Station Post #27

Posted on Sat Jan 27th, 2024 @ 7:15pm by Captain Tore Bjorgo & Lieutenant Sheyla & Lieutenant Odac Yova & Shep

Mission: Character Development 2023
Location: Expanse
Timeline: Concurrent

ON:

Inside the expanse the Currency slowly could feel time slowing down. Not only the instruments but thought processes and even reactions.

Hinged on the here and now the crew found themselves sitting at their post like mannequins in a mirror.

Even the signal from the S.O.S moved strangled outward as the hope it carried was but a mere wish.

On the USS Nazgul, Captain Bjorgo sat in his chair, observing the massive asteroid they were pulling up along side. Ensign Jazmin announced that they were now matching course and speed with the asteroid as she locked in the auto-pilot.

"Well done, Ensign. Number One..."

"Captain," Resch interrupted as his Captain looked his way. "We're getting an emergency beacon from a vessel, the SS Currency. It is badly garbled but they claim to be caught in some kind of anomaly. They are requesting aid."

Damn it, thought Bjorgo. First this beacon, now another. It seemed that Nazgul would be tested this day. "Let them know we've heard their call and are on our way." Tore's eyes went to Billi. They had an ARGO shuttle (ST: Nemesis, the ATV carrying shuttle) and a Delta flyer. "Number One, get your away team on the Delta and go see to the ship on the asteroid. The Nazgul will depart for the Currency the moment you exit the shuttle bay."

"Aye, Sir." Billi responded, waving Resch in as they both headed for the lift. "Mister Covenant, you too. We'll need both your engineering skills and your scientific background." Griffon had stepped into the lift to wait while Billi held the door open until Mister Covenant joined them. She would take a medical officer, as well, but the CMO may be needed on Nazgul during the other rescue operation. The lift swallowed them up and closed its doors.

Seeing his away team had left, with the posts now filled with reliefs, Bjorgo addressed his orders forward. "Break away as soon as the shuttle has departed, Miss Jazmin. Get us clear of the system and set coordinates for the SS Currency."

"Will do, Sir." Jazmin did her job, and seeing that the shuttle had left the Nazgul, began to steer Nazgul away from the asteroid/comet. She accelerated to full impulse to get clear of the star system. A short time later she announced they were in clear space, with coordinates locked in.

"Thank you, Jaz." Bjorgo looked over at his Security station. "Tactical, keep in contact if you can. Tell them we're on our way. ETA...Jaz?"

"We can be there in twelve minutes at warp six, sir."

"Relay that to them. Alert medical that we may have need for their services and to prepare for wounded." Bjorgo ordered. All was done as he directed as the Nazgul jumped to light speed.

Time moved slow which meant life support did as well as Shep looked to Odac for a last thought.

" I...am...sorrrry."

The USS Nazgul arrived in twelve minutes and thirty-seven seconds, dropping to one-quarter impulse as they came out of warp. "An asteroid expanse?" Bjorgo asked out loud, not really aimed at anyone.

"It would appear that further exploration of this region is needed," Ainkara responded, her chair turned so she could more easily see the viewport and her console without much effort. It was a deadpan reply, but it did break some of the tension with how matter-of-fact it was.

"Nice segway, Kara." Bjorgo said as he got to his feet. "Alright, people, we have a job to do. Miss Ainkara give me your best scans. Jazmin, get ready to drive at my command. Alert all departments to the issue and make sure they have all the information they need."

His people went to work.

Damage to the Currency was extreme but fortunately Odac Yova had managed to bypass the remaining power to the small bridge area.

Still realing from the effects of the temporal distortion Odac saw the approach of a ship and hoped it was their salvation.

The Tactical station spoke up. "Captain, we're being scanned. The power output is minimal, but it is active."

"Good," Tore said as he ascended the steps to the forward Bridge area, standing in front of the viewport. "Open a channel." The Ensign did so, giving a nod when ready. "SS Currency, this is the USS Nazgul, Captain Tore Bjorgo commanding. Please, respond."

=^=..s...s C....ncy. L.u...tenant Yov....a=^= Odac replied using his Comm badge as the time dilation slowed his reply.

Bjorgo half turned to look over at his Tactical station. "Does that sound like it's dragging?"

