Ten Minutes Later
"You are cleared for launch."
"Roger, taking off now." The pilot, Kath Saban, responded. The engines of the corvette came to life and the small craft slowly flew out of the hanger. The lights of the hanger were soon replaced by those of the stars.
"Salvage corvette 1-6-2 is away. Setting course for debris field."
"Roger."
The corvette's engineer, Sam Long, was seated to the pilot's left. He was busy looking over the sensor controls as the craft flew towards the field. When they were only one hundred meters away from the field, the controls started to beep. Sam checked the display. "I got something."
"The sensors are picking up ion particles on some of the debris."
"Ion particles?" Saban asked.
The engineer nodded. "There are definitely ion particles in the debris." "But how can that be?" the pilot inquired. "Last transmission said they spotted unidentified corvettes. They wouldn't have ion weapons."
"I can't answer that now," Long began. "Once we do a full scan of the debris, we might be able to explain it." The engineer activated the comm. unit. "This is salvage corvette 1-6-2 to Naar-Tobin. Come in."
"What is it 1-6-2?"
"We picked up what appears to be ion residue on some of the debris."
The voice of the Lieutenant was replaced by that of the captain. "Ion residue? Are you sure?"
"Affirmative, captain. We will need to bring some of the debris on broad for analysis."
"Permission granted."
"Which piece do you want?" Saban asked.
Sam pointed to a chunk with an even surface on one edge.
"Alright."
Saban carefully piloted the corvette towards that piece and when they were in range, Sam activated the tractor beams to grab on.
