"Good morning, Neil," she replied, forcing a smile. The man standing next to a large circular table looked to be a good 80 pounds overweight. Thick glasses clung to his nose, framing a face that was equally thick and round. He wore a white lab coat with the Cybersol logo stitched in the lapel. This was the only part of him that was clean and well kept... "Hey Carol. Listen, I was wondering if you'd care to do me a favor? You see, I'm trying to get rid of these..." he motioned to several crates on the opposite side of the table. They were covered with a thin sheet, but the curious nature of Carol made it impossible for her to resist. "Really?" she asked, picking up one of the boxes. "They're empty."
"Oh yeah, I got a shipment from the warehouse this morning. The guys in Engineering wanted to test out some new containment materials. Anyways, they gave me their specs and everything but they didn't tell me what they used to seal them or how strong it was. So, if you don't mind, I was hoping you could give them a try and see if it works?" Smirking slightly she lowered the box before delivering a swift kick that sent said box flying over Neil's head. He let out a very unmanly shriek and ducked for cover. "What was that for?!" He called over his shoulder as he rushed around the table, only to have to duck again when Carol kicked another crate. "You wanted me to test them. I'd say they seem durable enough." She chuckled as he hurried to pick up the boxes and deprive her of further ammo.
After checking that her shoes were ok she waved goodbye to Neil as she turned to leave (teasing aside that new material was impressive. Even kicked as hard as she could they didn't have a single scratch). She took a deep breath to clear her head as she continued down another hallway. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Turning she saw a familiar figure. "Mr. Jensen! I didn't expect to see you here today." Carol greeted the man with a warm smile. Eddie Jensen was a rather distinguished looking middle aged man. His bald pate was more salt than pepper and his suit fit him perfectly; in spite of the fact that he had a physique most men half his age would admire. With a slight nod, he acknowledged her greeting. "Hello Carol. Yes, I am here on business. I trust your day has gone well?"
"I suppose so. Um...how can I help you?" Carol inquired. He smiled. "Actually, I need your assistance on a project I've been working on. Do you have a few moments to spare?" "Of course. It would be my pleasure." She nodded quickly and he gestured to the Main Observation Room (A control room where all extrasolar division projects were monitored) before holding the door for her. She followed him to the center holo-display where a green marker was highlighted. "This is the location of our latest mining operation. As you know we have had difficulty finding crews willing to be out so long. Most missions will take 10 years or more." Pressing a few controls, Mr. Jensen brought up an image of a cargo ship. "This is ...or was...the Celeste. A long-range mining scout. Crewed by half a dozen ex-cons." He noticed my frown. "Not my first choice, but they are tough and they don't ask a lot of questions."
"Ok..." I said anxiously. What does this have to do with me?" "Well, as you may recall, the number of ships that make it home alive after a mission has decreased significantly over the last decade. In fact, the odds are less than 1 in 10 of any ship returning. To combat this we have begun developing the technology to allow the ships to communicate with us directly. This was a pilot program to test how successful it might be. As you can see, the Celeste was enroute to one of the coordinates you provided. Glancing at the display I could see it was indeed one of mine. "So what happened? You kept speaking in past tense..." "It's a bit complicated, but basically the mission went south. They were attacked by something and barely managed to escape. We lost contact about 30 minutes ago. At this point we don't even know if any of them made it. I'm afraid that unless we locate them soon...it won't matter." He shook his head sadly. "That's horrible...what are you proposing? I mean...if they're still alive then we should send help right?"
"No. Our biggest concern isn't whether or not they survived but rather where they are now." Looking confused I questioned him further. "If they're on the surface they're probably dead. If they're in orbit they'll be fine for a few days. But if they're below the planet, as we suspect...we have a problem. The Celeste was carrying a special delivery. Something that must remain intact for the mission to be considered a success." "What is it?" I asked eagerly. "An operative recruited straight from Sector Security (The Military/Security Division arm of Cybersol)" A small grin tugged on Jensens mouth. "Why one of them? What's so special about this planet?" "It's something that our long range probes found floating in orbit around it...The remains of a creature, but unlike anything we've ever seen."
