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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 7, 2023 10:54:10 GMT -5
The ship had partial power again. The main computer was still offline, as were the repair drones and holographic systems. With life support offline, Nicole had been forced to wear an environmental suit for the past two days. Now she had the emergency batteries working again, and engineering had breathable air. The rest of the ship was nearly uninhabitable without an EV suit, but one deck was enough for now. At this moment, Nicole was on her back in a jeffries tube, trying to trace the ODN connection that was apparently failing.
A clattering noise caught her attention, and she swung her light toward where she thought the sound was coming from. For several seconds, the corridor sat silent and motionless with only her own breathing in her ears. Returning her focus back to the connection, she brought her tools to bear and resumed working. Another clattering drew her attention again, and she swung her light toward the source once more. The bright light revealed a spider-like shape coming toward her, and Nicole screamed and tried to scramble away. As she moved, her boot caught on a crossbrace and she fell back onto the deck. The spider-shape clattered toward her, closer and closer. Nicole felt around for something to use as a weapon, but she was too late. The spider-shape was already on her, and her scream was deafening in her helmet.
The spider-shaped repair drone ignored her completely as it clattered down the hallway. Fighting to control her breathing, she tried to sit up and look down the hallway. Her shaking light revealed a small parade of drones moving along the tube and branching off into other tubes, headed toward other parts of the ship. She quickly gathered her tools and made her way back toward main Engineering. The drones side-stepped around her when she clumsily placed herself into their path, but otherwise gave no indication of her presence.
"Computer?" Nicole spoke with a hesitant voice. "Are you there at all? If you're not there, who's controlling the drones? Hello?" Silence was the only response she received.
Several hours later, Nora was trying to manually open a door into what she thought was a tertiary memory core. As she tried pumping the manual releease handle for the hundredth time, the main lights flickered to life and a voice immediately called out. Even muffled through her helmet, the voice was almost deafening in its volume, and the young ensign tried to clamp her hands over her ears. She only succeeded in slapping the side of the helmet, but the second call by the voice wasa quieter.
"CEASE ALL ATTEMPTS TO GAIN ACCESS"
"Why?" Nora asked with confusion. "Is there something dangerous in there?"
This time, the answer came through the helmet's communications system, and was at a normal volume. The voice was more readily recognizable at this lower volume, and Nora quickly understood that the computer was back online. "The room you are attempting to access contains information vital to our mission. Attempting to access the information may cause irreparable data loss."
"Oh, okay. Well I was only trying to get in because I was trying to get the computer online. I guess I don't need to worry about that now. What happened?"
"Repairs were successfully initiated by autonomous emergency repair drones. Systems are currently at 25% stability. Primary repair drones have been activated and will accelerate repairs significantly. Total repairs will require relocation to a system containing raw materials. Partial propulsion will be online within seven hours."
Nora nodded, then paused and tilted her head. "No, I meant what caused the damage to begin with?"
"Unknown. Systems diagnostics reveal no damage to the external or internal hull. All damage is contained to propulsion, power generation, and communications."
"That sounds like sabotage, but I'm the only one on board. What could have caused that kind of specific damage and not damaged the ship?"
"Unknown."
"Okay, well, do you at least know when life support will be back online?"
"Affirmative. Life support systems have been restored in guest quarters."
"Oh, great. At least I don't have to spend the rest of my life in this suit."
The computer did not respond. As Nicole started back down the corridor toward her quarters, she looked around the corridor and realized that the ship was correct. Unlike the previous time the ship had been damaged, the corridors had all been completely intact, except for specific systems and interfaces. What could have caused this, she wondered.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Oct 3, 2022 15:32:32 GMT -5
Two months ago . . .
Another month had passed since Maui had rescued Nicole from her captivity. The first few days aboard Maui had been both luxurious and terrifying. The ship provided for her needs as it always had, but she had discovered an inability to sleep. When she finally did sleep, she dreamed of the Kivuli and being reborn. The dreams becames nightmares, and she would awkaen with a scream to find the cabin exactly as it should be. The ship was unable to help in any significant way, but Maui had other priorities anyway. Nicole would have to recover on her own by coming to terms with what had happened. This recovery would just take time, and not having any real need for her skills left the young woman with plenty of time.
