Stardate 69999.6

Posted on 01 Jan 2019 @ 3:28am by Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri

2,015 words; about a 10 minute read

[ON:]

“Baby pictures! We got baby pictures! Oh wait – is this damn thing on? Computer? Make a new personal log. That’s better.

OK, restarting - Science Officer’s Log, stardate 69999.6. LTJG Matthew Plumeri recording.

WE. GOT. BABY PICTURES! WOO HOO!!!!

Ok, ok, ok…. slow down. Use your words Matt.

The Galileo altered course and heading for our mission. But, remember that stellar nursery we passed a week ago? I’ve been keeping an eye on it. I’ve kept one of the very-long range imaging telescopes pointed astern for the past six days. Using time corrected sensor data I’ve snagged a glimpse of a huge alien world forming from the disk of dust and debris surrounding a dwarf star, stellar body number DP0454— the first-ever confirmed direct observation of an gaseous planet this young in this part of space. Yes! Go team!

The baby planet is growing up around a dwarf star called…uh…. the catalogue entry that it fell to is…. Pleiades DP0070, what a terrible name for a newborn. The newborn is 470 light-years from our current position. Based on the spectroscopy, it’s just 5.4 million years old. The planet is shaping up to be a big one — it's a gas giant, and it's already two or three times the size of Halyopterous Massive IV, roughly…2 AU’s in size. I have pictures of the little titan. It orbits its star about the distance Uranus orbits from the sun. The planet's a toasty 1,000 degrees Celsius, still hot with the energy of its formation.

I’m stoked! It just goes to show that the Universe always has some new trick up it’s sleeve. Here we thought that only stars can be born in a stellar nursery and then there’s this. Oh, I know that this won’t be news anywhere else. But, I’m super happy. Discover something new along the way; that ain’t too shabby.

I think that its worth a celebration! And to that end, I’m heading to the gym for a workout. I always feel better after hitting the gym and this – this has been an awesome day!

Computer, end log and store.”

== END SCIENCE OFFICER LOG ==

===== MEANWHILE – IN ANOTHER PART OF THE GALAXY ======

Sum quod eris.



The USS Bentham had been at warp seven for nearly eleven hours. Walking the decks of this Ambassador class heavy cruiser one got the feeling that they were preparing for battle. Or, trying to prevent one. The three-hundred and thirty members of her crew walked with purpose. Anything to keep themselves busy as they grew ever closer to their destination.

They were headed for the planet Nerviai II in the distant area of the sector that bordered the Agrippa star cluster. For the past day, they had been monitoring on long range sub-space distress calls. Finally, not wishing to embroil itself in another regional conflict between people that did not want or need Federation aid, the word came from Starfleet that they should, “investigate and observe only”. And so, the ship changed course and made best speed towards Nerviai II. After hours of travel, the sub-space radio seemed weaker and weaker. It was barely readable but the Bentham was the only ship in the area. With the loss of the UFP bases and outposts in this area the planet would be difficult to reach.

The Captain, a woman of about forty-years of age, stepped off the turbolift and entered the bridge. A junior officer announced, “Captain on the bridge!” Captain Clarke acknowledged with, “Report”. And she was brought up to speed by the junior officer she relieved. He stood to his feet and said, “Heading 125 mark 080, speed is warp seven. We’ll be in range in moments Captain. It’s hard to make out what’s been happening. We think that most transmissions from the planet have been blocked by some kind of energy shield. Long-range sensor-“

Suddenly, with a violent jolt, the whole ship rocked and even the inertial dampeners were not much help. It was as if the Bentham had it a brick wall. People were lifted off their feet and lurched forward at least a meter if they weren’t seated or standing next to something solid. The sound of breaking bones and smacking bodies was heard on every deck; every compartment. The port nacelle collapsed like a crushed aluminum can. Accordion-like it crushed in on itself and then exploded violently sending the Bentham into a deadly spin.

When the Captain picked herself off the deck and sat back into her command chair the bridge slowly came into focus. She found the strength to ask, “Damage report!”

Bridge panels exploded all over and the rest of the bridge crew were either dead or trying to find their station. A voice from the OPS station started listing off the damage. The Captain listened and focused on these words, “…quantum filament. The warp core is destabilized. We’re venting drive plasma. I’ve got systems out all over the ship!”

=A= Warning! Damage to warp core. Magnetic constrictor systems failing. Thirty-percent and falling! Warning! =A= the computer announced.

The Captain called to the Engineering station, “Get those constrictors back online!”

The young man looked at her, “I can’t! The damage is too severe. We’ve lost the port nacelle and the plasma feeds are not responding. I can’t re-initialize the magnetic containment fields from here!”

“Go!”, she said and he ran for the turbolift. The Bentham shuddered again. From outside, she started listing to port badly. She had dropped out of warp and was in an uncontrolled spin. The ship and her crew were spinning towards the planet. Unfortunately, the gravity well of Nerviai IV was pulling the crippled starship towards the planet.

As the crew of the Federation starship worked to gain control over their crippled starship other people noticed their arrival.


