The Last Voyager

Challenger 1

14:00 Hours, May 22nd, 3013, (Military Calendar) Paragon Voyager Class Starship Challenger 1, Epsilon System just beyond known space
_____________________________________

All that lay before her was an endless sea of stars, planets scattered throughout them like islands, each one different then the last.

The sight excited her, filled Aeryn with wonder. There were so many things left to be discovered, and knowing that Challenger 1 was going to find something new today was equally exciting.

"Aeryn!" Called a voice from the bridge.

"Yeah?" She called back, looking over shoulder.

"Quit gawking and come help me pilot the Challenger!" Called her best friend Kane.

"Coming!" She said, jogging through the hallway and out onto the bridge of the ship.

Before her lay an array of different screens and scanners which monitored the ship's systems and surroundings. Techs sat at each station, watching the scanners and running tests. Bridge officers oversaw them, making sure everything was running correctly.

Aeryn and Kane captained the ship, a rare occurrence. Usually there was only one Commander per Voyager, but Kane and Aeryn had been inseparable since they went though the Voyager Academy back on Epsilon 5. Kane and Aeryn has been assigned to the Voyager ship Challenger 1, one of the newer designs.

The bridge of the ship was located towards the exterior of the ship so that they could see out into space through the large window. A hologram of the Epsilon System was projected in the middle of the room, the screens showing star maps, other systems and any nearby inhabited planets located to the hologram's right.

Ship system monitors, weapons systems and navigation systems were arranged . Dawn's port was located near the hologram.

When her hard drive was put in the AI could appear in a projected human form and talk to them in 'person'. Dawn normally talked to the crew through the ship's speaker or in their helmets to give them directions.

Aeryn greeted the officers working on running the systems for the Challenger 1, and went to where Kane was giving Dawn a command.

"I need you to set a course for this planet here." He said, pointing to a grey and blue planet within the hologram of the Epsilon System.

"Planet 4267?" Asked Dawn.

"Yes." Said Kane.

"Setting a course now." Said the AI.

"Course set. ETA: two hours and 19 minutes."

"Thank you, Dawn. Can you make sure that the probes and sampling machines are up and running?" He asked her.

"Yes." She answered.

"You don't need my help." Said Aeryn, grinning at Kane.

"You've got it all under control."

Kane rolled his eyes.

"You still need to be up here, not back there."

"I might need you." He said, walking behind each tech, checking their work.

"True." She said, doing the same for the officers working on creating Star Maps.

As Aeryn checked each station she thought back to when she and Kane had met during the Voyager Academy. It had been six years since they first met, and they had both had had the same dream: to command a Voyager, a ship that went out and found new life and planets beyond the known reaches of space.