“Yes Sir!” She answered happily, turning the ship rather violently starboard.

Lt. Commander Updike reached for a section of the bulkhead to steady himself,” Sir! Earth doesn’t have any citizens on Croshier!”

“True…but the nicest beaches in the galaxy can be found there,” PJ responded, adding in his mind, ”and some of the nicest, barley clad ladies too…”

“But Sir…”

“You heard the captain, Upchuck!” Came the voice of Dr. Syzygy from the entryway.

“Damn it Doctor! Stop mouthin’ off and…”

“Knock it off. Both of you.” MacLupus said calmly with a dejected sigh.

“Y…yes Sir.” They both answered with reluctance.

PJ leaned forward and keyed the communications to engineering, “How are we looking, Zooey?”

There was a moment of static before Sergeant Perkins’s energetic voice answered back, “Engines and stabilizers are green across the board!”

As Cirini plotted the course and powered the ship into a cruising speed, the command crew relaxed and exited the bridge, going about their daily tasks aboard the old rickety ship. Dr. Sunstreak peaked though the door to inform those left that Roz was making something special for the command crew that she got on Escalon a few weeks ago. Shi could tell that the remaining crew on the bridge was exited to have a descent meal after that trip. The last of Maltez’s satellites pasted out of view and they were again surrounded by open, never ceasing space. As Updike strode off to make his rounds, the ships AI spoke, “ Captain, I am detecting periodic energy pulses directly astern at approximately 500 meters.”

“What kind of pulses?”

“Energy levels and signature suggest Pegasus Class heavy fighter fusion engines, but there is no heat or electronic signatures…no ship is detected.”

“When does the anomaly occur?”

“Every time my speed or trajectory is adjusted, Sir.”

“Peter thought for a moment, “Let me see those scanner readouts, Apollo.”

“Yes sir!” the AI responded as several windows popped up on the captain’s consol. All of the sensors were working perfectly.

“Hmmmm…. nothing…” PJ pondered, “Keep track of it and tell me if anything really bizarre starts happening.”

“Yes sir!”

MacLupus stood from his chair and beckoned the Lieutenant follow suit, “Come on, Cirini. Roz will be waiting for us…and you know how she can get.”

They strode down the hallways of the old passenger ship and down the stairways to the Mess hall where the other officers were waiting for them. Roz’s almost incoherent humming was clear from the kitchen as they took seats at the long steel table. Dr. Sunstreak set out drinks, to which all the crew quickly attacked and consumed. She came out shortly after, with the help of a couple crewmen, carrying several large stainless steel plates. The distribution was swift and she took her seat at the end of the table. “Dig in! What’cha waitin for!”

As they ate, and thoroughly enjoyed the well-prepared feast, they chatted about their plans for Croshier. PJ was lost in a picture of Cirini in a bikini lying on his mind’s beach when he noticed the Fire exit sign in the darker corner of the room. The image was slightly distorted, as though he was looking at it through a prism of sorts. “Anyone know what’s up with the fire sign?” he asked

They all turned to look, and Roz answerd, “Ummm… it’s looking like a fire exit sign to me, Captain…”

He looked back up to see that it was just as it was supposed to be, “Man… I must be more tired than I thought.”

After that, MacLupus decided that is was high time to get some R&R. He stood from the table and quietly strode back to his quarters. He opened his door and was about to enter when Updike’s shrill voice pierced the air behind him. Peter nearly jumped out of his fur. “Sir! It’s only 18:00 hours! Retiring already?”

He looked back at Updike… or rather behind him to a control panel along the wall, which was similarly distorted to the fire sign earlier. “Updike! Do you see that?”

The ridged gerbil glanced back at the control panel that his captain was pointing at, only to see what he had expected…a regular control panel on the wall. “On second thought, Sir… Perhaps it is better that you see some sleep.”

“Yeah, that food must ‘a done something to me on top of the sleep debt.”

“Rodger that Sir!” Updike responded, “ I’ll keep Apollo in line until you resume consciousness!” And with that, he strode off back towards the mess hall. PJ sealed the door behind him before ungracefully pealing his uniform off and pitching it in the auto washer. He set the alarm by his bed for a ten-hour rest period, thinking to himself that having a full ten hours of undisturbed sleep was going to be heavenly. He slid under the covers of his bunk, clicked the lights off, and was almost immediately asleep, dreaming again of the beautiful navigator in a skimpy bikini on some unknown beach in his mind. So dead asleep, he was, that he didn’t notice the door silently slide open, only to close again with no apparent movement, bar air, though the portal a few moments later…. More than enough time to place a microscopic camera above the Captain’s desk….

