At The Gates
Posted on Thu Sep 20th, 2018 @ 8:02am by Captain Mrazak & Lieutenant Commander Kiril Nevin & Lieutenant Commander BaoJun Qiao & Lieutenant JG Ciara Odette Miss & Lieutenant Nevada McKay M.D. & Gunnery Sergeant Roderik Kos & Ferrofax & Captain Jeanette Armitage
Edited on on Thu Sep 20th, 2018 @ 8:19am
1,535 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
S1E2: Half Past Dead
Location: Phantom bridge
Timeline: MD 2
Mrazak stared transfixed at the viewscreen as he had for the past several hours. The minutes had ticked by as the Vulcan measured every piece of data as it trickled in. At last, the Phantom breached the interior Oort cloud, allowing for a visual display of the solar system. Though New Far Florence was at hand, the sensors could barely make heads or tails of the inner terrestrial planets which appeared to be in a rapid state of decomposition.
"Ferrofax, do my eyes deceive me, or are the interior planets nearest the parent star unraveling at the seams?" The reports, it seems, were true. There be Clock Makers.
"A fair estimation. The original stellar survey logged that this system has several planets, one habitable, two rocky and four gas giants orbiting in the outer system. Current sensor readings suggest the mass quotation for the two rocky inner worlds, both Class D, have altered significantly. Solar radiation output has dropped by 0.5% due to the growing debris cloud. Though I do not think 'debris' is the correct terminology." Ferrofax stated as fuzzy close-up shots of one of the inner planets appeared. Backlit on the main viewer by the sun, the airless rocky world seemed to be unraveling like a ball of string, with an orderly procession of material unspooling from both poles revealing more and more of its virgin mantle.
Mrazak turned the sensors onto the M-class world of New Far Florence. "The colony appears to be untouched at the moment. That is very convenient." His brow furrowed with suspicion. "Too convenient, perhaps?"
"Given the fact both inner worlds are rich in heavier atomic elements like iron, uranium, and duranium, it might be that the Clock Maker's have focused their attention on resource-rich targets. Both Planet 1 and 2 are smaller than New Far Florence and thus have a smaller gravity well to overcome. Also at this distance, I am not able to detect the means by which their deconstruction work is being achieved," the AI surmised. "Though from a tactical standpoint it is unlikely that New Far Florence has not been contaminated, given the report from Captain Armitage concerning the colony's final report."
The sensors beeped. They had discovered something that triggered a priority alert. "Now that was unexpected. Wreckage. Far too large for the Perside. Please identify the ghost ship's registry if possible. And scan for any impulse or warp signature for the Perside while you're at it."
"The wreckage appears to be the USS Eros-" Ferrofax's report was cut off by a subtle hum from one of Armitage's medical aides, and something blue and gelatinous was pumped through a tube into a shunt in her neck. "It is currently in a sun-grazing orbit passing through the orbital path of Planet 2. I am detecting the warp signature of the Perside, subspace decohesion suggests the signature is old and not current. I am not detecting a Federation distress beacon from the Perside, though there is a not zero chance the ship has remained at large."
Mrazak turned to Armitage. "Well, Captain? Is that your old ship?"
"I wasn't exactly in a fit state to make a detailed structural survey of the ship when the medical team from the Tazmania pulled me out," she said softly, eyeing the false colour sensor image of the wreckage. From here infrared sensors and gravity mapping glossed over the jagged edges of hull breaches. She could, for a moment, pretend. "But we were on a transfer orbit through the system when we detected the rock in the Oort Cloud. Makes sense the Eros would keep driting. At least we know the traditional laws of physics still apply out here."
"Apart from the pair of Mercury-sized worlds being broken up by a fastidious God with obsessive-compulsive disorder," Ferrofax pointed out. "Some of these sensory readings are suggesting that Planet 2 is being used as a resource point, whilst Planet 1 is some sort of fabrication centre. The spectrographic analysis suggests the debris stream falling in towards the star is comprised of classic elemental matter. But when it collides and passes out of Planet 1 the sensors are having a harder time determining its atomic structure. Let alone how the clouds are managed, Sheppard, or controlled so elegantly."
