Earth Starfleet? Part 1

Posted on Wed May 25th, 2022 @ 7:39pm by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Ensign Alexandra 'Lexi' O'Connery & Lieutenant Samantha Leyton & Captain Stenn & Commander William Gerhard & Lieutenant Avira zh'Kenarh M.D. & Lieutenant JG Ethal Reade & Ensign Michael Sloan & Petty Officer, 3rd Class Kiyara de Vos

Mission: Mission 6 - Memory
Location: Main Bridge
Timeline: Day 300 10:00
1876 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Lexi looked at the console as she zoned in and out of focus, she was still thinking about the argument with William and the thought that Smith was not who he said he was. It was just another shift for her despite how much better she felt she only had a few minutes until her half shift was over, she could not wait until she could lie down and ignore the headache that was brewing. The bridge was quiet with a strange feeling but she could not put her finger on it all to explain why it could be.

It was not completely silent with Sloan investigating the atmosphere controls and the humming of consoles but the lack of voices was disturbing to her.

“Everyone okay?” She finally broached breaking the silence that no voices talking created.

"Besides another headache and feeling like I haven't slept much in a week, everything's just fine" Ziang Van offered from the helm. The truth was he felt like his head was being used as a soccer ball and even though he had been going to bed early, he woke up feeling like he had not really slept much, once or twice he had thought it was bad dreams, but he woke up never remembering them. At least he was not suffering nose bleeds like others.

“Well that is not good,” Lexi said not letting on that she was having headaches as well. She was concerned about the crew the morale was down.

Leyton nodded in agreement from the Command chair as her head ached, but she tried to keep herself busy by going over reports and thinking of songs in her head. "Visit sickbay if you need to, Ensign," she said to Ziang Van. We all need to try and get some sleep.

William sat at his station watching his instruments, but not entirely focused on them. He had this strange feeling of late, one that had not been letting him sleep particularly well. He looked up and met Lexi's gaze. He gave her a weak smile before turning his attention back to his station. He was sitting slightly slouched in his chair as he listened to the others talking, not feeling the need to interject.

Taking his seat at the Main Engineering console on the Bridge, Sloan kept an eye on the sensor readouts. He could hear others complaining about their lack of sleep or other health issues. While he was not suffering as much as most, he was still having a bit of difficulty falling asleep. Still, it was his duty to keep the ship up and running and he was going to keep it that way.

Kiyara was off to the side minding their own business as the conversation rolled on. There had been an unusually high number of sicknesses among the engineering crew as well. They had only experienced it during an end of day meal in the mess hall themselves.

Ethal was slumped at the science station on the bridge. Like most of the crew she was also being affected by whatever was going around. Trying to stay as professional in this state was difficult. She also found that talking was a strain too and was rarely talking to others unless actively trying to.

Beth stepped onto the bridge talking animatedly to Captain Stenn in Vulcan about the telepathic connection when she stopped as she took in the bridge crew and the low mood on the bridge. “What is going on?” She wondered.

Even Stenn noted, from his detached viewpoint, that the crew had seemed less than their normal personable selves recently.

Samantha stood from the chair and faced Beth. "Several of the crew are just experiencing headaches and lack of sleep, Captain," she reported. "Otherwise, it's all quiet up here."

William looked up at the Captain and nodded in acknowledgement when she entered. As the XO conversed with her, a warning indicator began flashing on his console. Inputting the appropriate commands, he read the readout before looking up at the captain with a confused look on his face, "Captain, I'm picking up what appears to be a small metallic object of our starboard beam, range 100 KM. It appears to be emitting some sort of subspace signal." He looked over at Lexi when he said the last to see if she could confirm this.

“Yes sir,” Lexi said spinning back around without even looking at him and began listening carefully to the signal. Anyone who knew her or was watching would have noticed the sudden drain of colour from her face. “Ensign?” Beth demanded seeing it ready to pull her off the bridge and regretting giving in to her request to get back to work. “O’Connery?” Beth demanded again knocking Lexi back to the there and then.

“It’s a Earth Starfleet signal.” Lexi finally murmured.

“That’s impossible,” Michael called from his station. He quickly diverted some extra power to the sensors and attempted to focus them on the signal. Looking to Gerhard, Sloan asked, “I’ve boosted the sensors. Are these readings accurate?” His fingers hovered over the power controls, ready to help send the ship into tactical alert.

Samantha looked at the captain. "You should come to the bridge more often. Things only seem to happen when you're here," she joked before stepping to the Helm Station, relieving Zhang Lian. She looked at the navigational sensors and sure enough, the contact was giving off an Earth Starfleet transponder signal."

