Celestial Origins

Posted on Sun Nov 16th, 2025 @ 8:43pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Ashlynn Regan

750 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Wild Wild West
Location: Astrometrics Lab
Timeline: After "Investigate and Report"

Ashlynn entered the astrometrics lab post haste. She wasn't in too much of a rush, but she was eager to dissect the data she recovered from the crashed ship and to determine where the starchart originated from. She immediately set down the PADD that contained the information she needed to use before logging into every console in the room to set them up to use theme as another set of eyes; she was using them to help sift through the Federation databases she had clearance for, so she could compare the information to the chart, including the anomaly and it's coordinates.

She uploaded the star chart into the computer before pulling it up on the main display in the room. There it was. The full graphic of the star chart with the coordinates of the presumed spatial anomaly in the center. The chart itself was quite basic, as if there were not to many known systems, if any. Perhaps if there were, they were uncharted?

The shape of the map was quite distinct; it was more rigid, rather than the standard of Federation star chart, which were most often square, similar to the sectors that they represented. She stood in awe. She always did, even when she was working in intelligence. There was something so fascinating about a new system or a spatial phenomenon that had gone uncharted.

Upon first glance, the territory of the faction that had claim to the ship appeared to be highlighted in yellow while the uncharted space was in gray, leaving the anomaly coordinates in red.

Shran walked into the lab and took a look at the strange yet impressive map. "Learn anything of interest?" he asked.

"I have the computer sifting through the databases that I have the clearance for, in the event that we have any existing insight on what we've found. So far it hasn't come up with anything concrete" she began. "From what I can analyze from the chart itself, it appears to be taken from the edge of the territory that belonged to the faction that also controlled the ship we found. Our presumed anomaly is represented by the coordinates in the center of the map, which correlate with the range of coordinates found in the Beta Quadrant."

She highlighted the coordinates before zooming out far enough to have most of the Beta Quadrant on the viewer. The neighboring sectors to the the anomaly were empty as expected, given that they were unexplored space. Ash zoomed out a bit further, only to find that they weren't far away at all. "Fascinating" she said, almost like a Vulcan. "The chart appears to only be a few sectors away from our current location" she added.

Shran looked at the information on the screen. "About 5 hours away at high warp. What do you know about this anomaly? Sam said you were attacked by some sort of energy creature. Is this creature from the anomaly?"

Ash continued working at the console for a moment before she turned to look at Shran. "According to the logs the Doctor found before her and Phoenix were attacked, the species that controlled the ship were discussing the possibility of finding a way to harness the energy, presumably from the anomaly. In the log after that the bridge was cast in an orange glow, and the bridge crew were being tormented" she trailed off.

"They were being eaten alive according to the logs. They mentioned that the energy beings resided in an energy nebula, which is presumably nearby the anomaly, or even surrounding it" Ash added ominously. "I advise caution sir. If we get too close, we may risk the same fate as the ship we found."

"Risk is why we are out here lieutenant. Seeking out new life, it can be dangerous. But your advisement it noted. Continue looking over the data. I'd have Inara or Deanna assist you, but both are occupied. I trust you can handle this though" Shran replied confidently.

Ash gave a professional smile. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”

"You wear the uniform, and you were intelligence. Letting me down never crossed my mind" Shran replied as he turned and exited. "I'll expect a report in an hour."

"Aye sir" Ashlynn said simply as she watched the captain leave. She appreciated those words, especially after everything in the past. She turned around and continued gathering up every last detail so she could compile it into the report for Captain Shran.

 

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