Somewhere, sometime, in the place between space, a klaxon warbled it’s dismal message of impending doom.

“That’s it Miss, that last shot pierced our bubble, we’re coming out of warp! Hold on!”

The tiny ship shook furiously, it’s passengers pushed hard into their restraints. A baby screamed, it’s mother and sister clutching it between them on the crash couch.

“Where are we?” the mother yelled to the pilot. “Not sure just yet miss, nav-comp is working on it.” He intoned while studying his displays. “I’ve got bad news I’m afraid- our reactor containment is down, gonna have to let it go.” The pilot’s hands flickered over the control board, jabbing at a touchpad with finality. There was a loud clank as the ship’s gravity field bobbled slightly then stabilized.

The mother soothed her little one. “There-there, we’ll be ok” she said hopefully.

“I don’t know about that miss, I don’t have the mass to restart the reactor. I have enough power to take us to warp one last time, but that’s it!”

“Are they still following us? Did we lose them?” As if on queue the main display switched to a different viewpoint as a dozen sleek interception craft emerged from a recently opened fissure. Lightning bolts danced on the ships’ hulls, illuminating them against the blackness of space as they escaped the tear one by one.

“Oh yeah, they’ve still got us, must be tracking us through subspace somehow. Some new tech maybe, I don’t know. Every jump they’ve been right behind us! I’ve never seen ships that can fire in warp either. Who are these guys again?”

“Nobody we want to be caught by, that’s for sure!” she replied.

The mother threw the pilot a plaintive glance then turned to her children. She could see the shock and terror in their eyes as tears began to flow from her own. She punched the release on the restraint netting, grabbed the baby and it’s sister up in her arms and carried them to the back of the small cabin where the ship’s single occupant escape tube was waiting with an open hatch.

“I love you both so much! Little one, take care of your baby brother.” She handed the infant to the tiny girl and pushed them toward the tube, pointing into it. “The control panel has been programmed but don’t turn it on until you’re sure they’re gone! Do you understand?” she asked the shaken girl.

“Mommy, I don’t wanna. I can’t!” the girl sobbed. “Yes, you can my sweet girl. You have to! Just wait as long as you possibly can before powering up the module. Do you understand?” she grabbed the tiny girl firmly by the shoulders looking into her face. “Please Chrysalis, tell me you understand!”

The girl nodded. “What do you have to do?”

“Wait for a long time then turn on the pod” the girl said between sobs. “Yes my sweet girl! You can do this!” She grabbed them both up again kissing them each on the head as tears flowed unbidden. “I love you both so much! I’ll come find you, I promise!” She kissed them again and pushed them into the tube but kept clutching her daughters arm, unable to let go. As if she was about to pull them out again.

The ship shuddered violently. The near miss of an energy beam briefly flickered light and shadows around the cabin. “Miss, they’re gaining on us. I have to jump now!” yelled the pilot.

With one last terrible sob she jerked her hand away and slammed closed the hatch.

The mother returned to the crash couch pawing at the tears on her face. The pilot looked her in the eyes. “Are you absolutely sure?” he asked.

“No, of course I’m not sure! But what choice do we have? At least this way they have a chance!”

“A slim one.” He replied dolefully reaching out to her. She took his hand in hers. “I know. Do it!”

The pilot nodded and jabbed some quick commands in the air. Seconds later a hum filled the ship as it began to accelerate and elongate. The warp bubble quickly enveloped it but not quite entirely before the tiny tube was ejected from it’s aft section.

The tiny escape pod shook as it slipped away from the bubble getting pulled along by it’s velocity but unable to keep up with the departing ship. It bounced and bobbed, as eddies of space-time swirled around carrying it along. Finally, it decelerated back into reality. A tiny seed of life scattered out somewhere through the folds of space, it’s terrified occupants lost… Lost, but not forgotten.