The End of the Rainbow

“The shockwave of the explosion damaged our antigravity field, and now the asteroid is pulling us in?”

“Yes Sir,” Mister Ferengi whispered, handing him the tablet with shaking hands. Captain Edoala skimmed the damage report with Commander Andilit. “What about the escape pots?” She asked quietly. “I’m afraid their thrusters aren’t strong enough to escape the pull either,” the engineer toyed with the hem of his uniform.

“We can’t do anything?” Commander Andilit’s raised voice caught the attention of several celebrating crew members, and they looked towards the trio. “I don’t like this either,” the Captain replied, “with the way we are being pulled we can’t even slow the Rainbow down to minimize the impact.” The second in command cursed again, loud enough to cause Mister Ferengi to flinch, his many eyes flitting around anxiously. The entire area around them fell silent, and suddenly all eyes were on them.

“Sirs? Is something wrong?” a young medic questioned carefully. Captain Edoala clenched his hands around the tablet, his usually misty figure a solid gray. He straightened, and turned towards the expecting eyes of his crew. “I’m afraid that we are facing a large problem,” the Captain swallowed slightly and told the Commander, “will you please call everyone to the cargo bay. I don’t want anyone to be alone with this!” Commander Andilit nodded and made the announcement, everyone who heard the Captain’s order making their way to the meeting point. The gathered people murmured amongst themselves, the atmosphere tensed again, and everyone seemed to hold their breath when the Captain stepped to the front. “I will not embellish what is going on right now. The ship is damaged, we are being pulled in by the asteroid and we have no way of getting away.”

Gasps of shock and fear could be heard from the crew, and they started talking over themselves, each person sounding more scared or panicked than the other. “SILENCE!” Commander Andilit’s booming voice quietened the room down immediately. The Captain threw her a thankful glance and turned towards the crowd.

“I have failed you as your Captain, and for that I apologize. We saved our home but we won’t be able to see it grow further. Unless someone here has one last ace up their sleeves, we won’t make it out of this one!” The crew shuffled around, some already drying tears or holding tight onto their comrades. No one spoke up. The ship had been sent off with minimal supplies to keep it light and agile, only equipped with what was necessary to destroy the asteroid. There was nothing on board that could get them away. “I am sorry that this is our end, but you won’t be alone. We started this together and we will end that way as well! To us, we saved our home and one final time to the Rainbow!”

The Captain yelled, lifting his fist to his crew.

The crew responded in kind: “To the Rainbow!”

Those were the last, brave words that their home planet received from their heroes – only silence followed.