Alien - Pandemonium

Chapter Four

Captain Henry sat in front of the communications control panel, his eyes fixed on the array of screens before him. With focused concentration, he cycled through the open communication channels, hoping to establish a link with the station now within reach. As the Grafton orbited around to the south side of the station, its damaged docking port came into view, prompting Henry to ponder the situation further. Pressing another button, he accessed a different open channel, and amidst the static, he detected a faint voice struggling to break through the barrier of interference.

"Ah, there you go," Captain Henry muttered, a faint smile playing on his lips as he finally established a connection. He adjusted the headset on his head and opened the channel. "Attention Pandemonium Station, this is Captain Henry of the USCSS Grafton. We are acting under direct orders from Weyland-Yutani concerning the USCSS Nostromo. We request an immediate response".

"Captain Henry, we are so glad to hear your voice, we have an ——— here," the voice crackled through the static, intermittently cutting off. "Do not ———-. It's not ———-. Repeat, do not. Do you understand?"

"Sir, I apologise, but I'm having difficulty understanding your message," Captain Henry replied, straining to decipher the fragmented transmission amidst the interference.

"Do not ———"

"Sir, we will proceed with docking procedures in the morning. Please focus on restoring your communications, and we will rendezvous with you bright and early," Captain Henry relayed before removing the headset and terminating the communication link.

As Judy entered the bridge, she found Captain Henry already occupied with the communication controls. She approached him, a blanket draped around her shoulders for warmth. He glanced back at her with a playful smile. "Glad to see you're still here and didn't hitch a ride back to Earth," he teased.

Judy sighed, her expression sheepish. "I wanted to apologise for my outburst earlier. I'm incredibly embarrassed."

The Captain shook his head reassuringly. "No need to apologise."

Drawing closer, Judy explained, "I'm a desk girl. The farthest I've ever gone is to the photocopier." She gestured around the bridge. "All of this is new to me. And finding out I was going to be doing a spacewalk... It terrifies me."

He swivelled around in his chair, facing Judy directly. "Judy, I promise you, I won't let anything bad happen to you out there," he assured her earnestly.

She glanced past him, her gaze fixed on the station in the distance. "What's happening onboard?"

He turned to look as well, then back at her. "Just seems like their communications are down from the blast. I managed to get through a message, though. They're expecting us in the morning."

She nodded appreciatively. "I better get some sleep then, can't be tired and unsure about my first space walk."

As she turned to leave, Captain Henry called out to her. "Wait."

Turning back, she faced him expectantly.

"If you really don't feel comfortable out there, then you can stay onboard. We can transmit the documentation to the legal aid onboard the station if they get their communications repaired. If not, then maybe one of us can transport it over."

Judy sighed with relief. "Thank you, Captain. I appreciate that."

"You're welcome," he replied.

"But," she began, hesitating for a moment before continuing, "I need to be there in person to exchange documents and signatures, so either way I'll be joining you on that space walk in the end," Judy confirmed with determination.

He nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. "You'll be safe, I promise."

"Just make sure I'm attached to the tether correctly. I'll be fine. I'll see you in the morning, Captain," she said, her tone carrying a mix of determination and nervousness as she turned to leave.

He watched her depart, then murmured to himself, "I'll see you in half an hour, sweetheart," his voice soft with concern as he wished her well on her way.