Posted by Vice Admiral CockRoach (GM) in Main Sim - Bridge
[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.

“Hey Conlon, maybe you can make something of this. It is beyond my skill level.” Helena said from the back of the bridge.

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

Aiden stood up and walked over to the vent, peering more closely at it. “I think a filter might have fallen loose in here,” he noted. “Let’s see it I can see anything.”

Ensign Conlon, Comms

[O]Bridge. Cmdr. Grace in Decon. We are going to need a med team here ASAP. There has been an, well, I’m not sure what to call it exactly.[O]

Laursen’s voice came back over the comm [O]Acknowledged Cmdr.[C]

[O]Sickbay this is the bridge. Cmdr Grace needs a medical team in Decon ASAP.[C]

=O=Security to Decon.=C=

Laursen, pilot

=O= Armory here, NE Bill and Charlie are on their way now! =C= came the armory’s reply to the bridge for security to decon.

Just a second later as Aiden peered into the vent there was a split second rustling sound like something moving in it then the vent plus a good 2 inch of the thinner wall panel broke and something heavy and sharp impacted on his chest and face. The feeling was like a thick rough leather, the three maybe four pairs of sharp talons that dug into his uniform’s chest piece and another that dug into his left shoulder caused a lance of pain to shot through him. Something it occurred to his primitive brain told him he was being attacked!

Elsewhere on the bridge over by the middle and port sides of the bridge, the rest of those present would see this unfold as well. Sparks of electrical discharge caused the nearby wall panel to short out, and a large six legged leathery creature have landed on top of Aiden bursting out of the air vent that connected down to the aft sections of B Deck. Thin lines of deep cuts and blood were already marring the poor Ensign’s chest shoulders and left cheek.

Helena was quick and locked the ship into auto pilot. She slammed a hand onto the comm panel, =/\=Lt Nkosenye to the bridge! We have an aggressive alien creature up here. Medical to the bridge as well. En Aiden has been attacked and is injured. Be prepared for zero Gs when you get here.=/\=

Thankfully for Aiden, NE Pauls jumped up from the nearby auxiliary station and came running over. He tried to pry off the creature on Aiden. It was roughly now 2 1/2 or so feet long, and about 1/2 or so a foot wide. Six legged with a spiked spiny tail tip and sharp claws and talons and a serrated row of teeth in its large mouth and bug like eyes it was it seems quite slippery to grab onto for the NE. “..S…Some kind of mucus!” he said then the creature evidently not liking its attempt at preying on Aiden being interrupted leapt from Aiden and attacked Pauls, but he was just nimble enough to get out of its way for it to land on the weapons console controls nearby the sharp talons and feet causing some control damage to the firing and targeting systems. Barring its sharp teeth again it left out a heavy ‘HISSSS’ sound in challenge of dominance to see who it would target next.

GM CockRoach

Helena grabbed a med kit from the storage and tossed it to Pauls. “Clean yourself up and put pressure bandages on Aiden. Stolk, help him with Aiden,” she said to another NE. “I hope you all remember your zero G training.” She looked at Samuels at engineering. “Turn off the grave plating to this deck. We know how to move or stay put, I’m gonna guess this thing doesn’t. Stay out of its way. If it can move in zero G, turn the plating back on quickly. Maybe that will knock it out.” Samuels nodded understanding, “Aye Lt.” His fingers moved over the controls and relayed instructions down to Engineering and back. Then suddenly nothing was holding them to the floor except where they had all anchored themselves.

Laursen, pilot