The Best Laid Plans

Posted on 27 Feb 2025 @ 3:23pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant JG Serran & Lieutenant JG Bellona Juventus & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Lieutenant JG Sofie Ullswater & Lieutenant JG Nusien & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor & Lieutenant JG Hovar Kov & Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeysa Zeror

3,518 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Episode 21 - Helix
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 1, Conference Room
Timeline: MD 01, 0801 hrs

[ON]

Galileo's small bridge-adjacent administrative chamber was currently occupied by the vessel's senior-most personnel. The red-collared captain and first officer currently sat at opposite ends of the long horizontal table with the heads of each department occupying the seats in between. Two large window ports lined the far wall which provided a view of the streaking stars while the starship traveled at warp, and meanwhile a large wall-mounted LCARS display accented the opposite bulkhead and displayed a slowly-rotating image of a foreign world. Gray utilitarian hues accented the carpet, chairs, walls and nearby replicator - everything except the eggshell-white tabletop they all surrounded.

Commander Morgan Tarin lightly circled her thumbnail with her index finger beneath the table before looking up from her PADD to all those assembled. "What do any of you know about our current destination, Enus V?" she asked, breaking the silence with a query to ascertain the level of knowledge her crew possessed of their objective planet.

Serran sat in his chair, fingers steepled in front of him. "It is an O-class planet, the land mass makes up 9.614% of the planet's diameter." he stated.

"Surface." It was a pedantic correction from the chief science officer but she quickly moved on, not wanting this to turn into a moment. "I know that we have a survey team stationed there. I imagine it's rough on them, more than twice Earth gravity at the surface. Sure you've got a nice gravity controlled habitat but," Ullswater grimaced at the though of it "the fieldwork must be terrible. Not the sort of place I'd want to be stationed long term."

"It cannot be anymore 'rough' than working in the vacuum of space, Lieutenant." Sera quipped, and then upon realizing what she had said aloud dipped her head slightly in a non-verbal gesture of apology. "Although purely speculative, perhaps the increased gravity is off-set by the upward force of buoyancy as long as the density of the planet's indigenous lifeforms is less than the water? It would appear that our planetary briefing is...light on such details." Although why Sera would comment on such a thing...she chewed on her lip slightly in consternation.

"If you go under the surface, the increased gravity will quickly increase the water pressure on any surface. Normal scuba like equipment will prevent you from going too deeply." Allyndra shrugged. "You won't be able to expand your lungs enough against the pressure."

Ullswater wanted to ignore Sera, wanted dearly not to have to think about anything she said, but she thought about it anyway. She directed her initial comment in Warraquim's direction to avoid having to directly look at the engineer. "We could get past some of these issues with pressurised suits, just like in a vacuum, but surely there would also be risk of hypoxia from continued exposure to high gravity. If we're planning on going down to the planet we'd have to mitigate against that. Again the reports we've been given are light on the details as to how the research team is operating. Maybe limit the time any individual spends down there."

Ullswater turned her attention to Lieutenant Nusien, the one who would eventually have to take responsibility for these decisions. "Do you have any thoughts, doctor?"

Nusien stroked his chin as he thought. "Hypoxia would be a danger and limiting exposure would be recommended. However, I have another idea. It is one that I would need Engineering's help with. Within Starfleet there are members of the Brikar. A species that is incapable of moving in normal Earth gravity. They use a special set of anklets that creates a micro gravity well around them. This enables them to move about starships. The specs for these anklets should be in the computer. I wonder if they can be adapted to allow for standard Earth gravity."

An unusual proposal. A subtle shift occurred in the Vulcan engineer's body which indicated deep concentration. "I will have to review the specifications to determine what the operational constraints of the anklets are...but it is a fascinating conjecture, Doctor Nusien." Her nimble fingertips began rapidly tapping on the small data padd she had in her possession inputting something onto the device.

"I can arrange water confidence refresher training for all involved. More if so requested." Bellona stated from her place at the table. "I believe the holodecks can support such scenarios with ease."

"Myself and Ensign Zalos could assist with that," Jeysa decided to add. "We're both proficient swimmers.

