Plot a course

Posted on Mon Nov 27th, 2023 @ 3:13am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Kyle Reece & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant Thor Magnus & Lieutenant Commander Rin & Consul Andrinn Orin & Lieutenant N'vok Holv & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Teevs Dosivi & Lieutenant Alice Jordan ( Barclay de Tolly )

Mission: Season 6: Episode 4: Memory Lane
Location: Astrometrics
Timeline: 15h00
3502 words - 7 OF Standard Post Measure

As per the Commodore's orders, the senior staff gathered in Astrometrics with their guide at 15h00. They had to plot a course.

Kyle entered the map chamber, casting his eyes up to the large, curved map, which showed the region of space that they were in, with the current magnification seeming to show approximately twenty-six light years in every direction.

"Large, isn't it?" Gary inquired stepping out of the shadows to face Kyle. "However, there may be a shortcut through."

"It's not large." Miraj was sitting on the floor, under the map, staring up at it with the slightly strained expression her more rigid orbital ridges allowed for frowning, as she looked at the mapped systems. "But at Warp 4, its not a short trip either. If we go all the way round, its looking at 8 to 9 months. Long enough I'd consider hitching up tow lines to the runabouts."

Orin walked into Astrometrics with a few PADDs within his arms. The first thing that he noticed when he walked into Astrometrics, Orin's mouth was open and he said, "Well, this is an interesting little place, isn't it? Is this a system that we're coming up on or something?"

Following shortly after Orin was Teevs, and he stared at the map with some hesitation. Two things currently had him on edge: the first was the fact that they were so close to Thaih'ean space; and the second was that, should they dare cross the border, they would be going into only half-charted territory. "Several systems, Mister Orin," he responded. "And interesting is... not quite the word I would use for this area of space."

Naxea stood in the corner as she studied the star systems. There were several areas she didn't like--they were perfect spots to ambush a vessel passing nearby. "So long as we steer clear of Sectors J-5, B-10, and H-12. Those are prime spots for an ambush."

Thor placed his right over his eye as he had a sense of deja vu all over again. “Long range scan is up and operational but keep in mind, the bad guys could have cloaking technology as well. Refresh my memory, does the Intel indicate they do?”

"To the best of Mr. Dosivi's knowledge, they do not have cloaking technology, although other aspects of their tech may be at least equivalent to ours," Rin replied. "He also shared that they would likely bring in additional ships to challenge something as large as us. That means we have the benefit of time while the organize. On the other hand, I imagine that even if we make it out of their territory before they are ready, they will probably continue to pursue us. They only respect borders when it suits them."

Alicia had sat quietly listening trying to focus on what was at hand, the nightmares certainly weren’t helping she was barely getting a night’s sleep. “The nightmares that are flooding the ship aren’t helping matters any, people are fast being pushed to the point of exhaustion.”

"A few of us have been working on making sure that the flesh and blood crewmembers, as well as the ship itself, are up to peak performance. I'm still looking into the History of various species myself to see if there's anything that they might be able to tell us about these nightmares or how to stop them. But, nothing quite yet," Orin said as he heard Alicia talking about the nightmares.

The doors slid open as the ship md appeared. He had a tired look on his face as he gave a "morning all."

Alicia gave her father a weary smile. “Good morning, you look as tired as I feel.” She paused remembering something. “Ohh Commodore..” She looked towards Phoenix, “I almost forgot...there seems to be a small group of people who appear to be immune to these nightmares, either that or they just haven’t experienced any as yet.”

"Well they are lucky" Came Phee's dry reply. "They are not fun to have."

N'vok stepped forward from the wall where he had been studying the problem. "They will not need cloaking technology to ambush us; according to our information they have drives that produce FTL speeds orders of magnitude faster than our ship even when she is at full capacity," says the Science Officer. "By the time we detect their approach, they will be upon us, and we cannot hope to outrun such speeds."

Rin nodded. "There can be many variables affecting their use of such speed, but I agree..." she shook her head slightly and blinked, trying to drive the fog from her brain. She was so tired. "...we should expect them to have the capacity to easily overtake us."

"Well, beyond the transport inhibitors that the crew have been working with, have we found anything else to stop the crew from being taken or to help repel any of the invaders from coming onboard?" Orin asked curiously.

