He stood there with his morning coffee, to the same view he has seen for thirty years. It was thirty one actually as today was the anniversary of his employment, on this post. Over those years he had progressed from an ensign to commanding officer of this post. The old commander had to retire at some point, who also had a soft spot for this, at the time, young man. At fifty-eight, he may very well do the same.
The edge of his cup reached the man’s lips, and sipped. His eyes, as well as most of the man’s front body. were coated in bright blue. Beyond the observatory from whence he gazed shone a blue star, Epsilon Ursae Majoris (a.k.a. Alioth); a star that belonged to the Ursa Major constellation. No planets, no spatial anomalies, no traffic. Silence.
Only thing that made noise was the beeps and boops of the terminals that surrounded him, manned by the colleagues he has come to regard as family.
‘Morning Jim’
‘Morning Todd’, replied the Commander.
‘What’s today’s then?’
‘Oh, latte, two sugars, with a little drip of caramel…want one?’
‘Nor I’m good, say, are you feeling hopeful or somethin?’
‘Not particularly, just got bored of regular coffee, thought I’d give it a spin. My thirty first anniversary being on this station today’
‘So it is! Say, mines not far’, Todd bounces.
‘Congratulations you poor sod’, said another in a rather stark tone.
Melissa turned, her rigid expression regarded the Commander, and then raised a cup in his honour. A little smirk broke her stalwart look.
‘Thank’s Melissa, so, what have we got today. Surprise me’
‘Same as any other day, nothing on sensors sir’
‘Really? I’m surprised’
‘Before you ask, nor, I ain’t got any radio chat either’, Todd intervened.
‘Very well, you know the drill, run continuous sweeps of the area and send our intel to both Regulus and Eta Herculis’
‘Aye Commander’
‘Right, I’m going back to my office…’
‘And file your paperwork, yes yes’
‘You got it’, the Commander remarked, then turned to head for the door.
‘It drives me crazy sometimes, well, all the time. You know, when it comes to my anniversary I might borrow the weapon controls and set loose on these rocks round us’
‘Don’t want to give our position away Todd’, Melissa said dryly.
‘Oh position be damned! They probably know we’re here, I just want ta make a little noise. Don’t you?’
‘That’s why I play music’
‘Pfft, you call that music? Whatever that racket you play in your quarters ain’t music lass’
__
His stride caught the attention of every passing crew member down the hallway, they halted and saluted the Commander. Jim nodded.
Upon entry into the office he set his cup of coffee onto the cold metallic desk. Pulled out a chair, sat and pressed a button to switch on the computer in front of him. The man’s fingers tapped away.
User: JimAlvrez53
Pass: **********
Security: RogerRoger1999
He proceeded to a list of to-dos and ticked each one off.
AM Sensor readings- check: none
Transmissions (type)– check: none
Physical Observations- check: normal
Anomalies (type)- check: none according to both sensor readings, transmissions or physical observation
Packaged intel sent to other Listening Posts (designations)?- check: Yes, data sent to LP4Leo-RE and LP3Her-EH, encryption level 3
Reviewed other reports?-
He hadn’t, the Commander took a sip from his cup and read the other reports sent from nearby listening posts. Two in fact, one in the Regulus star system and another in Eta Herculis. These posts (including LP5UMa-A are part of what has been known as the Northern Frontier, which spanned three major systems and a few minor ones in between. The three systems: Alioth, (Ursa Majoris), Regulus (Leo) and Eta Herculis (Hercules). They acted as Humanities defence line after the First Contact incident. Corvettes patrolled this frontier.
The other reports said the same, nothing…all was quiet at the northern front, as it was known. Except for Aldebaran, LP2Tau-AL, which was part of the northern hemisphere (Taurus), but not the frontier. That post picked up all sorts from spatial manipulation, transmissions to sensor sweeps that were not their own. And there was a source, the Pleiades nebulae. This was the civilisation that offered assistance amidst the first contact incident, and made Humanity aware of a larger galactic community. Though they wanted no part, not after such ordeal. It was a period of isolation, uncertainty, fear. Both simply listened and watched and got on with their agendas.
