Mankind's First Step

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

Eris Research Station
In Eris orbit
Approximately 80 AU from the Sun
A.D. 2347

Dr. Jarol Lynis sat in his office on the Eris Research Station, staring intently at the computer screen on his desk. The numbers flashing on his screen didn’t make sense. He scrunched his eyebrows together and decided to dig through the raw data to find what had caused the computer to reach such a preposterous conclusion. He was about fifteen minutes into it when Dr. Clostermann burst in.

“Dr. Lynis,” he said, nearly out of breath, “have you seen these numbers?”

“Yes, I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with the computer. This data cannot be true.”

“Yes, I know that it seems odd-”

“Odd? The laws of physics don’t allow an object of that size to pass through. It would be crushed instantly, and…” Lynis trailed off as the gears turned in his head. His eyes wide with realization, he rushed out of the room, muttering that he must be more tired than he thought, followed closely by Dr. Clostermann.

*****

Ever since the discovery of the Laumer Points (named after the 23rd century scientist Gerald Laumer) over a century ago, it had been theorized that they could be used to connect two vastly distant points in space. Only recently, however, has it been seriously pursued as a plausible method of faster-than-light travel. Thanks largely to the lobbying efforts of Dr. Jarol Lynis, research into the Laumer Points had been funded for the last eight years. The so-called “Columbus Project” was now bearings its fruits. Dr. Lynis would today demonstrate the success of his work to top UN leadership.

The United Nations, the descendant of that old 20th century organization, was the single government under which all of humanity lived, from Mercury to far-out Eris. The member-states of the UN all reserved a great deal of autonomy, including the colonies on Mars and the Outer Planets, which gained their right to independent membership after the Colonial Rebellions of decades ago. Although the rebels were eventually defeated, it was decided to give them their independence from their Earth mother countries in an attempt to avoid another war.

“President Miller, Premier Lin, Prime Minister Desrosiers, President Cruz, Chancellor Hofmann, President Davidson, Prime Minister Chinh, President Smirnov, Premier Schmidt, Prime Minister al-Fayed, and General Secretary Galanos,” Lynis said, finally ending his long-winded introduction of those present, either in person or by video link. These men and women were some of the most powerful and influential in the Solar System, and represented both Earth nations and those of “the Colonies.”

“Today I will demonstrate what many, for generations, thought impossible: faster-than-light travel.” There was no applause or any such outburst, just these leaders’ serious stares. Clearing his throat, Dr. Lynis turned to his staff in the control room. “How long?”

“T-minus ten minutes until the probe reaches the Laumer Point,” a technician answered. For ten minutes, the doctor, his staff, and the leaders behind them waited. Dr. Lynis had ordered the probe to move towards the Point, accelerating to “transition speed,” a couple of hours before the scheduled demonstration. He wouldn’t want to keep these important men and women waiting for longer than necessary, after all.

“T-minus ten seconds… five, four, three, two, one… Transition.” Before their very eyes, so to speak, the probe disappeared. It was no longer showing up on their instruments. Lynis stole a glance at the dignitaries. A couple seemed surprised, but most seemed to be withholding judgement. Approximately fifteen seconds later, a technician announced, “Receiving probe telemetry!”

“Where is it?” Dr. Lynis asked, mostly for the benefit of the visitors, as he knew exactly where it should be. Obviously, they had run this exact test before. The first FTL jump to an alien star system had been conducted practically in secret, with only the Eris Research Station staff present. It would be incredibly embarrassing if he tried to show off in front of such distinguished persons, and it ended in total failure. So they had had to make sure it worked first.

“The probe is approximately 4.24 light years from Sol, in the Alpha Centauri system,” the technician announced proudly. Dr. Lynis turned back to face the leaders.

“Well, well,” a wide-eyed UN General Secretary Galanos said, “congratulations on your achievement. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we are all very impressed. The implications of this…” Galanos trailed off as the gears turned in his head.

“How soon do you think we can build a ship with this… jump drive?” Premier Lin asked, borrowing a term from science fiction.

“Wait,” President Davidson interjected before Lynis could answer, “we’re already thinking of sending people out there? We don’t even know if they’ll be able to come back once they go through this ‘Laumer Point.’”

“To answer your question, Premier Lin, you would have to ask the engineers and the shipbuilders, but I think it could be done in two years, maybe less. As for your point, President Davidson, I have already sent through and brought back two probes before this. Obviously we will continue our testing, but we can bring them back.”

