Deep Space Endeavor Read Free

had been working for quite some time to give SAMMI a little more personality, and it seemed as though she were developing a bit of a sarcastic streak. Just then, the door to the bridge slid open and in walked Dr. Susanne Baker.
    “Suzy, thank God you’re alright,” Jesse called over the klaxons. “Collin is hurt. Can you see to him?”
    “ Right away, Colonel,” she replied as she made her way across the bridge. “You don’t look so good either. Let me have a look at you.”
    H e waved her off as he replied, “Collin first. He’s the only one that hasn’t woken up yet. I promise you can have a look at me when things have calmed down a bit.”
    “I’m going to hold you to that. I know all about your aversion to doctors,” she replied, as she crossed the bridge towards Josiah and Collin.
    “SAMMI, status report,” he called out.
    “ All primary systems except life support and several auxiliary systems are down, Colonel Marcos. It appears that there was an explosion at approximately the same time we were entering the event.”
    “Do you know where we are?”
    “Negative, Colonel; if we traveled through the matter conduit, according to Dr. Hightower's research we should be in the Kaldorian system of the Kalephi galaxy but until my sensors are online, I cannot be certain. As soon as my sensors are back on line, I will attempt to ascertain our exact location.”
    “So systems are coming back on line?” He asked a glimmer of hope creeping into his voice.
    “Yes , Colonel,” SAMMI replied. “We only experienced systems failure because our power distribution systems were taxed by the explosion combined with the strain of entering the phenomenon. I enacted a hard shut down to protect my more critical systems; the only systems that remain online during a hard shut down are emergency life support and artificial gravity. We have actually experienced very little damage, but the system reboot will take some time.”
    "Finally some good news," he replied.
    “Collin is awake ,” Suzy called out.
    More good news , he thought, if we can only keep it going . “SAMMI, what systems are actually damaged?”
    “Primary shields and cloaking system, Colonel,” SAMMI replied in her usual melodious manner.
    He could feel the air leave his body. Perfect, I knew our luck was too good to last . Without the shields and the cloaking technology available, he felt naked, and being vulnerable in an unknown environment was unacceptable.
    “What is the problem with the cloak and the shields ?” He asked with a sense of urgency.
    “Unknown, internal sensors are not yet online. Once they return, I will have to run a systems diagnostic.”
    “Let me know the second the information becomes available.” He ordered. “What systems are operational?” He asked anxiously. The reply was slow in coming,
    “Life support, internal power, sub light engines, cooling systems and secondary shields.” SAMMI listed in a matter-of-fact tone.
    “ That's just great,” he yelled. “No weapons no shields and no cloak, we're in trouble. And can you please shut off those klaxons." He sighed in frustration as he continued pacing about trying to figure the problem out.
    At least we have sub light and secondary shields , he thought as the noise level died down. Hopefully no one will find us out here until after our systems are back online. While waiting for the next update, he began to think about Endeavor .
    Endeavor was larger than a gunship but not as big as a frigate. She could crew up to twenty-six comfortably and she could hold a wing of four Viper starfighters and one Eagle assault shuttle in her landing bay. For this mission, Jesse opted to carry only the shuttle. Endeavor measured one seventy-six meters long and thirty-eight meters wide. She was wider in the back than she was in the front because of the casings for the sublight engines. She had six sublight engines in all, two attached to each side of the ship and two affixed to the top. Each