Eyes on the prize

Posted on 29 Aug 2019 @ 11:42pm by Commander Amelia Fox & Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Lieutenant Commander True Keading & Lieutenant JG Lilura Karakalakss & Lieutenant JG Rosaline Belikov & Lieutenant JG J Haulval

Mission: Mission 1 - In the pale moonlight ...
Location: The monolith ...
Timeline: MD6 19:00
2706 words - 5.4 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

"Captain," Amelia said "The runabout is prepped. Permission to depart."

Jon nodded. He knew alot of people had made a lot happen in the last few hours since this morning and now hopefully it would all come to frution.

"May the Goddesses be smiling upon us. Go get us a hunk that thing Fox. Don't take any unnecessary risks. We will have control once the runabouts been launched and eyes on you at all times. Dr Syvar will also be monitoring your vitals," Jon informed her.

"Aye sir," Fox said and headed to the turbolift. =^=Fox to Karakalakss meet me in the main shuttle bay=^=

=== Sensor Suite ===

Lilura was going over the feeds for the final time. She had set up a tachyon data link and a pulsed drone sensor feed between the Runabout to be used and the Andromeda. This was, of course in addition to the normal sensor feeds over subspace channels to be used to control the runabout and monitor its occupants. However, for grins and giggles, she had added in a separate secondary and a separate tertiary feed not coupled to the main feed with its backups. If something happened to the main and its backups, the separate secondary would kick in, then the third, then the pulsed drone feed, and finally the tachyon feed. What was nice was the Tachyon feed operated on its own principles and not the subspace signals and frequencies of the rest.

=^=Fox to Karakalakss meet me in the main shuttle bay=^= came over her comm badge.

She answered, =^= Karakalakss to Fox, on my way. Karakalakss out.=^=

She shook hands with the crew chief and left for the shuttle bay.

=== Main Bridge ===

Jon turned to the rest of the bridge. "Is everyone ready? Lets do this people."

True slipped in and sat down in her spot to Jon's left. Although senior staff she technically wasn't a department head and therefore didn't have to give anyone her status. Which at the moment she was happy about. She could simply sit there and be nervous for the rest of them.

Haulval gave a curt nod, "Yes, sir. Shuttle uplink is stable. We are ready for launch."

"Ready to receive sensor data for analysis," Aidan replied from the science station.

=== Main Shuttle Bay ===

Lilura stepped off of the turbolift. She arrived at the Main Shuttle bay. She headed for the USS Phineus. She needed to check on the internal life sciences sensors enhancement along with the antipersonnel system upgrade had been completed. The only way to keep Amelia and her safe was to make sure the shuttle could see both completely as separate races and targets so that the appropriate stuns and tranks would be sent to the appropriate mark. What was meant for Amelia would only tickle Lilura, while what was meant for Lilura would Kill Amelia, so Lilura wanted to make sure that the failsafes for if couldn't tell were also in place.

Amelia led the way onto the runabout. “Right let’s get this show on the road shall we?”

Lilura nodded and replied, "If you would do the honors, I'll make sure the modified systems are running smoothly." While Amelia went forward, Lilura checked the systems. The upgraded life sensors, enhanced anti-personnel system, and the Tachyon Communication and Control equipment showed green across the board, with the Runabout showing distinct patterns for Amelia and Lilura.

Amelia powered up the engines and proceeded to guide the runabout through the open shuttlebay door, into an arc and coming to a stop parallel with the Andromeda’s course about 1000m off the port nacelle.

“Phineus to Andromeda. We’re in position. Ready for computer linkup.”

Lilura joined Amelia forward and sat down into the copilot's seat, happy to see all seats on the shuttle had their appropriate side having a smooth indent for her tail. The Engineering and Ops staff had been definitely watching out for her. She gave Amelia a thumbs up for go.

"We receive you Phineus, linkup is ready. Sounded the voice of the Trill science chief.

"Great," Jon said and nodded at the Trill. "Get that link up and Fox you have a go."

Amelia status board changed. “Copy that Andromeda. Computer link confirmed. You have control. Try and make it a smooth flight.”

She turn to Lilura. “Looks like we just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

Lilura grinned in return and replied, "Definitely, and just hope they didn't put a green rookie in control, or someone who loves aerial combat simulators."

The feed through from the shuttle onto the viewscreen showed the sheer size of this thing as the shuttle edged closer and closer. "Lieutenant," Jon directed at Aidan. "Does that look like more of what you found in that database? Symbols, language?" he asked spotting something that looked similar to what the Trill had downloaded.

"It does," Aidan confirmed as he took a better look himself, "and yet not quite. I need more data to be sure."