Then, almost simultaneously, they started asking questions. For centuries, mankind had dreamt of traveling the stars. When humanity first colonized Earth’s moon, Luna, in the late 21st century, and began to reach out into the rest of the Solar System, it was thought that the next step would be other star systems. Instead, for three hundred years, humans have been trapped in the Solar System, clinging to life as they try to feed humanity’s billions upon billions of men, women, and children. Now the possibility of exploring, possibly colonizing, other star systems presented an incredible opportunity.

General Secretary Galanos cut through the rest of them and reestablished order. When the rest of the leaders had become silent, Galanos said, “We will put together a team to send through the Laumer Point and begin man’s initial exploration of the wider universe.”

Lynis stepped forward. “General Secretary, I would be honored to accompany this crew on its mission.”

“I’m afraid not, doctor,” Galanos said.

“W-what? I’ve spent so long-”

“You’re needed here, Dr. Lynis. We can’t risk losing you in some freak accident in the middle of nowhere.”

“Fine, but who else will you send?”

“I have a few ideas for a good start,” Galanos answered vaguely.

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

Haven Station
Luna orbit
August 12, 2349

In the course of human events there are certain events which signal the beginning of a new era of history and great change. The development of agriculture turned man from a nomadic hunter-gatherer into a settled farmer. The discovery of the New World led to the creation of vast colonial empires and gathered the resources of the wider world into the hands of a few. The detonation of the atomic bomb marked the beginning of a time where the entire human population could be wiped out a matter of hours over the pettiest of disputes, and the whole world knew it. In 2349, a new era would begin; an era where humanity could explore the stars-not merely with probes and telescopes, but with starships! The possibilities were, quite literally, nearly limitless. Those who there in the beginning, making the first great leaps, would be remembered forever, like the names of Columbus and Oppenheimer.

Lieutenant Commander John Welch was aboard Haven Station in Luna orbit, the headquarters of the UN Space Navy. It also served as a repair yard and resupply depot. His ship, the UNS Beauregard, was in for a refit. It allowed his crew to get some much-needed R&R. Many traveled back to Earth to visit family and friends. Welch, however, was stuck on Haven Station. He didn’t have much to do while his ship was in the yard, so that left him a lot of time to think. His thoughts quickly turned to his own future. Although he dearly loved the Beauregard, he had at its helm for too long. He’d had command of the ship since the Yegorov conflict. It was a good ship, but it was a corvette, the smallest of rated warships. He feared that someone near the top was stopping his climb, leaving him to drift into irrelevance.

At some point he received a message on his personal communicator (“com”) to report to the Office of Personnel later that afternoon. This wasn’t too unusual, so Welch didn’t think much of it. It was probably to discuss replacements and transfers. A few of his crew’s enlistments were up. When he arrived, he was surprised to walk in to find an admiral waiting for him. Without hesitation, he snapped to attention and saluted. “Admiral, sir! Reporting to the Office of Personnel as ordered, sir!”

“At ease, Lieutenant Commander. Have a seat.” After he was seated, the admiral said, “My name is Admiral Jan Hauser. I am the head of Deep Space Patrol. Don’t worry too much if you haven’t heard of it, it was only created last month and the news of its creation has been kept confidential for now. I am here to offer you an opportunity.

“Two years ago, Dr. Jarol Lynis, director of the classified Columbus Project being carried out on the Eris Research Station, discovered how to conduct faster-than-light ‘jumps’ to other star systems. By the end of this year, we plan to send a manned vessel through the Laumer Point near Eris to the Alpha Centauri System to begin exploration of the galaxy. We want you to be on that crew.”

The admiral stopped speaking and looked at Welch for a reply. Welch realized his mouth was agape, so he closed it quickly and swallowed. This was all very sudden. Did he say Alpha Centauri? Welch quickly got over his surprise as he thought about the implications of his answer, not just for his career but for humanity. It dawned on him the momentousness of the opportunity. “I would be honored, sir,” he finally answered.

“Good,” the admiral smiled. “I’m glad to hear it, otherwise the spooks would have had to mind-scrub you.”

Welch laughed, but he stopped when he saw the admiral was not laughing. “Ah, what position would I hold on the crew?”

“You would be the executive officer.”

“Who is the captain?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” The admiral smiled again. “I’ll send the rest of your orders to your com, as well as some information about the crew that we have assembled so far. I will stress that all of this information is to be kept to yourself, under the penalty of the law. If you let this slip to anyone, you can’t yet imagine the shit heap you will find yourself in.”

“Yes, sir.”

[Severyane]

UNS Celestial
In Orbit Around Jupiter
August 17, 2349

"Son-of-a-bitch..."

