[snip]

“Sir I’m scanning to see if this has been some catastrophic failure or deliberate attack.” Lance added as he realised he’d gone off doing his own thing, he’d have to remind himself that’s not how he did things anymore. He was also watching the energy drain like a hawk if this was related to the nebula he didn’t want to be next.

“Thank you Lieutenant. You’re doing fine. Let me know of any signs of trouble,” said Jaris.

“Lieutenant,” added the Captain, “Initiative is doing the right things without having to be told first! And a leader is not just someone who knows the way, but goes the way too! Please continue with whatever additional scans you can think of.”

“Let’s take Number One’s advice then,” Glen added. =/\= All hands, go to Yellow Alert. =/\=

With no additional communication from the bridge of importance, Max Mullins looked over the data coming from the polarization to keep logs of it in the computer along with keeping an eye on it to make sure it was working as best as it could. He did not want anything negative to occur. He was trusting the XO to keep the shields down with the polarization in place but he had an automation system set up that if the shields got turned of, they would automatically be turned off with his authorization code.

It was only then that Glen remembered the item that had been thrust into his hands by the medical technician, just a few moments earlier. He opened his right hand and looked at it again. Some kind of computer circuit. Was it important? The injured man must have believed so, as he had been found still clutching on to it tightly. The computer chip was doing little good here in the Captain’s hand. It needed to be analysed and the contents determined before they could make use of the information hidden on it. It should have been taken immediately to a science lab.

“Lance,” the Captain said, “Please have this read and analysed. It could possibly be the key to all of this! I’m the Captain not a Chip Reading Machine!”

• Glen, CO

Based on the CO’s comment Lance was pretty sure his previous CO’s reports hadn’t arrived yet, he would have definitely been told not to make leadership decisions, especially if it involves shaving foam and balloons.

With the ship going to yellow alert he kept his head down and watched the sensors making sure the drain stayed at around 20%. He was also waiting for the ships scans to finish, so far so good they’d not highlighted anything bad.

Lance looked up as the captain spoke to him, he wasn’t used to people calling him by his first name, but took the chip ” Er… Sir.. I guess you’re not a cup reading machine, although it would be a great future evolution, I mean developing the ability to read tech just by I don’t know stroking it out shoving it in an orafice.....” Lance paused mentally checking himself as the wandering thoughts in his head attempted to escape. “Never mind Sir, I’ll see what I can get off it, hopefully it’s not too badly damaged” he said looking at the device, he’s tried it on the standard reader at the science station and if that failed he’d take it apart in the lab.

Lance tried to see if the device was comparable with Star Fleet systems

Lt Malone

The data chip in question was your standard Starfleet data chip, as had been mentioned it came off the NE in sickbay who was the so far only survivor of the USS Trudograd, a medical rescue ship sent to locate the Risan signal they were also tracking when the Trudograd had also gone missing, hence why the Merrimack was now here. The chip could easily be inserted into one of the nearby data ports on a console here on the bridge to be read.

Max continued to listen to what was going on the bridge. He also kept an eye on the hull polarization. He wanted to make sure nothing happened to the polarization. He wanted to know everything going on which is why he kept the comms open to the bridge. He wanted to be ready for anything and being able to listen is ideal.

Lt. Mullins Chief Engineer

As this was going on with Malone, Mullins and others could see that a few tiner fragments of metal and such were also emerging from the nearby cloud where the larger fragment of the nacelle had come from with their survivor. All matched compositions of a Starfleet vessel so were likely yet more bits and pieces of the Trudograd. Something clearly had destroyed the ship with almost all hands. The markings so far on the bits of hull metal showed likely the explosions had come from within the ship most likely, this was not a sure thing of course yet they needed much more fragments or large pieces to make a better judgement. So far none of the pieces were bigger then say their hands or such so likely no more survivors yet.

Also picked up though that someone from science could comment on was they were picking up a higher level of solar/spatial winds passing through the nebula currently causing the various gases and such to stir up a bit more. The result was a few sparks of electrical and plasma reactions off their port bow about 300 some meters away were seen, and while not a threat were like a slowly incoming storm on the horizon.

GM CockRoach