Posted by Commander Jonathan McKnight (Executive Officer) in MAIN SIM pt 1: Intriguing Nebula - Bridge

Posted by Commander Wulf Baumann (Intel Officer) in MAIN SIM pt 1: Intriguing Nebula - Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Roger Sanks (Linguist) in MAIN SIM pt 1: Intriguing Nebula - Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<Snip>

The original ‘Phantom Bonnie’ disappeared from sensor readouts, only to be replaced by two. One was now the same distance off of the port bow, now, while the other sensor ghost was being detected from within the nebula - obviously a ghost since actual readings of that space were too muddled with interference to make anything out from the ship’s position.

The universal translator system attached to the bridge panel had been subject to an overload, the EPS conduit was fine but the power delivery matrix would need to be replaced. Meanwhile, the main transceiver array was still online and picking up dozens of potential comm signals that, on further analysis, seemed to just be a source of subspace interference from inside the nebula - something else that was unexplained.

The comm panel lit up with a surge of new incoming transmissions. While most were immediately dismissed, two did stick around. Both signals seemed to come from the forward direction, from inside the nebula, but exact origin was impossible to tell. The signals, on different carrier waves, both contained a few short seconds of the open line’s static forming short- and longer- bursts in a way the computer flagged as unnatural, “.... . .-..”

GM Roadrunner

Baumann scowled at the bursts, and went to the computer. He ran a search for communications matrices that utilized a single sound with spaces between. When the results displayed his jaw clenched. “I’m wondering if this may an older form of communication…” and he looked at the CO. “One from Earth. Morse Code.”

Baumann, Intel

Lt. Sanks came onto the bridge and started working at his station. The Comms and universal translator had gone down. He started working to repair them from his console.
He started typing commands into the ship’s console to restore the systems.
LT. Sanks, Linguist

“Hoy, watch your feet,” El said more or less laying at Sanks’ boots. “I’ve popped in a new board but it’s not that,” she said, talking more into the open space under the console than up. She pulled out a power-trace and had one end linked to the board, getting nothing. Attaching that to the incoming feed she had power there. Moving it from module to module she smiled, letting out a ‘gotcha’. “Power delivery matrix.” She reached in an worked it back and forth to pull it out. “Model Alpha19. Skitchy model. The 21’s are more stable.” Fishing about in her satchel she worked to find a replacement.

Ari frowned. “Morse Code… but that’s even more ancient than the ships we are being cautious of. Couldn’t hurt…” she tapped her own console and frowned once more as she looked at Baumann. “If it is Morse code… I’m reading HER as the message. Does that sound right with any of your intel?” She then nodded as helm gave them the answer about the circumnavigation time of the nebula. Glancing at Baumann she shook her head. “I don’t think we can afford to cut corners and rush this.”

Morse code, El thought. She and her father had played with that game when she was very little. He said that hadn’t been used for a century. Her? She was working, but she was listening too.

She nodded to the helm. “Let’s keep her steady, helm. I don’t want to alert anyone we are here, if they are. And I don’t wanna chance running over them, either.”

Her hand came down on the console as she called to science and the pod bay, wondering where her scanners were. [O] Science, this is the bridge. We ready to begin those heightened close range scans yet?[O]

She knew they could do fairly passive scans as they went, but she wanted readings of the nebulas as well and knew they pod arm was going to be their best bet there. As she waited her answer, she glanced at Baumann. “Any idea what’s making the shadows of us on the nebula?” She was referring to the carbon Bonnies they were seeing. At least, she ‘hoped’ they were shadows. The alternative made her shiver.

Ari
CO

El, Eng

Ari sighed. She didn’t want to jinx it, but between Baumann mentioning hails and transmissions, and her mentioning running ships over, at least the bridge personnel deserved to know.