Devin Belkos wiped an oily rag across his forehead, removing the sweat but leaving behind a thick black mark. He sighed and took another look at the busted drive coil which lay seated deep within Celestial's number four engine. His worst suspicions had been confirmed. The engine's coil had overheated and turned itself into a mess of molten slag which had now hardened. He would have to take apart many of the surrounding components to remove and replace the destroyed piece. Luckily he'd had to deal with this issue before, it would only take him two and a half hours to replace. He heaved another great sigh and reached for a small wrench and began the task of removing the mechanical bits that surrounded the coil. As he reached in to pull out a compressor unit a sharp voice resounded from a catwalk above him.

"Lieutenant Belkos!" He recognized the Captain's voice immediately and stood, wiping his face with the cloth again, and gave a half-hearted salute to the Officer.

"Aye, sir?"

"What's the status of the number four engine?" he said, eyeing Devin from head to toe.

"She's rooted for sure, sir, but don't you worry. She'll be right in five hours."

The Captain frowned and let out a growling sigh. "Not good enough Belkos, I want it done in three."

Devin suppressed a smile. "Aye, sir."

The Captain turned to walk away and just before leaving through the bulkhead door, he stopped and gave Devin a mean looking smile. "Oh, and Lieutenant? Before you get too into your work, there's someone on the vidcom for you. I don't know whose cereal you pissed in, but it's an Admiral." He cursed to himself as the Captain left the engine room. He wiped his hand across his forehead, smudging the oil mark even further and made for the catwalk ladder. Once at the top he headed for the same bulkhead door the Captain exited through. Devin tucked in his shirt while traversing the corridors to the vidcom station. One elevator trip to deck two and he arrived at his destination, and hesitantly entered. On the large screen in front of him was a well put together man dressed in a sharp uniform. Devin snapped into a crisp salute.

"Admiral, sir, reporting as ordered, sir." The Admiral returned the salute and Devin dropped his arms to his sides.

"Lieutenant Devin C. Belkos I presume?"

Devin gave a nod. "Yes sir."

"Good. I'm Rear-Admiral Brian Fischer, Adjutant to Admiral Jan Hauser." Fischer took note of Devin's confusion. "I can't say much over this line, but I'm going to need you to inform your superior officer that he is to make way to Haven Station immediately, no questions asked. Admiral Hauser wants a word with you."

Devin screwed his face up in confusion. "Admiral... word with.. with me? I..."

"Relax son, you're not in any trouble. Admiral Hauser has an offer for you. I'm afraid I can't say much more, I'll see you soon Lieutenant. Dismissed."

---

Haven Station
Luna orbit
August 20, 2349

Devin walked through the door of Haven Station's Office of Personnel wearing his best poker face along with his dress uniform. His Captain hadn't been pleased with him at all when he'd given an order on behalf of the Admiral. In fact, he'd earned some extra duties on their trip back to Luna, duties normally given to a recruit. Regardless Devin was happy to be free of the Captain even if it was just for this visit with the Admiral. Devin hadn't gotten on well with the Captain of the Celestial ever since the incident near Ceres. He smiled as he followed an Administrative Assistant further into the depths of the Office of Personnel. His smile waned when he was shown to a door marked with crisp white lettering reading "ADM. J. HAUSER". The Administrative Assistant pushed a button next to the door and motioned for Devin to proceed in as it opened. He stepped into the office and snapped into a salute.

"Sir, reporting as ordered, sir!"

Hauser smiled at Devin, returned the salute and motioned him into a chair. "Welcome to Haven Station Lieutenant. I take it you don't know why you're here?"

"Can't say I do sir, Admiral Fischer wasn't exactly clear with me."

"Forgive him, that was on my orders. This project isn't exactly public knowledge."

Devin screwed up his face. "Project, sir?"

"Two years ago, a secret team stationed on the Eris Research Station discovered a way to conduct faster-than-light space travel. It was designated the Columbus Project, and after the success of the tests at Eris Station, we've decided that the time has come to send a manned ship where no human has gone before. By the end of the year, Lieutenant Belkos, we'll send a ship outfitted with this FTL technology to Alpha Centauri. You're a gifted engineer Belkos. We want you on the ship to head up the engineering team."

Devin's eyes had gone wide. He wasn't sure what to say. "I... sir... I..."

"There will of course be further training, we wouldn't send you out into the murky unknown without at least that much."

Devin swallowed. "I'd be honored sir."

Hauser smiled wide at him. "Welcome aboard, son."