"Try get in closer to that," Jon ordered Belikov and Haulval who he had decided to let drive. Jon was an advocate of getting his officers try out new skills from time to time. He was sure they were confused why he had them manning the controls.

Rose input the commands for a momentary burst from the aft thrusters to give the shuttle a slight push forward. She wasn't unfamiliar with starship and shuttle piloting, though it wasn't her strong suit. A Marine Firefly transport wasn't quite as responsive as a standard shuttle.


"Counselor what's your take here?" Jon turned to True. "Potentially a giant floating monolith. What sort or society would do that and why?" he asked. Clearly if it had similar markings to the people who were connected to that moon which had vanished, they were dealing with a society here. This wasn't a natural phenomenon.

"I'm afraid your guess is as good as mine. On Earth cultures created such features as places of worship, examples of cultural might, some were just natural features that played large roles in the cultural and religious shaping of a society. But we know this isn't natural. If I had to guess I'd say it's a warning. It feels like a stopping point to me." She smiled apologetically at him.

As the runabout approached the monolith, Amelia kept a close eye on their position. “We’re on course. Should be in position in 3 minutes. She looked round and paused, before continuing trying to keep her voice calm. “Andromeda can you confirm that it’s just the two of us over here? It’s just that I’m seeing a hooded figure stood in the aft of the cockpit.”

Lilura looked questioningly at Amelia, then glanced back herself. She did not see a hooded figure, but a clan decked out Council Elder. His markings were obscurred and he seemed insubstantial. This time, Lilura sensed out with her lateral senses and thermal cheek senses. She said, "XO, I see a shadow form of a Council Elder, he is hard to make out, but... there is not auric glow of an actual nervous system, and there is no heat. I am not sensing your hooded figure as well, so I think its the artifacts tricks again, a little different from before, except this time, we are better prepared."

Amelia let out a sigh of relief. “Well at least I’m not the only one who’s seeing things.”

Lilura looked back at the sensors, then opened a viewport to look. She whistled, "Wow, the sensors are reporting correct, that thing is massive. *Humor snort* At first I was worried about gathering a sample that might accidentally hit some hidden circuitry or something, but, with it that big, I think we can get a safe sample without harming it. Thoughts, XO?"

Amelia looked up also at the massive structure. “You’re the expert, I just work here. Proceed at your discretion Lieutenant.” Amelia turned just in time to see the hooded figure raise its hand and lower the hood. She looked at it quizzically. “Captain?”

"Yes number one," Jon said.

"Where are you right now?" Amelia said.

Jon cocked an eyebrow at True. "Right where you left me, on the bridge. Are you okay Fox?"

She met his gaze, her expression just as surprised and perhaps a bit worried.

"That depends from where I'm sitting your stood at the back of the cockpit in robes,"

The robed Jon spoke, "Beware the dark ones. They destroyed and conquered many races including our own."

"Lieutenant Karakalakss," Jon said as they watched Amelia staring at nothing. "Are you seeing me in that shuttle?"

Lilura turned away from where she was studying the artifact to once again look back into the runabout. This time, the shadow figure was more fully there, and looked just like Skriersturn, her friend on the council. "Umm, no, my figure has now become council Elder Te'erskhaskaratax, and he is speaking to me," Lilura replied, leaving off that he was the one to approve of her going into Starfleet instead of the Protectorate StarForce.

"Your talking sir. A warning. Its communicating with us," she said suddenly.

"With my face," Jon said confused.

The doppelganger Reynolds continued Amelia repeating its words for everyone to hear.

As Amelia repeated the words, Lilura's ears flicked as she mouthed 'Same' to let those listening that she was hearing the same exact words Amelia was speaking.

"Our race was decimated. Deemed unworthy. They came as shadows. Appearing to everyone differently as their worst fears and nightmares. A few of us survived and managed to get to a colony,"

The image fritzed several times. "Lieutenant," Amelia said to the Soliodaran. "I think this thing is failing. You need to get that sample now,"

Lilura nodded and said, "On it." She shifted her focus from co-pilot seat to the specialty controls for procuring a sample with the attached pod at the ready with its various cutters, beams, sterilizers, and small tractor beam for procuring a sample. She had already been looking over the artifact and had found a likely place for a sample with plenty of writings of a smaller size upon three faces. She moved the shuttle closer and deployed the cutter implements.

"Copy that," Jon said over the link. He pressed a button his chair and connected to Medical. "Dr Syvar, Are Lieutenant Fox's vitals ok shes communiting with the monolith."