"Aye, Sir." The tactical officer adjusted the settings, then played the message back at a faster rate and it came out normal. "SS Currency. Lieutenant Yova."

"That's better," Bjorgo said. He went to speak further as Kara spoke up.

"Captain, I am picking up an odd set of readings." She explained. "That message, according to our own chronometers, took twenty minutes to get there, and then return an answer."

Bjorgo was done standing in front of the viewport, moving over to her station. "Twenty minutes? Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sir." Kara answered. "There is a temporal ripple emanating from that asteroid field they are stuck in."

"Son of a..." Tore stopped himself from finishing the curse. "Alright, with Billi off the ship you are Acting Number One, Miss Kara. Find a way to keep Nazgul from being affected, and how to get us moving so we can pull the Currency out of that rock bed."

"Will do, Sir."

Tore tapped his combadge. "Mister Yova, if you can read this there is a temporal imbalance in this area. It is affecting communications. Hold fast and keep your ship intact, we will get to you as soon as we can. Captain Bjorgo, out." He glanced around his Bridge. "I need miracles people, get on it."

=^= Tha...k u=^= Yova replied .

The Currency however was ironically against at a rapid rate as its hull from the aft began rusting and falling apart.

Apparently the effects of this anomali was to break down and consume.

Within three minutes, with all on the bridge hearing their own voices and seeing their own actions slowing down, were hoping beyond hope that the Science Chief/Number One was worth her weight in latinum strips.

Ainkara did not disappoint. "Captain, I can create a static warp bubble around the Nazgul, with the interior of said shell infused with Thorium and acoustic radiation. It will offset the temporal affects and negate the eddies, as long as it is up."

"Do it!" Bjorgo ordered. He tapped his badge again. "Bjorgo to Sheyla."

The Doctor's voice came back quickly. "Sheyla here, Captain."

"Doctor, I need you and your staff to inoculate the entire crew against radiation sickness," Tore explained. "We have a situation that requires the ship be submerged in a cloud of radiation. I'll explain later, just get it done."

"Aye, Sir. We're already moving. Sickbay, out."

Kara turned her chair halfway around to look at her superior. "Static warp bubble established with Thorium infusion underway, Captain. Shall I wait for the Doctor to finish her task?"

"No." Bjorgo said. "Currency needs us and the sooner we can get to them the better."

Tactical spoke up just then. "Captain, sensors show that the Currency is losing hull integrity. Her aft section is beginning to strain."

"Here I thought today was a good day," Tore grumbled to himself. "Miss Jazmin, when number One give the okay we need to move around and come in on Currency's port side. Tactical, reverse the polarity on the tractor beam and have it on standby." Both officer acknowledged the orders and got to work.

Kara, finishing her final ingredient for her warp bubble pot of soup, turned and looked at the back of Jaz's head. "Helm, we are good to maneuver. You may proceed."

Jazmin placed her hands on her console, her trained hands gliding over the controls as she tapped quick as could be. The asteroid field and stars swung to the right as Nazgul pitched to the left to enter the asteroid field and come in on Currency's port side.

Tore tapped his badge yet again. "Nazgul to Currency. I know this message will take some time to receive and interpret. Just know we are moving within the asteroid field to try and get you free of whatever this is. Hang on for another few minutes. Nazgul, out."

Bjorgo, nothing else to do, sat down in his chair and looked to the forward viewport. Jazmin was good but he had failed to see how good on previous missions. She ran through the asteroids at one-quarter impulse, maneuvering Nazgul up, down, standing on her sides, and even a couple of barrel rolls to avoid a collision with the larger chunks of ice and rock. The smaller pieces impacted the shields and the warp bubble, either disintegrating or blowing apart into far smaller and less deadly pieces.

"Coming up on the Currency, Captain." Jazmin announced.

Tore could see that the aft section of the ship was looking worse for wear. He could see hull plates straining against the forces trying to hold it in place.

Ainkara spoke up. "Captain, Currency has been released, but..." she paused in what she was going to say.

"But, what?" Asked Tore.

"It seems that we have attracted its attention, Sir."

