Posted by Lieutenant Dr Kahu Grahams (Chief Medical Officer) in Main Sim - Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Elyss Zavey (Chief Science Officer) in Main Sim - Bridge

Posted by Captain John Tiberius Glen (Captain) in Main Sim - Bridge
[Snip]
” Bridge crew. ” Rana began. ” By your stations give the captain a full report on everything you understand and what you might suspect. Let’s look like a group of star fleet officers if you would. “

Glen was pleased that Rana, at least, seemed to be able to clear away this brain fog and to still remain focused on what was required.

M’Mera’s ears twitched at Rana’s order, the Caitian straightening slightly at the Engineering station. Truthfully, she appreciated it. Everyone had been staring at impossible readings and impossible geometry for so long that the simple act of giving a report felt grounding.

Her tail flicked once behind her chair as amber and copper sensor traces continued to crawl across her display.

“Engineerring rrreport, Ssirr.”

Golden eyes remained fixed on the console as her claws tapped lightly against the computer interface.

“The synchronization field rrremains ssstable. All major ship ssystems are operating within acceptable tolerances and, in ssome cassess, above normal efficiency.” Her ears flattened briefly. “That iss not reasssuring.” A few nearby officers glanced over.

“The harmonic ssignal appears to be threaded through every layer of the phenomenon around uss. It is present in the guidance corridor, the environmental fluctuations, and the external field that iss currently influencing our navigation.” Another stream of data scrolled across her screen.

“Engineering confirms that our previous stabilizations are holding. Structural integrity, EPS flow, and warp field containment remain secure. However…” She paused, studying a persistent line of telemetry that refused to resolve. Her tail lashed once in obvious frustration.

“We still have no reliable model for disengagement. The warning remains unchanged. Whatever has linked itself to the Merrimack appears willing to allow stabilization but not separation.”

M’Mera looked briefly toward the viewscreen where the impossible city hung beyond the ship.

“My suspicion, Ssirr, is that we are no longer merely traveling through this phenomenon.” Her whiskers twitched uneasily. “I believe the phenomenon is actively interacting with uss. Whether that interaction is technological, biological, or ssomething else entirely remains unknown.” She glanced toward Elyss and then toward Rynak at Helm.

“But the guidance corridor is real. The stabilization is real. Ssomething out there wants us to proceed.” Her ears rotated forward.

“And until proven otherwise, I would rrrecommend we continue assuming that every system aboard this ship is being observed by whoever—or whatever—is providing that guidance.”

The Caitian’s claws withdrew with a soft click “Engineering report complete, Ssirr.”

Coordinate sets grew increasingly confusing for the Canidin at the helm. Ear twitching nervously before the Caitian engineer spoke up. Even the tip of a thin hair on his coat trembled. But his lips remained curled upwards, hopeful they would find a way beyond this corridor enveloping them in endless darkness.

His pinkish white colored craws tapped lightly against the console, adjusting their drift every so often to remain within corridor limits which had been previously established by science officers. Mismatched gaze had remained plastered on the interface until her gaze turned towards helm’s direction. The 21 year old immediately looking over his shoulder at the engineer.

“It’s unlike any corridor I’ve seen before. Different from known wormholes… almost seems to resemble an entirely new dimension..” the shepherd’s lantern at the end of his tail flicked against the back of that leather seat, biting his lip with slight concern to what all their eyes had seen.

That very console had flickered off for a few seconds before successfully coming back online. Once the ship’s thrusters stabilized was as if the canine looking individual could actually breathe again. But they weren’t out of the woods just yet. Some lives could be still considered at risk.

Elyss waited for the helm officer to finish before she took up the report. “Sir, as far as what I’ve observed here at science, I agree with all that Lt M’Mera said. The city appears to want contact with us and it willing to make it happen. Actually, it could be interpreted that they are going to force us into a dialog with them. We are being held in a stable field with no way to disengage without sending ourselves into oblivion. I can’t see, as yet, how to change our current situation, but I’ll keep on looking.”

Glen recalled that a dialogue with the Shiarains was their mission. If he could just recall the rest of his short-term memory.

Stella screwed up her face and sighed as she looked once more at what she was seeing. She watched the same harmonic. Time and time again interacting with the ship. And each time there was only a short pause. Barely even noticeable to the computers. But in that short pause it seemed like aa lot was happening.

” Captain. The harmonics they are sending us are deceptive. Harmonics are by themselves deceptive. Although they sound like a simple single sound, they are not. One can hid most anything you could want between the major tones and notice them. I believe that our friends out there have gotten into the ship’s computer, taught it to speak to them and.” She paused for a second before adding the rest. ” They seem to be getting along nicely. It would be my recommendation to let them proceed at this point with a watchful eye.”

Glen wasn’t feeling great, but he decided that he wouldn’t let it show. He didn’t know if it was a flair up of his old injury from the brain worm or just this general brain fog that everyone else was experiencing too. Now that Dr. Cross had left the ship, there was no one left from the secret mission in which he received his injury. He could to talk to Joe the Barman. Joe had been COS of the Merrimack back then, before becoming its XO. However, Dr. Kahu Grahams did not have clearance from Star Fleet’s Department of Temporal Investigations so he couldn’t go to her. Even a cursory glance at his redacted medical files would raise questions.

