Posted by Captain John Tiberius Glen (Captain) in Main Sim: A Quiet Bridge on the Way to DS K9
[snip}

Stella had had a habit lately of finding nice quiet places to get done what she wanted to do. With the exception of her and D’Nesh’s little party of two the other night that is. Other than that she’d found the forward lounge a great place to play her violin in secret. Now though it was all about what her other love. That of her job. She wanted to make sure that her comms station was running perfect condition in case the captain may want to send out any messages to odd places. She was still in a quandary about why her comms weren’t working on that planet that they’d been on.

When she walked on the Bridge, Hercules Kahuna looked like he was almost asleep in the Captain’s chair. The ship was running on autopilot. Dariusz Pokorski, the navigator, had wanted to play some music. He had the new Disaster Zone song to play, but he didn’t want to wake Kahuna or disturb Stella, so he just played games with the sound turned off.

She powered up the subspace comms and sent a very short message out to a sub space relay system that she was running a test on the Merrimac and requesting a ping back from the station to establish that her sub space comms was working as they should be. After a moment she received her ping , which brought a broad smile to her face.

It was then after a few moments that Stella realized that the man in the captain’s chair wasn’t at all asleep he was just somewhat in a state of hibernation or perhaps in shock from something. She looked at the other man who seemed oblivious to everything. Obviously playing some sort of music. Once more she looked at the man in the chair trying to remember his name. What was it? It had something to do with California and surfing. Or perhaps just one of those. Finally, the name came to her. ” Mister Kahuna? Mister Kahuna sir, are you alright?” Stella asked with concern in her voice.

“Yes… Oh, I see… I wasn’t sleeping, honest! I was trying to learn the all statistics for the 2050-2100 Major League baseball team games in my head… for the Starfleet Sports Quiz on Thursday night, but I’m stuck and I’m having trouble to remember some of the stadium names and crowd capacities,” Kahuna replied.

“Did you have a question?” Kahuna asked.

Stella couldn’t help but to cover her mouth to suppress her giggle before she replied saying ,” Nooo, no real question. It’s just that I’ve never seen that memory technique before is all.

The Merrimack continued on it’s journey back to Space Station Deep Space K5. A little while later, Captain Glen entered the Bridge. Kahuna stood up to let him sit in the Captain’s chair, while Pokorski quickly put away his headphones.

“Stand easy!” Captain Glen announced.

“Lt. Gagnon,” Glen asked. “Has there been any messages from Commodore Stone?”

Stella turned and smiled at the captain as if the sun had just come up on the bridge. Her brow then knitted in thought. ” No sir,” she replied. ” I’ve been getting some fun signals from the area of HOP 150 but nothing from a Commodore Stone. Why should we have? I can always check the log recordings for when the bridge was not well fully manned.”

“No, and I don’t particularly want to hear from him,” the Captain replied. “If we have no new orders then we can take a more leisurely journey back to Deep Space K5. I expect he’ll want me to debrief him about the Aenar once we arrive there… and please don’t mind my presence on the Bridge. You can go back to whatever you were all doing again until we do get new orders.”

The Merrimack traveled through space uninterrupted on the way to DS K9. She would reach there within 12 hours. During the hours when the Captain was speaking with his bridge crew a quick memo did come in from Admiral Stone ordering Glen to report to him upon arrival.

Glen asked, “Tell me more about HOPS 150? I’m never been near there. That’s close to the Bellatrix or Gamma Orionis system, isn’t it? It’s still unexplored and even beyond the edge of our Known Space. A binary system, consisting of two young protostars in orbit of each other. Are these fun signals a sign of an undiscovered new civilisation?”

Stella nodded to the captain and smiled broadly. ” Why yes, you’re right! I doubt however that any civilization will form there for a long time. The whole area is as violent as a place can be. Makes for making a lot of stars and possible planets in the faraway future but right now it’s just a place that produces a lot of radio waves that can sound interesting at times.”

Before she could go on about the ‘music ’ that the murderous place made she got a message on her comms and chirped brightly.” Oh! Look Captain! It’s a message from Admiral Stone!”

“Oh! Thanks!” Glen said, taking the PADD to read the message. “He must have a listening device here to have heard me… As I thought, he does want to see me. Mr. Pokorski, how long until we reach DS K5?”

“About 12 hours at our present course and speed, Sir!” the Navigator replied.

“In which case, I’d better retire and complete my reports,” the Captain said. “We must talk more about ‘Binary Star Music’ some other time.”

Since his Ready Room was being used by Commander Sanks for crew interviews, the Captain went to the Ship’s Chartroom to work. Like Stella, he also appreciated quiet places when he needed to work.

Hercules Kahuna sat back in the Captain’s Chair. 12 hours was a long time when there was little to do. A Warp Speed the viewscreen only showed passing stars as long light trails, and watching that for any length of time was a quick way to a psychosis, so it was generally switched off. He went back to trying to learn the sporting statistics again.

Kahuna closed his eyes again as he thought, only accidentally speaking out loud one time. “The Lunar Cheese Graters best position was 5th in the World League in 2073!”

• Kahuna, Weapons

The USS Merrimack dropped from warp in a shimmer of nacelle light, the familiar lattice of subspace distortion dissolving behind her hull. Before her, suspended against the scatter of distant suns, Starbase K9 came into view.

The starbase gleamed like a citadel in the void — a great mushroom-shaped structure balanced on a broad central stem, its saucer-like upper dome crowned with communication masts and sensor spires. Around its circumference, docking ports glowed with navigation lights, green and amber beacons pulsing in slow rhythm. Small service craft and shuttle pods drifted like fireflies, weaving careful arcs between the starbase’s docking arms and the traffic of incoming starships.

The Merrimack slowed on impulse, her running lights casting pale glimmers across the sleek Federation hull markings. Through the forward viewscreen, the station’s massive observation windows sparkled with reflected starlight. Even at this distance, the suggestion of life within was unmistakable — corridors, control decks, and bustling docking bays housing thousands of Starfleet officers, Federation civilians, and the endless commerce of a frontier outpost.

As the starship drew closer, the finer details of the station resolved: hull plating weathered by years of service, the clean geometry of Federation architecture offset by the scars of micrometeorite impacts. The lower docking modules extended like radial arms from the central column, each one a miniature spaceport with its own auxiliary towers. Starfleet tugs maneuvered along their perimeters, guiding freighters and patrol craft into their moorings with beams of tractor energy.

On the bridge of the Merrimack, the familiar chime of hailing frequencies echoed as Starbase K9 signaled its recognition. The main viewer shifted to reveal the Federation crest, followed by the calm, clipped tones of the base’s docking control.

“USS Merrimack, this is Starbase K9 operations. You are cleared for approach on vector three-one-seven, docking port six. Welcome back to Federation space.”

GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare

“Aye Aye K5,” Pokorski replied, taking over the Helm controls and bringing in the Merrimack as requested.

Captain Glen had finished his work in the Chartroom and entered the Bridge. Once the ship was docked and the walkways extended from the docking port, he intended to see Commodore Stone as soon as he was available. He would also allow shore leave if possible.

OOC: I’m away again for a week from Wednesday. Sorry.

• Dave

The ship was safely docked and the walkways extended. The Merri crew was cleared for boarding the station.

GM Nosferatu
Your Darkest Nightmare