Carpathia IV: Episode 18 - Weapons Test
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
With the asteroid field survey complete, the Shadowancer cruised away while the crew enjoyed a short bout of lighter duty between missions. On the bridge, Aire sat in his chair, fiddling clumsily with a small, vaguely ball-shaped device covered with geometric shapes such as stars and pentagons. Aire gingerly twisted and turned the various shapes around on the device looking for meaning in the symbols.
Aire: This is a curious thing. What is it for?
Nalma, who was leaning back in his chair watching Aire with great amusement, answered.
Nalma: It is a kid's toy on Tokkastra. We use it to teach math and spatial reasoning skills.
Aire appeared as though he were reaching an impasse on the device as he tried to twist one of the stars with increasing force, but it would not budge.
Not my style, really. I prefer a model on a screen.
Suddenly, there was a crack sound and the toy squirted a black liquid onto Aire's face. Nalma responded with a grimace and crinkled brow.
Nalma: I guess it really isn't your style. I've seen people break one of those before, but never like that.
Aire pursed his lips as the doors to the ready room slid open. From there, Adell emerged and strode quickly to his chair.
Adell: All stop.
Tayet hesitated, not expecting this order, but reacted quickly once his brain finally registered the command, pushing the throttle into the stop position.
Tayet: Helm reading all stop, Captain.
The others watched curiously as Adell tapped at his armrest keypad while Ramei had a private word with Tayet.
Ramei: Naturally, you should always be ready for an order at any time, but pay special attention when the captain or commander enter the bridge. Those are the times you are most likely to get sudden orders.
Adell glanced up from his screen and went back to tapping his keypad, addressing Ramei at the same time.
Adell: Glad you're already here, Ramei. Take a station. I'll need you to coordinate with engineering.
Ramei: Yes, Captain.
Ramei moved immediately from the helm console to an empty station just behind Amenaru while Adell studied his screen.
Adell: Helm, come about, course 030 mark 279, full induction.
Tayet reacted immediately this time and began to steer the ship to its ordered course.
Tayet: Course 030 mark 279, full induction.
Tayet tapped at his console and then eased the throttle up to full induction speed.
Aire: New orders, Captain?
Adell nodded as he tented his fingers and gazed out the forward windows.
Adell: Something like that. I finally got permission from Admiral Zhang to conduct a weapons test to make sure none of those systems were affected like the helm was and we can use some of the stray asteroids. We'll start with the plasma disruptors and then the antimatter torpedoes.
Adell momentarily seemed to forget what he was saying and fixated on Aire's face.
Adell: Um, you've got something right there...
Adell held his finger up to his own face, pointing at the same spot where Aire squirted oil on himself, prompting him to hastily reach for a handkerchief and begin wiping his face with it.
Aire: Sorry, Captain. I broke Nalma's math toy.
Adell looked down at Aire's lap, taking note of the toy he was playing with earlier.
Adell: A Tokkastran spatial star? How in the world did you manage to break that?
Aire grimaced and rubbed his chin.
Aire: Well...
Tayet: Captain, there is an asteroid on our course. Would you like me to steer around it?
Aire was grateful for the interruption, now spared the further embarrassment of explaining what happened as he set the spatial star to the side.
Adell: Negative. Come to a full stop when we're within 5,000 kilometers. We're using that for target practice.
Later, the ship slowed to a halt as it approached the asteriod as Adell ordered. From the bridge, it wasn't even visible from the windows.
Adell: Tactical view.
Nalma: Switching to tactical view, Captain.
The center window of the bridge disappeared from view, replaced by a heads-up display with an ordinary, craggy asteroid clearly visible in the center.
Ramei: Engineering reports ready to monitor weapons test.
Adell: Good. Charge all disruptor banks and load antimatter warhead bays.
Nalma: Charging disruptors.
Amenaru: Loading torpedoes.
Adell: Helm, adjust position 032 mark 280.
Tayet: Adjusting position, 032 mark 280.
Adell: Bugs, prepare to fire disruptor banks 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B at four-second intervals. Put a targeting overlay on viewer.
Aire made his way to Ramei's station and leaned closer, placing his hand on the corner of the console for balance, and prepared to observe the test directly for himself.
Nalma: Yes, Captain.
Nalma tapped at his console and, one by one, red marks began to appear on the viewer showing the places he intended to shoot arranged neatly in a diamond-shaped pattern.
Nalma: Ready.
Adell: Fire.