"Excellent." Bjorgo said with a grin, now sitting on the edge of his seat. "Jazmin, fly overtop the Currency. Tactical, belay my order for the tractor beam. Standard functions. We're going to yank that ship out of here and head for safer waters."

Kara tossed over her shoulder. "Tactical, grab the Currency at the bow. The aft section is in no condition for the crushing force of a tractor beam." Tactical acknowledged and did as instructed.

"Jazmin, can you keep asteroids between us and that, whatever it is?" The Captain asked.

"Already on it, Sir."

"Good girl," Tore responded, sliding back to normal sitting in his chair.

CURRENCY

Even under time dilation the Currency shuddered away from the reach of the anomali.

Shep aroused and sat up as did his Ferengi crew and Yova . Odac jumped over to Ops but no other power was available for thrusters.

NAZGUL

"It's now or never, Captain!" Jazmin said as she maneuvered the Reliant class like a runabout, slipping between two larger asteroids and coming out the other side as the Nazgul slipped passed the bow.

"Tactical!" Bjorgo ordered. "Hook that fish and reel it in!"

Tactical did as ordered, the tractor beam latching onto the bow of the Currency even as Jazmin began to turn around another large asteroid. They kept the tractor beam tether very short, to aid with keeping the vessel closer to Nazgul as they maneuvered.

Bjorgo looked to Science. "Lieutenant Kara, Tactical is busy. Prepare aft torpedoes!"

Ainkara manipulated her control board quick as could be. "Torpedoes ready, Captain."

"When we slip around this asteroid and head for open space on a straight line, send a torpedo into that asteroid." Ordered Bjorgo. She acknowledged the order.

Ensign Jazmin came around the asteroid and as the asteroids began to thin out she let the Bridge know. "Heading for open space, now." The Currency's starboard side scraped along the large asteroid they were planning on firing upon. Not enough to cause severe damage but enough to scrape away a few hull plates. "Sorry, Sir. Couldn't be helped."

"Focus on leaving, Ensign." Bjorgo said.

The USS Nazgul broke into an open starfield and free space without hindrances. "Free and clear to navigate, Sir." Jazmin reported.

"Not a moment too soon. Kara, launch torpedoes into the asteroid. Fire away." Tore ordered.

The two streaking photons left the tubes as a pair, then split apart by 100 meters as they raced for the asteroid. The impacts brought forth the destructive, explosive power of the missile weapons. The asteroid had a huge concave pit blasted into it even as the flotsam expanded out and away from it, causing the asteroid to begin moving deeper into the asteroid field itself. Whatever had been trying to follow them seemed to have either lost interest, or had been deterred by the attack on the space rock.

"Damn, that was close," Bjorgo sighed out, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his chin.

"Captain," Kara said. "Anomaly coming around the blasted asteroid. It seems to have consumed some of the materials and is now coming our way."

"Bloody hell," Tore tossed out, sitting up once more. "Jazmin, best speed to M-69."

Kara swung around. "I advise no faster than warp three, Captain. The Currency is damaged and a wormhole may cause it to lose pieces of itself."

"Fine," Bjorgo responded. "Tactical, pull Currency right along side, as close as you can without collision. Kara," he looked over at her. "Extend our warp bubble and encompass Currency. Like a mother hen with her chicks."

Kara had no idea what a hen was, or a chick, but since the Captain had used the word mother, she suspected it was a protective animal when it came to its young, so she spun back to her station to accomplish the task asked of her. "Aye, Sir."

By the time Ainkara had finished her calculations, ready to extend the warp bubble, Tactical announced that Currency was along side, starboard. Manipulating the controls Kara set the warp bubble to expand outwards enough to envelop Currency. "Warp bubble set for when we jump to warp, Captain."

"Kick it, Jaz."

Ensign Jazmin set for warp three, adjusted her coordinates and then tapped the key. The starfield stretched for a few moments and then there was a shimmering light as they entered the Einstein-Rosen bridge, Nazgul settling at warp three as a swirling white tunnel could be seen dead ahead. "Cruising at warp three, Captain." Jaz reported.

For the second time Tore relaxed back into his seat rest. But, again, Kara spoke up and something told him it was not good news.

"Captain, the anomaly is pursuing us. The temporal eddies have ceased but it is now fixated on us...and gaining."

