Ruri turned to her console. It had just beeped. They had been studying the debris for the past couple of hours. Well most of them were. Sali and Reia had both been arguing with each other since they saw each other. It had been enough of a drama that Neira decided to leave, but Vera had stayed to help. Countryman was also still in the room, taking some keen interest in the project. She was happy about that. He was one of the few minds that could understand her without her having to dumb things down.

She smiled, as she saw what came in.

“Anything interesting?”

“Just an update on the Sega-based weaponry project.”

Vera looked up, “you mentioned that before. What are you doing anyway?”

She tapped a few keys and a simulation appeared up on the bigger screen in this part of the lab, “May I present the Electro-Plasma Torpedo. Utilizing a sega-based flux field and based on electro cannon technology, I have created a new kind of energy torpedo. One highly effective verse shields and unlike standard Electro cannons, theses EP torpedoes can be mounted on a fighter frame. In theory anyway. I’m still working out the details and kinks.”

She paused then pressed a few more keys to present another simulation, “I’m not sure what to call this one yet. This one takes a photon detonation, contains it in a flux field and uses spatial projectors to hurl these bolts at a target. Interesting, has advantages. Not as useful as the other. Same vein as the first project though.”

Then she tapped and presented a third simulation, “More interestingly, I have found a way to use sega particles to increase the range of our electro cannons. As you can see here, not only do they have a range increase of about 30%, but they also deliver more energy to the target as the Sega particles help contain the beam and reduce beam power loss. As a result the beam shows a massive increase in effective range, by nearly double.”

Countryman blinked as he looked over her data, “Impressive, how long before you can implement this?”

“I’m ready to enter prototyping with the final project now. I expect to have a working mark II cannon in six weeks, possibly less.”

Reia and Sali exchanged looks and then Reia said, “You are doing weapons development here?”

Sali frowned, “I wasn’t supposed to be here for this was I?”

Countryman chuckled, “Perhaps not, but nothing to be done about it now.”

Before much more could be said, the Intercom rang.

“Sorry to disturb you sir, but the Coto just sent in her report from the Zah flyby mission.”

“I take it they found something?”

“Aye, sir and they want to go back, they are en-route for a rendezvous and are requesting that we prepare class seven probes and an insertion shuttle with the same armor rating and enhanced radiation shielding.”

Countryman blinked, but before he could say anything Reia inquired, “Class seven probes?”

Countryman replied, “We use a number of different probe types, each divided into numbered catagories we refer to as classes. Class seven probes are designed for the hostile conditions of a stellar environment, specifically that of a solar atmosphere.”

Vera blinked, “The shielding for that would have to be insane, nothing can survive the conditions found inside a star.”

“You would be correct about that. We never were able to actually reach the solar interior, but getting something to survive in the atmosphere of a star wasn’t so impossible. A class seven probe can survive the intense conditions of a stellar atmosphere far longer than any starship. Very useful for stellar surveys, which they are designed for.”

Vera shifted, “How long?”

“For the Zah star? I doubt the Enterprise would last more than twenty minutes inside the lethal zone but a class seven probe would last at least two maybe three hours before her specialized defense systems begin to fail.”

“And they can survive that? Impressive. Why would the Coto want them and an insertion shuttle though? I can guess with the probes, they are expendable, but the shuttle?”

Countryman sighed, “Not like they used to be. Class seven probes are expensive and not so easily replaced these days. Same thing with the shuttle they want.”

“So what did they find that is worth that kind of equipment.”

Ruri who had been reading away at her console interjected, “An alien station. They were getting mass reading inconsistencies when they first arrived in close orbit. An analysis of those readings revealed the station in close orbit of the star.”

“A station? Who would...”

“Just imagine the shields on that thing! We have to look!”

Countryman interjected, “Intriguing. Might be worth a look. With the appropriate precautions that is.”

Reia interjected, “Does that mean you plan to supply the equipment?”

“I will approve it, yes. The mission is risky, but not without potential rewards.” then he turned towards Sali. There were things to talk about with the young lady.