"Well it'd be boring if the weird shit decided to stop now," Armitage sighed.
"Ferengi, I know you could not help but overhear." It was perhaps the first thing Mrazak had said to Zork since they had jumped to slipstream warp. "What do you think?"
"Enough." Mrazak didn't yell, but his voice bore a tone of finality. "Summon my specialist team to the bridge. There's been a change of plans."
The marine NCO appeared from the bowels of the Phantom, checking again the most powerful weapon he had ever worked with. His scowl was deep. He stepped next to his tactical officer, checking their status and conferring quickly before checking in with the Mrazak. "You called, sir?"
Mrazak nodded but said nothing, entranced as he was by the kal-toh puzzle before him.
"May I ask what for, sir?" Rodi asked, trying to save maintain his patience with the Vulcan. But he got no answer.
Sauntering onto the bridge with an air of wonder about herself, Ciara ripped her eyes up from a very interesting PADD she was holding, the display flickering with a slew of complex status readouts regarding their precious cargo. Her eyes had only managed to have been taunted away by the bright viewscreen, and the majesty... or was it insanity, of the system being displayed on it. "...away with the faries" The woman whispered to herself, tucked the PADD close to her side as she looked to the Commander, attempting to lock eyes to show she was here, but not to cut into any conversations.
Bao slipped onto the bridge and observed the view silently. Something about the spectacle struck him as off, but he could not quite identify exactly what it was yet. He contended himself with watching screen and reading reports from Sunny, as she was able to pull them from the ship's systems. A though struck him, but he still held back. Until he knew why he was uneasy, he was not about to volunteer any type of active action that might draw more attention to them they were likely already getting. He mentally instructed his familiar to lodge his continuing objection to Commander Mrazak's plan.
The doors opened and Nevin walked onto the Bridge, Isaiah following close behind. The Bajoran stopped as his eyes locked onto the viewscreen and the hellish event that was being displayed. "What the fuck?" he asked, somewhat to himself, as his forehead scrunched in concern.
Nevada Stormed into the into the bridge her face flush. "Whats going on?" She asked still holding a small magnetic bottle filled with an inert Liquid metal. "What did I miss?"
"As you can see, my hand-picked team of specialists, we have indeed confirmed the presence of Clock Makers." Mrazak arose from his command chair, ignoring the comments and questions at his back, and marched to the view screen as if it were a window. "The beauty. The horror. The mystery. It's all there, just waiting for us." He spun around on his heel and crisply planted his feet. "I want away teams. One will beam down to the colony and ascertain its condition. No life-signs have been detected, and I would like to know why. The other away team will pilot a shuttle over to the wreckage of the Eros, scan it, and if no Clock Makers activity is detected, board it." He looked at them in a row. "I want answers, people. Who will volunteer for which away team?"
Nevin glanced over at Nevada, for once glad he was in charge of someone. "You, colony," he said, pointing to the woman. "I'll take the ship."
"So nice of you to volunteer others," Mrazak said with a sordid grin. "I've trained you well, Kiril." He folded his hands behind his back and allowed himself a sinister chuckle. "Now, then. Since Nevin is so eager to dive into the heart of Clock Maker activity, I'm going to insist on the good sergeant to accompany him. No doubt Captain Armitage will want to revisit her old vessel as well. Take the Computer Specialist along. I want a full data download and system diagnostic."
Looking to the rest, Mrazak said, "Meanwhile, I will lead a team down to the colony. There are no signs of life and no distress beacon. I want to know why. Qiao, McKay, Odette--you're with me. Everybody, grab your gear and head out immediately. Time is of the essence."
"Captain, I'll have Specialist Dak meet you in the transporter room for your security escort. Who leads the Eros team?" Rodi said before the teams had time to disband and gear up.
"Very good," Mrazak said. "The Eros team will be lead by Lieutenant Kiril." The order was tainted with a look of sordid praise and approval. "Find some answers even if you have to wrest them from the jaws of death."