[Rommy]

UNS Hadfield
In Orbit Around Mimas, Saturn
October 19th, 2348
Lt. Christopher Pike

Pike was on his rotation of the bridge command, the Hadfield was patrolling the Saturn system eyeing for Yegorov Society members in the region. While the past year or so had resulted in relative peace since the crisis which caused the destruction of the Enceladus Research Station setting back the UNS research on Mark VI Particle Weapons at least a decade. The Titan Peace Accords, which allowed for the UNS ship to patrol the area, required that the UN would work to root out the remaining Yegorov members so that the Kronians in the area could finally live in peace after years of infighting, and terrorism.

"Seems like the sensors had a false flag," Pike mused.

"Seems so Sir, would you like us to break orbit and head back to Enceladus?" replied the helmsman.

"Reposition ourselves to orbit around Tethys."

"Sir, that would go against our mission directive to protect the salvation operation around Enceladus."

"You have your orders ensign."

"Setting mark for Tethys."

---

In Orbit around Tethys, Saturn

Captain Oakland walked unto the bridge, apparently aroused from his sleep given the state of his hair. Displeasure evident on his face, with a scold that was present as usually whenever dealing with his executive officer. "Why won't command remove his insubordinate Martian from my ranks..." Oakland would continuously ask himself.

"Lt. Pike, why did Ensign Ryder have to request my presence on the bridge at this time of night?"

Pike turned sharply towards the Captain, and saluted respectfully. Much like Oakland, Pike has displeasure with his position aboard the Hadfield, while the light cruiser was a fine ship, Pike had a displeasure for most of the senior staff.

"Ensign Ryder most likely wishes to question my orders to put us in orbit around Tethys."

"Would that be accurate Ensign Ryder?" the Captain inquired.

"Y...-Yes Sir." the Ensign was aware of the fire he was stoking within Pike. While not a man of outbursts, his cold malice, and temperament was something no one wished to be stuck on a watch with.

"Your reasoning Lt. Pike? It does go against our orders to protect the recovery operation around Enceladus."

"Sir, I have reason to believe that there are Yegorov Fighters on the surface of Tethys, and I have since ordered a scan on the surface via the Tethian Satellite Network. Around 0223 Hours, sensors reported anomalies around Mimas, however by the time the Hadfield had reached the location the anomalies had disappeared. After recounting a similar incident four weeks prior, I believe that the fighters move between Mimas and Tethys waiting for a chance to attack the operation around Enceladus." sternly replied Pike.

"If the scan does not show anything, you wi-" before the Captain could finish the thought, monitors around the room began to displace various alarms.

"Captain, Mark III Particle Weapons detected!" exclaimed the tactical officer currently on duty.

"All hands to battle stations! Shields to full!"

---

Haven Station,
Orbit Around the Moon
October 30th, 2349

"Lt. Pike, the final remnants of the Yegorov fleet that we are aware of were disposed of last night after receiving an official communication from the UNS Killstock they were able to tack some of the remaining ones the Hadfield was able to designate before it was disabled. Justice for the Hadfield has finally been achieved."

"That is excellent news Sir, does that mean-"

"No. You will not be reassigned back to a ship on current active duty, or for the reserve fleet. The loss of Hadfield still weighs heavily on you according to your last psychiatric visit."

"Admiral Johnson, I am perfectly fine sir."

"Son, don't you dare lie to me. I am not some silly Admiral from a cozy place on Earth. I would figure us Martians have some form of respect and honesty to share between us." the Admiral shot back.

Pike sat there, it was true. The few anomalies originally detected by the Hadfield turned out to be a swarm of Yegorov Fighters, light cruisers, and a heaver cruiser. The Hadfield was lucky that the terrorists were equipped with outdated equipment, allowing it to at least take the heavy cruiser, and most of the light cruisers before finally being disabled. Had the Killstock and Ares not shown up, its entirely likely the Hadfield would have been boarded and taken for the terrorist cause.

"Ive received a special request from Admiral Hauser to have you transferred to his operational unit."

"Admiral Hauser, I've never heard of him."

"You typically wouldn't, he typically runs the classified operations for the UNS. He was in charge of the Encedalus Research Station before the Yegorov Crisis."

"Why am I being told about this Sir?"

"Because, your security clearance has just been tripled effectively. Report to the UNS Rising Sun, from there Admiral Hauser will discuss the rest of your new status. God speed Lt."

"Thank you sir." replied Pike as he snapped to attention, and gave the Admiral a proper salute.

---

Haven Station, Moon
UNS Rising Sun

"Lt. Christopher Pike, commended for bravery during the Battle over Tethys, 2349; commended and demerited during the Battle of Titan, 2347; a valiant member of the Martian Aerospace Corps' Intelligence services. Attended Elysium Military Academy, good school, went there myself."

