Posted by Lieutenant Hegush Falz (Chief Operations Officer) in Main Sim: The Arrival at Listening Post 47

Posted by Captain T’Nara (Commanding Officer) in Main Sim: The Arrival at Listening Post 47

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Oliver Ezeami (Chief of Security) in Main Sim: The Arrival at Listening Post 47
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The stars snapped back into their familiar positions as the ArkAngel slipped gracefully out of warp. A faint shudder ran through the ship as the warp field collapsed, giving way to the quiet hum of impulse engines. On the viewscreen, the blackness of deep space resolved into a lonely frontier system dominated by a brilliant binary star pair whose light cast a pale glow across the surrounding dust and debris.

Almost immediately, a Federation installation appeared ahead.

Listening Post 47 was small compared to the ArkAngel, little more than a compact hub surrounded by sensor arrays, communications dishes, and docking structures. Navigation beacons flashed steadily against the darkness while the station maintained a fixed position overlooking the region where the temporal anomaly had been detected.

The quiet hum of Listening Post 47 had become a familiar companion.

For days, the small Starfleet outpost had remained on constant alert, its sensor arrays sweeping the darkness of the PX-941 system while monitoring the strange temporal phenomenon that had brought them here. The station had recorded unusual energy fluctuations, analyzed incomplete data, and continued tracking the faint, repeating distress transmission that defied every explanation.

The personnel aboard the station had grown accustomed to waiting.

Then the sensor alarms changed.

A series of soft tones echoed through Operations as the long-range sensors detected a new contact entering the system.

At the science console, Ensign Maria Cortez immediately turned toward her display.

“Commander Vance…”

Her voice carried a mixture of surprise and relief.

“I have a contact emerging from warp.”

Commander Marcus Vance looked up from the station’s command console and moved toward the main display.

“Identification?”

Cortez’s fingers moved quickly across her controls as the station’s sensors analyzed the incoming vessel.

“Federation starship,” she reported. “Starfleet transponder confirmed.”

The main viewer shifted, displaying the distant silhouette of the approaching vessel as it slowed out of warp.

Cortez continued reading the incoming data.

“Long-range scans are matching a Mythology-class exploration vessel. No damage detected. Power systems are stable. Shields are online at normal cruising levels.”

Around the Operations center, the mood changed instantly. Officers who had spent days surrounded by uncertainty now moved with renewed purpose.

Vance watched the image on the viewscreen for a moment, the weight of the past several days briefly lifting from his shoulders.

“Starfleet finally made it.”

He turned back toward Cortez.

“Open a channel.”

“Aye, Commander.”

The communications station activated, sending out the hail toward the arriving exploration vessel.

“This is Listening Post 47 calling the arriving Federation vessel,” Cortez announced. “Opening communications link now.”

The station waited as the connection was established, every officer quietly watching the screen.

After days of isolation, Listening Post 47 was no longer alone.

WHITE TIGER
GM • USS ARKANGEL
NCC-98729
“Where Legends Begin”

Ollie was monitoring the tactical console as they came out of warp. The incoming communication started blinking, notifying them of the station’s hail.

He glanced toward the commanding officers, “Incoming hail from the listening post.”

Lieutenant Commander Ezeami - COS

T’Nara looked over at Commander Ezeami. “Patch them through, Commander.” She said.

Captain T’Nara
Commanding Officer
USS Ark Angel

Vance straightened his uniform and looked directly into the camera.

“This is Commander Marcus Vance, Commanding Officer of Listening Post Forty-Seven, hailing the Federation starship USS ArkAngel, NCC-98729.”
He paused briefly before continuing.

“Captain T’Nara, welcome to the PX-941 system. We’ve been expecting your arrival.”

Behind him, officers continued monitoring the anomaly as its energy readings fluctuated across the displays.

“The temporal distortion remains stable, though its emissions continue to fluctuate. The distress signal originating from the USS Pathfinder is still being received at irregular intervals, exactly as reported to Starfleet Command.”

Vance nodded toward one of the science officers, who immediately began preparing a transmission.

“We have compiled every sensor log, telemetry record, spectral analysis, communications intercept, and temporal scan collected since first contact with the signal. The complete database is ready for immediate transfer to your science and engineering departments.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“I must also advise that the anomaly has exhibited several unexpected energy surges within the last six hours. None have posed an immediate threat to the station, but they have increased in frequency. Our science team believes these fluctuations may indicate the phenomenon is becoming more active.”

Vance allowed a brief silence before delivering the final, most sobering statement.

