Posted by Gamemaster CockRoach (Gamemaster) in Main Sim - Bridge - Setting Out
[snip]

With no further need to remain in the system, the Merrimack once ordered would soon leave the first system on their way to the next. The trip there at warp was barely two days travel time. Once dropping from warp scans of the second system soon confirmed their mystery ship had indeed been here less then two or so months ago. The second system unlike the first held four planets, one of which was class-m. Several small moons orbited the outer most forth planet containing mineral rich dilthium and other minerals. A small primitive probe, conical in shape with a small power source and sublight engine was orbiting one of the moons. It seemed to be performing scans of the surface, though it had not yet picked up the Merrimack. Power signatures though were similar to that which their mystery ship seemed in line with.

“Sensors detect a probe, Captain!” Hal reported. He had been been running the standard pre-approach and orbiting scans, looking to see if anyone else had answered the planet’s comm signal.

“Readings of the probe don’t detect any weapons. And indications are that it originates from the alien ship/race that we’re attempting to track.”

“And it would appear to have been here for two weeks surveying planets,” Glen added. “Thanks! Can you detect anything else from non-invasive scans?” he asked William.

William checked his readings of the probe, he started a check on the probes scanning abilities but avoided any noticeable scans as he didn’t want it to pick them up before the Captain did.

“Inola?” the Captain asked, “Any communications from them?”

Inola looked up. “Nothing specific Captain. Some background noise, but that seems to be internal.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t seem to have noticed us.”

No communications came from the probe, it was quite simple really in function likely just a primitive survey probe to scan for pre-programmed things. Then store its results and await a return of its owner to analyze the information. There didnt seem much more they could learn here and probably could just follow the low warp trail out of the system again for the deepest third planetary system that their mystery craft seemed headed for.

“In that case we should leave for the next system,” said Glen. “We are getting closer, but they still have a two week lead on us if we want to catch them up. Helm, st a course!”

-Glen, CO

With the orders given again the NE at helm angled the Merrimack out of the system and once more went to warp. “..ETA to the next system about a day and 3 hours at Warp 5 sir..” he said.

As the Merrimack traveled following the much slower warp trail they were able to pick up better details in the mystery ship’s travel rate. The warp field and as a result likely the core that ran it was quite primitive. More so then even probably Cochrane’s warp 1 engine on Earth that originally made contact with the Vulcans. The field and trail showed clear signs of instability this time. Probably due to poor understandings of intermix formula and subspace harmonics. More evidence clear that whoever this race was and/or were on this ship they had barely understood or broken the warp barrier and the theory behind it.

Judging by the power levels science and engineering could report that the ship probably wasn’t very big. Maybe 2-3 decks, 5 tops. The crew size as a result probably couldn’t top more then 30 souls assuming the ship went along the same lines as Starfleet’s crewing setup. Obviously no signs of weapons, shielding or the like could be gleamed from this information but if their technology level of their warp understanding was anything to judge if they were armed and/or shielded they couldn’t be a threat to the Merrimack.

As the day passed in this analysis they soon came within range of the third system, and sensors were quick to pick up details of the system ahead. Like the other two they had a class m world, and mineral rich planets and moons ripe for harvest and mining and colonization. No signs of any settlements were present within the eight planet system. Five of them were gas and mineral rich moons with another inner planet being a largely oceanic island hopping class m world. Dilthium deposits on the inner most planet which was a dead airless world barely bigger then Mercury was also picked up.

The path of their mystery alien ship went into the system, obviously doing another survey for some days, indeed they picked up two more of the alien probes like before scanning a moon and the class-m world. Neither of which gave the Merrimack a glance much less the time of day so primitive was their programming tasks. The mystery ship’s impulse trail was actually fairly fresh, less then four days old in fact. It looped around the system twice barely breaking quarter impulse on their charts before heading out the far end of the system.

As they cleared the solar body of the system they found on its far end beyond what passed for the system’s outer most edges their mystery ship! Lights were flickering a little on the ship and it was drifting in a slow lazy circle about 100,000 km beyond the system’s boundaries effectively in the depths of space. Lower power readings showed they had it seems tried to go to warp again within the past day but something had gone wrong and effectively set the ship adrift in the emptiness of space!

Scans showed their warp drive was offline, as was their impulse mode of engines likely the ship was running on some kind of battery support. Sure enough life scans showed about 28 souls aboard. Humanoid it seemed and unlike the Bolay they were air breathers. The air in question would be a little warmer then most among the crew would prefer barring any Vulcans but otherwise it was breathable and life sustaining for the time being.

Comms would pick up a weak sublight radio broadcast which probably wouldn’t reach anyone any time soon, much less in the next months or years ahead. Looking at its pulse frequency harmonic comms could likely assume it was a primitive distress call. The language also matched the earlier and older subspace radio message they had on record before. Obviously more input and programming would be needed to translate this new language by the UT but they at least had a workable frequency to do some hailing and comms if they wanted.

Tactical analysis of the ship came back nil on a threat. The ship had primitive deflector screens for avoiding asteroid impacts, but no sign of formal shielding beyond this. Not even older hull polarization was in evidence. Weapons seemed to be even more of a joke made up of four turret mounted dual laser projection systems. Likely again for asteroid mining, or avoidance then any real combat use. So in short even with their shields down the lasers would barely make a scorch mark on their Rodium armor.

GM CockRoach

Inola looked up suddenly, hearing a slight change in the background noise of the universe. She tried to narrow it down, and once she could hear it, she realized what it was. “Captain, they’re sending out a distress call!”
-Inola, Comms