Posted by Captain Aiden Voss (Commanding Officer) in [DD] - Arrival - Bridge

Posted by Gamemaster Jack (Gamemaster) in [DD] - Arrival - Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Saxon McCleary (Chief Intelligence Office) in [DD] - Arrival - Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<snip>

The ship had come to an abrupt halt, and the power surge on Deck 4 was more than a minor inconvenience it was a critical problem that needed immediate attention. But the mention of the cube caught her attention. The cube’s activation couldn’t be a coincidence, not with the timing of the energy weapon and the sudden power failure. Sifeda felt they were dealing with more than just a simple pursuit; this was quickly turning into a multi-faceted threat.

“The cube,” she murmured to herself, quickly cross-referencing its energy signature with the readings from the power surge. Her tactical mind raced, trying to connect the dots. If the cube was reacting to the energy weapon, there could be an opportunity here or a disaster.
“Captain,” Sifeda said, “The cube’s activation might be linked to the power surge. It’s possible that the energy weapon interacted with it in some way. We need to assess whether it’s a threat or if it could be used to our advantage. I recommend isolating the cube’s energy signature and monitoring any fluctuations. If it’s reacting to the weapon, we might be able to manipulate that reaction.”

She glanced at her console again, the tactical display showing the pursuing ship still on their tail, though its speed had decreased. They had precious little time before the enemy closed the gap. “We should also prepare to initiate evasive maneuvers as soon as we regain impulse power. The nebula will provide some cover, but we can’t rely on it alone.”

Commander Itri
(Executive Officer)

The ship continued to close. Scanners started to register a power increase in the enemy vessel, indicating their primary ‘weapon’ was powering up. The crew would need to act fast to prevent a disaster from unfolding.

The helmsman started to program in an evasive course, ready for engineering to regain power to the impulse engines.

GM

Aiden’s mind raced as the situation rapidly evolved. The cube’s activation, the power surge, and the approaching enemy ship all demanded swift and precise action.

“Helm, initiate evasive maneuvers the moment we regain impulse power. Use whatever thrusters and remaining engine power we have—get us moving and unpredictable. I don’t want to present a sitting target.”

He turned to Tactical. “Fire several probes, spread them out in random directions. Have them emit transponder signals matching our own, like flares. Let’s confuse their targeting systems and buy us some time.”

Aiden quickly moved to the communication console. “Transporter, lock onto that cube. Prepare to beam it into open space, right between us and the incoming ship.” His voice carried the weight of command but also a calm determination. He knew this would be a risky maneuver, but if the cube was somehow tied to the enemy’s pursuit, it might be the distraction they needed.

With a final glance at his bridge crew, Aiden spoke again. “On all frequencies, open a channel. Let them know we have no interest in fighting here. We’re willing to talk.”

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

Jack made a few calculation and quickly gave them same signature as the Memorial, his fingers dancing quickly across his consol. He programed them to fan out in different natural direction the ship might take including it’s original course and waited for the helm to begin it’s maneuver. “Countermeasures away sir” he said as the ship lurched in a turn.

Lieutenant Jack ‘Blaze’ Turner
Chief of Security / Tactical Officer

“Captain, I don’t know why it wasn’t done, but I told them to get that cube into a stasis field. That may have kept this from happening.”

Keeping his eyes on the forward viewscreen, Saxon added, “I also think it would be a good idea to get Frax to the brig, where he can be locked down before he decides to do something stupid on his own.”

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial

Sifeda’s attention snapped to the mention of Frax. It made sense, especially given the volatile situation with the cube and the unpredictable nature of temporal flux. Frax had already proven to be a wildcard, and they couldn’t afford any distractions or sabotage from within.
Captain, I agree with Lieutenant McCleary. We need to get Frax to the brig immediately. His proximity to the cube is too risky, and we can’t afford any unpredictable behavior with the ship already compromised.

The other ship was confused for several minutes, as it probed the decoys, however it was not long before it was back on the trail of the Memorial. There was also no response to their hails. Instead, another shot of its primary weapon split through space, just missing the Memorial thanks to the interference that was being generated by the nebula’s periphery.

