The mess hall on board Discovery bustled with crew as Tom Moore sat eating a cheeseburger, his GNN press credentials dangling on a lanyard around his neck, as the ship's announcement tone ringed pleasantly to his ears. "Attention. Notified civilian personnel are to report to the OPs Hanger Deck for departure immediately. Repeat. All notified civilian personnel are to report to OPs Hanger Deck..."
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Tania Alvarez sat at a stoic desk editing the package of "The Battle of Luna" on her laptop with her camera beside her on the desk. The guest quarters was no larger than a small budget motel room, with a restroom in a corner, a single bed, and a fairly large view screen built into the wall opposite of the bed and the desk under a small window.
The view screen displaying a calming woodland scene, the dynamically generated scene appearing life like, so much so, that she caught herself almost reaching in to stroke the head of sparrow perched on the virtual window sill when she first activated the scene simulation. Using bleeding edge holographic tech in addition to a light-field display she was very impressed. The navy shrinks figured that during extend tours outside of of Sol's extensively growing deep space system networks, the crew needs ways to "ground" themselves. and these bleeding edge displays is one of many solutions thought up by the various DARPA think-tanks.
Not letting stray thoughts lose here concentration, she turns her focus into finishing her package to be sent planet-side the next day. When her door chimes. "Come in!" she says off-handedly.
The door slides open and her camera-man Tom entered franticly, gasping for breath, shouts of angry reporters echoing from the hall. "Tania!" She looks up concerned, "What's wrong Tom?" Tom composes himself a bit before answering, "They're kicking the press off of the ship!" Tania stands up, shocked, "They're what!?" she bolts past Tom and down the hall.
Sargent Hayes stood atop some luggage addressing the crowd of angry press. seven other marines stood in between the crowd and Hayes, all of them wearing loaded rifles and full combat gear. "For your safety and the safety of the crew your are to return to Edwards Space Force Base until Discovery returns from combat operations!" Hayes shouted, but the crowd roared in anger and indignation, objecting to being ordered off the ship with force. Tania rounds the corner of the hallway and looks at the spectacle. "This is an order from the Captain and US Space Command and is not negotiable! All notified civilian press personnel are to return to Edwards Space Force Base, by force if necessary!" Hayes ordered.
The marines in front of Hayes took a step back and drew there rifles to there shoulders, and the crowd quiets. The reporters are stunned by the show of force and hostile intent. "Now grab your luggage! You will be escorted by an armed marine to the shuttle bay! Any cameras or recording equipment not stowed will be confiscated and returned when on the ground! Now move into the elevator! Or force will be used!" Hayes ordered the silent but disgruntled crowd.
Tania ducks away from the marines and out of the crowd, returning to her room. Checking her messages as Tom catches up to her, "You ok?" Tom asked as he sees her frantically tapping and swiping on her phone, "Did you get any notification about being evacuated?" she asked while focused on her screen scrolling through emails and texts, "Nothing Tania, I checked as soon as they announced it," Tom replied. "Why kick everyone else off but us?" She thought out loud, looking up she just sees Tom shrug, "I'm going to request a meeting with the captain. He has to give a reason for his decision, you can't just ignore their constitutional rights with out a damn good reason!"
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Nolan sat in the captain's chair on the bridge going over reports on the display on his right as the bridge buzzed with activity with preparations. Halsey approached Nolan, "The shuttle with the press is away. The marines said they put up one hell of a fight." Nolan sighed as he sat back into the plush chair, "Unavoidable I'm afraid. Once in warp-space send miss Alvarez to my ready-room." Halsey nodded, "Aye sir."
Nolan looked at the comms officer, "Alright Lieutenant, put me on." The comms officer nodded and the distinctive whistle is played throughout the ship, "This is the captain. I just received word from Space Command that we have a green light to strike Marduk's forces. It won't be easy, and he had two weeks to prepare for us. But we will bring him to justice! This is pivotal. We mustn't fail! and we won't fail!" Nolan stands and scans the determined faces of his bridge crew, "Helm! Ready hyper-drive!" Nolan commanded. Jack nodded, "Aye sir!"
The crew jumps into action and initiates the jump procedures. In the engineering section of the ship the angular armored cowling of the hyper-drive hums. Glowing from the overlapping sections. A engineering crewman stands nervously in the background, before he turns and continues to work on an open panel. The angular armored cowling of the hyper-drive hums. Glowing from the overlapping sections as energy charges in it's coils.
Bennett at the helm watches his screens as the ship transforms, rails along the starboard and leeward sides of the ship extend several feet from the hull as electricity arcs from the exotic matter coils. A loud electric hum reverberates through the ship as Bennett looks to Nolan, "Trans-Light Drive is charged and ready sir!"
Nolan turns to the viewscreen and gazes upon the forward section of Discovery and the linier warp coils extended and the flashes of blue-white arcs, "Engage Trans-Light Drive, lieutenant!" Bennett grins as his co-pilot rolls her eyes at his boyish grin, "Aye sir! Engaging Trans-Light drive!"
Discovery is enveloped in the optical distortion as the warp fields wraps around Discovery, the coils flash lightning across the ship in a bubble shape as the local space-time yields to it's will. Time seems to freeze on board the ship, the stars appear to streak forward giving all who saw it vertigo and then with a brilliant flash Discovery shoot out of sight. Leaving a nearly unperceivable quantum shockwave.