"Yes, Security and the Marines," Naxea replied bluntly with crossed arms. The lack of sleep was making her irritable and impatient. "All crew will have transport inhibitors in addition to ones placed about the ship. Using this setup, we will funnel any boarding troops into areas we designate and as humans say, it will be like shooting fish in a barrel."

Orin looked over at Colonel Naxea and said, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean any offense. I was just trying to see if there had been any advances on the technological front to make sure that you, the marines, and the rest of the security teams wouldn't have to fight any invaders. Or, at the very least, the fewest possible."

Orin let out a soft sigh, equally as exhausted as several of the people in the room. He just wanted to find peace, as was predominantly within his own job title. Orin was over 300 years old and was tired of fighting, but saw it several times over in his lifetime.

"Lieutenant Derani, which course do you suggest?" Phoenix asked the Chief of Flight Control.

Miraj craned her neck. the spot she was frowning at earlier getting a good glare. "I think we have a small problem. We are here -" she held her finger about three fingers back from the edge of the map, and we want to be here - " she reached and held a finger out so it plotted a line that cut across the very edge of space. "Problem is this looks like gravitational lensing," She waggled her fingers inside the edge of the projection, roughly half way between where her two fingers had been. "And I bet what's causing it would be right in our way if we try and go around."

She squirmed, shifting underneath the projection to look at the space from a slightly different angle, her eyes roving throughout the sphere. "So we'd have to either go under, which would take about nine months, or we can go further in before heading out. dodging whatever is causing the lensing, and getting us through in about 3 weeks. Downside is there'd be no arguing we accidentally misjudged the border. We'd be well over it."

"Well, three weeks are better than nine months" Phoenix said calmly. "And its 3 weeks of hiding. A lot better." She looked at the senior staff. "Does three weeks sound better to everyone?"

Alicia looked at Phoenix, “If it gets us away from here, and these damn nightmares any sooner then it sounds good to me....but how big a risk are we willing to take?”

Rin stared at the project for several long moments, well either at it or through it. She seemed almost glassy eyed. "What is the hurry?" she asked, frowning at the map. "I know we all want to get home, but whether we travel 3 weeks or 9 months, as long as we're going *any* sort of conventional warp speed, we aren't getting appreciably nearer to our goal. What does this risk *actually* gain us?"

Kyle spoke up, nodding. "I agree with Lieutenant Rin. Commodore, with all due respect Ma'am, I feel that entering the Thaih'ea territory poses too much of a risk. If the Elysium was a warship, it would be one thing. However, strong as she may be, she is all alone out here, and we have families and children aboard." He thought of his sister-in-law and beautiful little niece, as well as his own children. "While getting home is the main priority, keeping them as safe as possible during that journey is even more so. Ma'am." He clenched his jaw, hating that he was speaking against what his CO was considering doing. However, as Chief of both Tactical and Security departments, it was his job to keep the ship, and those aboard her, as she as possible.

"I understand your points, both of you." Phoenix said softly, "But I fear the longer we are in their territory, the more chance they will have to find us, to try and take more of us."

Kyle nodded once. Though he disagreed with what the Commodore was choosing to do, he would do his job, part if which was supporting her leadership. He would make a note of his misgivings in his log later.

"My question, ma'am, is why are we going in at all?" Rin said a little more insistently.

"look it is not my first choice Lieutenant Rin," Phoenix said softly. "But if this race has Transgalactic technology, and we can get a peak or any sort of information, it might help us get home sooner."

"Then why are we hiding?" Rin asked. "We're finding the shortest way through their territory, under cloak. We've all been injected with transport inhibitors, which is a fine plan as far as protecting us from kidnapping, but it really hampers any attempt at getting onto their ships. We are preparing for the exact opposite of studying their technology."

Rin took a long breath. Her chest was tight. The atmosphere was smothering in here. And she was so tired. She had been plagued by dreams for days, dreams similar to her usual nightmares except more vivid. Nightmares of fleeing in panic, of being dragged away, of being pushed into a line to await further conversion, no longer in control of her own body but still aware of everything happening to it.

