "And where is your family miss Conway" asked deputy director smith, "A dead father, a brother in prison or crimes against the legion" "Deputy Director Smith" boomed the voice of President Jack Henderson "I hope you are going to apologues to miss Conway for being so rude, she has been through enough to day and I don't think she needs disrespected by a jumped up oxford man who has never seen a day of war in his life"  Smith sat back down, the embarrassment ripe on his face as if he had just been ripped a new asshole by his mum at the school gates.

Everyone stood up for the arrival of the President that no one knew was coming, he was a middle aged man with a haircut that could rival Elvis. He walked up to his seat at the head of the table, "Now gentlemen and lady, can we get down to business" asked the president, "we need to understand why these red bastards attacked our new state of the art stations and also how did we not detect". "Mr. President, we know why they attacked, it's because of the new bomb that we had on board" said deputy director Smith "The weapon we had could of destroyed the whole of Mars in a launch". "Erm, what weapon sir" asked Zoe. "It was a new type of proton missile that would bury itself into the planets surface and brow the planet up from the inside out" replied rear admiral Ashcroft, head of the legion's military. "With all due respect admiral" said Zoe, "have we not learned by now the history of these weapons and their destruction". The men looked at Zoe as if they had just been hit in the balls by their sister. "Sir, a Mars delectation from the embassy is on their way here" said the presidents secretary. "Well they are on their way here" said the president. "Should I get my men on standby sir" asked rear admiral Ashcroft. "I think that might be best, but in secret" said the president, "the last thing we need is a war on Earth, no civilian deaths". "Well gentlemen, I will talk with the Mars delectation and get this sorted, we will have an update in Westminster in a weeks time" said the president, "Lieutenant Conway, can I have a words". "Ah yes Mr. President, sir" replied Zoe nervously. "My dear I knew your father, he was a brave man and a hero of the Legion" said the president, "what you did on the station was beyond heroic, take some time off and the fleet will be in contact with your new assignment, Captain Conway". Zoe stood back with shock, the president winked at her and left the room. "Thank you sir" she said with shock shaking in her voice. This morning she had woke up in the space station, almost died and has now been made a captain in the Legion.

As Zoe and Major Furbar left the building, the sunlight blinded them both, when they where able to see again they major walked Zoe to a shuttle waiting for her. "This shuttle will take you back to London kid" said Furbar, "get yourself cleaned up and I will be in contact in a few days to see how you are" "yes sir" replied Zoe, "and sir, I hope I didn't over step my station with deputy director Smith" she asked. "Smith is just a prick, don't worry about him" replied Furbar. "I hope you don't forget your rank admiral" said Smith who had just left the building behind them, "well, well, well lieutenant, or should I say captain Conway" he said with a smirk on his face. Zoe stood and looked at him, the anger raging inside her but she knew if she said anything it could cost her, her commission. "I will be keeping an eye on you captain" said Smith as he walked away back to his shuttle. "Ignore him Zoe" said Furbar, "I will look out for you, after all, I am your uncle" Furbar was Zoe's mothers brother, she had looked out for her after her mother died in child birth and when her father was away during the great planetary war. "Now get home and rest, I will call you soon" he said. Zoe smiled at him and boarded the shuttle as the door closed a wave of relief flooded over her, she was on her way home and all she could think of was a nice hot shower and her soft bed. She looked out the window to see the ground getting further and further below her, then what caught her eye was the sinking wreck of the station, so big that it had touched the bottom of the channel and its thrusters was still up above the waves. She felt sadness for everyone who had lost their lives but then anger. But at the minute all she could do was think of home and getting something to eat. For now Captain Zoe Conway could relax safe and sound.