The generation starship continued its voyage through the eternal darkness of space, as the commodore sat within his cabin catching up on his log. Much had happened recently and this duty had been somewhat neglected.

When the buzzer went off, he shook his head.

“I never get any piece around here.”

He punched the button and bawled, “What is it?”

“Sorry sir but I think you should see this.”

He replaced the logbook in its safe and stepped onto the bridge once more. As soon as he did this, he saw the object upon the immense scanner.

“Do we know what it is?”

“It’s definitely a craft of some sort sir. Looks unarmed too.”

As he spoke, the craft became rapidly larger.

The commodore walked to the console and barked, “Engineering.
Reverse the drive system at once.”

As they slewed to a halt, the mysterious craft finally stopped growing larger.

“Scan for life.”

The bridge crew did so and moments later, a light flashed.

“We have an incoming communication sir.”

“Let’s see it then,” the commodore replied.

The screen cleared and a humanoid figure with three brow eyes stared back. As the translator cut in, the message became plaintive.

“We need your immediate assistance. The CO2 levels are approaching
lethality. Can you assist?”

“I’ll send an engineering team.”

The commodore contacted them and a four-man squad was quickly assembled.

As the shuttle drifted from the landing pod, its automatic guidance system aligned the nose with the mystery craft and achieved the required soft dock.

Tamar was the team leader and when they entered the craft’s senior officer greeted him.

“I will take you to the air cleaning system.”

“Are you all so tall?” Tamar asked.

“It is the way with us.”

When he saw the system, Tamar shook his head. A series of pipes and chambers were crisscrossed by brightly coloured wires.

“It’s done up like a chicken. What a mess.”

“You can repair it?”

“Where is your own engineers?”

The officer shook his head.

“We all participate in repairs. There is no need for such personnel.”

“That figures. Come on chaps. Let’s sort out this crazy mess.”

They began checking over the wiring looms when Tamar was called over.

“That explains a lot then.”

He watched as sparks flew from the junction box.

“Cut the power,” he ordered.

Once this was done, the box was duly opened and seared wiring was quickly revealed.

“Okay. We will remove this lot and rewire for you. The CO2 extractor simply overloaded.”

Turning to his crew he said, “Find out what these other wires do, and if necessary use them as a replacement loom. Talk about amateurs.”

The job took over two hours but when the power at last came on the extractors hummed nicely.

“There you are mate. In future train up some decent work parties otherwise it’ll happen again.”

As the shuttle docked, the commodore came over the tannoy.

“Any problems?”

Tamar smiled.

“It was pretty straight forward sir. If we hadn’t arrived, the whole damn ship would have caught fire.”

“Well done.”

As the strange craft moved off, the starship resumed its endless voyage.

Tooey finished his shift in engineering and returned to his cabin. A day had gone by since the encounter and as he lay upon his bunk, he noted that his forehead was covered in a thick sweat.

“Probably my cooler needs adjusting. I need to get some sleep.”

He turned over and slept fitfully as a severe cough gradually took hold.

“Where is Tooey this morning?” Tamar asked.

“Perhaps his alarm failed to go off sir.”

The chief engineer shook his head.

“I’ll go and get him.”

When he reached the cabin, he knocked politely.

“Hey Tooey, time to go.”

He waited a few moments but only silence continued.

“This is damn strange. Security override.”

The door slid open and Tamar stepped inside. His friend and colleague lay upon the bunk deadly silent.

“You alright mate?” he asked shaking him roughly.

“Better call the medics at once. This looks damn serious.”

When his friend was carried into the medical pod and placed upon the table, the android scanned and shook his head.

“My assistance is not required here.”

“What do you mean not required?” Tamar asked. “He’s ill.”

“You obviously do not understand. This man is dead. I will of course carry out a full autopsy. You may return to your duties now.”

As the shocked crewman left, the droid assembled his equipment and the gruesome autopsy got under way.

