There is no Shakedown Pt 4
Posted on Thu Jun 15th, 2023 @ 1:06am by Captain Kaylia Strenvale & Commander Rosa Coy & Commander Jennifer Westlake & Lieutenant Commander Allen Yankovic & Major Damon Griffith & Lieutenant Commander Brianna "Raven" Davies & Lieutenant Leo Da'Cinci & Lieutenant Jocelyn Logan & Lieutenant JG Kell Asaa Dr & Ensign Harry Stevens & Ensign Kesar & Ensign Theo Cauthon & Ensign Pashi zh'Vhohlehr & Ensign Alexandra "Alex" Fontana Tosto & Thomas Mathews
Mission:
New Horizons
Location: USS Liberty
Timeline: Current
"If that's the Reliant, the original one, I'll do gamma shift for a month" Westlake retorted as she tried to get a better look on the ghost ship.
Despite Coy's panache she had to snigger at the whole of the situation but more importantly Westlake's makeshift bet. Not to be outdone, Coy offered, "I'll take that bet." She punched in an adjustment for the coordinates. "Gravimetric spikes are causing navigation to be all squirrelly. I'm having to make minor course corrections as we go Captain. Regula I should be on sensors," she paused, "now."
"Bring is down to thrusters only. Scan the area behind the moon. Bounce, them off of some of the other celestial bodies around. That will keep us from having to actually move around the moon." Kaylia, gave a nod.
Coy questioned the use of thrusters considering how slow they were and how far away the Liberty still was from the station, but orders were orders. "Aye Captain, thrusters at max, speed reduction now puts eta to Regula I at twenty four point two five hours." Coy gave half and eye roll, her head facing forward where no one could see.
It had not taken Harry long to find a Turbolift that had taken him to his destination and deposited him onto the bridge, as he stepped off the lift and onto the madness that was the ship’s command center, he looked around for a few minutes to locate his console, upon locating it, Harry walked over to it and relieved the officer that was at the console and signed himself in.
Theo was Scanning over his console, checking that sensors were alighned ad working to there desired effect, he noted tha there was a new comer to the bridge and his eyes drifted to meet the others and he smiled "Captain can i have a look at the data i might be able to deciver it one way or another?" he spoke with a wide smile.
Ensign Pashi continued to monitor the data from the probes as well as the ship's sensors. It was all very confusing and contradictory. She continued trying to fine tune the data. It was echoes upon echoes.
"I know it'll take that long, Coy. That's for a reason. Given all the information we don't have right now. Inching forward will give us time to gather more information. Such as that ship that shouldn't be there." Giving a look to Harry a moment, Kaylia simply nodded, "Catch yourself up please, Mister Stevens."
Commander Westlake moved to the rear of the bridge and to the science stations, pulling up all the data that had been received and running an independent set of analysis. Given the speed in which they were now travelling, finding information was more important than sitting next to the Captain.
Pashi glanced over at Commander Westlake “I am having trouble making out the data I am receiving Sir, how do the humans put it “I cannot make heads or tails’ out of it. Are you having any success?” Pashi was nervous, as if she had made a mistake in her readings, and now the XO felt a need to 'baby sit' her.
"Well keep at it. There's bound to be something," Kaylia said.
"We'll find it Captain" Westlake replied, giving Pashi a reassuring smile. "I'm not doubting your work, I'm just trying a different perspective" She whispered quietly to the ensign. She turned back to her panel and keep working at the data that had been collected so far.
Speaking of those readings. It was certainly confusing. Given that most of the time all the readings were just as they should be. Any scans from any ship that has come close to the sector allied with the Federation has sent data about what they had gotten. Once in a blue moon however, there would be anonimous readings, such as a ghost ship. An explosion across the entire sector.
Sometimes showing the station was completely gone. What was suppose to be there was the station still, the nebula, Ceti-Alpha one through three. Debris from five and six, though six's debris has all but turned into just asteroids over the years.
Jenn pondered the data, isolating the anomalous readings and focussing on them rather than the standard streams that were coming in. Was there some kind of correlation between the historical data and their current data? Did it coincide with something related to the system? A solar flare even? There were many variables and it would take time to work through them.
