Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Surda (Chief of Security / RTF) in SPT-ST Prolog: The Galactic Doughnut - All senior staff summoned

Posted by Captain Zachariah Cobb (Commanding Officer) in SPT-ST Prolog: The Galactic Doughnut - All senior staff summoned
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Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Surda (Chief of Security / RTF) in SPT-ST Prolog: The Galactic Doughnut - All senior staff summoned
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

The shuttle, having a sensor stream far closer to the ship than the probe, is able to relay more of the same information already relayed regarding the status of the ship. The emergency transponder beacon pings the communications system in orbit around the nearby class M planet where the crew is sitting. Their messages are full of static interference caused by magnetic isotopes in the atmosphere, nothing that would cause a shuttle any problems but is a nightmare on sensors and communications.

The holographic pilot finds on the scanners the same chemical makeup the probe reported before it vanished and moved out to get a better look at what it may be cautiously so as not to share the same fate. The small object is difficult to track but easily followed until it bounces off another bit of alien mass that had not yet frozen completely, giving a twitch to knock whatever it is toward the shuttle. It’s not moving fast so it is easy to keep away from it as it comes into clear view. Though frozen due to being in space, it is clearly a red doughnut with green frosting and little white snowflake sprinkles. The holographic pilot runs the scans multiple times on different frequencies just to be safe, however all reports come back with the same result. It is a doughnut.

=^=Shuttle Craft to Ensign Orin, I found an object that matches the probe scans but doesn’t show any activity at the moment. It appears to be a rather festive doughnut, should I conclude this as the anomaly or should I continue the search for something else?=^=

• Storyteller

“Mmm doughnut…” was the first thought that crossed Daizi’s mind, her empty stomach growling at the thought of the breakfast pastry she had left unfinished in her quarters before starting her bridge duty shift.

She double checked the readings to make sure she wasn’t imagining things but no, the readings were what they were, not matter how unusual. There could be only one conclusion…

“Sir, these readings are so strange, I can only conclude that our sensors are somehow being Jammed…”

Ensign Daizi Orin - Scientist and Doughnut enthusiast

“Jammed by what?” Cobb asked, his tone now adopting an almost delirious edge. “Is it strawberry, at least?”
He stared at the footage being broadcast by the shuttle. “And that is our anomaly? A bloody…doughnut?” Where was Quinn Kindle when he needed her. The woman understood pastry better than any other alive.

With the unsteady demeanour of a man expecting to wake at any moment, his gaze returned to Luna and Durheim. “You…see it too, right? The…doughnut?”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

There was a distinct pause as Durheim adjusted the goggles over his eyes before replying; his tone make it clear that he chose his words carefully. “…Yes, Mr. Cobb, I do see the doughnut on the screen. As much as my standard of what defines ‘unusual’ has changed since I’ve been on the Leviathan… I believe this is… unique.”

“Computer run a diagnostic of the view screen to detect any malfunctions” Raauhl would not allow himself to believe that a giant space doughnut was what they were seeing. “Is there any sign of photonic energy someone may be playing us for fool”

• Cmdr Raauhl, XO
  There is a brief pause before the computer responds. “Diagnostic complete, no irregularities identified. No photonic energy detected. Detecting potential human error.”

Luna could not help it she burst into a fit of historical laughter. ” I’m sorry its not… no this is pretty funny I need a minute” she said and giggled for a few more seconds. Finly taking a deep breath and shaking her head. ” so can we determine what is jamming us and why” she asked as if she had not just been laughing at the entire thing. After what she had been through on the Viking a Donut was funny.
Ensign Luna

Surda looked around the room, more than a little confused. “What in the name of the Goddess is a doughnut?”
-Surda, CoS (Missing some essential food culture knowledge)

Surda’s confusion only managed to send Luna into another fit of giggles. ” Ill be right back” she said disapering finding a replicator and retering with a cholesterol sprinkles donut for Surda. ” Here just try it. Its easier then explaining” Luna said. She handed the pastry to her.
Ensign Luna

Surda blinked at the doughnut. “By Mirag it’s a food,” she muttered, scowling at the pastry in her hand.
-Surda, CoS

Cobb’s eyes stared with jealous hunger at the doughnut.
“Aye, it is a food, Miss Surda,” he confirmed, licking unconsciously at his lips as if they were coated with powered sugar, “one of the finest pastry formations of our time. Or indeed, any time.”

But afternoon tea was a luxury currently well beyond their reach. Fathoms below them, on the surface of the nearby planet, the survivors of the USS Holland awaited rescue. And out there, in the usually empty void of space, a different kind of doughnut swelled and grew with malevolent intent.

“So, what do we do?” the captain shrugged, one hand raking through his hair as he took a moment to study every individual in the room. “Lt Surda, Ensign Luna,” he turned immediately to the security team, “as the highest ranking RTF members present, I must ask you, do you believe you could attempt a containment of the…doughnut?”

“And Mr Durheim,” he switched focus momentarily to the engineer, allowing the women brief opportunity for collaborative thought, “if they do make a containment attempt, then we will require an appropriate vessel. Is that something your team might be able to produce? Quickly?”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

Durheim’s reply began slowly, but quickly became firm. “Y-es… yes, Mr. Cobb; I believe we may have something adequate; though I must say it is a prototype. It has been tested.... but not ‘in the field’, so to speak.” His commbadge clicked, and he quickly issued a few quiet commands; his tone becoming fierce towards the end. “One moment Mr. Cobb; I have an assistant bringing it to the bridge now.”

