Missing In Action (13.1)

THE DECK SHOOK AS LAURIE STUMBLED THROUGH the door to the main deck and took their seats. Using the split-screen view, they could track the ship in pursuit and judge where they were on their escape trajectory. Filling the rear-view was a Platonian ship firing on the Star Traveler.

"Weapons online?" Captain Mitchell asked.

"Yes sir," Dr. Smith replied, glancing at the computer panel at his chair.

"Laurie, prepare to take over Guidance. I'll take over Weapons," Captain Mitchell commanded.

"Yes sir," Laurie exclaimed, pressing a few buttons and waiting for the MFC (Manual Flight Control) to slide into place.

"All systems report 'go flight' status, Captain," Eli replied.

Captain Mitchell opened a compartment under his chair. Inside he found the 3D virtual reality equipment. He plugged it into the side of his computer panel and put on the helmet and gloves.

"Alright, Laurie," Captain Mitchell said, "let's see if we can get this ship to Fendol in one piece!"

After a short but close battle, the Platonian ship suddenly retreated. Captain Mitchell put away the virtual reality gear.

"Systems Check, please" Laurie said in a tired voice.

"Weapon systems still under 'go flight' status, but there has been some damage," Eli reported.

"Noted," Laurie answered.

"Engines are running, but we are showing a fire in the left engine room," Captain Mitchell reported, glancing at the panel on Laurie's chair.

"Noted," Laurie replied, hopping up and running towards the engine room, while the rest of the crew continued the systems diagnosis.

After the crew was assured the ship was secure, Eli left to check on progress in the engine control room.

"I came to see if you need any help, dear," Eli asked, peering in through the open door.

"Yeah Dad. Could you please reconnect the loose wires inside this panel?" Laurie called to her father as she crawled out from under the computer panel in the engine control room.

"Sure," Eli followed her voice, unaware she was buried in the computer panels.

A sudden spark in the adjacent engine room sent Laurie jumping up and running into the engine room to put out the fire.

Eli set to work on the wires under the computer station. The window above the row of computers vibrated gently with the noise of the engines.

Laurie finished putting out the fire and re-entered the computer room looking quite tired; fire extinguishing foam stuck here and there in her hair and on her clothing. Eli got up off the floor closing the panel as he rose.

"Well that's finished. Do you have everything else under control?" Eli asked.

"Yeah, I think so. That last fire damaged some wiring for the backup systems," Laurie answered. "But the fires are under control and I've fixed the electrical problems here in the control room."

"Until we run into the Platonians again."

"Pretty much, yeah," Laurie answered, brushing off some of the foam from her hair.

"Wow, how is that bruise feeling?" Eli asked.

"Oh, I didn't realize I had one," Laurie said. "I must have gotten it when I bumped my head on the inside of that computer station."

"You better go clean up, then go and have Mom take a look at it. It looks pretty bad."

"Okay, thanks for your help, Dad."

"You're welcome, now run along," Eli said with a smile.

Laurie picked up her tools from floor and stowed them in the maintenance cabinet. As she left the room, she paused for a moment to hug her father. Eli shook his head and smiled as he watched her leave the room. After checking over the critical systems once more, he closed the door and headed back towards the main deck.

A day later the Star Traveler entered the Small Magellanic Cloud. Captain Mitchell held a group meeting in the Mess Hall.

"First order of business; is your leg feeling better, Gorioshi?" Captain Mitchell asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now then, we have already entered the Small Magellanic Cloud. We will be approaching Fendol, in the Nemir system, in about an hour. We know the EC ship's distress signal came from Fendol, it may be damaged but we don't know how badly. From what Droselphine told us, we have reason to believe that a Platonian war ship is also in the area. From here on out, we need to be alert. Dr. Kingston, you might want to ready the sickbay; we don't know what condition the crew of the EC 20 will be in," Captain Mitchell said.

"Sickbay will be ready," Dr. Kingston answered.

"Good. Well then, we better get up to the main deck." Captain Mitchell advised.

Dr. Kingston left for the sickbay as the rest of the crew found their places on the main deck. As they approached the system, Captain Mitchel steered the ship to the nearest point with indications of man-made artifacts. Watching as they approached, the crew was struck dumb with the evidence of destruction floating in space. The only remains of the EC 20 were a few pieces of metal floating forlornly through space. The loss was too much to bare.

Suddenly their ship received direct hits as the weapons of the expected Platonian warship locked onto their coordinates.

"Laurie," Captain Mitchell said, "see if you can outrun them."

"I'll do my best."

