Who Says Nothing Interesting Happens on Gamma Shift? - Part II

Posted on 04 Aug 2012 @ 10:35pm by Amril & Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D. & Lieutenant Theron Rhodes & Ensign Im'er Mor'an & Chief Petty Officer Lucalin Mrina Ph.D. & EMH Mark X-C "Shirley" & Lieutenant Lilou Zaren & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Oliver Sylver
Edited on on 07 Aug 2012 @ 10:52am

1,897 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo - Bridge
Timeline: MD09: 0130 hours

Previously.....

As her calculations and metric approximates looped through the LCARS memory looking for similarities in ship design and specifications, Lilou glanced up. They were making jokes. The captain was gone, possibly dead. Remington was dead. Quinn had lost his arm. And they were laughing. She gritted her back teeth and refocused on her task.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

The vessel looked much the same from the front as it did from the back, except for a dark amethyst disk, the cracked remnants of some form of warp propulsion system that was clearly powered down. In addition, there was a small but clearly visible hull breach one quarter of a meter at its widest point and nearly a meter long. Signs of weapon fire, too old to still have an energy signature, littered the back of the craft.

As she was concscious of the murmurings behind her of the bridge crew's voices and various beeping noises from consoles which still worked, Pola found she couldn't pull her attention away from the image on screen. Now it had become apparent that it was actually a craft questions were raised, who did it belong to? How did it end up here? Was there people still alive on it? The Doctor in her looked at the personal aspect of things instead of the mechanics but she was still curious, that she couldn't deny.

Rhodes spoke up, "No change in energy levels. If someone is in there, they are apparently not looking out their window." As soon as the word left his lips, "Captain, Engines have just come online!" Now, again, Theron felt stupid for calling the Lieutenant, Captain in his excitement. "Ah . . . they are not engaging."

Resisting an urge to jump out of her seat, Pola felt a moment of panic as she wondered if she'd made a wrong decision, her own mind racing 100 miles an hour and so missing his rank slip up, "What's the status on their weapons and shields?"

Rhodes looked again as the readings in front of him. "Sir, I can confirm at this time that they have no shields, but scans are still unable to penetrate hull." Looking up and to the Lieutenant, " I still cannot confirm weapons."

As Pola listened to Rhodes, her cheeks suddenly went very flushed as she realised something extremely simple she was meant to have done long before now. It was completely her fault she hadn't even thought of it. Coughing gently, she turned to face Mor'an, "Mor'an have you tried to hail the ship at any stage?"

"No, ma'am," Mor'an said, "I will now." A moment passed as she hailed the ship, listening intently for any reply.

Without apparent provocation, a section of the dark hull of the ship dilated and a black dome rose from it, marring the sleek stealth design. "I am receiving an encoded Starfleet transmission," Mor'an said, "But the encryption seems to be out-of-date. One moment." She remembered one of her tutors at the Academy teaching her a way to access the computers of another ship. She concentrated for a moment as she tried to remember the exact process. "I think I have it."

As Pola moved the screen on the chair around so as she could read the data, she found herself highly surprised. It wasn't a message of sorts, it seemed to be more so an update on the current condition on the strange vessel. Instead of a standard message, a data stream was displayed:

SYSTEMS EVALUATION

Power Levels: 7%
Warp Drive: damaged - no warp capabilities
stealth protocols active - non-essential systems powered down

Navigation: non-operational
Sensors: operational - 85% - online
Helm-Control: damaged
Autopilot: damaged
Tactical Systems: operational - 68% - powered down

Stasis Unit: operational - 23% capacity

SITUATION REPORT

Coordinates: ***ERROR - navcom non-operational***
Target: Federation Nova-class science vessel
Threat Priority: 12

potential hazard on sensors
hull breach
scans detected
external communication detected
initiating espionage countermeasures
initiating emergency response protocol ***special_amril_alpha***

Recommendation: transmit distress signal or engage tactical systems
awaiting input...

The transmission ended as abruptly as it began. The weapon bays on the underside of the craft deployed. But otherwise, the ship remained motionless.

"Sir!" Rhodes exclaimed, "Weapons detection confirmed and power levels are building." He said looking at her. He looked down again adding, "Now, levels are fluctuating. Very dramatically at times." He again looked to the Lieutenant for emphasis, "I believe either the ship will fire when it builds up or the ship is going to explode. I recommend we pull away."

As Pola listened to Rhodes update, she still wasn't sure what to think. The vessel infront saw them as a threat despite the fact that it was now becoming apparent that it also was a Starfleet vessel and based on the data upload, it recognised that the USS Galileo was also a federation ship. Bringing back up the data stream from the vessel, Pola reread the information finally picking up on one piece of information buried in it deep. "Theron... can you rescan that vessel? This time I specifically need you to see if you can find and scan the stasis unit mentioned in this report. The fact it's online could indicate that there might be a person on the ship."

