Chapter 29, part 1
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"USM Creedence, this is CEC Central Dispatch. We have a lock on your transponder signal; you have approximately five minutes before blackout to transmit your message."
The CEC dispatcher fought off a long and winded yawn as he leaned against his hand, lazily rubbing his left eye with his pinky and readjusting his headset as it began to slip off his head. He stared dazedly at the holomonitor blaring at him, watching as encrypted lines of data scrolled endlessly across the screen and he sincerely wished he were watching his own eyelids instead. He zoned out on the rhythmic streams of code and began to drift when he was startled by a hard hitting hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you're not off shift yet. Keep your eyes on that and make sure its secured."
The dispatcher sighed and rolled his eyes, eying his supervisor as he walked away.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm on it."
As the message completed and began to loop, the dispatcher decoded the file and played it back on his holomonitor, scanning it for security watermarks. As he watched it, his eyes slowly widened with interest piqued and now fully roused from fatigue. He blinked as the message finished, and looked down in surprise.
"Holy shit."
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The blinding luminescence of the massive area halogens along the outside of the station spilled in through panoramic windows to flood the otherwise lightless quarters of the Counselor, who sat perched in a large, decorative seat angled just off in an area hidden in shadow. She watched with anciently framed eagle eyes as the countless crew worked along the outer decks like a hive of ants, toiling ceaselessly with no regard for time or tide. She mused to herself how deep space had no tolerance for night or day; in this place, the value of such measurements was null and void. To her, it was always night.
The old woman sat silently, watching and thinking constantly within. She was inexplicably filled with a tense anticipation, examining everything around her for any sign of what it might be that her inner sense was waiting for. Without removing her ice cold stare from the window she reached for a cigarette, lit it and inhaled deeply.
Alarmed by a subtle premonition, her eyes darted to the small coffee table off to her right, catching sight of the holomonitor device. A moment later, the interface lit up in response to an incoming call. She stretched out her withered hand, and in a subconscious act she traced a small Marker symbol with her finger across its surface, watching as the heat of her hand briefly left a layer of condensation across the cold metal surface. She then activated it, watching as the imagery of the CEC dispatcher flashed on screen.
"Good morning Counselor. We've just received word from the USM Creedence."
The Counselor, though stirred deeply inside, gave no physical indication to the dispatcher, just stared hard at the digital image with grey eyes devoid of any feeling.
"Please... patch it through."
The dispatcher nodded, and the imagery fell to static momentarily until replaced by the recorded announcement of the Creedence. The Counselor eyed the screen warily.
"This is Lieutenant Chen of the USM Creedence. This message is being broadcast on secure subcarrier frequency 352 and is deemed as red status priority. This is to confirm that we have located and retrieved a stranded within Aegis7 airspace, boarding vessel USG-09. We have made contact and currently have it in our possession."
The Counselor smiled at the static recording, leaning back in her seat with a delighted air of expectancy.
"At this point we have not been able to establish contact with the USM Valor, and we have reason to suspect that it was targeted over Aegis7. We are currently on our way back with the acquisition to investigate, and we will report anything we find. We've also picked up an additional signal originating from Aegis7 orbit."
The Counselor suddenly paused, frozen in place, staring with a hint of disbelief at the screen and slowly returning to a fully erect position as she locked her eyes upon it.
"While we're not close enough for visual confirmation, the signal is encoded with standard CEC encryption and we are positive at this point that it's from the USG Ishimura. Once we arrive, we'll be able to confirm that. Lieutenant Chen of the Creedence out."
The Counselor's stunned expression crept through the slackened wrinkles of her face as the holomonitor flashed off. She sat within the returned darkness, trying to properly arrange what she had just heard for several moments before standing up and directing her stare out the windows, now peering far beyond the outer decks of the space station and into the black void of deep space itself, searching for a single star she knew. Lost in a pool of thought, she tucked her elbow beneath her arm, pressed her cigarette to her lips and drew sharply from it, exhaling with rising animosity as she unconsciously began to whisper to herself.
"What are you up to...? What are you thinking? This is isn't the way I saw it happen... in my dream... I saw the Ishimura go down. Just what are you planning, Mr. Clarke?"
She was immediately interrupted as another incoming call flashed upon the holomonitor device. Irritably derailed from her train of thought, she quickly turned around and stormed up to it, activating it with a terse, aggressive sweep of her finger. She was unexpectedly greeted by the imagery of the Abbot.
"Good morning, Madam. I'm sure you've heard."
The Counselor took a deep breath and regained her composure, running her fossilized hand along the side of her face to sweep back a long strand of mottled, silver hair.
"Yes. Yes, I've heard. I suppose you'd like to meet."
The Abbot, with gnarled, root like hands clasped together upon the desk in front of him, nodded solemnly. The Counselor nodded likewise.
"Yes, Sir. I will see you at 9:00 hours."
She quickly cut the signal, then after a moment of thought dialed the medical bay.
"Yes. I'd like to see Dr. Werren right away. Yes. Send him now. Thank you."
The Counselor deactivated the device and stalked away, again heading towards the windows and stared out into the depths of space, waiting patiently. After a quarter hour's worth of contemplative silence she heard the chime of the intercom upon the door, announcing the doctor's arrival. She opened the door remotely with her RIG and Dr. Alex Werren stepped in, staunch and attentive as he looked at her.
"Yes, Madam. What can I do for you?"
The old woman watched him with wary eyes as he proceeded further into the room until he was standing a few feet from her. She swept a bony, polished hand gracefully, offering him to take a seat, and the two adjourned to the darkened sitting area, where the Counselor now returned to her chair. As they both sat down and Werren settled himself, the Counselor simply stared at him through her wrinkle laden eyes, folding her hands across her lap.
"Werren, I want you to prepare the lab. I've just heard that we will be receiving a very special... guest."
Werren, who had been distractedly filing through some things in his hand, now looked up at her words, a bit of surprise riddled across his deep set, bearded face.
"A guest? Who?"
The Counselor smiled very faintly, her eyes momentarily glimmering through the darkened shadows, and Werren immediately picked up on her discreet sense of excitement.
"A stranded."
Werren blinked, now all of his attention focused directly at her.
"You mean... the Ishimura stranded?"
The Counselor nodded, remained silent as Werren sat for a brief moment, glancing away in thought, then returned his eyes to the Counselor with a tiny, fragile grin parting the thick hairs of his beard.
"So it's true... Altman be Praised."
The Counselor now lifted her folded hands at his reaction, tented her fingertips before her. Yes, Altman be Praised, indeed.
"So then, the plan is to go forward as discussed?"
The Counselor nodded sternly.
"Yes, we proceed as is. The Creedence will be back shortly. I want the lab ready by the time they return. I want to start on him immediately."
"Yes, Madam, of course. I'll see to it we have everything ready."
The Counselor raised her hand, prompting Werren to fall silent again.
"We'll be trying a modified suppression serum with this case. I have a supply being delivered to your office this afternoon. For your eyes only, Werren. Be sure you are the only one who signs for it."
A moment of silent acknowledgement passed between them, and the Counselor eventually dismissed the doctor with a wave of her nearly skeletal hand. He stood up, gave her a slight bow of respect and swiftly retreated from the room. After he left, the Counselor glanced at her RIG, judging the time. It was shortly after 8:30 hours, and seeing as close as it was, she immediately made her way out of her quarters and headed for the Abbot's office.
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