"Really Sir? You were never mentioned on the Wall of Warriors."

"My entire existence is blacklisted sun, besides the various UN Leaders, and the UNS Joint Defense Council, I'm effectively just a weird budgetary loophole." sarcastically replied the Admiral.

"Now unto business, I did not want you for this mission I am about to provide you. In fact, my aides had you on the blacklist since my search for this mission began. However, your new commanding officer had me take off who I originally had for the your new position once he heard of what occurred at the Hadfield. This is not a mission where I will send a commander with someone he does not want, so I agreed.

In 2347, at the Eris Research Station, a team of UNS scientists managed to successfully have a probe reach Faster-Than-Light speeds," Pike's eyebrow curiously raised itself. Pike was not a man to be easily shocked, but rather intrigued, "By the end of this year, we will launch the first manned spacecraft to Alpha Centauri, and possibly beyond that if the mission is successful. You, if you take this position, will be second officer of the ship, and chief operations officer. Given your recent history, your new commander most likely will rely on you for tactical advice. The ship will not have a dedicated tactical officer, so expect to make up for that. Before I go any further, do you accept this position."

Pike hesitated, why would the UNS not allow him a spot on a regular ship, but suddenly he can be one of the first to go past this solar system? "I do Sir, when do I report for duty?"

"Right now," responded Hauser as he handed Pike a folder.

"While the rest of the crew do have a security clearance for this mission, this following assignment will be your Omega Directive throughout the mission. Its contents shall only be known by the Captain, First Officer, and yourself. This document is classified to be only known by myself, the command staff of this FTL-Capable ship, and the UN Security Council. It's a bit lengthy, so lets get started before I introduce you to your XO, and hopefully was your new Captain arrives, him."

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

UNS Horizon
Near Eris
January 9, 2350

“Captain on deck!”

John Welch, executive officer, took up a position beside the captain, Commander Manuel Pereira, after he entered the UNS Horizon’s conference room. The Chief Operations Officer, Lieutenant Christopher Pike, stood on the other side of the captain. These three were the senior-most officers on board. Before them stood the ship’s twenty-four crew members. The marines, headed by Major Anna DePuis stood at rigid attention on one side of the room. They were all armed with M-99 rifles. The M-99 could be loaded with a variety of ammunitions depending on the situation. Less lethal options included tangler and stun rounds. Subsonic ammunition, if lethal ammunition must be utilized, was preferred when aboard ship, as it both reduced the chances of over-penetration and permanently deafening crew members. When dealing with unarmored foes aboard ship, however, the marines would usually utilize needlers—weapons which shot deadly slivers of ice at a high rate of fire. Next there were the engineers, headed by 2nd Lieutenant Devin Belkos. The scientists, headed by 2nd Lieutenant Victor Richards, were by far the most neglectful in their military stance, worse even than the notoriously-lax medical crew.

After several seconds, Captain Pereira finally said, “At ease.” Everyone relaxed their stance. The captain had been the newest addition to the crew. The UNS Horizon had been operating under the command of the XO for about three weeks. It would appear that the Security Council was having trouble deciding who to give the slot to. In the end, they decided to make a safe choice. Pereira was a skilled commanding officer, and well established in the military hierarchy. He was formerly the CO of the destroyer UNS Mesquite. Like both Welch and Pike, he saw action in the Yegorov Crisis. He served with honor and was on duty in the Uranus System when he was suddenly directed to Pluto, then to Eris. He was not prone to rash decisions and has gotten along swimmingly with his superiors. He was known as a level-headed man loyal to the United Nations first and foremost, a desirable quality in a Solar System where human unity was plagued by fierce sectionalism.

“Gentlemen,” Pereira began in a distinctly Brazilian accent, “as you know, we were accelerating towards LP-1 for the past several hours and are now moving on velocity alone at what has been designated ‘transition speed.’” LP-1 was the military designation given to the Laumer Point near Eris. “Tomorrow, we will reach LP-1 and, if the equipment provided us works as promised, we will ‘jump’ to the Alpha Centauri System near Proxima Centauri. Then we will proceed with our mission directives to explore the system and obtain as much data as possible. Possibly habitable planets will be a priority, and, in fact, we will be investigating the planet designated as ‘Proxima Centauri b’ as one of our first targets. Are there any questions?” The scientists and a couple of the crewmembers exchanged looks. The exoplanet known as Proxima Centauri b, discovered over 300 years ago, has been the focus of much speculation concerning its potential habitability. No one had any questions.