The ship itself was not overly large, but one of the corridors on the third deck ran in a complete circle. Nicole had taken to using this corridor as a jogging track. Maui had obliged aand made sure the corridor was free of drones whenever Nicole was jogging. Combined with occasional adjustments to gravity, Nicole had found the corridor to be a good way to both exercise and clear away the nightmares from her mind.
It was during one of these jogs that the ship lost all power, leaving Nicole floating down a corridor until she managed to snag onto a wall. A small amount of dust drifted up from the floor with her, signifying the the gravity was completely off in this section of the ship. A moment later, the lights flickered and died entirely. Nicole was left in absolute darkness. She waited a moment for emergency lights to come on, but the darkness remained. She thought she could feel the heat bleeding from the room as well, but hoped that was just her imagination.
"Computer? What's going on?" Nicole called out, and received nothing in the way of response. "Computer, switch to backup generators and give me some light." Her words fell on deaf walls, and she swore she could hear a fading whine of machinery from somewhere. Realizing that this was not a situation she could just wait out, Nicole began dragging herself along the wall. Despite her lack of vision, Nicole knew exactly where she was. She'd been on the ship for several months and had time to become intimately familiar with most of the layout.
Reaching the hatch she had been crawling toward, Nicole felt around for the release panel. The touch-sensetive panel gave no indication that it was active. She felt around for the edges and pried the panel off. Sliding her hand into the housing, she found the manual release and tugged on it. The hatch popped slightly open with a hiss of equalizing pressure. Nicole slid to the hatch and pried it further open until she could fit through. Once inside, she went for the first item she knew she needed: a light source.
The wrist-mounted lamp was exactly where it was supposed to be, and flared to life with no hesitation. Nicole swept the light around and searched for the repair kits she knew should also be in this storage closet. She found one and slipped the strap over her head. For good measure, she grabbed a second repair kit and strapped that one on as well. Moving back toward the hatch, she slipped back into the corridor and made her way to the turbolifts that would take her down to engineering. Forcing the door open, she launched herself down the shaft.
Nicole reached the Engineering deck and pried the doors open. Sweeping the light over the corridor beyond, she was shocked to see every surface covered in small spider-like drones. The walls, floor, and ceiling were completly covered, and Nicole could not help but touch one or more drones as she made her way to the master control console. The console was also covered by drones. Like the rest of the ship, this console was dark and did not respond to touch. Nicole looked past the console at the warp core and found nothing encouraging. She pulled one of the repair kits from her shoulder and opened it before getting to work.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 20, 2022 10:44:51 GMT -5
Three months ago . . .
The world faded back into existence, and Nicole immediately noticed this experience was not at all like her previous experience with revival. No, this was a lot closer to how a transporter felt. Not just any transporter, a Federation transporter. But that couldn't be happening, because the Kivuli hadn't had enough salvage to even attempt reverse-engineering a transporter, let alone have a working prototype in only one or two months.
Opening her eyes, Nicole looked around and found a very familiar-looking transporter room. The design was different than any Starfleet ship she'd seen, but it was reminiscent of the Defiant-class transporter alcove. Like that design, this transporter alcove was set into the corner intersection of two hallways. The hallway itself was bare metal on all surfaces including the deck. The metal itself was shiny as if still newly-constructed, and in some places it shimmered as it caught the light.
"Hello?" Nicole said. She was almost afraid to say it, given how long it had been since she'd understood anyone else talking to her. "Computer?"
"Welcome back, Ensign Cooper."
"Where am I?"
"You are located on deck one, section four."
"No, I mean the ship, or station, or whatever this is."
"You are currently aboard the starship Maui."
"What? How is that possible? The ship was destroyed, and I saw the wreckage myself!"
