A Ship With A View

[Ritah Lowen 0]

While at the Academy, all cadets are exposed to "extravehicular activity," otherwise known as EVAs. These are usually introduced during the latter half of the cadet's junior year. Depending on their major, some of the cadets are obliged to practice EVAs on a routine basis during the senior year. But everybody is required to do at least four.

 

The first two are more like an amusement park ride than anything else. The cadets are suited up and sent outside. But they are also tethered to the mother ship as well as closely supervised by a plethora of instructors. On the third and fourth trips out, the cadets are a lot more free to wander. The instructors are still everywhere but they pretty much back off and allow their students to enjoy floating in the vastness of space.Ritah loved the EVAs. Initially terrified, she was soon beguiled by the unique sense of freedom. And the view was absolutely spectacular.

 

She had a similar reaction when the away team materialized on the crystal beast. This was no drill. It was her first real away mission and she was scared. And there was definitely no sense of freedom. If anything, Ritah felt the exact opposite. But the view was positively astounding...enough to take one's breath away. They were on a "see through" ship....a ship made of nothing but gargantuan windows. They had a 360 degree view of the galaxy around them, including the Chimera and the Manticore off in the distance.

 

Ritah and Dr. Mele were in the center of the formation as the away team made it's way toward the missing crewmen. They were able to see them although their view was sometimes blurred by the beasts crystalline features. The team was making good progress and Ritah allowed herself to think this rescue might work out okay.

 

She hurried along with the others, keeping one eye on the route ahead of them and the other on the magnificent view. She took comfort in the presence of the two ships, especially the Chimera which was much closer than the Manticore.

 

But then everything changed. For a moment, the entire universe seemed to blink. And in that instant, the Chimera and the Manticore disappeared.

 

Dr. Lowen wasn't the only one who noticed. The entire formation came to an abrupt stop as everyone stared into the ink like darkness. No one spoke as they tried to figure out what happened. Ritah knew there was a battle underway....the Manticore was taking heavy fire. But even if the Manticore had completely disintegrated, where was the Chimera?

 

It took a few seconds for Ritah to reach a conclusion. The ships hadn't been destroyed nor had they left the area. It was the crystal beast and it's occupants who had left the area. Now the question was, where were they?

 

Ritah wasn't sure who broke the silence but several people started talking all at once. She didn't bother saying a word. She knew this was an unexpected development and it wasn't a good thing. There was no need to voice that opinion. Everyone else on the team already knew the situation had gone from bad to worse. Even the view had lost its appeal.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Ritah Lowen