Cirini quietly walked back into the bridge after finishing her meal and sat down at her station behind the helm. It was always quietest when the Apollo was cruising, and the best time to go over nav. charts and maps…attempting to train herself to be a little less lost. She put on some music on and leaned back in the rather comfortable chair before keying up several star maps on her consol. A few moments passed before the bridge door sliding open interrupted her. Cirini looked over her shoulders to see the empty hallway through the passage.

“Updike?” She called out, only to hear silence answer. She stood up from her chair and took a step back towards the glass, scanning the room with her keen eyes.

“Who’s there?!” She shouted when she saw a bit of motion out of the corner of her right eye. When she turned to find the source of the twitch, the door slid shut again. “This isn’t funny! Roz? Zooey?”

It wasn’t as easy as the first time, but all the tension aside, two more microscopic cameras found places on the bridge. The wolftaur soon calmed and returned to her seat, and resumed her music. Truth be told, there were now over 60 nano-cams unknowingly decorating the entirety of the old passenger ship, from stem to stern, captain’s quarters to the cargo bay, every room now sported at least one of the invisible eyes. Deep in the recesses of the cargo bay, behind several large crates in the dark shadows, a feminine voice spoke from a COM device in a very hushed volume.

“Did they detect my presence?”

Another, very deep male voice responded quietly, “Negative Electra, they caught a couple whispers from your engines, but suspected nothing.”

“As I expected. Shall I keep this position, master Shan ‘Jalon?” The COM asked.

“Yes. Hold position at 500 meters, full stealth.”

“Copy Master. I am receiving a transmission from the Order. Shall I forward it to you?”

“Yes.”

A few moments of silence passed before another voice over the COM was heard. It was the voice of one who was in power, and knew it well…a regal and almost supernatural voice, “Give me the status on the operation, Shan ‘Jalon.”

“Eyes in place, Lordship. Detection factor, zero.” The deep voice responded.

“Excellent. Your mission remains the same, bar one new objective… In addition to gathering video and audio Intel, You must also witness some activities with your own eyes, and opinions…a report on your findings will be required after the operation is complete. The Order is confident in your abilities to complete this extra task without compromising your detection status.”

“Does this mean an extension on my deadline?”

“Negative, Shan. You must still accomplish the extermination within your current deadline. Will you be able…” the deep voice cut the hierarch off.

“Ghost status engaged, Danger close.” He whispered as the door near him opened and Roz walked into the bay, carrying a crate to the large stack where the voice hid. She turned to leave when a strange electronic charging noise sounded from behind the crates. She cautiously crept around the pile and saw a chrome device lying on the cold deck. She picked it up and on the screen was a view of the bridge, just above the entry door. There was a small symbol at the bottom left.

“What in the hell is this thing all about?” She asked herself as she turned to leave.

She took a step and tripped over something, landing flat on her face. She turned her head to look at her feet, only to see a fleshy, dark purple tentacle attached to a spike of bone embedded into one of the large crates. She followed the tentacle, or tail, she discovered, around her to see it attached to a very tall…and barley clad creature, holding a chromed photon pistol to her head. Upon closer inspection, he looked slightly earthen, Digi-grade legs attached to almost dragonish feet. Scars adorned his dark purple, furless skin, and his left arm was a shiny chrome upgrade, clearly cybernetic. As she slowly stood to her feet upon his orders, she got a better look at his face. It reminded her of fantasy goblins, with his incredibly long ears and almost tentacle-like dreadlocks. He also had a chromed helm of sorts, attached to luminescent green goggles staring down at her behind the charged weapon.

“Who are you?” She asked, hands in the air.

He reached his metallic left hand over to his other, which depressed a large green orb-like gem on the back of the cybernetic hand, and he vanished almost instantly, although Roz could faintly see his shape by the distortion of the objects behind him.

“Wraith.” Responded the cloaked figure with a menacing deep voice as a sharp blow to her head rendered her unconscious.

Part Two Part Three