Eric Zhu squinted at the images on the main monitor, the big screen occupying one wall of the Island's command room. The sight made his eyes hurt. They weren't very good images to begin with. The fact they'd been blown up way past their original resolution wasn't helping matters.
He shook his head, resisting the urge to pace. There wasn't room. "Who ARE these guys?"
"You know," Gin replied, in a voice laden with sarcasm, "we're all thinking the same thing. It's not like you have to say it out loud or anything, make yourself sound like an idiot..."
Eric scowled. "Shut up."
Gin hit the mute button on her console, and swiveled round. The console was just a 'waved desktop computer. But it was an exceedingly well 'waved computer, and emitted a satisfying 'bleep' in fine Star Trek tradition. She adjusted her headset...and made a face.
"I'm talking with a tech at Stellvia," Gin said, "They've got it on their scopes. But they don't know either."
There was a minor scuffle behind Eric as someone shouldered his way through the crowd. Island Control was a large-ish space, but it wasn't meant to support so many people. Not at once.
Matt pushed his way to Gin's side, people parting for the big man like the Red Sea. "Any identification," he demanded gruffly, "are they broadcasting an IFF?"
From the back of the room, Will Kao shouted: "ARE THEY ANSWERING HAILS?!"
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Gin turned back to her console. "Uhhh...I'll ask. Wait one."
As she did, the room descended into noise once more. Most of the Island's crew was packed into the control room - not just the command staff, but almost every employee. Most of the people in the crowd were supposed to be on-duty elsewhere. But they weren't going to miss something as big as this, not for something so trivial as work.
There were even a few Fisherbots jockeying to see the screen, poking their little plastic heads between the legs of crewmembers. The Island's robots seemed fascinated as well.
"Jesus," Matt said. It wasn't clear whether he was swearing, or making a very short prayer. He stared at the information displayed on the main monitor, and shook his head. "That thing is HUGE."
"Biggest land theft ever," Eric muttered, "almost makes me feel inadequate."
Gin snickered. "Aren't you already inadequate?"
Eric scowled. "Aren't YOU supposed to be talking with Stellvia?"
Gin pointed to the red light on her console. "I'm on hold."
"Wonderful," Eric grumbled. He placed two fingers against his forehead, trying to hold off the coming headache. "Right, right. Someone check the 'net. Is there anything online about this?"
Up on the big screen, a small window appeared. The face of a bearded man popped into view, the usual avatar of the Island's resident AI.
"Just did, boss," Simon-Peter said, "there's quite a bit, actually."
Eric's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
"Uh, yeah," the AI replied, "though most of it's been posted in the last, er, five minutes."
Moving next to Eric, Matt glared at the screen. "Is there anything older? Anything with useful information?"
"Um," the AI said, looking abashed, "no?"
Eric breathed a deep, long-suffering sigh. Then he looked around, coming to a decision. "Alright people," he announced, "we'll maintain alert status. The rest of you, BACK TO WORK."
The wave of protest was almost deafening.
"QUIET," Eric yelled, "YOU'LL GET UPDATES!"
He searched the sea of faces, until he found the one he wanted. "Ally?"
Ally blinked. She twisted her hand round, pointing to herself.
"Yes," Eric confirmed, "you."
She looked uncertain, surprised at being singled out. "Um..."
"Once everyone's back on-duty," Eric said, glaring deliberately at his errant crewmembers, "get on the PA. Most folks on board have probably heard. Especially since you all rushed here when we paged the command staff. But...make an announcement anyway. Then talk to Simon-Peter, put all the graphics and sensor stuff we have on the public screens. No speculation, just the facts. As we get 'em."
Ally felt the sudden and completely irrational urge to salute. "Yes sir!"
Eric nodded. "And the rest of you..."
He growled.
"...GET BACK TO WORK!"
See...
Eric's mistake was...when Stellvia called, he went on the intercom without really thinking.
*three-tone-signal* "Attention all command staff. All command staff. Green alert. We've got a new VLO report. Repeat, that's a Vee El Oh. If you're free, come to Control." *three-tone-signal*
Announcing that there's been a sighting of a new Very Large Object is not the wisest thing. Not on the public bands. Sure, all the Island's visitors, residents, tourists and customers, they have no idea what the acronym stands for...
