Day 5 - The Beacon

[KendleRJ]

Ensign Talia Flowers

Talia's hair was swept up into a bun on top of her head, loose strands making it appear that they, like she, was barely contained. She brought few papers with her to the Bridge to begin her shift, but a full report, written some time between the shipboard early morning hours of 5 am and well... now. She was punctual, and as the time clicked over, she sat down at her console, and began her duty on the Bridge.

Sure, she had heard rumours of rumblings below decks, and the attempt on the life of their own Commander Wells. She had observed such behaviour: instinctive, raw and dangerous, between any species that had their territory infringed upon, or their very survival threatened. Even if it was only a perceived threat. What she didn't understand was the immediacy of such acts... very little time had passed, and already, everyone had drawn their own conclusions based on loose facts and little reality. But when it came to perception? Talia knew better than anyone that facts had little to do with individual perception.

She began the same process she had done since they arrived in this part of the Galaxy: she monitored the Beacon. Continuing the algorithms she had tweaked from the early stages, the signal became more and more resolved. Clearer details, timbre in an alien voice which might have been synthetically produced or naturally recorded, but whichever it was would say a great deal about the inhabitants and their development levels. Now if she could only remain focused on each task...

Typical to his normal course of business, Gary arrived on the bridge promptly and at least five minutes before KAT would appear. Acting as if everything was normal, he relieved Lieutenant "Boring," from duty and sat in the Captain's Chair. "All departments, report."

"Of course, Captain," Ensign Flowers said and promptly handed her PADD to him, providing him the full orchestral arrangement with 8 part harmony regarding the signal and the translations of each individual language she had begun to transcribe. Painstaking work, but something that would be beneficial once the task was finally complete. The briefest nod, the barest smile, but the eyes? Spoke volumes.

It was only a glance, but she made sure to look him right in the eye before returning to her station.

Tags

[Sjet]

"I wanted to see you in person, come to Sickbay and make sure that the Crew that were down here did not feel forgotten." She sighed deeply. "I was wondering if we wanted to organise a non-denominational service for those that had perished, Doctor. Or even a wake... celebrating their lives and commemorating their sacrifice." She hadn't yet broached the subject with the Captain yet, but if she had managed to coordinate such an effort, combining departments, perhaps even uniting the crew... making sure that everyone felt recognised, and remembered. It was imperative that no one feel left behind... not by anyone. "I wanted to ask you for your opinion about that." She watched him carefully, observation her only defense.

Arkady took a carefully crafted moment to ponder his response.

“You should not ask a man who has stood on a high wall if he feels as though he feels forgotten.” he shrugged slightly “We know we are not most furthest point from centre, though there are days when such thoughts are there. We in medical know the connection of crew is paramount.”

He took another sip of the cooling coffee.

“As for a wake, or a service...I do not know.” Arkady said, looking intensely uncomfortable for a moment “I am man not to fond of a Being who allowed such death and destruction to occur. Perhaps one of the more spiritually enlightened could help you? I hear some of the environment techs have found interesting Atmo mixes to breath, helps them...’see’ things.”

Kat nodded slowly, taking in the information in a measured way. “I wanted to acknowledge them in the best way possible.” She looked again at him. “Which is why I asked you. The people who died, those who still cling to life. I wouldn’t assume to know their every thought, or even what their beliefs might have been.” She sighed a little in self-conscious concern.

“I was only hoping to honour them so they WOULD feel honoured, rather than sound like simple platitudes from someone out of touch with them.” She took a breath, holding it briefly, hoping he accepted the information as it was given rather than out of context. “I simply can’t let someone give of themselves, and not be recognised for their sacrifice. They were crew. Our crew.”

“‘Our crew’...” Arkady said heavily, fingers tapping against the side of his cup as he thought “...that is very easy words to say. Some say them as a matter of course, its how they see themselves even if that is not the truth.”

He walked slowly past her, parting the curtain to crewman Cutter’s sickbay berth. He gestured her closer, so she could see the still form of the injured crew member, his head swaddled in bandages whilst his chest moved with nearly imperceptible movement.

“You want truth? I will provide it to you.” he said, pointing with one finger at the recumbent form “I know nothing about this man other than he was a fool. Standard procedure for crew working in the engineering room is to wear safety harness so that if the ship were to tumble, or gravity system become inconsistent, they do not fall. He did fall, because he did not wear his harness. From what I know, is not new thing for some of them. This tells me that the crew responsible for maintaining and operating the warp core cut corners. Other than that I know only his biological information, his medical history and so on.”
He shrugged again.

“If he was a good and honest man, I do not know.” he said plainly.

Kat nodded once, moved by the man’s plight, despite his own stupidity for skipping protocol. This wasn’t the time to start a Public Service Announcement extolling proper procedure; it was time to mourn, bury and hopefully heal so everyone could make it back, or survive here; whichever was going to happen.

