[snip]

As the folks on the bridge were watching things below or talking to each other, NE Gork a gruff Tellarite over at the science station spoke, “..Commander? Sensors just picked up a warp burst at the systems edge. But....looking on longer range sensors, and playing back the data well.....this doesn’t make sense!” he said in confusion.

After muttering to himself checking readings and obviously looking things over again to confirm he turned again, this time putting a playback up on the main viewer. On it they saw a 20 second video play of a warp pulse like a ship dropping from warp would. But instead of a ship they had....a large ice comet? “..I checked long range scans three times, the comet IS nothing but a big ball of iron and frozen water particulate. No signs of technology or other reasons it would be able to have dropped from warp. Its current speed is about half impulse and moving into the system. Current projections put it to pass by this planet in about 3 hours, it won’t hit or anything dangerous but the passing commentary gases and ice would enter and burn up in the planet’s atmosphere..” he said.

Joe after waiting much more patiently than he really cared to said, “So this comet won’t do anything just burn up the atmosphere? I sir would certainly not want to know what you might consider dangerous. Comets don’t go warp speed. And they don’t do say when we have a first contact going on with a formerly held Klingon planet. Someone has pulled the oldest trick in the book on us. They’ve thrown a rock. Take the ship to yellow alert.”

Looking over to Cara at the science station he asked her, “Cara could you please inform the captain and ask him to advise us please? Myself I’m all for leaving now. Three hours is not enough time. And someone stay on the long range sensors . Just in case the guys that threw the thing shows up.”

Cross was about to say something when Cara spoke, then she turned to look at Gork and last but not least her eyes fell on Joe ‘’Cmdr , is it a good idea to inform the Captain now ,with him sitting at a table which would undoubtedly mean the inhabitants are close by ? If you contact him now he would need to take out his cell phone and they might get suspicious especially since they do not understand our language ‘’ .

” And since they don’t speak our language without everyone playing around with the translators it shouldn’t be an issue doctor. ” Joe said in a dry voice. ” And one way or another my duty is to ship and crew first. If the CO wants to rescue any people on the planet that’s up to him.”

‘’Up too you then but you are his first officer and there is a reason you’re sitting in the Captain’s chair ‘’ Cross replied shrugging her shoulders ‘’I’m sure you do not want to jeopardize any positive steps the Captain could have undertaken so far ‘’.

Joe just looked at Cross and smiled as he said simply. ” Yes, I suppose there is a reason I’m sitting here and if you find a reason, please be so kind as to let me know, will you? But in the meantime, with a possible catastrophe looming, you may want to find the medical officer and get her to start getting the sick bay ready.”

With a neutral, self -restraint response Cross replied ‘’Cmdr not only is sickbay ready but a Triage has been set up and all medical personnel have been briefed, orders from the Captain ‘’ she continued ‘’I’ll stay here just in case it slips your mind as to inform me of any catastrophic event ‘’ the doctor said so in a discreet manner.

Cross took a few steps away from the Cmdr ,she knew he needed to stay focus and had no intention of getting in the way.

Joe turned toward Cross saying as he smiled crookedly, “Oh look at you and you are psychic as well! I am as always amazed Lieutenant!” pausing then Joe said to himself as much as anyone else on the bridge. “This thing may or may not be dangerous but I’m pretty sure that it’s the sort of thing the inhabitants of the planet will surely respond to.” Joe then turned back to open up a channel to the landing party.

Cross neither moved nor responded ,she simple stood still her eyes fixed on the screen in front of them.

Glen replied to Joe’s message a couple of seconds later, =/\= Milligan? It’s Glen here! Make it quick please. =/\=

Joe did just that as he repeated the information on the comet back to the captain. =/\=The tail or parts of it at least are being forecast to pass through at least a part of the planet’s atmosphere. That is at least the prediction at this time. And knowing primitive cultures this will be some sort of sign from above or some such. It may be something you can use to your advantage. At present I have placed the ship on yellow alert simply because we picked up a warp speed signature from the thing. I intend also to to keep the ship out of the things way as much as possible. =/\=

As Glen’s reply came in the comet which still read on scans and visual like a hunk of ice began to slowly arc due to the pull of gravity into the system. At its current ETA it was still on track to pass by the planet below in now just under 2 hours and 57 minutes. Gork spoke up, “..Sir, scans on the comet got more cleared up, I can confirm that for all practical purposes it is indeed a comet. 70% H2O based ice, 27% bassed iron and copper mixture core, but I’m also picking up 2% deposits of quartz..” he said.

=/\= I might be able to use it to our advantage, as long as they don’t see as an omen. =/\= Glen replied. =/\= Just to confirm: it Warped into the system first? Any Warp signature that matches? Klingon? I have to go. Run some more scans! Glen out! =/\=

• Glen, CO