Into the Unknown

Posted on Sat Mar 9th, 2024 @ 10:34am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson & Lieutenant Inara Senn

Mission: Lost & Found
Location: USS Washington

"Shields and deflector to maximum, yellow alert, prepare to take us into the asteroid field" Shran said as he made his way to his command station, many of the other senior officers also moving to their own stations.

"Shields and deflector to maximum" Ayana noted from tactical, the klaxon sounding once as the lights dimmed somewhat and a yellow light came upon things.

"Security teams have transported to the Daystrom and Hudson" Deanna informed from Ops.

"Things running smoothly thus far" Shran quipped to Jon.

"Yes sir, so far so good. Of course, I have my fingers crossed and a rabbit's foot in my pocket." He joked.

Callie couldn’t help but grin at the lighthearted banter between Shran and Jon as she took her seat. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

"The magnesite continues to limit sensors, but I am updating our course to return to the location of where the Hudson was located. This should give us time to update the sensors to find the source of the biogenic radiation" Deanna noted from Ops.

Sam had taken one of the universal stations at the rear of the bridge and had been reviewing the data received. It was intriguing and posed more questions than answers. "Nothing concrete in the data yet Captain" she announced.

"Captain, something is bombarding our shields" Ayana said from tactical.

"Detecting localized impacts of biogenic radiation. I would say the entities that took Shon and likely took the crews of the Daystrom and Hudson are attempting to board us. Beginning triangulation" Deanna added.

"Sam, anything new that you or Inara can tell me with these bombardments on our shields?" Shran queried.

"It's definitely biogenic, I'm tracing the origin now" Sam's fingers flew across her console and she cross referenced and triangulated the probable position of origin.

"I have an origin arc of between 250 and 290 degrees, 10 degrees up and down from our current axis and position. I'll try and narrow it further" she watched as the shields flickered. "Reversing the polarity may have some effect. Can't guarantee it though."

"Ayana, begin modulating the shields" Shran ordered. "Helm, alter course to 270.05, half impulse."

"New shield modulations seem to be effective" Ayana noted. "Magnesite concentrations are increasing significantly. Sensor range has been reduced to only 200,000 km."

"Captain, I've found a correlation between some of the data from Daystrom and the energy readings here. They also match the energy readings Tarja found on the Hudson" Sam caught the captain's attention with this new information. She began digging further into the detail of the energy signatures and the biogenic readings.

Callie looked worriedly at Jon, if the shield modifications were to fail who knew what would happen next. Would the crew of the Washington become prisoners, or would they join the list of the missing? Her hands clenched as she sat waiting to see what would happen next.

"Are we detecting any anomalies that might explain where this radiation signature may be emanating from?" Shran asked.

"Nothing as of yet sir" Deanna noted. A moment passed, "Correction, I am detecting a large distortion field at the extreme range of our sensors. Readings would indicate a large body cloaked. The cloak is imperfect, perhaps we are causing them to expend more power than they can effectively hide. Routing coordinates to helm and tactical."

Shran look to Jon, "Thoughts?"

Jon thought on what Deanna had reported. "Could be a Romulan warbird with the distortion field being as large as it is. Or it could be some unknown race that also has cloaking technology."

"Could it be whatever the hell is using biogenic radiation against us? Shield efficiency is dropping, it's like they're adapting" Sam reported.

"I definitely believe it is whoever took Shon and left the Hudson and Daystrom as derelicts. Might it be a new race or just the Romulans as Jon suggests I can't say, but we are going to find out." Shran looked at the readout and then made an immediate decision. "Auxiliary power to the shields. Ayana, phasers to 50% power. Fire a phaser volley at the distortion."

The Washington phaser arrays came to life and launched their blasts towards the distortion field. A few seconds later they contacted the field, and everyone on the bridge was privy to the visual of a small planetoid shimmer into existence.

"Report" Shran ordered.

"Shield bombardment has stopped" Ayana stated quickly.

"It is a dwarf planetoid" Deanna replied. "Reading it as 470 km in radius, making almost the size of Ceres in the Terran system. Reading massive amounts of biogenic radiation being generated. Detecting over 1 million life forms, including human, Vulcan, Deltan, Andorian, and other Federation races. I would say we have located at least where everyone was taken, though the who and why remain a mystery."

"Attempt to hail them. Deanna, Inara, continue to take as many readings as possible." Shran ordered.

"They are not responding to the hails sir" Ayana notified.

"Continue hailing them" Shran ordered. "I doubt they ever thought anyone would detect them."

"Unfortunately the Biogenic Radiation is effecting a broad modulation range on subspace. But I wonder.." Inara noted. "We know the exact modulation we tune our communicators to. Perhaps I can ping Shon's communicator with a data packet on a narrow band transmission and get a read on its location." She noted. Unfortunately transporting through this Biogenic Soup is not an option. Transporting anyone requires a source and a destination, and I doubt very much that Ms. Celes wants to be beamed into the Mantle of a planet."

"Shon has some unique biochemical markers going on since the delivery of her children. Once we get closer I can scan for her biosigns." Sam offered.

Callie sat curiously listening. “It’s amazing, I didn’t sense this planet or its occupants before, but now we’re this much closer I can. If there are other Betazoid’s down there Deanna and I should be able to sense them, maybe even communicate with them.”

"We have a source and destination already" Deanna noted as she looked at the newly uncloaked planetoid. "A rather large one at that. We simply need to penetrate the shielding to be able to transport anyone down or up for that matter. If they doctor can provide me with the biochemical markers she speaks of, I should be able to locate her amongst all the others of the planetoid."

"And what of the telepathic option Callie has suggested?" Shran questioned.

Deanna thought on the question for a moment before answering. "I would agree with her, if we can locate a Betazoid on the planetoid, or perhaps focus on one of the other races with telepathic abilities, contact should be possible. I would suggest though that our ability not to detect or even have a sense of this planetoid until we breached its cloak, and even now being unable to have any telepathic communication with any of the entities on the planet is at the least, troubling. This species may be able to shield itself from telepathic communication naturally or perhaps even have technology that does so. They have shown other remarkable technologies thus far, so something along those lines isn't out of the question."

"Callie, you can focus your attention on the telepathic aspect. Sam, assist Deanna to further her ability to attempt to locate Shon. Inara, continue your investigation using the communications avenue you suggested. We'll crack this problem one way or another" Shran said confidently.

"Yes sir" Sam nodded and downloaded what she had found so far on to a pad then headed over to Deanna, attempting to coax the sensors and transporters into penetrating the biogenic soul that stood between them and their people.

“Aye Sir” Callie nodded. “Would it be alright to use your Ready Room? I’m going to need to be able to concentrate.”

"By all means. Jon can go with you if you like" Shran replied.

"Aye sir." Jon replied to Shran before addressing Callie. "Come on Callie, let's get you inside where you can concentrate and see what you can pick up."