William rechecked his sensor readouts. He nodded slightly looking towards the captain, "It's confirmed. The sensors are showing the object is of Starfleet origin." He then rotated in his chair to the larger panel behind him. He input a few commands on his keyboard comparing the readings he had just taken with their own records in their computer. He laughed slightly in disbelief as he rechecked the analysis. "It can't be," he said softly before turning back to find the bridge crew's eyes on him. He swallowed before looking towards Beth, "Captain, my readings indicate the object in question is a standard Starfleet escape pod with registry number B1572-NX-05." He let that sink in before continuing, "That pod is showing as one of ours."

Kiyara frowned at that, they didn't lose an escape pod. They ran the registry against the pods assigned to the ship. "B1572..." They said softly, as if intruding on a conversation that they weren't a part of, "I'm sorry. Ma'am. Escape pod B1572 is safe and secured in its berth." They quickly ran the diagnostic again to make absolutely sure but saw no discrepancy in the reading. "We're not missing any escape pods." They looked back up to the viewer where the silhouette of the pod clearly came into view and showed the undeniable. The pod was clearly of Starfleet make and in that moment it seemed to mock the damage control specialist's words by spinning just enough to show the registry number on its side for the bridge crew to clearly read with their own eyes.

Stenn offered "If we are not missing an Escape Pod with that designation, are we sure sensors are not mistaking a craft with holo-projector technology?" Recalling the mysterious drones that had attempted to cause conflict between several friendly species by using holographic images to masquerade as different ships.

William had already thought of this and was currently in the process of comparing his more detailed scans with known power signatures in the computer database. "According to the sensor readings, the power signature from the craft matches standard Starfleet escape pods," he offered before looking back up at the group. He had red the intel reports Stenn was referencing, but in that instance, the power signatures never matched with the supposed craft they were duplicating.

The situation had definitely had perked Ethal up. What is going on here? The situation with the pod was perplexing but she had an idea and looked at the sensor readings of the space around the pod. “Captain there is no sign of a firefight in the immediate area of the pod.” Her findings did not necessarily explain their situation but it does help narrow down their situation.

“I have an idea,” the Chief Engineer offered as his hands quickly danced along the console. He had heard rumor and whispers regarding such odd events. “Give me a moment,” he called, beginning his own scan. Shaking his head at the results, Sloan reported, “It isn’t much, but there is a slight quantum variance in the pod’s materials. Could be a time loop or something more distant.”

Beth had been moving to sit in the command chair was did not make it there as she stopped staring at the pod that was spinning lazily on the screen. It was impossible but the impossible was on the screen. Beth turned to look at them as Slaon spoke. “Quite a mystery then...” She surmised looking from them to look around at the rest of the crew and the different reactions from each of them “Intercept it.” Beth ordered not believing it to be fake.

Samantha nodded. "Aye, Captain," as her hands worked the controls, changing the Atlantis' course to intercept the signal.

“O’Connery are we able to send a signal back?” The comms operator looked up and shook her head.

“No ma’am.” They were receiving the repeated signal from the escape pod but nothing was changing when they sent something back. “Okay… bring it into our shuttle bay. Stenn… Gerhard get a team together. Meet me there please.”

"Understood Captain" Stenn replied to Leroux and turned to Gerhard.

"What do you need from MACO Lieutenant, one Fire Team in the bay with you, one on standby in the corridor?"

William nodded towards Stenn, "That will work. Have your teams' set weapons for stun." He then pressed his comm panel, "Gerhard to Sickbay, I need a medical team to the shuttle bay for possible casualties." He then stood from his station and crossed the bridge towards the turbolift where he joined Stenn.

Avira startled by the sudden crackle of the comm panel, she had been going over the disparate reports of the headache and nosebleed epidemic that seemed to be sweeping the ship. In some cases quite literally moving from front to back of the ship. She got up from her desk and hit the panel on the wall, "Aye, sir, medical team underway." She grabbed her medical kit and motioned for Lottie to follow her to the shuttle bay.

“Hold the fort here Lieutenant,” Beth said quickly to Sam sharing a heavy look between them before looking to Sloan and indicating he should come too seeing he would know more about the escape pod and be able to tell how real or fake it was as well as she knew he could fight if it came to it.

"I always do," she commented before standing from her Helm console and taking the captain's chair as Lian Zang took her spot at Helm.

Nodding back an "Aye, Captain," Sloan reset his console to give controls back to Main Engineering. He would grab a phase pistol and scanner along the way with the away team.