=^= Transport Room to Bridge. =^ = broke a voice over the comms system. =^= I’m unable to gain a transporter lock on the cube; it seems surrounded in some form of temporal flux. =^=

GM

Aiden’s frustration deepened as he processed the transporter officer’s report. The cube was proving to be more than just an anomaly—it was becoming a serious threat to their survival. His options were narrowing, and time was running out.

“Damn it,” Aiden muttered under his breath before straightening up, his tone now firm and decisive. =^=If we can’t beam it out, we’ll do it the hard way. Get a security team down there and kick it out an airlock if you have to. We can’t risk that thing onboard any longer.=^=

He turned back to the viewscreen, watching as the enemy ship probed their decoys, still giving them some time but rapidly regaining their trail. The nebula was offering some interference, but it wouldn’t last. A second shot from the enemy’s weapon flashed past them, a reminder of how close they were to being caught.

“Helm, take us deeper into the nebula. I want full evasive maneuvers. Get us into the thick of it where their sensors will have an even harder time locking on.” Aiden’s eyes flicked to the tactical display. “Continue to scatter sensor probes. Keep spoiling their targeting as much as we can.”

He paused for a moment, considering the situation. So far, everything that could go wrong had—power surges, cube activation, enemy fire. But his crew was still holding together, and as long as they had time, they had a chance.

“We need to survive this,” he said, half to himself and half to his senior officers. “Any suggestions? How can we buy more time, or better yet, turn this situation around?”

Aiden looked around the bridge, hoping someone had an idea that could give them the edge they desperately needed. The enemy was relentless, but the Memorial was not without its own ingenuity. There had to be something they could do to gain the upper hand.

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

“Captain. I may only be your Chief science officer. But however, I have scanned the vessel.” He looked at the captain. “Sir. I know it might not be the best. But this one area,” he pointed too. “right here might be the best possible spot to beam over. However, the rest of it isn’t easy. You might have to find the console that opens the doors out there and releases us as soon as possible. Once that happens, their shields will go down, only for a minute. We’ll bring you guys back quick and we can possibly warp right out of this thing.” He suggested to the captain.

Lieutenant Lucas “Markiplier” Hall Angel
Chief Science Officer
USS Memorial

“The problem with that idea, lieutenant, is that we can’t beam over with their shields up,” Saxon added. “Captain, we’re outgunned here, but a well placed shot may be able to get through their defenses. I don’t think they’ll be expecting us to turn and fire on them.”

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial

Sifeda had seen threats evolve like this before, where one problem seemed to cascade into another, and soon the entire operation was on the verge of collapse.
Her eyes narrowed on the tactical display. The decoys had worked for a moment, but it wasn’t enough. The enemy vessel was closing in again, and the nebula could only provide so much interference. Another shot from the enemy’s weapon narrowly missed, grazing past the ship’s shields, and Sifeda felt the familiar tension of time slipping away. Her thoughts also went to regret, she regretted bringing the cube aboard the Memorial. She activated the comm =^= “Transporter Room. Do whatever you need to contain the cube, and I mean anything. If we can’t get it off the ship, we’ll need to neutralize it here.” =^=

Commander Itri
(Executive Officer)

=^=Transporter Room here! The cube… it’s… the temporal flux…=^= the transporter chief paused, clearly confused by what was happening. =^=… seems to have grown stronger with that last energy surge. It’s now… surrounded by a temporal field.=^=

OOC in the form of a Haiku:

A clue waits for you,
The cube hides untold secrets,
Study before haste.

GM

The enemy ship looming on the viewscreen wasn’t the only problem, but the growing chaos in the transporter room needed immediate attention. The cube, and its temporal field, were complicating matters in so many ways. Sifeda tapped her comm badge immediately and addressed the transporter chief.

