It was a sensation that was difficult to describe, the rough twisting in the gut that the crew experienced as the ship dropped back into normal space. One moment they were traveling along at speeds that would have boggled their ancestors minds, then they were back under the regular rules of physics and poking along at well below lightspeed. "Full sensor sweep engaged," Lieutenant Danielle reported coolly, the black haired tactical officer handling her job with her usual efficiency. "Bring us forward slow," Captain Gail ordered softly, studying the image of a green, lush world in the viewscreen. The redhead drank from her cup of steaming soup thoughtfully, keeping her expression carefully blank. "Yes, ma'am," Lauren responded, the slim blonde reaching out to touch a control. The Lady Grace cut through the void, moving from the edge of the solar system inbound toward the inner world that was their ultimate destination. "No broadcasts on either Solonoid or Paranoid frequencies," Catty noted as they moved forward, "only usual cosmic background noise." "Thank you," Allaine nodded formally, covertly studying the android from the corner of her eye. The tall, brown haired second officer was still getting used to Catty being on the bridge, much less the subtle shift in her personality. 'I'm sort of glad Lieutenant-Commander Sara is covering our evening watch,' she mused, knowing how much the newcomer distrusted Catty. "Think we should try a long range sensor sweep on the planet?" Gail asked softly, looking at the slowly growing planet on the screen. "It'd be a gamble," Allaine answered equally softly, "if there are Paranoid vessels in the system it would light us up for them instantly." Gail smiled faintly, "In other words I'd best be patient." Allaine shrugged slightly, "Precisely." The fighter wings reported readiness to launch, then engineering reported from the main shuttle bay. "We're ready for a fast drop," Davies said in her confident manner, the sandy haired woman's face smudged with grease, "just give the word." Karin, sadly, was stuck abed, on doctors orders. Despite the generally good conditions aboard the Lady the engineer had managed to come down with a bug, and her stubborn attempt to deal with it herself had just worsened the situation. Until she shook it she was confined to quarters, mostly to keep it from spreading to anyone else. "Is the latest rumor true?" Gail asked with a faint smile. "Apparently Jame is playing nurse," Allaine confirmed with a impish smile, "I think Karin is in good hands." From the sciences station the chief medical officer Meris kept an eye on the powerful sensors that were slaved to her station, the tall, beautiful blonde looking as crisp and neat as usual. Despite rumors of her spotty background the crew had grown to trust her, and she worked hard to live up to it. "I can't be certain at this range," she cautioned, "but I am picking up lifeforms consistent with Solonoid style terraforming." "Do you think...?" Lauren started excitedly, turning around in her chair a moment to look expectantly at her commanders. Silently Gail wished that Meris had not said what she did, seeing hope lighting up the faces of several of the women on the bridge. "Remember that we're still deep in Paranoid territory," she reminded her people crisply as she continued, "the odds that there could be a surviving Solenoid colony here are slim to none." "Yes, ma'am," Lauren sounded much more subdued as she turned to her board and focused on the task ahead. "Any sign of cloaked ships?" Allaine asked quietly. Meris surprised them by speaking up, "I'm watching for any gravitational anomalies or energy signatures, relaying anything I see to tactical." "There's nothing so far," Danielle agreed with that. She frowned, studying her board as she reported, "Sensors are starting to get further readings from the planet but I'm not picking up active power signatures." "Can we get visuals of the surface?" Gail asked intently. Danielle ran through her board, shifting a exterior telescope for astronomical observation and training it on the planet. As a blurry image of rough green appeared on the screen she frowned, "I'll try to refine the image." Furry blotches of green slowly resolved to the image of tree tops, a great forest that seemed to blanket the land. The image panned across the sea of pure, lush vegetation, unbroken by any trace of habitation, no sign of the Solenoid colonist whom records said had come here centuries ago. "There is rubble underneath the tree coverage," Meris reported the grim facts softly, "but no other signs of any civilization. My sensors aren't powerful enough to penetrate the surface at this distance, however." Gail and Allaine exchanged a glance, communicating silently. "I think we can risk using a short, high powered sensor sweep," Allaine said. Jumping at the chance Danielle brought the more powerful military sensors on line and hit the planet growing on their view screen with a full scan burst. Data scrolled by beside the planet's image on the screen as the computers soaked up and processed the data, then a small, complicated diagram appeared on the corner of the screen. "There were underground facilities," Gail pointed to a section marked with red splotches," but they're off line, according to the scans a long time." "If the computer's estimate is right the planet has been abandoned well over a hundred years," Catty noted calmly. "Were the facilities sealed?" Davies asked from where she was waiting in the shuttle bay. "There could still be salvageable tech down there," she said hopefully. "Sensors say no," Danielle said with regret, "bio signatures show that surface life in inside the underground facilities, too." There were a long few minutes of silence as they cut through space, the world growing swiftly until it filled a third of the main screen. "Are there Paranoid life signs down there?" Allaine asked, her expression oddly thoughtful. It was clear she was thinking about something, but what exactly was unknown. "No ma'am," Meris confirmed. "We aren't detecting any Paranoid mechs either," Danielle added for completeness, "or signs of their constructs." "What are you thinking?" Gail murmured to her second quietly. "Just that while rations are nice, fresh food would be even better," Allaine answered softly. Raising her voice to Meris she asked, "Are there standard Solonoid fruit trees, vegetables and range animals down there?" "Yes and in abundance south of the planets equator," Meris confirmed. Her lips quirked up in a smile, "While our rations are balanced, fresh foods help maintain morale, too." "You too, Meris?" Gail smiled faintly. She sat up, straightening her shoulders, "All right, we'll send teams to the surface but I want security detachments with them, too. We're also deploying the fighter wings to patrol space around the planet, if anything odd comes up we're bugging out." The ship gently rumbled a few moments later as the fighters deployed, sweeping space around the planet while remaining in constant contact with each other and the Lady Grace. Even if the enemy silenced a fighter it's very absence from the sensor web would serve as a warning, telling them that it was time to pull out. "Request permission to join a foraging team," Danielle stood, saluting crisply. "Denied," Gail said with some reluctance, "you went planetside last time. But pick out a few of your best for the security teams, please." "Yes ma'am," Danielle saluted, her face faintly disappointed. "Meanie," Allaine teased. With a degree of amusement in her eyes she asked, "Would you mind if I went down?" "You're serious?" Gail blinked. "Sure," she nodded, "but keep a personal communicator on you, too. If there is trouble I want to know immediately." "Understood," Allaine nodded, striding off the bridge with a sure step. Gail turned to look at the planet, silently hoping that everything went well. 'We have a few days lead on the Paranoid who were chasing us,' she reminded herself, 'we have time.' A moment's pause and she added, 'I hope.'
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