It was the space above Regulus, Eta Herculis and Alioth that made Mankind’s heart beat and it’s collective consciousness, furl. Those sinister beings with scaly flesh…
Check- reviewed reports from LP3Her-RE and LP4Leo-EH, both reports possess the same results as our own, which is no change
The rest of the list regarded equipment checks, supplies, morale, concerns/complaints and contractual hours/pay.
His cup ran dry and as he came to the end of it, Jim needed another, and it had only turned early afternoon. Which sparked the question, where were the first set of patrol ships?
__
Alcor and Mizar
‘Come on, where’s the new recruit?’, uttered the Captain.
He marched orderly, back and forth as he, amongst others, waited. A line of pilots on two sides stood at attention. An unkept pilot rushed into the hangar bay, saw the men and Captain, who’s eyes had honed in like a hawk; his face distorts.
‘And where the hell have you been Leonard!?, ironing your suit and putting makeup on, either way you did a shit job’
‘sorr-‘
‘Get in line!’
The young man did as ordered.
‘Now that everyone is here, we can begin our patrol, as all of you know but I’ll say this for our newcomer; our first stop is Regulus, scout the system, see if their’s anything out of the ordinary, then we’ll proceed to Alioth, scout there and finally; Eta Herculis. We’ll bunk down in Megrez, speaking of I’ve had to inform the other patrol leader that we may be behind schedule. I’m looking at you pilot…better not happen again’, his sharp eyes lingered before the man’s body spun to head for the ship at the furthest end of the hangar.
‘Let’s move out!’
The pilots dispersed in a mass array of purpose and diligence.
Leonard hesitated in the sudden dispersion, and had to adjust his glasses to find the ship assigned to him.
‘You’re with me rookie’
Leonard jumped and saw a brusque man, arms folded, and a noticeable thick mustache.
‘This way’
Leonard stumbled as he followed. Unsure whether this was a trick, or this was his ship. When they came upon it, the man opened the cockpit.
‘You first, backseat’, he motioned.
In his mind, he was partially distraught in not having his own, but in a grander sense, particularly in this shift’s case, it was a good thing that someone else had taken the reigns.
Both men entered this trapezius-shaped vessel of re-purposed alien technology.
‘W-what’s your name then?’, Leonard stuttered.
No reply, Leonard thought the man didn’t hear, but it was he who blatantly ignored the question. Leonard asked again. The man rolled his eyes.
‘Tod, now you do as I say, firstly, shut up’
Leonard, shocked, sealed his lips from then on and instead got acquainted with the ship systems on the console in front of him.
Their ships left the station and formed a triangular formation, with the Captain as its spearhead. Within the Captain’s vessel a constant beep rang. It was from command, based in the station they had left momentarily. Curious, the Captain answered.
‘Greetings command, this is Captain Hendricks how may I be of assistance?’
‘Greetings captain, apologies for postponing your jump to Regulus, the reason why we have called is to inform you of a change in course’
‘Really, how come?’, he sounded surprised, excited even.
‘We have lost contact with LP5’
The Captain’s eyes widened.
‘Alioth?’
‘Precisely, the second patrol group is already en route to Eta Herculis to our knowledge. However, we have informed LP3 to redirect them to Alioth, so that they may join you in the investigation, those are your orders captain, command out’
The Captain opened a local comms channel to his squadron.
‘Squadron, we have received new orders from command to change course to Alioth. They’ve informed me that they have lost contact with LP5, it is up to us to investigate, however, the second patrol will be joining us shortly after we have arrived’
The formation of ships directed their warp drives to Alioth, and the Captain initiated the exodus. They left the binary star system behind.
__
Slowly, they encroached upon the listening post. The Captain attempted to hail the listening post but only received static. Though once they reached a range where they could see the place with their naked eyes. The questions that each pilots mind ruminated upon were answered in earnest.
The Captain pressed a series of buttons.
‘This is Captain Hendrick, we have arrived at LP5, it has been attacked…I repeat, LP5 has been attacked’, he sent the audio transmission to command.
He then broadcasted to his squadron.
‘Pilots, scan the area, divert additional power into your sensors, weapons and shields’
Tod looked over his shoulder.
‘Any lifesigns Leonard?’
The rookie flicked through the console, received results, double checked, then became uncertain.
‘Well?’
‘No!…sorry, n-no, I can’t find any lifesigns’
Everyone’s eyes were fixated on their sensors, engrossed in whether a blip may occur. Tod however watched through his cockpit for any visual irregularities; a flash, a trail, a distortion.
