Smith's Demise
29 Jul 2023D. James Totendost
29 July 3309I sat "slowly" suspended above this pale blue dot as my engines hummed in supercruise.
I tapped the UI with my hand and the comm trilled. The officer-on-duty picked up.
An unfamiliar tenor answered, "Hello sir, this is Ensign DyBuverang, Lieutenant Bradshaw told me to relay upon your call that it has been three standard days since you left."
"You are correct" I replied with firm authority, "I am beginning my return vector today. Expect me back in three days time. Standby to copy for P-Log from route outbound."
After a pause with the shuffling sound of search the ensign replied, "Roger, standing by".
I began, "By order of importance, Echo-Lima-Whiskey 1 each, Whiskey-Whiskey 5 each, Alpha-Whisky 3 each. Notes from sender, name request and science team investigation for Echo-Lima-Whisky upon data return, earmark PRAEA Alpha-Echo-Charlie space Alpha-Golf tack Xray space Delta-One tack One-Six for investigation from same team. How do you copy?"
"Good copy. Sir, if I may..." DyBuverang started, "what made you want to earmark that system?"
"Well, to be frank, it's teeming with ammonia life and features. There are plenty of rings and asteroids as well. My surface scanners didn't pick up anything but ever since I cancelled that LRR-TA I haven't been able to shake the feeling that this general region is where the Thargoids are pushing through us to."
"Understandable sir". He then shakily asked, "Do you have a name picked out for that Earth-like?"
"I do indeed, but, that's for me Ensign. You can check up on it with Universal Cartographics after the paperwork is processed. Out."
I closed the comm and turned up my engines. I picked through my music and put on my "Oldies" playlist.