Deep Space New World - 2. DSNW Chapter 2

“Remain at your stations,” I said before anyone could raise up in a sign of respect, and instead I received nods of the head from everyone.

Over the next twenty minutes, I was briefed on what news had been received so far, including that two small shuttles have been sent out to investigate the situation. “Shuttle 047 to SRTA, over,” a voice over the loud speak said, “Go ahead 047, over” the duty communications officer responded.

“SRTA, we have a space craft partially damaged from a heavy landing, the space craft has the insignia of the Chinese and the Russian Space agencies on its hull, and there are signs of a slow leak of some kind, over,” the shuttle officer informed us. “Tell them do not, I repeat do not approach the space craft, in case they are armed,” I said to the Communications officer, who relayed the order.

“SRTA, but what about the people inside the space craft, over?” the Shuttle officer asked, and I indicated to the Communications officer to hand me the head piece so that I could speak.

“This is Crown Prince Maenyl Lenegan, these are my orders, do not approach the space craft, until a security team has arrived at that location, understood?” I said into the microphone, “Yes, my Lord, understood, over,” came a response. “Ok, get a rescue team together and ready to go within half an hour, I will be leading this mission,” I said to the Director of Administration Operations.

“Yes, My Lord. Should we also notify the Capital of the situation?” the director asked, “Yes, but don’t mention that I am joining the rescue team, just say that I am coordinating the situation from the Administration Centre. Also, can you contact the New Zealand Ambassador for the UN, I would like to speak to him directly,” I replied, as the orders were issued, and a few moments later I was in a spare office and connecting to the office of the NZ Ambassador.

“Mr Ambassador, this is Crown Prince Maenyl Lenegan speaking, we have a situation here on Mars,” I said once the call was connected. “Hello My Lord, can you please tell me how I can assist you today,” the Ambassador responded, “We have a Chinese Russian Space craft that has landed heavily on the Mars surface just a short while ago, I am on Mars and coordinating a search and rescue mission as we speak,” I informed the Ambassador.

I heard in the background of someone entering the Ambassadors office and speaking to him quietly. “My Lord, I have just had confirmation of that, I have a request from the Russian and Chinese governments, requesting assistance to get in contact with the URP to rescue the badly damaged spacecraft, the report is that they are losing their oxygen supplies, which will last for only seven more hours, before the eleven crew asphyxiate,” the Ambassador informed me.

“Ok, I need to consult the High Council on this matter, so I will get back to you, thank you for the information confirming what we have here, and ensure the Russian and Chinese governments that their astronauts will be rescued and detained, until such time that the high council decides on what to do with them,” I said to the Ambassador.

“Understood sir, I will pass on that to the two concerned governments,” the Ambassador said before we ended the call.

“My Lord, I have the High Council Chancellor on the line for you,” the Communications officer informed me, via intercom, just as I was about to exit the office, and I turned around and returned to the desk, “Very well, patch him through to me here please,” I responded.

Over the next fifteen minutes, my Uncle - the Emperor, and I discussed the situation, and I gave my recommendations on what we should do, which most of them were accepted and approved. That been, that the eleven crew members of the crashed spacecraft will be treated for any injuries, and put into quarantine for a period of four days, before they are to be questioned about the reasons for them to arriving on Mars.

After questioning they will be detained until such time as suitable transport can be arranged for them to be sent back to Earth. Although not happy about it, the Emperor also gave permission for me to travel with the rescue team but only as an observer, to ensure that everything goes smoothly with the rescue and treatment of the eleven astronauts, until they arrive at the SRTA.

None of the Astronauts were seriously injured, as I supervised them been checked over by the medics, then they were handcuffed and taken to the passenger shuttle for transport back to the SRTA, where they were placed into separate secure rooms and given a hot meal.

The rooms were extremely basic, and with a mattress on a concrete base, sheets, blankets, towel and pillow, plus a small book shelf encased in the wall, with a number of paperback fiction novels from Earth, and behind the half wall is a shower and toilet.

Lighting comes from narrow strips located all along the top corner of the wall and the ceilings, and located in the ceiling near the lights, are very small vents, to allow plenty of air circulation. There are twelve of these type of rooms, all located in a separate part of the SRTA, well away from all other accommodation and any part of the main operations or training areas of the academy.

It was designed and built as an isolation centre, in case of any outbreaks of disease, or in this case for detaining people, and the centre includes a hexagon shaped central foyer, with two side corridors on the right and also on the left, that lead to three isolation rooms each, with a large gap between each room, due to additional insulation and sound proofing.

At the top end of the central foyer, there are two doors, that lead to two long passageways, that are just over one hundred metres long and four metres wide, and are for the purpose of exercise. Leading off the bottom end of the central foyer, is a security office, to monitor those been held in Isolation, this office includes two bathrooms and a small kitchen/dining area and a lounge area.

The security office has a long narrow window to observe central foyer and the doors leading into the isolation rooms and the exercise halls, and the only door in and out is from the short passageway at the back, leading into the main passageway.

On each side of this security office are passageways, that join up behind the security office area, and this goes for a distance of over two hundred metres long, and it leads directly to a secure room, that leads into the main Security offices of the SRTA.

Once the astronauts were settled into their secure rooms, I headed for my temporary office to make a call to Ganymede to let the Emperor know what has happened, and that no questioning has taken place yet. I was asked to contact the NZ Ambassador to the UN, and inform him that all eleven astronauts have been rescued, treated for minor cuts and bruises, given a meal and placed in isolation rooms, until such time that the High Council decides what to do with them.

Just twenty minute after completing the conversation with the NZ Ambassador to the UN, I received a call back from him, letting me know that the Russian and Chinese governments are demanding the safe return of their astronauts immediately.

I laughed at this demand, and told the Ambassador that the demand was absurd, and that it was not up to me to decide the travel arrangements of the astronauts, who had travelled to Mars at great risk with no back up plans for a rescue if anything went wrong.

The Ambassador whole heartedly agreed with me, and after some discussions, we came up with a response to pass onto the Chinese and Russian governments, informing them that for a period of fourteen days the astronauts would be in quarantine isolation, with regular medical checks.

Once it has been deemed that the astronauts do not have any diseases of any kind, then they will be placed onto a transport shuttle for the journey back home.