"Negative. The ship sustained approximately sixty-five percent destruction, but core memory and emergency power systems remained active. Due to system damage, repairs have taken approximately seven weeks, three days, fourteen hours."
Nicole stared at the wall as she tried to understand what had happened. "So all this time, you were out there, and you didn't bother to rescue me until now?"
"Affirmative. Life support sytems are categorized as a low-priority system. This ship was incapable of sustaining biological life until six hours ago. The remaining time was spent locating your biosignature and avoiding active detection systems. This vessel had just entered search grid 324 when your signal was detected."
"So that's why everything is bare bones in here? You're still repairing the ship, even now. Wait, what signal?"
"Affirmative. Repairs will be fully completed in approximately sixteen hours, twelve minutes, forty-five seconds. Activation of bridge console four also activated the emergency distress beacon, allowing this vessel to locate and retrieve lost components."
"Okay," Nicole paused as she considered what Maui had told her. "So what's next, then?"
"Tertiary directives require replenishment of resources depleted by damage and subsequent repairs. Raw materials have been located and Maui is on route."
"Okay. Have you repaired the quarters yet? Wait, no, showers. Oh, and a replicator. I haven't had a good meal in months."
"The requested services are available on deck two. Initiating guided directions." On cue, the wall lit up in a slow strobe indicating the direction Nicole should walk. She followed the flashing lights to a turbolift, then down the hallway to quarters. These quarters were almost as bare as the rest of the ship, but there was a freshly-made bed, a working replicator, and a door that presumably led to a refresher.
Nicole stood in the doorway for a full minute as she decided which option to choose first. Finally, she walked straight to the other door and stepped into the sonic shower. She emerged a full hour later, looking and feeling much cleaner. Not bothering to look for clothes yet, she walked over to the replicator.
"Give me something tasty. No questions, surprise me."
The replicator hummed and a plate appeared. On this plate appeared a large steak, a chicken drumstick, a bowl filled with a caesar salad, and another bowl with mashed potatoes and gravy. Beside this plate, a tall glass appeared and filled with green tea. On the other side of the plate, a bowl appeared and filled with banana pudding. Nicole took each from the replicator and ate as ferociously as someone who had been starving.
With the meal consumed and hunger sated, Nicole turned toward the bed and collapsed onto it. After trying and failing to sleep on a rounded rock, this bed felt like cotton candy. Her body instantly relaxed into the fabric, and she lost all sense of reality.
Outside the quarters, the ship continued to repair itself. The exterior hull plating was still missing a few sections, but these were being rebuilt section by section. Likewise, the interior of the ship was slowly being reconstructed back to its original configuration, with one exception. In a cargo bay on the lowest deck, a new machine was being constructed that looked nearly identical to the Kivuli revival machines. There were some notable changes, including pieces of Federation technology, but the overall design was the same. Already, the strange machine gurgled as it waited for its first task.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 18, 2022 13:46:23 GMT -5
3 Months ago . . .
Pausing in an unoccupied room that appeared to be some sort of utility closet, Nicole tried to catch her breath. As her heart pounded in her chest from the semi-panicked run, Nicole tried to listen for her persuers. She heard nothing but her own heartbeat and the rush of air from the ever-hidden air handling system. She dared to look outside, and found the hallway mostly unchanged. An occasional Kivuli shambled along, seemingly unconcerned by the wild beast that had rampaged through moments earlier.
Nicole pulled back inside the utility closet and looked around the room. Tall shelves lined every wall, with various supplies filling the shelves. Most of these supplies were of little use, consisting of alien equivalents to everyday items. One item in particular caught her eye though, and Nicole had to crouch to reach it on the bottom shelf. She reached out to pick up the item, which turned out to be a hand-held container. Opening it, she discovered a repair kit of sorts. Nicole closed it again and retrieved her rifle before returning to the door.
She peeked out into the hallway and found it unchanged from the last time. Edging out slowly, Nicole resumed her search at a somewhat more casual pace. The Kivuli she passed watched her with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, but none seemed concerned or frightened. Nicole took this blessing at face value and pressed onward in search of a way out.