“I expect the very best from all of you. This is the maiden voyage of humanity into the stars with its first starship. If we do this right, and I know we will, the names of the UNS Horizon and her crew will go down in the history books, like the Santa María, Pinta, and Niña. You must have faith in yourselves as I have in you. Make the Space Navy proud.” With that, Pereira left the room.

“Dis-missed!” Welch said, and with that everyone filed out of the room.

UNS Horizon
LP-1
January 10, 2350

“T-minus ten minutes,” the helmsman said into the tiny command chamber. There were four people at their stations on the bridge, Pereira, Welch, Pike, and the helmsman. The drive took up so much space on the ship that almost everything else had to be downsized. The captain, XO, and chief operations officer were all trained for all of the stations that one would usually find on a war vessel, except that many of the roles of these stations were condensed to allow for the smaller crew. Despite its small size, the Horizon was built with the latest technology, including weapons. It was armed with standard-issue beam weapons, as well as an experimental mark IV particle beam, point defense cannons, and a variety of missiles.

Welch had butterflies in his stomach and felt very nervous, though he tried his best to not show it. This wait was almost unbearable.

“T-minus five minutes.”

Would they all be blasted into smithereens? Would they be vaporized and their molecules spread over several light years? Would they simply cease to exist?

“T-minus one minute,” the helmsman said, his voice cracking.

Welch looked over at the stoic Captain Pereira. Outwardly he looked completely in control, except for a single bead of sweat making its way down the side of his face.

“T-minutes ten seconds.” This time the helmsman managed to keep his voice under control as he counted down from ten. “...three, two, one. Transition.”

Suddenly, Welch could no longer see anything. There was nothing but blackness. Then, he could see the bridge again, except it was heavily distorted and stretched. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, which seemed as if it had blinded him because the blackness returned. Then, the bridge reappeared. The entire experience felt like it lasted an hour, but later he would determine that it could have lasted no more than a few seconds. Welch’s head pounded and he felt nauseous. He knew that if he tried to stand up right then, he would stumble and fall. After about a minute, he could concentrate through the pain and nausea enough to start operating his station. After several minutes, the headache and nausea almost completely disappeared.

“Verify location,” Pereira said after about a minute with a croaky voice. “Where are we?”

“Alpha Centauri, surely?” Welch said as he checked his instruments. The computer was still calculating their location. “Stand by.” Mankind had never stepped foot outside the Solar System, so the computer technology to calculate the ship’s location worked in theory, but had only ever been tested on the original probes sent to Alpha Centauri. After about 30 seconds, Welch began wondering if there was a malfunction. It shouldn’t take this long to determine they were in the Alpha Centauri System. It was less than 5 light years from Sol. Finally, the computer beeped and displayed their approximate location. Welch blanched.

“XO, report,” Pereira said.

Welch coughed. “Yes, sir. We are approximately 182 light years from Sol.”

There was a moment of complete silence on the bridge. “What? Recalculate, that can’t be right.” After recalculating, Welch reported that the computer came back with the same result. They were 182.1 light years from Sol. “Establish comms with Sol,” the captain ordered.

Pike, who was in charge of communications, sent a signal back through the Laumer Point. After several minutes, Pike said, “We should have received a response by now, sir. There is no response.”

“Try again,” Pereira ordered. Several minutes later, Pike reported the same.

“So,” Welch said, “we are not where we are supposed to be and we cannot establish comms with Sol.” Welch turned in his seat to face the captain. “Sir, it seems—”

“We are stranded,” the captain finished.

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

UNS Horizon
182.1 light years from Sol
Mission Day 1

“Ensign Zondi,” Captain Pereira said.

“Aye, skipper?” the helmsman responded.

“What are the sensors picking up? Are we in interstellar space?” Welch directed his attention to the helmsman, whose station was receiving data from the ship’s sensors. The possibility of being stuck in interstellar space—with no nearby stars—was somewhat frightening, though he wasn’t sure why. The Laumer Point would still be there, assuming they could even still use it to safely return to Sol. However, the idea of being stranded in the middle of vast, endless space with no nearby stars or planets was almost overwhelming.

“Passive sensors are picking up a nearby star and at least two planets in-system in relation to us,” Zondi replied. “We are approximately… 81.6 AU from the star. If I had to guess, sir, I’d say we’re near the edge of the system. It will take at least another day before active sensor returns can give us a good idea about the rest of the system. We can have radar returns from everything on our side of the star in about 12 hours.”

“Well, we have plenty of time. Report as soon as you have any sensor returns from any celestial bodies.”

“We’re not going to try to go back through the Point, sir?” the helmsman asked.

