Transient Signal

Chapter Three: Boarding Action

CSNS Morrison

Hangar Bay 1

        Eleven hours after the initial platoon brief, contact was made. It was faint; extremely faint. Based on the information the sensors were picking up, the Scholar's drive engines were all but inactive. The ship seemed to simply be drifting using whatever momentum it had generated before the engines had cut out. Adding to that, the ship's communication array was either knocked out or no one was thinking about answering. All the intercoms aboard the Morrison were pipped into the bridge and were broadcasting one of the ship's Ensigns hailing the Scholar.

        "CCSV Scholar, this is the CSNS Morrison. We have been tasked with ascertaining your status. Respond, over."

        There was a long pause. "CCSV Scholar this is the CSNS Morrison. Send status report, over."

        Another long pause followed that transmission. The Ensign started up again, but Jack did his best to just tone it out. Whether or not communication with the Scholar was established, the SCU was going to be deployed, so what was being said was of little difference to him. He instead went through the mental checklist he had in his head of all the gear he was going to need.

        "Extra ammo, personal medical kit, multi-tool, personal computer pad, flashlight, strike anywhere matches..." Jack muttered to himself as his physically checked his kit. He put on his helmet and checked the seals. There was not going to be any Extra-Vehicular  Activity but Jack just wanted to be sure.

        "Sergeant Wells," a voice called out. Jack recognized it and turned to see Captain Miller coming towards him. The Captain was carrying two medium sized cases with him.

        "Yes sir?" Jack ask.

        The Captain waited until he put the two cases onto the waiting dropship before facing Jack, "A little extra surprise in case things go sideways," he declared. "Anyways. Sergeant, I got the objectives for the sections you past up. 1 Section will clear and hold Engineering. 2 Section will take Medical. 3 Section will clear the engine rooms. I approved them and gave them to Commander Riley. He agreed to them, however he feels we're a bit undermanned so he's send his detachment of marines with us."

        Jack was not sure what to think. The Confederation Marine Corps prided itself on producing some of the finest ship-to-ship combat specialists, and some of the troopers in the platoon like Sergeant Zaidan were from the CMC originally. However, they would be operating on a completely different COM network than the commandos. Plus they would be under Commander Riley's command, making it potentially difficult to coordinate between the two. Jack told Miller what he thought.

        "I understand. I told the Commander as much," responded Miller. "He assured me that he would monitor our COM traffic and pass any vital information along to the marines. He's giving them orders to assist us wherever possible. They'll mostly provide security for areas we can't babysit."

        "Alright sir, sounds good to me," conceded Jack. It was going to be nice having some extra bodies between the sections, he reflected. "They aren't going to be riding with my guys though?"

        Miller laughed. "Hell no. Riley has them riding in after we've locked down our objectives. Now, if everything is set, its time to get this show on the road." Miller slipped on his helmet and activated the platoon-wide network. "Everyone mount up!" he ordered.

        Everyone who was not already on one of the four dropships being used by the commandos piled on. Jack followed Captain Miller onto their dropship, and was followed close behind by Sergeant Alexander Willis, the QM Sergeant, and his assistant, Corporal Jackson Graham. They took their spots in the boxy  dropship's troop compartment and strapped in. Jack could only partial see the pilot, who was sitting off to the left of the front of the dropship, but he could clearly see out the main view-port. As the dropship left the hangar bay, Jack could just see the blackness of space. Using small micro-burst thrusters, the dropship swung around ninety degrees right and that was when Jack was able to see the Scholar.

        The Scholar looked exactly like the layout Jack had given the other Sergeants. The front of the ship was like a large ball. It housed the bridge and the main quarters for the command crew. It also contained a few of the labs that were aboard. Jack estimated that the sphere was about five hundred metres in diameter. The rest of the ship was long and rectangular; just over two kilometres long and five hundred metres wide. Medical would be closer to the bow of the ship, Engineering near the middle and the engine rooms would be at the stern. In between those three major areas would be extra crew quarters, additional labs, life support and whatever else the commander felt the ship would need. Jack wished that they had been provided an accurate manifest for what was on board, but did not dwell on it for long; they were all about to find out what was going on aboard the Scholar.

        The dropship came in over the bridge of the science vessel and slowly started going down until it made contact with the hull jest behind the bridge. There was a dull thud from the small umbilical attaching to the access hatch of the ship. Corporal Graham waited for a small green light to go on the top of the troop compartment. He then reached down and opened a hatch on the bottom of the dropship, revealing the access hatch on the hull of the Scholar. He pulled out a small computer pad and plugged a universal adapter into a port on the hatch. Numerical code scrolled down the screen of the pad until there was a beep and Graham unplugged the pad and opened the hatch.

        Captain Miller undid his straps and moved over to the hatch. As he lowered himself down, he announced over the COMs, "All call-signs, this is 1-1. Boarding successful. Send sitrep once onboard, out."

        Corporal Graham was the next one through the hatch, followed by Sergeant Willis. Jack was the last through and as he slowly dropped down into the ship, he heard the other sections check in.

        "1-1, this is 1-1 Alpha. Successfully boarded, heading to objective now. Over," said Sergeant Zaidan's clear, distinctive voice.

        "1-1, this is 1-1 Bravo. Successfully boarded, heading to objective now. Over," declared Sergeant Zed.

        "1-1, this is 1-1 Charlie. Successfully boarded, heading to objective now. Over," announced Sergeant Sen.

        "All call-signs, 1-1. You're all loud and clear. Send sitreps every hour, or as needed. Out," replied Miller.

        Jack took a minute to familiarize himself with his surroundings. The Scholar's hallways were fairly well lit and wide enough for three people to walk side by side. The corridor they were in was pretty linear--the bridge bulkhead was behind them and it was just a straight corridor to the next area in front of themm. Corporal Graham got to work again with his computer pad on the door to the bridge. It took a few more minutes than the access hatch but soon enough, the door hissed opened, revealing the spherical bridge of the science vessel. As they entered the bridge, the COM network came to life.

        "1-1, this is 1-1 Bravo. Contact, wait out."