Genesis

Admiral Wilson's office
12:00 Standard Earth Time (SET)
2185

Finally, as one journey ended, another began.

"Do you know why you're here?"

Lieutenant Commander Darryl Mansel was baffled by the question. He knew some of the stuff he had done in the last few days had been pretty courageous, but he'd heard of stuff like that going on all the time. People pulled some pretty brave yet crazy stunts during wartime. It all depended on the will to survive.

Darryl Mansel had been able to trace his ancestry all the way back to Africa, a hard task to accomplish, seeing as how they had no computer to help keep track of things back in those days. Well, no real computers.

Growing up, he'd decided to follow in his father's footsteps and enroll into the United Nations Security Force Academy when he was 19, in 2181. He was a gifted cadet, and managed to accel through his curriculum in two years, something few cadets could claim. While in the Academy, Mansel had met Jim Brungess, his best friend, along with other people who ended up being his friends for life.

Now, two years out of the Academy, he had been the Chief Engineer aboard the USS Moonstar, a light cruiser. During an assignment, the ship had been attacked by Imperials, claiming that the Moonstar was in Imperial space, which, in fact, it wasn't. During the battle, the bridge had been decimated by a salvo of missiles shot from a Long Sword class Imperial ship. The Captain, Executive Officer, and most of the bridge crew had been killed.

Hearing news of this, Mansel took command of the ship on the auxilary bridge, where he was able to outsmart and defeat the Long Sword class ship. Shortly afterwards, the Moonstar, with acting Captain Mansel at its head, limped for the nearest space station.

Afterwards had been a blur for Mansel. Paperwork, interviews, questioning before JAG, more paperwork, more interviews, more questions... over the last five days, Mansel had catalogued twenty hours of sleep.

And it seemed it all ended in Commander-in-Chief Wilson's office. Mansel sat in a chair on the other side of Admiral Wilson's desk. The Commander-in-Chief himself sat on the corner of the desk, looking down at the slightly bewildered Chief Engineer. Also present in the room was Captain Thomas Ross and Admiral Sean Story, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Story's presence was logical; Ross's, however, served no purpose other than to look and brag later that he'd been there. Never before had Mansel seen so many bigwigs in one place.

Addressing Admiral Wilson, who had just posed the question, Mansel said, "I have an idea, sir."

Sitting on the couch located to the far left of Admiral Wilson's office, Captain Ross snorted. "Of course you know why you're here, Mansel," he said, laid back, one leg cross over the other. "You saved your ship from certain doom."

Mansel shrugged, still somewhat jetlagged from all the traveling he'd been doing. "I did what I had to survive."

"You're right." Admiral Story favored Mansel with a grin as he leaned on the side of the desk opposite to Wilson. "Now we'd like to reward you for your bravery and decisiveness."

Mansel's breath quickened. Finally, after two years of being in the service, he'd recieve his first award.

"Before we do that, though," Admral Wilson said, drawing out the suspense, "did you know that your father was retiring?"

He did know. He had known a few weeks ago, before the fatal attack on the Moonstar that was destined to change his life.

Darryl Mansel Sr. was commander of the USS Explorer, a ship famed for its battles during the Imperial war. Captain Mansel had seen enough of war. So, after twenty years in the UNSF, he and his entire senior staff were retiring. What was to become of the Explorer, no one knew.

"Yes sir, he told me a few weeks ago," Mansel answered, looking directly at the C-in-C. "He and his senior staff are retiring, I believe."

"Correct," said Admiral Wilson, still perched at his corner of the desk. "The Explorer is empty."

"What has my father's retirement have to do with me?" Mansel asked, not wanting to believe what his inner voice was telling him.

"We want to give you the Explorer, Mansel," said Admiral Story, smile wider than ever.

"Give me the Explorer?" Mansel echoed. "But...why?"

"You're proven you have the skills it takes to be able to command a starship," Captain Ross piped up from his spot on the couch. "We want you to continue your father's legacy."

"You have the opportunity to create a genesis for the next Mansel Legacy," said Admiral Wilson, picking up where Captain Ross left off. "You will be promoted to Captain, given the Explorer, and set with a seven-year mission."