==^= Transporter Room, listen carefully, =^= she said, her voice with urgency. =^= If that cube’s temporal field is unstable, we could be dealing with a full displacement, either forward or backward in time. Lock down the area, and double the containment fields. We cannot allow any interaction with that cube until we understand its range and effects. We can’t risk being thrown into another timeline. I’ll have science teams on standby for any additional support you need. =^=

Sifeda’s fingers lingered over the console as she thought through the situation. If the cube activated fully, they could be thrust into a past they could never return from, or a future they weren’t prepared for.

=^= Chief, we need to find a way to get that cube off the ship. Do you understand? =^=

Time travel wasn’t just a threat; it was a trap waiting to ensnare them all.
She paused, that last energy surge had changed the situation entirely. Temporal anomalies were dangerous, and unpredictable. The cube was reacting to something, but what?
She needed more information, and more control over this situation. The cube wasn’t just a threat anymore, it was now a wildcard with time itself involved.

Commander Itri
(Executive Officer)

“Itri, perhaps it would be wise for you to take a look oat the situation in person, go see what exactly is going on down there and report back as soon as possible. I don’t think we will be holding of our friends much longer” he turned to the security officer, “How long do we have before they hit us?”

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

From the weapons console, Saxon slope up once again. “Captain, I’ve scanned their ship as best as I can. I believe I’ve found a weak spot in their shields. A well-placed torpedo could weaken their shields enough that we can follow it up with phasers to their engines. It might give us the time we need. . . .”

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial

Sifeda didn’t waste a moment after Captain Voss’s directive. She tapped her comm badge once more, acknowledging the command.
“Yes, Captain. I’ll go assess the situation firsthand.
She left the bridge with purposeful strides.

Commander Itri
(Executive Officer)

Aiden acknowledged his executive officer with a curt nod as they left the bridge, his gaze sharpening as he turned back to Saxon. His voice dropped, cold and commanding, “Alright, no more holding back. We’ve played it safe long enough.”

His eyes flickered with a dangerous intensity as he continued, “Let’s take the gloves off. Load torpedoes and prepare the phasers for maximum power. If they want a fight, we’ll give them one they won’t forget.”

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

As the weapon systems were readied, reports came from across the bridge that the Memorial was ready for a fight. Whether or not it was a fight that could be won was another matter.

GM

Saxon let his fingers do the walking and readied the weapons from the tactical station. “Torpedoes armed and loaded. Phasers ready, Captain.”

Lieutenant Saxon McCleary
Chief Intelligence Office USS Memorial

Suddenly another blue beam lanced out from the cylindrical ship, this time hitting the Memorial squarely. Alarms started blaring across the bridge as the power being transferred into the shields started to leak into the ship’s systems. Suddenly a large power surge cascaded through the EPS conduits, causing a number of them across the ship to explode. As smoke started to fill the bridge, the main lighting cut out, momentarily plunging the crew into darkness before the dim, red backup lights kicked in, resulting in an eerie glow across the ship.

At the same time, the power safety systems kicked in across the ship to prevent even further damage, resulting in a loss of power to the engines and gyrostabilisers. Unpowered, the Memorial started to drift in space.

GM

The moment the blue beam struck, Aiden was thrown from his command chair as the Memorial shuddered violently. He crashed into a side console, pain shooting through his shoulder as sparks erupted across the bridge. Smoke began to fill the air, and the harsh red glow of emergency lighting replaced the main systems as alarms blared. A nearby conduit exploded, scorching his uniform and leaving his arm singed, but Aiden quickly slapped out the flames, ignoring the raw burn as blood trickled down his forehead from an unseen gash.

Despite the disorientation, Aiden dragged himself to a flickering console, his fingers urgently tapping at the controls. The ship was adrift, shields failing, but he found a small glimmer of hope—weapon systems were still functional, even if damaged. Gritting his teeth, he barked into the comms, “Sound off!”

Captain Aiden Voss
Commanding Officer
USS Memorial

=/\= “Fighter Wing,” John replied almost immediately. “Some light damage, but all the birds are still spaceworthy. Only minor injuries among the crews.” =/\= He paused. =/\= “Need us to take a look outside? =/\=

Major John “Firefly” Arlen
Commander, Air Group