Official Transcript: Bridge Recording, TSS Alexander Nevsky BCM-1102: 07/04/2175 1316 EST
Admiral Nobuyuki Ito
Captain Chang Yen-Sing
Helm Officer Enrique Estevez
Communications Officer Abdul Janfada
Sensor Officer Paul Reed
Tactical Officer Vitaly Fulitov
Executive Officer Markus Boyega
Navigator Alice Kovachik
[Begin Playback]
ITO: Sensor control, what can you tell me about that alien ship?
REED: Not much sir. There's almost no long-band signature, minimal visible profile, and absolutely nothing on short bandwidths. No infrared signature either. I can't give you an estimate of its size, or even its shape. All I can tell you is what you can tell from the visible profile.
ITO: Show it to me, Lieutenant.
REED: Transferring to main viewer.
ITO: Mr. Boyega, take note. The object is approximately saucer shaped, flat and elongated. On what appears to be the ship's rear, two wing-like objects extend from the ship's hull. These wings are each approximately half again the width of the ship and equal in thickness. The entire ship is black, and appears to be able to absorb light from surrounding space. On the front nose, the object emits a dim, red light. This light may also be seen on the tip of either wing. I cannot make out the purpose of any of these lights. The ship matches no known Grushan or Novan configuration. There are no discernable thrusters, deck guns, habitat rings or sensor receptors. End note. Please give this note to Mr. Janfada to transmit to the TIA.
BOYEGA: Aye sir.
ITO: Communications officer, open all hailing frequencies. I wish to address the alien ship personally.
JANFADA: Channel open, sir.
ITO: Unidentified vessel, you have entered the Alpha Ceti star system. This system is owned by the Terran Hegemony. Further, you have attacked two Terran vessels in the RN-06 system. Explain yourself and your intentions, or we will be forced to open fire.
JANFADA: Message sent. Sir, they won't understand our language...
ITO: We still have not established definitively that this is not a Novan or Grushan vessel. Moreover, I think that the content of the message is more or less clear. And I'm interested in how they respond. Mr. Reed?
REED: No change in object speed or heading.
ITO: Very well. Mr. Janfada, signal all ships to prepare a missile barrage. Use visible spectrum guidance only. Captain Chang, as of this moment, I am authorizing the use of the Alexander Nevsky's nuclear arsenal. Prepare to launch one tactical warhead at the invading ship.
CHANG: Yes admiral.
BOYEGA: Is that really necessary?
ITO: Perhaps not. But this vessel may possess defensive capabilities beyond what we are used to dealing with.
CHANG: Commander Boyega, your key?
BOEYEGA: Of course.
ITO: Mr. Reed, has the object altered its course?
REED: Negative, sir.
ITO: Very well. Mr. Janfada, open hailing frequencies.
JANFADA: Channel open.
ITO: Unidentified vessel, this is your final warning. Turn back, or we will open fire. You have ten seconds to respond. Mr. Janfada, begin a countdown sequence and transmit in binary.
JANFADA: Aye sir.
[Ten Second Pause]
REED: No change in speed or heading.
ITO: Very well. Signal all ships. Tell them to launch missile barrage.
JANFADA: Aye sir.
CHANG: Mr. Fulitov, open fire all missiles.
FULITOV: Yes, Captain.
CHANG: Mr. Boyega, turn missile keys in three, two, one, now.
FULITOV: Tactical warhead launched.
ITO: Mr. Reed, display radar map on main viewer.
REED: Aye sir. Missiles will reach target in approximately forty seconds. [ten second pause] Thirty seconds. [ten second pause] Twenty seconds. [ten second pause]. Ten seconds. Wait...
CHANG: Where'd it go?
REED: I don't know sir, it just disappeared.
FULITOV: Missiles are veering off course.
ITO: Detonate all missiles. We'll drop them like depth charges.
FULITOV: Missiles detonating.
REED: I'm sensing nothing in the area of detonation. We missed it, sir.
ITO: Prepare a second volley, including nuclear launch. It can't have gone far.
JANFADA: Sir, I have a transmission from the Hangzhou. It's appeared again 15º by 45º 400 meters off their bow.
REED: Confirmed. I'm getting massive heat readings from both the Hangzhou and the alien.
ITO: It's too close to attack. Is the Hangzhou firing?
REED: Yes, but her deck guns are having no effect.
ITO: Signal the Shaolin. I want a full fighter squadron on that black ship.
