Chapter 1: Questions (Continued)
System: Beta Aquilae
May 14, Year 2371, 17:52 hours.
Briefing Room
"Please hand over Firearms, PDA's, and all communication devices"
McAllen hears as he enters the briefing room. Turning to the left, he reaches into his pocket, pulls his phone out and hands it to the guard. After which he reaches into his holster and pulls out his standard issue TF-11 semi-automatic pistol and hands it and to the guard also. Who puts it into a sliding drawer with McAllen's name on it.
The briefing room was large, half circular, capable of holding one hundred and fifty top staff on descending rolls to the center platform.
McAllen, holding a folder thick with information on various weapon systems, targeting systems, and payloads, walks down the stairs into the room itself. Already nearly full with one hundred and twenty-six crew members was echoing with light chatter, he heard mostly questions in the seats near the isle where he was walking. After excusing himself some, McAllen sits in a seat on the right side of the room, three rolls back from the middle platform. Chatter continues to grow as more of the crew assembles. A little nervous of being called up to do a presentation, McAllen looks through his information just to calm his nerves that he has everything he was asked to bring.
"Attention"
Everyone in the briefing room rises as Simms, Hollis and Hanley walk into the briefing room and continue down the stairs to the front roll. Simms and Hollis both sit, and the entire briefing room follows. Hanley on the other hand walks up to the few stairs to the top of the central platform and then up to the podium.
"Date, May fourteenth, Year 2371, the time is eighteen hundred and zero-one hours." Hanley speaks over the loudspeaker.
"Commander Simms, may I have authorization to begin the briefing?"
Simms looks up to notice Hanley carrying a file that wasn't the one shown to him, "Classified Omega" the red letters say. A little confused, he nods his head and speaks.
"Authorization Granted"
Hanley looks up and nods at the guard at the door, who quickly types on the computer. Everyone hears the pops of the electronic locks which causes a slight stir. The lights begin to dim as the screen behind the podium turns on and the letters "Classified Level Omega" appear on screen with the GTVA logo underneath.
"Quite frankly, I'm not gonna go through standard clause about leaking this information that is normally spoken before briefings such as this, everyone in this room has heard it several times and know the consequences of such an action. There are far more important things right now to discuss. Alright, lets start with what you do know." Hanley speaks over the loudspeaker as he opens the folder in his hands.
"It's a widely known fact that the GTVA has been rebuilding a portal based on the data that was taken from the Knossos subspace portal in Delta Serpentis"
McAllen as with the rest of the attendants hardly flinched. The GTVA has been trumpeting the fact that they have been building a portal for over two years now and it was hardly classified data.
"Now what you do not know. It appears the process has hit some snags."
The room quietens.
"Let me start from the beginning, firstly for the sake of security reasons the portal is not being built where Command has said it to be. It is actually at the location of the Trident-Moore frigate training facility in Delta Serpentis on the opposite side of the system. Since both areas have extremely high security and the fleet watching these locations have shoot on sight authorization on any intruders who encroach in both areas of Military controlled space. I'm sure you are familiar with the civilian freighter Fargo when it collided with the Civilian ship Mathiers in Delta Serpentis a year ago, resulting in the destruction of both vessels. The fact is the Mathiers never existed, and you can take your conclusions on that."
"Well, I'm sure you all know, we didn't pull a big briefing just to share that little tidbit with you, so let me get to the meat of the briefing. Something else you did not know was that the portal is operational and has been tested. The date of the supposed, official first test of the portal in 2375 was a bogus date Command used to try to put off how complete the portal codenamed "Aurora" is."
Hanley pushed a few buttons on the remote in his hand and the portal appeared on the screen behind him showing technical details and information.
People in the room stirred a little.
"Now since that information has been revealed, I can go deeper with the report. As I can see by the look everyone's faces speaks the question on how the test went. Well, as the Aurora was powering up the station attached recorded an anomaly, a Fabric Change Trace.."
The room was once again were filled with whispers.
"I'm confused, what is a Fabric Change Trace" Jay Hollis asked from the seat on the right side of Simms on the front roll.
"Basically a status change in Space/Time."
Hollis turned around to see Scientist Neal Boggs standing. Hardly the small, thin scientist type, he was widely known as Neal "WildHog" Boggs for obvious reasons.
"Let me explain, Fabric Change Trace is basically a change in space caused by the distortion of subspace. When I was a pilot, we had a slang term for it, a "Knock-Knock". It happens when a craft whether Fighter or Destroyer engages it's subspace drive long enough to tear a rip into subspace, but then aborts it before entering subspace. What happens is some of the energy travels down the subspace tube and emerges out the location at the end of the jump creating a microscopic portal that is only detected by powerful sensors such as on Fightercraft or Stations. The reason it is called a "Knock-Knock" is not only would it alert you of a mistake possibly telling you that something is coming, but also it would bring a little information with it about the readout of the craft that sent it." With the last few words Boggs looked directly at Hanley before sitting down, and the focus of the room was now again on Hanley.
Hanley feeling the pressure of the room, looked down to his folder then back up.
"Perfect description, Mr. Boggs. The fact of the matter is we did receive a little information on the drive of the ship that sent it. The closest ship we could match the signature to was the Shivan Super Destroyer Lucifer"
And with that the whole room erupted in chatter.
"Please, please" Hanley said trying to get everyone back under control.
"The data is not conclusive by any means, and this was only the closest match our analysts could make. The fact is that many of the top scientists have agreed that it is very possible that this was only a wave of energy when the Lucifer was supposedly destroyed that has only just now reached us and that there is no threat at all in continued testing and/or use. However, by the order of Command the Vega along with four other top GTVA destroyers will go to the location of the Aurora for it's first full operational start up. Firstly to provide extra security from terrorist threats but also to provide security from the unknown threat if there happens to be one."
Simms looking at Hanley showing extreme dis-pleasure at what Hanley was saying.
"As of right now, all un-classified communications both inbound and outbound from this vessel has been suspended until farther notice. The Vega is now under the control of Terran Special Operations Command."
Simms stood up, dropping all the folders off his lap into the briefing room floor, and after looking Hanley straight in the eyes with intense anger walked up the stairs without saying a word. Hollis grabed the papers off the floor and followed Simms. After a brief exchange with the guard, the main doors are opened long enough for the them to exit after which they re-closed and re-locked. The room is quieter than the depths of space.
Hanley waits until they have left before he continues.
"When I call your name, you are to walk up to the podium and dis-close the information you were asked to gather. Drew Jones, please come up and give the data on the vital supply count....."
Chapter 1 END.
