(Author's Note - WINNER! of the October Challenge - Space Adventure. )
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"Captain's voice log, 2354, mission day 75.
We finally pushed into the zone where the Astragalus recorded the anomaly. So far, we only found empty space. I was always sceptical about the Astralagus' reports and everything seems to support the theory this was all a big hoax and our mission a wild goose chase..."
"Cap? Need you on the bridge now. Eve registers an extensive asteroid field. And... oh my god!"
Captain Avery left her quarters at a run. What the hell had happened? Lieutenant Ohu was her oldest crew member at forty, normally the most stoic of officers. When was the last time she had heard her voice raised?
Avery burst on to the bridge to be met with a flurry of excited chatter.
"Captain! It's a ship! See? There... amongst those large asteroids."
Avery strode across to plant her feet in front of the large screen which wrapped around the bridge, giving the impression that they were all gazing out a large window. Asteroids of all shapes and sizes hung motionless in the black of space, but she instantly saw what her crew was talking about.
"Is it one of ours, Cap? I thought Starfinder was supposed to be the only human ship out here," queried Navigator Drey, then added doubtfully, "But it doesn't look like a Tentaklite vessel."
"No, I'm pretty sure it's a human ship, it looks too much like Starfinder to be anything else."
"It looks old... see how the metal has corroded? Takes years for that to happen," said Ohu, more soberly.
"Is Eve picking up any life-signs?" asked Avery. Eve was the crew's nickname for their ship's computer, and Avery had soon picked up the habit.
Drey checked her console board. "Negative, Captain."
"Still, I think we need to have a closer look. Lindstrom, could you check records for any ships missing in this area?"
"Checking now, Captain."
"And Ngaio, prepare the shuttle for launch. We need to investigate this in person."
As her crew scurried to obey, Avery stared at the screen and frowned. Surely that was one of the latest models? To the best of her knowledge, only five such ships had been completed and inaugurated into active service. How could one possibly be out here, caught in an asteroid belt at the edge of the galaxy, in what was to all intents and purposes, unchartered space? And looking as if it had been here for years.
"Shuttle is ready for launch, Captain." Second Pilot Ngaio's voice came over the communit at the same moment that Lindstrom turned in her chair to report that there were no ships declared missing in this quadrant. At least, not for the last fifty years.
