The graceful figure of the Conference gunship silently cruised through the jagged rocks in the dust field, veering or rotating every now and then so as to avoid a particularly large rock.
Captain Robert Crompton sat on the bridge of the NTSC Hinton, his pride and joy, and the largest ship in the Neo Terran Front's service.. at least until the Belisarius was completed. It had been two hours of searching the eerie purple-red haze, and still no sign of the faint yet unwavering signal that had been detected...
"Coffee, sir?" asked Ensign Harbison, snapping the captain back into reality.
"Huh, er.. oh yes, thanks Catherine." replied Robert, grabbing the steaming mug from her hands and taking a long swig. The caffeine was welcome after the long shift, and slowly he begin to gather his thoughts. Robert switched his gaze from the unending fog in front of him over to the Hinton's instruments. Tactical overlays, sensors of various kinds... all blank - or scrambled.
"I still think you're pushing yourself too hard, sir. These twenty four hour shifts are killing you." Ensign Harbison commented worriedly.
"Relax Catherine, I'm fine.. And for the last time, stop calling me sir. It's Captain Crompton!" Grumbled, taking another swig of the dark and bitter coffee, savoring every last drop. Catherine giggled. Most men would've said something along the lines of "Rob", but the captain always had a thing for being overly formal.
"I'll just leave you be then, Rob." Replied Catherine, smiling at him and excusing herself from the bridge.
The bridge of the Hinton vibrated rhythmically as the captain snored long and hard. Navigations officer McCarthy was the only one on the bridge, save for the captain. He'd kept the lights of the Hinton dimmed so as not to wake the captain. So peaceful, none of the usual idiocy that and noise that goes on inside this tin can, he thought.
The whole scene was interrupted by a single insignificant nav contact. Cruiser class. Officer McCarthy faceconsoled as the klaxons began to blare and warning lights went off throughout the ship.
"WHAT THE SIDEWAYS FLYING FRAK IS THAT NOISE, AND WHAT IS IT DOING IN MY SHIP!?" Captain Crompton bolted upright instantly, knocking the empty mug off coffee onto the floor with a loud crash.
"Just a false alarm, sir.. supposedly some cruiser or something, you can go back to sleep." Muttered McCarthy, annoyed. Just as he had been starting to enjoy the peace and quiet, too.
"I really hate to burst your bubble there McCarthy, but that isn't a false alarm..." Catherine interrupted, stepping onto the bridge. Her gaze was fixated on a dull greyish object about two hundred meters long, slowly becoming more visible through the fog.
"You've to be kidding, that isn't what I think it is, is it?" McCarthy asked, sounding notably irritable. "Sure as hell looks like.." Catherine replied, mind boggled. But how did it get out here...?