52 Chapter 52 Station! (2/2)
As the door slid to the side, it revealed what was once a communications room.They both recognized the equipment used in sending and receiving messages over long distances of space.There was a blinking light over one of the monitors, showing that this room at least, had power.
”Think there's anything of interest?” asked Olivia, moving to one of the two seats in the room.
”Only one way to find out,” said Dustin, sitting down and turning the monitor on with a swipe of his hand across the sensor.
”Warning!The president has declared a state of emergency!Everyone receiving this broadcast is ordered to return home as soon as possible.I repeat!The president has declared a state of emergency!Everyone is to return home now!”
The message repeated several times, before it ended, and the blinking light stopped.
”Can you find any other messages?That was kind of vague,” complained Olivia.
”You would think they would at least tell us what was wrong,” agreed Dustin.
He typed some more on the keypad, until he found where there were more messages.
”It looks like they were fighting a way with some alien race back home, but it's pretty vague on who.It doesn't look good, either way.Wait, this is odd, the date can't be right.”
”What is it?” she asked, moving closer to see what was wrong.
”The date states this message was sent almost two hundred years ago.”
”That's impossible.” She shook her head in disbelief.
”Well, if no one's been here in two hundred years, I guess we don't have to worry about the temperature dropping.There must be some minimal power keeping things going.”
”Do you think that's why the Josagn weren't waiting to shoot us, or take us prisoner? This isn't the right station, but actually a human station instead?”
Dustin nodded thoughtfully.”Maybe we can find something they left when they evacuated back to earth.There may even be a ship we could use!That way we don't have to deal with the Josagn at all!”
”Oh! That would be great!Let's go!”
As they wandered, opening every third door or so, they were starting to find rooms that did have things left in them.Some had been offices, with desks left behind, and others had been bedrooms, with beds still made, waiting for the owners to return for a rest.
After hours of boring halls, they decided that the reason they couldn't find any signs or directions, were because everything had been electronic.There were built in displays in the walls that would display what the rooms were, so that if they needed to change the room, it didn't need a new sign.They discovered the mess hall, but there wasn't even a spoon left.Everything had been taken from here.
The engine room was an exciting find.Dustin ran straight to the monitor, and Olivia followed, rolling her eyes.
”Don't do anything that might notify the Josagn we're here.If they see this old station fire up, they'll definitely know something was up.”
Dustin paused in mid type, and looked at her a little sheepishly.He had been right in the middle of starting the main engines up, and felt a little foolish that she had to point out the folly in that.With a sigh, he canceled out the order, and managed to pull up a schematic of the station.
”Wow, look!There seems to be a section still powered over here.Maybe there's someone there we could talk to, a person in charge of upkeep or something?” Olivia looked excited at the idea of there being someone else to talk to, and Dustin frowned.He wasn't sure why the thought of her talking to another man bothered him, but it did.Probably some more of that damn Josagn programming.
Maybe it would be a woman!The thought cheered him up some, and he was able to figure out what route they needed to take, to get there.There was a security station and the main bridge in that area they could check out too.
As they turned to leave, two glowing eyes opened from a corner, behind some of the equipment, and followed their forms as they left.When the door didn't shut behind them, it moved to follow.