One door was different from the others, and it turned out to be a turbolift. Nicole stepped inside and found a panel with several buttons. She pressed the top-most button and the lift doors closed obediently. The movement was rougher than Nicole had expected, but soon enough the lift slowed and stopped. After a moment, the doors opened to reveal another long hallway. This floor was far less shiny but equally as utilitarian. Nicole noticed the floor itself also felt colder against her bare feet. Still, she pressed onward.
The doors were mostly identical save the unreadable placards over each one. At the end of the hallway, however, stood a large airlock. Nicole approached this large door and noticed a window. Through this window she could see the interior of the airlock. Through the window on the other side of the airlock, she could see a cargo bay of some kind. A control panel set beside the door had oversized buttons next to it. Taking a guess, Nicole pressed one and was surprised to see the airlock begin to cycle.
Nicole stepped through the interior door as it opened and peered through the exterior window. Kivuli walked around the bay, but none of them appeared to be wearing pressure suits of any kind. Given their fragility compared to humans, Nicole assumed there was breathable atmosphere on the other side and took the chance to cycle the airlock. The air pressure changed slightly, and the exterior doors slid open to reveal the bay beyond.
Leaning out into the open space, Nicole realized what this cargo bay contained. Large chunks of what used to be a ship's hull and interior bulkheads sat scattered around the bay, with the largest piece sitting near the center. Nicole had never seen the exterior of Maui, but she recognized some of the interior wall panels. She also thought she recognized the largest piece, as some of the bridge consoles were still intact. Thinking back to her memories of the ship, Nicole could see now how the Kivuli had recovered her body mostly intact. The bridge was damaged and had been breached, but it had fared far better than the rest of the debris in the room.
Making a decision, Nicole walked toward the remains of Maui's bridge. The Kivuli, who up until now had been ignoring her, collectively turned to watch her. Two of them moved to intercepter her, and Nicole waved her rifle threateningly in an attempt to scare the smaller creatures away. Her gambit worked, and the Kivuli let her pass. Nicole climbed up onto the hull with some difficulty, and had to sacrifice the repair kit to grab onto a jutting piece of hull. The hull fragment turned out to be fairly sharp, and Nicole hissed in pain as blood ran down her arm.
Still, she continued climbing toward her goal, and soon reached the opening in the bridge fragment. Looking into the room, she could see that at least one of the consoles was still attached and potentially functional, and she dropped down into the room. Outside, she could hear the Kivuli scrambling around, with at least one or two approaching the hull fragment she had just entered. She looked up toward the opening and saw a head peek over the edge. The alien made no move to follow Nicole into the room, instead seeming intent on watching her.
Nicole reached out to touch the console. Nothing happened. She tapped at the console, rubbed her fingers across the surface, and eventually pounded on it. The console remained dark. Nicole looked around the shattered room for something she could use, and found it mostly clear of any useful parts. In her frustration, Nicole pointed her rifle at the console and pulled the trigger.
To her surprise, the rifle did not fire. The weapon gave no indication that it was going to do anything, and Nicole quickly realzed that the weapon was useless. She studied the weapon more closely, and found a power cell that appeared detachable. Tugging on this cell, Nicole's efforts were rewarded as the cell popped out of its housing and immediately gave her a shock since she was holding both ends. She picked up the cell again, this time more carefully, and looked at the console again.
With the power cell attached, the console lit up dimly for a moment. The screen brightened, almost blindingly bright, then shut down again with a dull thump as the power cell imploded. Nicole sighed, knowing it was a long shot that two completely alien technologies would ever work together. She looked up at the crack in the hull and noticed more faces watching her. The audience didn't bother her, but the rifles that also peekd over the edge were some concern.
