The Genesis Directive (Part 1 of 6)

Posted on 30 Apr 2019 @ 6:12pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Amaranai Franklin & Lieutenant Lake ir-Llantrisant & Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri & Ensign Mimi & Lieutenant Commander Ryan Alexander & Ensign Callin Mastrel & Lieutenant JG Sofie Ullswater & Captain Hiroshi Tanakata
Edited on on 30 Apr 2019 @ 6:15pm

2,735 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Captain's Ready Room, Conference Room
Timeline: MD 01, 0408 hrs

Previously, on That We Might See (Part 8)...

It took Lake a moment to grasp what had just happened. His head snapped in Lirha's direction. With his mouth half-agape, he watched her walk away. And then even when he thought he understood the situation, he quickly understood there was plenty more to it that he was missing. Rising to his feet, Lake took an authoritative stance. "You heard the captain," Lake proclaimed, "Ship's eyes and ears are for her purview only."

“Transferring comms to your ready room, ma’am.” Ryan reported as he typed in the proper commands.

Well, this is ominous at all. A slightly bemused Ullswater acknowledged the request and rerouted her terminal's functions to the captain. "Sensor control and data has been transferred." The science officer said and leaned back, ever so slightly glad that responsibility had passed to someone else.

Lirha felt numb while she exited the bridge. She'd kept her head down and eyes to her PADD on her way out, deliberately not looking to any of the officers for too long for fear of betraying the nature of her -- their -- new duty. Her PADD now displayed the same double-helix DNA symbol that'd been seen throughout the ship, but this time is was the cover page of a terribly familiar long and detailed classified Starfleet Intelligence report. Genesis Protocol.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Roughly thirty minutes had passed since the sudden appearance of the strange computer symbol and Saalm's subsequent retreat from the bridge. While she was gone and locked in her office, an eerie silence seemed to encompass the ship's crew who remained idle in orbit while wasting valuable time.

Inside the ready room, however, there was nothing idle about the captain's activities. A collection of seven different PADDs now littered the top of her desk and each computer terminal displayed a scrolling myriad of sensor data from both the vessel's lateral sensor arrays and the numerous science sensor suites built into the bottom of the ventral hull.

Lirha was currently engaged in robust conversation -- more like an argument -- with the captain of USS Trial on a private and encrypted channel while they both debated the most proper course of action in light of new events.

"Hiroshi, yes, I understand," she said to her fellow Starfleet captain through the small screen on her desk. "I know we must follow the directive but all I'm asking for is two hours. Give us a chance to send a team down so we can figure out how this happened...how traces of Genesis technology ended up here," she half demanded. "Then...we can destroy the sites."

"If I read the orders correctly Captain Saalm there is no 'wiggle' room. Every site, every trace, every contact must be removed, destroyed. I too would like to know how a Genesis project got going here." Hiroshi tapped the desk absentmindedly while he thought and talked. "I too would like to know a bit more tell you the truth. You know it would be a shame to have to leave the Galileo to go gather your away team. At least before they get contaminated. It is a few hours back..." he trailed off. It was as good as he thought he could offer. The Trial was supposed to stay with the Galileo but had some leeway and for his ship to go pickup the Galileo's away team what happened the Galileo did in the meantime was well on that captain's shoulders.

"I have concerns too," she conceded, "but we're a planetary science vessel," Lirha emphasized to him. "Let us do our job and at least try to get some answers before we destroy all the scientific data." Her counterargument was ultimately flawed and in violation of the standing orders, yet she felt the circumstances dictated a more practical approach. They were there. Now. In orbit. Not a sector away or a passing detection from warp, but directly orbiting the planet's atmosphere above the signal source.

"Well in that case Captain Saalm, I think then it best that the your ship start doing a survey of sites we will need to....take care of here. We want to be through. I will let the rest of the convoy know on secure communications. How does that sound to you?"

The Galileo captain took a deep and satisfied breath then responded with a simple nod through the LCARS screen. "That sounds ideal," she answered before giving a faint smile to him. "Thank you. I'll have my my mission ops team send regular updates to your bridge. Now, if there's nothing else? We must get to work. There's little time to delay further."

"Very good captain, then make your observations and I will update the convoy, Hiroshi out."

Lirha closed the comm and leaned back in her chair to close her eyes for a short moment. She wiped a green hand across her face to remove the traces of sweat forming on her brow then took a breath to re-focus on the task at hand and set her personal feelings aside.