“Captain… after six days of continuous observation, I remain convinced of one thing.”
He looked directly into the camera.

“Whatever is transmitting that distress call… someone is still out there.”

WHITE TIGER
GM • USS ARKANGEL
NCC-98729
“Where Legends Begin”

She sat there pondering. “Commander this is Captain T’Nara. I’ll be beaming over along with my Chief of security and my first officer lieutenant Commander Kelley. We’ll talk more there in person. Once and hopefully then we’ll get something going. Ill also be brining along a junior officer Ensign within the science division to work with your science team.” She said willing to make things work. “If I have too Lieutenant Commander Kelley can stay on board and help find the USS Pathfinder.” She added.

Captain T’Nara
Commanding Officer
USS Ark Angel

Commander Marcus Vance listened attentively, his expression remaining composed as Captain T’Nara’s calm, measured voice came across the speakers. Around the Operations Center, several officers paused their work just long enough to hear the captain’s intentions before returning to their consoles.

When the transmission ended, Vance gave a slight nod.

“Understood, Captain.”

He glanced toward the operations staff.

“We’ll have Transporter Room One standing by for your arrival. I’ll meet you there personally.”

Turning to one of the duty officers, he continued, “Inform Lieutenant Harris to assemble the science team in Briefing Room Two. If the captain is bringing one of her science officers, I want our latest sensor logs, temporal analyses, and telemetry prepared for immediate review.”

“Aye, Commander.”

Vance returned his attention to the open channel.

“Your first officer and chief of security are, of course, welcome. I believe a face-to-face briefing will be far more productive than attempting to relay everything over subspace.”

He paused for a moment before addressing T’Nara’s final point.

“As for Lieutenant Commander Kelley remaining aboard your ship…” A faint smile crossed his face. “I hope that won’t be necessary, Captain. With the combined resources of your crew and my staff, I’m confident we’ll make better progress working together.”

His expression settled back into professional seriousness.

“We’ll be ready to receive your away team as soon as you arrive. Listening Post 47 looks forward to welcoming you aboard.”

Vance gave a respectful nod toward the viewscreen.

“Commander Vance, out.”

The channel closed, replaced once more by the tactical display of the PX-941 system. Around him, the Operations Center came alive with renewed purpose as word spread that the ArkAngel’s senior officers would soon be aboard. After nearly a week of waiting, the investigation into the Pathfinder was finally about to begin in earnest.

WHITE TIGER
GM • USS ARKANGEL
NCC-98729
“Where Legends Begin”

“Very well, Commander Vance. We’ll be there shortly.” She said to Commander Vance. “Commander Kelley and Commander Ezeami, along with Ensign Gibbs, to Transporter Room 1 for beam over. We don’t want to have them waiting.” She ordered.

Captain T’Nara
Commanding Officer
USS Ark Angel

Charlotte Kelley rose from her station without hesitation, collecting her PADD before making her way toward the turbolift.

“Aye, Captain.”

She glanced briefly toward Commander Ezeami and Ensign Gibbs, giving each a professional nod.

“It looks like we’re about to get our first look at what Commander Vance has been dealing with. Let’s stay sharp and keep our eyes open. If there’s anything unusual aboard the station, we’ll assess it quickly and coordinate with their staff.”

Her tone was calm and confident, the voice of an experienced executive officer who understood the importance of setting the example. Turning back to the captain, she added, “Away team is ready when you are, Captain.”

With that, Kelley fell into step just behind Captain T’Nara as they entered the turbolift, bound for Transporter Room One.

CMD. CHARLOTTE KELLEY, M.D.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER

USS ARK ANGEL
NCC-98729

COMMAND DIVISION
MEDICAL OFFICER CORPS
STARFLEET

T’Nara then gave a proper way to say Go ahead, Commander. She then went in and stated. “Transporter Room 1” She said to the computer.

Captain T’Nara
Commanding Officer
USS Ark Angel

Ollie stepped into the turbolift after the CO and XO and took up a position behind the two women. “I don’t suppose it would make much difference if I brought up the risk of both of you beaming over to the listening post with some sort of unknown temporal phenomenon wreaking havoc and mayhem in the system?”

“That, Commander, is why I asked you to come with us on this away mission along with Ensign Gibbs.” She replied.

Izak was in Main Engineering when the ship dropped out of warp. While some found it jarring, the Chief Engineer found it comforting. He was starting to get a feel for the Ark Angel after a year onboard. Her quirks and idiosyncrasies.

