An Unexpected Guest

Posted on Thu Dec 9th, 2010 @ 2:31pm by Lieutenant Jimmy Cooper & Captain Elsie Halliwell

594 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Lost Friends
Location: Bridge, Deck One, USS Archimedes
Timeline: Current

Bridge, USS Archimedes

Captain Kerr sat in the darkened stillness that had descended on the bridge as Commander Bale had left to organise the probe with the Science department. Reports of boarding parties had come in through Ops and yet, as the Trill sat in the centre, calm and expectant, something caught his attention.

Suddenly, the communications started crackling, which was strange considering all communications were out. A woman's voice briefly came out of the static: "... Captain Kerr..." It was clear she was trying to say more, but the interference was too great.

Flicking his attention to the Ops. station, Kerr’s eyes glazed over as the faint, familiar voice played on his ears again. “Where is that coming from?� he asked, now standing as officers criss-crossed about him.

Ensign Roberts was operating the station, but she looked confused. "I... I don't know, the comm system is still out."

Even so, the internal speakers started crackling again. "... can help you..." At that point a young Vulcan lieutenant turned from one of the science stations. "I have isolated the source of the static, Captain. It is emerging from the holo-database in our computers. The attack must have knocked out some safeguards separating the two systems. Should I attempt to re-initialize the computers to fix the problem?"

Before the captain could answer, the static crackled "No."

Kerr visibly looked shocked at the response, and widened his eyes at T’alaal as her Vulcan ones remained steady and still. “We need what power we have to maintain life support, Lieutenant,� he then said, almost justifying his alignment with the disembodied voice’s wishes. “Could it be a non-organic intelligence, running rogue through our systems?�

"It is a definite possibility." T'alaal said in her dry, logical voice. "I will affirm that life support is secure, Captain." A few taps later the efficient Vulcan reported: "Life support should be secure. For now." She then focused her attention to the mysterious voice, which hadn't produced anything but static since it firmly said 'No'. "Captain, the information I'm getting definitely has a holographic 'signature' - but there does not seem to be a governing program, as if it had been partially deleted. I may be able to reconstruct the holographic data but," she dryly looked around at the smashed bridge, "this does not seem to be the appropriate time."

“I agree,� he said calmly and almost disappointedly. “Side-line it and we’ll come back to this when we have this resolved.�

T'alaal was internally fascinated by what she saw before her, and while illogical, kept trying to improve the irregular datastream while keeping an eye on the other sensors she was assigned to. Eventually, she turned around again.

"Captain, I may be able to at least clear up the audio signal this program is emitting, but..."

As the Vulcan spoke, six mysterious and unfamiliar photonic-like masses began to emerge on the bridge. But, as the realisation that these were transport signatures dawned in his elderly mind, a sinking feeling drummed at his belly. Tapping his combadge quickly he said, “All hands, prepare to be boarded. Do not offer resistance.�

T'alaal secured the holographic data with a few taps, and dimmed the static with a few more, after which she simply turned around with her arms crossed, waiting what will happen next.

OFF:

A mysterious post by:

A mysterious hologram (PNPC T'kaarch)
USS Archimedes

and

Captain Coltan Kerr (PNPC Halliwell),
Commanding officer,
USS Archimedes

with side appearances by:
Ensign Roberts (NPC)
Lieutenant T'alaal (NPC)

 

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