She opened her eyes, reached for several PADDs and collected them in her hand, then tapped her commadge to assemble her personnel. "All hands, this is captain. All officers report to the conference room," she instructed. Lirha gathered the rest of her belongings including her Type II sidearm and headed to the turbolift back to Deck 1.


Deck 1 - Conference Room

Not trusting the turbolift, Matt took the ladder and Jeffries tube up the six decks. He had never been inside the Conference Room. Stepping inside he saw a few PADDs on the conference room table. Outside the window, he saw the Trial as she stayed in formation. Helping himself to a cold glass of water, he looked out the window as he waited for others to arrive.

Allyndra left the sickbay in response to the call for the gathering in the conference room. She was curious as to what development or information might be forthcoming but her mind was still occupied on their patient and what was going on with that individual. At the best they were barely keeping him alive, and hopefully in some comfort.

She entered the room and saw Lieutenant Plumeri. "A very good early morning to you," she said noting the ship's chronograph on the wall.

Matt acknowledged her greeting with, "Is it morning already?" He looked at the ship's time and rubbed his eyes. "Oh geez!"

Still a little annoyed at being woken up early by the red alert and not having time to get any breakfast Mimi entered the conference room, she was going to have to manage herself a little carefully until she could get some breakfast. "Morning Commander." She said to Allyndra as she fetched a drink from the replicator, tea would have to keep her going for now.

"Good morning," Allyndra turned as she heard the Nekomi's voice.

Ryan was more than a bit curious as to the nature of the captains quick retreat from the bridge earlier. Having served in the intelligence side of Starfleet years ago he knew that something was amiss. "I guess we will find out sooner or later." He said to himself quietly as stepped into the conference room, and moved to get a cup of coffee from the replicator before turning to scan the room. He spotted one of his subordinates talking with Commander Warraquim and moved to exchange pleasantries. "Good Morning Commander, Ensign Mimi." Ryan said politely to the two ladies.

Ullswater wandered into the room still in a slight daze from the morning's previous events.Tired and still reeling from the revelation of the fate of the colonists she felt at her wits' end. From what she could see the other officers were in good spirits - swapping greetings and drinking coffee. She wished she had their same resolve, but she was no veteran officer and she didn't want to pretend right now. She took a seat at the table and waited.

Moments before the door opened again, Lieutenant Lake ir-Llantrisant was stood behind it, smoothing out his hair with the palms of his hands. Lake had been reluctant to give up his seat --as Executive Officer on the Bridge with a swagger-- and return to his position as Chief Counselor in the Conference Room with a rapidly cooling tea. Although his time as an acting-command officer had been brief, it had proven emotionally laborious. From one heartbeat to the next, Lake had been thrilled by the opportunities and yet terrified --deeply, deeply terrified-- for the responsibility he felt to the crew.

Once the doors opened, Lake circled the compartment. He shared a long look with Matthew of indeterminate meaning, a warm smile for Allyndra, a concerned look for Mimi, a professional nod for Ryan, and finally a thin smile for Ullswater. On his tour, Lake stopped by the replicator, too, for a fermented iced tea. He carried his drink over to his frequently-occupied seat, close to the Captain.

Nodding in greeting to Lake, Matthew slowly inhaled and then yawned the 'yawn of the dead'. The dead tired that is. He tapped his fingers on the table as if he had just played a musical scale on a piano keyboard and said, "Well, if I have to think at this staff meeting I am going to need a mug of wake-up juice. He had to walk by Ensign Ullswater on his way to the replicator and so he asked her on the way, "I am about to get a mug of coffee so strong light cannot escape it's surface - - want some?"

Ullswater plucked herself up a bit and half heartedly grinned towards Plumeri. "When have you ever seen me drink coffee Matt? Though if you're passing the replicator anyway I'll have a cup of tea." She wasn't entirely sure if the clearly tired lieutenant had just forgotten her preferred drink or if this was just another of his wind ups - she could never be sure with the officer who continued to refer to her as Ullsworth. It wasn't entirely unwelcome though, right now a bit of Matt's trademark levity was just what she needed.