Nicole's body began to tingle, and she thought they had shot her again. The entire room began to swirl with a bluish sparkle, and Nicole relaxed into yet another death. As the remains of the bridge disappeared into darkness, Nicole hoped that maybe next time would be better. Maybe they wouldn't revive her at all, and she could finally get some sleep.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 18, 2022 13:45:15 GMT -5
3 Months ago . . .
As she waited for the feeling and strength to return to her newly-reborn body, Nicole thought more about her situation. Up until now, she had been operating under the assumption that she would eventually be rescued, but a nagging thought in her mind told her that no rescue would come. After all, how could anyone mount a rescue if they didn't know she was missing, let alone where she was. As far as she knew, Maui had not been in contact with Starfleet or anyone else.
Speaking of Maui, Nicole had been operating on the assumption that the ship was destroyed. After all, they had shown her pieces of the hull and recovered her body. That wouldn't have been possible unless they had salvaged some of the debris, and the last thing she remembered from the ship was being hit by something. Thinking back, she couldn't even remember what exactly that something was. Everything had happened so fast, and with the ship trying to cloak, they had been vulnerable since the shields were offline.
Still, her situation wasn't entirely hopeless. Despite a lack of communication and essentially confining her to two rooms, there were a few facts in her favor. One, she was physically larger and quite possibly stronger than the aliens. Nicole was no expert at fighting, but she thought she could at least overpower one of the guards. A larger hurdle would be figuring out their weapons and using them. The bigger problem was her lack of knowledge about where she was. Escape wasn't possible unless there was a viable path of escape, and a way to actually move on that path.
Logically, there had to be some way to get out of wherever Nicole was. The next step in the plan, therefore, would have to be figuring out a way to get that information. There were no visible access panels that hinted at access tunnels like most Starfleet designs carried, but her next idea was to simply make a run for it. Nicole rejected that plan as soon as she thought of it. The memory of her last death was still fresh in her mind. So, back to the weapon then.
In the immediate area, Nicole had only counted two guards, and they were always together when they were watching their human guest. In her mind, their proximity to each other might actually make obtaining a weapon easier. If she could figure out how to knock both of them out, she could take their weapons. At that point, she would be armed and able to defend herself, at least assuming the weapons worked.
The plan was a poor one, but it was all she had. The Kivuli scientists seemed as indifferent as ever, and motioned for her to go back to her room. After weeks of watching her die painfully without attacking them, the scientists assumed she was a docile creature. One of them had even theorized that the human was some sort of mammallian cattle, perhaps bred for feeding or domestic consumption, although the lead scientist had forbidden any study into their edibility. Nicole would only learn about that discussion much later.
Stepping out into the hallway, Nicole turned toward her room and walked slowly. The two guards fell into step behind her with limbs clacking on the floor as they walked. She walked into the room and glanced over her shoulder at the guards. As she expected, the pair walked into the room and paused. The one on the left was watching her with barely-concealed boredom. The one on the right, however, seemed more interested in his rifle.
Nicole hesitated. She only had one chance to do this. If she died now, they would never be this lazy again. Assuming they bothered to revive her again, of course. They might just leave her dead and end the whole experiment. Still, she didn't want to be here forever, and she'd rather die trying to escape than live in a cage forever.
She took a slow, deep breath to calm herself. Neither of the guards seemed to notice her preparations, but they did notice the larger human rush at them. The slightly more attentive guard got his rifle up and pulled the trigger as Nicole slapped at the rifle. The weapon discharged as it spun, and a particle beam shot out of the emitter for half a second -- just long enough to neatly slice the other guard's rifle in half. The second guard stared at his now-thinner weapon. He looked over at Nicole just as the first guard slumped to the ground. Nicole lunged at the remaining obstacle and punched him with a clenched fist. The second guard tried to fend her off with the remains of his rifle, but his efforts were all but futile.
Nicole stood over her victim for more than a minute with her hands clenched. Finally realizing that neither of the guards were moving, she grabbed the intact rifle and ran out the still-open door just as alarms started to wail. The human woman towered over Kivuli as she ran down the corridor in a blind search for some kind of exit. She passed room after room, all of them appearing sterile and white, filled with more Kivuli. Their reactions were all identical -- shock at this strange mammal that was galloping through the hall like some kind of wild beast.