Roughly a minute or so later, a disheveled engineering assistant arrived at the bridge; panting and with a sheen of sweat on his pimply forehead. In his hands was a small pink box; roughly the size of a loaf of bread. As the assistant caught his breath (and momentarily stopped breathing at the sight of the assembled Brass) his eyes found Durheim; and he hurriedly passed the box over before making his exit. Sprinting feet could be heard once the door closed, though it was likely a coincidence. At closer inspection, it was apparent that the sides of the box were quite flimsy; they held their shape, but deformed slightly even under the engineers’ delicate grip, as if made of thin cardstock. Turning to the captain, Jonathan presented the item for inspection, grinning from ear to ear.

“Here you are, Mr. Cobb. Please don’t be too alarmed by its delicate structure; the important bits are all inside. This is a prototype, as I mentioned, but if it performs as expected it should hold together just fine.” Pausing, he looked at the box closely. “So long as it is treated with care, of course. Unfortunately for now, our focus has been on the containment and power supply; less so on the casement. But it should place any sufficiently small item under a relatively high containment level; so long as the power supply lasts. Under laboratory testing, it has performed as expected approximately fifty-nine percent of the time; with only a fourteen percent catastrophic failure rate!”

Durheim, Engineering

Zachariah took gentle hold of the box, turning it over in his hands and inspecting it closely with an engineer’s eye.
“Most impressive, Mr Dur…” he began to congratulate the man, before stopping short and fixing his own eyes on Jonathan’s goggled own. “F…fifty-nine percent?” he echoed in a more anxious tone, while silently accepting that those odds were the best the house would offer.

Durheim had just barely enough grace to look somewhat embarrassed. “Yes… as I did mention, it is only a prototype. But I will say, most of the failures stemmed from the.... delicate nature of the box. The containment matrix and emitters within had a much lower failure rate; and the power supply performed nearly flawlessly - it only overloaded twice during testing.”

Surda moved to inspect the box, raising an eyebrow at the color. “How long will the power supply last?”
-Surda, CoS

“Ah… Unfortunately Miss Surda, that is hard to say. On standby, the power supply will last for roughly a week; but given a particularly.... energetic occupant.... well, disregarding catastrophic failure, testing with a miniature fusion reactor suggested a minimum containment time of approximately an hour. But of course, anomalies rarely play by the rules.”

=^= Shuttle Craft to Bridge, I’m detecting a heavy gravimetric distortion originating from the ‘hole’ of the doughnut. A similar field of nine cubic meters is forming approximately twelve centimeters from the frosting covered side of the object.=^= There is a brief pause before the communications chime back up again. =Shuttle Craft to Bridge, the gravimetric field has been replaced with approximately nine thousand liters of water, which has become ice. I’m detecting multiple bio signs within the ice belonging to various families of alien fish. How should I proceed?=^=

The Storyteller

“Fish!” Cobb exclaimed. All present had no doubt heard the rumours by now on the captain’s fondness for aquatic lifeforms. “Can we…save ‘em somehow?”

He turned once again to Surda and Luna. “How soon can you mount a containment mission?”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

” can we use the transporter to beam it into the containment unit?” Luna asked. She was unsure how else to get at a donut floating in space.
Ensign Luna

Daizi tentatively raised her hand in the air again to unwillingly draw attention to herself.

“Umm… given how little we know about the ‘doughnut’ and errr what it’s… you know… doing… I’m not sure disassembling it down to it’s err… component molecules.... and reassembling it in an untested containment.... ” she looked at the flimsy pink item that had been produced “box?.... would be ummm.... wise?”

Ensign Daizi Orin - Scientist

Surda sighed. “We’ll have to take a shuttle, do a spacewalk to get the… doughnut… and then we have about an hour to get it back here and into containment.” She looked critically at the pink box. “Can we slide this inside a metal case? Perhaps a munitions crate?”
-Surda, CoS

Zachariah reclined in his seat and listened as his crew debated the situation, impressed with the points and suggestions being raised. Finally though, he waved a hand and interjected.
“Aye, adding a reinforced exterior to the containment box sounds practical. But Lt Surda,” his query was aimed at the CoS, but he would welcome suggestions from anyone present, “How do you plan to get it into the container itself? If you make physical contact with the doughnut then I fear I may find myself with a bowl of cereal for a security chief?”

His eyes shifted briefly to Luna before returning to the wider group. “Interference in the atmosphere of the planet is preventing us from using the transporter to rescue the survivors. Is the situation identical in the local area of the doughnut? If not then this might be a less dangerous suggestion. Or maybe a tractor beam?”

• Captain Zachariah Cobb

“I’d imagined it isn’t much different from catching fish. Easier perhaps, since it isn’t trying to get away. You just sort of…” She mimed a scooping motion, similar to one made with a net. “And then shut the container.”
-Surda, CoS

” yes but I’m not shure ill be able to do the space walk with you Lutanat ” Luna said opening her wings.” Ether way I think LT is right” Luna said.
Ensign Luna