[snip]

Grafton looked to Glen as he took the seat and everyone else arrived, “..I understand your concerns Captain. To somewhat spoil things ahead you actually aren’t the first ship sent to follow up on this mission assignment. If you’ll let me explain....” He said.

Nodding to one NLt the projection screen came on nearby showing a star chart of about 8 light years. It showed DS K-5 about 4 light years from the lower left of the map, closer still to K-5 was a small Risan colony called ‘Back Washing’ known for their heavy supply of automated washing services for passing cargo and Starfleet ships on this line of trade routes. In the upper right and across the top to the left was areas marked as mostly charted but poorly and while claimed by the Federation had no colonies or the like. Between this empty space and K-5 was a large 5-6 light year spanning nebula. It was labeled ‘The Honey Pot’. Given they had operated in this region of space for some time anyone worth their salt on local gossip would know it was a nebula rich in stellar gases and minerals that were well worth scoping up. “..This as you can see it The Honey Pot. A resource rich nebula of gas and free floating minerals, as well as tiny asteroids and commentary matter. About two weeks ago six civilian mining ships were sent to gather various gases as was usual. About 4 days into their effort the SS Gas Bug under the command of merchant captain Steven Hull picked up what seemed a matter/antimatter explosion 1.4 light years within the nebula but its exact location beyond that could not be determined. An hour later as they were compiling this to send here to K-5 a low band communication pulse was picked up the message was far too degraded to make out its full intent but its signal band patterns match those used by many Risan intersystem colonial ships like those near Back Washing. We sent the USS Trudograd a Starlight class combat medical frigate to investigate they arrived on the scene reliving the merchants once their work was done and begin to search into the nebula dropping comm markers along the way to use as a relay back to K-5 here. However, after a full day the signal relaying stopped. Their last report roughly put them 3.4 light years deep into the central western region of the nebula which is known in the past to have heavy concentrations of helium, trionium, and sirillium. It’s a dangerous mixture of gases which can cause one or more to become explosive and dangerous. It’s possible the Trudograd was disabled or destroyed but such but no readings of an explosion were picked up by the station during this time.” He went on.

”..We are however, still picking up what we suspect is the Risan signal within the nebula refinements we did ourselves make us suspect the Trodograd was near the region it was originating from. Your mission is to enter The Honey Pot, locate and assist the Trudograd or its remains or survivors, and determine the origins of the Risan signal. Because of the danger of the gases Starfleet believes your Rodium armor will provide you far better protections to external threats given the nebula’s interference with sensors and making shielding in operative. Questions Captain?” He asked.

“I have a few questions…” replied Glen. “I’m not familiar with The Honey Pot. Has it been explored before and are communications signals always a problem inside? I assume as a result of these helium, trionium, and sirillium gases? Would laying a trail of repeating stations behind us not work?”

“What do we know of the reactive chemistry of these gases together? I thought Helium was fairly innocuous? What indicates our Rodium armour will provide us better protection? I assume that our shuttlecraft won’t be able to operate inside? How does the SS Gas Bug and the other five mining vessels protect themselves? Who thought to send in the USS Trudograd in there without any such protection?”

“What do we know about the Risans? Are they Federation members? And if not, why not? Any intel on them that won’t be found in our Ships Library Computer?” Glen asked, though he was well aware that Grafton would be totally unaware that the Merrimack had probably the best Library Computer database within the entire fleet, should Glen ever wish to access it, on account of its top secret interface once with ‘Entity’, an AI program aboard the NX Memorial, a ship from the late 24th Century. However, Glen tried to avoid using information from the future as he didn’t wish to alter the timeline any further.

Grafton would also be unaware that in addition to the Rodium armour, the Merrimack had been given certain other top secret hull improvements at that very same time, in order to protect it against the Elder threat. While Glen was annoyed that the Merrimack was quite often sent into situations where lesser ships had previously been destroyed or gone missing on the intelligence of some or other pen-pushing headquarters genius, he did, at least, always feel more comfortable in the knowledge that due these strange quirks of fate, no other ship in the fleet was probably better protected than the Merrimack.

“I probably have more questions… when they come to me,” Glen said.

• Glen, CO