Astroid

"Bridge to captain", called out the communication plug in laying on a side table beside captain Maedza's bed rousing him from his sleep.

"What is it, bridge?" asked captain Maedza sounding a bit annoyed at being roused in the middle of the night, earth time. The super lifter operated on two shifts revolving around a regular 24hour earth day.

Despite his annoyance, captain Maedza knew at the bank of his head there had to be an important reason for the disturbance.

"Ship's scanners pick up a large android headed our way", came the voice again over his plug in.

Hastily jumping out of bed, captain Maedza quickly slipped into his uniform and went to the bridge.

Walking briskly to his chair upon arrival on the bridge, captain Maedza called out as he sat down, "report?".

"At 02:00hrs ship's sensors detected a fast moving anomaly heading towards the Horizon", the officer of the watch responded sitting at one of the Horizon's control consoles.

"On screen", called out captain Maedza.

A picture of a fast moving massive rock formation hurtling towards them came into view on the bridge's big screen.

"Navigation take evasive action and get us out of its path".

"Why wasn't it reported earlier", captain Maedza asked.

"It wasn't there captain", the officer of the watch replied. "It's as if it has just suddenly been put there", the officer of the watch commented.

"That's impossible, who or what could do that", captain Maedza mused almost to himself.

"Captain, mission control has also just picked up the anomaly", apparently we are the only thing between it and earth", the officer of the watch cut in. "Mission control requests that we do everything possible to stop or divert it away from a collision course with earth".

"Immediately issue a red alert", commanded captain Maedza.

"Yes sir", responded the officer, moving to obey the command and speaking into his communicator.

The bridge's doors slid open and the mission commander walked on to the flight deck.

"What is the red alert about, captain?", asked the mission commander taking a seat next to the captain.

"An astroid is bearing towards earth. We have been asked to stop it from reaching earth by any means possible".

"Ok let's blow it up with a barrage of missiles", suggested the mission commander.

"At current velocity blowing it up will only split it into a smaller fragments that will fall on a wider spread of the Earth's surface. The meteorite shower will have catastrophic consequences ", responded the officer of the watch.

"What other option do we have", the mission commander asked.

"We can try to stop it with the , Horizon", replied captain Maedza.

"You mean ramming it?", asked the mission commander incredulously. "Won't that do serious damage to the Horizon as well?"

"Not necessarily if the crash is controlled?", responded captain Maedza.

"Captain, the astroid is minutes away, what is your order", asked the officer of the watch.

"Maintain course and activate shields", responded captain Maedza.

"Astroid bearing down on direct collision course, impact in 10 seconds", reported the officer of the watch.

"Impact in 9, 8, 7, 6...

"On my command gradually begin to reduce the strength of the shields", commanded captain Maedza.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

"Now!" called out captain Maedza.

"Captain the astroid has made contact with the Horizon's shield but does not appear to be slowing down", reported the officer of the watch.

"Begin to reduce shield strength now!" Issue another alert, all essential personal are to return to their quarters and brace for impact", commanded captain Maedza.

The alert came over the Horizon's speakers.

"Captain, the astroid has breached the first layer of the Horizon's shields but it is beginning to lose momentum", reported the officer of the watch.

"It will be colliding with the ship's hull in a matter of 5, 4, 3...seconds.

The Horizon shuddered violently as it smashed into the astroid.

"The astroid has stopped advancing reported the officer of the watch".

"Captain!, unknown elements are entering the Horizon through the damaged sections of the hull", reported the officer of the watch.

"Where are they right now", asked the mission commander.

"They are converging outside the bridge", the officer of the watch reported.

Captain Maedza ordered,"have all security personnel armed and converge on the bridge immediately!"

The mission commander spoke into his communicator, "all military personal are to converge at the bridge and repel alien boarders!"

"Everyone grab a weapon", ordered captain Maedza.

Weapons cabinets built into the bridge's side panels opened up and all crew members left their work stations took up blasters. Captain Maedza led the way to the bridge's doors. Everyone aimed at the the closed doors. "Computer, open doors", commanded captain Maedza. No sooner had the doors began to open, there was a rapid exchange of energy weapons fight between the aliens on the other side and the crew inside the bridge.

At the same the ship's security team and armed troops from the military contingent converged on the bridge from either side of the corridor firing and overwhelming the alien attack with overwhelming firepower.