"Ladies and gentlemen we shall be proceeding to Earth", announced captain Maguire in response to the blank stares from the crew. He had noticed the heightened attention he was suddenly receiving. Apparently it had begun with the weird exchange with vice admiral Nyathi.
But captain Maguire was not one to be daunted by such trivialities as he viewed the incident. It was just petty issue it was nothing to get excited about.
Noting the tension in his customary business as usual style, he calmly proceeded to ask, any questions?"
It was as though nothing had happened and the crew taking their cue from their captain settled down.
"Set course for Earth", he ordered the lieutenant Tashinga Makaro seated at the pilot's console and lieutenant Anesu Shumba at navigation.
"Shall we be going around the anomaly lieutenant Anesu Shumba.
"We are going through it. Set last known co-ordinates for Earth", ordered captain Maguire.
"Yes sir", confirmed lieutenant Anesu Shumba promptly obeying with her fingers flying swiftly over the console in front of her imputing the co-ordinates.
"Com, activate the ship's public address system", captain Maguire ordered lieutenant Tanaka.
"Address system activated sir", confirmed Tanaka.
Getting up from his seat, captain Maguire walked over to the communications post and standing beside lieutenant Tanaka Denga began his address.
"Attention all personnel", this is captain Sydney Maguire speaking. An enormous anomaly extending into several sectors has opened up cutting us off from Earth. It has not just affected only us but several other starships currently patroling different sectors. These are regions where an increased alien activity has been detected.
While this is happening we also have reason to believe that Earth came under attack some five minutes ago. At this point we have no way of telling how long the anomaly will last. The situation is compounded by the fact that it will take us a couple of light years if we are to go around it.
Time we can ill afford, in the time it takes to go around it, Earth will have been taken. Given the circumstances we have no choices but to go through the anomaly.
All personal are therefore for advised to go brace themselves for a leap in to the unknown".
"Captain we are ready whenever you are", announced lieutenant Tashinga.
"Take us in", confirmed captain Maguire.
The starship shot forward into a the starless darkness which had suddenly opened up in space. Upon entering the anomaly the starship began to descend rapidly into the starless darkness setting off warning alarms throughout the ship.
"What is happening", asked captain Maguire.
"We seem to be descending from our previous position", replied lieutenant Tashinga.
"Pilot take us out of here", ordered captain Maguire.
"We are unable to get lift", returned lieutenant Tashinga.
"Captain to engine room, give us all the power you can generate", ordered captain Maguire.
"This is the engine room", came the voice of chief engineer Samson Nyanga over the captain's held communicator, "engines are already operating at full power".
"But how is it possible that we are in descent in space", exclaimed captain Maguire at a loss.
"Technically captain we may not be in space as we know it. It is possible that we went through the anomaly we may have entered another into dimension, a place occupying the same space time as the one we are from", calmly advised the pilot.
Are you saying this dimension might contain some kind of force field that is currently acting the starship? suggested captain Maguire.
"That would imply there is some kind of land mass or rather planet in whose gravitational pull we are caught in", reasoned captain Maguire.
"Exactly captain", agreed lieutenant Tashinga Makaro.
"But that does not explain our inability to climb out of the descent", said captain Maguire.
"Our green energy starship moves on a bed of naturally ocurring radio waves that flow throughout the universe. By manipulaimg the flow of this naturally occuring energy, repulsion is created thereby giving rise to propulsion.
"Ok so why can't we climb out of the descent?", asked captain Maguire.
"Radio occur naturally in the universe we come from. They may not exist in this dimension", replied lieutenant Tashinga.
"Navigator are you able to pick up anything on the ship's sensors", captain Maguire asked lieutenant Anesu.
"Negative captain", said lieutenant Anesu looking at her instrument console. "Wait a minute, I 'm picking up something very large directly beneath the Sandawana approaching fast".
"Without any means of propulsion we are going to crush into it", she remarked.
"Not if we blow it up first", returned captain Maguire.
"Standby to fire missiles, on my command", ordered captain Maguire.
"Yes sir", replied Lieutenant Alex Bara at weapons control his fingers moving swiftly over the weapons console in compliance.
"It's really big captain", announced lieutenant Anesu with particular emphasis on size.
"On screen", ordered captain Maguire, "let's see just how big this thing really is".
The giant monitor came alive with the starless darkness being displaced by a rapidly expanding oval object which grew until it almost filled the screen.
"It's a planet", they all called out at once as the object became discernible.
"Cancel that order to ready missiles", ordered captain Maguire.
"We are coming in too fast", announced Lieutenant Anesu, "at our present speed the starship will break up upon impact".
"Engine room", captain Maguire ordered, "give us maximum power".
"Captain what's the plan?", asked Lieutenant Anesu anxiously.
'If that is really a planet below us, it should have a radio waves in its atmosphere. That will give us the thrust we need to stabilise our descent for a smooth landing", explained captain Maguire.
"What's our plan B?", Lieutenant Anesu asked.
All eyes suddenly fell on the captain, in one of those awkward making him painfully aware of the weight of command.
"That's the only available plan, unless you have another option, I 'm all ears", captain Maguire, replied calmly.
Now that the question had been asked he was no longer feeling as confident as when he had thought it up. But he could not let the creeping show. The crew needed him to be strong to exude confidence at that moment as the starship raced uncontrollably towards the planet.
Suddenly darkness gave way to light as the starship entered the planet's atmosphere.
"Engines are at full power, but we are still descending uncontrollably", announced lieutenant Tashinga as the starship continued on its downward spiral.
"Hang in there", calmly assured captain Maguire.
"We are at 80 000 feet and still descending", announced lieutenant Anesu.
"Hold on", captain Maguire calmly almost emotionless assured. He knew all eyes were on him and the worst thing he could do, would be to panic.
He knew his crew, they would follow him to hell. All he had to do was to remain cool and be seen to be in control.