He nodded, "You got it; one dunk & soak coming right up." The replicator first gave him a series of warnings on the coffee. Things like, 'That strength is not recommended' and 'this unit is not calibrated to produce harmful or fatal beverages'. Eventually, he and the machine reached a compromise with a Klingon raktajino. The tea was much easier to order; much less 'red tape' when order Ullsworth's tea. He stopped by her seat, delivered a steaming mug of a delightful Earl Grey with a slice of lemon saying, "Sophie? There you go."

He never got her name right but after months of long evenings spent in the science labs he now always got the tea right. Right down to the slice of lemon. "Thanks Matt, you are a dear." She said as she accepted the mug and turned back to the table to await whatever news the captain was bringing.

Amaranai was running late. She had not been able to sleep at all the night before. There was too much on her mind considering what they had experienced the previous day. Sleep finally overtook her with an hour before the meeting causing her to wake up later than the alarm she had set. Ready for whatever the meeting would hold, Amaranai entered the conference room and nodded to the others already gathered. She didn't see Lirha, so she knew she wasn't late just yet. She moved quickly and sat down at her seat, forcing a smile to the other officers. Amaranai could see that others were just as tired as she was. Were they thinking of the ramifications of what happened? Maybe Lirha would be able to better explain.

Yet she wasn't the last to squeeze her way into the quickly filling up conference room. Callin slid in sideways through the doors as soon as they were open just enough, and took a spot near the wall for just a moment. Breathing hard it looked like he'd run to get here, but his face was calm and curious while his black eyes scanned the crowd of assembled officers. There'd be time later he hoped to catch up with the faces he recognized on his return, to dig for some information for the moods he picked up on. Callin offered a slight grin and nod to a few as he grabbed on of the last seats: Mimi, Allyndra, Lake, but stayed quiet for the moment.

Galileo's captain finally arrived in the conference room due to last-minute personnel shuffling. She carried three PADDs in one hand with an additional one clipped to her belt, and now on her opposite hip, was her sidearm in its holster. The door swished open then she entered the crowded chamber taking notice of all the assembled officers. Lirha kept her eyes down and walked around to the head of the table where she laid her PADDs on the glass then looked up to those present.

"I apologize for the lack of transparency in advance," she started, "but we have encountered a new situation." Her light green eyes were severe and shifted across those of her fellow crewmates. "What I will soon tell you is classified by Starfleet, level ten command authorization only. None of you are to speak of this to anyone...anywhere, at any time, except to carry out your mission as I order. Do you understand?"

Now re-taking a seat at the table Matthew nodded 'Yes' to his Captain.

Ryan nodded in understanding. "Solid copy Ma'am." He said quietly in affirmation. His hunch had been correct and he was interested to see where this would go.

Sofie responded with a quick nod and the word "Captain." Whatever was going on here she was now even more sure that she wanted nothing to do with it.

Allyndra raised an eyebrow but took a seat. "Yes Captain, understood." She had taken the traditional seat of the medical officer opposite the captain.

"Understood, Captain," Lake said at roughly the same time as Allyndra. His eyes widened at Lirha's proclamation, and Lake shared a quick glance with Allyndra. His eyes silently asked, what could this mean?

Seeing that everyone was on the same page, Matt turned his attention back to the Captain.

Amaranai nodded. "Of course, captain," she said.

Callin had been watching each person's reaction as they replied with a sensation growing in his gut that wasn't very comfortable. No wonder, if such information was being shared outside the normal circles. It was ominous. "Aye, Captain," he couldn't help but keep his growing curiosity from his tone though, no matter the growing concerns too.

A small look of concern spread across Mimi's face, whatever it was they were about to discuss must be something extremely important if they were being sworn to secrecy. "Understood." She said after a few seconds.

With her officer corps' compliance, Lirha then pulled the PADD from her hip and synched it to the large widescreen monitor installed into the wall. After a couple taps on the small device, the mysterious double-helix symbol reappeared on the briefing room's screen. Saalm looked to everyone in the room. "By now you have all seen this icon. What do you know about Project Genesis?"

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

CAPT Hiroshi Tanakata
Commanding Officer
USS Trial
[PNPC Warraquim]

LTJG Matthew Plumeri
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

CMDR Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

ENS Mimi
Deputy Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

ENS Ryan Alexander
Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

ENS Sofie Ullswater
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

LT Lake ir-Llantrisant
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A

LT Amaranai Franklin
Deputy Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

ENS Callin Mastrel
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

ENS Mimi
Deputy Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

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