The bridge was bustling with typical activity, with the junior officers likely a bit more alert than usual. The slightest movement was apparent on the viewscreen, as the impulse engines moved the ship slowly towards the alien homeworld and the space station orbiting it.

Over the comm system speakers, a familar voice could be heard.

=/\= Dvorak to Avik. I’ve been cleared for light duty, and I’ve gotten a brief summary of the situation from Lieutenant Zorell. I’m heading up to you now. You can brief me when I get there, but I think we need to expedite the return of the alien spacecraft, without performing any destructive testing. What’s our current ETA? =/\=

As the comms conversation carried on, NE Keynes at the helm leaned over towards NE Hayek. “So, who won the pool?” he whispered.
“It doesn’t count until he’s actually up here,” the equally quiet reply came from the officer at the Ops station.

– Johann Dvorak, CO