"You should maybe also prioritise emergency high gravity training Lieutenant. Perhaps you can coordinate with the doctor to work out some way of simulating the effects without giving us all brain damage." Sofie wanted to also comment on these micro-gravity devices. Share her thoughts on concerns about underwater operations or any number of other things that were already occurring to her. She couldn't stomach the thought of having to talk to the chief engineer though.

Hands dancing across the PADDs assembled in front of her, Ullswater pulled up the one with astronomical data. "If this is going to be a long term survey mission we might also want to sync the shipboard clock to the planetary rotation, start getting used to twenty-seven hour days."

"I would second that, captain," Allyndra added.

The senior commander's hazel eyes momentarily traveled up to the ceiling lighting while she rubbed her forehead with a new and all-too common sense of budding frustration. Science vessels. Already the senior officers were discussing detailed logistics even before she'd even had the opportunity to properly brief them. Part of her wanted to sit there and let them indulge themselves, but how long would that go on for? Hours? Tarin couldn't allow a waste of time of that magnitude. Mostly for her own sanity. "Stay on topic," she firmly ordered the group. "I asked about our objective planet's analysis, not survey preparations. Let's not put the cart before the horse."

"It's a fairly normal super-Earth with an iron core, wetter than most. That initial report from the survey team is sparse on details but it does mention a robust marine ecosystem and perhaps signs of intelligent life and an advanced society under the water's surface. It's not clear from what we've been provided what evidence there is for that conclusion or whether there has been any contact between the research team and the marine intelligence." If the last year had taught Sofie anything it was that the women in red always knew more than they were willing to tell. There was always a twist, a secret, a classified nugget. She was getting quite sick of it. "I don't suppose you have anything to add that didn't get included in the report, captain?"

Sera's attention shifted sharply to the Chief Science Officer. Lack of trust, holding something back. Impotence. Tone of voice...it did not match the subject matter of the statement. Incongruous. Contradiction? She tilted her head in the same manner a German shepherd would do upon hearing a crack of a tasty bone. Sofie was a fiesty little human.

Pseudo-perceptibly, Tarin's eyes narrowed at Ullswater. The normal neutral cadence of her voice briefly became laced with an aura of firm command presence directly in response to the senior scientist's deportment. "Of course I do. That's why we're here in this room, Number Two. What we're tasked to explore - how and where this objective's located - is important." She gestured to the entire table, "Your preliminary analysis is as good as the one that came across my desk but it's just that - preliminary. I want to know why we're being deployed. Why is this research facility that's been operating for over two years on the planet suddenly requesting the assistance of an entire starship...specifically a Nova-class? That answer didn't come in my operational briefing even after I asked, and Enus V was already scouted and initially surveyed before construction of the science habitat ever commenced. I've spent enough time as a strategic operations officer to recognize when something's changed, and that, Ullswater, is what we're here to figure out before we arrive."

Tarin folded her arms across her chest then inhaled before audibly exhaling through her lean nostrils. "I'll do the translation for everyone here: this isn't a traditional survey mission. Our orders are to arrive at Enus V then contact Enus Station for further tasking. I don't know what we're walking into but don't get any ideas this'll be an orthodox survey. We don't know what we don't know and its our job to fix that. Starting with the station itself."

Glancing down to her large silver PADD, the senior commander tapped the device's LCARS screen several times until a new image of a robust sub-aquatic structure appeared both on the small display as well as the wall-mounted monitor. "This is Enus Station. It was constructed underneath a major reef structure approximately 2,100 feet below the surface; roughly an eight-thousand square feet interior with multiple levels including habitation, research and observation cells. Three specialized support craft are listed in its complement along with two primary and one emergency transporter system. Storage provisions are designed to last 300 days for its 13 personnel. It's equipped with both thermal and optical camouflage to enable blind-style observation without detection."

Allyndra watched the interaction but kept her peace. Her attention shifted to the display of the station. She couldn't help herself. "You're not seriously considering turning the ship into a submarine are you?"

Tarin's ears prickled at the question while her hazel eyes snapped to the tall, winged first officer. "No. The Mark II line of Novas are rated for sub-aquatic expedition but I won't take this ship down unless all other options are exhausted. Transporter operations are our primary transport followed by shuttlecraft. If necessary."

