all
backed Swain, who by then, had already made his case, so O’Hara
went to his personal computer and sent an urgent message to Admiral
Lay, requesting immediate response.
No sooner had he sent the message, when he
received a response, or a simple inquiry: What’s bothering you, Captain?
In response, he asked for a second meeting to
discuss his crew’s disposition. The two went back and forth for a
moment, and eventually settled for a meeting on Eon. Surprised that
Lay was even willing to discuss the matter, he made for the bridge,
where the crew received him with a salute.
“ Roberts, plot a course for Eon. I meet
with Admiral Lay.”
“ Right, Captain,” she replied and
punched in the coordinates. “When you’re ready, Miss
Day.”
Day smiled and nodded. She then opened a
comm. link to the Alpha-3 station where they were currently docked.
“Alpha-3, this is Sara Day, we are ready to depart from docking
station 6.”
“ Ehhh, rrroger that, Miss Day. We are
releasing the Phoenix . Overrr, and Out,” the voice over the
speaker replied.
Seconds after a subtle shift in pressure
wavered throughout the vessel, it vaulted away from the colony. Day
set her to autopilot. It was a bit of a trip to Eon from Alpha-3,
but after three days at minimal speed, the Phoenix pierced
the atmosphere of the purple and green planet once more. During the
three days of down time, O’Hara nearly went out of his mind with
anticipation. Fortunately, Swain and the others were there to
bolster his confidence, lend their emotional support, and lead him
to believe that there was no way the old man was going deny them
such an opportunity.
Admiral Lay’s new Eon colony was a short
distance from the Phoenix’s first landing near the original
dig site. The large ship slowed to a hover and released the
hydraulic, landing stilts. Upon touching ground, the captain tried
to relax. He left the bridge to be alone with his thoughts, but
changed his mind, and considered grabbing Swain. His excitement
might help to persuade the admiral. He stopped in a corridor
next to a comm. panel.
“ Lieutenant Commander Swain, please
report to the loading zone ASAP.”
From there, he marched to the loading zone.
Swain was already waiting for him.
“ What’d you need, Captain?” Swain asked
with his brow furrowed.
“ Just your excitement,” O’Hara
smirked.
“ Not sure I follow….”
O’Hara had a glint in his eye. “Just dial
your spaz factor up a few notches. We’re going to see the admiral,
and I want to convince him to allow us to work on those
beacons.”
“ Yes, Sir,” Swain laughed. “I
appreciate you taking me with.”
O’Hara gave a cocked up nod, implying the
plan was a long shot. Soon, the ship settled and the buzzer in the
loading zone rang. Swain hit the switch, causing the door to rise
slowly. Eon’s orange light spilled over the steel floor. The
loading platform then dropped to the ground. The two men took a
short walk to the makeshift town. Upon seeing the military tents
and bunkhouses, they both glanced at each other and steeled
themselves.
As if sensing their presence, Admiral Lay
emerged from one of the tents. He was in full dress as usual with
his hat tucked under his left arm. He took it and placed it
squarely on his head. Swain and O’Hara saluted. The admiral
returned the salute once he was within a few paces of the two.
“ To what, exactly, do I owe the
pleasure, gentlemen?” his tone belied fatigue,
frustration.
“ Sir, if I may,” O’Hara began. “I know
this is asking a lot of you, but Swain and I, and the rest of the
crew, have a favor to ask.”
Swain was unable to contain himself; grinning
like an idiot, he said, “Yes, Sir, Admiral Lay…Sir, I have a
perfect plan for the frequencies the beacons exhibit. You see,
according to planetary harmonics.” Swain was cut off in
mid-sentence as O’Hara raised a hand in front of him.
“ Admiral, we believe we know how to
utilize the beacons. I took a
backed Swain, who by then, had already made his case, so O’Hara
went to his personal computer and sent an urgent message to Admiral
Lay, requesting immediate response.
No sooner had he sent the message, when he
received a response, or a simple inquiry: What’s bothering you, Captain?
In response, he asked for a second meeting to
discuss his crew’s disposition. The two went back and forth for a
moment, and eventually settled for a meeting on Eon. Surprised that
Lay was even willing to discuss the matter, he made for the bridge,
where the crew received him with a salute.
“ Roberts, plot a course for Eon. I meet
with Admiral Lay.”
“ Right, Captain,” she replied and
punched in the coordinates. “When you’re ready, Miss
Day.”
Day smiled and nodded. She then opened a
comm. link to the Alpha-3 station where they were currently docked.
“Alpha-3, this is Sara Day, we are ready to depart from docking
station 6.”
“ Ehhh, rrroger that, Miss Day. We are
releasing the Phoenix . Overrr, and Out,” the voice over the
speaker replied.
Seconds after a subtle shift in pressure
wavered throughout the vessel, it vaulted away from the colony. Day
set her to autopilot. It was a bit of a trip to Eon from Alpha-3,
but after three days at minimal speed, the Phoenix pierced
the atmosphere of the purple and green planet once more. During the
three days of down time, O’Hara nearly went out of his mind with
anticipation. Fortunately, Swain and the others were there to
bolster his confidence, lend their emotional support, and lead him
to believe that there was no way the old man was going deny them
such an opportunity.
Admiral Lay’s new Eon colony was a short
distance from the Phoenix’s first landing near the original
dig site. The large ship slowed to a hover and released the
hydraulic, landing stilts. Upon touching ground, the captain tried
to relax. He left the bridge to be alone with his thoughts, but
changed his mind, and considered grabbing Swain. His excitement
might help to persuade the admiral. He stopped in a corridor
next to a comm. panel.
“ Lieutenant Commander Swain, please
report to the loading zone ASAP.”
From there, he marched to the loading zone.
Swain was already waiting for him.
“ What’d you need, Captain?” Swain asked
with his brow furrowed.
“ Just your excitement,” O’Hara
smirked.
“ Not sure I follow….”
O’Hara had a glint in his eye. “Just dial
your spaz factor up a few notches. We’re going to see the admiral,
and I want to convince him to allow us to work on those
beacons.”
“ Yes, Sir,” Swain laughed. “I
appreciate you taking me with.”
O’Hara gave a cocked up nod, implying the
plan was a long shot. Soon, the ship settled and the buzzer in the
loading zone rang. Swain hit the switch, causing the door to rise
slowly. Eon’s orange light spilled over the steel floor. The
loading platform then dropped to the ground. The two men took a
short walk to the makeshift town. Upon seeing the military tents
and bunkhouses, they both glanced at each other and steeled
themselves.
As if sensing their presence, Admiral Lay
emerged from one of the tents. He was in full dress as usual with
his hat tucked under his left arm. He took it and placed it
squarely on his head. Swain and O’Hara saluted. The admiral
returned the salute once he was within a few paces of the two.
“ To what, exactly, do I owe the
pleasure, gentlemen?” his tone belied fatigue,
frustration.
“ Sir, if I may,” O’Hara began. “I know
this is asking a lot of you, but Swain and I, and the rest of the
crew, have a favor to ask.”
Swain was unable to contain himself; grinning
like an idiot, he said, “Yes, Sir, Admiral Lay…Sir, I have a
perfect plan for the frequencies the beacons exhibit. You see,
according to planetary harmonics.” Swain was cut off in
mid-sentence as O’Hara raised a hand in front of him.
“ Admiral, we believe we know how to
utilize the beacons. I took a
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