CHAPTER 3

"Commander Speaker, Sir...", intoned the ensign. "We're ready to resume liftoff for our trials run. Engineering has reported that there was no damage to the stern thruster when we rocked our landing cradle and damage control shows all status green." What the ensign didn't say was, "... I hope the Commander wakes up before we get into serious trouble..." as he slowly applied reverse lift to move out of the docking bay and into the blaxckness (sic) of space.

"Captain Dolan, you have the helm. Take us out to Antares Center and let's put this baby through it's paces."

"Aye, aye Commander."

Captain Dolan had noticed the somewhat vacant stare on Commander Speakers face but was unsure how to bring it up. Surely a little mishap like firing a forward thruster override while docked can happen to anyone. I wonder what he's thinking about... We have plenty more of that Carnellian Brandy he's so fond of and I personally brought aboard five 50 pound sacks of the finest Rigel Sunflower seeds, so it can't be that. Is he lapsing into the warp trance? He does look sort of faraway... No, it must be something simple. Probably indigestion from the Beten Tree Frogs we had for breakfast.

"Commander, we're coming up on our check point, shall I engage the test script?"

"One moment Captain, I'm still processing the last of our instructions".

"Okay, that's it. It's a go. You may proceed Captain, but please, no sharp changes in course or radical maneuvers until I give the signal."

"Aye, aye Commander."

"All right Ensign, engage the test script. Engineering... get ready to monitor performance against target parameters. Weapons decks... prepare to fire as dummy decoys are deployed from the test platforms. Make sure all weapons are tested at rated max plus ten percent. Systems, make sure all communications and computational gear are performing as expected. Kitchen, make sure the Commander has something mild for lunch. I think the tree frogs disagreed with him. He still has that dazed look."

"Commander, we're on track to complete our first run... Commander? Commander Speaker!! Medical, send a team to the bridge immediately. Commander Speaker has fallen into a gruggfreise - he has yellow foam at his mouth and his pupils are as big as 'eight balls'. I think we need to abort the mission!!" "Mission" "Mission" Mission... style macaroni for dinner. "haven't you been paying any attention to what I've been saying??"

"Where did you get off to??"

Slowly my foggy brain is responding. I must have had an attack of the walking sleeps. Looking around I recognize the interior of our home on the small asteroid, Splendido, one of millions in the Oort cloud that circles our system. There beside me is Commander Speaker. But wait, that's not my buddy... Something is wrong!! He is foaming at the mouth and spraying bits of purple spume all about him.

I grab him by the shoulders and try to shake him into some sensibility when it all comes back to me... I'm dreaming again. We're still lost in space with our suit air running out. The ship has been breached by a missile from the targeting platform and everyone around us is dead. No, not dead... merely unconscious... No not even unconscious, they've all become the walking dead!! I've crossed over into a 'B' movie, "Space Horrors from Amityville". Finally it all begins to fall in place as the director shouts, "That's it folks, it's a wrap."

Fade to black and blue..........