An Enemy From the Dark. Ch. 10

Continued from Ch. 9 Posted in this Blog on November 1

Carick stepped into the Turbolift, called up the ships schematics and tapped on the Engine Room. The screen flashed red. The turboshaft on the map remained red after the screen returned to normal color. Carick understood that to mean a blockage of some kind within the turbo system.
“Computer,” Carick hesitated to ask the computer to calculate the best route to the Engine Room but time was of the essence.
“Working,” came the standard programmed female voice of the main computer.
“Engine Room,” Carick requested.
The car started moving. Carick wondered about the route the car would take with the standard shaft blocked. He noticed the lift was moving vertically. He thought it strange with the Engine Room below him.

“Roberts to Carick,” It was the voice of Cadet Kevin Robers coming from a speaker within the turbolift.
“Carick here.”
“Captain, we’ve got a serious problem.”
“Explain.”
“There seems to be a build up of plasma running from the main engine core to the impulse drives on the saucer section,” In the background Carick could hear alarms ringing. Then a strong electronic male voice sounded a warning. “Vent Now. Vent Now. Vent Now.”
“Warren, I don’t know how to vent plasma get over here and help m......”

An explosion rocked the ship. Carick was thrown against the wall of the turbolift. The car stopped moving. Carick found himself in complete darkness for a few seconds until the emergency lights flickered on. He was floating. The ship’s artificial gravity was off line.

He tapped his com badge. No computer response. He pushed himself away from the ceiling toward the floor. He stabilized his movement with the hand rails. The computer screen was working. His attempts to access ship communications failed. A few more taps brought up the ship schematics.

“Oh God no,” he whispered to himself. The screen showed an entire section of the port bulkhead between decks 4 and 6 gone. The ship was exposed to open space.

“If they didn’t know we were here, they do now,” Carick said to himself, referring to the alien ship spotted earlier nearby. Its funny the strange things that pass through someone’s mind in a disaster. Carick thought about the Titanic. Ever since he was a boy the story of the greatest ship of its time sinking on its maiden voyager through a series of unfortunate events fascinated him. He thought about Captain Smith, standing on the bridge of the White Star Line’s Flagship, watching the water boil over the bow and onto the deck. Carick always wondered what the old captain was thinking about as his ship sank from beneath him taking him and 1500 of his passengers to their deaths. Now, for the first time, he thought he knew the answer.

Astronomical Event Shocks the World!

Citizens of London taking to the streets in mass panic upon hearing the news. The Pope will speak to the World this Evening.

Something happened yesterday morning at or around 7:00 A.M. While parts of the world slept and others were in the full rhythm of life, the sun stopped briefly in the sky. Astronomers the world over are checking the accuracy of this report with their atomic clocks and other instruments. As of today, the data is irrefutable.
Yesterday was 15 seconds longer than it should have been.

Today scientists are searching for the cause. What would cause the sun to stand still? What would cause the Earth to briefly pause in its never ending cycle of day and night? Some speculate that something with a very large gravitational pull must have come close enough to the Earth to slow the planet’s rotation. The Institute of Science says it may have been a passing, rogue miniature black hole. We know they are out there. What happened yesterday might be the proof scientists have sought for decades.

Of course, there are others who see phenomena this as a message sent by a vengeful God warning humans that the end is near and repentance is the key to unlock salvation and safety from the coming apocalypse. In many parts of the world churches are the fullest they’ve been in years.

Today we have another mystery. If the Earth’s rotation slowed by 15 seconds yesterday then logic dictates today would also be extended by 15 seconds. As of the writing of this post, Sunday is on time. The delay seems to have been a one day occurrence - making it all the more mysterious.

I’m sure there will be conferences on this subject. I’m sure heads of state the world over are consulting their greatest scientific minds on the subject and I’m sure theories will spread like a pandemic.

Such a reaction for something I understand.

Yes, I understand why yesterday was 15 seconds longer than it should have been. I’m tempted to notify the authorities but fear I wouldn’t be believed. The reason, my friends, may have to stay within our Space Center family and friends.

Yesterday, for the first time in 19 years, the Space Center served our overnight campers a breakfast with chocolate covered donuts alongside our normal glazed donuts. I ordered the change in our WalMart weekly donut order on Friday morning after realizing the price of a dozen chocolate covered donuts was the same as glazed. It always had been. I just never asked.

Opening those chocolate covered donuts for the staff’s early morning gathering created such a shock the Earth itself paused momentarily to regain its senses. So many our staff inhaled in shock (as humans tend to do) when I opened that first box and offered them chocolate covered donuts that a temporary vacuum was created in the Discovery Room. A wind, strong enough to blow the napkins off the front desk, rushed in from the hallway to fill the sudden low pressure system. Two of our older veteran staffed fainted. One hurt her head when it came down forcefully onto the tabletop. There were reports of lights flickering throughout the school and the surrounding neighborhood.