"People are terrified," Rin continued. "Our *only* source of intel has clearly and repeatedly expressed the folly of even entering their territory. People have been *herded* into sickbay, some of them literally kicking and screaming when all they needed was a bit of empathy. And everyone knows what this scenario sounds like. Some have said it. Some have just refused to look at me for the last several hours, because I'm a reminder of what they're fearing: being dragged off by a clearly superior power we know nothing about, subjected to unimaginable torments."

Another breath. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Hell of a time to get emotional. Emotions could be a rush for Rin, even when they were negative. But right now the overwhelming emotion was fear, fear for herself and fear for every person on this ship, every member of her adopted collective, which at this moment was in disarray. Collectives don't function when in disarray. Ever. Fear wasn't something she normally felt, which just underscored the direness of the situation.

"As your Chief of Intelligence..." Another breath. Damn, her chest hurt. "I am telling you we are not ready for this."

Sthilg noticed Rin rather odd behaviour. Changing his artificial arm into it's scanner mode. " Rin pleassse take a ssseat." he said calmly as he picked up one of the chairs and placed it behind the former borg. "How much sssleep have you getten over the passst few daysss?" he added.

Alicia answered that one. “If it’s anything like the rest of those I’ve spoken to...not much.” She stifled a yawn. “It’s getting to the point where we’re starting to fear going to sleep.” She gave Rin an understanding look.

" Jussst sssit down and breath in ssslowly." The gorn said to the exoborg doing his best to hide the look of panic his eyes showed at the scans results. Turning to the captain his grave look still plastred on his face. " Ma'am the crew can't keep going like thisss. They need an undisturbed sssleep."

Rin ignored the chair as she stood with her arms propping herself up on the console in front of her. She did, however, drop her head down, close her eyes and try to regulate her breathing as the doctor asked.

"My regen cycle keeps being interrupted, she said quietly to Sthilg, not really wanting to announce medical history to all assembled. "Doesn't mean I can't do my job. I worked with less on the ice world. This isn't a medical issue. This is cold, hard facts."

" Rin." Sthilg said as he lent over to whisper into her ear. " Sssit down. Your blood pressssure is through the roof. I do not want to have to russsh you down to sssickbay."

"Look, everyone started getting the bad dreams when we got close to these guys," Miraj said. "And we aren't even in their space yet. The choice is really spending 9 months all feeling like ten miles of bad road; getting close to the unknown space wedgie thats likely to break our warp speed completely, judging from that lensing; or I get us through inside their borders, in three weeks, nice and smooth. Cause if you think we aren't ready now, imagine what its going to be like after a month of this? let alone nine."

Kyle took a breath and rubbed his face with his right hand. While he was no stranger to exhaustion, the constant nightmares that he had been having over the past several nights were starting to take their toll. While he hadn't lashed out yet, he could feel his control beginning to erode. "While I'd hate to backtrack....perhaps that is exactly what we should do, until we determine to cause of these fucking nightmares!" He growled the last bit, his powerfully-built frame practically vibrating with growing rage.

Phoenix studied the command team, this was not good. Rin was normally the composed one, and Reece was getting agitated. "Avalon" She called out, she had a question for the computer AI.

The AI appeared. "Yes Commodore"

"Avalon, when did the nightmares start for the crew?"

"Based on my information, while there are those, like Lieutenant McBride-Reece and her Niece who have nightmares consistently, the Nightmares became prevalent 2 nights ago. When we were 2 days or so distant from the beacon."

"2 days backtrack to take us possibly out of range of the nightmares, and then we would have to find another way. Mr Dosivi, do the Thaih'ea chase ships outside their space?"

Rin's basic diagnostics told her the same thing Sthilg was reporting. As much as she hated any appearance of "giving in" to whatever was going on, falling over unconscious would hardly be an improvement. She strongly considered excusing herself entirely from the meeting. She felt like she just might be able to "cry it out," as Gary had recently suggested. But she had a job to do. So she nodded slightly in acquiescence and landed herself in the offered chair, listening to what was unfolding now.

