Galactic Code

It was weak, but it was definitely a distress signal. Lieutenant Simmons tried to get a better fix on it. Yes, there it was, definitely a call for help.

Pushing the call button, he said, "Captain to the bridge," and he began to record the signal.

"What is it Simmons," the captain's voice came over the comm.

"We have a distress signal coming from the Omega Quadrant."

"Distress signal? From whom?"

"Not sure, but it's getting stronger."

"Okay, I'm on my way. Contact headquarters and let them know what's going on. And get the bridge to their stations."

"Aye, Aye, Ma'am."

Lieutenant Simmons turned off the com link and turned to the ensign on deck.

"Get the bridge duty on deck. I want everyone to their posts before the Captain gets here."

"Aye, aye, sir." Ensign I'tak called the next duty roster to their stations.

Simmons sent a message to headquarters, but they were lightyears away. It would take a while for an answer.

*****

Captain Cathy Raleigh, captain of the GPF (Galactic Planetary Federation) Indianapolis SSC875, (Star Ship Class 875), arrived on the bridge and went to the comm station. The science and communication officers were already at their stations.

Raleigh turned to the communication officer. "Can you get a better fix on the signal, Rodriguez?"

"Aye Ma'am, its five parsecs from our present position and it's definitely a distress signal. I haven't been able to decipher the language, but the coding is very similar to a universal SOS signal," said Lieutenant Rodriguez.

The captain turned to her chief science officer who was reading the instrument panels at the science station.

"Can you tell me anything about it yet Marshall?"

Lieutenant Marshall turned from the readings.

"I'm getting energy readings of all kinds; some I haven't even seen before. And there is more than one ship, I think. We're still too far away, but I think there may have been an accident or some kind of trouble. I'm reading a neutron signal from a broken warp drive. I'll know more when we get closer."

The captain hit another button.

"Engine room, give me warp six."

"Aye captain," came over the comm.

"Navigation, plot a course to that signal and get us there."

"Aye captain," Lieutenant Carson, the navigation officer, replied pushing buttons on the nav panel to lay in the course to take them to the Omega quadrant.

*****

The Indianapolis reached the coordinates and came to a stop. On the view screen they saw two ships, and a warp core, floating dead in space.

It was still hard to tell what had happened, but a warp core would only be if there had been core breach or ejected.

One of the ships was a Zengodian cargo ship. The Zengodians were a reptilian race, planet Zengodia, and members of the Galactic Planetary Federation.

*come to me*

Shaking her head, "Any life signs on those ships," said Captain Raleigh?

"I read no life signs on the cargo ship but the ship is set to an alert status. But there is a faint, of some kind, life sign on the other ship," said Marshalls.