For the commodore, losing a crewmember was bad enough but far more serious news was about to strike.

“Sorry to disturb sir but I have completed an exam of crewman Tooey.”

“Go ahead doc.”

“His bloodstream was heavily contaminated with an alien virus. I recommend quarantine procedure for the remaining team.”

The shocked officer could not quite believe it.

“What type of virus are we dealing with?”

“It seems to be related to the common cold sir. We need to stop a major outbreak.”

The commodore agreed at once.

“Engineer Tamar...”

Moments later the hard-pressed engineer came through.

“Take the remainder of your team to quarantine zone 1.”

“Of course sir.”

The quarantine zones were located on every deck and had never been used until today. When they entered, a security guard was posted outside.

“What do you think it is?” an engineer asked.

“Beats me,” Tamar replied. “Obviously the doc is worried.”

As the day progressed, a second team member began coughing violently.

“Tamar to doc. We need you down here fast.”

When the droid arrived, the crewman was in a bad way.

“Initial scan indicates lack of oxygen hence the blue colour. He removed a mask from the wall and placed it over the man’s face.

“This should relieve his distress.”

As the crewman gasped for air Tamar asked quietly, “What have we got doc?”

“For the moment I really have no idea.”

The ill crewman suddenly convulsed and lay still.

“He has ceased to function. I shall return him to the lab for tests. Please remain here.”

Soon after, two medics now dressed in decon suits carried the corpse away as the terrified crewmen simply looked on.

“What do you think our chances are?”

Tamar looked at his alarmed colleague.

“I really can’t say mate. This thing seems pretty virulent.”

When the report came through to the bridge, the commodore was not too pleased.

“Can you tell me anything more about it?”

“Only that it attacks the lungs sir. Contamination probably happened aboard the alien craft. This virus would not harm them though.”

“What do you recommend doc?”

“Only isolation sir. My tests are quite unable to diagnose a remedy at present.”

Within twelve hours, only Tamar was left in the quarantine area. Every member of his ill-fated team had passed on horribly. As he gazed out of the thick porthole he muttered, “I’m damn well not staying here to die. I need to see the stars.”

He thought quickly and suddenly started coughing. As he keeled over the door slid open and the guard looked in.

“Oh my. Security to medical pod. We have another man down.”

Tamar suddenly sprang and threw the guard against the bunk. He dashed along the corridor and into the lift. As the doors slid shut,
a smooth electronic voice asked, “Where too?”

“Observation pod.”

“Commodore,” the frantic voice said. “Tamar has escaped his quarters.”

“Damn it. “Security teams to station red. Mike to the bridge.”

Station red was an order to locate and neutralise the threat. As Mike reached the bridge, the commodore gazed at him.

“You know Tamar and the threat, where would he go if he knew that he was dying?”

Mike mulled this over.

“Same place I would go sir. The observation pod.”

“Have a look there. If unsuccessful join the general search.”

Mike saluted and headed for the lift.

As he stepped out, he spotted the ill crewman gazing up at the bright twinkling stars.

“Hello Mike. You know me far too well mate.”

The guard nodded.

“How do you feel mate?”

“Alright I suppose. How about you?”

“Never felt better.”

Tamar turned to face him.

“I heard the station red command. Is that for me?”

“I’m afraid it is mate.”

“Fits the bill I suppose.”

He spread his arms and half joked.

“Make damn sure that you shoot straight.”

The commodore was back inside his cabin completing the log after what had been an awful day.

“Aid memoire. In future all shuttle crew will wear decon suits.”

His cruel buzzer sounded once more.

“Yes?” he said sadly.

“Doc here sir. My autopsy of crewman Tamar is now complete.”

“What did you find?”

“No sign of the virus sir. He appears to have been immune. I’ve started collecting his blood so that a serum can be developed quickly.”

The shocked leader shut the tannoy off.

“I ordered his death and he was fit and healthy. What the hell have I done?”