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

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

Green looked up from where he was removing a panel near the deck. That wasn’t a normal noise of a loose anything. He frowned rolling to his side to listen more. There wasn’t enough air flow to rattle a filter like that. He was about to say something when the comms came through.

[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.

NL Green started to his feet at the sudden propelling of the creature through the vent. It was the size of a hound! His words to Samuels were cut short; he had been up there giving some instruction on bridge duty. While there they had discovered that the monitor at the station was having resolution issues and he had been on the floor under the console removing a panel with his spanner. His eyes scanned the damage it caused and how little damage the creature had taken in its sudden attack. WHAT was that? Not in all his years in space had he seen anything like that. All that ran through his head in the few seconds where it leaped at Aiden.

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.=/\=

Reggie gripped the spanner and was about to leap forward but Pauls was closer. He looked. There wasn’t room for more than one with the two of them and the creature - 6 legs! - wrestling. Adrenaline was working and he moved in between the creature and Samuels.

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

Reggie was ready. At least he had something to combat it but it looked fast - and those talons were damaging stations so they must be hard. In the back of his mind he was noting all the things that needed to be fixed from this creature’s assault. Not to mention the damage to Aiden. Normally he did not think of himself as a brave man; most of the time any direct threats were diffused by his size and bulk, and inwardly thought that this whole thing was surreal in what he was doing. But he also had a paternal side and saw young Samuels as one under his protection - he being the currently ranking engineer aboard.

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

Zero G training. The engineers were versed in that more regularly than many simply given their possible need to do outside work or fix a gravity failure. Still, it was not something that was done every day. “Lad,” he said to Samuels as he worked the console, “sit tight and hang on.” With his unengaged hand he took hold of the port auxiliary station while placing one toe of a boot under the lip of the station that was there for that ‘just in case’ purpose. It still kept him closer than he’d have liked to the creature who by all appearances had it in mind that it could take them all on. He gripped the spanner to a ready position. Feeling the gravity disappear he kept himself in position and eyes on the beast.

NL Reggie Green

When the grav plating was turned off everyone got very light indeed very quickly. The creature’s claws for a second provided a moment ot hook onto the controls and weapon’s panel which caused a bit more damage as its mucus worked against it now causing it to slip free, the further damage to the bridge’s console controls to target and relay information to the armory for firing solutions was worse now but the creature was now floating between the console, ceiling and floor helplessly. It screeched, hissed, and flailed about clearly in anger at its helpless situation as bits of spark and energy discharge came from the weapon’s console underneath it but not enough to harm it or anyone else.

GM CockRoach

Steady with one hand and a foot Green refrained to wave the spanner lest momentum and force take him away. In his mind he simply winced at the damage that creature was causing which his people would need to fix. Serinde would be a good candidate for that. But he was ready for any change in course of the creature. Who knew, it may have a flatulent episode and be propelled to the bulkhead and with those claws gain enough purchase to move or launch away once surprise was gone. Hopefully someone with a weapon would be by to target the creature. If he smacked it with his spanner - provided it came within range - he might help it than hinder it. He did glance over his shoulder to see how Samuels was doing.
- Green