“Thank you, Doctor,” she said. “I think of ourselves as crew. Perhaps not friends, but colleagues who might be committed to the same hope of survival out here.” She reached out a hand to gently touch the injured man’s hand, the softest motion without artifice. “I know. Idealism. Hope. Cooperation. Words that won’t be heard often enough in the times to come.”

She straightened up, placing her hand behind her PADD once more, flexing it unconsciously. “But if we don’t, then we may not have long in those times.” Blinking a little, she looked directly at him. “Which is why I wanted to see about acknowledging them. Taking the time to…” She stopped. “I should speak to some of his colleagues.” Her hand clenched. She recalled the last time she had ventured below.

“I would be careful who you talk to.” Arkady said darkly, turning his head slightly to look at her “It would seem accidents are on the rise.”

Kat’s face flushed a little at the memory. “I never expected to have to defend myself aboard a Starfleet vessel, Doctor,” she said softly. “It seems that a lot of things are on the rise.” Had that been a veiled threat, or a warning?

“No one should want to inflict pain on another, but it is human nature to remove the obstacles to ones success.” he sighed and looked at her directly “I do not say this to scare you, or to push you away...but to warn you. Gary has asked to find this person, though I do not think I will hand him over for Captains justice. Who ever this person is, I do think he or she would enjoy you asking questions about the dead.”

“Enjoy?” Kat said. Something she might understand on at least one level. “And so you know who it is, then.” It was a statement, and not a question. “Doctor,” she said and sat on the stool finally, a slight weariness creeping through her mask of professionalism, “I’m here for the Crew. Not for the Captain. Not even for myself.” She used the fingers she kept flexing to press the bridge of her nose. “And I appreciate your warning, Doctor.” So there would probably be no way, at least initially, to bridge the gap between them. Starfleet was a long way away, and its threat would not keep the civilians in line any more. All of the usual perks, threats and promises would have no impact so far away.

Sucking in a breath, she pulled herself back together and stood. “Thank you,” she said simply. “I hope you at least enjoyed the coffee.”

“The company was more than enjoyable for me.” he said, tapping the cup with one finger “I hope it becomes a regular occurrence.”

He waited a moment, allowing her to get to the door before he spoke.

“I would attend such a gathering, to...memorialise those that are no longer here with us.” he said somberly, before adding “I believe we have an officiated Rahbi onboard, one of the environment techs I think. Good man, not preachy. He might help you in this I think.”

The briefest smile crossed her face. “Thank you, Doctor. I do appreciate all of your advice and help.” And how carefully she would have to tread.

TAG-Any and all

A JP by KAT and Arkady

[Amanda Rose]

[Ciara Mei]

Ciara wasn’t paying much attention to the others on the bridge. She’d been keeping her mind distracted as the ship continued on. She heard bits of conversations, but nothing that caught her interest. She was more focused on watching sensor readings and seeing what they were headed into.

But the sensors weren’t what was distracting her. As odd as it was, Flowers’ flirting was bothering her. In fact, it made her cringe internally. So, instead of listening to it, she let her mind focus back on what was on Earth waiting for her...if she were to ever make it back there.

"Viewscreen on and magnify. When we come to a stop, we should be at a safe distance. Then, we shall see what happens."

This bit did catch Ci’s attention. She wanted to see what was actually happening out there. They could only hope that they actually were at a safe distance.

[KendleRJ]

"Aye, Captain," Talia said easily, unconcerned or unaware of anyone's discomfort. The order was a simple one, and her mind wandered through the reams of data still not transcribed as it swirled inside of her mind. "Viewscreen on."

She let her subconscious chew vigourously on the snippets of phrases as her fingers moved over the controls. "Magnification at maximum." Waiting and seeing was never her strong suit, so she completed the order and continued on writing, one thumbnail firmly gnawed upon in her mouth as she tapped furiously on her PADD, eyes twinkling with discovery at each new phrase.

While the Ensign was executing her order, Kat entered onto the Bridge. "Yeoman Tell reporting," she said, the picture of professionalism. There was only one hair out of place, and it brushed across her forehead, causing her to lift a hand to it, as though she could master its movements, and pushed it into her updo before taking her standard spot behind the Captain. Had she noticed an exchange between anyone? Quite doubtful. But she was aware of the Lieutenant's discomfort and took a moment to make a personal note. All behind the PADD which was firmly blocking any and all movements or even the details of her display screen. She was discretion itself.

Lifting the PADD, she began the notation process and began writing her observations of the planet. It was eerie really, almost darkened, like they had travelled this far to encounter ghosts rather than real creatures from an entirely different place. There was a pall across it, like fog had lifted across the entire surface to swallow it whole. "Is there a planetary designation?" she asked aloud. Accurate and complete notes might be required if they ever returned home, or if they ever managed to get word out to future travellers. She tried not to dwell too much on either scenario, and did her best to stay focused in the present.

Tags all

[Melissa Richards]

Commander Mary Wells
Executive Officer

A destination. But, what was it? Wells had been curious the second the captain revealed it. But, there was also a concern that they were flying right into someone's flypaper. Before becoming trapped in this area, she had been excited, intrigued by new discoveries. Now, Mary was sullen, quiet...cautious. There wasn't a lot she could do but go along for the ride. She felt the comfortable presence of her weapon and was glad it was there in the event anymore foolish attempts were made to harm her.

