Forbidden the Stars Part 14

3:13:30.

Captain Turner: Dale, can you verify its trajectory? Is it coming at us on purpose, or is this just a freak coincidence?

3:13:48.

Navigation computer runs test simulations with variations entered by Dale Powers

3:13:49.

Helen Buchanan: I've confirmed the computer's emergency instruction set to send live EPS to Earth on continuous feed.

3:13:58.

Dale Powers: Confirmation on trajectory. They're definitely coming at us on a collision course.

3:14:01.

Captain Turner: s.h.i.+t! (pause) Helm! I know this s.h.i.+p is not designed for evasive maneuvers, but I highly recommend anything you might suggest. Get us out of this, Helen! Dale, can you get anything on visual that could help? Identify the b.u.g.g.e.r!

3:14:12.

Johan Belcher, Ekwan Nipiwin and Henrietta Maria arrive and, seeing the approaching s.h.i.+p on main monitor cas.e.m.e.nt, quickly take their stations. Captain Turner sees Alex enter, motions for him to stay where he is.

3:15:01.

Dale Powers: Negative markings, Captain. The shape of it is unfamiliar. It's not NASA or CSE.

3:15:05.

Johan Belcher: ESA doesn't have anything like that either.

3:15:08.

Ekwan Nipiwin: Is not j.a.panese. It looks private.

3:15:10.

Captain Turner: What? Are you trying to tell me-

3:15:12.

Ekwan Nipiwin: Pirates did not die out in the Caribbean; they merely evolved. I say we are being attacked by pirates. And if you consider the information we have on board this s.h.i.+p, it's no wonder why.

3:15:34.

Alex Manez leaves portal of command bridge unnoticed.

3:15:35.

Captain Turner: (shakes her head) How did they know! No one on this s.h.i.+p leaked any information!

3:15:40.

Dale Powers: It could be anyone in any of our agencies. There are dozens of people who have access to, government information. Not to mention hackers, of course. Or other governments. When you consider everything, I agree with Ekwan; it's not exactly a surprise. We should have antic.i.p.ated something.

3:15:45.

Captain Turner: Antic.i.p.ated? We're not a military s.h.i.+p! We're scientific! This kind of s.h.i.+t is not supposed to happen!

3:15:48.

George Eastmain: Whether it's supposed to happen or not, I just picked up a radar sensor reading on that s.h.i.+p's forward hull. It's a can-opener.

3:15:53.

Captain Turner: A what?

3:15:54.

Ekwan Nipiwin: The front of the s.h.i.+p is a spike that punctures the hull of the victim's s.h.i.+p, at the same time inserting a reverse claw that will pry open our hull like a can of sardines.

3:16:03.

Captain Turner:You mean they're going to ram us?

3:16:05.

Ekwan Nipiwin: Yes. Also, if we do not don our suits.h.i.+elds, we will quickly run out of air and pressurization.

3:16:11.

Captain Turner: s.h.i.+t and d.a.m.n it all! Helen!

3:16:21.

Helen Buchanan: Sorry Captain. At current velocity, any drastic alteration in course will tear us apart.

3:16:26.

Captain Turner: How long until impact?

3:16:28.

Helen Buchanan checks trajectory computer, requests confirmation

3:16:39.

Helen Buchanan: Collision imminent in five minutes, twelve seconds...mark.