Arrival

Posted on Fri Mar 24th, 2017 @ 3:40am by Captain Daniel Westphalen & Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn & Lieutenant Azusa Nakano & Lieutenant Trei Jansum & Captain Ka'Tock & Lieutenant JG Djeneba Nastari

2,025 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Taking Wing
Location: Naldaya System
Timeline: After Briefing

The Aurora snapped out of warp speed, decelerating smoothly as it passed the heliopause and officially entered the system.

"Report," Daniel said from his perch in the command chair. The new operations duty officer, Ensign Iona, looked down at her console, entered a few commands, and spoke.

"Sensors confirm a lifeform whose biological makeup matches that of the ones you contacted in the stellar nursery is present at the Naldaya star. The star's mass has been reduced by .01% of previous stellar survey records."

Daniel stood. "It's eating."

Ka'Tock came onto the bridge, his hands behind his back to give a more passive demeanor as he looked at the screen as he moved down to the Captain's chair. He glanced at the Helm Officer and the helm controls for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Greetings Captain." Ka'Tock looked at the read outs. "I thought I would see what we are getting into Sir?" He knew the Captain might know that obswerving the crew for his fitness reports.

Amber walked onto the bridge and took over the science station. Right now, she was more interested in the entity and how to save both it and the inhabitants and science was the place to find the answers. She quickly logged in and began to look over the data from the scans.

Daniel's eyes followed Amber to the science station, but his words were for Ka'Tock. "Of course, Counselor. Currently, a spaceborne lifeform is having a bit of a nosh on an occupied planet's star. And we're here to talk it into seeking a meal elsewhere."

Then he addressed the executive officer. "Commander Quinn, any insights?"

Ka'Tock had to admit this whole 'science' angle of the ship rather than the 'Less Scientific' missions of a Prometheus class is refreshing. There are other questions he had naturally but his focus was more on the crew at their stations and how they worked? His first efficiency reports would not write itself so Ka'Tock just tried to get a vantage of the crew 'from the Captain's angle' and being beside the command chair kept him out of the way as well as the observations he needed. He kept quiet and just observed with his stance at a 'Parade Rest' despite his curiosity to get a better look at the Helm station.

Amber looked at Daniel for a long moment, then glanced away. It was still painful to look at him. In time, she knew, it would get easier. "The data matches what we already have on the entity. At this point, I recommend we initiate contact and see if we can talk to it and find out what's going on. It feels like there's something missing, but I don't know what."

Trei was at his station, going over the weapons systems, making sure the computer was working, triple checking the shields because he's heard the entity could suck the ship dry in a matter of days. He looked over at the Klingon and nodded. He saw the teal collar and figured him to be a doctor, rather than a counselor, because he never heard of a Klingon counselor, save one that his cousin knew. After a quick nod and smile he returned his attention to his console.

Ka'Tock returned the nod; The Security Chief had a social manner; it was good to know the person's first impression was friendly rather than aggressive, most Security types see a Klingon as a Warrior looking for combat. It was refreshing to not have that sterotype at the beginning.

Returning his gaze to his observation of the crew in action.

"The shields are going to be our vocal chords for this," Daniel continued speaking to the executive officer, missing entirely Ka'Tock and Jansum's exchange. Instead, he was a million light years away, recalling an operations officer who riffed and came up with the solution to this problem a few years prior. "Hopefully Lieutenant Nakano was able to modify the shields in a manner that will make this easier to control."

"I have all the information we need to attempt communication," Amber assured him. She got a brief image of the person the Captain was remembering--a throwback to the relationship they'd once had. It had been Amber's idea to use musical tones as a means of communication. She'd worked with Operations to implement it. She hadn't pressed the issue then that it had been her idea. She wasn't going to mention it now.

She didn't have to. The moment wound back and he nodded. "I know you've got this, Amber," he said, truthfully.

He turned back to the helm. "Helm, ahead half. Let's get as close to the lifeform as possible before attempting communication."

"Are we aware of the entities 'Personal Space?" Ka'Tock observed. "If we have what we need to communicate we might want to make sure not to violate that space?"

Daniel spared Ka'Tock an impressed glance. "That's valuable insight. Helm, get us to the edge of emissions range. Let the lifeform settle on a conversational distance. Amber, broadcast when ready."

"Sending the shield controls, Commander," Jansum said.

Amber nodded in acknowledgement.

"Captain," Ka'Tock had a thought. "We might also think about how hungry the thing is , if this is desperation it will be harder to offer it another target elsewhere? Also if it is in more of a 'Must Eat' ; like any entity for survival, it might be like poking a human dog at it's food dish? There might be some growling?"

"We've communicated with the entity before," Amber said. "It can be reasoned with. As long as we have reasonable answers."

The conversation was interrupted by rumbling as the Aurora crossed into gravitational eddies - this wasn't something that the first entities caused. The inertial dampeners compensated after a moment, though the viewscreen still rattled. Daniel raised an eyebrow and offered, "Helm, slow to one-third. Better we ride the wave than shake the ship apart."

The helmsman responded, pressing at controls on the central console. He frowned, tried again, and said, "Sir, helm controls not responding."

"Yellow alert!" Amber said. "Engineering, report."

