~ two

On either sides of the viewscreen are two stations pointed toward him running virtual mapping systems and projections, showing data on surviving craft.

He looks at the view of the warp field forming ahead like fire at their bow, staring ... catches himself getting drawn into it, looks around the bridge.  Stunned and going through motions, a clumsy hand drops a simple tool before complete emotional breakdown.

He leans back and takes a breath, switches on the comm.  Throughout the ship ~

"This is the Captain.  I um.  I ... we have received orders."  Clears his throat.  More directly, "Everyone knows what's happened here.  And it's because of this, that we are to pursue a stolen ship, called 'The Archive'. 

"We do not know why, except it's the last standing order, if what has happened, does.  And someone just stole it.  So we pursue.

"And I am thankful.

"Because having orders right now ... means we have no time to think about ... what has happened.  We have no time for our emotions.  No room for questions.  These orders are priority one, in response to a situation which threatens the survival of our species.

"So we don't have time ... to feel.  Anything.  And I don't personally want to.  So keep your stations.  Be strong for the soldier next to you.  We are the only family we have left.

"And when this mission is done ... after we've completed it, admirably, as you all have performed your duties, admirably, the people on that station will need us to be strong for them too.  So from here on ... that is what we are.

"And again I and thankful.  Because I know you all to be among the best humanity has to offer.  We survive ... Captain out."

...

The comm squeals back on ~

"Right.  As for the political horse and pony show and hotel guests," the overdressed guests in the hall look at the speaker annoyed, "the ship we commandeered will be yours, when repaired.  But there was no room on station so you're with us for now.  Stay the hell out of our way or we will launch you from the tubes.

"To my understanding you're the last of the ruling class and having been your host this time until ... well you're all a lot of useless assholes aren't you.  Blew up the fucking world.  That ship will be your exile.

"The Excalibur."

Clears his throat, "Captain out."  As he fumbles for the switch, voice away from the mic (talking to the XO) "Yeah you like that ?"  Switch off.

Comm off, head to his hand, elbow on the arm of the chair, a sigh, he gets up for the strategy room where the gunner, the mechanic and XO wait, XO with the envelope, engineer with the data-pad and neither is happy, gunner staring out the port as if the glass itself were the enemy.

Captain - "Where the hell is our pilot ?"

The XO gets up annoyed and leaves to go find out.
____________

~ Inside a factory the machinery works fast, outside a worker to work tries walking through a door too accustomed, but it does not open, one face plant and one crushed coffee for the shirt stains.

The captain voiced over - "It was sheer hubris to think she could fly.  Nothing but for a show of power and testament to history.  Hubris.  To think such gunwales belonged in space beneath the wings of a falcon."

~ As more workers gather outside ... inside the computer's hard at work running the numbers and downloading the data to a core.

"It takes eight hours for it to breach atmosphere into space, clawing her way through weather conditions and ionic fire, unto the silence."

~ In back the police try battering the door next to the loading dock, inside a robotic body nears completion, the core installed.

"My God.  The second I saw her, I knew I had to have her."

~ the skin layer is applied in a spray. 

A Geneva - Leans back in his chair in that same old interrogation room with a smile.  "She's yours."

~ Gijo opens her eyes ... and looks at the guy sleeping next to her.  Then at the clock and a bang on the door.  "! FUCK !"
____________

Engineer - "How are you holding up."

Captain - Gives him a look like he's insane, then the fakest smile in the world.  "Great !  And how about you !?  Chipper with a wrench going bang bang bang ?"

Gunner - "Pretty much ... where the fuck are they ?"

Captain - "I know how you feel ... she came with the ship."

Gunner - "Part of the fucking museum you mean."

Captain - "She's also the best."

The XO returns with Gijo, gives them a look then shakes his head not to bother.

Gijo - "Sorry Captain, won't happen again."

Captain - "Bullshit.  Clean it up and get a watch."  He looks to the room, "Alright then.  This is what we've got."  Swipes an annoyed hand across the desk's top, the scanner pops on.  He drops a page from the file, a picture of the seed ship appears on the screen to the side.

XO - "Okay.  What is it ?"

Captain - "It's called 'The Archive'."

Engineer - Looking closer, "Okay ... but what is it ?"

The captain flaps around the empty page and then tosses it aside.  Throws the next page down.  Footage of a man in the black armor seen in FMK, in the hallway (see trailer).  

Ending as the Operator activates a small sonic device which shimmers the seed ship's side until creating a door which slides open, then closing it shimmers back to smooth, no sign of a door.

