Thats no Space Station.

Posted on Mon Aug 12th, 2024 @ 3:20am by Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Consul Andrinn Orin & Lieutenant N'vok Holv

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Shuttle Morana
Timeline: MD 1: 0950
3131 words - 6.3 OF Standard Post Measure

"I think we need to increase shift rotation outside Desek's quarters," Victors muttered absent-mindedly, breaking the silence inside the cockpit of the Morana.

"What makes you say that?" S'hib replied, still looking out at the stars whizzing by.

"Because he keeps talking to them, I think he's getting into some of the young ones heads, something about a way home."

S'hib glanced over, his eyes an angry scowl as he shifted in his seat. "And why is this the first I'm hearing of this?"

Victor raised a hand, trying to ease the sudden tension. "Because for some reason Desek doesn't like talking to me, so I've only just noticed."

The sarcasm was evident in the old Bajorans voice, his grey but well-defined beard doing little to hide his grin.

"That and I've been on shift with the same lad every time I'm posted at his door, that was until yesterday when I had Petty Officer Martínez instead." He added, waving a finger in S'hibs direction.

S'hib looked back at the helm, his scowl still firmly burrowed into his face. "Do you know what he's been saying?"

"The usual, want's to stretch his legs, have a little walk," Victor added, mocking the Cardassian and pompous tone he always used.

"But as usual, for someone like him... he's been sprinkling in a few little flourishes." Victor continued, rubbing his thumb and finger together as though he was rubbing salt between them. "Something about a way home, I mean really? he's so full of shit... just like the rest of 'em."

S'hib was silent for a moment, wondering what to do... his department was already running on fumes, lacking any real structure of command and now this?

"Well, I'll deal with it when we get back..." S'hib grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Weld his door shut if I have to."

He spun in his seat, turning to face the rest of the lengthy type 11 shuttle. "Alright, everyone... we're almost there, I'm gonna drop to impulse just ahead of the coordinates, Victor get ready on shields just in case."

S'hib didn't know what to expect as he throttled back on the controls, gently pulling the Morana back into sublight speed.

But whatever thought had crossed his mind, what he saw in front of them as the stars returned to pinpricks wasn't even close.

Ahead of them, silhouetted by distant nebulae was the A'janie church. It was a monstrous thing, more akin to a building than anything space-worthy.

Yet here it was, as ugly as it was impressive.

"Red sands..." S'hib said in disbelief, his eyes unblinking as they desperately tried to understand what they were looking at.

The thing was vast, at least twice the length of the Elysium and just as wide, dwarfing even deep space nine both in size and mass.

"Lieutenant, are we getting scans on this thing?" S'hib asked, suddenly remembering he was piloting the shuttle.

N'vok was running a complete set of scans, bouncing a copy to the Elysium as they came in. "Fascinating."

“I think thats a yes…” Victor said as he looked over at S’hib, smirking once he saw the Sequus Chief roll his eyes.

Even at this distance, S'hib could make out massive panels of coloured glass, forming gargantuan windows at the end of dozens or so transepts that jutted out of the main structure like giant archaic docking ports.

"Are those ships?" He asked nobody in particular as his attention drifted to the church's outmost exterior, spotting things of various shapes and sizes, one beneath every giant stained window.

Andrinn had let the Chief of Security and the shuttle pilot talk up in the front of the shuttle while he caught up on some of the reports that have gotten behind while shore leave was playing out. However, he felt the shuttle come out of warp after S'hib and the pilot had mentioned it.

However, when he heard S'hib ask N'Vok about the ships or whatever was coming from in front of the Morana itself, Andrinn had to come up front to take a look at what was going on himself. S'hib wasn't lying when he was in awe at the space station. "Teeves wasn't kidding when he said that the space station was massive. I'm glad that we get to see it first. But, I am sure that we need permission to get a parking spot. Could someone hail them and ask for permission to come aboard?"

N'vok projected a set of docking instructions onto the view screen. "They have highlighted all of the places best suited for our shuttle to dock. They welcome us to use the one that we feel most comfortable using." He raised an eyebrow. "Very curious."

“I guess they prefer to say hello in person,” S’hib snorted as he wasted no time in turning the Morana towards one of the highlighted zones. “Lieutenant… send an encoded message back to the Elysium, let them know we haven’t been shot at, at least not yet anyway.”

N'vok thought for a moment. "No, it is not that, at least not only that," said N'vok. "I think they want to make it very clear that you are coming of your own free will and that there is no coercion involved. They want you to be welcome, yes, but because you have chosen to come in."

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Lieutenant,” S’hib remarked, though he had to admit it was a solid hypothesis. “We don’t even know what they look like yet.” He added, trying to temper the curious Vulcan behind him.

Outside, the view from the cockpit had almost entirely been filled with the strange architecture of the station, its dark brown hull blending seamlessly with pale stone and gold tiles.

If it wasn't so imposing S’hib might have considered it elegant, with its tall spires and hand-crafted gargoyles being dwarfed by statues that could have held the shuttle like a toy, nestled into the hull and stone alike.

