Ghost Town - Part Three

Posted on Wed May 22nd, 2013 @ 11:08am by Captain Elsie Halliwell & Captain T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant Commander Morai Keen & Lieutenant Commander Dylan Blake & Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper & Lieutenant Jade'n SnowDen & Lieutenant JG Marcus Augusta PHD & Chief Petty Officer Adriana Keen & Captain Alexsa Kendrick

3,301 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Rumours, Promises, and Lies
Location: Science Labs
Timeline: Mission Day 6: 22:20 hours

ON:

As T'mpest and her team emerged on the horizon, Elsie stepped forward a little to greet them, her eyes shielded from the low setting sun by her cupped hand. They looked as weary and as stretched-thin as her own team felt and as they bid their goodbyes to the locals, barring one, they made the laborious hike back to the Baden-Powell.

Adriana sighed in relief as she laid eyes on her husband. She didn't normally go on away missions, and she hadn't liked being separated from him on this planet. She kept wondering if something had happened to him- and a little part of her had kept whispering to her that she wasn't any safer with the Captain. Even hearing from these Emarryns that the mistrust wasn't real and was being created by an ourside force, it had been hard to put her normal trust in the Command Structure of the Ranger.

For the most part, Alex Kendrick and the Emarryn addition Riesha, kept up with the group but still hung back several shuttle lengths, so they could talk a little more privately. "They look tired." Riesha said quietly as they trudged back toward the distant shuttle.

"This area has taken its toll," Alex replied, "on a lot of us. The problems on the Dubai were just the beginning; one unexplained death and then the destruction of the entire ship."

"We could not have known."

"I was not assigning blame. No-one really knows what went wrong, what happened beyond the obvious." Alex paused briefly before asking "But tell me something, if you had of known the problems they were having, known their ultimate plans, would you have broken your hiding then to warn them?"

The question took Riesha back a moment. There were many times when she had thought about what might have been, what they could have done to stop the unfortunate end to the Federation starship. "I don't know. As I said, the look in their eyes almost had the glazed over look they had been damaged in this sector for too long. You know how the Nutari operated..."

"Only in stories." Alex interrupted.

"From your parents."

"My mother in particular." Alex said with sadness.

"Gone?"

"A long time ago. My father also taught what he knew, what he learned from my mother also. I can't imagine living in that time, living the truth."

Riesha looked across to Kendrick, taking in her expression. "You've had your own troubles seemingly." Alex said nothing and Riesha continued, "As have we. Living with these echoes around us has not been without its difficulties. The pillars will most certainly fail in the not too distant future, when we aren't certain, but without Nutari maintenance, the power cores appear to be breaking down. If these people can find any way to speed up that process..."

"They'll do all they can. I've been watching these people for a while. Captain Halliwell is not one to give up easily."

"I could not help noticing that you have been distancing yourself from them, both in body and speech." Riesha stated, curious.

Alex returned Riesha's look, her brow forrowing slightly. "I suppose I have; part of my job." Kendrick paused a second or two, knowing that Riesha already knew something. "Truth be told, I never thought to meet any other Emarryn in my life time, certainly not an entire colony."

"We have always been here." Riesha replied enigmatically.

T'mpest looked at the addition to the party, wondering who the woman was and how she got to be here. The planet was uninhabited. But she didn't want to interrupt the two, who seemed to be in conversation. Later, she would ask questions. For now, she simply gave the woman a curious glance and followed the group to the shuttle.

Towards the center of the group, Adriana kept close to Morai. She was generally a little reserved around him during duty-hours; she never wanted to make it look like they couldn't be professional or that she had somehow been granted preferential treatment by her officer husband. Today she held his hand and let him help her over the rougher parts of the terrain.

Keen is never one to not accept even the most subtle of affections from his wife, helping her along was not a thought. The warmth of her hand helped ease his mind; to 'anchor' him in a way to the present. Where they were going he would protect her, they were together and with all they had been through it gave him strength; like the Prophets reminding him of their presence.