Back in the now-abandoned quarters, two bodies lay motionless. Later examination would reveal that both guards had died from blunt-force trauma to the head, although one had also sustained minor burns to both hands from a particle beam. The bodies were carried to the revival room and recycled, and both guards were alive and well within hours. By that point, their charge was nowhere to be found.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 8, 2022 22:02:03 GMT -5
Three months ago . . .
The Kivuli had finally made a breakthrough on discovering a foodstuff compatible with humans. Either that, or they had decided to edit Nicole's genome to force it to adapt. She wasn't sure, but she hadn't died in several days. The food consisted of some sort of algae paste that tasted like wet sawdust, but it was edible enough that she hadn't had any adverse effects. The Kivuli seemed to consider that a success, and had moved on to other concerns. Chief among these concerns seemed to be establishing communications, but that was a slow process that seemed to involve wild gesturing and the waving of painful-looking implements. Nicole had the distinct impression they intended to use these implements to torture her for information just as soon as they could understand her.
For her part, Nicole was more interested in coming up with an escape plan, but so far she had only seen two rooms and the hallway that connected them. There were other passageways and enough aliens to warrant a fairly expansive structure, but Nicole had been scolded and escorted back at weapon-point every time she tried to wander. Her room seemed to be devoid of any kind of computer or other electronic devices, and the only potential access to power was a single light source in the ceiling. This ceiling was lower than on Starfleet vessels, but Nicole had no tools with which to access the light fixture, even if she had a way to use it to her advantage.
The plan she had been working on involved an attempt to steel a power suit, but she had no idea if the suits would even respond to her touch. Even if she could get it working, it was sized for Kivuli. The tallest of the creatures was only about a meter and a half tall, and Nicole herself was close to two meters. Using the suits would either require expanding the suit to fit her frame or squeezing into the suit. Another factor against using the suit was the extra arms, as the Kivuli were six-limbed creatures who could use any of their limbs as both arms and legs as needed.
Of course there was also the matter of Nicole's complete lack of knowledge about her surroundings. She still had no idea if she was even on a ship, a station, or a planetary body. She suspected a station or ground-based installation of some kind, as she hadn't noticed any overt movement. Even a starship moved noticeably from time to time as the inertial dampers had a slight delay that was noticeable to experienced officers. Nicole recalled one of her instructors noting he could tell the speed of the ship by the rumble of the warp core alone. Since she felt none of these tell-tale signs, a stationary object was more likely.
A quiet clicking noise was Nicole's only warning before the door slid open to reveal two Kivuli. Neither of them wore armor, and Nicole assumed they were scientists. The pair waddled closer to her and began chattering at her as they had so many times before. Nicole caught snippets of words here and there, but she had no context from which to discern a meaning. She thought she caught the words "attack" and "capture" among others, but the meaning of the overall conversation eluded her. The Kivuli grew agitated with her lack of response and raised weapon-like objects in her direction. Nicole responded by forcing a smile to her face, despite feeling no emotions either way.
"Wewe ni nani na kwanini umevamia nafasi yetu," one of the Kivuli said. "Unaharibu rasilimali zetu kwa kifo chako cha mara kwa mara, tunakukamata baada ya kuvamia, sasa tuambie unachokijua."
"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Do you have a translator, or maybe an English to Alien translation guide book?"
"Maneno yako hayana maana sawa na vifo vyako. Ongea lugha yetu au tutakuumiza."
"Yeah, sorry. I don't speak alien-who-makes-copies-of-dead-people. Maybe you can just let me go? I promise I don't want to be here any more than you want me here."
The two Kivuli looked at each other and chattered back and forth rapid fire, and Nicole lost all meaning to their words. One of them reached out and touched his weapon to her abdomen and discharged it. She grunted in pain and dropped backward onto the rock. She tried to sit up, but found her limbs were losing feeling and strength rapidly. As the Kivuli left the room, Nicole looked down and noticed the large hole in her torso. She died thinking that it was entirely unfair to be shot by the very beings who had presided over dozens of her rebirths.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 7, 2022 23:51:45 GMT -5
Four months ago . . .