“Ambassador, once we are onboard, I must insist that we all stick together… there are a lot of vessels docked, and their inhabitants might not be as pleasant as the A’janie.”

As S’hib spoke, he spun the Morana around, coming to a stop before backing up slowly.

"There are parallels to various faiths we have encountered before," said N'vok. "Many believe that only conversions made by those who are informed and making the choice of their own free will are valid. I suspect that this is one such faith."

Andrinn smiled as he listened to S'hib and N'vok talk about the plan of moving forward. It reminded him much of the various diplomatic debates that he watched his parents make on various worlds, including between the Trill and the Vulcans around the time of first contact.

Andrinn looked at both of them and said, "Well, I for one say we just get over there before they think we're being rude. I'll keep up with you guys and make sure to not wander off...too far."

"Thrusters disengaged," S'hib muttered as the low drum of docking clamps attached to the Morana. "Powering down..." He added, feeling the shuttle come to rest.

"Chief you ever seen a ship like that?" Victor motioned to his right as he stood, looking out of the starboard viewports.

S'hib sat up, peering over the cockpit, catching a glimpse of what looked like a drydock straight from the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. "Thats a ship?" He asked as he stood up, almost forgetting about the low ceiling at the front of the Morana.

"I think so, think I see a bridge... might be a salvage vessel, but I've never seen one like this."

"Oh, thats right, you used to be an engineer on the Mckinley."

"Aye," Victor smirked as he turned, heading for the shuttle's rear. "but you need a steady hand to work on plasma conduits, not so much in your department."

S'hib smiled back, briefly glancing at his own hands and how he ended up in Starfleet security for a similar reason.

At the rear of the Morana, N'vok adjusted a grey cloak around his uniform, though the hood was down. "I find myself highly anticipating this," he said.

"Yeah, I'm excited myself! I'm sure that we'll find something amazing here. I've studied a bit of the inner workings of the Bajoran religion. But, even then, I'm sure this place will teach us something new," Andrinn offered up while the ship was docking and they waited for the doors to open up.

"Stay where I can see you," S'hib said as he walked up behind the two, a polite but firm warning to Consul Orin and N'vok. "I've done enough reports this week already." He added, trying not to sound too overbearing as he hit the controls on the rear hatch.

It didn't open immediately, the Morana's onboard computer running one final safety check for atmospheric stability before hissing open.

As the two segments of the door separated, sliding into the roof and floor of the craft the crew was met with another hatch, round and ornate that also split in two, sliding up and away at opposite angles to reveal a long and somewhat dimly lit corridor.

"Oh, I hate it already..." S'hib grumbled as the thick and heavily scented air assaulted his large nostrils, the pungent aroma wasn't unpleasant just overtly strong, being wafted into the Morana on scented ash from the numerous incense sticks and candles that lined the stone pillars that ran down the corridor.

"I spent my shore leave on Risa, there was a lovely little place that smelt like this." Victors said with a devious grin, only growing wider once S'hib's head slowly turned his direction, his eyes telling the Ensign to be quiet.

"Monroe, stay with the ship." S'hib managed to get out before sneezing, the loud equine snort putting a faint smile on the face of a new arrival at the end of the corridor.

"Welcome, travellers." The robed figure said softly, his jet-black eyes examining the newcomers with avid interest. "Have you come far?" He added with genuine curiosity.

His demeanour was pleasant S'hib noted, threat assessing the individual as soon as he spoke, seemingly unarmed and alone, probably to help ease any tensions.

Still, his appearance was somewhat unsettling, with pale parchment for skin, almost deathly white and taut to the bone.

S'hibs eyes however drifted more to the calligraphy that ran down the right side of his face, the unknown language wrapping up and over his bald scalp in neat lines, looking like passages from sacred texts.

N'vok bowed. "We are pilgrims in search of knowledge and we have travelled far... Thank you for your kind welcome. How should we address you?"

The man blinked slowly, training his gaze over to N'vok. "I am brother Ashammer,"

He paused, staring deeply at N'vok as though contemplating many things. "I believe I've seen your kind before," Ashammer said, addressing N'vok. "The others I have not..."

"Fascinating," said N'vok. "Are any of my fellow kind still here, Brother Ashammer?"

He shook his head, looking somewhat at the floor as he did so. "It was a few years back now, I don't recall the vessel they came with but I do remember they all had similar uniforms, at least most of them did."

He pursed his lips, thinking for a moment. "We will have their visit archived somewhere, I'm sure we can find it for you."

"I'm sorry to bother you Brother Ashammer. I know that we've just got here and we don't know your customs yet. But, how extensive are your archives and how much are we allowed to see of them? I'm sure that it would be beneficial to see some of the stuff that the people have left behind and I'd love to learn more about your culture and religion as well," Orin offered up, curious about everything. But, knowing that knowledge can be learned by asking questions and within physically stored knowledge.

