Fowler sat carefully at her station, her body echoing the leftover aches.  Reid had begrudgingly cleared her for duty that morning with strict instructions, including supervision by an orderly on the bridge.  The real work had already begun in part by the communication chief, Presley, and Fowler’s science team.  As the reports scrolled, she read with pride at how much they’d unearthed and discovered in the overnight hours.  A thermos of coffee was in one hand while the other began the work of searching the stars.

“Lieutenant.”  Her boyfriend’s voice, William Prentice, broke her concentration, and she accepted his offer of doughnuts from the galley.  He had spent his off hours by her side, catching what sleep he could.  She mouthed ‘thanks,’ his smile in response distracting her further before he returned to the helm station.

The doors slid open to her right, and she called out, “Captain on the bridge,” as she caught sight of their interim CO, Leopold Halsey.  She hadn’t spoken to him beyond the arrangements he’d made for her in sickbay, and she wondered what his night had been.  It was partially answered as he walked to the center chair, his own steaming cup in hand.

He stared at the chair for a second longer and turned his attention back to his crew.  Dread’s condition remained unchanged.  The rest of the reports he’d spent the early morning reading hadn’t been much better.  “I’m your captain until Captain Dread returns to duty.  Let’s suspend the formal announcements until she’s back with us.”  He caught mostly nods of understanding but a few curious glances.  As an XO, he would have pulled them aside later to ask.  He would have to take his plays from a different book for now.  “I’ll need initial department readiness reports and updated damage control reports.  Lieutenant Fowler – I’ll need a status update as soon as you can.”  He accepted a PADD from an engineering crewman and began to read.  It wasn’t good news.  Inspections had revealed damage to internal deck structures.  Halsey glanced up at the crewman, “They’re still inspecting – what’s their guess as to how bad it is?”

“The impact and the effects of the aperture – going in as blind as we did…we’re shocked we’re not worse off, sir.  The damage isn’t widespread, and we’ve managed to move folks out of the affected areas.”

Leopold repeated the question, “What’s their guess, crewman?”

“Estimates are that 10 to 15 percent of the decks on Douglas are impacted, sir.  That’s a rough guess.”

Halsey handed the PADD back to the young man and dismissed him.  He started pacing around the area in front of the command chairs, working through the implications.  The inspection wasn’t done, meaning there could be more unpleasant discoveries.  Even if it wasn’t widespread, they would need to repair that damage.

The alert voice of his science chief, Sadie Fowler, startled him, “Captain!  We’re picking up multiple signals across the system and beyond – aperture signals similar to what we’ve seen.” She worked the console further, shocked at what she was seeing. The map of the immediate system was first – a few yellow-outlined circles blinked before it zoomed out where three to four other signals were appearing on the long-range sensors.  “We’re detecting three in this system, and up to…,” she shook her head as the long-range sensors paired with the Dragonfly to expand their range, “five to…no, make that…seven on long-range sensors.  Various strengths, various frequencies on the readings.”  Fowler shifted the display at her station as the new data continued to pour in, “They’re mostly stable, but that’s on a sliding scale, sir.”

Halsey watched. They would have to study them as quickly as possible if they had any hope of getting home—the Douglas or the Dragonfly.  “Get me Captain Walton – now.”  His voice was unusually tight, and the faces around the room reflected their concern.  Walton was on screen a second later, “Wren – you’re seeing what we’re seeing.”

“I am.”  She held back, wondering if she was right about him and what he would ask.

“I’d like to take the Douglas to observe and investigate.  If we find a way home…,” his throat tightened.  There was a lot at stake.  He finished, “I’m asking that you go first, Captain.”

On her bridge, Walton fought back the scoff that was on her tongue, ready to unleash.  “That decision is not yours to make, Halsey.  Investigate and report – but if you find a guaranteed way home – you are ordered to get there.  We’ll take the longer-range occurrences.  Good luck.”  The channel closed, and the Dragonfly drifted off the screen. Soon, it was gone in a flash.

Halsey stared at the empty space that surrounded them.  He could feel his bruised ego beginning to feel offended at the admonishment of his superior officer.  He chose to wrap those feelings into forward momentum.  They needed answers.  Those answers might just get them all closer to getting home.  He ordered,  “Helm, intercept course.  Fast as she’ll go.”