I stand at the head of the conference table, my gaze sweeping over my crew, and my family. The air in the room is tense, the mystery of this vanished crew was weighing heavily on everyone. In the back of the room, I have called for team leaders from each department assigned to this mission for their in-person insight as well as possible recommendations on how we might proceed.
“Alright everyone, let’s get started,” I began. “We have a lot to discuss. Ai, what do we know about the station’s security status?”
Ai, my chief of security and incidentally my wife, stands up and addresses me formally in front of the rest of the crew. “Captain, the station’s security systems are fully operational. There are no signs of forced entry or sabotage. The logs show that all security protocols were followed up until the moment the crew disappeared. It’s as if they just vanished into thin air.”
I nodded. “Lote’, what about the medical scans?”
Lote’, glanced at her datapad. “My teams have scanned the entire station for pathogens, foreign entities, and unusual energy signatures. There’s nothing out of the ordinary. The only life form we’ve found is Dr. Hewitt, who is still in cryo-stasis. We’ll need more time to bring her out safely.”
“Thank you, Lote,” I then turn my attention to my Chief Engineer. “Sabrina Wildman, what can you tell us about the station’s engineering status?”
Sabrina leans forward on the table. “Captain, all diagnostics indicate that the station is operating at peak efficiency. All primary and backup systems are functioning normally, and there’s no indication of any mechanical failure. All power levels are stable across the board, and the environmental controls are functioning at optimal efficiency. There’s no reason to believe the station itself is at any risk of unforeseen malfunction.”
I turn to Synthea to get her thoughts on the situation since she's been on this op from the beginning, “Synthea, any insights?”
Synthea shook her head, a mix of frustration and concern evident on her face. “No signs of struggle, Captain. No residual energy signatures or indications of what happened. The crew just vanished without warning, some seemingly in the middle of their daily activities. We did find some unusual specimens in some of the labs scattered throughout the station. They appear to be of extra-dimensional origin. Our security teams have recorded their temporal frequencies as regards each specimen and, while no two are alike, the scans indicate that the one thing they seem to have in common is that they all appear to be alternate versions of the same subject.”
So they're collecting specimens of the same subject from alternate realities? Never mind how insanely difficult that is to do randomly, how the hell are they locating them, and why would they even want to?
“Alright, let’s hear from the department representatives. Security, engineering, and science/medical, please share your observations and suggestions.”
The security team lead speaks first. “Captain, given the lack of evidence, I recommend we maintain a high alert status and continue our scans. We should also consider the possibility of an external force or entity that we haven’t detected yet.”
The engineering representative nodded. “I agree. We should run a full diagnostic on the station’s systems once more, just to be sure. Additionally, I want to investigate those specimens more thoroughly. They may hold the only clues as to what happened to the station's crew.”
The science/medical rep adds, “We should prioritize bringing Dr. Hewitt out of cryo-stasis. She might have crucial information about the station’s research and what led to the crew’s disappearance. In the meantime, we should continue our bio-scans and monitor for any changes.”
I take a deep breath. “Good suggestions. Let’s move forward with implementing these actions. Ai, keep your teams on high alert in two-man teams. Sabrina, have your people run those diagnostics once more. Lote’, you're to prioritize Dr. Hewitt’s revival and continue to scan for anything out of the ordinary. Synthea, I want you to coordinate the science team's investigation of the specimens. Let’s get to the bottom of this.”
The gathered crew nods in unison and departs to carry out my orders, each heading to their respective tasks. I watched them go, determination etched on my face. The mystery of the vanished crew was far from solved, but we were one step closer to uncovering the truth. I have a bad feeling about this whole setup. |
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Original Characters
2024/9/2 10:51
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