Trei frowned at the commander. "Ma'am, if you're going to talk to it, now might be a good time, before it gets curious."

"We're too far away," Amber said. "But thank you, Lieutenant."

Daniel watched the viewscreen as the Aurora continued forward, uncontrolled. "Are internal communications down? Someone, report!"

Amber tapped on her comm panel. "Comms appear to be down, sir."

"On it," Iona said, quickly running a diagnostic. She began to reroute communications so they could have something until repairs could be made.

On screen, the creature wheeled out of the corona of the star and began a lazy turn in the Aurora's direction. Warning klaxons started from the tactical console as the Aurora approached the star, still unabated.

Amber smiled at the Chief Security Officer. "Now it's time to make contact," she said, pulling up the program.

When everything was set up, Amber turned to the Operations officer. "Ready?" she asked.

"Deflector dish is ready," Iona said. "You can start communicating with the entity."

Amber nodded and began to send a series of musical notes through the program to say hello.

Trei studied his console, intent on making sure that the Aurora stayed out of danger. "We should back off the star a bit, with the shields being used for communication. No sense trying to talk to it if we burn up in the process."

Ka'Tock was paying attention more to the helm officer as the subtle movements told Ka'Tock a bit more of the ship's condition and course from the attitude and lateral corrections that the pilot was making to the ship, or at least trying.

The helmsman banged on the console. "I can't change our heading. It's like we're caught in a tractor beam or a gravitational flux."

"Options?" Daniel looked at the assembled officers.

"Scan to see what is pulling us," Amber suggested. "That will determine if we can pull away or not."

A strange whine began very softly, then grew to an ear-piercing screech, then suddenly went silent.

"Engineering to bridge. Whatever has got a hold of us is messing with our power systems" Azusa reported from the engine room as she ran around trying to find out what was going on with half of the ships systems.

Amber scanned to see if she could find an external cause for their troubles. "Whatever the cause, it's not the entity," she said.

"Alright," Daniel stood, moving close to the helm. "We're getting too close to the sun, we're not under power. Iona, clear decks 3, 4, and 7's port compartments and manually override the portside docking airlocks. Cycle them open. If helm can't get us pointed starboard, then maybe the force of blowing out four airlocks on that axis will."

"Yes, sir," Iona said.

Amber sent an order to lock down the affected science labs so none of the experiments would be affected. It shouldn't take more than a few seconds to do that as the crew evacuated the deck. The last thing she wanted was an experiment failing critically with everything else going wrong.

Djeneba had arrived to the door to her quarters when the command came to clear some of the decks. "Attention all hands clear decks three, four and report to alternate duty locations." Djeneba turned around and headed from the direction she came. The turbo lift was near capacity when she arrived. She had studied much of the nova's schematics and knew that science was on deck four. "Bridge please" she said softly but loud enough to be heard. The doors swished shut and off they moved. Soon after the door swished open and she stepped off this was not exactly how she wanted to report for duty but it would do. She stood to one side at attention and waited.

Amber heard the turbolift doors open and turned to see who had come onto the bridge. "Can I help you?" she asked the newcomer.

"Doesn't matter," Daniel said, grabbing onto the back of his command chair. "Brace for maneuvering." He nodded to Iona and the ship shuddered as the three largest airlocks on the ship's port side blew open, angling the Aurora a few precious degrees starboard.

The viewscreen showed the Neldaya star shifting offscreen to the left, as well as the lifeform. Though Iona was quick to chime in. "The entity's returning to the star. It's not approaching us anymore."

"Fantastic," Sarcasm from Daniel was rare, and an ugly thing. "Bridge to Engineering. Kindly cut power to the impulse engines. I'd like you to investigate the source of that helm failure. This is top priority."

He turned to Amber. "Kindly assemble an away team to head to the planet in the Waverider. Perhaps the science team has some sort of information, and with the Aurora stricken like this, I don't want to wait for answers."

"Lieutenant jg Djeneba Nastari, reporting for duty." She replied as she glanced at the woman who had addressed her and the taller man who must be the Captain.

"Welcome aboard," Amber replied. "Your timing is impeccable."

Then she turned to Daniel. "yes, sir. I'll get right on it." Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer than it should, but she couldn't help herself. "Lieutenants Jansum and K'Tock, you're with me."

As she passed the newcomer she paused. "Science?" she asked.

Djeneba nodded and replied "Yes, Ma'am"

"You, too. I can use another science officer," Amber said to the woman. Then she left the bridge to grab her bag.

Djeneba turned to follow the other woman.

Daniel's eyes stayed on the screen, letting the bridge officers tasked with the away mission head for the turbolift behind him. His arms crossed, his brow furrowed, and the normally genial and friendly captain of the Aurora watched the viewscreen in taciturn silence.



Captain Daniel Westphalen
Commanding Officer
USS Aurora

Lieutenant Commander Amber Quinn
Executive Officer
USS Aurora

Lieutenant Trei Jansum
Chief of Security/Tactical
USS Aurora

Lieutenant Azusa Nakano
Chief Engineer
USS Aurora

Lieutenant jg Djeneba Nastari
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Aurora

Lieutenant Ka'Tock
Chief Counselor
USS Aurora

RSS Feed