The ship was poised and ready for the E.R. bridge attempt.  Each soldier manned his station. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.  The instant the Colonel gave the order John slammed a lever forward, the engines hummed, and the air filled with a palpable charge.  The ship lurched forward.  Had there been any windows, the men might have beheld a bridge opening in front of them.  It was technically invisible, but the way it bent the rays of light around itself created an irresolute black sphere.  They might have noticed its violent pulsations.  It strobed into and out of existence, throbbing and wavering between imploding and exploding.  The men realized something was amiss after the ship began shaking aggressively.  Screens cut to black, lights flickered, and the air became noticeably hotter.  