Nalma tapped at his console and the first disruptor fired, followed by the next four seconds later as instructed. Moments later, the first shot slammed into the asteroid, leaving a black scar where a target icon once was, and was quickly followed by the other three.
Ramei: Readings show a 26% drop in power on both disruptors in bank two.
Aire, continuing to lean on the console, turned to the Captain.
Aire: Recommend another volley to confirm these results.
Adell: Agreed. Bugs, same pattern and fire again.
Right away, four more targets appeared on the asteroid in the viewer followed by four more shots from the same disruptor banks.
Ramei: Confirm previous readings. Bank one is nominal. Bank two is down 26%.
Adell: Alright, I'll have Minnie look at that one as soon as we're done testing. Let's get do the ventral banks next. Helm, turn 90 degrees starboard with a 90 degree starboard roll.
Tayet: 90 degree starboard turn, 90 degree starboard roll, yes Captain.
After a steady, methodical series of pitches, turns, and rolls, the Shadowdancer finished it disruptor tests. Fortunately, only one more disruptor bank was down on power. After completing tests on the aft disruptors, the time came to test the forward antimatter torpedoes.
Adell: Come about 180 degrees. Standby on torpedoes.
Tayet: Coming about 180 degrees.
Nalma: Standing by on torpedoes. Ready to fire at your command, Captain.
Watching the attitude indicators on the viewer, Adell waited patiently for the ship to swing around and point her torpedo launchers at the asteroid. Once the ship was in position, he gave the order.
Adell: Fire launcher one.
Nalma: Firing launcher one.
A brief vibration and the bridge crew watched as the torpedo hurtled toward its target. In only a few seconds, it slammed into the asteroid and exploded, shattering the massive asteroid into hundreds of chunks. Adell stood and took a step foward, hardly believing what he was seeing.
Adell: There's no way one torpedo could have done that much damage. What are the readings?
Ramei: Explosive yield normal.
Aire: Velocity normal. Everything is working as it should. It's possible the asteroid was more of a loosely-fused collection of rocks than a solid piece.
Adell continued to scan the debris on the viewer for anything amiss until he found something that seemed out of place.
Adell: Magnify grid E12.
The viewer zoomed in on that location and what appeared on the screen was definitely not natural. It was old, whatever it was, and appeared to be part of a metallic skin partially covering some sort of mechanical device. Adell reached down and tapped his console.
Adell: Ryuu to the bridge, please.
Adell studied the object further but could not ascertain what it was or where it came from.
Adell: Helm, take us within 50 kilometers, full thrusters. Begin scans.
Tayet: Full thrusters, Captain.
Kit: Starting scans.
Adell sat in his chair again, still struggling to find something recognizable in the object.
Adell: Any ideas, Commander?
Aire: It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen.
Behind them, the lift doors opened and the telltale sound of Ryuu's claws click-clacking on the deck reverberated around the bridge.
Ryuu: You called for me?
Before Adell could ask, Ryuu looked up at the object in the viewer.
Ryuu: Oh hey! That's...
And suddenly, Ryuu was silent, having raised his paw up to his mouth nearly covering up his widened, highly embarrassed eyes.
Adell: Ryuu, what do you know?
Ryuu sighed and lowered his paw to the deck.
Ryuu: I'm not supposed to say. You know I'm here just here to advise. The dragons want you to learn the universe mostly on your own.
Adell: Okay, so what can you tell us?
Ryuu lowered his head and picked at his snout with his claw.
Ryuu: I shouldn't tell you this, but you'll figure it out soon enough anyway. That thing is probably around two million years old. There are other races from other parts of the universe who have explored around here. Some even lived here for awhile.
All on the bridge knew that if Ryuu was right, and they had no reason to doubt him, then this would be a major discovery.
Adell: This will make a lot of people back on Polaris Deep happy. I'm going to bring it into the shuttle bay, unless there are any objections.
Ryuu: It should be perfectly safe. It's not a weapon.
Adell: Alright then, Bugs, prepare the grapplers. Ramei and Amenaru, I want you to take a shuttle and help guide it in. Kit, contact Polaris Deep and see if they can send out a cargo ship and a scout vessel to scan the field further.
After a series of "Yes, Captain" from all involved, the bridge came alive with everyone carrying out their orders. Aire returned to his chair and had a seat, sporting a big smile on his face.
Aire: This is what I missed sitting at a desk at command headquarters.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
All city pictures from SimCity 4
