Entering the bridge they see the incoming ship on screen. Bradford crosses the floor in what the Commander sees as one giant stride.
Banks turns to them, "Sir - Shen is on her way to the bridge. We have started evasive maneuvers." As he reports to them she appears behind them. "Commander, Doctor Tygan requested you in research immediately. It's about the…"
The Commander looks at Central. "I got this, you go," he tells her. She turns and leaves without a word. The Avenger shifts quickly to the left as she enters the corridor. She hopes Bradford's piloting was up for this.
Entering research Tygan immediately expresses his frustration as the ship lurches again. "I can't work under these conditions Commander. If Central can't keep…"
"Doctor - we're currently in evasive maneuvers. We have an incoming UFO." She tells him. "What do you have?"
He stops and directing her to the monitor. "The scans of the suit Delta team retrieved shows a child."
"A child?" The Commander repeats.
"Yes. I'm unable to tell the age of the subject, from the confines of the suit at this time," he says. "I need to run another scan to determine if a chip was implanted into the subject."
A child. They did this to a child she thinks. The Commander nods and tells him to keep her up to date on his progress. She needs to get back to the bridge.
The lift doors close behind her as the ship shakes. Had they been hit? She attempts to raise the bridge as the nose of the Avenger starts to dip. She strikes the wall of the lift and the lights go out as it halts. She is trapped. This cannot be happening. Looking up she sees the access panel leading to the shaft. She climbs the handrail and grabs the handle to the hatch. It drops down and she hears the hollow echo of the shaft above her. Shifting closer she grabs the edge; the sudden movement of the ship gives her the momentum she needs. She groans and pulls herself out onto the roof of the lift. The Avenger levels out, but she still feels their rapid descent. One deck she has to climb, one deck to reach the bridge. Gripping the ladder's rungs which run up the side of the shaft she starts her ascent.
When she reaches the door she pulls the release and it opens part way letting in some light. She tries to push them open but she can't find the strength in one arm as she clings to the ladder. Swinging her legs up she uses her feet to push. It moves slightly before she hears someone at the door above her. "Commander!" Looking up she sees Petrak. He wedges his shoulder in the gap and begins to push until it gives way. Reaching down he grabs her hand helping her through the hole. As her legs dangle, she feels the engines reverse thrust and slow their descent. He grasps both her hands and bracing his feet against the edges of the open doors he pulls her up on the deck.
"Thank you Lieutenant," she says scrambling to her feet. He follows her to the bridge doors. Reaching out he pulls the manual release and the doors part like the lifts, only it takes less effort to open them to gain entrance.
The Avenger is grounded. They hear the computer commence emergency power as they slip through the doors. "Someone get me a damage report!" Bradford bellows as he picks himself off the floor.
"What the hell Central?!" The Commander says as she goes to his side.
"We got a problem-," Shen says from behind them. Turning to her the Halo Globe sparks and goes out.
"Only one?" Central asks.
She is monitoring the readings outside the ship. "They just dropped some sort of Spike outside. It's generating the same pulse they knocked us out of the sky with."
"They don't want us they want the ship," Bradford murmurs.
"Or what's on it," the Commander whispers.
Bradford turns to the Chief, "isn't there some way you can override it?"
"Not from here. I can't get the engines online while it's out there," she explains to him.
Central turns to the Commander, "Commander, we're going to have to do this the old fashion way. Destroying that thing is our only chance at getting out of here. We can't let the aliens take this ship!"
She nods agreeing with him. He turns to Banks to pull Delta and Gamma Squads. She is listening to them, but she doesn't believe the spike that holds them there can be their only issue. She leans over to confer with Shen, "Do you think it's possible that one of those active chips could act as a beacon for ADVENT?"
She looks at her, "I don't see what would prevent it. That was part of Tygan's initial reasoning for extracting your chip so quickly, because we didn't know if they could follow us. Why?"
"Our new guest might have one," she says turning back to Central. "We have another problem. The stasis suit you brought back with you, it could have a chip. If we destroy the spike and that thing is still active, they could track us and put us down again."
Bradford looks at her, "The Doctor needs to…"
"Right. Shen can you divert any power you can spare to research? We're going to need to give the Doctor a little light to work by," the Commander asks.
"Of course Commander, won't be much but I'll see what I can do. He's going to need some help. I don't think I should leave here though," she tells her.
"I leave the Avenger in yours and Central's capable hands and I'll assist the good doctor," she tells them. The Commander turns back to Petrak. "If you'll accompany me, I would hate to get stuck in a lift again."
Bradford watches her go, thinking that it's more important than ever they don't fail today. If the aliens take the Avenger they will not only have lost their last hope, but her once again.
When the Commander and Petrak finally make their way back to research they pry open the doors. While emergency power is active not all the basic systems seem to be working properly.
"Commander what is-," Tygan begins at the sight of them.
"No time - were you able to scan for the chip before-," the Commander cuts him off.
"Yes."
She looks at him anxiously, "well, is there one?"
"It would appear so,"
"You need to extract it now!" She tells him.
"Without power?" Tygan looks at her as if she is insane. Suddenly the lab systems and lights start to come on.
"Ask and you shall receive Doctor." She puts her hands up, granting his wish.
"Without the chief…"
"You have me and the Lieutenant, tells us what to do. If Central and Shen do their job we need to make sure there is no link for ADVENT to track us," she says to him.
He looks at the two of them and begins to rattle off a list of instructions. They work quickly, not knowing how long Shen will be able to afford them the power she has available.
As the Commander watches the procedure she wonders how anyone could do this to a child and then she thinks about how Central must have watched Tygan do this to her. She keeps her distance reading the monitors, letting Petrak assist the Doctor directly. When the extraction is finally complete Tygan turns to them both. "Thank you Lieutenant. Commander."
The Commander touches Petrak's arm and gives him an approving smile telling him good job, before turning back to Tygan. "Thank you for your haste."
"I will run an analysis of the chip once we have full power." He tells her as he reviews his notations.
The Commander looks down at the stasis suit. "Yes, if you would and do a complete work up on the child."
He looks at her, "Commander it is quite possible that -"
"I know, but you said you thought the scars were older. You mentioned on your procedure that the child is what - 3 or 4?"
"You are correct. However-" he starts but she doesn't want him to speculate. She wants facts.
"Run your analysis and review the files Najjar and Pak took from Lance Creek," she tells him.
"Of course."
"I want to know when she wakes," she says as she turns to leave.
Petrak quickly follows her out, trying to keep pace with her. As they approach the lift they felt the engines engage. The lift of the ship knocks them both against the corridor walls. Looking at one another they laugh with relief.
"That's a good sign," she tells him.