Contact

[Chirakis 1]

Contact

 

0300. Three hours to Alpha shift and by all rights Chirakis should have been in her quarters, but too many questions remained for sleep. It occurred to her that she should take her own advice, that a sleep-deprived executive officer was no good to anyone should another attack occur, but at this point even the Saurian brandy had no effect on her consciousness so she doubted anything that Dr. Lepage had would be more effective.

 

Upon entering the control tower, she nodded in Fischer's direction and entered her office, totally missing the quizzical look that spread across the young OPS officer's face. She left the door open. Movement, however slight and imperceptible, of another sentient being close by helped her think. Had anyone glanced in they may have mistaken her posture for one of meditation. Instead, she had cleared her mind to consider several very important questions.

 

First, why had Starfleet or any of the allied powers not answered their call for help? Were the distress calls blocked by the attackers? If so, how had Aegis received the "we'll get back to you" message well after the fact? Had it come from Starfleet, or from someone else?

 

The one ship that arrived just after the attack was a scheduled milk run, and they had been surprised at the damage. Were they really surprised? Was Starfleet occupied with other things – things political, perhaps? It wouldn't be the first time.

 

And who were these attackers? Better still, what were they? Preliminary investigation indicated that the fighters were some kind of drone, yet there was, as yet, no scientific evidence to back that up.

 

If the fighters were drones, was another, more cognizant species involved in the attack? Another species, one that had the intelligence and technology to orchestrate the intricate ruse of holographic imaging, could have directed the attack from the carrier craft. The reports on Kirel's desk pointed in that direction, but it was supposition, based on the assumption that the fighters were drones.

 

These questions needed answers, and there was little doubt in the commander's mind that those answers would lead to more questions. Her immediate concern, however, was to pin down answers to the basics – who and what were they and how could Aegis defend itself? They had made contact with a species of formidable power and Aegis was apparently on its own. So be it.

 

One hour to Alpha shift. Kirel snatched the first padd from a pile and began signing requisitions, those from engineering and medical taking first priority. Though they were on their own militarily, the one routine supply ship that had come meant the allies were willing to support them with materiel, and by QeylIs, she'd get it.