USS Minotaur: Let The Search Begin

Posted on Mon Dec 31st, 2018 @ 2:55pm by Commander Abigail Prescott & Lieutenant Commander Catrina (Cat) Tendai & Lieutenant JG Jonah Masters & Lieutenant JG Leonardo 'Leo' Giordano & Ensign Connor Turner & Master Chief Petty Officer Freya Duffell
Edited on on Wed Jan 23rd, 2019 @ 1:45pm

2,179 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 2: Into The Breach
Location: Bridge, USS Minotaur
Timeline: MD04 - 0130 Hours

“Arriving at the last known coordinates of the Medway, Captain.” Duffell reported from the helm, using the old fashioned term of calling Commander Prescott Captain was an old naval tradition.

At first, Mint didn't realize Duffell was speaking to her. It took her a second to work out that she was the 'Captain' in this situation. "Anything on the sensors?" She asked finally.

Looking over when Duffell spoke, Cat looked then to the viewscreen. "Please let there be something," she whispered to herself.

Leo walked back onto the bridge after spending more time in the ship's small sickbay. Then making sure he was out of the way, looking concerned, he stared over at the screen too.

Connor ran the sweep. He checked his figures but things simply were not right and that bothered him. In a British accent, hailing from Exeter, Connor started, "Um, Captain, I believe that I have found something that should not be." Before Mint could ask what it was and force him to look at her, he continued, "The Medway is located on the last planet of the system. Well, at least 60% of it is. I am reading life signs down there but I cannot tell how many or distinguish which lifesigns belong to the Medway crew or something else. Something is either interfering or these computers are not working properly. I am not inclined to believe that it is the computers."

He paused for a moment more. "Worse, the engines still appear to be on but the readings are not correct. The variance on the matter-anti-matter flow is off on the warp engines and the impulse engines look even worse for the wear. If they continue in their current state, I believe there will be a plasma fusion overload and there will be an explosion that could potential destroy the planet."

Raising an eyebrow and looking over at Connor, Cat listened carefully before turning back to pull up the readings. She wanted to get a look at this from an engineering point of view. "What the hell? I know they were working on some experimental engines but this?" She tilted her head as she looked over all of it. "Turner is right though, those engine readings are not pretty."

“Shall I set a course, Captain?” Duffell asked, having already plotted the course but waiting for permission to execute it.

"Thank you, Turner," Mint would have smiled at him, but was avoiding looking at her. "Set course, get us there as fast as possible. Bring us into orbit above them," she said with a frown and nod to Duffell. She rubbed the back of her neck as she thought about what else to do. "What's our eta, Duffell?"

As soon as the word was given, Duffell engaged the impulse engines. “At full impulse, we will arrive in orbit in 7 minutes, Captain.” The Chief replied, as she kept her eye on her console.

"Turner, keep an eye on those readings. I want to know if anything changes. Has there been a radiation leak?" She called over her shoulder to him. Worrying not only for the crew of the Medway, but about her crew here.

"I don't see a leak, yet. As I said previously, ma'am, the readings are all wonky. I will have to try and modify the scanners to sift though some of this information."

"Do what you can, Turner," Mint smiled. "I know you have a way with computers, so work your magic. I want to know what we're heading into, hazards wise."

Connor let his fingers dance over the console. He imagined that he was becoming one with the computer. After a few short moments he gasped in horror. "Captain...." He gasped again. "I did not think this was possible but...but...." He looked at Mint, his eyes full of horror and then looked back down. "Captain, Medway and the rock.... They have fused somehow. That is why the readings are not coming in clearly. The computers cannot distinguish one from the other. I think the same might be true of the lifeforms that were on board. Some are able to move while others...." He could not complete the sentence, horrified at the thought.

Eyes turning over towards Connor, Cat’s heart sunk. “Do...do we have any information on those um...engines that they were testing?”

Mint frowned slightly. "No, it's been all need to know. I know it's a slip stream drive, and that's about the only thing I know. I'm unsure if there's any information in the database, I've not looked yet. So much going on," she gave Cat a meaningful look.

Without waiting, Connor understood Mint's comment to meant that he should get the information. He was sure that it was secure information but he knew how to bypass most security measures. "Um, ma'am," Connor said looking up at Mint and then furiously blushing. "Um, ma'am... Um, do you, um, know whether, um, it was a gravitational slipstream or quantum slipstream drive. Um, it, um, might make a, um, difference."

Hearing Connor, Cat realized what he was getting at. "It'll make a big difference. Either way, we need to get down there and get anyone out that was can."

Mint frowned as she thought. "I believe it was quantum," she answered after a long moment. "Pete wasn't able to give me any details, but I remember reading something about the tests."

"I suppose that would make sense," Connor replied knowledgeable. "Gravitational slip stream is last century. The problem with quantum, as Voyager discovered, is that the phase variance has to be constantly adjusted. If you do it wrong, the ship ends up in normal space and then, well, THIS!" Connor answered, horror clearly in his voice. "It all makes tragic sense."

"Quite unfortunate sense," Mint agreed. "Tendai, I want you to keep an eye on the readings as well," she smiled at Cat. "But also prepare to head down to lend assistance. We need to stop the ship and planet from going supernova."

“The last thing we want. I’m on it.” Cat looked back over the readings, her heart pounding. She didn’t like them even more the more she looked at them.

