End Of The Beginning

Chapter 26 - Alternate

" What do we do ? We need to come up with a plan fast.... Over " Said Samuel

" I don't know, the time is running out.... Over " Said Caitlin

" What did Sara tell you ?.... Over " asked Samuel

" She figured out his plan is to leave without us, tomorrow evening... Over " Caitlin replied

" We can't let him do that, maybe we should take him out..... Over " said Samuel

" We can't ! Sara says that if we harm him in any way, the ship will go into lockdown....... Over " said Caitlin

" Then what do we do ?...... Over " Samuel was so angry.

" Even if we leave early tomorrow, we won't get to the ship in time..... Sara said several of those monsters still roaming around the area..... The only way we can escape them is by taking alternate routes and hiding until they leave..... In the best case scenario, it will take a few days..... Over " said Caitlin

" I'm also concerned about Sara because I know that she will kill him if he tries to flee..... Over " said Samuel

" Come back tomorrow as soon as you can... Over " said Caitlin

" Alright.... Delta over and out... " Samuel replied

Caitlin put the radio down. Then, she went out and told everyone to pack their things and prepare to leave. They were all happy.

Next day

Sara was learning about things she could do, and thinking of ways to prevent Wayne from leaving.

" What if Wayne is injured and is unable to return to the ship, what will happen ? Does the ship go into lockdown? " She asked NOVA

" Since the activation of MOS protocol, every major decision must be made unanimously by both captains. Or one of you has to surrender authority to the other. " NOVA replied

" In case of an injury, the ship will go into lockdown if the captain is unresponsive or if I don't receive any vital signs for more than 40 seconds. "

" There will also be a timer set, if the captain does not respond within 24 hours, captain will be presumed dead and the ship will reset. In the case that the captain is not within a two mile radius, the time will be increased to 72 hours. "

" All data up to that point will be deleted after the reset. All plans, navigational data, video & audio footage etc.. "

" Can I control the ship after his death ? " asked Sara

" No, after the reset, only my creator can control the ship. Neither you nor Captain Wayne can. " NOVA replied

" What if one of us dies on board ? " asked Sara

" Unless the authority is handed over, the reset will take place. Door number 1 can be manually opened from the inside. But once it closes, a special mechanism will prevent it from opening again without authorization." NOVA replied

" So if I let anyone else into the ship after reset, we'll be trapped here forever. "

" That's right, or until my creator decides to save you " NOVA replied

" Can you tell me more about your captain ? "

" How long has he been in the ship ? " Asked Sara