Chapter 18 - Power Alert

When we entered the control room, things looked like mass chaos to me, but I suppose everyone knew what they were doing. A lot of the aliens I had seen in the pods were standing at different computer work stations around the room, pressing buttons and talking computer talk to each other.

It all looked very boring and I didn't understand a word of it. Finally a hush fell over the room as the ship's computer started talking in its flat mechanical voice.
"Antenna aligned . . . Signal sent . . . Message received . . . Complete interface with G.O.D. computer in 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . G.O.D. Computer now online and functioning at 98 percent efficiency. Please input next command."

One of the aliens at a control board next to me let out a yell of, "Yes, and it's about time!" Then he punched a series of buttons which I assumed made up the next command. I was right, because the computer voice started going again.
The sound made me jump when it started up again. The room had been so quiet I guess it startled me. Unfortunately, that caused me to step backwards and trip over something. I didn't get a chance to see what it was, as I hurried to get back on my feet before anyone noticed. They were listening to the voice very intently, so I don't think they saw me fall.

"Dual power shields initiated . . . Processing start-up routine . . . "
There was a really long pause after that one and all the aliens stood around holding their breath. Finally the voice came back.

"Request made for dual online power shields has been denied. Power sources not available at this time. Estimated time to Earth's weapons range, 3 hours 21 minutes. Please input next command."

Now the whole room erupted into groans and the occasional four letter word. I could hear Lana from the other end of the room screaming, "Damn it! That's just not possible. All the power connections tested fine just thirty minutes ago."

She started walking toward us, calling out for the command board. I looked over at the alien who had yelled so enthusiastically earlier, as he sank to his knees with a cheerless, "We're all going to die. This can't be happening to me. Please, G.O.D. What did I do wrong?"

I tried to get to him before Lana reached him, to tell him that begging on your knees wasn't a defense against Lana, but she made it there first.

"Get up you wimp! I do not have time for sniveling. If we don't get this right, we are all going to die and I am not going to let that happen."

The alien got up quickly but maintained as much distance from this bellowing crazy woman as he could, while still doing what she said. "Now, I want a new power check run. I know it is going to take an hour but we have no choice." It was nice, in a perverted kind of way, to see her bossing someone else for a change, even if I did feel sorry for the guy.

The alien at the board was punching buttons rapidly on his control board while still muttering "gonna die" under his breath.

"Quit that," Lana said to him as she smacked him on back of the head. "I need positive thinking."

"Okay," she yelled at everyone else in the room. "You all have a break until we figure this out. Stay close though, because I want to be able to start again as soon as we have the power back online."

People had just started to file out when G.O.D. put in his first on-ship appearance, popping in right next to Lana.

"Lana, my dear girl, did you forget that I am online? I am much faster than this old behemoth. I have already run the trace for you and I know exactly what the problem is."

"Okay, then. Finally, someone that knows how to work. What a relief. So tell me G.O.D., where is the problem and how can we fix it?"

As soon as he turned from Lana and started walking towards me, I knew it was my fault. I must have tripped over something important. Damn, all I wanted to do was avoid a little embarrassment. If I had told them when it happened, maybe it wouldn't be broken now. Everyone was going to hate me because now they were all going to die. I ran over to Lana and started apologizing, groveling at her feet and telling her how sorry I was for destroying the computer. I even went so far as to tell her she could kill me now if that would make her feel better. Luckily, she just waved me aside and walked over to where G.O.D. was now standing, holding the end of an electrical cord in his hand.

"I believe this is the problem," he said simply.
"Yes, that would be it. Conrad, get over here and fix this. The rest of you back to your boards and be ready for the next test as soon as he is done."