The small craft on which admiral Gwangwa had been taken aboard went into the hatch of one of the alienships.
"Sandawana, what's your status!?", captain Maguire asked speaking with a sense of urgency into his hand held communicator.
Captain Lucinda was watching anxiously.
"Repairs are at 45percent completion', captain", reported lieutenant Tanaka.
"Ah that's useless!" snapped captain Lucinda impatiently rushing over to the communicator on admiral Gwangwa's desk.
"All starships block are to block the alien ships from re-entering the anomaly!", she ordered with a sense of urgency. "Do not fire on them, they have admiral Gwangwa. I repeat they have taken a senior staff officer hostage".
"What makes you think they are going back into the anomaly", captain Maguire inquired.
"Look at the monitor", she said in response to his question.
"I noticed from the time they took admiral Gwangwa, all the alien ships disengaged from the battle and started move towards the anomaly".
"I don't get, what does the abduction of the admiral have to do with the alien ships returning to the anomaly!?", inquired captain Maguire.
"Safe passage. We must assume it is their exit strategy, said captain Lucinda, "They know that our starships will not open fire as long as they have admiral Gwangwa. We must attempt to rescue him without opening fire".
In the sky above aliens ships intermingled with casing confusion as to which one the admiral was aboard. Trying to block the alien ships from re-entering the anomaly was easier said than done. The starships had their work cut out for them tring to cover a large area. Despite attempts at pursuit of the alien ships , it was hopeless situation made more so by the directive not to open fire.
They could only deploy their shields to protect themselves from the aliens lasers. While trying to herd the alien ships away from the anomaly. Which was an exercise in futility like trying to hold water, with the effect that the alien ships managed to slip back into the anomaly.
"Captain", lieutenant Tanaka's voice clearly over captain Maguire's hand held communicator. "Something weird is happening with the anomaly".
"Weird how?", asked captain Maguire.
"It appears to be shrinking", said lieutenant Tanaka.
"Of course the anomaly is closing!", captain Lucinda suddenly announced. That's why the aliens ships are going back!".
"Sandawana, how far with the repairs?", asked captain Maguire speaking with a sense of urgency in his voice.
"All the repairs are complete sir', replied lieutenant Tanaka, his voice coming over the hand held communicator.
"Lift off at once and come pick me up at Space command headquarters", ordered captain Maguire speaking into the hand held communicator.
"Sir?", a lieutenant Tanaka asked for seeking confirmation.
"Do it now, let me know once you are directly above Star command headquarters", captain Maguire ordered.
"I 'm coming with you",said captain Lucinda.
"No you are not', captain Maguire firmly.
"I 'm not asking you captain, I 'm telling you ", said captain Lucinda.
"I 'm the captain of the Sandawana and what I say goes".
"You are not on your ship right now, captain. I 'm the one in charge here and can hold you here", captain Lucinda shot back at captain Maguire.
"Captain", lieutenant Tanaka's came over the hand held communicator. "We are directly over Space command headquarters and are sending a shuttle to pick you up".
"Well, what will it be captain Lucinda?", asked.
"This is counter productive", snapped captain Maguire, "ok you can come along", he said giving in.
Moments later they were sitting on the bridge of the Sandawana, watching the anomaly on the giant computer monitor, shrink rapidly into itself.
"Captain by my calculations the anomaly will soon lose", lieutenant Tanaka reported.
"We must immediately pursue the aliens", captain Lucinda announced.
'You want us to follow them into an anomaly that is closing. Are you aware of how dangerous that is? We will be stuck in another dimension without a means of getting back home".
"What if there is way of getting back even after the anomaly closes", said captain Lucinda.
"How", asked captain Maguire.
"You see captain, you need me ", said captain Lucinda said.
"I 'm about to risk my ship, career and the lives of my crew by going back into the anomaly", The least you can do is to tell me how that is possible.
"I am captain Lucinda Mago of Space command ground operations. We have long known of the existence of other dimensions. Places occupying the space in different time zones, where time can be slightly faster or slower.
There are countless numbers of such alter realities existing on the planet unknown to to the general population".
"What do you mean, "we?, you and whom?", captain Maguire asked intrigued.
"Me and all the top brass of Space command.
"But why do keep such knowledge secret", asked capacity Maguire.
"Can you imagine the fear, the panic would cause among the public, if they were to suddenly become that the very space they occupy contains other beings. There are other life forms existing on this planet, captain, Human civilisation is not the end all".
"How about telling the public and see how they react?", said captain Maguire. "We shouldn't just rush to assume that the public is irrational and always needs to be protected from the truth".
"True", agreed captain Lucinda, "but what if the truth is just too much for them to handle. When they are told that the childhood fear of the monster under the bed is not made but is as real as you and I. That the monster exists but in another time setting in the same space as we do. That at times that monster will cross over into our world through a rip, a tear in the space time continuum.
"Captain", lieutenant Tanaka reported, "the anomaly is shrinking fast and unless we go through in the next few seconds we shall not be able to enter".
"Pilot, take us into the anomaly at maxim speed", ordered captain Maguire. I hope I will not regret this", he added quietly beneath his breath as the massive starship shot forward into the shrinking anomaly.