He actually made eye contact several time just to see the sky on a clear day; a sight he always had when he looked in her blue eyes.

[USS Ranger]

Even the walk down the plush, carpeted corridors of the Ranger was difficult to manage for the captain as one foot wearily placed itself weakly before the other. "We don't have time to rest and regain our strength before we tackle this, crew," Elsie had said in the aerowing; her pathetic attempt at an uplifting-morale speech. "We need to collect our thoughts, reorganise our crew and tackle this head on with the scientific minds Starfleet and our ship is known for. If we don't succeed," she added, her voice now dropping low, "then we might as well initiate the auto-destruct now. But over the years I've seen this crew grow and become stronger as a unit. We've had our trials, but we've always managed to defeat them. This time will be no different. Once we dock, head to the Science Labs.. We'll regroup there."

T'mpest glanced at Jimmy, wondering how the Captain's demotivational speech affected him.

Great, she's still suicidal Jimmy thought, then half-flinched as he saw T'mpest glance at him, hoping she hadn't heard his thoughts. "My scientists are already working on it, Captain. We're hoping to find some clarity in the positioning or geo-thermal activity of these.. things."


[Science Lab]

As all the officers filed in from the short but tiring walk from the Aerowing, Kendrick woke the computer. "Computer, activate main display. Scan the northern continent of the planet at co-ordinates zero-three-one by two-three-nine. Adjust the scan to include the Emarryn settlement." The screen had activated, and while the Emarryn city was visible on the topographical display, the obelisk was not. They stood there puzzled for a beat examining the sensor data.

Riesha spoke up to aid the sensors. "Computer, adjust for the phase shift point zero-zero-nine-three nanoseconds, at the same co-ordinates." After a few seconds, more data appeared on the large panoramic screen with sensor imagery and computer enhanced schematics of the obelisk. "This is the obelisk we first discovered on the surface. We were never able to make a full diagnosis any more than Commander Michaels, but after several years studying the artefact, we do know that the power core itself is breaking down. What that source is we don't know, but it is diminishing. Our best guess is this particular obelisk will have depleted its power reserves in approximately twenty-three point seven years. In addition, with our people's natural defence against this energy, and no way of dissipating it that we're aware of, we've been content to wait."

"I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of waiting," T'mpest said. "Whatever these devices are, they are affecting humanoids throughout this sector. We need to see if we can render them inert."

"So what causes that defense, anyway? A brain-wave pattern or a hormone or something?" Adriana asked and pulled a chair from another station and sat down with a weary sigh. The long hike in the hot sun had wiped her out. She was going to blame the pregnancy for that one, though she noticed most of her fellow crewmembers were showing the same signs of weariness.

"It's more of a psychic energy that attacks the mind," T'mpest said. "It affects telepaths the most and those who are susceptible to telepathy. Anger, paranoia and mistrust are the most common emotional reactions."

"To follow on," Riesha said addressing the enlisted crewman, "we're not entirely sure of the biology of it. Even though the Emarryn people are tactile telepaths, the effect of the Nutari and their technology to amplify their telepathic control was less than that of other species. The Qor'lak were not affected at all, one of the reasons they led the resistance."

"My mother had a thought it was analogous to the way telepathic species are unable to read people like the Ferengi." Kendrick inserted, "Their biology and four-lobed brains making them impervious to any telepathic scans." Her mind then turned to the Ferengi halled up in the Ranger's brig and how he fit in with all this.

After a brief pause, T'mpest continued, "Computer, scan twenty kilometers below the surface of the planet, focus on the obelisks." The obelisks now appeared to be giant pyramids that went deep into the earth. "Removing them will be impossible," she said to the others. "From the extent of the seismic activity in the vicinity of the obelisks, it would appear that they go through the tectonic plates."

