Learning of Mystery

Posted on Thu Mar 30th, 2023 @ 1:45pm by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Jonathan Grayson

Mission: Unknown Colony
Location: USS Washington

The turbolift doors opened and Shran walked out onto the bridge. The lights were low as would be typical at this time of night, but the condition lights showed yellow alert. The junior officers were at stations, Ayana was hovering over Ops looking at information as it came in. "Alright, tell me what has you spooked enough to wake me up" Shran said in a tired voice.

Ayana look back towards Shran. "I am sorry sir, but this is very unusual We detected an unusual signal coming from a nearby system. The signal itself was unusual as it was a tachyon based signal, but it appeared even more unusual as it was coming from a system that is meant to be uninhabited."

"And you decided yellow alert was necessary why?"

"Judgement call really sir. When I decided to investigate I thought it prudent to go to yellow alert and at least raise the shields. We will arrive in the system in 30 minutes, and our analysis of the tachyon signal is that it appears to be a communication signal, something akin to a subspace signal, just not quite as sophisticated."

Shran mused at the information. It was a mystery. The turbolift doors once again opened up and Shran looked back to see Jon arriving. "Good, Jon. It would seem gamma shift has stumbled upon a legitimate mystery."

Jon stepped onto the bridge and moved with fluid grace to where Shran and Ayana were standing, conversing. "Really? Sure it isn't just Ayana playing a joke?" Jon asked winking at Ayana to let her know he was teasing.

"It would be a poor joke waking up the captain at 0230" Shran replied tongue-in-cheek. "It appears we have a genuine mystery. A tachyon based communication signal originating from a star system that is meant to be uninhabited." Shran looked back to the Ops officer, "What do we know about this system?"

"It is a yellow dwarf system with only five planets, a class B, two class K planets, a class H, and the major planet in the system, a class J gas giant. The moons around the various B, H, and K class planets are all class D like Earth's moon, but the gas giant does have a dozen moons itself that are a variable type, though none are class M. It was considered an unremarkable system based on the one probe that scanned it in 2312."

"Thoughts?" questioned Shran, looking at Jon.

"As you said sir, a mystery. Could it possibly be just a random occurring signal? And if we're going to investigate, I would concentrate on the two class K planets. Maybe there is some type of dome system in place." Jon answered.

Ayana interrupted, "The signal isn't random. It is definitely artificially created with a purpose. We have the computer analyzing it."

"Get Deanna up here. This is the sort of thing she dissects quickly." Shran turned back to Jon, "I agree the K class worlds are the most likely to be where the signal originates, but if we find a dome or anything else, the question then becomes who put it there and why? Lots of questions right now, few answers."

The turbolift opened once again and Celes slowly walked out. Seeing Shran on Jon she questioned, "What seems to require my expertise so early in the morning?"

Shran turned to look at her, a pensive look on his face. "We have a mystery. The main thing for you right now involves a tachyon based communication signal."

Deanna arched an eyebrow incredulously as she looked at both of them, "You are joking right?"

Jon shook his head at Deanna's comment, "No joke Deanna. Hear for yourself."

Deanna sat down at Ops and took a look at the signal. "Whoever they are, they are using the tachyon signal the way we use subspace. Obviously without any relays the signal wouldn't reach another habitable system would be 4.35 years, and even then, that would reach the Kabal system, which has only one inhabited world which is barely reaching the early industrial period."

"Can you tell us anything else?" questioned Shran.

"To decipher the message will take a little time, but I have triangulated the signal to be coming from the third planet we are approaching, a K class planet."

"Very well. Keep working on deciphering the signal." Shran looked at Jon and Ayana, "I am thinking an away team may be in order. I want the two of you to go down once we reach the planet and scan it. I'll leave it to you to determine who else you want to take with you, though let's keep the initial team small."