Betrayal

"What in heavens name is that!?", exclaimed captain Maguire recovering from the shock. He stood starring at a the fast advancing solid wall of flashing lightning strikes.

"It's a storm front", said captain Lucinda.

"A what!? challenged captain Maguire seeking confirmation of what his ears claimed to have heard.

"An electro magnetic storm to be exact", said captain Lucinda Mago. "We have always suspected that the phenomena might exist on worlds..."

"And dimensions..." added captain Maguire turning to face captain Lucinda.

"Probably, we didn't have any conclusive data regarding the existence of the phenomena on other dimensions", replied captain Lucinda.

"Well captain, there is all the evidence you need", retorted captain Maguire, gesturing towards the image of the front on the screen.

"Until now", confirmed captain Lucinda.

"Is there anything else I need to know!?", said captain Maguire.

"Yes,we need to get out of here immediately captain", said captain Lucinda with emphasis on, "immediately!"

"This ship is not going anyway until I know what that thing out is?", stubbornly insisted captain Maguire.

"That thing is going to rip this starship apart. So unless you want to mass sacrifice all of us, I suggest we move out of its way pronto!", captain Lucinda strongly urged.

Noting the alarm in captain Lucinda's voice, captain Maguire directed his order at lieutenant Tashinga manning the flight control panel, take us out of here.

"Any particular course, captain", asked lieutenant Tashinga.

"Any where just so long as we get out of the path of that storm", replied captain Maguire.

"Yes, sir", confirmed lieutenant Tashinga his fingers moving swiftly over the flight control console to carry out the order.

"In which department do you work again?", asked captain Maguire sounding a bit sarcastic and I don't want a general answer like ground operations, captain. I want specifics".

"Alright I owe you that much so I 'll tell you", said captain Lucinda.

"Well?", captain Maguire urged her.

"Science directorate", said captain Lucinda.

"Well that explains a lot", remarked captain Maguire. "Such as why you always seem to know information you shouldn't know".

"Captain, the storm front is gaining on us", reported lieutenant Tanaka at communications.

"Captain to engineering, divert all excess power to thrust", ordered captain Maguire speaking into his held communicator.

"Captain, we are already going as fast as we can within the pressure limit of one atmosphere, reported lieutenant Tashinga.

"I belief he is trying to tell you that Acceleration will push us beyond one atmosphere with severe consequences for all personnel onboard", confirmed captain Lucinda.

"What are you both trying to say, that we should not accelerate and allow the storm to rip the ship apart?", asked captain Maguire.

"Only that we might want to explore other options which will not lead to a build up of infinite mass with the ship", suggested captain Lucinda

"Ok I 'm all ears what do you have in mind?", asked captain Maguire.

"We could fly above the storm", suggested lieutenant Tashinga.

"If we do that given the width and altitude of the storm we 'll be forced to leave the planet", reasoned captain Maguire.

"Keeping in mind that we are in an unknown dimension who knows where we may find ourselves", lieutenant Anesu.

"That option has to many unforeseen risks", said captain Maguire, conclusively. "It's out".

"I think our best option is to land on the surface. Switch off of all power to avoid electric interfering with the ships systems and wait it out", suggested captain Lucinda.

"Pilot prepare for emergency landing. Set new co-ordinates and set us down on a reclining angle. That will keep us moving away from storm as we come in to land", orders captain Maguire.

"Captain Lucinda", said captain Maguire. "Is there anything else we need to know about the dimension?"

"Actually there is", captain Lucinda confessed looking uneasy.

"When I said I know how to get us out even after the anomaly closes.."

"Yes captain?"

"I may not have told the been entirely up honest", said captain Lucinda.

She paused briefly before proceeding.

"I don't know how to get us home", captain Lucinda blurted out.

"What, you mean we are stuck here, in who knows where!?", exclaimed captain Maguire.

"Why the hell couldn't you tell us earlier!?", shouted captain Maguire angrilly startling the crew.

"You would have refused to enter the anomaly. I could not take that risk!?", said captain Lucinda.

"And with good reason too!", shouted back captain Maguire. "I am responsible...!"

"I know for, the one thousand seven hundred souls aboard this starship I know that captain", she cut him in mid statement.

"Admiral Gwangwa has information that is critical to our entire defence architecture. You have no idea about the threats that are actually out there confronting Earth, each blessed day!"

"What do you mean?", asked captain Maguire in surprise.

"The routine well structured life you enjoy is due to the work done at Space command headquarters by people like Admiral Gwangwa..."

"And you...", captain Maguire interrupted her.

"Yes and me", she added.

She took a deep breath to calm her down before proceeding.

"There are things out there, that if you were to know about you would not be able to function. We restrict certain sensitive from reaching the public in order to keep them safe. To keep the public in this safe bubble of normality, of structured routine lives. If they knew what was really out there would be widespread pandemonium", she blurted out.

"You mean such as this dimension, the anomaly ..", quizzed captain Maguire.

'It is just one among thousands, representing civilizations some which are thousands of years older than ours".

She paused briefly before proceeding, "We make critical decisions at Space command headquarters, that are keep Earth from being up by one alien civilization after another. We plan strategic starships deployments strategically to contain some of the most dangerous alien excesses that could just end humanity".

"Are you saying we are just pawns in a bigger ploy in which we have no say?", quizzed captain Maguire.

"Not pawns Captain, partners. Starships such as this one together with the men and women who serve aboard them form a vital cog of our security apparatus. Your selfless dedication is all that protects humanity from annihilation by aliens", captain Lucinda affirmed.