Start your first mission?
From Create Your Own Story
Now is the time to embark on your first mission as the captain of the Excalibur. You read the mission brief on your communications terminal. You brim with excitement. Your orders are to chart the Dark Nebula, a region of space known for its deadly plasma storms. You leave your office and set out for the ship's bridge. As you walk through the door an alert crewman yells, "Captain on the bridge!" All the officers and crew snap to attention. "At ease," you reply. The crew goes back to their work. You slowly make your way to the 'big chair' and sit down, taking a moment to savor the feeling of command. Cmdr. Jenkins smiles at you from his adjacent seat.
"What are your orders Captain?" he asks cheerfully.
"We are going to shed some light on the Dark Nebula," you respond coolly. "Ensign Knight, plot the course if you please."
The young woman swivels in her chair to face you. "Aye sir," she replies with all the vigor and discipline that comes from being fresh out of the space academy.
"Lieutenant Martinez, prepare the engines to generate a wormhole and stand by for coordinates." you tell the engineer.
"With pleasure sir." He says happily.
"Lieutenant Thenalak, what do you know of the Dark Nebula?" you ask.
The tall Hiroxian with the light purple skin and golden eyes turns from her science station and answers, "Very little. The plasma storms interfere with long range probes, and no ship has ever dared get close enough to examine it. Long range observation indicates that it has a radius of about 30 light years, so charting it may take some time."
"Do you foresee any problems with charting it?"
"No sir, but I will be letting Ensign Patton take the lead on this mission, stellar cartography is his specialty."
"Very well." You are slightly annoyed, you had asked to have Thenalak reassigned, but Space Command insisted that her expertise was essential to your mission, and now here she is delegating the work to a subordinate. You're not sure you trust her. Humans and Hiroxi have had a rocky relationship at best. Centuries ago, the Hiroxi came to Earth in hopes of enslaving the Human race. Ever since they were driven out of human space, they have avoided contact with Earth. You wonder what Thenalak's motives are for leaving Hirox and joining the Space Command.
"Course plotted sir," Ensign Knight reports.
"Coordinates received and set. The engines are ready sir." Chief Engineer Martinez says proudly.
"Engage the engines lieutenant. Ensign, once the wormhole is stabilized you are free to take us in."
"Yes sir," both officers say in unison.
The wormhole forms a vortex on the star scape in front of the ship. Ensign Knight works the controls with trembling hands, its her first time piloting a space vessel through a wormhole. The Excalibur moves gracefully into the vortex and in a matter of minutes you emerge on the other side.
The Dark Nebula lies before you. You are used to seeing a sea of stars on the view screen, but now you see a nearly infinite darkness. In that darkness there are brilliant flashes like planet sized balls lightning.
What do you do?
Move the Excalibur closer to examine the flashes?
OR