They stare as the last footage fades ... orders on screen.  Acquire the experimental craft : The Archive -  Recovery Operation Xenofix.

Captain - "And that is all we know."

...

Engineer - A long exhale ... then solemnly, "Do you know what that man was ?"

Gunner - "Do you ?"

...

Gregor - Wide eyes in horror ... another exhale.  "So I was drunk."

Engineer - "We all were.  The last of our troop ... we tucked behind a carved out hill protecting a cannon out of ammo.  Everyone else ... "

~ Scene as described in the night, enemy camp and fire barely a distance away.

"And they knew we were there ... calling to us ... celebrating their victory, 'come join us' ... laughing and celebrating and they had every right.  We were screwed.

"And then ... it was completely quiet.  Not a sound ... we drank ... we waited ... prayed ... prepared to die.  We figured it was time.  They finally were drunk enough and were going to kill us in the most entertaining way possible on wine."

And then in the sunrise ... there he was.

"A guy just like that.  He's got a bag ... we think it's fucking heads.  He throws it, their dinner.  Bastards had sandwiches and wine."

Captain - "Pf.  I remember that war."

Engineer - "You were in grade school."

Captain - "Still remember it."

Engineer - "He just stood there, watched the sun rise, breathing with that sound.  And then he looks at us ... and says ... in that voice clicking like a death's rattle ~

~ Operator - "The king is dead."

Gregor - "Looks at back at the sunrise, stretches his neck and back a bit, walks away."

We followed the trail of dead straight into the capitol, one straight line, from the water like he walked right the fuck all of it."

He looks at the page ...

XO - "Did you learn anything more ?"

Engineer - "I did.  It called a ... 'Hecate Operator'.  And from there it turns as mythical as the name.  They say ... 'trained by fate'.  They do not plan, they do not react.  They just ... 'know what to do'."

Gijo - "I have no record of this, even in the restricted files.  Who dispatches them."

Engineer - "Everyone wants to say themselves, but in the end they all say somebody else.  Like an urban legend I was lucky enough to see, the government's very own 'bigfoot'."

Gijo - "Hm.  About him there's nothing, nor this ship.  But it's definitely new.  That's the parts replication method I created to heal.  Precisely the same particulate nature."

XO - "Now that's interesting.  Got anything else ?"

Gijo - A look ... "No.  That's all I can see."

Captain - "Well we know where he's headed.  He dropped a beacon, and left a very clear directional trail.  As you say.  Point A to B, to the center of the galaxy."  To the engineer, "Report."

Engineer - Main engines ... are fine."

Captain - "Fine."

Engineer - "Mm-hm."

Captain - "Hm."  To the XO, "Pay a visit.  Gunner ?"

Gunner - "We can maintain 90 percent of them, the rest parted out to repair the whole.  Anchor chains are spent until ... well I guess until we make more.  Now."  Clears her throat.

The captain looks to the Pilot.

Gijo - Hm ?  Oh.  Sorry.  Control is immaculate.  They mostly targeted guns and engines before breach.  It's just that my replication method is extremely classified.  That ship's is not an easy steal.  I mean for anyone who even knows about it if I didn't, and with that destination ?

"That pilot has a plan."

Captain - "My assessment as well."  Looks around the room, the Gunner looks away back to the view.  "Dismissed."

The XO, Engineer and Gijo leave, Gunner remaining.

Captain - "Something on your mind ?"

Gunner - "She's a security risk."

Captain - "So are we."

A look.

Captain - Leans back in the chair, "You know.  When we have these little chats, she and I, she likes to point out that she's a better gunner than you.  That all she need to do is jack into both station to run yours, fluidly, with the motion of the ship."

Gunner - "Bullshit.  We test exactly the same."

Captain - "Not against over twenty targets you don't."

Gunner - "We only have one."

Captain - ""Glory be.  Dinner ?"

Gunner - "And a movie.  I don't wanna think tonight."

Captain - Voiced over as Gijo eyes the gunner's target history, a recently sharp decline from the test record.  "Nobody does."
________

The XO and engineer walk the halls, pausing to note two civilians making out hard against the wall.  Her near renaissance dress falling from the shoulders while he pulls a stocking from her hiked leg, they don't notice them at all.

XO - A laugh, " 'Coping mechanisms'."

Engineer - "I suppose so ... "

They walk into engineering, two crew members suddenly turn away from  each other and to task.

Engineer - "And there she is ... purring like a kitten."  

They stare into it's now balanced roar blasting like a furnace well lit.  The crew members look across  to each other unseen ... then back to work.