The young doctor nodded slowly, eyes fixed on his read-out. "Anxiety levels are rising," he reported, "stress hormones are within parameters but only just. She's alright... for now. I'm keeping an eye on her."

"We completed research on transdimensional shift, to hide in the spaces between the bigger spaces. Places where they couldn't find us and placed this telepathic beacon to warn others to turn back. They reside in Tarturus ..." The image started to get less solid.

"Karakalakss faster, we are loosing it," Amelia stated.

"I'm cutting out the sample now..." Lilura replied. She was going as fast as the tools would allow.

Amelia watched as the engineer started cutting in. "Captain I'm picking up a viberation when we started cutting in. Its doubling in intensity every 3 seconds. Either its that old its falling at the seams or we have triggered some safeties or self destruct."

Jon turned to the intelligence and security chief his current makeshift pilots. "Get them out of these the second we have that sample. Datari get everything you can on that structure and whats happening. If it is falling apart we might be able to get some information from scanning through the cracks."

"I'm doing the best I can," Aidan replied, "I need time to analyse all this... I'm not a miracle worker."

"Roger captain, standing by" Rose replied, giving a nod to Haulval

Jon turned to True, "Counselor bring up anything you can in the databanks on Tarturus."

"Yes sir," True tapped in the inquiry quickly. "Tarturus . . . is the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans. Tartarus is the place where, according to Plato's Gorgias, souls are judged after death and where the wicked received divine punishment." Her voice got softer towards the end. There was no need to tell anyone that she didn't like the sound of that at all.

Lilura used her hands, tail, and psionic hands to quickly manipulate the cutters while pinpoint tractoring the chunk she was working on. The back beams intersected and she drew it away. She now had a double tetrahedral shape coming towards the shuttle, elongated towards the apex. *Two pyramids stacked on top each other at their bases, with the apex longer than the base width* With the sample away she stated, "Got it.. just need to get it within our shields.... and... " Lilura deployed the capture cage around the artifact sample and activated its force field. "It's ours."

Amelia smiled "Good work there, Lets get the sample onboard and...." Her voice trialed off and the enormous structure started to literally fall apart.

Jon and the bridge watched in amazement as the monolith just seemed to turn to dust in space. He could sense everyone's shock as all the particles seemed to put them in the middle of a creepy nebula. "What happened?" he asked. "Are you okay Phineus? There still on sensors right?" he asked Aidan. "Doctor their okay? We still have vitals?"

Aidan gave no verbal response as he worked his controls. Syvar gave the man a concerned look before glancing back at his own sensors. "We have vitals sir," he reported, "they're off the charts but they're there."

Amelia finally manged to speak again. "Phineus to Andromeda, we're still here. Which is more than can be said for the monolith. It.... just disintegrated."

Lilura spoke over the comm. =^= Bridge, Phineus. While the scenery is pretty and all, but after having an ancient huge artifact disintegrate on us.. could you please bring us home?=^=

"Get them back to the ship," he ordered after hearing the familiar voices back on the comm. He was suddenly very relieved.


"Did we get the sample?" he asked

Amelia checked her status board "Yes Captain, we have the sample in the cargo hold. Lieutenant Karakalass can give more information"

=^= Yes sir, and a nice sized sample it is, of external and internal... let's just hope it tells us something.=^=

Jon stood up and stated, "I'm going down to meet them. Counselor, Lieutenant Belikov, Dr Syvar with me. Lieutenant Haulval, you have the bridge. Lieutenant Datari - try get a sample of that ….. dust …. I'll catch up with you in due course."

"Try get a sample," Aidan muttered as he didn't even look up to acknowledge the order. "And how am I to do that from up here? Use the transporter?" He was too tired to think straight.

"Fox to Andromeda, It's looks like we're done here and all the visions seemed to have diapered. At your convince, we'd like to come home now."

Jon stepped to one side letting the ladies into the turbolift first. He froze for a moment when his empathic abilities picked up just how tired Aidan was. He was definitely having a chat with him, he decided.

In the flurry of activity, True recognized her unease with the object. She'd wanted to pull him aside and ensure no one entered the room without full quarantine procedures in affect, but she held herself back. He was the Captain and she should let him be it.

OFF:

●○ Lieutenant JG Lilura Siana Karakalakss
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Andromeda

●●● Commander Jonathan Reynolds
Commanding Officer
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant Aidan Datari
Chief Science Officer
USS Andromeda

●● Lieutenant Amelia Fox
Executive Officer
USS Andromeda

○● Lieutenant JG J Haulval
Intelligence Officer
USS Andromeda

○● Lieutenant JG Rosaline Belikov
Chief Security / Tactical Officer
USS Andromeda