He thought he must be losing his mind as he reflected on the contact with headquarters. He didn't understand why he didn't inquire on the other coordinators. Nard had mentioned that they too were under attack and that they hadn’t fared as well as Scott had. Was he so self centered that he didn’t care about anyone else or had he just lost his mind due to the attack. Well, he promise himself one thing, as soon as he got in contact with headquarters again he would inquire about them. He figured that Colby must think he was out on the deep end and ready to drop off into oblivion. Maybe that is the reason he did not comment on the well being of the other personnel. Scott shook his head and tunneled his concentration on getting himself back together or, next time, Colby would be recalling him to headquarters which would only add additional problems for him and Fortried.
“Nard?” Scott said. “Could you read anything into Colby’s statements that could give us a clue to what he was thinking?”
“He was very concerned about your stability and did not push you with questions because he did not know what affect it might have on you.” Nard stated calmly.
Scott waited for any further comments but evidently none were forthcoming.
“Nard, if you would please, prep the ship for takeoff.” Scott said as he headed for the pilots couch. He didn't think it would be very wise to just continued sitting here like Wattise birds floating on a lake. There could be another attack coming and they might not be so lucky the next time.
Scott watched the monitor, with a view out the back, as the asteroid seem to shrink into nothing. The gravity that would have been created by the acceleration of his ship was dampened by the way the warp force controlled the ship and its contents. Everything inside the warp moved as a solid object. There was no increase in gravity on individual objects and the sense of movement was virtually non-existent.
Some time later as they prepared for their third warp jump Nard interrupted his thoughts.
“….a small ship approaching.” Nard announced. “I sense no weapons but that doesn’t mean it is safe. The pilot is trying to make contact.”
“Ok Nard, Put the pilot on the monitor.” Scott said.
It was a woman, it was a beautiful woman, the pilot was a woman.
“….and I desperately need your help in my escape from them.” She was so fragile and beautiful my heart went out to her.
“How can I help you?” Scott asked.
“They have invaded my home planet and taken my father hostage against his will. They are trying to conquer the universe with their mind control.” She was almost hysterical.
“Who are they?” He asked.
“I don’t know but I know they are alien and violent and they mean business.” She said as she seemed to be calming down.
Nard routinely blocked the contact and said. “I will put her ship through our sensors. You will need all the information on this vehicle and the operator before you can make an intelligent decision as to what you should do.”
“Put her back on.” Scott shouted and as soon as the contact was renewed he said. “Standby madam and we will beam you on board to discuss your problems.” It seemed like he was getting a nasty look from Nard, was that possible?
Nard, without waiting for orders, had gone ahead with a full meticulous scan of her entire ship and all of its contents. Of course Scott knew he would do that even if he didn’t like it or request it. This was also part of his job and he was not a malingerer in any of his duties.
“I need to give you the report on that little ship, if you are ready.” Nard said.
“Not now Nard, I’m very busy getting our female guest over here through the transporter, that is if you don’t mind.” Scott said as he worked the control that would bring the young lady on board. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear Nard’s report on their visitor’s little ship. If it was good news he could wait but if it was bad news he could be in trouble. Well, the looks of the young lady could be worth a little trouble. He was just hoping she wasn’t so much trouble that he would live to regret it or not live to regret it.
Fortried had moved their current guest into the storage room and he was staying with him so he wouldn’t get lonely. This would also keep both of them out of sight of our new arrival. Scott took a quick look around to make sure the control room was in some type of order when the transporter started to whir as the transferring process began.
As she began to materialize Scott thought he saw something radically different and not the person he had envisioned and seen on the monitor. On the completion of transport she was as he had seen her. He thought, how could she be in any trouble, she was spectacular, the face of an angel, the body of a goddess with the voice of a beloved queen. Her attire was as beautiful as she was. The color was like the contractual moons in all their brilliance. The material was never quite one color and changed into many textures of cloth that seem to change in design as she stood there.
Where was she from and what was her mission, if it wasn’t just as she had stated? She looked at him openly and with very deep and honest eyes. There is no way that these eyes could deceive anyone especially a coordinator of his alertness and intelligence. How graceful she was as she approached him, she needed his help, and you could believe him, he was hers to command and just waiting for her to put her wishes into words. She reached for him, she needed to be held, he could tell she was just frightened. He could feel the fear and helplessness emanating from her every being………
Suddenly the air smelled of ozone and the brightness of the flash stunned him. He watched as she burned and melted in front of him. The noise of the electrical phasers erupted in his ear. “Holy shit!!!” He screamed. He swung around to see the Warman with a cooling phasers hand gun in his large fist. Scott's mind reeled with the feeling of lost as if a loved one had died. His anger was palatable and building up and he wanted to attack and destroy this killer. The Warman had taken away, by murder, someone who Scott felt he had spent all his life loving…my lovely...my darling…my, what was her name? Scott stammered. Could he have forgotten so quickly? There was something wrong, he couldn't remember her name or her face.
"I’ve finally gone off the deep end. I just lost my true love and I can’t remember her name or what she looked like," Scott's thoughts were a gambit of confusion.