"Captain, the Zwilink connector is sending transmitting co-ordinates", lieutenant Tashinga flight control reported.
"Input co-ordinates and initiate take off sequence", captain Maguire ordered from his commander's chair.
As lieutenant Tashinga set about complying with the order. Captain Lucinda walked onto the bridge.
"Captain", captain's Maguire greeted as captain Lucinda walked through the sliding doors and came over to take her seat next to captain Maguire.
"Captain", she greeted as she approached and and lowered herself into the seat beside him.
"Feeling better?", he asked.
"Yes much better, thank you. It seems I was more exhausted that I had imgined. Running through the forest from a herd of stampeding dinosaurs then being trundled like a piece of stake really took its toll on my body", captain Lucinda recounted the horrors of the past couple of days.
"Fortunately that's now behind us", said captain Maguire consolingly. "There is one thing I don't get though. I understand that the Zwilink connector destroying the astroid that should have brought on the ice age is responsible for the primitive condition of the Earth we were on. But it still doesn't explain why there was only one land mass where as our own planet, I mean reality has several smaller continents", said captain Maguire.
"Think about it captain, an astroid large enough to cause a climatic upset that could wipe out an entire species, would be heavy enough to break up a such a large mass of land into several chunks. Over time due to movement in the Earth's crust those chunks would gradually drift further apart from each other", explained captain Lucinda.
"Until they were in different polar regions", reasoned captain Maguire.
"Yes", agreed captain Lucinda. "The one act by the Zwilink connector of destroying the astroid had far reaching consequences. It meant that the Zwilink connector was forced to intervene to maintain balance on the planet".
"Hence the directive by Space command not to interfere with less advanced cultures. The consequencies are unpredictable and may not be easily manageable.", remarked captain Maguire.
"Exactly", confirmed captain Lucinda.
"Thanks for clearing that up for me. "Now I suggest you go get a shower while we take off and some quality sleep", captain Maguire suggested. "I will do the same once we are in space".
"That's a good idea", agreed captain Lucinda getting up and walking out of the bridge.
Several pairs of eyes were watching the starship with a mixture of curiosity and admiration as the navigation lights began flashing. A low humming sound of power could be heard outside. The warriors watching from outside cautiously moved a couple of steps backwards as the starship gently roared into life. The starship gradually at first lifted off the ground. Then shot upwards high speed.
Captain Maguire watched the view of the surface quickly recede into the distance until on the bridge's giant computer monitor until the entire planet came into focus, and the Sandawana was in space. The warriors below on the planet's surface watched the rapidly ascending starship recede in size until it was a tiny dot against the blue firmament of the sky. Then finally disappear as it cleared the planet's atmosphere.
"Inputting new co-ordinates", lieutenant Tashinga reported. His fingers rapidly and expertly moving over the flight control console, on the Sandawana was in space.
"Proceed", confirmed captain Maguire sitting back in his commander's chair.
The starship launched itself forward and disappeared into the Oblivion zone.
"I 'll be taking some personal time. Let me know if anything comes up", captain Maguire advised the crew. He got up from his chair and left the bridge as the Sandawana raced through the Oblivion zone. Moments later he was taking a badly needed shower. A little later on captain Maguire was sound asleep enjoying the warmth of the bed in his quarters.
The Sandawana emerged out of the Oblivion zone and sped towards Earth, with stars shooting past the starship as streaks of light. The crew was pleased to see that all the ten planets of the Orion star system in their orbits. All seemed to be in order, the crew was happy and relieved to be going after their most recent tour.
They were going home with amazing discoveries from the past few days to report that would change humanity's understanding of the cosmos. A well deserved break was certain after what they had gone though and achieved.
A transmission from Space command flashed on the communication console marked urgent. Lieutenant Tanaka clicked on the receive button. The transmission was marked urgent and he immediately perched into the captain's communicator.
Captain Maguire's communicator crackled loudly disturbing his sleep. "Bridge to captain!, bridge to captain!"
He reached for the device and touched the transmit icon before proceeding, "captain Maguire speaking what is it?", asked with a hint of irritation.
"Sorry to disturb you, captain, there is an urgent transmission from admiral Gwangwa", reported lieutenant Tanaka.
"Ok, thank you lieutenant, I 'm on my way", said captain Maguire getting himself out of bed and getting dressed.
Arriving on the bridge, captain Maguire promptly ordered sitting himself in the commander's chair, "on screen and the image of admiral Gwangwa popped up on the giant monitor's screen.
"Captain", admiral Gwangwa greeted.
"Admiral", captain Maguire promptly replied.
"I know you are looking forward to some well earned rest and relaxation after your most recent mission", said admiral Gwangwa.
"Yes admiral along with the entire crew", remarked captain Maguire.
"I 'm afraid I must ask you to delay taking your break a little longer. The situation is dire, I wish there was some other way. I wish I could ask another starship in your place. But as it is all starships have been deployed. Earth is facing a new and lethal threat".
"I am a Space command officer. I knew the day I first walked through the doors of the recruitment centre that they would be days like these. I told myself that even then I would do my duty as a Space command officer", said captain Maguire.
"First before we are officers, we are friends. I could order you but according to Space command regulations you have earned a well deserved break. I am not supposed to even ask but I am asking you as a friend to accept one more mission", said admiral Gwangwa.
"Whatever it is, the Sandawana willingly undertakes the mission".
"Good man", said admiral Gwangwa.