Some time passes since the hearing and the Dibits is finally back to what it usually does. Exploration and Resupply missions.
"It's good to finally be back where we started." Jeffers says
"It does feel nice. So where are we now?" Heidi asks
"We're in the Filelil star system." Victoria answers
"Oh good that's not too far from Proximus 9." Jeffers says
"Is that where we're delivering? Is that why you didn't want to tell me?" Heidi asks
"Yes" Jeffers answers
"Hopefully Newton isn't angry with us." Heidi comments
"He shouldn't be. We've done nothing to him." Jeffers says
"Well just to be safe, we should arm all weapons." Heidi says
"Arm all weapons? What do you suggest? We fire on friendly targets." Victoria stats.
Heidi looks at Victoria with anger in her eyes
"What it's true. Your plan is rubbish."
Both Jeffers and Beta are completely astonished that Victoria stood up for herself.
"Excuse me!" Heidi shouts
"You're excused." Victoria says in reply.
"How dare you back talk me."
Both Heidi and Victoria start bickering and Jeffers eventually breaks it up by saying,
"Ladies please. I'll activate the stun torpedoes. That way we can defend ourselves and not hurt anyone."
"That's fair." both of them say simultaneously while they both have their arms crossed.
They close in on the planet and begin to descend through the atmosphere.
Out of the window Victoria looks and sees the entire horizon of Proximas 9. What she sees is shocking. A planet with factories shooting out plums of black smoke as far as the eye can see.
"Oh my God." Victoria whispers in complete shock.
The Dibits descends into the shipyard where there are soldiers waiting for the Dibits. The Soldiers are wearing combat gear similar to the US military in Afghanistan only theirs is completely white and instead of guns they have lasers. An occupied territory Proximus 9 has these soldiers everywhere with checkpoints and hovertanks.
When the ship finally hits land and some soldiers begin knocking on the bay door of the ship.
"Alright so me and Heidi are going down to Deck F to help the soldiers unload. Vicki you have the bridge."
"Ok, from the scanner seat to the Captain's seat." Victoria says in delight.
"I love how it's just become accepted that she's in charge when you aren't around" Beta says begrudgingly.
Heidi and Jeffers leave the room to go to the ship's cargo hold. As soon as they leave a call comes through the Holocom.
"Beta." Victoria says
"Why am I subservient to you?" he says as he pushes the button on the secondary seat to remotely activate the Holocom.
On the Holocom is Admiral Flera.
"Good evening Admiral. Or I guess it's morning in Morza." Victoria says
"Good morning, Victoria" Admiral Flera says
"How do you know my name?" Victoria asks
"Admiral Smithers and Newton talked about you a lot. Saying things like they should rip you open and study you. And stuff like that." Flera answers
Victoria gasps in horror when hearing that.
"Newton I understand but, Smithers!" Victoria says in utter horror.
"Yeah, they say you were from some different t.v. series. Is that right?" Flera asks
"Yeah, I lived in an old 90s show called Victoria's England. My best friend Vanessa lives there and my other friend Reginald. Also lived there." Victoria says
"This is the first you've spoken of anything from your past life." Beta comments
"Do you ever miss your friends" Flera asks
"I do. I miss them very much. I also miss London. Waking up watching the BBC in the morning. And looking at Big Ben." Victoria says
"Do you ever feel like going back?" Flera then asks
"Wow, I didn't expect to be interrogated. I would love to go back and see my old friends but I wanted to leave for a reason. It was boring, I also don't want to leave all the new friends I have made on the Dibits. Besides, even if I wanted to go back I couldn't. I have no idea how I came to be here." Victoria
says
"I think I might have a clue." Flera says
"You do?" Victoria replies intrigued
"Yeah, A long time ago I had a friend. Who claimed he came from some Comic book called The Preying Mantis. He says he learned to master his ability to go in and out of different forms of entertainment as he pleased. He called it the Creative World or something like that. He also says there were others like him." Flera tells Victoria
"Interesting. How did he control it?" Victoria asks
"I don't know, sorry. But he says he managed to teleport from the comic book and to a fantasy novel called the World of Elda where he met this witch who could teach him how to control his powers. I think he called her the White Witch or something like that." Flera answers
"Cool, you said the World of Elda?" Victoria says
"Yes, if you ever try to find a way to master your powers I'd start there. Maybe with the White Witch." Flera says right before she signs off.