“No. Until we know more about what went wrong, we will not be attempting to return through the Laumer Point.”

*****

UNITED NATIONS SPACE NAVY
OPERATION HORIZON: REPORT 0001
CDR MANUEL PEREIRA, COMMANDING OFFICER, UNS HORIZON


The UNS Horizon’s attempted transition to the Alpha Centauri System via LP-1 was a complete failure. While the Horizon successfully transitioned away from the Solar System, she failed to reach Alpha Centauri. Instead, we are approximately 182 light years from Sol near the star designated as DSR-03456. We do not yet know why we are so far off target. I have determined that until more information is available, attempting to transition again through the Laumer Point in this system, which I am unofficially designating DSR-1, would be too hazardous.

We have discovered two planets via passive sensors in this system, which I shall hereon refer to as “DSR” for the sake of brevity. In approximately 10 hours, we will have radar returns from as far as the star. So far, no nearby objects aside from the two planets have been detected.

I have scheduled a meeting at 1700 hours to discuss potential steps that can be taken. Present at this meeting will be: LCDR Welch, LCDR Ulianov, LT Pike, 2LT Belkos, 2LT Richards, ENS Zondi, and MAJ DePuis.

*****

“Officers, have a seat,” Captain Pereira said. “I will start off by listing the issues which need our attention. First, we are not where we are supposed to be. This information has not been officially announced to the crew, but I know that news travels fast on a ship, and on a ship this small, the dissemination of information will be almost instantaneous. For those who don’t know, we are 182.1 light years from Sol near a star designated as," the captain stopped to look down at his notes, "DSR-03456. We can call it simply DSR. So far we have only been able to detect two planets on passive sensors, but that might change once we get returns from active sensors. I need to know how and why this happened.

“Second, we cannot establish comms with Sol. We have no way of getting assistance from experts back home or receiving new orders.

“Third, we only have limited supplies. If we cannot return in a timely manner, we will probably die of dehydration or starvation.” Pereira clasped his hands together and leaned forward on the table. “I want to hear your suggestions on our next steps.”

[Raz]

Camp LeJeune,
Jacksonville, North Carolina, North American Commonwealth
September 1st, 2349

Anna DePuis loped around the indoor track. Her light workout had gotten her worked up into a sweat faster than she liked.

Sloppy! She berated herself as she pushed on. Her Force Recon Marine Unit had recently been deployed to a microgravity environment and her muscles had atrophied slightly while her unit had been participating in the exercise. After she finished her 3km run, she moved on to weights, again feeling the negative effects of her muscle atrophy. It had taken her 3 years to get used to the constant 1g that humanity's home planet had and she had also spent every second of those 3 years trying to show that she wasn't some Martian spy. She took her natural gate in 1g that she had now as a sign of pride that she could adapt to any situation.

As she finished her reps on bench press, her wrist comm buzzed. She replaced the bar in its proper slot and checked the device. It told her to report to Haven Station on the next available shuttle in her Class B uniform. She marched back to her quarters, letting her short black hair fall from the bun it had been in. When she had shed her workout gear, took a quick shower, and donned her uniform; she marched to the spaceport and boarded the next shuttle.

She had to duck slightly to clear the entrance of the shuttle comfortably, her lithe 200 cm build marking her out as a non-Terran as she disembarked the shuttle onto Haven Station, home of the UNSN. Immediately she breathed a slight sigh of relief as her body felt the standard Artificial Gravity take a hold, gravity which was roughly the same as Mars'. She marched her way to the designated office that she had been directed to. The office was simply labelled 'Office of Personnel' and she walked in. She had been expecting a review of the recent training exercise but she didn't think it would occur here.

Perhaps it's an issue with one of the men? She thought as she planted herself in the reception area. A clerk looked up expectantly and simply pointed at another office further into the area.

"The Admiral is expecting you Major," the clerk stated plainly.

Admiral??? Anna thought as she walked past the front desk. She knocked on the door.

"Major Anna DePuis reporting as ordered!" She announced. The door slid open and she took two steps in and again stood attention. The Admiral that sat in the room stood and smiled "HAUSER" was the name that adorned the name badge.

“At ease, Major. Have a seat.” After she was seated, the admiral said, “My name is Admiral Jan Hauser. I am the head of Deep Space Patrol. Don’t worry too much if you haven’t heard of it, it was only created a couple of months ago and the news of its creation has been kept confidential for now. I am here to offer you an opportunity.

