Precipice

Posted on Thu Aug 22, 2013 @ 8:13pm by Fleet Captain Rhea Kennit & Lieutenant Samantha Raylen & Lieutenant Commander Miguel Torres & Lieutenant Nicole Anderson

1,829 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: A Whole New World: Part 1 - Precipice
Location: USS Victory - Bridge
Timeline: 62536.36 {Tue, 04 Dec 2384 14:09}

[Captain's Ready Room]

Leaning back on the couch with her legs propped up comfortably crossed on the cushions, Captain Kennit was ostensibly studying a preliminary estimate on the safe observation limit range for the nebula whose rich blue and green clouds of dust, hydrogen, helium and methane which comprised the main elements within the vast nebula where their destination lay actually within the thin, wispy outer edges of the massive, dense galactic object. The nebula was huge, and was one of the few already named objects on their navigational charts. The Deluvia Nova, and it was considerably larger than first believed. They had not expected to encouter dust and gas from the nebula so soon, yet already their sensors and deflector shields were detecting dust and gas as the Victory closed on their first official destination.. a star system now designated 'Theta Rasii' on the charts.

Instead of reviewing the report with the attention it warranted (which granted at the moment wasn't really that high a priority due to their overall current distance from the truly dangerously high bands of radiation within the nebula itself), she was looking out the viewport watching in some wonder as blue, green and even golden colored static energy discharges flashed and flickered every so often along the invisible energy shields which surrounded the Victory to protect the ship from impacts with dust, micro-meteroids..and other natural phenomena of space which could potentially pose a threat to the ship's hull were it not for that invisible band of energy which pushed those tiny bits of matter away as the ship moved through space.

The static discharge was unusual.. extremely so! She'd heard of it happening but had never.. never .. witnessed it for herself.

She had the computer currently recording the display, not so much for any scientific reason but instead, just for the sheer aestetic beauty of it. Incredible colors, fading and changing through a range of colors even reds, purples and orange..

It did make her wonder what it would look like later, with the ship closer to the nebula in the more dense bands of gas and dust..

As her career had started out in sciences, traveling through nebulae was not something new. She'd never seen this kind of reaction though.. and the scientist in her knew without question she could likely spend years here quite content to study the unusual properties of the massive nebula's structure.

The chime of the comm system interupted her thoughts, Lt. JG Chell calling her to the Bridge. The Victory was entering standard sensor range of Theta Rasii and it was time for her Commanding Officer to stop daydreaming and puzzling over pleasant questions.. and get to work!


[Bridge]

The soft whoosh of the Ready Room doors opening announced the Captain's return to the Bridge. As she walked towards the center seat, she said "What's our status?"

Lt. JG Villa answered, "On course to Theta Rasii, ETA 4 hours at current speed. We are encountering unexpectedly high levels of dust and gas, and the sensors are detecting gravitational eddies caused by the nebula which have created a little disruption to our navigation systems but we were able to compensate without issue."

Kennit nodded, "Very good. Keep an eye on that and let me know if it gets worse.."

"Aye Captain.." Villa answered.

As she took her seat, she noted that the XO wasn't present on the bridge and wondered where he was. "Put up the sensor data on the Theta Rasii system for me.." Kennit asked.

"Aye ma'am.."

A moment, then the viewscreen changed to show a standard navigational system display of the star system they now approached. Six planets, three of which were Class C with no atmosphere and inactive cores. Two were Class D, borderline at that and perhaps better described as astonishingly large asteroids.. and one was Class G. Fourth in orbital progression, the class G world was estimated to be approximately 5 billion years old. It's atmosphere was a breathable mix of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen, with 1% methane which meant the planet surface likedly reeked of rotten eggs. Lovely world, with simple lifeforms consistant with insects, smaller reptilian life and aquatic life detected in it's oceans.

Oddly enough, though Class G worlds were not typically considered to be capable of hosting more advanced life forms, there was clear evidence of structures on the surface too regular and uniform in shape and layout to be natural in orgin. There were no energy readings however from the surface, nor transmissions of any sort detected across the communication band spectrum.

And most intriguing of all..

There was something orbiting the planet in a geosynchronous orbit above the planetary equator. And here.. there were very low levels of energy being detected. No life signs, just a large object 550 meters in length, with an estimated mass of 3 million metric tons.

Whatever it was.. it was BIG.

OOC: This is a general image of what is in orbit though it is inactive and inert. Only the barest level of energy / power and it is damaged. Not sure the tag for the image will work, if not I'll send out another note linking to it that way.