Theron reconfigured the sensors, then said, "Unconfirmmed. They're still not penetrating the hull."

A red light began to blink on the communications cluster atop the craft. "They are transmitting a distress signal," Mor'an said, her voice laced with concern.

As Pola listened to Mor'ans feedback, that same feeling of panic struck through her. It was in these moments she remembered she was only CMO for four days now. The only reason she was able to do this was because she had already dabbled in command courses while being a ACMO for four years. With her ambition to be CMO eventually, she'd felt it was no harm in getting her leg up so to speak.

Standing up out of her command chair again, she started to pace a little as she went over the options in her head. "Right guys, that distress signal has to be killed, otherwise it might draw the attention of the Klingons. We have to assume that that stasis unit has a person in it given it is currently active." Looking around she tried to come up with solutions. "Rhodes, can we beam that stasis unit to the ship? If not is there anyway in which we might be able to dock a shuttle?"

"Negative on any transporter lock." Rhodes replied quickly, then checking another display added, "I believe this vessel is too small for a shuttle to dock with it."

Pacing back and forward, Pola came to a stop and faced Mor'an. "What's the current status of the tractor beam, Mor'an? Is it possible we could get a lock on the fighter and tow it into a shuttle bay?"

Mor'an's eyes darted over to one panel. "The beam is online," she said, "But adjustments will have to be made in order for it to work correctly."

Nodding her head as this started to look positive, Pola turned to Lilou, "Can you make the adjustments we require and work with Mor'an to get the fighter towed in as soon as possible? We need to get that distress beacon disabled."

"Aye, sir," Lilou said, slipping from the science station over to communications and biting her lower lip as she thought. Equations and numbers streamed through her mind as she worked out possible fixes for the tractor beam; she typed in the new algorithm and realigned the beam to target the strange vessel. "Have we got a fix on it?" she asked Mor'an.

"Yes, ma'am," Mor'an called, watching her screens intently.

Lilou looked over to Pola, "I'd like to go down to the shuttlebay, sir. If you don't need me up here."

"Wait a minute." Walking over to the command chair, Pola entered a number of commands and watched as the EMH suddenly materialised on the bridge. Before he could interrupted with his usual opening, the Doctor walked up to him. "I need you to accompany Ms. Peers to the main shuttle bay on deck 4. We've an unknown ship being towed in with a stasis unit onboard I need you to check out."

Being summoned to the Bridge wasnt something that the EMH was accustomed to, especially when he had been in the middle of analysing a very interesting genomic protein resequencing experiment at the time, but of course, duty called.

"Very well. If you don't mind I'll transfer my program to that location straight away. Why use a turbolift when I can just move my photons instead."

The hologram acknowledged, crossing his arms as he did so before dematerialising from the Bridge, destined for the main doors outside the shuttle bay to wait for the arrival of his organic colleague.

"Lilou, your priority is deactivating that distress beacon. I don't care how you manage it but it is to be deactivated. I would prefer to avoid blowing it up because that would attract as much attention to our current location. Understood?" Pola realised she was being abit harsh now but she had no choice, the safety of this ship was paramount.

If Pola thought she was being rough-edged, Lilou didn't notice. She took a quiet joy in the return to regulation and orders. It let her know where she belonged and gave her a sense of security that had been sorely lacking for the last two days. She'd no intention of blowing up the ship or the distress beacon - the point having very little to do with attracting attention and more to do with not wanting to damage the Galileo further. That was unthinkable. She'd just barely been able to start making some sense out of the wreckage. "Understood, sir," she answered with a sharp nod and went to the turbolift.

Rhodes spoke up questioning, "Sir. Security to the shuttle bay then?"

Second mistake in an hour, Pola grimaced slightly as she realized that of course security would be needed. This was precisely why she was a Doctor and not tatical, "Theron can you send two to three of your men? I need to keep you here in case the Klingons decide to creep up on us."

"Aye Sir." Rhodes replied, then opened the Comm Link, =^=Bridge to Ensign Rice. Security detachment needed in the Shuttle Bay. Priority 1.=^= He received an acknowledged beep on his console.

Settling back into her chair, Pola watched as the turbolift doors closed on Lilou. "Computer, open a comm between the bridge and the main shuttle bay and keep open unless request otherwise by me only." As the computer beeped it's acknowledgement, the Doctor looked back out the viewer, watching as the tractor beam attached itself to the fighter and started to slowly tow it towards their own ship. She couldn't help but wonder, what exactly was going to happen next....

[OFF]

EMH Mk-X
Emergency Medical Hologram
USS Galileo

Ens. Theron Rhodes
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo

Cadet Senior Grade Im'er Mor'an
Red Squad Intern
USS Galileo

Warrant Officer Oliver Sylver
Flight Control
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Pola Ni Dhuinn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

MWO Lilou Peers
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Chief Petty Officer Lucalin Mrina, Ph.D.
Bioengineer
USS Galileo

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