"Gaining?" That bit of information surprised Bjorgo, so he stood and went over. "How long until it can catch us?"

Having already calculated their trip to M-69, Kara's brain did more math before responding. "By the time we reach the outer markers it will be within the same range of Nazgul as it was with Currency. We'll be fairly close to M-69, within the lagoon, but we will be bringing this anomaly with us."

Bjorgo was listening, with the Captain once more playing with his chin and whiskers, his mind running over the past hour. "When we entered the asteroid field, the anomaly had Currency held but was also consuming some of the asteroids. Did we get any composition scans for the asteroids?"

"Of course, Captain." Kara said. "The sensors are always gathering data. I just have not had the time to look at it."

Tore nodded, and the slightest hint of a grin appeared in the corners of his mouth. His eyes set as one who noticed something that no one else did and he had a wicked idea in regards to it. "When we swooped in the anomaly held no interest for us. It kept it's hold on Currency. But, once we were close enough I can only surmise that it detected something about Nazgul that seemed more 'tasteful' for it."

Jazmin turned her chair enough to look back. "Honestly, I think it was the Thorium. Thorium is a naturally-occurring, slightly radioactive metal, and with that thing gobbling up asteroids, perhaps it has a way of detecting what is what for resources. Kinda like that planet killer Captain Kirk dealt with years ago."

Kara nodded along, her own mind racing a mile a minute. "Thorium is more abundant in nature than uranium. It is fertile rather than fissile, and can only be used as a fuel in conjunction with a fissile material such as recycled plutonium.
Thorium fuels can breed fissile uranium-233 to be used in various kinds of nuclear reactors. Molten salt reactors are well suited to thorium fuel, as normal fuel fabrication is avoided. Perhaps this anomaly, or being, has a way of converting the Thorium to energy so it has the energy to move on to better hunting grounds."

Bjorgo was proud of his crew, his girls, as he thought of them. Sheyla came onto the Bridge, administering hypos of anti-radiation meds. She came over and injected Tore and Kara, even if she knew that radiation would take a long time to overtly affect either the Captain or the Science Chief. "Kara, why is there Thorium aboard?"

"Research and energy experiments, Captain. We still have a few cargo units of it left aboard."

Tore gave a big smile and a light chuckle, grabbing the Voran by her cheeks and leaning in to kiss the side of her face. "Brilliant! Tactical," he spun to face that station. "Prepare to release the Currency. Jazmin, I need that race car driver more than ever. We'll drop from warp, Kara will activate our static warp shell and we'll launch a torpedo filled with thorium to keep this thing looking at us. You'll need to steer the torpedo like a drone, Lieutenant Kara, to keep it out in front of the anomaly until it passes the Currency. Once that is accomplished we detonate the torpedo, letting this thing know that all that yummy thorium came from us. We then jump back to warp and head for the Lagoon. There, we'll have strength in numbers." He looked around the Bridge. "Anyone opposed, have questions, wish to add anything?"

No one spoke up.

Bjorgo walked back over and ascended the dais for his chair, standing before it. "Open a channel to Currency." It was done and Tore addressed the private vessel. "Nazgul to Currency. We'll be dropping from warp at which time we will cruise along at full impulse for two minutes. We will release the Currency from our tractor beam, allowing you to continue on your way to M-69 by way of inertia. Get clear, send a distress call to M-69, and if you have any engine power whatsoever use it to veer away from us. Nazgul is going to turn and face this thing, buying you time. Nazgul, out."

With that done Tore felt better. Since this anomaly had decided that Nazgul was the better target, he would accommodate. "Tactical, send a message to M-69. Explain the situation, our location, and that we're coming in hot with this anomaly in pursuit." The tactical officer acknowledged the orders and began to text the message. Bjorgo glanced to his right, seeing the extra station on the Bridge for officers to use during duty shifts. It was high time to make another change to the command deck. "Jazmin, prepare to secure from warp and travel at full impulse."

"Aye, Sir. Ready when you are, Captain."

"Execute," Bjorgo ordered. Almost instantly the streaking, swirling white of the wormhole vanished, to be replaced by the standard starfield. "Maintain course and speed for two minutes." The order was acknowledged by helm. "Tactical, release the tractor beam on my mark." Again, the order was acknowledged.

