Cold Metal, Warm Heart
In the darkness of a room with no furniture save for a chair propped up against a wall, something stirred. Its movements were metallic yet it was organic, a thing of flesh, bone and blood. Its cool eyes wakened to an image painted across its retinas. Something was coming, coming close to them from where it didn't yet know. All it could tell was that it was alien. A structure unlike any other it had encountered before, an oddity that deserved exploration. With a slight movement of its hand it changed the course of its wandering home to intercept this curiosity. Whether the emotion was simulated or real it had a desire to be within proper scanner range in as short time as possible. It would decide then if taking a further look was absolutely necessary.
Command Centre hummed to its usual tune; printouts spewing from printers and buttons beeping. Banter between two of its most lively of occupants was rife amongst the bustle, a welcome distraction during tasks without which had a good chance of being monotonous. No one dared take their attention from their work completely but still kept a good degree of it fixed upon the current conversation, one that centred around one of the most talked about issues, the state of Tony's beer.
"We've been in space three years and you think he would have come up with a decent brew by now," Alan shot during a pause in the proceedings caused by one of his pilots seeking his attention.
Tony looked up from his paperwork, "I might still yet. Besides, I'd like to see you do any better, Pilot."
"Oh please don't encourage him, Tony. It's bad enough having you trying to poison us without another one joining in." Maya chimed in a broad smile highlighting her exotic features.
"Don't worry, Maya, I'm too busy doing my job to waste time doing that." Alan replied casting a glance in Tony's direction.
"If you did your job you'd be down with the Eagles in the piloting section, Pilot. And for your information I do my job too, I can't help it if everyone's behaving themselves."
It seemed as if Tony had spoken too soon when his Commlock beeped and alerted him to a situation in one of the recreation rooms. Pushing back his chair he quickly waved his Commlock in Alan's direction with a brisk nod and an 'I told you so' smile before heading to where he was needed.
Alan looked at Maya and shrugged before turning back to his interrupted task, a chuckle lifting his shoulders a second time before silence dominated the room once more and the song of Command Centre once again filled the ears of its occupants.
A rapid beeping from Maya's console distorted the sound and attracted everyone's attention and they were eager to know what it was. Something had been picked up by the scanners, the first something in a long time of floating through a quiet area of space.
No one's attention was drawn more intensely than Commander Koenig's.
"What is it, Maya?" Sounded the rough yet strangely calming tones of the Commander, "What's out there?"
Maya punched buttons rapidly and answered within a short time, "A vessel of some kind. I can't get anything more detailed yet. It's just on the edge of our sensors and I don't think it's going to come much closer. From what I can tell it's deliberately keeping its distance."
"Whoever's in there obviously doesn't want to be scanned. Let's hope they're willing to be contacted though. Sahn, see if you can raise them."
With a small nod the communications operative began signalling the mysterious vessel beyond them.
Apprehension was tenable in the air as her voice filled the void of anticipation as everyone in the room awaited an answer. None of them knew what was out there whether it be friend or foe, many times in the past they had been tricked into believing some of their worst enemies as friends only to be attacked and betrayed. Benevolence in space it seemed held nowhere near as much currency as it did on their home planet.
Relay after relay of the standard greeting to other dwellers in space seemed to bounce off an invisible wall as Sahn tried to get through to the shadow looming over them. She knew there was a chance that they were too far away to pick up her signal but she still continued nonetheless, she would carry on until she was told to cease.
After several more minutes Sahn was beginning to feel despondent at the un-grown fruits of her ceaseless labour when something unexpected happened, a signal was returned from the ship she was trying to reach. At Commander Koenig's order she patched it onto the screen.
What the eyes of those in Command Centre saw shocked and surprised them.