MSSL Vera Links
Prologue: Stardate 401496.2 (Feb 2324)
"Emergency message incoming," the first officer aboard the asteroid miner, Lyell, announced to the bridge.
The message was a temporal, first arrival that signaled an incoming trans-warp broadcast was about to occur. At the mining station's distance from the company's main space hub, the message would take just under two minutes to arrive. However, that message had a forerunner, a time-constriction peculiarity related to the faster-than-light message.
"Chief, you want me to believe the positioning thrusters have somehow uncalibrated in the last 30 seconds?" the captain asked then acknowledged his first officer with a quick look and nod.
"It is what it is, Captain," the engineer replied. "Probably the storm."
"Don't think so. It's already dropped to a cat 2," the first officer injected, referring to the unexpected ion cloud that had swept the belt for over a month.
The storm had delayed Confederation rock auditors who would ensure selected rocks were within contract specifications before processing began.
"Chief, you know Lyell's tolerances," the captain continued, looking out the forward portal at a huge number of asteroids, many only a few hundred meters from the mining station.
"It’s like the gravitational constant has changed," the chief said. "Is changing," he added nervously while staring at his station's display.
"Signal symmetry?" the captain asked the first officer calmly.
The signal's forerunner carried limited information about the forthcoming message. Importance, urgency and security level all were elements within its complex waveforms.
"Time Corps origin, priority omega," the first officer replied not looking up from the science station. The bridge fell silent at the report the incoming message was of galactic-scale importance.
"Stations," the captain ordered and then the emergency claxon sounded. "Recall all in-belt personnel immediately," he added with a wince while manually turning off the claxon from his command console.
"The AI aboard Vera reports our provisional science officer is within a deep fissure on JTK-57," the first officer reported. "No contact possible for an estimated twelve minutes," he added with a sigh.
"Time?" the captain asked.
"Thirty seconds until full message receipt," the first officer replied nervously.
"We're drifting," the chief engineer reported. "Thrusters are no longer able to compensate."
"Manual over ride," the captain ordered. "Nice and steady, Chief. Keep us clear."
"Nearby rocks' vectors are changing," the engineer reported while quickly taking a seat at the helm.
"Initiate proximity protocol," the captain ordered quickly. "Pull us up and out, Chief."
"Aye, Captain," the engineer said. "The Vera?" he asked.
The captain stared out the main port as they edged past the closest rocks. "Her rock avoidance shields are better than ours," he muttered.
"Message only partially received, Captain," the first officer reported.
"Let's have it," the captain ordered.
"Priority one evac. Deep space buoys measured several gravitational disturbances expanding across this part of the quadrant," the first officer read from his station. "Command estimates a simultaneous convergence of several separate waves in our area in less than five minutes. The rest of the message is missing," he added looking up to the captain.
"Estimated affects to the Lyell?" the captain asked.
"Unknown," the first officer replied. "Most technical data attached to the message were missing but there's a partial reference to JTK-57."
"The same rock our science officer is examining?" the chief asked with a worried look to the captain.
"Max warp to the hub as soon as we're clear and don’t worry, Chief," the captain said while gazing at the vast wealth receding from view, "without our science officer, the Vera won't be going anywhere.”