After confirming that little bit of information, the Captain didn't even hesitate. "XO to the Bridge!"

Then, "Senior staff to the Bridge!" she ordered via the ship's comm system.

A few minutes after she the Captain had summoned the senior staff to the bridge Miguel exited the lift. Since they had discovered the nebula and it's uniqueness he had been studying the sensor data. They were going to have some interesting times ahead. He was trying to anticipate what dangers the radiation would have to the ship's systems so he could prepare proper counter measures. So far everything he could think of was going to hamper the ship's systems in some way.

A minute later the lift opened again and Nicole stepped out, black bag in hand. She nodded to the Captain and threaded her way past the crew on duty to the life sciences console, establishing a remote link to Sickbay, and beginning her own scans of the vessel in front of them.

Nodding to each officer as they arrived, the Captain gave Torres and Doctor Anderson both a quick acknowledgement as they arrived and then turned back to the task at hand. "Lt. Maz, slow our approach. Hail that ship.. if its a ship.. standard greetings on all frequencies.."

Alec came onto the bridge and nodded pleasantly to Miguel. seeing the CMO, he smiled at her remembering their conversation in the holodeck. It still brought a smile to his face that an the fact she was doing her level best to ignore him at almost any cost.

Nicole, for her part, tried not to blush and turned back to her monitors, keeping her ears open.

He came to stand beside Rhea, his eyes on the view screen. He let out a low whistle. (Maybe the doctor wouldn't think he was whistling at her) "Big sucker. Have we got any readings on it?"

She nodded towards Operations, where Chell put the sensor data up on the left side of the screen. "Doesn't look like there's anyone aboard. No life signs.. doesn't even show an atmosphere. Hull damage, she's open to space."

"What's her hull made off?" He mused half to himself. "An away mission?" He asked hopefully. "No little brothers or sisters in the area I take it?"

Looking at the display, Kennit said "Hull composition is unrecognized.. may need to obtain a sample for analysis..and yes.. I think an away mission is definitely warranted once we've confirmed that ship is a derelict and there's no one home.." She turned, "Any response to our hails?"

"Negative Captain," came the response after a moment. "If there's anyone there, either they don't hear us or they're not answering."

"Still no life signs.." she said, looking once more at the display. "Mr. Maz, move us closer please so we can make a full range sensor scan of that ship and it's interior.."

"Aye, Captain." Cael Maz stated as he tapped on the consoled and moved the ship within 150 AU of the vessel.

Looking at Alec then, she said "Start thinking about an away team. There's no atmosphere so you'll need to wear EVA suits.."


He nodded, "Oh joy the EVA suits. Still it beats suffocating. How small do you want the away team?" Even a she began to think on who were potential candidates.

"You'll want security, as well as medical and science to take a look and see if there's any information left aboard that ship that might give us an idea who built it.. " the Captain answered. "Someone from engineering would be a good idea as well.."

"I said small. However thank you for filling it out for me. It's greatly appreciated. How about a compromise, I'll take the Doc and Miguel and we'll go armed. Easier to keep track of three than five." He pointed out.

"Take Mr. Volos as well.." she replied. "Have him carry a recording device to send back images of the interior of that ship. Mr. Yarin can monitor the data from here while continuing to run sensor sweeps at the same time.."

"Okay," He agreed easily, conceding the point. "Four is more of a compromise than three."

Nicole grabbed her bag and swung around in her chair. "I can be ready in ten," she said.

"Did I hear someone call my name?" Yarin asked as he walked out of the turbolift and took his station.

"You did.." the Captain answered. "I need to know everything our sensors can find about that wreck out there.. starting with a deck layout schematic for Commander Hunter and the away team to use to find their way around inside.."

"Aye Ma'am." Yarin said

After listening to the initial report from the sensors, and looking at the images being displayed on the view screen the Captain cast a wry smile towards her XO. "I think I'm going to add that fifth member to the away team after all.. I want a security officer present. Since I don't see our Chief of Security here," she added, her tone of voice carrying a note of irritation that Bishop had not responded to the call for senior officers to report to the Bridge, "Take Ens. Kincaide with you. Kincaide, call for a relief and then go prepare for the away mission.." she added.

Kincaide nodded once, "Aye Captain.." he said with a quick glance to the XO before he did as ordered, requested a relief to take his place and then headed to get ready for the away mission.

"I'll see you in the transporter room," Nicole said, not quite meeting the XO's eyes as she walked past and into the turbolift.

 

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