May 18th, 002 SDE, 1340 hours:

The door slid open silently. Revealing a dark alien corridor. The young man tightened his grip on his rifle as he surveyed the corridor, before giving the all clear. His team had just been deployed from the Coto, which was holding a position above the station. The destroyer would only be able to stay there for a brief time before she would have to withdraw and recharge her shields. Until that time they would be free to communicate with the ship and relay their findings. He glanced at the mission clock, it was 1341 hours now, the ship was briefed as having to withdraw at 1520 hours. A little over an hour and a half from now. Not a lot of time.

A moment later a second figure joined him at the entrance and looked down the hall. “And I thought the Coto was poorly lit, damn,” said a female voice over the comms.

“Scanners ain’t picking much up either. Looks like the station is in a low-power mode. No lights, no life support, no secondary systems.”

“Great, guess we are keeping the helmets.”

He nodded and glanced back as the rest of the team started boarding. They had brought equipment for this mission. Scanners, portable computer modules, scout drones, and of course everyone was outfitted with personal armor and armed. The weapons were hopefully not needed. Ship sensors didn’t detect any life signs and the lack of life support seemed to support that, but that didn’t mean there were no threats on the station.

Good thing they thought to bring armor. It certainly made him feel safer and who wouldn’t? Encased in his armor, he was well protected against most threats and he could lift a truck if he wanted. It even came with an independent life support system. Serving to protect him against all sorts of environmental threats and it also meant he didn’t need to worry about the lack of breathable air on the station. Glancing at the scanner, he noted the composition, largely nitrogen and argon with trace amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Temperatures on the station were fairly high, over fifty degrees C. Not that he felt it, his suit kept him at a nice comfortable temperature. Something he was more immediately grateful for.

Radiation levels were thankfully low. The station’s shielding evidently playing a role. So he didn’t have to worry about that. Between the alien station and his suit’s protection, he would be fine. “At least our suits are keeping us cool, the station is quite warm. I don’t relish the idea of baking out in that heat.”

The woman nodded, “I guess we have that going for us.”

At that moment the team leader interjected, “Okay people, you know the drill. Get into your squads and follow the plan. I want reports every ten minutes.”

A moment later a third person joined him and his little group set out. They were tasked with being on point, which meant scouting duty. Meaning they were the poor sods, elected to take the risks. This was going to be fun! As long as they didn’t get fried, shot at, or something. Picking a direction, the three of them set out.

The trio pulled open another pair of doors and swept the room. Like every other room on the path, it was dark. One might expect a thick layer of dust as well, but this was a station. Not a ground-side facility, so there wasn’t any. The room was furnished with a table and several counters. Alien machinery occupied a corner. As usual, they saw nothing resembling a chair.

They took a brief scan and then moved to leave the room. Just as the lights flickered and then steadily came on. “Hmm, looks like someone found the light switch.”

“Seems like it and we might know who in a minute or so. Let's check the next room.”

As it would turn out the next room was some sort of computer room. With alien consoles and screens. All of them were active, seemed like the lights coming on had revived the consoles as well. They reported the active consoles and soon got to work setting up an interface and attempting to translate the ancient alien language. Something that took time, but thankfully they did have one person with the training needed for the job.

1510 hours:

He shifted as he watched the symbols shifting on the screen. By now the console was in thirty-something pieces, while a network of their own devices interfaced with it. The symbols were a mix of alien and familiar. Nothing he could read, seeing as it wasn’t English. Figures the tech they got was better versed in Japanese than English.

Suddenly the screen flickered and then shifted entirely into the more familiar Japanese. The tech shifted from the floor and started looking over the alien text.

He took a breath and inquired, “So what did we find?”

“It seems to be an alien lab. Our alien friends were conducting high-energy research. Drawing power from the star and harnessing it for something. Some of the files seem corrupted, there is missing data. I’m going to download a copy of this. It might be useful later.”

He nodded. That sounded like a plan. The man wasn’t a scientist, he was a soldier, but he had been around enough scientists to know a few hot words. High-energy research could be a lot of things, but anything involving stars was big stuff. He figured this could have been someone’s nuclear bomb project. Only with the star aspect, it would make those bombs look like firecrackers. He could just picture the scientists drooling over the data. They had just hit pay dirt, he had no doubts about that.

Then the comms activated, “Uh, guys? We found something.”

The man blinked. That didn’t sound good. Not with the way it was mentioned. What he learned a moment later only confirmed the feeling.