Chapter 3
Tim is in the Officer's Lounge, enjoying a bit of quiet time, and having a bite to eat and a Drink. Thinking, "The last two days have been quiet; the girls have been doing their training and spending time at the firing range."
Sarha interrupting Tim's thoughts, "Tim, we are about 15 minutes out of the system called Harilan-Prime. What would you like to do?"
Tim got up from his seat and started to the bridge, says, "Tell the girls I need them on the bridge." Placing his empty Drink container down on the table. Knowing Marie, the Officer's Lounge bot will have the place spotless by the time he gets back.
Sarha appeared right inside the quarters of the women, surprising both girls. "Sorry, I did not mean to surprise you. Next time I will just knock. Ladies, Tim requests your presents on the bridge." Sarha requested.
Tabitha was standing in the middle of the room, only in her bra and panties; she quickly turned to put on her pants suit. Pulling up the zipper while pushing her boobs inside the suit, she and Tammy heading out the door. Said, "Tell Tim, we are on our way." They were going at a hurried pace.
Tim left the Officer's Lounge, walking to his seat. Tells, "Sarha, I need you to stop right after we enter the system." Trying to straighten his outfit out. Thinking 'old habits die hard,' he only had on his older pants and T-shirt, not his uniform.
Sarha said, "I will be holding on the edge of the system until you have provided new instructions, is there a reason?" She is now standing next to Tim's command chair.
Tim makes it to the bridge and taking his seat. "Yes," replied Tim. Tim thinking, this is the first time being in this system, he needed to know more information about the system, "Sarha, you must have been to numerous systems, how are we supposed to know precisely, what exactly is out there?"
Sarha said, "The very first thing is to send out about 50 probes and then wait until they start sending back the information. We can have the probes ready in less than 10 minutes if you want."
Tim answers, "OK, let's do that! Is there any way to make the probes invisible?" Tim is looking at the viewscreen, seeing how big the system is.
Sarha replied, "Yes, I can make them invisible, and undetectable at the same time." Sarha was activating all the working bots to change the probes to what Tim wanted to know.
Tim asks, "Will the probes detect intelligent life?" Sarha started the new request for her program.
Tabitha and Tammy were entering the bridge entrance and headed for their stations. Sitting down and monitoring the panels to see whether everything is OK. Then, turning to Tim, saying, "Pilot's station prepared, Captain!" replied Tabitha.
Tammy replied, "Navigation Station is ready, Captain!" She was spinning her seat around to face Tim.
Sarha replied, "All stations and the ship are ready, Captain! The answer to your last question. 'Yes,' they will find and check the level of intelligence for any life form, on any planet." Sarha added the intelligent life part to the program she created for the probes.
Tim says, "OK, send out the investigating probes. Navigation check for anything in the system."
Sarha, after hearing Tim say, 'OK. 'She started sending out all 50 probes.
Tabitha asks, "How do you shoot them out of the ship?" They send them out through the porthole," Sarha tells Her.
Tammy states, "Tim, we have a ship on the viewscreen. It is on the opposite side of the system. It is turning away from us." She is looking in Tim's direction, keeping an eye on the viewscreen while pointing to the
dot.
Tim asks, "Are we getting any information on what type of ship it is, or anything else?"
Tim turned to look at Sarha, asking, "Sarha, will they be able to see us on their monitor?" He had a concerned look about his face.
Sarha said, "I just made the ship invisible!"
Tim taking a longer and harder look at the screen, asks, "Do we know what is on that side of the system?" Again, turning to look at Sarha, waiting for her reply.
Sarha replies, "I will redirect a probe to that area to check. It may take a while, but I will have the information you need."
While they were sitting there, the probes' information started coming in, and the viewscreen began to update. Tim leaned forward to look at the map. There were two Gas giants, an asteroid belt and one other planetoid, an unhabitable world called Hinnesh, all orbiting the system's primary star.
Tim asks, "Sarha, I thought your information said this is an uninhabited system?"
"Tim, the information in my system is over 900 years old; things have changed. I update my system as we go through each system," replied Sarha.
Tammy states, "There are no signs of life in the asteroid belt."
Tim said, "We'll wait here until we hear from all the probes, in particular the one you sent to the system's far side."
Tim and the girls sat on the bridge and talked for about two hours. Still reading all the updates as they came in. Finally, the one they were waiting for started to update. There seems to be a space station on the other side, but it appears abandoned.
Sarha said, "It will take a while before the probe is within range for more detailed information."
