The Signal

Posted on Fri Nov 29th, 2019 @ 9:40pm by Captain Gary Alexander & Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Kincaid & Lieutenant Ciara Perlit & Lieutenant JG Alexandra Campa & Lieutenant JG Serenity Hayes & Karina Tell & Lieutenant JG Talia Flowers

710 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Encounters of a First Kind
Location: In an Unknown Solar System
Timeline: 2168/07/27 1200

No ships seemed to be in the area. The signal continued and Talia continued to try and work at breaking the code. The red dwarf star was unremarkable, though Gary was animated and excited as they discovered this system. Surrounding it were, as predicted by science, three planets. The first was a Class H planet. The second, class L and the last, class N.

Undeterred, Gary asked Flowers, "Got anything for me, yet?"

Clicking her tongue, Talia looked up, frustrated. "I'm working. As soon as I have something? You'll be the second person to know." She had been close to something... she believed that she may have unpeeled another layer.

How the hell would he know what it was like? The star had its own frequency... a pulse that might all but eradicate certain types of communications. So, to get at them, she needed to eliminate the first layer. Then each planet 'sung' to her... were they just the planets? The atmospheres? Possible inhabitants?

She didn't know. She only knew that this newest interruption set her back about 2 hours and the unraveling would have to begin again.

Slightly disappointed, Gary asked Perlit, "Scan this system. Report anything interesting immediately."

Having run continual scans, Ciara was surprised that Gary was asking for yet another update. But, at least this time she had something different to report. "The L-Class has some structures on it, but there are no signs of intelligent life. I'm reading a few signs of animal life, but zat iz it."

She rubbed her forehead, "I will see if I can get any better readings on ze structures, but nothing else has changed from ze last time I reported, Captain."

The turbolift door opened and Nick Kincaid and Serenity Hayes stepped onto the bridge. "Captain, engineering is ready. Maximum power to shields and weapons are available if this is hostile, though I'd prefer you avoided firing torpedoes before we know we can replenish them. We're also ready to take on new supplies if that's possible." He nodded to Serenity to take her position, while he walked over to the bridge's engineering station.

Gary scratched his chin and thought about his options. "Seems we have some structures down there. That means it was inhabited at some point." Looking directly at Nick, he asked, "Why don't you pick a team and go and investigate?"

Nick nodded. "Lieutenant Campa, report to the shuttlebay and begin preparing the Archimedes. Lieutenants Perlit, Hayes, and Bullock, get your landing party gear ready." He pushed some keys on his console, activating internal comms. "Doctor Stanzel, report to shuttlebay equipped for landing." He closed the channel and nodded to his party. "Ms. Flowers, you'll be in the comm chair for a while longer. Keep an open link with us at all times."

Talia looked up from her task, already perturbed and nodded briskly. "Sure," she said and made the proper adjustments, opening yet another screen. 'Not like I was doing anything else,' she thought as she flashed Nick a look. Like she hadn't noticed him before. Hmmm... but the look was brief, like a predator's and she turned her focus back to her task.

Had she licked her canines? Done a double-take? None of that mattered as she sunk back into the calming regularity of the signal. She was coaxing its secrets out, one layer at a time.

After all, he was a distraction to her focus. And if they contacted her... well, damn it all. She went back to her last earmarked point of change and began the process once more.

Looking to Kincaid, Ci nodded. "Understood. Sounds like fun," she said with a small smirk and started to gather her things.

"Yes, sir," Campa said. She rose and headed for the lift even as a subordinate helm officer moved in to take her place. Too bad the balloons weren't ready yet!

"Aye, Sir," Serenity said; she logged out of her station and rose at once.

Gary watched as Ci smirked at Nick. Were they involved? He shrugged mentally. Ci was like the village bicycle, everyone got to ride. He sat back down heavily in the Captain's Chair and instructed them, "Stay out of trouble down there. I look forward to your reports."

 

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