Elsie sighed loudly and placed both hands frustratingly onto her slender, almost bony, hips. She shook her head and then raised her right hand to her muddied brow, wiping away a wisp of golden hair that she still hadn't refastened back into its grip. "We seem to have two separate issues here," she finally chimed in, walking over to a console but not accessing it. "And one issue amplifies the other." She then turned to Reisha and fixed her with her steely eyes. "We'll help you stabilise the obelisks if we can. But we'll need to butt that with a dampening field of some kind to placate the effects of this technology. And I'm not prepared to do only half a job and leave this sector as it is." She slowed her speech and continued lowly. "If we fail to pacify these echoes, then I can't allow the obelisks to remain, malfunctioning or otherwise."

"I'm sorry captain, but you may have misunderstood part of our intent. We do not want the obelisks stabilised, we want them gone. As I said, we are willing to wait another twenty or so years, but if you have a quicker way..." Riesha trailed off for a beat before continuing, "We've waited two centuries, what's a few more years. As Commander Michaels discovered, ordinary phaser fire has little effect due to the phase shifting, and while we may be more technologically advanced, we do not have the means of destroying them as they are buried too deep into the surface, so unless you're hiding something larger in your arsenal, something which would not leave the planet uninhabitable, how do you propose you remove them?"

"She's right Elsie, as are you," Alex said as she had already instinctively come between Halliwell and their guest. "The energy being emitted from these obelisks is a lot to take, even for us. We should be finding a way to disable them, or destroy them, not make them possibly work for an even longer term."

"Well if we're looking for demolition I would recommended a tricobalt warhead beamed towards the center of each obelisks," Reo said as sarcastically as he could manage. "As for disabling the device without threatening all life on the planet, maybe you should quit looking for a technological approach and start looking at them as what they are; Psionic beacons broadcasting thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences for light years.

"The energy being thrown off seems to only effect sentient beings, which explains the delayed reaction on myself, being semi-feral and all," he said tapping some information into his PADD. "I believe that the only to shut something psychic down is with another psychic.

"I recommend that we dampen and disperse the output so that it becomes harmless. A tricobalt device could cause irreparable harm to the planet. If the ship's phaser could disintegrate it, then I would suggest that option. Otherwise, we need to find a way to stop its effect."

Elsie shot her attention around the room and considered what was being banded about. She turned to Kendrick first and squared up to her in an almost appealing manner. "We're not sure what completely deactivating this kind of power could do to the sector, Alex. I'm not saying no. I'm just trying to get the full picture." She paused and considered the alternative. "I realise the consequences of prolonging this technology. And I'm not prepared to pull the Federation into a long-term maintenance program because of what we decide to do here. But we have to consider what happens when this power is turned off. For good."

Halliwell then turned and faced the visitor. "We'll try this by two approaches. We'll concentrate on pacifying the effects primarily. And then in that time I'll consider what we can do to help the obelisks themselves."

Never before had Riesha been so heavily affected by the Nutari remnants than here, now, and he returning expression showed it. She felt some of her darkest desires bubbling to the surface before turning and taking a couple of paces away from the rest of the group and closing her eyes for a second or two. Opening them again she turned back to Halliwell, "Very well, captain. By what method will you attempt to quieten the effects of the obelisks?"

Elsie shot a silent glance to T'mpest and, after a short and pregnant nod, slowly returned her gaze back to the visitor, eyeing each member of her crew as she turned. "The commander, here, has been suffering the ill-effects of the physic disturbance since we entered this sector... only we couldn't pin-point the cause or identify the issue. Even the doctor struggled to label it or assign a physiological cause." Elsie moved aside from the console she was still stood by and out-stretched her hand to welcome T'mpest. "Commander..."

"Captain." T'mpest walked over to the console beside Elsie and activated the schematics of the small, psychic blocker she had been using since the telepathic white noise had become unbearable. It blipped on the main viewer for the gaggle of men and women to see.

