Gabatrix: Minerva

Chapter 10: A Leap of Faith

"What?" Ericson said in shock. "You got to be kidding me!"

"It is the only solution to this problem. I might not have all the data, but simulations in my programming indicate that the crew's life is in danger. I need to do this. Please let me talk to the Captain or pass it along to him for him to consider it."

Ericson had to think quickly. Each second was starting to become precious. The fact was that Minerva was most likely correct. The idea that she had actually made sense, but it was something that he had to make a decision on as well. It was a leap of faith, and it meant that he needed to bring it up to the captain. He put his hand to his chin as he considered it. She released her hand from the display, breaking the connection to the bridge. She had nothing further to say on the matter. She presented her case, and now it was up to everyone to carry it out.

"You are really sure about this?"

"It is the only solution. Any other action will only likely put the crew in further jeopardy."

"Alright....the only way it will be accepted is to have us both go to the bridge and talk to the Captain at the same time," he told her.

"This will violate the Captain's orders. Are you prepared to commit to an illogical action?"

Ericson responded by putting his hand to her shoulder. He smiled a little bit. Her ears and cat-like nose seemed to twitch a little bit as she looked at him in a perplexed state. "It is as you said. This is the perfect opportunity for you to make a name for yourself. We will have to violate the rules to make this happen. We need to help Akari and Dulari that are on the shuttle along with the others."

She only seemed partially convinced as she looked at the hand on her shoulder. Her ears tuned to his direction before she looked at him again.

"There are nine minutes and four seconds left before the shuttle passes us," she said.

"Then let's do the crazy part and leave the room. Come on!"

He turned to the door and began to move as fast as he could. Minerva started to also move at a quick rate. Her digitigrade legs were like springs. The door opened up as he ran out to the passageway. She was close behind him as the door closed behind her.

"I know you downloaded the entire layout of the ship into your databanks," he told her. "We will head over to the bridge as fast as we can move."

They began to run down the passageway. Door after door passed by them as Minerva's clawed feet clicked the deck below her. She was fast but only limited by the speed that Ericson was running.

"It is estimated that at this speed and rate that we will reach the bridge in less than three minutes."

"Trying to run as fast as I can go!" he yelled back.

There was a simple blur of the two as they ran down the long corridor that led to the main ladder out of the centripetal ring. Their feet were pushing them as fast as they could run. If anyone saw them, it would appear as a synthetic cat-like android that was running behind a bearded man in a white jumpsuit. Of course, stranger things have happened before. This is the 24th century, after all.

"Remember that we are heading into no gravity!" Ericson told her as he reached the pipe passageway ladder.

While she was running, Minerva, with both of her synthetic arms reached behind her and grabbed her hair. As Ericson was climbing up the ladder, within less than three seconds, she had done a rapid quick tie of her own hair. It was now shorter as it was tied up into a large bun. He would have been amazed if he had seen it, but he was moving as fast as he could up the pipe that led out of the centripetal ring.