Commander Stine touched a button on his console. “Captain to C.I.C.” he spoke, and released the button, never taking his eyes off the viewscreen.

A hundred years we’ve been out here, Stine thought. A hundred years and not a damn thing. So what the hell happened to that ship?

“Engines are intact, Sir.” Lieutenant Bjorn reported from Ops, “More or less. I don’t think she’ll be sailing under her own power, but they didn’t blow. Something else happened over there.”

“Survivors?” The captain asked, standing at the entrance to C.I.C. He seemed frozen, gazing at the hulk on the screen.

“No readings, Captain. Atmosphere is negative.” Bjorn replied.

Captain Salis walked slowly to his chair, but did not sit right away. His eyes were still fixed on the broken hull of The Pillar, drifting silently in space.

“We’ve picked up radiation, Captain” Stine said, scrolling through instrument readings on his console. “I don’t think it’s an accident. They were attacked.”

“Keep our engines spooled.” The Captain barked.