New Shepherd Colony. Everyone is preparing for the evacuation. At one building is First Minister Thomas, BJ, Leroy and Maverick.

"This is the main library for the colony. It's contents must be preserved." says Thomas

"And they will be." says BJ "We just need to access information on the early days of the colony. Maybe the Iditerod left a record of it's flight plan."

"Only Chief Librarian Susan knows that. Come, I'll take you to her."

They enter the building and come up to the main desk where a ferret morph sits.

"First Minister Thomas. We're just about ready to pack everything up."

"That can wait Fara. Where's Susan, we need to see her."

"One moment."

She gets up and goes to an office. Moments later a beaver morph walks out.

"How can I help you?"

"Captain BJ here wants to look at records from the early days of the colony."

"Were hoping to find the flight plan of the Iditerod." says BJ

"That information is stored in our only working computer. This way."

Susan leads the way to a little used room where an ancient PC sits.

"My God!" says Leroy "That things an antique!"

"I haven't been able to access it for some time." says Susan "Maybe one of you can do something about that."

"Not a problem." says Maverick.

He takes out an unusual device, turns it on and attaches it to the computer. The computer screen comes to life and images appear in rapid succession and then the screen goes blank.

"Done. All the information is stored in here."

"Where did you get that and what is it?" says BJ

"A little souvenier from my black ops days. It downloads information even from ancient computers in seconds."

"Nice."

"What about my computer?" says Susan.

"Trash it." says Maverick "I've downloaded everything in it. Not to worry though, when the new colony is established we'll install a new computer system and download the information into it. We need all of this at the moment."

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to trash it." says Susan "Thank you Maverick."

"You and Leroy get back to the ship and find the information we need."

"You got it boss." says Leroy.

"If I may ask Captain, don't you have the information yourselves back on Earth?" says Thomas

"Afriad not. The majority of Space Rover records was lost when the KH Military attacked the Rover Academy in the Rocky Mountains. A lot of data on those early days was lost because of those terrorists."

****

"The computer has the flight plan of the Iditerod." says Miles "Were ready to get underway. It goes even deeper into unexplored space before returning to Earth."

"Why so far?" says BJ

"Unknown. Only they knew what they were doing."

"All right. Engage Miles."

****

"I'm reading an unsually strong gravity well up ahead." says Leroy

"Slow to SpeedDrive."

"Now this is interesting." says Rif "I'm getting a homing signal coming from a marker buoy. It must be a ship's log or something."

"Oh, my God!" says Leroy "BJ, that gravity well is a black hole!"

"On screen."

"Cerberus." says Maverick

"Excuse me?"

"It's the Cerberus Black Hole."

"You know it?" says Mrr'tas

"Of course! Now I know what this is." says Miles

"Care to fill me in?" says BJ

"During the late 1990's the Road Rovers were still fairly new. General Parvo had escaped into space and the Rovers followed him into deep space. They caught up with each other here at what they dubbed the Cerberus Black Hole. Both were almost sucked in but they escaped just barely."

"I've got the buoy." says Leroy.

"Steven, beam it into the cargo bay."

"Way ahead of you boss. We got it."

"Tundra, you have the bridge. Miles, Leroy, Maverick let's go."

****

Strayer cargo bay. The buoy is hooked up to a computer terminal.

"Alrighty then" says Steven "Let's see what we can find."

"Captain's personal log. Were stranded here and drifting for the black hole. I'm sending a log buoy out in hopes of someone finding it. If it wasn't for Alpine's sabotage we wouldn't be here. He's safely locked away in the brig where he will rot until we're sucked in. This is Captain Colonel, signing off."

"Show us the personel records." says BJ

"Captain Colonel, a doberman/greyhound mix" says Steven reading "In charge of the colonies creation. First Officer Commander Chevy, a Golden Retriever mix."

"Bring up the records of this Alpine."

"Alpine. A dhole, the only one in the Space Rover service and they're chief engineer. Says here he sabotaged the Iditerod's systems so he could get in good with the Supreme General."

"As in Supreme General Stalker?" says Maverick

"Looks that way."

"It wasn't enough that McTerry betrayed them." says Maverick

"Sheesh, the KH were everywhere weren't they?" says Miles

"That's how they operated."

They all turn and see Tim walk in.

"Infiltrate and destroy if possible. So, this Alpine guy sabotaged them and left them to a grisly fate?"

"No, he was lost too." says Maverick

"Good riddance."

"So now we know what happened." says BJ

****

Iditerod bridge. All the systems go out and everyone is thrown from their seats. Captain Colonel gets back up.

"Report!"

"All systems off-line Captain. We're dead in space and drifting for the black hole."

"Engineering to bridge, this is Ensign Timber, Mr Alpine sabotaged the systems sir. He's been taken care of and is being escorted to the brig."

Ships brig. Alpine is pacing the length of the room while Colonel stand in front of him.

"You betrayed us Alpine. I trusted you. Why?"

"Because I was ordered to. The Supreme General himself ordered me to. And there was cash incentive in it."

"You sold us out to the KH for money?! What, were you going to retire to some tropical island? Don't you realize what you did?! You set us adrift for the Cerberus black hole! Were alredy in it's gravity. You'll never escape."

"Cerberus? Aw crud! Were going to die aren't we?"

"That's what black hole's do to you!

"Screw the KH. I'm sorry Captain. Now please let me out so I can fix the problem."

"Screw you! Were going to die and I want to see the look on your face when we're torn to bits as we go in."

"Bridge to captain, were going in sir. Hull stress is incredible sir!"

"Has the buoy been launched?"

"Yes sir."

"Captain out. Well Mr. Alpine, goodbye."

"Captain please, just let me get back to engineering. I know I can slingshot us out!"

"Too late."

The ship begins to rattle something fierce. Colonel sits down at a chair and waits. Suddenly the outer wall gives way and Alpine is sucked in screaming just seconds before Colonel goes as well. The Space Rover Starship Iditerod is crushed into a million peices as it goes in.

****

"And that's what happened Admiral." says BJ

Admiral Keogh is on the main screen of the Strayer.

"Good work Captain. The mystery of what happened to the Iditerod has been solved thanks to you."

"At least we know Mr. Alpine changed his ways before he went." says Raven

"Maybe" says Tundra "But that Captain Colonel was one stubborn dog. He could have listened to him but instead just let it happen."

"You can debate about it as much as you like, on your own time. For now head back to New Shepherd and help in the evacuation."

"On our way Admiral."

The End