“Two years ago, Dr. Jarol Lynis, director of the classified Columbus Project being carried out on the Eris Research Station, discovered how to conduct faster-than-light ‘jumps’ to other star systems. By the end of this year, we plan to send a manned vessel through the Laumer Point near Eris to the Alpha Centauri System to begin exploration of the galaxy. We want you to be on that crew.”

The speech sounded almost canned, as if he'd spoken it verbatim to many other people.

"Of course in your case, we'd like you to head up the Security detachment with a squad of your Marines." He smiled. Anna stared at the admiral, trying, for a few seconds, to figure out if he was trying to sell her a piece of Phobos. She quickly snapped out of her trance and she breathed again.

"I won't pretend Major, your appointment came with some wrangling on my part. ONI wasn't sure if you're a Martian spy or not, despite the ample evidence you either aren't one or are a particularly bad one. Regardless I got you on board and some of your troops are coming along, I need the best of the best to be on that ship."

"I-I'd be-e h-happy to sir!" She stuttered out.

"Good!" the Admiral exclaimed, "I'd like Elysium Academy to have as big an impact on this new frontier as possible! My office will be appropriating your entire unit shortly and we'll begin selecting the best of the best, with your assistance of course."

____________________________________

UNS Horizon
182.1 light years from Sol
Mission Day 1

After months of prep, the day was here and they had just transited the LP. 30 minutes after the initial entry her comm buzzed and she saw the other section leader moving towards the command deck.

Uh Oh She thought and moved off in the same direction.

[Severyane]

UNS Horizon
182.1 light years from Sol
Mission Day 1

---

Devin listened to the Captain's words, a sense of unease washing over him as they reached his ears. Something had gone wrong during the jump and while it could be any number of things it was up to him to figure out whether or not it had anything to do with his engineering department. While he had been taught nearly everything known about the prototype "jump drive" he was worried more about the unknowns. What side effects had the erroneous jump had on the drive itself? On the other systems in engineering? Even still, could Devin and the men under his command isolate and repair the issue? The feeling in the pit of his stomach intensified three-fold at the thought of being unable to fix the issue and dying so far from home. He had only been able to examine the systems diagnostic he'd began running post-jump for a few moments before the Captain had called his meeting, so he didn't have much information to give out. Unfortunately he thought, this issue could take years to isolate fully.

“I want to hear your suggestions on our next steps.” he heard the Captain say in his thick South American accent.

Devin looked up and nodded to get the Captain's attention and permission to speak. Once he had both he stood up from his chair in the meeting room. "Sir, the first thing I'd like to suggest is that we give me an' my boys in engineering some time to run diagnostics on the drive core and all connected systems. Possibility is something got knackered during the process of us jumping and threw us right off the way we were going."

"Secondly, I'd recommend allowing us to check our sub light engines as well as life-support before we head out. I can prioritize this if we'd like to get a move on, should only take two hours at most. Keep in mind, sir, this is all from an engineering stand point, but I believe it's in our best interest for my boys to check the lot of our systems. Best not move on if the ship is completely rooted."

Devin cleared his throat as he finished speaking, and took his seat while waiting for the Captain's response or for another officer to speak up.

[Rommy]

UNS Hadfield
182.1 Light Years from Sol
Mission Day 1
Lt. Christopher Pike

"I stand to disagree Captain, I can understand the need to check our systems; initial diagnostics had all essential systems running at optimal levels. The most I would personally recommend Captain is having the engineers look at the Drive itself, but we may as well send the science team on that mission as well. We are dealing with new physics every day Sir," offered Pike glancing towards the Captain.

Captain Pereira had the respect of Pike, he had heard of his history during the Yegorov Crisis, and as such considered him a brother in arms; more so than most of the men and women on the ship at that time. The Captain's respect for Pike was more a cautious one, Pike either in extreme measures in the sake of protocol, or extreme measures against it to accomplish the mission. Given the Lilac Authorization for the mission, it is not surprising that Pereira wanted Pike on board.

"I will agree with Pike on this for now, running total system diagnostics might take too long. I am not pleased to remain in dead space as we are right now," replied the Captain.

"Sir I have a proposal," interjected Pike, " we could head towads the second system our passive sensors detected. This yellow star is in similar scope to our sun, and it does seem that the 2nd planet, or DSRb does fall within the Goldilocks range. I suggest we move the ship to orbit there."

The Captain considered the idea for a moment...."Any objections?"

[Jamzor the Jaxxor]

"I have no objections, sir," Welch said, "As Lt. Pike said, initial diagnostics show everything green. Lt. Belkos, I assume that we'll be able to continue running diagnostics while we're under way? If so, then I only add that I think we should allow the engineers to check the sublights and life support before we start moving."