FIRST RESPONDERS PART 2

Posted on Tue Jul 22nd, 2025 @ 7:06pm by Lieutenant JG Nic Covenant & Lieutenant Commander Ramvek Williams M.D. & Lieutenant JG Ellie Kees-Odak (Veran-Dallas) & Blaine Rich

Mission: Stellar Problems
Location: Runabout 2 Wacamaw
Timeline: Concurrent

On
< WACAMAW >
THE Danube 2 class runabout looked exactly like what it was meant to be, a small Starship. Even having a small triage and medical bay. 3 person transporter and larger weapons systems.

" Welcome to our new home ." Croesus greeted from his chair. 2 chairs ahead for navigation and operations, and one on either side for engineering and sensors.

“Ahh the joys of exploration” Ellie grinned as she took her seat at sensor control, she would need all the information she could gather.

" Lieutenant I am glad you came first. Science was my first love and having a good science officer makes or breaks a mission. Thank you for accepting this assignment. I would have invited Odac but who would have watched the kids?" Croesus replied.

Walking onto the Wacamaw Lieutenant Johnson looked around in awe "Commander this is some ship, I mean it looks more like a small Starship than a Runabout" he commented having never been on a ship quite like this before.

" That is does Doctor. Thank you for joining us. If we find new life you will be the first to see it." Croesus replied.

“I’m looking forward to getting down there, to see what we find.” Ellie grinned. “It’s been ages since I’ve been out on a planetary survey.”

Once Lt Salem and Ltjg Nic Covenant made it aboard Lt Commander Croesus gave the order to launch.

" Everybody buckle up...Lieutenant Goose it." Croesus commanded as he gave the order to engage.

Taking a vacant seat Johnson did as ordered and buckled up. Moments later he felt the ship take off as it made its way into open space. After being on the Base for so long this feeling was going to take some getting used to.

" Doctor are you okay?" Croesus asked as he turned to see him sitting.

"Yes, I'm fine. I haven't been on a ship in a long time so I guess I need to get 'my sea legs' back again" Johnson replied with a grin.

" This ship uses a Quantum Slipstream Drive. We may need Dramamine or something . Is that accessable?" Croesus asked.

"I do have something similar" Johnson stated "A very small amount of Axonol will have the same effect as Dramamine" James informed Croesus.

" Well my Klingon half could use the Axonal." Croesus winked.

Ellie had to smile. “I guess I’m lucky I’ve never had any problems that way, but then I’ve never flown aboard a ship with a QSD either.”

Croesus smiled.

" Sir we are clear from the station. Awaiting orders." Nic Covenant reported.
" Stations. Prepare for slipstream drive ."
" USS Wacamaw to Starbase M-69. We are engaging the QSD...now" Lt Salem reported.

=====≈=====================================
< Messier 46 System >

The drive over to the Pollux stars and the Nebula was beyond words as the Danube class 2 runabout dropped to impulse power. Croesus paused and then looked around the Bridge.

" Stations Report." Croesus called out.

" Helm answered all stop Commander." Nic replied.

" Communications open Commander." Salem reported.

" Science are your sensors operational?"

“Sciences ready for anything Sir!” Ellie grinned.

Nic Covenant then spoke up as he was noticing something odd.
" Commander we are being pulled off course slightly. Something has an extreme gravitational at extreme detector range." Nic reported.

" Science give me a reading on that gravitational pull." Croesus replied.

Ellie pulled up the readings she was getting through. “Looks like we’ve come across some spatial eddy’s Sir” she sent the readings across for Croesus to see.

Lt Salem then added , " Sir a relay message has been detected from an SS El Dorado. They appear to have taken damage and made it to a planet inside the Nebula. Must be our planet."

" Helm can we get there? " Croesus asked.

" Yes sir. Warp drive is still working and should compensate for the gravitational drag."

" Warp 2 then towards that planet." Croesus the ordered.

The Wacamaw turned into the eddies and soon found itself on track for the very planet they were seeking . On the viewer a large Earth like world with one moon slowly got larger.

"Sir I have the reading of that missing ship as well. They definitely made it to the planet." Salem reported.

" Well we have two mysteries to solve then." Croesus replied.

“Nothing we can’t solve in time though” Ellie smiled.

Beyond the planet a menacing reality of a dead star crept ever closer to the planet and anyone on it as the chunk of a stellar core fragment inched forward.

< Planet Side >

Night fell upon the jungle as the embers from the ships fire smoked the area. Tomorrow Hogus planned to go aboard to see what was salvageable but for now the large tree would have to be their solace.

Snorts and roars in the distance clearly defined they were not alone. As the moon shined Blain could see three set of eyes spying on them.

" I scanned those things. They are in the Terran Raptors class." Hobus said looking at his tricorder.

" Eaptors? That sounds dangerous We are going to die." Duchess stated.

" We are not going to die...I made some arrangements. Someone will find us." Blaine replied.

Hobus purked up and Mitzy mowed as she began licking itself.

< Runabout Wacamaw >

Commanders Log supplimental:
We have reached the Nebula and have managed to find a warp signature of a civilian vessel which seems to have crashed on this yet to be explored planet. My away team will be taking on double duty of a first contact and finding a missing crew. Hopefully we will be able to accomplish both.

Log Concluded...

Nic Covenant and Lt Salem made all of the arrangement for the landing party and Croesus made sure to assist Ellie with the science gear.

“I think I’ve got everything that we need” Ellie gave Croesus a smile. “We don’t want to be lugging too much about.”

" You make a good point Lieutenant. " Croesus smiled back. Ellie reminded him of his wife with her go get em attitude. It was then that he started missing Kah’lyn.

Croesus then addressed his small crew.
" This is not just a sight seeing mission now. We have to find the survivors of that downed ship so I want everyone focused on the mission at hand. Mr Covenant start our approach and lock us into a standard orbit."

" Aye sir." Nic replied.

Meanwhile Lieutenant Johnson took the liberty of procuring a few extra items from the Runabouts medical inventory; if there were people who needed rescuing they also may need medical attention as well.

The next choice was to land or orbit? They could land or use the 3 person transporter and beam down in teams. Croesus choice was to beam down the two mandroid devices and let them access the planets surface. They would be able to cover the terrain and hopefully blend in with out detecting or infecting the society too much.

Beaming the two autonomous devices down they both took their points quickly. Bot 1 and Bot 2 had their missions programmed. Bot 1 was to search for the downed ship while Bot 2 scanned the terrain for native activity. Both would transfer the data back to the Wacamaw.

To be continued