Kara spoke up as she turned her chair to look at her CO. "Captain, the anomaly has stopped."

"What?" Once more Tore made his way over to the Science station. That was when he noted that Doctor Sheyla was still on the Bridge, and providing an extra set of hands for the Science Chief. He did see that what Ainkara had said was true. The anomaly had stopped, exactly at the same time they had dropped from warp. "Any ideas?"

Kara galnced up at him, about to answer, when she suddenly clutched both sides of her skull and pushed herself out of her chair and onto her knees, pitching forward as her arms came down to support her upper body on hands and knees. The biosynthetics within her brain, those placed there by the Iconians, began to cause her sharp pain. A migraine times ten. The reticle in her right eye began to spin and activated her internal data storage, but this time including both eyes so that she could see all it had to offer with both eyes. When she had gone to her knees , and then pitched forward, both Bjorgo and Sheyla reached to try to pull her back up to get her in her chair.

"Don't touch me!" This came out forced and direct, even as her eyes that were looking down on the black deck plates began to show her images within her mind using the floor as a backdrop. A datastream formed and began to give her information, which was written in Iconian, laying out a large amount of data.

Bjorgo knew he needed to focus on his ship. "Doctor, see to her when she's ready." He turned to face the front. "Jazmin, we ready?"

"Aye, Sir." The Ensign responded. "Ten seconds short of the two minute mark."

"Release Currency and then make a hard bank to head back towards the anomaly. Make it happen, you two." Bjorgo ordered, seeing Jazmin and the Tactical Officer working together to do all he directed.

Sheyla, not sure what she could do for Kara since the woman had demanded not to be touched, sat down at the Science station, adjusting readings to aid the ship. If Kara needed her help then she was right there when she asked. But, for now, she was doing what the officer had asked. "Captain, the temporal eddies are beginning again. It seems that this thing doesn't like to sit idle."

"Can you raise the static warp shell, Doctor?" Bjorgo asked.

"Yes, Sir. Ainkara has it set for activation with a tap of a few keys."

"Raise the shell and keep me posted on any further changes." Tore looked down on his Science Chief, still on her hands and knees, breathing heavily, the veins on her temples and forehead popping out as one would when in pain and fighting for control of that pain. That was when he saw a drop of green blood hit the deck beneath her face, and then another, and then a slow, steady stream of it. He went to a knee beside her, not touching her, but speaking calmly. "Kara, don't fight it. Whatever is going on with you it is obvious it has something to do with current events. Let's find out why."

Kara nodded her head through the pain, seeing her own blood as it dripped steadily from her nose and onto the deck. "Yes...Sir!" She said through clenched teeth. Perhaps the Captain was right, she thought. Let the bio-implants do what they were trying to do. So, doing as suggested, Kara gave in to the implants, letting them show her what it is they had to offer.

Bjorgo, not having the time to keep tabs on Kara, went back to his chair and sat down since Sheyla was right there for the Voran woman. "Jazmin, ETA to intercept the anomaly?"

"Three minutes, Sir. We'll be at extreme phaser range at that time."

"Thank you. Steady as she goes, then." Tore ordered.

After about a minute Kara pushed herself to a kneeling position, butt resting on her heels as she began to breathe evenly, using the back of her right hand to swipe away the blood coming from her nose and cascading down her lips. The green smear ended up on her hand, with a bit of it still on her face. Swiping the fluid away on her pants she stood up quickly, grabbing a handful of Sheyla's uniform at the shoulder and pretty much yanking the woman from the chair and shoving her away. "Move." Sheyla decided not to argue seeing that Kara was moving with purpose. "Captain, we are facing a being that can manipulate time at a whim. The USS Enterprise under Captain Kirk faced one of these beings in the past. The being back then referred to itself as Gola. The Iconians knew of these creatures and let them be since time travel of any kind destroys the Iconian mind."

Bjorgo, glad to see his Science Chief back on her feet, also found that tidbit of information fascinating. He locked it away for another time and discussion. "How does that help us, Lieutenant Kara?"

