| Genesis Part 2 |
| “All shields port!” ordered Mansel. It seemed as good as any command until Commander Vaughn belayed it. “Belay that!” said Vaughn. “Evasive maneuvers, ready guns.” “Guns readied,” said Lamb. Brodaway swung the ship around to evade the torpedo that the enemy ship had just launched. The torpedo just grazed their shields, not even causing any damage. “Return fire!” said Mansel. Lamb fired the guns in repeated volleys at the mysterious ship. Brodaway worked to keep the Explorer from being a sitting target. Talaj scanned the ship for weak points, while Hardy continued to send friendship messages on different channels. “How did this ship get this deep into UNSF space?” Mansel wondered, looking over at Vaughn, who only shrugged in return. The volley of torpedoes that the ship sent made it impossible to dodge every one of them. Two hit against the shields dead on, the third just grazed it. “Return fire!” ordered Vaughn. “Quantum torpedoes!” Mansel didn’t know that they had quantum torpedoes, but he didn’t think that this was the time to bring it up. The ship shuddered from another volley. “Damage report?” Mansel asked Hardy. “Captain…we’ve received no damage,” she reported, just as surprised as he was. “No decks report buckling or casualties.” “Shields still at 100 percent,” Lamb included. “Talaj, scans of their ship?” Vaughn asked before Mansel could. “Scans show that they have received no damage as well,” she reported. Mansel and Vaughn frowned at each other. “That doesn’t even begin to make sense,” said Vaughn. “Hail them again, Hardy,” said Mansel. This time, they responded. “They’re responding, Captain.” Mansel looked over at Vaughn, who nodded. “On screen,” he said. To the surprise of the bridge crew, Admiral Wilson appeared on the screen. “Greeting, captain,” he said with a wide smile. “This was a test of your command abilities during a hostile situation. As you no doubt have noticed, your phasers have been weakened considerably, and your torpedoes are just blanks.” Mansel briefly glanced back at Lamb, who nodded his confirmation. “The results, sir?” Mansel asked, almost afraid of what he’d say. Wilson nodded. “Fair. I’ve seen better, I’ve seen worse. Though I must say, it was quite easy to find you.” “Why is that?” Mansel asked, almost annoyed. Admiral Wilson smiled again. “Most captains come here for their probe testing,” he said. “I did, too.” We fell for a trap Mansel thought in disgust. “Don’t think you’ve fallen into any kind of trap, captain,” Wilson went on, as if to read his mind again. “It happens to the best of them.” He glanced at his chrono. “I must be going on, captain,” he said. “I still have Captain Hicks’s ship to ambush. Continue with your shakedown cruise.” With that, he winked off the screen, and the image was replaced by the strange UNSF ship banking smoothly away to go an ambush Captain Hicks’s ship. “Stand down from red alert,” said Mansel. He slumped in his chair and wiped his forehead. “That was a disaster.” “Not quite,” said Vaughn, trying to stay positive. “You heard what he said—it happens to the best of them.” “How do you think Hicks will do?” Mansel shrugged. “Who knows? I had a class with him at the Academy. He’s a bright fellow—not to say that you aren’t. Different people react different in certain situations. Since we're both new at this, I’m willing to bet that he’ll react in the same manner I did.” “Yeah, you got a point,” said Lamb from behind and slightly above Mansel. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, guy. Just think about the shore leave that will be coming to us soon.” “Lamb, we don’t have shore leave until after the first year,” said Mansel with a frown. “Well that’s not the point,” said Lamb. “The point is that it’s coming soon.” Ignoring his tactical officer, Mansel turned his attention back to Vaughn. “What next?” “There’s an asteroid grouping a few kilometers from here,” Vaughn announced, looking at his infopad. We can use it for a various amount of things.” |
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| To Part 1 |