Posted by Gamemaster OZ (GM) in MAIN SIM: Bridge

Posted by Ensign Chandel (Science) in MAIN SIM: Bridge

Posted by Captain Rende Asam (Commanding Officer) in MAIN SIM: Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
SNIP

The science station chimed softly as Chandel’s console completed its first pass at the long-range astronomical archives. The nebula was there—entry 685—but scant on detail. Sagan’s Veil, so named for its dense, opalescent particulate matter and unusual interference patterns, had only been logged twice before: once in a passing sensor sweep by the U.S.S. Lyon nearly thirty years ago, and again more recently by a civilian cargo vessel, the S.S. Bastion Run, whose logs were… colorful, but hardly scientific.

“Very dense, and does have unusual interference patterns, Lieutenant Dovek, so communications will be effected.”

The location itself had been flagged for further study due to sporadic sensor shadowing and unexplained subspace harmonics—barely noted phenomena, dismissed at the time as instrument error or ionic interference. No known threats. No known inhabitants. Just a mysterious smudge at the edge of the Kaliphane sector, vaguely pulsing like a heartbeat through the static of subspace.

Chandel’s request to the ship’s library archives returned only a fragmentary entry:

Sagan’s Veil: Nebula 685, located in the Kaliphane sector. Composition primarily consists of ionized hydrogen and trace elements. Designated Class-K nebula. Noted for unusual sensor scattering and weak subspace harmonics. No official Starfleet survey data available. Warning: region may interfere with long-range communication and warp field stability. Use standard navigational caution.

“Class K, sensor scattering and weak space harmonics. Warp field instability. We will need to remain at a distance.”
She typed in a query to see what subtype it might be.
OOC: I’m looking at nebula data here: http://sttff.antspad.net/ast/AST_nebulaclassification.html

Ensign Chandel Sci

The screen flickered as Chandel’s query parsed through the available nebular classification matrices. The system cross-referenced Sagan’s Veil against known Class-K subtypes—diffuse ionized, filamentary, dark patch, proto-stellar, and high-radiation envelopes—but none fit cleanly.

The Veil exhibited traits of several: the ionized composition matched a typical diffuse cloud, but the interference patterns resembled those found in proto-stellar regions. The subspace harmonics were anomalous for any known subtype, with frequency variations more commonly associated with Class-J anomaly fields. Even the warp field instability hinted at exotic particulate behavior not typically found in a Class-K designation.

Her console returned a simple but telling response:

No definitive subtype match. Multiple subclass traits detected. Scientific survey required for formal classification.

Sagan’s Veil, it seemed, did not want to be defined.

Whether it was an atypical example of a known type—or something entirely new—remained to be seen. But if verified, it might not just warrant a subclass revision. It could represent a new class altogether.

Chandel logged the descriptions of the nebula with excitement, a new type of nebula with an unknown subtype! The opportunity to study such a phenomenon was rare and she might be able to get a research paper out of it!

Ensign Chandel Sci

“Thank you Ensign,” he said smiling at her,. He started working on an algorithm that would compensate for the interference.

No further metadata. No mission logs, no probe telemetry, no incident reports.

A visual display filtered through the main viewer showed a ghost of the nebula itself on long-range sensors—faint, pale violet tendrils undulating against a wash of static, far too distant for detail. It resembled a shroud or veil, winking with intermittent interference.

And from the comms station—again, that small, unmistakable sound. Not a system alert. Not interference. Just a low, unmistakable growl from somewhere under the console.

And Lt. Dovek would suddenly feel hungrier than he had ever been.

-OZ

“If you’ll excuse me” Zaril said as he stood and left the bridge, he left quickly making his way down to the mess, he had not been this hungry in a while , the feeling of hunger started to mix in with the calm he was trying to project.

OCC: do you want to take his food search to a different thread?

Lieutenant Junior Grade Zaril Dovek
Communication Officer U.S.S Sentinel

OOC: Absolutely! I’ll follow you wherever you would like to go. Just mark it with “Main Sim” please, and thank you!

-OZ

Lieutenant Junior Grade Zaril Dovek
Communication Officer U.S.S Sentinel

-OZ

[O]Asam to bridge. Set course for Sagan’s Veil. Maximum warp. Bring us to holding 100,000 km outside the nebulous edge.[C]

OOC: whomever would like to play an NE helmsman
Cpt. Asam, CO

[O}Aye, Captain.[C]
Ensign Rudder’s fingers moved swiftly across the helm, inputting the coordinates with practiced ease. The warp engines hummed to life beneath him, the console displaying a steady rise in velocity as the stars outside stretched into lines.

[O]Course laid in and engaged. We’re en route to Sagan’s Veil—estimated time of arrival: five days, twelve hours.[C]

-OZ

Well, that is a long ETA, Chandel mused to herself. It would give her a chance to work on her own project before she was buried in the mission work.

Ensign Chandel Sci