Astrophysical (completed)

Chapter 11

Inside the ship was humming and the lights were blinking everywhere. Ash was sitting in the farthest chair, pushing various levers here and there and steering gently. Cassie looked out the window and could see a ship like theirs, torn apart and electricity flying off it into various parts of space. She slipped into the co-pilots' seat and just watched as they edged closer.

She then looked over at Ash and said, "So what does that to a spaceship?"

"Some sort of attack," he said distracted and frowning at one of the readings in front of him. He then quickly snapped another trigger next to him and looked relieved before glancing at her. "I mean this is obviously the work of intentional damage. Someone wanted this ship to go down and they did a good job of making sure that happened."

"But then why are we searching for survivors? People can survive this?" she asked surprised.

He nodded. "If they are smart, they can. Like if this crew is alive, they are probably holed up in one of the remaining sections of the ship, but then it comes down to a matter of time to determine if they are alright. If the attack was too long ago, they could be out of oxygen."

Cassie shivered at the thought and curled up in her chair, hugging her knees. She watched as they prepared to dock and remained quiet until they had tethered to the other ship. Ash sat back and then said into his communication link, "Alright, you are clear to search guys. Be careful."

There was a response from a couple of guys and then silence from the men. "Why are so many going? Is it really that necessary?"

He looked over at her with a frown on his face and eyebrows knitted. "Not in the slightest."

"But then why are you letting them?"

"Because although I think it's unfair of them to stop me from enjoying my love life, I refuse to get in the way of their testosterone." He softened up as she giggled slightly. "You don't get to make fun of me right now, missy. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrated I am."

She just giggled again and got up quietly moving towards him. "I take it there are girls on that ship, then?"

"Nothing but girls," he said as he pulled her onto his lap once she had gotten close enough. "Like I said most human girls don't escape to the far edges of the universe. This ship is under the control of Captain Elaine who decided that once she escaped from the Sovereign sector, no man would ever run her life again. She got her own ship and recruited all the girls she could to make a crew."

"Now it all makes sense. What you're not lining up though?" she teased.

He squeezed her and then frowned. "You want me to take my sexual frustrations somewhere else?" Cassie quickly shook her head, causing him to grin, and then leaned against his shoulder where he rested his head against hers.

They sat there watching the ship as red spacesuits moved in and out of the wreckage. They looked so slow, and Cassie realized that they were moving in an antigravity space for the first time she had been on board. She suddenly had an urge to also suit up and try it, but as she was about to voice this idea, she realized her boyfriend had taken the opportunity to begin kissing her the way he had this morning and that excited her more.

As his lips moved slowly down her neckline, she closed her eyes and held onto his hands tightly. He continued teasing her until again, the communication link cut through.

"We found Elaine and the girls," Dean's voice suddenly said. "They are alive, so we are bringing them aboard."

Ash groaned and pulled away from Cassie reaching for his commlink. "Roger that."