Teevs barely knew Rin, and he felt awkward witnessing her reaction, but he also couldn't blame her. He was also tired, afraid, and if he had a say in the matter, he'd encourage these people to take the excessive detour. He turned to Phoenix, the question carrying a hint of... hope, perhaps, for a good outcome. "They can," he answered. He looked at the map again, silently hoping to miss an expression of disappointment because of his words. "If they decide that your crew is worthy of enslavement, and you run, they'll come after you as if you've stolen their property." The words felt disgusting even as he said them, but he couldn't think of another way to phrase it.

"Avalon," asked N'vok. "Please itemize all changes to the ship as of forty-eight to seventy-two hours ago. Arrivals, damage, anything that is different from the period from before the widespread occurrences of the nightmares." He knew he was missing something, but what was it?

The AI tilted its head. "Minor sonic emanations from within Science. Fluxations in the warp core, second tier." the AI responded. "A replicator went crazy in a mess hall. Holodeck 3 went off line for 2 hours."

"Lieutenant Rin brought an artifact on board from an abandoned station," said N'vok. "How does its arrival map to the increasing frequency of nightmares "

"The device went dormant when it was brought on board. It seems to have reactivated around the same time the nightmares started amongst the crew."

Teevs looked at the AI, his features conveying interest in this device. "A device?" Glancing toward Phoenix's direction, he added, "would I be permitted to see this device? I can't guarantee any knowledge I may have about it, but I might be able to tell where it came from. Some species have very characteristic technology."

"You may, but then i want it off my ship." Phoenix said. "It may or may not be part of the nightmares but we are not taking any chances."

Thor was in Astrometrics as he thought about the previous night in his quarters from watching the new baby. He fell asleep rocking the baby. Athena placed the child in the newly replicated crib. Thor was sleeping peacefully when all of a sudden an old dream reoccurred of when a previous ship he had been on had be captured where he and several members of the crew had been forced to participate in gladiator games. One of the other engineers Lt. Francois Binoche was not so lucky. Plus other crew members as well. The counselor months later diagnosed what Thor was suffering from was survivor’s guilt or syndrome.

Lt. Alice Jordan could tell Thor had his mojo off. “Sir, you need to see a counselor. I sense something is bothering you and it is not the job.”

“I agree,” Thor replied.

Phoenix gave the lieutenant a look. "This is meant to be senior staff only Lieutenant Magnus. Your... crewmember needs to leave."

Alice who had came quietly to give Thor a report, left quietly.

Sitting under the projection Miraj tried not to roll her eyes. As far as was concerned, there were already twice as many people in the room as needed. "Look." she huffed, tone unusually short. "We can go through, its shorter, we might get an eyeball of their trans warp tech, or something. Or we can go round the long way, which doesn't actually put us at less risk, based on what Teevs said, because we'll still be in sensor range, and their border sounds like their convenient excuse and not a safe place we can hide behind. I-" she clamped the rest of that sentence - do not give a fuck - behind her teeth. "Ma'am, its your decision."

Phoenix gave the Flight Controller a smile. "Yes, it is I guess at the end of the day." She looked around "We will hold our position until 02h00, then I want the cloak engaged and we will take the shortest route though their space. Lieutenant Derani, You are off duty from now until 0130. Get some sleep. Lieutenant N'Vok, Show our guest that device then get it off my ship."

"Ma'am," Miraj crawled out from under the projection, and dusted herself off before nodding to Captain Taylor and following orders back to her cabin.

"Commodore, if the device is behind the nightmares it may provide valuable insight into the technology of these aliens," said N'vok. "Please let us in science have a chance to analyze it and see if we can seal off any detrimental effects, if it is indeed the source of the nightmares, before discarding it."

Phoenix shook her head. "No. It is to be jettisoned. Is that understood, Lieutenant?"

"As you wish, Commodore," says N'Vok. "Though it seems like a missed opportunity to understand an alien technology. May I suggest we lock it into a transporter buffer so it can be retrieved at a later time but it will cease to be a threat."

"No. It goes and if i find out you kept it it will be your head" The Commodore replied.

"The rest of you, I want your departments prepared, all birds are to be kept in the hanger, I want all hatches guarded, and internal sensors at full. Lets not have any surprises."

"Yes, Ma'am," Orin replied, heading out of Astrometrics and towards the nearest turbolift. He wanted to head up to Deck Two to check in on how the Diplomatic wings were doing, both in repairs and how his people were holding up.

\OFF

 

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