Her warp drive tended to operate better than specifications, but it was also finicky. Demanding. He couldn’t take the Starfleet’s full recommended time interval between overhauls or preventive maintenance or its performance would suffer greatly. The Electro-Plasma system ran higher than standard tolerances. Every time they aligned it back to specifications it would slowly creep back up and wreak havoc on subsidiary equipment. The crew had to tweak every plasma tap on the ship, and a few hardwired systems, to accommodate that increased power level. Since they did that, the EPS had been rock solid.

A dozen little nuances like that existed throughout the ship. Secrets waiting to be discovered. It was like a scavenger hunt… at least to an Engineer with no personal life, like Lieutenant Waryn.

He had the main view screen copied on a display down in engineering. Ever since they heard about the mission he was curious about this anomaly. This temporal distortion.

Back at the Academy, other than his steady relationship with power and propulsion systems, the young Brekkian had a brief yet torrid affair with temporal science . He might have shifted focuses altogether, but the Academy forbid any practical experimentation or advanced applications of temporal theory. Sadly, and ironically, Izak was born in a time that meant he and temporal mechanics could never be together.

Cadet Waryn always knew he would be a working Engineer. Somebody that needed to put his hands on the gear. Theory would never be enough for him. He’d made his peace with that… or so he thought.

Seeing the temporal distortion on the display was making him feel things again. Things he wasn’t sure he wanted to ignore.

=/\=”Waryn to Hegush. I’m down in engineering seeing this thing on the display… think you can spare any sensor power to get us a better look at what’s going on in there?”

Lt Izak Waryn - Chief Engineer - U.S.S. Ark Angel

Lieutenant Commander Ezeami - COS

Captain T’Nara
Commanding Officer
USS Ark Angel

=/\= Give me five =/\= Waryn would be able to hear the shuffling noise as Hegush wiggled himself back out of the tube he’d been in to better investigate an operations issue he had picked up on. It didn’t look to be anything too major so he felt confident he could leave it for either one of his team to pick it up or for him to return to later. Exactly in four minutes and forty seconds (who said he was counting) he was at his station on bridge. =/\= Hegush to Waryn, diverting power now. I’ll be monitoring to make sure that none of those energy fluctuations are affecting the ships major auxiliary systems. =/\=

Keeping a close eye on the U.S.S Ark Angel’s systems, he began to study the reports from the Listening Post 47 as they were transferred to the ship.

Lt. Hegush, Chief of Operations

Lieutenant Commander Soral T’Varan remained on the bridge as the captain and away team departed for Transporter Room One. His attention rested upon the viewscreen, where Listening Post 47 hung against the backdrop of the binary stars, its sensor arrays fixed upon the distant temporal anomaly.

The bridge became noticeably quieter following the departure of the senior officers.

He regarded that as logical.

An away team required decisive action. Those remaining aboard bore an equally important responsibility: ensuring the Ark Angel remained prepared to respond should circumstances change unexpectedly.

Soral retrieved a PADD and began methodically reviewing the files Commander Vance had transmitted. Sensor telemetry, communications intercepts, spectral analyses, and historical records scrolled across the display in precise succession.

The distress signal attributed to the USS Pathfinder held his attention the longest.

If genuine, it suggested numerous possibilities, though the available evidence supported none conclusively.

Should the vessel still exist, its crew might have experienced the passage of time differently from those beyond the anomaly. Any survivors could require more than medical attention; they might awaken to a Federation decades removed from the one they remembered.

Such an eventuality would present significant diplomatic and cultural challenges.

Alternatively, if the anomaly concealed an unknown civilisation—or an intelligence responsible for the transmission—the Ark Angel could find itself engaged in an unanticipated first-contact scenario.

Neither conclusion was supported by sufficient evidence.

Logic dictated preparation rather than speculation.

He closed the report and looked toward the operations station.

“Lieutenant Hegush,” he said in his usual measured tone, “should your analysis of the station’s telemetry reveal any evidence of artificial modulation within the temporal emissions, I would appreciate being informed. A naturally occurring phenomenon and one exhibiting intentional signalling would require markedly different diplomatic preparations.”

The request was neither urgent nor expectant. It was simply a prudent contingency.

Returning his attention to the incoming reports, Soral folded his hands behind his back and regarded the anomaly on the main viewscreen.

Whatever awaited within the distortion, diplomacy would begin long before the first words were spoken. Preparation, he had learned, was often the difference between understanding another civilisation and misunderstanding it.

Until more evidence became available, patience remained the most logical course of action.

Lt Cmdr Soral T’Varan
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Ark Angel