Ashammer pivoted slightly, addressing the new voice with his complete and undivided attention.

"Our archives date back some eight hundred years or so, and you are more than welcome to examine them at your leisure in their entirety."

He turned as he finished speaking, extending a hand to one side with his pale fingertips barely protruding from his robe. "Now, If you would all come this way please, there are a few things I must show you so you don't get lost."

S'hib watched Ashammer gently glide into the next corridor before turning to Victor who looked just as perplexed as he did.

"But don't worry if you do," Ashammer called out, his tone more amused than before. "Everybody does."

"Wonderful." S'hib thought to himself as he stepped forward.

Catching up to Brother Ashammer, the away team found themselves striding across a vast walkway, ornate and built from thickly cut stone. It felt ancient, too ancient to be hurtling through space.

But then there was the view from either side of the stone railing, it was phenomenal, the sense of size parting S'hibs lips as he looked about in astonishment.

"Red sands..." S'hib muttered as he looked across the opulent display of the exterior docking ring. An endless loop, one continuous colossal church nave complete with the same vast stained glass he had seen from the outside.

It was then S'hib suddenly realised how high up they were, they had to be at least a hundred meters up, or at least the ceiling was he surmised while looking up, the giant superstructure carefully hidden for the most part behind more ornate marble and stone.

"As you can see, everything that way, and everything that way... looks very much the same," Ashammer said, raising his voice somewhat. "However, there are four distinct wings, your ship is docked here within the wing of Cardinal Mother O'shyur."

He gestured up and behind the away team, pointing at the tapestry above the entrance they had come through.

"That symbol is her crest, and you will only find it within this wing."

"Four wings and a central area," said N'vok. "Who controls that? Who is in charge overall?" he asked politely.

"That would be the Warden Protectorate, Bishop Higsfard... though he is quite busy at the moment, but I'm sure he would be delighted to meet you all once your other vessel, arrives."

That caught S'hibs attention almost immediately, his head snapping to one side to look at Ashammer.

"They are coming? I assume?" Ashammer added.

Orin butted in before anyone else could say a word, especially since he was the senior diplomat present. Orin replied, "They wanted us to come first to see what this place was like. We haven't had the best of welcomes, mainly from one of the other races within this region that have taken slaves from our part of the universe. You wouldn't happen to know much about them, would you? I can't remember their names right off of the top of my head, but they don't seem to play nicely with others."

"Ah, yes... that would be the Thaih'ean, they..." Ashammer stuttered for a moment, cocking his head slightly as he stumbled over his words.

"I'm sorry, you said your part of the universe?" He asked, his curiosity growing. "Are you, by chance... not from this galaxy?"

Orin almost panicked for a moment but knew that honesty was better than lying to a new friend in this part of space. So, Orin replied, "Yes, we're from a part of the universe called the Milky Way Galaxy. Lieutenant N'Vok, our Chief Science Officer, can give you more accurate distances than I could about how far away home is. But, suffice it to say, we're a long way from home and that's part of the reason we're here. Any information that you and your species would be willing to provide would be much appreciated."

N'vok raised an eyebrow at the Ambassador and then nodded to Ashammer. "We would be happy to exchange knowledge with your organization, Brother Ashammer. Our culture is one that thrives and a free exchange of ideas and an open sharing of views."

"That I have no doubt." Ashammer nodded. "But the revelation that you are from a different tree, I apologise but I must report this to the council at once." He added as he began to step away.

"Please, do continue down this walkway and you will find a lift," He said already marching off, turning back at the group. "head down to level one and someone else will assist you."

S'hib watched as Ashammer hurried off before turning to look out across the view below. "This place is weird." He muttered quietly.

"It seems the Consul has opened a new vista for the Faith's proselytizing," said N'vok. "I am suggesting this as a possibility, and obviously it would require the permission of the Commodore. But if we were willing to host a missionary about the Elysium as we continue onward, I believe that would curry us considerable favour with the powers that be here."

"Honestly, I say that we go and meet with this council. Once we meet with them and see what they have to say, we can let the ship know our status and go from there. I don't want to reach out to them with less information, as I'm sure the council will have even more information about this part of the universe," Orin offered up as he started to the lift that the monk-like brother told them to head off to.

As the others followed and they reached the lift, the doors parted way much like a turbolift would. Orin looked at the others and walked onto the lift. Turning around and seeing the others hadn't gotten on yet, Orin stepped into the archway of the lift, Orin said, "I know that everything is running through both of your minds, but we can't learn more without taking a little bit of risk...or faith in this matter. Let's go and meet this council and see what they have to say. Plus, the Elysium knows that if we don't report in by a certain time to come and find us. Come on."

Orin stepped back into the lift and waited for the others.

"Let's just get our bearings first, we don't even know if we are allowed that far into the station yet..." S'hib replied as he walked onto the spacious lift, finding the controls listing the decks in an archaic fashion.

"Will head down first, and we'll go from there." He added before gently tapping the bottommost button with his cloven thumb.