She turned to face him directly. "When the Enterprise was at a loss for how to deal with the being, and their methods were unorthodox to say the least, they discovered that the being was searching for its parent. Which, in this case, happened to be a star. After some communicating with the alien the Enterprise led the creature to the particular star it had described, which was its 'parent'. Whether this one is doing the same remains to be seen. What is attracting it to the Nazgul is our warp core. Ours is far more efficient and powerful than the Currency, so when we came into its range near to Currency, it switched its priorities to us for fuel. However, the whole 'fueling' notion is just that. A notion; a theory."

"I see," Bjorgo said, his mind going into thinking mode.

"Captain," Jazmin cut in. "We are now at extreme phaser range, Sir. But, the temporal distortion is getting stronger the closer we get."

It was time to try something. Bjorgo sat more upright in his chair now that his decision had been made. "Lock phasers on target, bolts not beams, and wait for my orders. Reduce to half impulse." Helm acknowledged the orders and Nazgul continued to drive towards the anomaly.

Over the next twelve minutes the USS Nazgul swung around the anomaly twice, all the while firing phasers and torpedoes. Despite direct hits according to sensors, there was no appreciable damage to it, as if the weapons had never even touched it. "Well, that was a bust," stated Bjorgo with an exasperated tone.

Once the Nazgul was back on a straight course towards M-69, and away from the anomaly, Ensign Jazmin half turned to look back at Tore. "Captain, if this thing thinks our warp core is mommy, or food, or whatever, then it makes sense that with this distance between us we should jump to warp and head for 69. Our core lights up like a Christmas tree when we are at light speed, so it may be incentive enough to get it to follow us."

Thinking on that for a few moments Bjorgo grinned. "Sounds like a bit of a stretch, but with nothing else to go on we have no choice. We need to keep it away from the Currency so they can limp their way back to base."

Kara spoke up as Tore finished. "I have been thinking on that, Captain. What if what the Gola thought was a parent was just a star, that had all the nutrients it ever needed. The Lagoon Nebula is full of all types of particles and elements, one of which is hydrogen in great abundance. Perhaps if we gave it a trough to eat from it will go back to being dormant."

"Not to mention," Sheyla said. "That if it is intelligent, or a living creature, do we have the right to arbitrarily destroy it for only doing what comes natural to it; survival."

"Both of you make valid points, and you, Jaz." Bjorgo had a choice to make. Lure this thing to the Lagoon nebula and see what happens, or continue to find a way to destroy it. The last thing Tore ever wanted to do was kill something that was a lifeform that could be intelligent. They had no idea how rare these creatures were and to destroy one could be a step in extinction. However, if it turned out to be more of a danger then leading it to the neighborhood of M-69 could be detrimental to the base itself, and all who passed through the region.

Making up his mind, Captain Bjorgo gave the orders to warp back to 69 and the Lagoon, while sending a message to M-69 that they were coming back, with the creature following, and to have all merchant traffic moved from the area and all Starfleet assets on standby. Once his orders were initiated he gave the order to jump to warp three, and the moment they attained light speed the Gola began to follow. So far, it was working. This time, however, the Gola did not seem in a rush to overtake them, instead seemingly content with just following. That reduced the anxiety for the crew of the Nazgul even as they approached the Lagoon, warping through the traffic lanes that were now empty since their transmission an hour before. The base, according to Tactical, was at Yellow Alert. Giving orders, Bjorgo told Jazmin to angle the ship towards the largest pocket of hydrogen she could detect, then drop to impulse once they had lured the Gola within. Doing as ordered, the Nazgul vibrated slightly as it penetrated the cloud of hydrogen, the Gola close behind, when Jazmin cut warp drive and reduced speed to half impulse. The Gola had stopped and seemed to just sit there with no evidence of the time distortions.

A few minutes later Nazgul had turned and left the hydrogen micro-nebula, the Gola still within and still dormant. "Congratulations, people. I think it worked. All stop, Miss Jaz. Let's hold here and observe."

"If nothing else," stated Sheyla. "It will give the Science department on M-69 something to do for a while."

Tore was not about to let the Nazgul sit idle for long. He had an away team out there that needed to be picked up and seen to. But, for now, they would wait and see what came next from the base.

OFF: