[snip]

With the course set the Sojourner settled into its new stationary orbit pattern. Looking through the scanners Conlon could tell their resolution was definitely not quite up to the task of picking up the subterrain life they had picked up. There was definitely interference, not only by normal depth and the rock composites and low grade dilthium but something else. It was similar to a low energy band electromagnetic pulse, as well as some kind of broadcast signal like one might pick up from Earth’s old planetary television broadcasts, the patterns indicated that maybe there was something artificial about it but so far the scanners could not identify it. It was though definitely coming from the planet, seemingly all over the area near the underground natives for many hundreds of miles, not just the valley they had been in and it was definitely underground in origin.

“Ma’am, there’s interference from what looks like it might be a sort of communications broadcast signal. The signal’s originating for hundreds of miles around the natives from underground,” Aiden reported, doing his best to amplify that specific signal and see if he could get anything cohesive out of it. He tapped one foot incessantly as his smile dropped slightly in concentration, playing with the scanners to the best of his ability.

Ensign Conlon, Linguist

Helena engaged the autopilot and locked the controls. She got up from her station and went to the back of the bridge where the conference table was and pulled up the scans from the planet, creating a map of the area. She looked at the area marked from Conlon’s scans and tried to triangulate where the most likely source of the signal would be coming from. Taking in depth and thickness of the rocks and minerals, land formations and such that might interfere. She was sure Renault would want to investigate it further. Especially if it was not a natural phenomenon.

Laursen, pilot

Looking on the scans it was tough to exactly pinpoint where the direct source was. Given the signal feed she was pretty sure they were coming from below ground, maybe slightly deeper from the area the subterrain life natives they had found a camp of. The dilhtium signatures did not help matters, in fact it almost seemed like the signal was resonating off the deposits. Someone skilled with such workings of crystal harmonics and comm signals might be able to find a way to refine the process to either decode the signal and/or use a feedback signal of their own to back trace the original signal......or even if they wanted probably block/scramble it.

Just as this analysis came in one of the forward starboard side lower air vent grill near the ready room door and turbolift, seemed to produce a bit of a creaking sound. It sort of sounded like maybe one of the air filters had become jammed or partly dislodged? Then a second later a clang sound was heard from in the vent again.....

GM CockRoach