CHAPTER THREE : DESCENT AND AN UNEXPECTED MISSION
The doors to the Bridge opened and the Captain turned in his seat to see the newcomer.
"Hey Rob, congrats again on your victory. Take your position."
The other bridge officers began to applaud and Robert flustered at the attention.
"Thank you sir, guys." He walked across the Bridge and sat at his console. Karen looked up from her calculations and shook her head.
"About time you showed up."
"I got sidetracked."
"Sure you did. I'm feeding you our course now, the computer will make compensation for time. We should have clear sailing from here to there so don't fuck up."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I saw you take a few smacks to the head, I just want to be sure nothing got knocked loose."
"Then I thank you for your concern on my state of health."
"Now I just want to be sure you're healthy for your rematch. I have fifty new yen riding on you."
Robert slowly smiled as he nodded, punching commands into his console.
The Captain scanned his Bridge for any missing crew members. Robert and Karen were both at their chairs and station. Sandra's science station was empty as she was not required to be at her post for the Jabberwocky's departure. Meredith was at one of the Bridge's numerous computer interfaces to help act as a liaison between the Necronomicon and the away crew of the Jabberwocky. Behind him, George had taken Ramirez's place at the security station.
George and Gus made up Ramirez's security team and George was glad to be on the bridge with her duty instead of cleaning up a mess in Weapons Storage that she had saddled him with just minutes before. He looked at Meredith and smiled.
Meredith returned it warmly and flicked a switch on her console and read the information that poured out on to her screen.
"Sir, Jabberwocky and crew report they'll be ready on schedule and the Engineering reports all speeds available."
The Captain nodded emphatically.
"Excellent, if there's one thing I can't stand, it's a lack of punctuality." He shifted in his seat. "All right Robert, let's get this mission underway. Prepare for Lunar orbit."
"You got it sir." Robert ran his fingers along the controls and the engines began to fire. The view screen shifted and the Earth began to float away, leaving the pin points of sparkling stars to fill the void. "Bringing speed up to 2500 MPS, Lunar Orbit in approximately one point six minutes."
The white pocked surface of the moon loomed into view and slowly expanded on the screen; onlookers could barely make out the twinkling lights of the Japanese Lunar Base. The Captain turned his chair around and looked at George.
"Time until the ship impacts with the Lunar surface."
"Three point two minutes; Karen you're right on schedule."
Karen just smiled.
"We should be clearing the moon in time to see it's descent."
"Anything on com-traffic?"
"Oddly quiet sir, not even the General is giving us any flack about breaking Earth orbit and I thought we might have gotten a call from The Lunar Base by now. Oops!" A light in front of him flashed, illuminating the square jaw of his tanned face, "I spoke too soon. Lunar Base is hailing us sir."
"You take care of it; just let them know we're not attacking or anything and that we're going to send a shuttle to investigate the UFO."
"Oh shit."
"What is it?"
George looked up with smile.
"The General is on line two."
"I guess I have to take this one. Put him up on the main viewer."
The Captain swerved his chair back around and grimaced when the gnarled face of General Sweet appeared before him.
His leathery skin was cracked from the cigar smoke of war room meetings and brandy shots in comfortable rooms. He had never actually been in real combat, but had sent many young soldiers to their deaths as he moved pawns around a Risk map in his best concept of strategy; which had been the same for the American Army since the Civil War : keep sending in more men until we choke their livers with our dead.
Luckily the American populace was fairly prolific.
The Captain managed a smile; the General did not.
"What can I do for you General?"
"I'm here to warn you that that ship is property of the United States military and by no means is it to be disturbed by civilians!"
"Well General I'll be sure to have my men stop at the first sign of your Confederate Flag."
"I will not stand for this brand of insolence! I demand that you keep clear of that object. Under no circumstances are you allowed to go near it as it belongs to ME!"
"General, does the term Ôgo suck a lemon,' mean anything to you?"
The General began to huff and puff out his chest in an effort to look menacing.
"If you're nice to us we might send you a picture of it. Other than that, you'll have to wait until you get your own antiquated ships up here to check it out yourself."
"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!"
"Good bye General." The Captain nodded at George and he disconnected the signal. "What a dick wad."
"We have achieved Lunar orbit."
"Can we get a good view of the alien craft?"
"On screen sir."
With the moon slowly spinning in the background, the black exterior of the ship was clearly visible now at the shorter distance and the bridge crew watched as it slowly spun towards the surface.
"There it goes." Karen looked at it and shook her head. "I hope Brian isn't watching this. He'd hate to see it go down."
"Just for the record, I'm not too thrilled about it either."
"Yes sir."
It slowly began to curve in it's descent as it was caught in the slight Lunar gravity. The view screen of the Necronomicon followed it as it plummeted; it disappeared for the briefest of moments and then was replaced by a dark cloud of gray dust that spewed from the crash site. It settled and was gone.
"How does it look?"
"It appears to be more or less intact sir. It crashed right were Karen predicted."
Karen smiled.
"Damn I'm good."
The Captain raised an eyebrow in admiration as he turned to Meredith.
"Tell the Jabberwocky that they are clear for launch."
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