There was always a twist, nothing was ever as it seemed. Ullswater had been prepared for something strange but this revelation in particular cut through to her core: the secretiveness that these scientists seemed to be operating under. It reminded her much too much of other things. Her manner changed rapidly, no longer a playful needling of the captain, her words were placed with a careful urgency. "Do you have a manifest? Details of the personnel at Enus Station?"

"Yes. Here they are," responded Tarin after several more taps against her PADD's touch interface. A slowly-scrolling personnel manifest containing the research facility's known occupants now presented itself on the large conference room monitor. "This is the most recent crew complement. It's a Starfleet Planetary Sciences Division operation down there so you'll notice a mix of civilian specialists and Starfleet personnel. Lieutenant Commander Abraham Downing III is the facility's executive. All of them are well-qualified individuals with significant operational experience in the life sciences. I didn't come across any initial personnel concerns when vetting their histories which makes me believe whatever's happening down there...is important."

As the list of names scrolled in front of her Ullswater found that she recognised none of them. "I don't know any of these names. I'd like to take a look at the personnel files myself as well. I think there could be ways of extracting some of the pieces of the puzzle from those." She left unsaid her intention to immediately cross reference their histories with those of Dr Barker's team. "For example, we could look at the research interests of the scientists. We've all read these reports, we know how vague they are. If we can identify an area that is particularly vague but for which they had a specialist on the team that would give an indication of things they are keeping to themselves. Aggregating these inconsistencies would give us some idea of the scope and shape of what's happening."

"Do it. And take Zeror, here, to assist you." Tarin locked eyes with the tall blond Trill yeoman in the corner of the room who was her ever-present companion. "If there's information you come across that neither of you can access, inform me."

“I don’t wish to be a third wheel,“ Delainey offered, "but if need be, I can offer my assistance in reviewing the backgrounds of the station personnel to see if anything stands out from my perspective, if you think it would be helpful.“

Naturally, Carlisle was as interested in the dynamics between the meeting’s participants as she was the information being presented about their mission. She was still trying to make sense of Tarin but so far it seemed as if the other woman was perpetually annoyed. The moment between the commanding officer and chief science officer didn’t escape her notice either, but she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Perhaps if she got the opportunity to interact with the senior science officer one on one, she could do a bit of recon on her own.

The blond counselor's offer of assistance was a welcome one which Tarin held no objections to. "The more eyes we have on this science team, the better," she nodded with approval to Carlisle. "I don't know about you but I'm not ready to run into anymore clandestine research unprepared for what we might find."

“I agree," Carlisle replied, with a simple nod. Turning her attention to the chief medical officer, she added, “I will, of course make myself available to also help medical as needed.“

"If this is not a normal survey, then I would recommend that security give some extra training and medical to be ready especially on compression, decompression problems." Allyndra added.

Tarin captured Warraquim's compound sapphire irises then gestured with an open hand to the first officer. "I concur. And I want you to oversee those operations during our transit. Use whatever resources we have at our disposal including the holodecks."

Allyndra nodded. "Aye, captain."

Sera raised a brow watching the back and forth amongst the table. It was going in all sorts of directions with no clear path forward in her mind. Perhaps it was the engineer in her, but currently she could not decipher what needed fixing.

"Apologies. What exactly is our objective with this mission, Commander Tarin? The information that has been provided for this briefing has been somewhat...insubstantial."

The red-collared captain stoically rested her hands in her lap then curtly shook her head to the chief engineer. Loosely curled strands of her shoulder-length brown hair bobbed across the sides of her cheeks. "Our orders are to report to Enus V and assist the research facility to further their survey efforts. We'll be working for them and that means our objective is dynamic; I don't know what they specifically need or why we were summoned, only that a Nova-class was requested and Galileo was deployed. We won't know what we're walking in to before we enter orbit." Tarin paused then surveyed the entire group of surrounding officers before addressing the group. "I know you all want more information but I don't have any right now. We have five days of transit to shape up and prepare for this."