"I can silently hear the groans about how long it will take, move us up to one sixth impulse, and drop a probe here. We can use that as an outside point of reference from what readings we get the closer in versus from out here." Kaylia gave a look over to Helm and Science.
“Aye, aye Sir. Launching a Class Eight probe now.” with that Pashi typed in instructions to the Torpedo Launch Room; she did not envy the crew down in the Torpedo Launch Room; busy loading all the proper payloads being requested. Shortly the signal came up on her console and she hit the button and the probe was launched. Let’s see if we get better data from this. she thought.
"Aye, one-sixth impulse power." If there was a bare minimum speed, this was it. It felt almost like she could get out and walk faster than they were traveling. Everyone hates the slow drivers in the fast lanes and the Liberty was creeping forward like un unlicensed, blue haired, 150 year old woman. "New ETA, 18 hours and some odd minutes." She added, amused.
"We'll speed up once we get those readings analyzed." The violet tail curled around her own waist a little bit.
Neriva had, admittedly, no complete idea of what was going on, having only heard bits and pieces from people she encountered in the hallway, most of it complaining about how long something was going to take. So... what was that something? Whatever it was, she didn't really have time to question it; she had a shift on the bridge to get to, and she didn't want to be late. She stepped forward out of the turbolift and relieved the officer at the secondary tactical station, trying not to attract too much attention. Well, as little attention as a gangly alien woman with hooved feet could possibly attract, anyway.
Pashi was getting extremely frustrated, the readings were all over the place. As soon as she thought she had it pegged down, something would come along and change the parameters and data received; almost as if she were chasing a mirage in a desert. Pashi was going to have to think of another way to analysis the data.
After long enough there was finally some clarity coming up on all of the scans. A picket if it were, of space, almost a corridor. The closest description would be a micro wormhole. That being narrowed down by every single scan being made from probes to the Bridge stations.
It was made completely clear that surrounding the system was a temporal static warp bubble. Reaching just outside of range and Regula station and the moon. Extending far past sensor range because of the nebula. Which was intact, as was a mass near it. No logs, from any ships coming past the sector have recorded any such type of readings at all. Just what was 'suppose' to have been there over the centuries.
Kell tapped notes quietly on her forearm PADD, sending messages to her team so they'd be prepared, as much as possible, for what's to come. With the alert, most of her team were already on-station and ready. Now they just needed to get through the hard part... the waiting. At least she could divvy up assignments to freshen up their knowledge on everything from gravimetric ailments to warp burns, from explosive concussion to asphyxiation. Equipment teams had checked out hardware and were prepared to respond...
Seeing that the science stations were now well and truly kicking goals Westlake returned to her position in the centre of the bridge, to her chair next to the Captains and prepared herself for what was to come.
"Well come on people. Information is right in front of us. You all should know your positions. Lets get to work. Gathering, finding, coming up with theories. Even crazy ones." Kaylia shifted in her chair. "We're not all just out of the Academy. Helm, increase speed to get to Regula Station in ten minutes."
"Aye Captain, full impulse should get us there in about ten minutes give or take." Coy replied before mouthing the words 'finally' to herself.
Kell noted some odd biological readings, as if they were being affected by large gravimetric forces... but it certainly didn't feel like it. Suspecting the general wonky sensor readings everyone was reporting, she continued to monitor...
Coy was correct of course. Ten minutes to get into short range sensors of the moon and the station. Nothing jumped out on the consoles of anything out of the ordinary. The eddies they were detecting before and the ships, or not ships, or are ships? are not registering either. Initial scans of the station show it empty but still running. No visible damage on the outside, or on sensors. The same went for the inside of Regula I.
Alex quietly watched her surroundings. She was by no means an expert at operating the different stations at the bridge. She did counseling. Not keeping technology operational. Her job was to help people cope with whatever trauma that was thrown their way.
"I recommend attempting to hail the station" Westlake offered as the station grew larger on the screen. "You never know..."
To be Continued....
