Signal Mystery

Posted on Sun Mar 26th, 2023 @ 11:02pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar

Mission: Unknown Colony
Location: USS Washington

The Washington was traveling at low warp. It had been several weeks since they had returned from the 21st century, and after a short respite on Earth they had returned to patrol the border near unoccupied space.

It was late, 0230 and Gamma shift was running things as most of the crew was sleeping. Ayana had drawn bridge command and sat quietly at the center of the bridge, a group of junior officers manning the bridge stations. It had been another uneventful day, and this duty shift was proving to been more of the same.

"Lieutenant, I am detecting a low level signal. It is unlike anything I have seen before. It appears to be a tachyon based signal" said Ensign Hargrove from Ops.

"Tachyon based?" questioned Ayana aloud. "Where is it coming from?"

"Triangulating. Signal origin 112.44, distance 3 light years. The Rhode system. Yellow dwarf star, unexplored, considered unremarkable."

Ayana considered the situation. She knew exactly what needed to be done, though she was loathe to do at least part of it. "Helm, alter course. Take us to the origin of the signal. Full sensor scan, yellow alert, raise shields." She then reluctantly hit her comm badge, =^= Ayana to Capt Shran. Apologies for waking you sir, but we are detecting an unknown signal coming from an unexplored star system.=^=

Shran slowly rolled onto his side in his bed and reached out for his comm badge, =^=Very well lieutenant. Begin scanning and gathering information, alter course to investigate. Contact Cmdr Grayson and have him meet me on the bridge.=^=

=^=Understood sir.=^= As the channel closed Ayana gave the order to wake up Cmdr Grayson as she walked over to Ops to take a closer look at the sensor data. "Who or what is emitting that signal?" she questioned aloud.

Shran quickly dressed and exited his quarters. Ayana wouldn't wake him if it was something normal. Something about this, either the signal itself or its origin concerned her, and that concerned him. He made his way to the turbolift and began the short trip to bridge. They had a mystery to solve, and he hoped it would be something simple for once.