Emerald Flight: "Rules of Engagement" (continued)

RUSTY

That wasn’t in your report.

Rusty fumbles around the table for a moment, looking for his tablet, before giving up.

HOPE

I now remember.

RUSTY
(irritably)

What other useful little details do you “now remember”?

The intercom chimes.

PYRAFOX’S COMM VOICE

Captain. I have a report from one of the survey teams.

DEVEREUX

Transfer it here. (beat) This is the Captain. Go ahead.

BURROWS’ COMM VOICE

Captain. (beat) We’ve found a large chamber. It looks like it might be their Infirmary.

DEVEREUX
(to Hawkes)

Give me their location.

Hawkes adjusts the controls near the holographic projector.

After a moment, the image shifts. It zooms into an area near the bottom of the vessel. Three bright dots are highlighted within it.

HOPE

Secondary.

All of the other officers look at Hope with varying expressions of surprise and confusion.

ELIZABETH

Secondary?

HOPE

Yes.

RUSTY
(murmurs)

I can hardly wait to see the main one . . .

DEVEREUX

Another new memory?

HOPE

Yes.

RUSTY

You might want to think about updating your report then . . .

Hope stares back at Rusty.

After a moment, she turns toward Devereux.

Devereux nods slowly in agreement.

HOPE

Yes. Perhaps.

DEVEREUX

Ensign Burrows, this is the Captain.

BURROWS’ COMM VOICE

Yes, Captain?

DEVEREUX

Proceed. I want a thorough search of that area.

BURROWS’ COMM VOICE

Yes, Captain.

Images transmitted from the survey team’s helmet cameras are shown on displays mounted within the conference table.

RUSTY
(murmurs)

Still no bodies . . .

DEVEREUX
(softly)

Yes.

HAWKES

It seems a likely location to discover some.

DEVEREUX

But they aren’t any.

RUSTY
(irritably)

Am I the only one who finds that more than just a little bit creepy?

All of the officers except for Hope stare at him.

RUSTY (CONT’D)

What? (beat) We find a ship bigger than anything we’ve got and we haven’t seen one body. I mean, not even a dried up skeleton.

DEVEREUX
(calmly)

Chief.

HAWKES

It is disquieting.

DEVEREUX

The teams are scanning for organic residue?

HAWKES

Affirmative. So far, none has been detected in any of the areas that have been explored.

Devereux considers this for a moment.

DEVEREUX

Well, we aren’t going to solve it here. (beat) Are there any other updates?

HAWKES

Nothing further at this time, Captain.

HOPE

No.

RUSTY

I’ve got nothing.

Devereux looks toward Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH

No, Captain.

Devereux looks quickly once more around the table.

DEVEREUX

All right then. We’ll reconvene at fourteen hundred. (beat) Dismissed.