She then turned to the newcomer. "The obelisks use the planet itself to generate enough power to project the psychic wave, for lack of a better term, throughout the system. I've found a way to buffer this telepathic energy in my quarters. The buffer both absorbs and refracts the effects of the energy so that whatever gets through can be dealt with through meditation and training. I believe that if we use something similar to this around the part of the obelisk that is exposed we can block 92.78 percent of the energy from leaving the area. Instead, it will be reflected back on itself thus rendering them of little or no effect to the inhabitants of the planet and system."

Elsie turned to both Mora and Cooper, shooting a look to Reisha en route. "Do you think you both could manufacture this type of device on a more... planetary scale?"

"No." Mora stated succinctly with a hint of finality, the first word she said since joining the group from the bridge. All eyes then turned to her with questioning glances, as if she had cursed and spat in their faces. Truth was she almost had, but the expression on Halliwell's face was unmistakable, she wanted exposition. "That is, not to such a grand degree. The dampeners used for the commander's quarters and the intel offices draw a lot of power, too much for normal portable generators, and if this schematic map is accurate, these obelisks are huge, well beyond the range of any field we could generate."

"My guess it's a tip-of-the-iceberg kind of deal." Jimmy had been silent, in thought, not to mention still affected by the headache. "The obelisks are the tip, the planet more-or-less the iceberg. It'd be doable to stop them, if we could put enough stabilizers around the planet in a gridlike manner. I think, however, that there should be a better way to solve this problem."

"I guess that's supposition at best, but as good a theory as any." Kadie answered. "If that were the case, perhaps our new found friends here could confirm," she continued as she stared suspiciously at Reisha, although she never had any intention of responding to such a direct bate and just stared back, "but the field would not have to be as large. It would also require some duranium shielding like the material used in the ship's interior construction. That would take a little time to set up, replicate and build. Then it just depends how lucky you're feeling that you only need to dampen the source as opposed to the entire planet."

Elsie brought up her slender hand to her temple to rest it whilst she considered the options. And to be honest, they were both non-specific and few. She sighed and then turned back to Mora. "If we attempt to dampen them at the source, and this takes as much time as you estimate, then we shouldn't burden our limited resources by also attempting to deactivate the obelisks. In fact," she broke off, wondering why she hadn't considered the lineage before, "once we have dampened the effects, we can then work on taking them offline in relative safety. Or contract a special engineering corp to assist."

"I'm not sure we can deactivate them," T'mpest said. "Not without learning how they were constructed. As far as we know, the only way to deactivate them could be going underneath and disconnecting them from the planet itself. All we know is they obelisks are responsible for some of the seismic activity and go down past the bedrock."

"Once we dampen the psychic pulse emitted from them," Elsie repeated, "if we can't deactivate them, we'll then hand over to Command for further assistance and instruction." Elsie then turned to Reisha. "Our ship uses bioneural gel packs and we think that the distortion in normal space from these obelisks has hampered our own technology somehow. If the effects of the crew are anything to go by, then it's consistent. We can't even sustain long range communications with our own people."

"Perhaps we can set up some dampeners at strategically sound locations, perhaps even teleported under the surface, which wouldn't stop the waves from being emitted, but at least would dampen them so they wouldn't leave the system at least? Then we could warn Starfleet and have some backup do something more permanent." Like blowing up the planet entirely Jimmy added in thought, but even with the headache he knew no-one would enjoy the suggestion.

Jimmy's comment gave T'mpest an idea. "What if we put up a buffer around the obelisks and then put probes around the planet to block anything that escapes from the buffers?"

"That would be more effective. But we shouldn't forget this will always be a temporary measure... The Ranger simply hasn't the facilities to disable an entire planet."

"No, we don't. But if we set up something temporary, it will give Starfleet a chance to come up with a more permanent solution," T'mpest replied.

"We're all agreed then," Elsie cut in, nodding to each of her crew. "T'mpest, you take Commander Mora and Lieutenant Cooper to see if this is viable." She then turned to Adriana. "You assist. We'll need every engineering mind focused on making this work." Turning back to the Vulcan, she added "I'll take the others. See if we can at least have a go at deactivating these obelisks."

OFF:

 

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