The soft chirps of the captain's PADD echoed across the walls while her attention shifted to administering preparatory assignments. This was a smart crew - a seasoned and diligent one whose expertise and talents she intended to fully utilize. Following a half-minute of vocal silence, Tarin finally looked back up to cadre. "Nusien, Sera and Serran - get to work on these personal gravity-assistance devices. Juventus and Zeror - grab Ensign Zalos and start scheduling water and high-gravity training sessions for the crew during their off-hours. Ullswater, Carlisle and...Kov," Tarin glanced to the so-far-silent Klingon chaplain, "start your personnel review. Number One, lend a hand wherever we're short-staffed. Any questions before we dismiss?"

Ah yes. The expectation that the engineer will be able to recreate such a technological marvel and engineer it to perform within new operating parameters. Sera wondered when this particular expectation would be utilized. It was time to engage in the time-honored tradition of playing down one's talents. Managing expectations. It was called.

"Commander, I am...amenable to attempting this particular enterprise but I am not a subject matter expert on research and development." She looked over to Nusien and Serran and dipped her head...either in apology or in a non-specific 'what can one do?' kind of gesture even as part of her mind focused on the problem that had placed in their proverbial laps.

Serran's arms were folded over each other just above his waist. "I'm not a subject matter expert either. Nor am I an engineer. But, logic dictates that we have multiple sets of eyes on this project. I'm more of an intuitive thinker, but that might be an asset. I will give my aid as I can."

Nusien had already set his mind to adapting the devices. "I believe it can be done with relative ease. I will assist where I can. Before entering medical school I was an engineer." He was hopeful that his plan would be a success.

His comment, before the senior staff of the entire ship, made the chief engineering officer out to be inept at her duties. Sera's eyes perceptively narrowed. "A doctor and and engineer. Fascinating. Though, I find your word choice to be...curious. Believe: To accept something as true or real, even without proof. Since you believe it can be done with relative ease Doctor Nusien, I propose you take the engineering lead."

Nusien immediately knew that he had stepped somewhere he perhaps should not have. "Please forgive me Ensign it was not my intention to insinuate anything about your capabilities. I meant that with the three of us working together the task would be easier to accomplish. I would like to offer my deepest apologies." Nusien wished he had stayed in Sick Bay. It seemed he definitely got off on the wrong foot here.

Sera tilted her head slightly and dipped her chin in a soft nod, a Vulcan non-verbal gesture that was ambiguous at best. She caught herself before the silence carried on too long. "Very well. I do not hold any animus towards you. I concur that our odds of success will be improved with one another's expertise."

The Klingon chaplain was silent, and if he could, he would remain silent. His eyes stayed on the Captain, and the other officers who spoke in the briefing. Hovar found his contributions to the mission be lacking. He understood his orders, and he would of course provide any assistance he could. He was no scientist or engineer, and he was liable to blow things up instead of doing any good. He thought about what he could do as far as engaging in combat is concerned, knowing how to kill in the most efficient way possible. Running backgrounds and determining their fitness seemed a little much, however, he understood their reservations. Hovar's eyebrows were raised in curiosity as had his own reservations, one that has not come up yet. If it was not addressed already, then it was not a problem. Then again, if it was not addressed already, then it could be a problem. However, his eyebrows dropped, he looked away from the Captain, focusing on the table away from any particular person, pondering his own thoughts.

Allyndra waited. "This ship has some of the finest sensors in the entire fleet. As we get closer to the system and the planet, I am going to task science with obtaining as much information as possible. Orbit dynamics, biochemistry we can sense, currents, anything about the planet. Also, that doesn't mean we don't sweep for any unwanted signatures. Lieutenant Juventus, while you have good hand-to-hand knowledge, I would like you to work with ops and science to make sure that we don't have any surprises," Allyndra said.

The best laid plans were now put into motion to the best of their abilities... At least, that's what Tarin silently reiterated to herself. Though the sentiment had remained unspoken to the assembled officers, she too experienced apprehensiveness and an unsettling premonition that this survey-assistance assignment would become anything but standard. But this was ultimately why they were here - why Galileo had been deployed to this sector of space. To explore the unknown and make measurable what is not so.

"You're all dismissed. Get to it."

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

CMDR Allyndra illm Warraquim
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Serran
Operations Manager
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Bellona Juventus
Deputy Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Delainey Carlisle
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Sofie Ullswater
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Nusien
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

ENS S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Chief Engineer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Hovar Kov
Chaplain
USS Galileo-A

PO3 Jeysa Zeror
Yeoman
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

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