Chapter 6 :

Earth, 3rd of March 2119.

United Nations Space Fleet Command, Military branch.

Time, 03:12

Admiral Brander Thraile

"Admiral, I have a call from Exploration branch. They've lost contact with one of their pioneer crews. EX-5429 system."

It had been a long, boring night. But things seemed to be taking a different direction.

"Copy that. What do we know about that system." said Fleet Admiral Thraile, bringing it up on his screen.

"Uh, not much sir." answered the operator hesitantly, "It's a G-type main sequence star, three potentially habitable planets..."

"Three?" demanded the Admiral sharply. So many was unheard of, and highly improbable.

"Yes sir." he paused, listening, "Exploration want us to send someone to find out what happened."

An idea, outlandish as it was, began forming in Admiral Thraile's mind. A ship simply didn't stop emmitting. There were enough subsystems to make sure contact was constant between every ship and Earth's command station.

"We don't just lose contact with our ships do we?" he asked.

"Uh, no sir. It's never happened before."

"So something must have stopped them from transmitting. Or... someone."

"Er... sir? What do you mean?"

"Get me a Task Group online, prepped for a Relative Space Jump." he ordered. "And get me Commander Knight."