Chara and the Planet

Chapter No. 45

Chapter No.45.

Chara dropped the ship out of warp near an Earth-like planet orbiting a M-2 class red dwarf star. Since the planet was at the very far edge of the habitable zone, it was mostly frozen. Despite that, a space vessel that looked like a bird of prey was in orbit around the planet.

"Scans show that the vessel is powering up," Alma said. "It is moving towards us."

"It's powering up weapons," Myra said.

Ryan was sitting behind Chara. He looked at her but realized that she wasn't moving. He waved his hand to activate a virtual control screen and immediately powered up weapons while he fired the main engines to move behind the planet. He hoped that he could get out of the line of sight with the enemy vessel.

He had just gotten out of sight with the enemy before he turned around to face it just as it rounded the planet. He fired two plasma balls at it and activated a photon missile. The vessel fired two energy beams, but the Avenger's shields held, but not without ringing the hull like a bell. Ryan moved the Avenger down and then fired the missile, which blasted a hole in the enemy vessel before it blew up completely destroying it.

He moved the Avenger out of range of the planet before he got out of his seat and went to Chara. After a quick look, he turned to Alma. "She's unresponsive. I need to get her to the lab right now. You can take over vessel control. If another vessel comes near, blast it."

Alma nodded. Two androids arrived to help carry Chara to the android lab. Myra went with him. As soon as they got Chara to the lab, they stripped her and secured her to an exam table. Ryan quickly connected a cable to her neck receptacle and began a system scan.

"She acts like her systems just shut down, as if her computing modules conked out."

"I don't think she's been spending time in a charging station," Myra said.

Ryan smiled. "Okay, that make sense now. I realize that she's stubborn, but her failure to maintain herself nearly got us killed."

"I think she's paranoid about us trying to take over."

Ryan just shook his head and sighed. "Okay, make sure she gets a good charge. I'm going up to the command deck and make sure we don't come under another attack."

Myra nodded.

When Ryan got back up to the command deck, he found Alma in the pilot's chair. Another android had taken her place in the science chair.

"This is Zeta," Alma said, gesturing to the new android.

Ryan sat down in the chair behind Alma. "Any activity?"

"None," Alma said.

"Take us out away from the planet. I think a billion miles should be safe enough and remain in cloak."

Alma initiated the commands to move the Avenger. She turned to Ryan. "How is Chara?"

"She'll be fine. She's been neglecting to reboot her computer cells. As soon as she's up to specs, I'll send her up here."

Alma didn't reply, but Ryan knew that she was aware of Chara's neglect.

When he got back to the android lab, he found Myra there with Chara who was now conscious.

"You almost got us killed, my dear," Ryan told her. "You made a serious mistake by not charging."

"I know," Chara said. "I am not fit to command. You should turn me off."

"I'm not going to do that. We need you to determine destinations and keep the androids in line. You worry about us humans taking over, but we have no desire to do so. You and we must work together to survive in this dangerous universe and explore. I want you to maintain yourself and stop worrying about us humans. We're here to serve."