Codename Alpha

Chapter 24

As I waved back to the people gathered in the control room, I spotted Commander Ibrahimov standing in the center, pointing at us and then at the shuttle.

"Ah, I guess festivities are over," I said. "Ibrahimov wants us back in the shuttle."

"Well, it's currently our only means of communication with them," Marine commented.

"Fair enough." Jack, Marine, and I got back into the shuttle, standing around the communications console which Jack took a seat at.

"Commander Ibrahimov?" He asked, opening a line between the control room and the shuttle.

As he began to respond, I was able to hear loud conversations coming to an end with abrupt shushing. "It's good to see you all again. Vance, Kovalev, Pearce, I think you're all due for a promotion when all is said and done," Ibrahimov said.

"Sweet," I said, quietly. That meant I would no longer be a junior-grade lieutenant.

"I would also like to apologize for many of my behavior and the orders I gave. I know that I came across as... well, frankly, as an ass." Jack nodded in agreement. I could tell he was holding back from saying something. "And I think it goes without saying that a weeklong waiting period for rescue was an awful idea. Those were some stressful times, and I hope you don't hold me personally accountable. I'm glad you were able to contact the Ussuri as well."

Adela, Lubos, and Yura climbed back in, and stood next to the console with us.

"We certainly are as well, Commander," Jack said. "From the way things were going, there was no way we could've lasted a month."

"Right. We realized that the planet was inhabited about four hours after you left, and by that point it was too late to contact you. The Ussuri has actually been on an extended mission over the past few days, monitoring the planet and waiting for contact from you three."

"Wait, they had been in orbit the whole time we were there?" I said to myself.

"Sounds like it," Marine muttered, shaking her head. "We made it off, so it's not like it matters now."

"There's no need to do a debrief right away. However, I am concerned about the contamination mentioned in the communique sent earlier. Could you elaborate on that?"

"I'll give this one to you, Marine," Jack said, as he stood up and stepped out of the way.

She took the seat, and began to speak into the microphone. "This is Ensign Vance, sir. During our stay on the planet, we came into direct contact with four aliens. I am concerned about any potential diseases we may have picked up from them, or possibly while we were in the woods, so I think it would be best if for the time being we remain isolated in the shuttlebay and maintain decontamination procedures."

"Understood. We'll transfer meals, equipment, clothes, and whatever else through the decon chamber. You say you've come into direct contact with the aliens. To what extent?"

"On our last day, we... broke into a house, and hid in the closet, trying to avoid police searches. The family who lived there found us, and thankfully didn't eject us. They turned out to be friendly, as a matter of fact. On that, Commander, I'd like to request the formation of a task force dedicated to translating their language. We've got hours of footage of radio broadcasts, and I was able to talk to one of them, giving us a massive head start on figuring it out."

"I'm getting the feeling our debriefing will be extensive. Is there anyone specific you want on this team?"

"The ship's psychiatrist, Chief Anfisa, and anyone else proficient with linguistics. If possible, software engineers, as I'd like us to try and design a program that can translate on the fly. That aspect shouldn't take too much work, since we've already got a basis to work off of there," Marine said.

"Understood. Is there anything we can do for you all, Ussuri crew included, to help you get settled in the shuttlebay? Seeing as you'll be in there for at least a couple weeks."

Marine looked around the cabin, and began taking suggestions. Once it was all said and done, she began to speak once more. "Alright. We'd like it if clothes from our quarters, with the exception of formals, were brought down. A couple laptops, bedding material, and whatever we need to hook those laptops up to the ship's network. And, uh... a floppy disk reader, if anyone has one."

"Well, that last one may be a bit difficult. But, we'll get those other ones down right away. I think you'll all be glad to know that we've restored networking to most of the ship, as well. Computers can access the entertainment library, meaning that games, movies, and books are available. Oh, and SNC."

I was happy to hear that the SNC was working again, meaning that we'd still be able to talk to other crew members even if we were currently in isolation.