They searched and searched but to no avail. Until one of the squadron’s ships grazed against something.
‘Captain this is squadron four, my ship just grazed against something and it wasn’t debris or space rock’
The entire squadron shifted to where squadron four was located and indeed, he was correct in that there weren’t any debris or space rock. But as everyone’s keened in.
‘Sir, I-I see something…the stars, and space itself seem to be…bending? Moving??’
And it was.
‘Anything on sensors?’, the Captain demanded.
‘Negative sir’
‘No sir’
‘Nothing captain’
Although, the anomaly made itself known as sudden blip sounded on everyone’s sensors. What their eyes saw was a dark craft that had unveiled itself. Its hull partially lit with hints of green. But what stood out most of all were the fangs at the front of this vessel, it looked hungry.
‘Sir, orders?’
‘Hold fire! Alien vessel this is Captain Hendrick of patrol group two, you have breached an occupied system of the Sol’s Federation. Are you the ones who attacked’
…
…
‘I repeat are you the ones-‘
BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM…BLAM
The Captain’s shields absorbed the first flurry of fire, but that last hit damaged the hull. He became dead in the water.
The squadron dispersed, settled their sights on the alien vessel and opened fire. Their volley of plasma fire got ate up by the alien’s shields. Another volley came from the squadron. No effect. They didn’t even know if they had made a dent in their shields.
They returned fire and easily took out half the squadron.
‘Give me more power to the engines kid!’, Tod belted.
‘Y-yes sir!’
Tod managed to evade each shot with the extra oompth to the thrusters, and survived long enough for the other patrol group. Backup had arrived. They engaged the vessel, that gave the Captain enough time to reboot his ship’s systems.
__
Sol
Thud thud
‘Come!’
The doors slid ajar.
‘Sorry to disturb you sir’, a man in an officer’s uniform said. He cradled a datapad within his arms.
‘It’s alright young man, what have to you got to report?’
He stood there for a moment longer, his lips were glued and posture, stiff.
‘Well, go on then’, the senior officer ushered.
‘The listening post in Alioth sir, has been destroyed…and the patrols there have engaged an alien vessel’
The senior officer regarded the other for while longer, one eye narrowed, as if to see if this was a ploy or a silly joke. But the steadfast, unblinking nature of the younger officer proved it not to be. This was serious.
‘So now they’re testing the waters eh?, send two corvettes to assist, don’t want to throw everything in there. Send additional ships to the other frontier listening posts. I’ll inform Earth ground command to prepare any necessary defences’
‘Aye sir’
The Corvettes left the shipyard and were bound for Alioth.
When they had arrived they encountered the alien vessel as well as to two sets of destroyed squadrons. The Captain’s ship had been destroyed, however, one squadron fighter was miraculously still intact
‘Finally, the cavalry has arrived!’ Tod bellowed.
A flurry of plasma fire emanated from the alien vessel, and hit both corvettes. Unscathed, the corvettes gladly returned a flurry of their own, enough to cause the vessel to move close and retaliate. The corvettes shields held and pursued after the disturbed vessel; Tod along with Leonard pursued after them and gained the upper hand in speed. Together, with their combined firepower, they took down the alien’s shields. A new founded confidence empowered Tod, he belted down the pedal and fired a succession of bolts that struck the alien vessel. Its hull was marked.
Like a ghost, they disappeared from view.
__
Indeed, they had the tested waters, witnessed the progress of Mankind since the invasion. That alien vessel never showed itself again, but that didn’t mean the Sol’s Federation weren’t on high alert for the rest of that year, or for the few years after then. Humanity expanded, colonised new worlds, and were left alone. Until those aliens with the ghost ships returned and attacked colonies. Even then with a greater capacity of ships, the Federation had struggled.
Humanity could not survive on its own, and those aliens grew bolder, and soon others came test Humanity. Instead, Mankind turned towards their saviours from the first contact incident for help. They offered a seat upon their community’s council, and Humanity accepted.
A new age of expansion, research and awareness, began.
Within the star system of Alioth, a memorial was made onto the space rock of where the post had been built into. It commemorated those who lost their lives that day, the Commander and the Captain, respectively, as well as many others.