The bridge of the FSS Jofuku was dominated by a panoramic holographic screen wrapped in a semicircle around the front facing wall. The screen was in full 3D, capable of simulated 5D visualization, and possessed a higher image resolution than the human eye was capable of discerning. When it was showing the image ahead, as it was now, it looked like a gaping rectangular hole right out into space.
This was the kind of luxury that never could have been afforded on a ship built during the Reunification Wars, when they were casually thrown away in the thousands. The Tereshkova-class was a true product of the New Era, built to last and with almost no expense spared. Every technological innovation to come out of the war was incorporated into its design. Only a few dozen existed yet and each was the pride of the Exploration Fleet.
Captain Modak sat back in the command throne casually, resting one arm on the back, watching the starscape, contemplating the sophistication of his starship, and waiting to hear from Operations.
"I'm still getting nothing, Captain," said Ensign Tremblay, finally "Literally nothing, not even the interstellar medium. Just a complete blank. A void."
"How interesting," said the Captain.
"Is it?" asked Commander Liu, the XO, shooting him a skeptical look.
"This kind of nothing is even more interesting than most somethings," said the Captain "Because we have narrowed the nothing down to a specific location. We know exactly where what we don't know is. Ensign Tremblay, keep monitoring the nothing. Commander Liu, page the Science Department. It won't hurt to just poke our noses in and see if we can figure out what's going on here."
"Captain, is this really within the remit of our mandate?" asked Commander Liu.
"It is in the broadest sense, which is the best possible sense. For all we know there's a lost human civilization inside the nothing," replied the Captain.
Commander Liu nervously straightened her uniform. She reminded herself that one day she would be Captain of her own ship.
"Bridge to the Science Department," she said, defeated.
"This is the Science Department, Lieutenant Bilal speaking," said Bilal.
"Report to the bridge, there's a lack of data we'd like you to have a look at," said Commander Liu.
"Aye," replied Lieutenant Bilal "On my way."
"There's a burst of data coming from the- the uh, nothing," said Ensign Tremblay, suddenly, before Lieutenant Bilal had finished speaking.
"If this turns out to be an attempt at communication I am going to give you such a smug look," the Captain told Commander Liu.
Commander Liu was pretty sure he already was.
"Something is wrong. I've lost- I'm losing access to systems one by one," said Ensign Tremblay.
"Cut off the mystery signal," insisted the Captain, suddenly serious.
"I'm trying, I can't!" replied Ensign Tremblay.
"What do you mean you can't?" demanded the Captain.
"Nothing is responding to my commander," said Ensign Tremblay, almost pleading "By the stars the reactor! The matter/antimatter reactor is losing containment!"
"Bridge to Engineering: eject the reactor. Repeat: eject the reactor!" yelled the Captain.
"Send out a distress beacon!" Commander Liu shouted at Tremblay.
"Captain-" began the Chief Engineer, over the comms.
He never got to finish the next word, as the Jofuku was utterly annihilated in an matter/antimatter reaction.
Author's Note: It might be worth reading A Toast To The Magellan Class, on the profile of LaurenDMSmith, if you haven't already.
أنت تقرأ
Starship Armstrong - Season 2
الخيال العلميIt's the dawn of a new era for humankind, and the Huxley Foundation has sent out a fleet of exploratory vessels on a mission of peace. The FSS Armstrong, one of the most advanced ships in the Foundation fleet, rides on the forefront of this age of e...