The XO stared at the stars and began to run scenarios through her head what to do if this was a trap. It was pleasant to think of it being something good or worthwhile. Knowledge, or a new ally that would help them get home. But, the alternative was also true. And shortly, they might be in for the fight of their lives.

Mary looked over the science report and simply handed it back to Gary. No words came from her as she focused inward...

[Sjet]

The turbo lift to the bridge opened up and Arkady exited with the usual sense of ownership he seemed to have placed upon the entire ship. But now there was something different in how he looked to each member of the bridge staff: not so much to comfort his own mind in their well being, but in seeing where they each were.

Because one of them had very nearly come close to assassinating Commander Wells, and in return had nearly murdered one of their number. Someone who had access to security camera feeds, and had a working knowledge of electrical engineering and space suit maintenance. That skill set left a great number of people in the possible suspect pool: and a goodly amount of them stood on the bridge.

“Report from medical, as commanded kip’tin.” Arkady growled, holding up the tablet with its status on supplies and general crew well-being. He was about to hand the tablet over to KAT, when Arkady’s eyes were drawn to the fuzzy magnified image on the view screen.

“Is that it?” he said, a note of disappointment in his voice “I expected some…more astounding.”

TAG-All

Doctor Arkady Sjet
Ships Physician
USS Horizon

[Ciara Mei]

[Amanda Rose]

[KendleRJ]

Gary watched KAT as she fidgeted with her hair. That was somewhat unusual. Normally, she was the picture of perfect composition. He enjoyed the moment of her mild discomfort and gave her a private smile. "Good to see you could make it here, KAT." He gave her another slick smile and then turned away to look at Flowers.

Catching the Captain's eye, Kat kept her face implacable, professionalism exuding from every pore. Her smile was polite but distant, and she broke eye contact at the same time. "Thank you, Sir," she murmured politely.

He then announced to the bridge, "This is Ensign Flowers discovery. I think that she should name the planet. What will it be, Ensign?"

Talia looked up from her console and blinked in some surprise. "Bastille," she said immediately and looked around for some reaction.

Kat wrote the name down and attributed it to Dr. Ensign Talia Flowers, and began her log, notating it with information as it came in from the various stations.

Tags

“Report from medical, as commanded kip’tin.” Arkady growled, holding up the tablet with its status on supplies and general crew well-being. He was about to hand the tablet over to KAT, when Arkady’s eyes were drawn to the fuzzy magnified image on the view screen.

Turning to the Doctor, Kat replaced her stylus in its slot and reached for the tablet, waiting patiently for him to relinquish his grip. An uninspiring planet to be sure, she thought as she followed his glance to the viewscreen, but certainly, it couldn't be one that represented the whole of the system. She hoped at least.

“Is that it?” he said, a note of disappointment in his voice “I expected some…more astounding.”

It was a bit of a let down; she half expected, from the build up, that there was some shimmering jewel like planet that was nestled in a picture perfect location. This seemed... lack lustre and as she listened quietly, she finally obtained the tablet to transfer the details of the reports to her PADD and then pass it on to the Captain.

Ciara groaned at Arkady’s statement. “Really, doctor?” she asked, allowing her accent to come through thick. “To us, it is rather impressive. It will look nicer once we are able to get a better picture, I assure you.”

Kat really hoped so; with the dimness of the planet, and its lack of any visible features from their location, it didn't bode well on that front. But at least there was hope. From one quarter. She didn't pay much attention to the Lieutenant and her retorts.

Though, Ci wasn’t sure if there was going to be a way to get it any clearer. She was leaving a lot of this part in Talia’s hands, though she would jump in if she needed to. It didn’t help that she had a general annoyance feeling towards Arkady to begin with. For some reason, she just...didn’t like him.

She looked over at the others. “What are our chances of getting closer to this?”

Closer?! Before sensor readings? Perhaps Science should be launching something to study the damned thing before they put the whole ship in jeopardy, but she kept her tongue and waited.

Gary studied the beacon hard. It seemed harmless enough but they were in foreign territory with a great deal of unknowns. He thought as he sat more upright in his Captain's chair. "Well, let us see if that beacon is a warning, a sign post, or something more. Commander, fire phasers near the beacon. Make sure that it is a near miss. I want to see if it reacts."

Kat blinked in some alarm. How far the human race imagined they had come as a species... yet here they were, in the middle of someone else's territory, and confronting the unknown the best way they had done for millenia... Shoot first and ask questions later. Not that it wouldn't be a hostile act... of course not. Firing a weapon at a warning beacon could result in any number of peaceful reactions... Of course...

When nothing happened, Gary commanded, "Well, let's go in and take a closer look. See if there are any force fields or other energy fields surrounding the planet. Start looking for life signs, cities or other structures. I want to know everything about that planet before we get there."

Tags