"I'm getting something", Schultz called over his shoulder.
Reed stood and moved to the science officer's station, peering over his shoulder. "How far away?", Reed inquired.
"It's hard to say", Schultz said, adjusting his gauges, "perhaps three-hundred standard miles, but no more."
"Are you sure it's Schrader?", the commander asked, earning a smirk from Schultz. "I mean, are you sure he's alive?"
"Relatively so, Commander", Schultz replied, "although the bio-scan indicates that the lieutenant's biological functions are slowing, which is a little disturbing."
"Then we'd best be on our way", Reed surmised. "Lt. Scott, set a course for...", he looked to Schultz.
"I'm feeding him the coordinates now, sir", the science officer stated, his thin fingers working with flawless precision across the deyboard...er, keyboard.
"Got it", Number Two confirmed, sliding the thruster controls forward minutely as the vessel changed course.
At NS speed, they were there in seven minutes.
"Sir", Lt. Scott reported, "I have Lt. Schrader's ship on visual."
"Bring it up on the Mega-Vid, Number Two", Reed ordered, returning to his chair.
The enormous viewing screen at the front of the bridge suddenly came alive, displaying the cosmos in breathtaking clarity. Reed scanned the sky but could see no sign of the XP-2000. "Where is it,
Number Two?"
"Right there", Lt. Scott replied, indicating the area with his favorite red laser pointer.
"My God", Reed remarked, dismayed by the brutal assault the fighter must have taken to be in such poor condition.
The entire ship was blotted in black soot, and the aft engine still smoldered from the earlier explosion. From his vantage point, he could see a thin cloud of whitish vapor escaping from the cockpit.
"It's venting some sort of gas", Reed observed. "Can you identify what type, Mr. Schultz?"
"Yes, Commander", Schultz advised, "it seems to be a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen."
"On a fighter with a solid based fuel source", Reed said incredulously. "What would be the purpose?"
"To keep things cold", Ensign VanTedly chimed in.
"What do you mean?", Schultz inquired blandly.
"Well", VanTedly explained, "we used that type of mixture when we froze my Uncle Mort after he choked on his own vomit at a Oak Ridge Boys Reunion* concert."
"Cryogenics", Schultz breathed, "that would explain the decrease in his metabolic processes." He turned to VanTedly. "Tell me, Ensign, how were you able to bring your uncle out of his
frozen stasis?"
"You can bring people out?", VanTedly asked with wonder. "What'll they think of next?!?"
Schultz reached out to administer the Huckster Face Grab.
"Initiate suck beam sequence", Reed ordered, breaking the science officer's concentration. "Let's get him aboard."
Reed watched as his crew took the task to hand, painstakingly completing their duties in order to retrieve one of their own, all save for Ensign VanTedly, who was moving toward the door.
"Where are you going?", Reed asked, not caring to hide his irritation.
"To find a phone", the ensign answered excitedly, "I have to call my Aunt Minnie!"
