This is it..., Remus thought, as if fate had handed him what he wanted... With a heavy heart, he pulled out a datapad and gently placed it in front Jane.
"Jane... I didn't expect to see you... but it couldn't have been a better time."
He performed a maneuver with his finger that showed a file to Jane.
"We were conducting a standard patrol mission in the system of Bering when suddenly my subordinate, James, detected a signature spike from the "Room".
I sent two of my best men to investigate...
They... didn't return.
After a few minutes, the signature spike increased up to a degree. A familiar alarm blared across the bridge.... Radiation. It was rising fast... across the ship.
We then lost communication to the lower levels...
Radiation levels at the bridge were minimal at best... thanks to the protective layering... I knew the Douglas was already lost...
I gave the order to abandon ship afterwards...
At this point... I stayed behind to monitor the radiation leaks... while James directed the personnel to the "unaffected" areas...
I didn't expect the experimental TMS to be so volatile...
James' efforts were for nothing as the device emitted the radiation at alarming rates.
Unknown to me, James installed a personal evacuation pod above the bridge... it was accessible through a hidden ladder that slid down when activated...
James urged me to escape.... but I suddenly blacked out.
I don't remember what happened next....
I found myself in the sick bay of a friendly ship moments after the incident....
A medic told me that the Douglas exploded in a ray of blue light.
They didn't find any pods except mine..."
---------------------------------------------
End of file.
"I... I'm sorry, Jane. I lost her... the Douglas... All the crew... they're dead... I -should- have died with them!...", he nearly smashed the bar, but instead fell into grief. He could only wait for what Jane would feel.