REED: The Hangzhou is taking heavy damage. She's venting fuel from two engines and... there's a breach in her habitat ring.
JANFADA: The Orangutan and the Invincible are moving to intercept. I've lost communication with the Hangzhou.
REED: The black ship is breaking away from the Hangzhou and moving to intercept the Orangutan and the Invincible. I've got a squadron of fighters en route.
ITO: Signal the Washington and the Shaolin. We're going to take its flanks.
CHANG: Helm, set new course, -93º by 0º.
ESTEVEZ: Yes sir.
REED: Multiple missiles have hit the black ship. No apparent change in mass. Heat signatures detected again.
ITO: Just show me, Lieutenant.
REED: Switching to main viewer.
[Pause]
CHANG: The Orangutan and the Invincible are just dead.
JANFADA: The Shaolin reports that she's losing fighters. Ten gone... thirteen... twenty... twenty-five...thirty fighters destroyed, sir.
CHANG: Open fire on that ship, full conventional missile barrage. Don't bother with volleys, either; I want a continuous barrage, don't let them recover.
FULITOV: Yes sir.
REED: The ship is changing course; it's heading directly for the Washington. It's moving fast, sir; I'd have to say over 500 meters per second.
KOVACHIK: How did it even accelerate that fast?
REED: It's firing at the Washington. She's breaking off, but...
BOYEGA: Holy shit.
REED: I don't know what happened. They must have hit a fuel cell, but I don't know how.
CHANG: It cut all the way through the habitat ring and blew the tanks.
ITO: Comm, tell the Shaolin to withdraw to Alpha Ceti. Captain, have this ship move to flank the black ship. Fire tactical warhead.
CHANG: Yes sir. Helm, change heading 90º by 0º. Mr. Boyega. [pause] Turn your key in three, two, one, mark.
FULITOV: Missile fired.
REED: Sir, I'm still reading no damage on the alien, though multiple missiles have hit it. It's changing course to intercept the Shaolin. That acceleration.
ITO: Time to intercept?
REED: At current course, forty seconds.
ITO: And the missile?
FULITOV: Thirty-five seconds.
ITO: That's too close. Deactivate the missile.
FULITOV: Aye sir.
REED: I'm picking up their heat weapon sir.
CHANG: Confirm their range.
REED: The black ship is ten kilometers from the Shaolin.
ITO: Prepare a third tactical warhead. And lay in a course to intercept.
CHANG: Helm, confirm.
ESTEVEZ: Aye sir.
BOYEGA: There's no way that we can beat it, sir.
ITO: We cannot let it reach the Alpha Ceti colony without a fight.
REED: The black ship has breached the Shaolin's habitat ring. Her engines are down; major breaches in the fighter bays. I think she's dead, sir. Sir, it's changed its course to intercept us.
ITO: Fire tactical warhead.
CHANG: Aye sir. Mr. Boyega. [pause]. Three, two, one, mark.
FULITOV: Missile fired. Time to intercept ten seconds. [pause] Five, four, three...
REED: Missile is detonated. The black ship destroyed it early. It's undamaged and closing.
CHANG: Deck guns, open fire.
REED: They're firing.
[Metallic Tearing]
BOYEGA: We've lost engine number one.
CHANG: Helm, see if we can get out of their line of fire.
[Metallic Tearing]
BOYEGA: We've lost engine number two.
ESTEVEZ: Sir, they're matching every course correction I make.
[Sharp Screech of Metal]
FULITOV: Deck guns are inoperable.
[Metallic Tearing]
BOYEGA: We've lost engine number three.
CHANG: Mr. Fulitov, missiles?
REED: They're too close.
[Metallic Tearing]
BOYEGA: Engine number four is down.
ITO: Send quantum communication to TIA. Mission failed. Task force destroyed.
[Explosion]
BOYEGA: We've lost life support.
JANFADA: Admiral, we're receiving a transmission from the black ship. Audio and visual.
ITO: Open channels.
JANFADA: Channel open.
ITO: I am Admiral Nobuyuki Ito of the Terran Star Fl-
ALIEN TRANSMISSION: [screaming]. Shalvool nos ravanach! Zakal-Faah menoo! [screams]
JANFADA: Channel closed.
CHANG: What in heaven's name was that thing?
REED: Sir, they're breaking off! They've engaged a new course.
ITO: Heading?
REED: Directly toward Earth, sir.
[End Playback]