Chapter 5

Trip frantically tapped at the buttons, pulling up the sound recording from inside the shuttle. He heard the pop of the relay overloading. A few curses, then his voice attempting to contact Enterprise. A few more choice words, then silence. He put the audio on a fast speed waiting to hear any noises that indicated his conversation with Greystone, noises of the docking, noises of...anything, but there was only silence as he watched the time indicater quickly go from minutes to hours. It wasn't until after sometime of the 24 hour mark when there was another noise...his conversation with Archer.

Trip leaned back in his chair, stunned. "I...I don't get it. How is this even possible? Even if it were a dream or hallucination or something...I couldn't have been on the shuttle over 24 hours without making a sound. There should have been noises of me moving around, breathing...a sneeze...something! I'm just not buying this whole "ghost ship" story Travis concocted. No offense Travis...but I just think ghosts and stuff is hogwash."

Travis shrugged a shoulder. "Think whatever you want, all I know is that I've been in space my entire life and seen some pretty strange stuff out here."

Jon thought for a moment. "Ok...I'm not dismissing that something strange is going on here, I'm not sure myself if I believe in the ghost ship theory. Let's try to think this through and figure it out, starting with why there wasn't any noise on the shuttle's recording. We can see by the indicator, the recorder was active the entire time, maybe you fell asleep after you sent the distress call? Maybe that's why there isn't any noise?"

Trip waved a dismissive hand. "I've been told that I snore a little in my sleep." He gave an amused glance at T'Pol. "Been told sometimes I mutter too."

Jon chuckled. "Well...we've been on enough camping trips together, I can confirm that you do...in case you have doubts. Is it possible that you went to turn off the recorder but muted it by accident?"

Trip shot him a sarcastic look. "Thanks pal." He thought for a moment then shook his head. "I don't remember reaching to turn off the recorder, but it's possible I guess. Ok...well then how do you explain that data card?"

Jon turned it over in his hand. "Maybe you picked it up at the conference and forgot about it? Have you watched it? Do you know what's on it?"

Trip shook his head. "No, I didn't get this at the conference, I got it from the Sparrow! I haven't looked at it. I remember putting it in my pocket with the intent of giving it to Sam, but by the time I saw him again, that's when he told me he spoke to you and there was a rush to get off his ship and the shuttle out for you to pick me up. I just simply forgot about the card in my pocket."

Jon slid the card into the console and put the image on the view screen, what it showed was shocking.

The Sparrow being boarded by alien intruders, as Trip suspected, it was Ferengi. There was a fire fight between the crew and intruders, one of the cargo crew was hit in the shoulder by a shot, tumbled over the railing and a loud thud as his body hit the floor. Trip winced as he watched the man writhed in pain as the fight continued around him, he wondered if that was the engineer that Sam spoke of.

The fight lasted several minutes, with the Ferengi coming out the victor. They watched as the intruders began removing the anti-matter injectors and Sam bursting into engineering, yelling. "No! You can't do this! We'll be stranded! Take whatever you want, but don't leave us stranded!"

Jon felt sick as the memory of what he had done in the Expanse returned to once again haunt him, the words of the Illyrian captain echoing in his mind. "You're stranding us 3 years from home! Why are you doing this?"

They watched as one of the Ferengi turned and shot Sam. No one was certain if Sam was killed or simply stunned as they saw his body crumple down.

They watched the various feeds around the ship as the Ferengi moved about, locking crew into their rooms, shooting at those who resisted, and grabbing anything they thought was of value, or simply wanted.

If the horror of what they were watching wasn't so great, Trip would have laughed at the sight of one of the Ferengi taking a plant that was twice his size, carrying it through the decks to their ship, making it look like a small tree with legs.

The Ferengi had left, and it was several more minutes while the view switched through the decks. Finally another view of the engineering room came up to reveal Sam slowly getting to his feet, checking on the injured, ordering those still alive to get people to the infirmary as those who didn't survive were taken elsewhere.

There was a long pause then the screen went dark. A beep, then a somber voice that Trip recognized...the voice of Sam.

"Captain's Log: February 22, 2115.I have disabled the visual feed as I feel that all that needs to be seen has been. We were enroute to Pluto colony when our sensors picked up a ship within Earth's system. The ship configuration is unknown to us and I attempted to make contact, but there was no response. Assumed that the unknown vessel was in distress, I made the decision to render assistance. Once we were within range of the unknown ship, they fired on us, disabling the Sparrow's propulsion, then locked on with some sort of energy beam so that we couldn't escape. We were boarded, attempted to fight the intruders, but we were unsuccessful. My chief engineer, navigational officer, communication officer and ten crew members have been killed. After being stunned, I came to and discovered that the unknown vessel is gone and our anti-matter injectors, long range communication array, most of our cargo, and a variety of equipment has been taken along with a number of personal items. I have also discovered that we had been towed somewhere outside of the system, past Pluto, and I am unable to get a read on any location buoys to make an attempt to set a course to Pluto. At this time, we are lost and adrift, with only impulse drive, all I can do is hope to find the correct direction to Pluto and pray it won't take too long to get there as our food supply was only enough for this one trip. If I am wrong in the direction to set the ship, those of us remaining will definitely perish once the food and emergency rations run out. If for any reason, should this grave scenario be the case and we are found with all hands lost, I request that this data card be taken to Earth's authority so that they might be able to identify the alien intruders, warning other cargo ships to stay alert and keep away from them, and to also give our families closure.Captain Greystone, Earth cargo vessel Sparrow...out."

For a few moments, there was a cold silence on the bridge of Enterprise before Trip finally whispered out. "Oh my god. I-I can't believe this. I was there. I could have saved them. I could have done something...anything to make sure they stayed until Enterprise showed up, and now...now they're lost again."

Jon shook his head and placed a gentle hand on Trip's shoulder. "Trip, I don't have any explanation for what happened to you out there, but you couldn't have saved them. These people died a long time ago, before you were even born. There was nothing you could have done to save them."

Trip scowled at that. "Then you believe Travis? Some kind of ghost ship? No! They weren't ghosts, they were living, breathing people!"

Jon shook his head. "I don't know what to believe, Trip. All I know is that we've all experienced strange things since we've been out here. Maybe you fell into some sort of time paradox and were in the past, aboard the Sparrow before the rest had perished, maybe an alternate universe close to our own. I don't deny something odd happened out there...I just can't explain it."

Trip sat dumbfounded for a moment. "Travis? You really believe that ghost story? Sparrow helping people who are stranded?"

Travis looked down for a moment in thought. "I think that since the Sparrow was left stranded, it only makes sense that they would be willing to help people avoid the same fate."

"Well, if that's the case, and like you said, they've helped others who were stranded...why hasn't this data card surfaced until now?" Trip asked trying to find any explanation.

Travis shook his head as he couldn't think of an answer. Jon quirked a brow. "Maybe out of everyone they have helped over the years...you're the first one they've come across that they knew could get the data card into the right hands to honor their request to notify their families. Trip, I think this card was meant for you to find."

Trip slumped back in his chair as a cold chill ran through him and he turned over the data card in thought. "Do you think...maybe once their families have their closure...maybe on some other plane of existence, Sparrow will complete her cargo run? That's what Roger said to me, he just wanted to get the run finished."

Jon nodded. "I like to think so, Trip."

End

~ooOoo~

Thank you for reading. Reviews are always appreciated.Peace and Love to you.