History has not been kind to the phrase "lunatic fringe".
As centuries passed, it came to rest on those who rose above duality. The middle has been under attack for not taking sides, opting to look for solutions fueled with logic and reason-increased understanding.
The farther we traveled out into the Universe, the lunatic fringe was also used to describe the outer limits of space exploration, or "no-man's-land". Much like the "wild blue yonder" for pilots on Earth.
Most thought the void lay in wait at the outer edges, like a fly trap waiting for haphazard souls to stumble in. People spun wild fancies about the void and what might lie on the other side—both positive and negative.
No one knew for sure.
Maybe it comes down to an individual frame of mind when they enter?
Nobody knew, but for the 150 crew members of the Starship Lyran-Earth Fleet 9 and 1,400 additional passengers rescued from Alpha Base, it was imminent this topic would soon be on their mind and a highlight of discussion, even if in jest when senses of humor returned.
***
Delta base's final image transmission from Kepler-1606b was too grim for mere words...
Systems Master Jdelta77 had acted to warn others in transit to the base by engaging satellite surveillance to release a wide-band alert, the signal spreading equally and rapidly in all directions like an expanding data bubble to halt routes to Kepler-1606b and attempted landings on the planet.
The scene was pure devastation, showing a violent white mushroom cloud erupting from the planet, this did not leave hope for survivors.
Captain Tony immediately ordered shields and cloaks engaged. They were due to arrive at Delta Base within a few hours. All had been quiet on their journey.
Until now.
(Long, heavy deafening silence.)
There was no turning back after just completing a search and rescue at Alpha Base. They were returning to Delta Base with an additional 1,400 survivors- a combination of humans, lyrans, and avians.
There was no going forward now, either.
Captain Tony did all he knew to do at the moment.
Pause. Engage protection, giving the crew and survivors from Alpha Base some time to process. They also needed to decide on new coordinates.
So they stayed where they were, idling in the unknown with a shell-shocked crew... and soon to be 1,400 more after they informed them.
Course now undetermined.
Captain Tony was already dealing with the heaviness in his gut as he thought to himself, It didn't have to be this way...There's always another choice.
***
Captain Tony was a human from Earth. A tall man with broad shoulders and a saturnine complexion with green eyes so pale sometimes it was hard to determine if they were green or blue.
After joining at age 21, he dedicated his entire life—well over 150 years—to serving the Fleet.
At the expense of starting a family with Mare. Entering military service was required for all humans at twenty-one years of age, for 10 years minimum, earth maintained ground military and star fleet. Tony not only went career, he made it his life. He made friends that were closer than some of his family on Earth out in the stars.
What most humans don't realize is the star fleet branches again the farther out in the Universe they travel. There are always alliances to forge.
He just received what is most evidently the last transmission from Delta Base; feeling a tightness in his throat and tears rushing to his eyes, he thought about how the transmission was only an image and knew that was all there was time to send. This was their warning not to proceed with their voyage to Delta Base.
He told the team members who missed the earlier announcement that everyone needed to prepare within the hour to inform the 1400 rescued survivors about their transport redirection because of the Delta Base destruction.
He took that hour to go to his private quarters to compose himself before addressing the crew. He needed to talk with Mare. The final image transmission released by Jdelta77 was Mare's brother, stationed on Delta Base for the remainder of his fourth ten-year duty tour with plans to return and stay on Earth. He was only in his mid-sixties.
Awaiting her to confirm she could communicate, he began thinking of how he was going to break this news to her. Mare's father lived on Delta along with her brother and he didn't want to share the image with her...or describe it.
Her light turned green, confirming she could communicate, and agreed to port into his quarters. He pushed the button on his end to engage the button she was pushing on her end to connect and in an instant; she was in his chambers, practically in solid form.
When Mare looked upon Captain Tony's face, she knew this was going to be difficult for her to hear. Pit growing in her stomach, her thoughts went to her father and brother. Saying a quick prayer, she kissed her right hand and reached out to "touch" his forehead. She only remembers seeing tears flowing from his eyes a handful of times- the loss of his mother, friends, and beloved pets.
Captain Tony did the same to Mare and motioned for her to have a seat.
The two sat there in his quarters, sharing the silence. Both knew that once he started talking, life would be different.
He took a moment to take Mare's beauty and spark in; she had beautiful honey-blonde hair she recently cut off above her shoulders and eyes so blue they looked white occasionally, especially when she was angry or upset. He knew they would be white in appearance soon.
"Tony," Mare softly burst the bubble of silence, "please just be out with it...I know you are en route to Kepler-1606b. You should have been there by now and yet here we are in your quarters.
What has happened?"
Her mind went to her father and brother as she braced herself for the terrible news.
Tony took a deep breath and began wishing he could hold Mare as he shared this news;
"Thirty minutes ago, we received an emergency data transmission from Kepler. It was only an image, and its being transmitted omni-directional from the planet to deter landings."
Tony paused, gathering the strength for what he was going to say next.
"Jdelta77 sent it."
Tony broke down crying.
Mare burst into tears; she knew that was her brother's last act of valor transmitting the signal to prevent anyone else from approaching Kepler-1606b. From Tony's free-flowing tears to her gut feeling, he didn't have to tell her that her father, brother along with the residents of the planet had perished.
She just didn't know why yet or how.
"Mare, there probably isn't anything left of Delta Base." Tony watched as this additional detail about Delta settled on her and the grief began to unravel and course through her veins; her fist clenched, she stared off into space, gently sobbing.
Tony didn't need to utter the words that her father and brother passed in what happened.
"I have to meet with the entire crew in ten minutes to debrief the ones who do not know what happed yet and start notifying our extra passengers from Alpha Base. We have to come up with new coordinates, plan where we will go, taking into consideration as best we can where 1,400 new passengers that thought they would live on Delta would want to go... I'm at such a loss right now. Plus, I don't want you to be alone; I want to be there for you and hold you. Love you through this."
Tony paused, kissed his right hand and "touched" Mare's forehead.
"We have so much more to discuss, and I want nothing more than to be with you in person. Mare, will you join me on Star Fleet 9 to see this through and then we can settle down where ever you choose and live the rest of our lives with feet on solid ground? I can't bear the thought of you grieving alone; I have to see this through and get our extra passengers settled; it's my duty."
Mare was slowing nodding her head yes to affirm she understood what Tony was saying as she continued to stare off into an unnamed space that was filling with grief. Mustering all her strength, she broke free of the trance and said, "Dear God, I have so much to process. How much time do you need to inform your crew and start debriefing the passengers?"
"Seven or eight hours, at least. As soon as I'm ready for you to port back into me, I'll send you a message and hit my port button as soon as I see your light is green and you are engaging yours. I know you have a lot to take in and process besides informing family. Please keep in the back of your mind my ask for your hand to join me on this next step of Star Fleet 9's voyage that ends with us settling down and living the rest of our lives together."
"You know I will, Captain Tony. What would I do without you, my love?" with that, Mare kissed her fingertips on both hands, as Tony did the same and they "touched" hands, foreheads, and hearts.
Mare pulled out her port device, pushed her button and dematerialized out of Tony's quarters.
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