Does Anybody Copy? Part 1

“Brax, please report to the Watchdeck for your shift, I repeat, please report to the Watchdeck for your shift,” said Officer Jaro.

I heard my friend and fellow worker through the communicator next to my bed. I rolled over, picked up the device and replied, “Be right there.”

I slipped on my basic uniform and sticky boots, pinned on my officer badge, and put on my earpiece trying not to cause too much noise and wake Officer Astin. It was only 2 A.M. when I got out of my bunker and headed to the armory.

All of the crew only get a total of 6 hours of sleep each night, but we 3 officers each have to take a 2 hour watchshift, giving us a total of 4 hours of sleep. I was the Operations Officer so I took the second shift. I am responsible for general day-to-day operations and cargo. Our current operation is to transfer 67 Keraa prisoners to an interrogation center on Yaavir.

When I arrived I headed to the back of the room and grabbed my Oxygen Set and Laser Blaster. I strapped the tank on my back with the built in clips on the jacket and connected a small, gray tube to the front of the orange mask and top of the tank. Lastly, I clipped the Laser Blaster to my belt. Now I was ready.

I sprinted as fast as I could to the main quarters passing the training room and the firing range, the cargo bay and the science labs, making my way to the front of the starship.

When I reached Main Quarters, I walked up to the Holosphere and pinpointed my destination, then stepped on the Warp Pad. Three...Two...One… I closed my eyes, for when they opened I was on the Watchdeck staring out into space.

I squinted and saw Teetik, the 4th moon of Yaavir in the distance, we were close.

“So are you going to just stand there or are you going to do your job?” Officer Jaro said from behind me.

I was startled by the voice, I had forgotten he was here.

“I’m gonna work,” I replied.

From the way I spoke I could tell he realized I was annoyed and tired.

“Try not to fall asleep on the job this time, okay?” 

“Yeah, I’ll try.”

Officer Jaro warped back down to the Main Quarters as I made my way up to the one and only Holopad on the Watchdeck.

I had to wait till 3:52 trying not to doze off before something interesting happened. The radar had picked up an incoming signal heading toward our ship. It’s probably just some form of alien activity. But no, it was something much, much, worse. 

I turned on satellite view for the Holopad and scrolled over until I found the source of the disturbance. That's when I saw a meteor coming at us at the speed of light. I looked up and saw it coming closer and closer every second. I picked up the communicator ready to warn all the crew members.

“Mayday, Mayday, an incoming meteor is about to hit our ship, brace for impact!” I screamed in the communicator. That should wake everyone up.

I changed the channel and sent out an alert to the nearest starship.

“This is Officer Brax from Pandora, does anybody copy?”

For a moment there was nothing but static, but the response came shortly after.

“Yes, I copy,” said a voice on the other end of the line.

“Good, we have an incoming meteor heading straight at a ship. Please scavenge any remaining pieces of the ship or wounded bodies. We are in the Roiij Solar System closest to the planet Yaavir, do you copy?”

“Yes, I copy,” she replied.

“Good, Brax out.” I tried to sound calm in the middle of the crisis, but inside I was panicking.

I saw the escape pods launch from the bottom of the ship as I quickly warped myself back down to the Main Quarters. 

BOOM!!! I stumbled to the ground as the starship started spiraling out of control and before I could realize I fell from the floor and had landed on the ceiling. I scurried to the Escape Pods, the whole ship blowing up behind me, and slipped at the last second…

The only thing I remembered was the explosion before I was knocked unconscious.

I woke up in shock trying to remember what had happened, then it came to me. We were in a crash. I was on Watchdeck. Something was heading toward us at lightspeed. I believe it was a meteor. I barely made it out alive. I looked down at my bloody, scarred body. I’m a mess. Where’s my tank? Where’s my tank??? I searched around everywhere in the pod but couldn’t find it. If I stepped out of this pod I would slowly start dying.

In front of me I looked around to see many of the crew’s Escape Pods, but the biggest surprise was when I saw Pandora. Our ship.

VRRRRRRMMM!!! I heard the sound coming from our ship, the engine must have still been running, the electricity must be too. My Laser Blaster must have fallen off in the accident so I smashed the glass, hopped out of the pod, and ran to the starship with no other goal except to get help as fast as I could, even if it meant my own death. The Pandora runs on an electric motor so we would never have to fill it up with fuel as long as the electricity is still on.

I climbed up the front of the starship and was relieved to see that the Holopad and Holosphere were still working. I went over to the damaged Holopad and picked up the communicator.

“Can anybody hear me? Does anybody copy?” 

That’s when I fainted, but before I fell unconscious I heard a faint voice saying, “I copy.”

When I woke up it seemed to me like I was in a Cryostasis tube. A man walked up to my tube and opened the door. It was Dr. Doriyan, from the Pandora.

“Well, nice to have you back Captain,” she said.

“Captain?” I replied totally confused.

“Captain Xavis died in the accident,” she informed me. “Because of your courage and sacrifice, we have promoted you to the role of Captain.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

“Just be proud.” 

She guided me out of the tube and pinned on my badge.

“Own i-,” she was saying before being cut off by something no one had suspected, a power outage.

“Oh no.” I said. 

I ran over to the Main Quarters of the starship and grabbed the nearest communicator and squeezed it tightly in my hand.

“Does anybody copy?”