DR. FELICITY MALTRA
I was on the flight deck of the ship when the distress call was received.
"Captain Jones, we are receiving a distress signal. It is coming from a Drackonian ship!" the communications master shouted.
"Let's hear it!” the captain shouted back. We all stepped closer as the signal was played back to us. It was a series of beeps and it was unlike any Earthling distress call.
"Are you sure that is Drackonian?" Captain Jones asked.
"Yes, this series of sounds matches with the Drackon."
"How far away?” the captain asked.
"Three clicks away."
Everyone was silent as the captain processed this information. Though we all knew what had to happen; it was the law.
"Log the distress call. I, Captain Jones, grant the A.R.S. to respond to the distress call according to Article 462 of the Earthling and Drackon Accords. Coordinate a flight path directly to the Drackonian ship."
"Roger that, captain," the communications master responded. The crew went into action as I stood beside Captain Jones.
"Do you think it is a trap?" I asked after noting the worried look he had on his face.
"A good captain prepares for anything. But we are required to answer the call, just as the Drackon are required to answer a distress call from an Earth ship. We can only hope that it is not a trap, considering that we are a research vessel and not a battleship."
"What about the rumors?" I whispered to him, trying not to upset the rest of the crew.
"The rumors of hostile attacks against Earthlings? None of that has been confirmed. It is only hearsay for now," he said looking at me.
"It was hearsay enough that I was not going to be allowed on this ship even though I am the more qualified doctor. The rumors are enough to keep any human female from boarding any ship, other than a Drackon bride cargo ship," I said to him.
The captain gave me a look and I knew that he wanted me to drop it. I knew that he had a lot on his mind and I wasn't helping. But I couldn't help myself; I was a brash bully when I wanted to be, and that usually was when I wanted answers.
“What is a Drackon ship doing in this vicinity anyway?” I pressed on.
"I'm not sure. It is very unusual. Perhaps their navigation is down and they have been floating off course. But, Felicity, just in case, make yourself useful and stop pestering me. Perhaps you should prepare the infirmary for wounded. There is no telling what state the Drackon ship might be in and the condition of its passengers."
"Yes, Captain, right away," I said as I left the flight deck and moved quickly through the A.R.S. and made my way to the infirmary. This was my domain. Even though I was not supposed to be here. I had gained my position on this ship after I was passed up for it and they had given it to a male doctor.
"Dr. Maltra, we regret to inform you that you will not be on the A.R.S. due to recent changes in the Drackon environment," the Research Council Master said to me the day that I was passed up for the position.
I remembered standing there with my mouth wide open because I knew that I was getting the position; it had practically come to me. They had headhunted for me for this particular research position, and suddenly they were telling me it was no longer mine. I was no longer going to be the assigned doctor for the crew on a research mission in deep space. I didn't understand what I was hearing as I stood there in his office.
"I don't understand. You guys came to me. Now you are flip-flopping on me—of course you are. That is what you do here, isn't it?" I said before I realized that my smart mouth was going to get me in trouble again. I had a penchant for saying what was on my mind when I was angry, and it always got me into trouble. This was one of those times.
"Watch it, Dr. Maltra. Don't forget my position here. Don't talk back to me. You must accept these new circumstances; it is out of my hands," he said crossing his arms over his chest.
"What exactly are the circumstances?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips and tapping my foot on the floor.
"It is a very delicate matter. There have been rumors of hostilities against humans from the Drackon race. They have not been confirmed, but because of the suspicion, Earth has halted all human females from entering space unless they are a registered bride with a Drackon waiting for them on Mooreah. Even then, we don't know if it is safe. But those women have signed their lives over to the Drackon warriors and their safety is the responsibility of the Drackon. But that is not you. You are an employee of this research facility, and if anything should happen to you at the hands of the Drackon, then that is this company's responsibility. Therefore, you are a liability, and we would rather avoid it by sending a male," he said.
"Are you freaking kidding me?! You are basing this decision on rumors! What are you, a high school teenager? Want me to help you pick out your prom dress next?" I said in my saucy way.
He slammed his fist on the top of his desk and furrowed his eyebrows at me. "Now hear me, Dr. Maltra! The decision has been made, and Dr. Smith is going in your place. Now get out of my office! I will not put up with your insults any longer."
I narrowed my eyes at him in anger. I was going to be on the A.R.S. whether he liked it or not. Turns out, fate was in my corner. Two days before the A.R.S. was set to leave, Dr. Smith became very ill and very contagious. Since they did not have time to find another, I was once again given the position. A research ship could not launch into deep space without a doctor on board, so it was either me or millions of dollars wasted preparing the mission. Of course, they chose me over the loss of money.
That is how I ended up on the A.R.S. preparing the infirmary for any wounded passengers, whether they be human or Drackon. There was only so much I could do until we knew what we were dealing with. I couldn't lay out instruments, because if we ran into a hostile situation, I could not have medical instruments flying about, so I did what I could. A part of me was very excited that it might be Drackon wounded that I would be working on. Their biology fascinated me, and they weren't bad to look at either. The attractive weredragons were unlike anything I had ever seen. Even after fifty years of them intermingling and interbreeding with humans, they were still the most fascinating alien race that we humans had ever encountered.