"It's not a prospect any of us want," Mint frowned. "But I know this team can stop that from happening."

Cat gave a soft sigh. "And if on the off chance it does...we'll have to be ready to get out of here, quick."

"Duffell and I will stay with the ship," Mint smiled sadly. "Between the two of us we can get everyone out of there as fast as possible."

Nodding, Cat was glad Mint wouldn't be alone on the ship, but still worried about her.

"Wait!" Connor squeaked. "Um, Captain, um, don't you want me here? Helping with beaming?" His eyes grew large. What in the world could he do on the rock that was likely to blow?

“Don’t worry, Connor, I know how to press the beam up button.” The Chief teased with a cheeky smile on her face.

Connor turned a ghostly shade of white at that comment. "Um, well, uh, if you insist, um, Captain...." He silently prayed she would reconsider.

"Turner, I know your specialty is with computer systems, but we need your engineering expertise down there to help stop that overload at least long enough to get all hands," she paused, not wanting to say the words, "dead or alive," she gulped slightly, "beamed to Minotaur and us out of here before that planet goes boom."

"Bollocks!" Connor muttered under his breath, hoping that Mint did not hear. At least he probably would not have to interact with people on his first true away mission. He hated knowing that Mint was probably right. He figured out enough of what happened to now figure out how to maybe temporarily solve the problem. "I will, um, do what I, uh, can...." He steeled himself and prayed that the transporter did not fuse him with anything on the Medway.

Catching what Turner had mumbled, Cat didn't say a word and listened to Mint instead. She didn't like hearing the words any more than the others did. But unfortunately, they were likely going to find several who had not survived whatever had happened.

A hint of a smirk crossed Mint's face before she was able to contain it. "I'm sure you will do more than you expect, Mister Turner," she said before turning her attention to the rest of the team.

"Giordano, prepare for casualties," Mint looked toward the medical officer. "Since we can't get a clear reading, prepare for the last known crew numbers. I know it's probably unlikely that they've all survived the crash, but I'm hoping for a miracle here."

"So am I." Leo replied, grimly, the news of the fusing having him more concerned than ever. "In regards to the possibility of a radiation leak, I'd like to inoculate us with hyronalin, Captain."

"Let's wait until we find out if there is a leak," Mint smiled at Leo.

Leo nodded, "Understood." He gave a small forced smile in return. "I just hope we get that information and its what we all want to hear. I'll go get my medical kit," he said and hurried away back towards the sickbay.

"We'll keep you informed, Doctor," Mint called after him as he hurried off the bridge. She watched him go and looked thoughtfully at the lift for a while before finally turning her attention back to the officers on the bridge. "Masters, prepare for an away mission," Mint now looked to the security officer. "We don't know what to expect down there, but we need to be prepared for anything."

Jonah nodded as he logged off the tactical console and handed it over to a junior officer. "Keep shields and weapons ready," he said quietly to his relief. "As the commander already said, we don't know what to expect and that includes here."

With a silent nod, Jonah let go of the console and turned to Prescott. "Aye commander," he responded with some delay. Tapping his combadge as he headed for the turbolift, Jonah ordered, "Masters to security, have two armed officers meet me in transporter room one for away team detail ASAP."

Mint now looked to Cat again, worry etched on her face. "Cat, as much as it pains me to do this, but I think I should stay on the ship and you should lead the away mission. We don't know what to expect and, well..." she trailed off, no one else on the Minotaur knew about her current condition and she wasn't sure she should announce it to them yet.

Letting her console sit unoccupied for a moment, Cat went over to Mint and put a hand on her shoulder. “Had you said you wanted to go down there, I would have stopped you,” she stated quietly. “We’ll get them back, okay? And you know the Captain would never forgive me if I let you go down there.”

"Yeah, I know," Mint frowned. "I don't want special treatment though, but I know I can't go down there." She sighed and gave a quick glance around. "You'll lead the away team. I'll keep watch from up here."

"I've got it. Don't you worry. Just be ready for quick beamouts if we need them, yeah?" Cat tried to give a reassuring smile but she was nervous as hell about going down there. She then went back to her station and sat down, waiting now for the go-ahead on the away team going down.

"Of course," Mint smiled. "I'm always ready. Just, you guys be careful down there. No heroics, get in, get the people out, stop the explosion if you can, but don't endanger yourself or others to play the hero."

Nodding, Cat looked around. "Duffell stay here with the Commander. Rest of you with me. Doctor, once we find the first group that need beamed back, you will come back with them. But as the Commander said: get in, get the people out, and get ourselves out if we can't stop what might happen. Let's go!"

“Understood, ma’am. I’ll keep a lock on our life signs. Any problems I’ll have you out in a jiffy.” The Chief said with a grin.

In how many pieces and in what condition? Connor wondered as he shuffled along towards Cat. This was not going to be a fun day, he determined.

"I know this will be a difficult day for us all," Mint said, standing up and moving to stand beside Duffell, though facing the rest of the team. "But we shall get through this. We will stop that ship from blowing up and we will get everyone home," she smiled. "I have faith in all of you." She paused and looked at each member of her team. "Duffell and I will be on high alert, ready to assist wherever necessary. Do your best, be safe, and do yourselves proud."

 

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