Captain Mitchell put on the 3D virtual weapons gear and began trying to slow the Platonian war ship down with return fire. Laurie started receiving a faint signal on the main computer from planet Fendol. Hoping that someone from the EC 20 had managed to escape in an emergency escape shuttle, Laurie redirected the incoming signal to Captain Mitchell's station.

"I hear it Laurie; let's check it out."

Laurie took evasive action and prepared to attempt a landing on Fendol.

The Star Traveler came to a gentle rest in the midst of a forest clearing on the planet. The whole team stepped out of the Star Traveler and began looking around.

"The ship's computer indicated that Fendol is habitable; I just didn't think it would be so humid!" Laurie complained, pulling at the collar of her green short sleeve shirt.

"The MTD shows that the shuttle's beacon is coming from just north of us," Dr. Kingston stated.

"It shouldn't be too far off," Captain Mitchell exclaimed. "Let's spread out."

Each crewmember took out his or her MTD to keep in touch while following the signal from the shuttle.

"Over here!" Eli yelled. Everyone rushed to his side.

He stood pointing through the trees towards the shuttle.

Laurie, with a nod from Captain Mitchell, opened the hidden keypad and entered the command to open the sealed shuttle hatch. A hiss of air issued from the shuttle as the seal was broken and the hatch swung open. Laurie found herself staring up into the face of a man with a dark complexion and a goatee.

"Are you a native of this planet?" The man asked Laurie, smiling down at her.

"No, of course not!" Laurie laughed.

"We are the crew of the Star Traveler," Captain Mitchell said, chuckling as he came up behind Laurie.

"Of course you are," the man said, laughing as well while he climbed out of the shuttle. "I am Eton Phelps, an astronomer; I am part of the EC 20 ship's crew."

"Yes…mmm…You were part of that crew. We are responding to a distress call sent by EC 20 about a week ago," Captain Mitchell informed him.

"Hmm, I guess it has been that long. Wait, did you say I was part of the crew?"

Captain Mitchell nodded gravely.

"It was that bad, huh?"

"Yes, you are the only survivor we've found. The ship was totally destroyed," Dr. Smith answered.

"I was in the cargo bay making sure everything was secure," Eton related, leaning against the outside wall of the emergency shuttle. "We were getting pounded by another ship. One of the Bruckners' sons was helping me and I had suggested that he'd better go back to the main deck with his twin brother and his parents. I had everything mostly under control.

"No sooner had he left than we were rocked by a particularly large blast. As the decompression lights started flashing in the cargo bay, I remembered that the cargo bay's doors leading into the computer room were programmed to lock during decompression. I knew I was trapped. Grabbing my MTD off the crate next to me, I threw myself into the nearest emergency shuttle and sealed the hatch. Another blast made me smack my head on the door.

"Next thing I remember, I was laying on the floor of this shuttle. Upon inspection, the engines and all external sensors were badly damaged, and my MTD was jammed under the computer console; I had no way of knowing where I was, or if the planet was habitable, and I couldn't contact anyone. I'm glad the emergency shuttle's tracking signal is still working, or I probably would have never been found."

"Well, you don't have any other injuries besides a bruise on your head. You're alive, that's what matters," Dr. Kingston answered after registering his physical scan on the MTD.

"Yes, but I can't help but think that if I hadn't told the young boy to go to the bridge, he wouldn't be dead; he'd be here…. alive… right now," Eton stared at the ground and kicked at the dirt with the toe of his boot.

Laurie looked at the ground then stepped back over to the shuttle and climbed inside. She unclipped her pocketknife from her belt and kneeling down, she slid the blade between the bottom of the computer console and the floor. Laurie pushed the MTD out from under the computer console, picked it up and, climbing out of the shuttle, handed it back to Dr. Eton.

"Mr. Phelps, you had no idea that the ship was going to be destroyed. It doesn't help anything to dwell on the past. It's best to keep those we've lost in our hearts and learn how to move forward." Laurie stated reconcilably.

"Indeed," Captain Mitchell stated, "Laurie do you think you can get this ship flying so that we can get it into the Star Traveler?"

"Not before the Guild gets here," Laurie answered, pointing to the sky.

A few seconds later the rest of the crew heard the sound of the Platonian war ship as it entered the atmosphere. They ran into the cover of the trees just as it flew overhead.

"I think it would be a good idea if we head back to the ship as soon as possible," Captain Mitchell suggested.

"I think we all agree on that one," Eli answered.

The Star Traveler crew and Eton, the last surviving member of EC 20, threaded their way back to the Star Traveler and hurried to achieve liftoff. For some reason not yet evident, the Platonians did not pursue.

Finally certain the danger was passed, Captain Mitchell plotted the course to Exandra and put the ship on autopilot. The crew returned to their onboard duties.