Chapter 8
The Feliner landed on Third Earth as the sun was setting. They were greeted at Cat's Lair and then whisked off to the dining room for some real food. Ben-Gali discovered that the rations on board had passed their expiration date but the group had munched on them anyway hoping they still tasted good. They didn't and the three were starving by the time they got to the planet.
After shoveling in the food, Snarfer escorted them down to the conference room where the leader of the ECAIS, an Evil Chaser named Zuthra, quickly pulled up the information they knew.
"According to the flight data recorder, which we found just before it entered the planet's atmosphere, the ship left port at Space Hub Number Twenty-Seven four days ago. The flight manifest indicated that the flight was not bound for Third Earth or New Thundera. In fact, she was bound for a planet not far from New Thundera called SG-17. The ship was supposed to be a research vessel. The reason given for hugging Third Earth and eventually New Thundera was to avoid confrontation with any unfriendlies and also in case of emergency. Calliope was to contact Third Earth but she never got the chance," Zuthra explained.
"Ok, so what evidence have you discovered of her destruction?" Lion-O asked.
"Blast marks originate on the outside of the pieces of wreckage indicating that she was shot down," the ECAIS leader said.
"Why didn't she call Third Earth for help? They could have scrambled and maybe saved some lives," Tygra was confused.
"Unfortunately we have yet to find the cockpit voice recorder. We may never find it as I said, the data recorder almost burned up in the atmosphere. We've been unable to locate the satellite tracking device that would be pinging if it were still in good shape," Zuthra told them.
"More questions than answers, it seems," Lion-O muttered.
"Yes, so it seems. The full extent of the attack may never be known. The engines have yet to be found and some of the usual large pieces of wreckage we look for are missing as well. Probably the pieces that entered your atmosphere and left you some nice craters," the ECAIS team leader explained.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but if someone did this, wouldn't they be claiming responsibility by now?" Ben-Gali wondered.
"Usually. It is an act of war to destroy a defenseless ship. However there is something that bothers me," Zuthra said.
"More than the silence or the explosion that must have occurred?" Lion-O asked, curious as to what the man was referring.
"I've seen a lot of space accidents and shootings in my day but this one is very weird," the investigator commented.
"Weirder than what we've already seen?" Tygra pushed as he saw Zuthra musing. The gears were turning and they could almost smell the burning of brain cells.
"Space is a vacuum. There is no sound, no ability to be out in it without special suits on. When the ship started to be attacked, no one rushed for the escape pods? The Calliope had enough escape pods to hold all of the people on board and some of their equipment. We found almost half of the pods. They are completely empty," Zuthra commented.
"Perhaps they didn't have time? The final blow came too quickly?" Tygra suggested.
"I have yet to see such an incident where not one person makes the escape pods. Usually if the blast from an attacking ship is powerful enough to destroy the ship in one blast, you don't recover debris. Mostly what you have are small pieces that enter the nearest planet's atmosphere and burn up before even reaching any fly zones," the investigator explained.
"Ok, so here are my thoughts on this. The ship leaves port as it's supposed to. However, somewhere along the way the crew abandons ship. Given that the Calliope is no doubt on autopilot, she continues on her course until someone mistakes it for an ally of Third Earth and blows it up," Ben-Gali spoke up.
"Why abandon a perfectly good ship and not call for help?" Tygra gave him a look.
"Why are more than half the escape pods missing? You don't launch those unless you absolutely have to," the white tiger pointed out.
"We've received no distress calls since beginning the investigation. I contacted the existing scientific crew who is on SG-17. They've heard nothing as well. The data recorder doesn't show a launch of escape pods. Maybe the manifest and what the ship actually had on it are two different things," Zuthra suggested.
"Perhaps. What is on this SG-17 planet? It is the new planet that was discovered a few months ago correct?" Lion-O wanted to know.
"Correct. The planet is believed to have mineral deposits and possible fuel sources. What the scientists have found so far seems promising," Zuthra explained.
"We have been missing the bigger picture. The ship is a decoy and the passengers are now captive of someone who wants to have SG-17 and her secrets to themselves," the King said.
To Be Continued…