"So I guess she only wanted to talk to you." Beta says
"Yeah, I guess. I'm so flattered."
"Yeah, Whatever It seems like Jeffers and Heidi have been gone for a while maybe you should check on them." Beta says
"You just want to be in charge of the bridge."
"I am the Lieutenant Commander and you're an ensign which means I should be Captain when they're gone."
"Fine. I'll be back." Victoria says as she's walking off but she turns back and says
"Oh and Beta."
"Yeah."
"You have the bridge."
Beta got angry at this as this is something a Captain says to a subordinate.
Victoria gets up from her seat and walks down the hallway. She takes the stairs and goes down to Deck F, there she sees the cargo hold is open with sunlight shining in and a bunch of soldiers walk around carrying stuff and there is one soldier in particular flirting with Heidi. This got Victoria's attention and she just stands in the doorway staring unnoticed by anyone. She then walks back to the bridge and sits back down in the Captain's chair.
"What was going on?" Beta asks
"Nothing, nothing at all." Victoria answers.
They just sit in the Captain's and Secondary chair for a while as Victoria's thoughts are racing through her mind. That guy flirting with Heidi, Other people going through other shows, and her friends back home.
Eventually Jeffers and Heidi come back and Victoria and Heidi get out of their seats.
"Ok it's time to fly." Heidi says
"When do you say things like that?" Jeffers asks
"I don't know that guy who was hitting on got me happy. I can't really explain it Anton." She says
"Well I'm glad you're happy. Now back to Exploring the Galaxy, to space."
The Dibits lifts off and ascends into the atmosphere. The Dibits blasts off into space going at about 2× the speed of light.
As they get further and further from the planet they just can't help the feeling that someone is wrong. Jeffers keeps telling Victoria to check the scanners. Victoria does but nothing is showing up on radar.
Until 5 mysterious war vessels show up out of nowhere.
"Captain 5 ships no ping so assume hostile?" Victoria asks
"No ping huh. You automatically get fired on. Unload the torpedoes." Jeffers commands.
Heidi spans the torpedo button which sends several stun torpedoes at the approaching ships.
One of the ships gets hit and is stunned with small electric charges going through it and the lights go out.
"Shit their stun torpedoes." She says
"Beta flip it to 4× light speed." Captain Jeffers says
But before Beta can even respond one of the enemy ships fires a torpedo at them and misses but the resulting explosion is so close to the engine it knocks it out.
"Dammit!" Jeffers says as the ship stalls
"Beta, deploy force field!" Heidi commands
"On it!"Beta says
The force field is deployed. But that doesn't stop the enemy ships from pummeling the shield.
"It ain't going to last long Captain." Beta says
"What percent?" Jeffers asks
"60%" Beta says
Then the ship takes another hit causing the Dibits to shake violently with the lights switching on and off.
"40%" he then says
"It was nice serving with you Heidi." Jeffers says
"Anton, don't say that we can still make it out of this." Heidi says
"I don't want to die!" Victoria says in a panic.
"looks like you have no choice." Heidi comments.
"Why do you torment me? You just said something entirely different to Jeffers!"
"Aw, she's experiencing mood swings Anton." Heidi jokes as another torpedo hits the ship.
"20%" Beta says
"No, no no no no no!" Victoria says in a panic.
She closes her eyes and as the shield got hit a few more times says
"I wish I was back at home. I wish I was back at home. I wish I was back at home!" She says right as she finishes that last sentence the shield breaks and a torpedo hits the Dibits.
When Victoria opens her eyes she's still on board the Dibits with Heidi and Beta and Jeffers. But they are no longer in space, they are now in some forest and something about it feels somewhat magical.