***


There must have been fifty or sixty Fontalan ships here. The orbital bombardment of Nerviai II had been going smoothly until the Federation ship showed up unexpectedly. The Fontalan capital ships were systematically destroying the surface of Nerviai II. Of course, none of this had been authorized. But these things tended to happen during a civil war. And while the Nervians had little to do with Fontalan politics, they were age old enemies. And some would say that scores were being settled.

“Captain?” the Fontalan ensign’s voice called.

“What is it Ensign?” came the Captain’s reply.

“New target. Just entered the system. It looks like they foundered on a quantum strand. They look heavily damaged sir and are sending distress calls. What should I do?” he asked.

The Captain came and stood by the young officer’s sensor screen. He looked surprised and astonished. He had worked for years alongside Starfleet captains and had grown to respect and admire them. “What are they doing here?” he asked in disbelief. “No one was supposed to know about this?! Hail them!”

“Federation ship, you are in Fontalan space. You must turn around and leave!” and so on the communication went.

Aboard the Bentham the Captain called, “Why aren’t they answering our distress calls?”

“COMM systems have failed. I’m trying to reinitialize. Captain, if we hit a quantum filament then the whole ship has been polarized. We need to – “ the COMM panel exploded and sent the crewman manning it to the floor with burns. A medic responded and began helping.

Clarke stood next to the HELM and tried to assist. “We have to regain attitude control and stop this spin.”

=A= Warning! Damage to warp core. Magnetic constrictor systems failing. Ten-percent and falling! Warning! =A= the computer announced.

Clarke said to the helmsman, “Use the remaining thrusters and take manual control.”

“Aye Captain!” the helmsman replied.

Using the thrusters alone, the Bentham started to stop listing to port. It evened out but it was still being pulled towards the planet. As it grew closer and closer it picked up speed.

Meanwhile, aboard the Fontalan capital ships, “They are not responding to hails Captain. They’re obviously damaged. They need our help” the young Ensign said.

“We have our orders. I just hope that they can gain control of their ship before it…” his voice trailed off and he didn’t finish the thought. “How long until they are in range?”

“In range sir?” the young man asked puzzled.

“I want to extend the shield grid. Move the ship into position between the planet and their current trajectory. We can align our shields and ship so that they will glance our shield grid and maybe – just maybe we can nudge them into a low-orbit. Enough so that they don’t crash. We’ll deal with the ramifications of this later.”

The Fontalan ship extended her shields and the energy they created gave the ship a bubble-like, egg shaped, shield geometry. But, alas, it was not to be. The Bentham was too badly damaged and the thrusters were no longer to make any kind of course corrections. The Ambassador-class ship hit the Fontalan dreadnought. The impact sent shockwaves through both ships. Because the Federation ship was polarized with high energy particles, it sent ripples along the shield grid and the Fontalan ship’s shield emitters were overloaded.

In a flash of light, the shields collapsed and the Bentham sliced through the Fontalan dreadnought on her dorsal axis and cut right through her. The Fontalan ship exploded and the Federation ship continued its death dive towards the surface.

That caught the attention of the Admiral of this – death fleet – and he took swift action. “Blow that ship out of the sky before it hits another!” Immediately, guns that were trained on the cities and surface of Nerviai II came to bear on the Federation battle cruiser.

Back aboard the Bentham, the Captain had lost contact with Engineering. They were taking fire now from the Fontalan fleet and they could no longer control their descent.

=A= Warning! Damage to warp core. Magnetic constrictor systems have failed. Warning! =A= the computer announced.

“Eject the core!” Clarke called.

From outside, the emergency ejection systems, thankfully, were still operational and they dumped the glowing warp core out into space. It sputtered and sparked, then exploded. Sending a shockwave that took out three of the closest ships that were engaged in orbital bombardment.

Captain Clarke, cut and bleeding, burned and with a broken arm now made the final call, “Abandon ship!”

Entering the upper atmosphere now, the Ambassador-class vessel left a smoking trail behind it. And one by one, escape pods holding her crew shot away from the hulking wreckage as it sped faster and faster towards the surface of Nerviai II.

The bridge had been cut off when the turbolift shaft had ruptured and was venting atmosphere. It took all their strength for the bridge crew to make it to the last bridge lifeboat. As they pulled away from their starship, they felt grateful to be alive. They were sure that now they were safe. The Fontalan ships would rescue them.

From the bridge of the Fontalan Admiral’s command ship the Captain Enrico asked, “Admiral Millo? We’re ready to receive the lifeboats.”

The Admiral looked coldly at him and then out the window, “No Captain. There can be no witnesses. The Federation should never have been alerted to our presence here. You are to destroy all the lifeboats.”

The man’s face was blank for a moment, he clearly could not understand what he was hearing. Which was odd considering the mass murder that was going on all around them. “Admiral?”

“Those are your orders Captain Enrico. All of them. Let none escape you. Remember your duty” the Admiral said and then, without another word, resumed the orbital bombardment.


***







[OFF:]

Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri
Science Officer – Historian
USS Galileo-A
NCC-80010

 

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