Posted by Captain Calvin Marius (Captain) in Nothing good happens after 2am
The bridge of the Starship Genesis was bathed in the cold light of a pre-dawn shift. The hum of the ship’s systems was muted, almost tranquil, as most of the crew had settled into their quiet routines. The clock on the wall read 0430 hours. The ship drifted through deep space, far from any scheduled patrols or emergencies. But all of that was about to change.

The double doors to the bridge slid open with a soft hiss, and Captain Calvin Marius strode in. His boots echoed on the deck, sharp and sure, breaking the calm of the early morning. His eyes, always sharp, were now colder than usual—focused, calculating.

(voice cutting through the stillness) “Report, Ensign.” The 4th shift was typically populated by a mess of green ensigns who took the worst shift on board to get the valuable bridge time and thus ‘command’ experience. What was particularly shocking was the appearance of the Captain, absent of an emergency call.

Ensign Voss, who had been quietly reviewing the latest updates to the star charts, straightened at the captain’s arrival. His eyes flicked to the clock—0430. He knew better than to expect anything less than trouble.

“All systems green, sir. Sector Theta-Nine—no anomalies, no hostile signals. Routine sweep. It’s quiet.”

Captain Marius gave a slow nod, his gaze sweeping over the bridge. The crew was alert, but the slowness of the hour had kept them in that mid-shift haze. It was time to shatter that complacency.

“Execute Code Shadow Silver.”

The comms officer’s hands danced over the console, and a soft chime echoed out, signaling the beginning of the drill. The atmosphere shifted—tense, awake, and full of purpose. It was the sound of anticipation.

=^= Red Alert, all hands, Red Alert - This is a drill.=^= The ship-wide alarm blared into the quiet—loud, shrill, and unforgiving. The lights dimmed, switching to the emergency red alert.

Marius did not take his command chair. Silver was the code for a combat drill on the Genesis… Shadow was the Variant where the Captain was unavailable… at least initially.

Marius CO

Surprisingly, one of the first officers on the bridge was Thomas. Of course, that may have had more to do with his attire than anything: he was in PT gear, and had clearly been in the middle of a run when the alarm sounded.

“Is this a ‘get the juniors some experience’ drill, Captain, or should I step in?” he asked quietly, making his way to Marius’ side.

COS