Glen would need to rely on the advice of his command crew. “They seem to already know everything about us then, if they have access to every system. If we have no secrets then i suggest it’s time we went and learnt a little about them. Let us continue down the corridor.”

“Permission to return to the lab and to further investigate this new dimension/ corridor/ alternate wormhole with my more specialist equipment there, Sir,” Astrid asked. “In the future, this voyage could be looked back as important as that of Zefram Cochrane breaking the Warp Barrier, or as just the beginning of the environmental degradation of the fabric of space.”

• Astrid Murdock, Astronavigation and Warp Field Dynamics Engineer

“Permission granted!” Glen replied. His headache was growing worse. He hoped that it would improve before he was required to engage with the Shiarains. Otherwise he would need to see Dr. Grahams and increase her security clearance a few levels higher so that she knew about the Ancients and the Harvesters. He didn’t want to rest. From experience he knew that falling asleep during these episodes only resulted in nightmares of what he might have been capable of doing while under the influence of the mind worm.

“Lt. ch’Sorel, it appears that we don’t have much choice anyway, but proceed ahead slowly with caution. As little speed and as much caution that is available to us!” Glen told the Helmsman.

• Glen, CO

There was nothing for Elyss to do except follow orders, even if she was hesitant to do so. The situation was so unusual and unknown to the crew, and the danger of not conforming to the restrictions the Shiarians had placed on them would result in their non-existence. She licked her lips as she sat at her console and monitored data. The soreness from banging her ribs when the ship had first been contacted, was easing up, but the headache persisted. Elyss rolled her head, stretching her neck muscles that had tightened with stress and holding the same position for a long time. That felt a bit better. Looking up at the view screen, she watched as the ship followed the corridor to the city.

Lieutenant Elyss Zavey
Chief Science Officer USS Merrimack

The comms came through to the bridge.

=/\= Sickybay to bridge: It’s Dr Grahams here. I think someone should come down and see this. We’ve got some strange going on’s here in Sickbay. There seems to be an entity which seems to be affecting my patients, they’re reporting hearing sounds that aren’t there and have taken great interest in looking at the bulkhead. They’ve also said that they know we are here and that it’s not a who but a place. Sir, it was a little spooky, they all just spoke in unison. =/\=

Lt. Kahu Grahams, CMO

ch’Sorel initiated partial impulse engines as they navigated through this unknown corridor. Unlike anything the junior officer had encountered before. This mysterious entity had now been able to access the ship’s computer core, where their personal files as well as the fleet’s database could be found.

His paw moved upwards before alerting any of the crew. Instinct over mind, survival was all the young Canidin happened to be thinking. The city had initiated forceful contact through audible harmonics. Rynak was no specialist with communications systems, but one could assume there could be a message hidden within song. Focus on the ship, make it out alive. circled his mind, all he had to do was flying the ship. This was not a game of pretend like the simulators at the Academy anymore.

Black nose twitched, furry radar dishes flicking over his head. For this long, he had been able to remain silent, letting elder crew members to take the lead on what could remain on one of the most important discoveries these lives would ever make. When Zephram Cochrane was mentioned, it pulled his lips upwards. That man had been the reason why ch’Sorel had found Starfleet. Through the first man on Earth to achieve space travel beyond Luna’s orbit. Captain Archer was the one to take the next step with NX-01 Enterprise, carrying an engine capable of Warp 5.

He had once started his career as an armory officer, not long before being offered a chance on a Command Division position. His parents seemed hesitant to let a 19 year old set his life on the line. Especially as a recent graduate. It was Captain Glen who firstly offered the opportunity. Three years flying the ship under a senior officer’s guidance, and somehow… Ensign Mayweather’s legacy.

One could only daydream before his mind snapped to the reality they were living with a shake of his head. The lieutenant’s vision for a minute was blurry, streaks of color across the helm console becoming a game of chess. The skin beneath that mainly black colored pelt felt cold, like freshly fallen snow on his home planet. Andorians had grown used to freezing temperatures. However, this was the result of an overwhelming moment being handled incorrectly. Vaerun had taught him from a young age about self control, discipline.

Apparently, that had long been thrown out the window.

Mismatched eyes blinked a few times before recovering their focus, some of the shivering still visible through the 21 year old’s shoulders and elbows. This crew happened to be mostly composed by humans, a Caitian and Andorian. Not counting himself, of course. But having a face from home seemed to make things easier. Even if they hadn’t interacted directly. This corridor was wide enough for the ship’s beam, carefully calculating distances. Keeping an eye out for any hostilities.

Hearing the captain speak, he offered a silent acknowledgment. He glanced over at the head of operations, attempting to guide the ship over his own nerves. Multiple lives were counting on him to make the journey safely.

“We’re going in. One eighth impulse.” Were the only words that barely abandoned his muzzle.

Lieutenant JG. Rynak ch’Sorel
Helm Officer
U.S.S. Merrimack - NCC-2346 (Mariner Class)