This thought about the unique biology and masculine physical form of the Drackon warrior was interrupted with static over the loudspeaker. “Dr. Maltra, the Drackon ship is in sight."
"Copy that. On my way to the flight deck now," I said as I moved quickly to the flight deck to strap into a seat. My heart was racing that this research assignment had become something much more exhilarating by the simple act of receiving a distress signal. One that we were obligated to respond to. Ever since the humans and the Drackon had agreed to allow interbreeding and created an accord, there had been peace between the two races, and part of that peace included helping each other out in space.
I watched as the Drackon ship came into view as we floated toward it. I was strapped in my seat and just as anxious as anyone.
"It looks to be damaged fairly badly. Looks like one entire side has been blown off. Any luck establishing communication?” the captain said.
"No return on communication," the communication master replied.
"Engage with the ship. Lock and dock. Everyone else prepare to board fully armed, "Captain Jones shouted out the orders.
"I'll go too!" I shouted as I unbuckled my seat.
"No, you won't! Stay where you are, Dr. Maltra! That's an order," Captain Jones said.
"But what if there are wounded on that ship? Every minute counts," I said to him.
"Not until the ship has been cleared of hostility. Who knows what the oxygen levels are like on board. There is too much at stake and we cannot risk losing you. Now you will stay here with me!" Captain Jones shouted. I sat back in my seat angrily as I waited for the ship to lock onto the Drackon ship. I hated feeling useless.
Minutes later, we were listening to our armed crew walk through the gate of one ship into the other. We watched a video and listened to their audio feed as they moved through.
"So far, no signs of life; it is very quiet. It seems the damaged part of the ship has been sealed off, but the ship is off completely. Everything has been disengaged and disabled; it's obvious the ship can no longer fly," the lead crewman said.
"Copy that; continue your search," Captain Jones replied. The crew moved onto the flight deck and my eyes immediately went to the floor.
"We have wounded Drackon here!"
"Check for a pulse!" I shouted out. The captain gave me a look. He was the one that was supposed to give orders not me.
"Make sure you are not walking into a trap and then check for a pulse. Stay alert," the captain shouted. I closed my mouth and sat back, trying to force myself not to shout orders.
"We have five Drackon unconscious and wounded. This does not seem to be a trap. Waiting for orders on how to proceed, Captain," the crew leader shouted.
The captain walked back-and-forth on the flight deck, thinking. I was getting angrier by the second.
"Captain, the longer you wait, the more damage could be done to those unconscious Drackon. Please, let me go to them now," I pleaded with him.
"No! That ship is too unstable and could depressurize at any second,” he said as he grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back to my seat and sat me down like I was a spoiled brat. I crossed my arms, feeling helpless and angry.
"Crew Leader! Try to wake up the Drackon. Stretchers are coming to you now. We are bringing them aboard our ship," Captain Jones said.
"Copy that, Captain."
"Dr. Maltra, report to the infirmary and prepare for five Drackon warriors. Know that we will be disengaging and speeding back toward Earth as soon as they are aboard. Prepare for ship movement," the captain said to me.
I burst out of my seat because I was ready to get moving. Feeling useless was not good for me, and having an assignment made me feel better. "Right away, Captain!"
I moved as quickly as I could to the infirmary and prepared five medic tables with belts in order to strap down the very large Drackon warriors that would be coming in. I wasn't going to strap them down because I feared them; it was because the ship would be moving and we needed to secure them so they would not fall off. Moments later, the crew came into the infirmary carrying stretchers.
"Get them onto the tables!" I shouted as our men struggled to carry the large bodies. I worked hovering over the Drackon warriors, and indeed they were very large. They were almost eight feet tall, very muscular, and toned. Each one wore a skintight top, like scuba gear, and tight pants with calf high boots. They all had blood and gashes on them.
"Disengaging!" the captain shouted over the speaker intercom.
"Strap them in! Buckle them down!" I shouted to the crew. I ran over to the first Drackon warrior closest to me and belted him down. Looking at his features, it almost took my breath away. His dark, shoulder-length hair was messy and jet black. His long form spread out on the table and he was the most attractive male I had ever seen, be it human or Drackon. The ship disengaged from the Drackon ship with a sharp movement. I fell on top of the Drackon warrior, across his waist. His body was strong and firm like a rock. I quickly pulled myself up. I looked around to make sure that all the other warriors were belted before the crew and I took seats in the infirmary and belted ourselves in.
"Jumping to hyperspeed in five, four, three, two, one…" the captain’s voice echoed over the speaker. Suddenly, the ship jolted and we were moving fast through space back toward Earth. It was only for a few seconds in order to get us out of the area of possible danger. The same danger that caused the Drackon ship to be blown apart. We would not know the details until the Drackon woke up.
"Coming out of hyperspeed," the captain said.
In seconds, the ship came to a halt and slowed into a more agreeable speed. We all unbuckled and I went into action seeing to the wounded Drackon warriors. As I moved over the one with the dark hair that attracted my attention, his eyes opened.