The Phoenix Militia
22-09-2008, 22:01
Two years. It had been two years since PHX Expeditionary Force 95 blindly flew into a spatial disturbance (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=472339) which their government assured them was a gateway to the Andromeda galaxy. No contact was received. The plan to create a stabilized opening in the Andromeda galaxy for two way traffic either failed, or was never put into place becasue the expedition was vaporized in transit. All hope that they survived the transit was lost after an advanced probe sent through afterwards failed to transmit telemetry. It had been 6 months since all personnel that had embarked on that fateful mission through the wormhole were taken off MIA status and declared LIS(lost in space). Despite the fact that top scientists tried to assure the government that there was no proof that the expedition was destroyed upon embarkation, the leaders of The Imperial Vanguard of The Phoenix Militia unilaterally decided that the disturbance was not a one-way wormhole after all, and instead was nothing but a whirlpool of destruction, capable of disintegrating ships and men. It was decided that the space station stabilizing the wormhole would be powered down and disassembled, and that the surrounding space would be permanently sealed off.
To oversee this operation, Fleet Captain Richard Moretti was deployed with a small fleet consisting of a cruiser, a pair of destroyers and a handful of engineering vessels. The Fleet Captain's brother, Lieutenant Frank Moretti, was a pilot aboard one of the Stryker class raiders that went through the wormhole on the original mission, and so this mission had personal significance and weighed heavily on his conscience. He thought about requesting to be recused from the assignment but his sense of duty to the Fleet was strong and he was not one to question the wisdom of Fleet Command... usually.
Moretti's flagship, the Nova Vrelck class cruiser PHX Shrike, took up a defensive position around the station while the engineering vessels docked and made preparations to take the station off line. The destroyers were orders to establish a perimeter and patrol it. With any luck, the mission was to be completed within 4 hours.
3 hours, 56 minutes later
"The last relay has been pulled. Power down is now complete." A technician announced.
For the first time in 2 years, the glowing disturbance contained within the main ring of the station, darkened.
"Evac will be complete in 3 minutes and 45 seconds, and then we can blow the station." the engineering team commander informed Fleet Captain Moretti
Very well, see you back at the starbase. Moretti replied with a sigh.
A nanosecond before the communications link was to be terminated, a bright flash of light illuminated the exterior of now dark station and warning lights began to spring up all over the station as well in the Shrike's command center.
****
"Warning energy levels critical, capacitor overload in 2 minutes." the calm computer voice announced.
"I am detecting a power overload in the main stabilization ring." a technician reported
"Thats impossible, main power has been taken offline!"the engineering team commander scoffed.
"We are not even capable of generating that level of power.... its coming from an external source, We can't stop it." said a worried engineer.
A technician who was looking out the window and exclaimed:" I think a new wormhole has been established!"
"What!?" several people said in surprise as they rushed to see.
"Confirmed, I am reading a disturbance within the parameters of the one we just shut down a second ago, but.. this one... the matter stream... its reversed.. its coming from the other side" an engineer said as he began to figure out what was happening
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/grunt74/NS2/itsback.png
Meanwhile the PHX Shrike took up a position over the station and began scanning.
"What is the status of the station, Commander?" Fleet Captain Moretti inquired.
"It appears an incoming wormhole has been established from the other side. the engineering team commander explained just before an outburst in the background captured everyone's attention.
"Oh my god! Something is coming through!!!!" yelled a young technician who had been glued to her sensor readouts.
"Charge weapons and standby. Get me a reading on what's coming through." FC Moretti ordered.
"Sir our orders are to..." the XO tried to interject
"I said standby damn it!!!" the Fleet Captain said with a grimace.
"Something is coming through, I can't detect what it is yet, too much radiation" the sensor officer of the strike said disappointedly.
"Standby" the Fleet Captain reiterated
<to be continued>
To oversee this operation, Fleet Captain Richard Moretti was deployed with a small fleet consisting of a cruiser, a pair of destroyers and a handful of engineering vessels. The Fleet Captain's brother, Lieutenant Frank Moretti, was a pilot aboard one of the Stryker class raiders that went through the wormhole on the original mission, and so this mission had personal significance and weighed heavily on his conscience. He thought about requesting to be recused from the assignment but his sense of duty to the Fleet was strong and he was not one to question the wisdom of Fleet Command... usually.
Moretti's flagship, the Nova Vrelck class cruiser PHX Shrike, took up a defensive position around the station while the engineering vessels docked and made preparations to take the station off line. The destroyers were orders to establish a perimeter and patrol it. With any luck, the mission was to be completed within 4 hours.
3 hours, 56 minutes later
"The last relay has been pulled. Power down is now complete." A technician announced.
For the first time in 2 years, the glowing disturbance contained within the main ring of the station, darkened.
"Evac will be complete in 3 minutes and 45 seconds, and then we can blow the station." the engineering team commander informed Fleet Captain Moretti
Very well, see you back at the starbase. Moretti replied with a sigh.
A nanosecond before the communications link was to be terminated, a bright flash of light illuminated the exterior of now dark station and warning lights began to spring up all over the station as well in the Shrike's command center.
****
"Warning energy levels critical, capacitor overload in 2 minutes." the calm computer voice announced.
"I am detecting a power overload in the main stabilization ring." a technician reported
"Thats impossible, main power has been taken offline!"the engineering team commander scoffed.
"We are not even capable of generating that level of power.... its coming from an external source, We can't stop it." said a worried engineer.
A technician who was looking out the window and exclaimed:" I think a new wormhole has been established!"
"What!?" several people said in surprise as they rushed to see.
"Confirmed, I am reading a disturbance within the parameters of the one we just shut down a second ago, but.. this one... the matter stream... its reversed.. its coming from the other side" an engineer said as he began to figure out what was happening
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/grunt74/NS2/itsback.png
Meanwhile the PHX Shrike took up a position over the station and began scanning.
"What is the status of the station, Commander?" Fleet Captain Moretti inquired.
"It appears an incoming wormhole has been established from the other side. the engineering team commander explained just before an outburst in the background captured everyone's attention.
"Oh my god! Something is coming through!!!!" yelled a young technician who had been glued to her sensor readouts.
"Charge weapons and standby. Get me a reading on what's coming through." FC Moretti ordered.
"Sir our orders are to..." the XO tried to interject
"I said standby damn it!!!" the Fleet Captain said with a grimace.
"Something is coming through, I can't detect what it is yet, too much radiation" the sensor officer of the strike said disappointedly.
"Standby" the Fleet Captain reiterated
<to be continued>