...but all the Island crew, on the other hand, they know the announcement codes, and that one's not been used for like...ever...
*stampede!*
-- Acyl
He shook his head, resisting the urge to pace. There wasn't room. "Who ARE these guys?"
"You know," Gin replied, in a voice laden with sarcasm, "we're all thinking the same thing. It's not like you have to say it out loud or anything, make yourself sound like an idiot..."
Eric scowled. "Shut up."
Gin hit the mute button on her console, and swiveled round. The console was just a 'waved desktop computer. But it was an exceedingly well 'waved computer, and emitted a satisfying 'bleep' in fine Star Trek tradition. She adjusted her headset...and made a face.
"I'm talking with a tech at Stellvia," Gin said, "They've got it on their scopes. But they don't know either."
There was a minor scuffle behind Eric as someone shouldered his way through the crowd. Island Control was a large-ish space, but it wasn't meant to support so many people. Not at once.
Matt pushed his way to Gin's side, people parting for the big man like the Red Sea. "Any identification," he demanded gruffly, "are they broadcasting an IFF?"
From the back of the room, Will Kao shouted: "ARE THEY ANSWERING HAILS?!"
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Gin turned back to her console. "Uhhh...I'll ask. Wait one."
As she did, the room descended into noise once more. Most of the Island's crew was packed into the control room - not just the command staff, but almost every employee. Most of the people in the crowd were supposed to be on-duty elsewhere. But they weren't going to miss something as big as this, not for something so trivial as work.
There were even a few Fisherbots jockeying to see the screen, poking their little plastic heads between the legs of crewmembers. The Island's robots seemed fascinated as well.
"Jesus," Matt said. It wasn't clear whether he was swearing, or making a very short prayer. He stared at the information displayed on the main monitor, and shook his head. "That thing is HUGE."
"Biggest land theft ever," Eric muttered, "almost makes me feel inadequate."
Gin snickered. "Aren't you already inadequate?"
Eric scowled. "Aren't YOU supposed to be talking with Stellvia?"
Gin pointed to the red light on her console. "I'm on hold."
"Wonderful," Eric grumbled. He placed two fingers against his forehead, trying to hold off the coming headache. "Right, right. Someone check the 'net. Is there anything online about this?"
Up on the big screen, a small window appeared. The face of a bearded man popped into view, the usual avatar of the Island's resident AI.
"Just did, boss," Simon-Peter said, "there's quite a bit, actually."
Eric's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"
"Uh, yeah," the AI replied, "though most of it's been posted in the last, er, five minutes."
Moving next to Eric, Matt glared at the screen. "Is there anything older? Anything with useful information?"
"Um," the AI said, looking abashed, "no?"
Eric breathed a deep, long-suffering sigh. Then he looked around, coming to a decision. "Alright people," he announced, "we'll maintain alert status. The rest of you, BACK TO WORK."
The wave of protest was almost deafening.
"QUIET," Eric yelled, "YOU'LL GET UPDATES!"
He searched the sea of faces, until he found the one he wanted. "Ally?"
Ally blinked. She twisted her hand round, pointing to herself.
"Yes," Eric confirmed, "you."
She looked uncertain, surprised at being singled out. "Um..."
"Once everyone's back on-duty," Eric said, glaring deliberately at his errant crewmembers, "get on the PA. Most folks on board have probably heard. Especially since you all rushed here when we paged the command staff. But...make an announcement anyway. Then talk to Simon-Peter, put all the graphics and sensor stuff we have on the public screens. No speculation, just the facts. As we get 'em."
Ally felt the sudden and completely irrational urge to salute. "Yes sir!"
Eric nodded. "And the rest of you..."
He growled.
"...GET BACK TO WORK!"
See...
Eric's mistake was...when Stellvia called, he went on the intercom without really thinking.
*three-tone-signal* "Attention all command staff. All command staff. Green alert. We've got a new VLO report. Repeat, that's a Vee El Oh. If you're free, come to Control." *three-tone-signal*
Announcing that there's been a sighting of a new Very Large Object is not the wisest thing. Not on the public bands. Sure, all the Island's visitors, residents, tourists and customers, they have no idea what the acronym stands for...
...but all the Island crew, on the other hand, they know the announcement codes, and that one's not been used for like...ever...
*stampede!*
-- Acyl