I blame myself for everything that’s happened and apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. I didn’t expect such a reaction. I knew this was a dramatic shift in our normal operating procedures but didn't think it would be the cause for all this unpleasantness.

I’ll finish this post now. I've decided to come clean. I have several phone calls to make. I’ll start with the Astronomical Union. They will help notify others once I send them the proof. I sat one of the WalMart chocolate covered donuts aside in case something like this happened. I’ll take it down to the UPS store, have it wrapped in a box, then wrapped again in bubble wrap before sending it to Washington for analyses.

I’m hoping this won’t frighten people away from sending their children to us for camps, classes and field trips. It was all a mistake and I’m sorry for it.

A Post From the Past. Orginally Posted on June 11, 2007

Hello Troops,
The Space Center has a YahooGroup that is open to our volunteers and staff only. There are several good historical posts on the YahooGroup that I'll be posted here on the Blog over the next several months. I hope you enjoy reading them. They should bring back memories of your time here.

Mr. Williamson

June 11, 2007
The Space Center's First EdVenture Camp for Summer 2007.

Hello Troops,
It is 21:58 ship time. We are well into the first evening of our second EdVenture Camp. All the ships are working. At my 12 oclock - the Voyager is running Greenpeace. They had a few network glitches at the beginning but we stalled sooo well that the problem was corrected and the kids didn't know they lost a good 10 minutes off their mission. We are so good - aren't we?

To my 9 oclock - the Odyssey. Chris is running Stakeout. I'm hearing the voices of multiple kids debating their situation. Right now a Phoenix staff officer is standing by the Odyssey's replicator hatch testing phasers. They are preparing for an attack. Lots of noise now from the Odyssey's transporter. They are debating with someone.

To my 6 oclock is the Phoenix running Curahee. "Everyone hold still!" was just heard from the bridge. There is a motion scan in progress. One of the volunteers just passed my desk all decked out as a Paklid. I wonder who is going to be really annoyed in just a minute. Stacy just passed with a bag of cookies from Subway. She just stopped and offered me a portion which I gladly accepted. The Paklid just walked by again. I got a good look at Abram's face. He has blacked out his eyes. He looks like a Paklid just finished with ascrape over his lunch money!

Red Alert sounds from the Phoenix echo around the Briefing Room.
"Captain, we got to get out of here right now!" Cally (Megan) shouted in character. BJ just tumbled out of the Phoenix in character. Hewas shouting that they had to escape right now! I'm hearing "Shoot, Shoot, Fire Fire..." Another voice is saying "I'm trying - stop shouting at me!".

One of the ship's doctors just passed. It is the Voyager's. It is Jennifer Halverson. She was a volunteer a few years back and is now attending BYU. Her little brother is volunteering on this mission so she decided to come back for the evening for old time's sake. Stacy has plopped down at the staff computer at my 10:00 oclock.

"Get up there and tell them to go, go , go.... freaking go!" Megan just said to BJ. He is going in as his character. "What are you doing here!" BJ is shouting at the captain. He is good - really good. I'd be jumping if I were the captain.

It is now 22:09. Explosions. I'm assuming large space battles are in progress. Some of the staff are in the Discovery Room admiring the new spot lights we installed in the ceiling this morning. It really makes the room!
"Whitney, fire the thrusters!"
"Impact in Five, Four, Three, Torepdos have missed!"
"Warning, imcoming weapon's fire."
The missions continue all around me. The Voyager is strangely silent right now. Our two staff photographers just walked by. They play Federation Reporters in the ships talking pictures. We sell the CD's after the camps. Two campers ran into the Odyssey's transporter laughing. They were rushing to get back into the story after a quick
trip to the toilet.

I'm looking at a stack of letters waiting to be opened. I'm looking at a new script for the Canada mission submitted by Kyle this morning. It is long and detailed. I need to reserve some time to digest that. The answer machine is blinking 5 messages. My spiral binder on my right indicates 12 calls to return for private mission bookings.

"Engines are overheating! 30 Seconds!" Phaser fire from the Phoenix. It is 22:16. This first rotation ends at 22:30. I'll meet the kids in the cafeteria for ice cream. I'll enjoy their stories of heroism. I'll enjoy their tales of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.

Megan killed the Phoenix crew. They are getting a friendly lecture right now. Emily stopped at the wire basket to pick up the post flight survey's.

At 00:30 (12:30 A.M.)I'll settle down for a bit of sleep. I'll sign off now. I've got to get all the ship's their surveys. Enjoy your evening all.

Mr. Williamson