Tabitha asks, "Sarha when all these probes go out, how do they collect this information?" Tabitha is turning towards Sarha for her answer.
Sarha starts to explain, "Each probe has a set of instruments for getting all information needed."
Tim said, "Let's go to the Officer's Lounge and have something to eat." Both girls followed Tim to the Officer's Lounge. Ordering the food and sat down to eat. "Have you two had time to think about staying here or going back home?"
Tabitha, "We think we will be staying with you and the ship for a little while if that is OK with you and Sarha,"
Tim said, "That will be great; we will call your parents later and tell them where you are." With a grateful look on his face, along with a smile. "Do you have any questions about the ship I may be able to answer?"
Tammy said pleasantly, "Tim, what is a Hot Tub?" She was sitting gazing at the Hologram of deck 5. "Is it like a lake?"
Tim replied, "No, it is nothing like the lake. It is a huge tub (large enough for more than one bather) filled with hot water!"
Tabitha is moving closer to Tammy to look at the Hologram. Tammy was pointing it out to her sister. Looking confused, Tabitha asked, "Why would anyone want to sit in a hot tub with someone else in it?"
Tim said with a smile, "It's a place that a bunch of friends can get together and enjoy each other's company and enjoy the warm water to relax in."
Tammy said, "looking up at him with a grin, we are friends, can we try it?"
Tabitha said delightedly, "Yes, we will have to try it out, Tim, will you join us?"
At about that time, Sarha appeared in the room. She sees Tim and the girls talking. She interjected, "Tim, the probe is within range; there is something you need to see."
Tim and the girls head back from the Officer's Lounge to their seats. Checking out the readings, they look at the space station on their display screen. It looks abandoned, but the probe is showing a life sign on it.
Tim asks, "Sarha, is there any way to get a better look at the station, and maybe see what the life sign is?"
Sarha replied, "I can send the probe inside of the station if you want?"
Tim instructed, "OK, send the probe inside and see what we can see." Sarha is reprogramming the probe to search for an opening to get inside the space station.
The probe approached the space station; one side had a big section missing. The closer the probe got, the station looked like no one has been there in 5- or 10 centuries. The probe moved in closer, looking for any opening to get inside. Once found and inside, the interior was dark, the artificial gravity was down, bits and debris were floating through the air.
The probe follows a pathway to the life form. It came to a sealed door, and the door had a porthole. It placed its sensor next to the porthole so that we could see inside. Looking inside, we see a figure on the floor. It is not moving, but the probe sensors show that it is still alive.
Tim said as he rose from his chair, "Sarha, how fast can we get there? Can the probe stay there to monitor the life form? Also, do we have an anti-gravity sled?"
Sarha said, "The ship is already moving, it will not be long, I will keep the probe there until we get there. And a bot will have a sled by the airlock!"
Tim heads to the Office's Lounge to check something, the girls following, "Tabitha and Tammy, I need you both to stay here! Tabitha, you stay on the bridge just in case that ship comes back. Tammy, I will need you suited up and in the cargo bay, to help bring the life form in, also bring your rifle just in case."
Tabitha said, "I will keep an eye on the scanner and let you know if anything shows up." She heads back to her pilot seat. Setting down and pulling up the viewscreen on the full-screen monitor in front of the bridge. It is about half of the bridge in width.
Tammy heads for their room, saying, "I will get my suit on and meet you in the cargo bay." She is running to the elevator leaving for her room. She slipped out of her clothes, only leaving on her bra and panties, then sliding into her spacesuit. Grabbing her helmet as she leaves for the armory to pick up her weapon. After getting her weapon, she heads to the cargo bay.
Coming back out of the Lounge, Tim tells Tabitha, "When we get there, I need you to stay about 1,500 meters away from the space station, I will jet pack across." Tim, now leaving for his room, getting into his suit. Thinking, 'This is taking too long, we need a faster way.' Now in his suit, and on his way to the Cargo bay.
Their ship comes up to the space station, and Tabitha parks it right where Tim asked her to. Tammy was in the cargo bay to help bring whomever the life form is inside. She also has her rifle leaning against the outer wall.
Tim is exiting the airlock door. Using a lifeline hooked to the ship and a jet pack to get across while pulling the rest of the lifeline with him and the sled. Drifting across the gap to the station, getting there, he connects the other end. He moved through the corridors hand over hand, alternately pushing off furniture bolted to the ground or pulling himself along the railings. Walking through the old station was slow going, and it took him a little while to find the probe. Opening the door was the easy part, now he could see the life form.