“Keep your eyes and ears open folks. Any signals we get could be from old ships passing by whose transmissions have been eternally bouncing around in here. Or…” she took a deep breath and sighed. “Or there could be actual ships out there. Wanna be careful not to attract attention either way. Agreed?” She didn’t expect an answer, but it finished her disclosure. With luck, they’d never need to know the rest.

Ari
CO

“We had a morse code message sent to us on another Mission I was on,” Kenny commented softly, then answered the Captain’s question from earlier. “It’ll take us a couple of weeks to travel the circumference, sir. 13 days if we go max warp.”

Fleet, Helm

[O] Almost done Captain. It’ll be just another minute on the forward sensor pod. [O]

There was a loud clanking in the background.

[O] Make it 3 minutes Captain. [O]

Ltjg Barr - CSO

Baumann began trying to decipher the transmission, and at the same time watched the sensors for any indication of vessels other than the Bonnie.

Baumann, Intel

Ari nodded. [O] Thank you, Barr… Bridge out [C]

Ari wasn’t liking all this sneaking around. To her science mind, she was one to plow straight thru the middle of the nebula, taking a million readings with a million different instruments and discovering all there was to discover. To be cautious to this degree was almost nail bitingly irritating. But the CO in her knew this was how it had to be done. For everyone’s safety.

Ari
CO

As the Bonnie waited before the nebula, a transport dropped out of warp and hailed the ship.

[O] Bonaventure, this is the transport Fenton. Let me tell you that you are one hard ship to catch! We’ve been chasing you since you left dock. We have Commander McKnight aboard, a last minute transfer to your ship. Fleet said it was a priority, so that’s how we ended out here. [O]

Cmdr McKnight - XO

El plucked out the Model 21 Matrix, looked at it, tapped it on the side of the panel then blew on it to take some dust off it. “Will be there in a moment,” she said, then more quietly as though to herself. “There you go, no, no you don’t.” Her fingers were working by the look of it mostly by feel as her arm was inside up to the panel. There was a soft click. “And .. there. Now for the board.” Then she knocked on Sanks’ boot at the toe. “Any power issues up there? Power should be good, I hope. Replacing the translator circuit board next.”

She was listening. Other ships out there. What was that about? “If there are ships out there they must have similar power issues as us,” she commented. That might have been her one bit of input as she would be looking to trace those EPS power issues after this. But she knew where it ended - at this board.
El, Eng

Ari smiled and glanced at Baumann before answering. [O] If we were easy to catch, Fenton, we’d never stay alive. Permission to dock, granted. Please send Commander McKnight to the bridge when he arrives. Captain out. [O]

[O] Understood Bonaventure. Fenton out. [O]

Ari shook her head in mild confusion and checked her console. A few moments later she gave a slight hrumph. “Seems Millet is being recalled back to base and McKnight is our new XO. Guess best now instead of the middle of a mess.”

She sent a comm down to Millet along with a copy of the orders. At receiving confirmation that he’d be ready, she laughed again. But it wasn’t exactly a comforting one.

Ari
CO

“Sorry, El, I didn’t know you were there.” He replied. “I still have power with the console.” He looked down slightly at her and smiled, before returning to the console and inputting more commands to get it back up and running.
LT. Sanks, Linguist

Baumann listened the exchange explaining the swap of XO’s. Internally, he sighed and shook his head. To the people around him, he was motionless and staring at the displays.

Baumanm, Intel

A few minutes after the Fenton had docked with the Bonaventure, Jonathan stepped out of the lift and onto the bridge. He had traveled pretty light to start with, and had asked one of the stewards to stow his duffle for now. Plus he wasn’t sure if the previous XO had vacated his quarters yet. Better safe then sorry.

Looking around the bridge he noticed Ari. He moved over towards her and held cake to attention. “Commander McKnight reporting for duty Captain.”

Cmdr McKnight - XO

[O] Bridge this is Jenkins. Lieutenant Barr had to step away, and I finished up getting the forward sensor pod switched out. Diagnostics check out, and the pod should be good to go. [O]

NL Jenkins - Sci