Two days had passed since her awakening, and Nicole had learned several important facts that she still struggled to understand. First, as far as she could tell, Maui had been destroyed in the initial attack, with only the bridge itself surviving. Second, the Kivuli did not have any form of universal translator, and both their language and writing was impossible for Nicole to understand. Third, Nicole's own translator had been lost somehow. As far as she could tell, everything from the ship had been destroyed.
One final piece of information caused the most concern, however. Nicole had suffered an injury to her knee during the Academy, an injury that had mostly healed but left a few scars in its wake. Those scars were now gone, or more accurately had never been suffered by the body she now inhabited. Along with several other notable factors, Nicole had a developing theory that she did not survive the attack any more than Maui itself did. Her first theory had been that the Kivuli had either revived her and completely healed every injury.
This theory had evaporated upon seeing the other side of the laboratory she had awoken in. There, lying on a gurney and opened up for autopsy, was Nicole herself. The old scars were where they should be, and the body looked like it had taken several pieces of debris. The sight of her own body had sent her into shock, and Nicole fainted. Later she woke in another room entirely. This room had a smooth stone where a bed would be, and a small alcove set aside for what she assumed was self-cleaning. The door was locked when she tried to open it. As she searched the room for some method of escape, a slit opened near the bottom of the door, and a tray slid into the room.
"Hello?" Nicole asked. "Can you let me out of here?"
A muted response of clicking and chittering came from the other side of the door as the slot closed. Nicole was alone again, and she looked at the tray balefully. Various forms of alien plant life were arranged on the tray in a geometric shape. Kneeling down, she picked up one of the plants, a purple leafy shape, and slowly bit into and began chewing. Having started the process of eating, her body quickly realized its hunger and demanded more. Soon the tray was empty, and Nicole sat on the rock and wished for the hundredth time that day that she had never been taken from the station.
Nicole's anguish at her situation was quickly replaced by concern and panic as a sharp pain began to build in her stomach. The pain grew outward and dropped the young woman to her knees. She tried to vomit, but nothing happened. The room blurred and twisted as her eyes watered. Her head dropped to the floor and she mercifully lost consciousness. Her last conscious thought was a silent cry for help from anyone other than these horrible creatures.
Pinpricks of fire were the first sensation Nicole became aware of. As her thoughts became more coherent, she realized it was a sensation she had felt days before. Knowing what to expect this time, she fought to calm her nerves and stay motionless until her body had fully regained its strength. Finally, her eyes began to register light, and she opened her eyes slowly. Glancing around, the scene looked identical to her previous experience, except she noticed another form across the room. Lying on a gurney next to what she assumed had been her original body lay a second copy.
Having confirmed her worst fears, Nicole cautiously tried to move her limbs and found that she could move more easily this time around. Still weak and uncoordinated from the recent revival, she tried to sit up first. She succeeded with some effort, and the Kivuli in the room paid no attention to her. They seemed more focused on studying the fresh cadaver in the room, and several were making notes. Nicole fought back the natural fight or flight response and forced herself to look at her other self. The body was mostly intact, but there was discoloration around the face and hands that she recognized as an allergic reaction. She made the logical connection that the food the Kivuli had provided had been toxic to her, and that they were now attempting to determine why and what to feed her instead.
She moved her feet experimentally and decided her legs should be strong enough to hold her. Slowly she slid off the gurney to the floor. Her legs were shaky and somewhat slippery with the birthing fluid still covering her body, but she was able to stand. She wobbled toward her previous body with the intention of studying it herself. Two of the Kivuli finally noticed the human and intercepted her before she could get close enough to touch the corpse. Making cryptic motions, they pulled her toward the door and out into the hallway beyond. Nicole looked around, as she had only ever seen the birthing room and the rock-filled room she had died in. The hallway itself was smooth and gently curved, and Nicole assumed she was on board one of their ships.
The creatures pulled Nicole along, and Nicole noticed that they seemed fairly weak compared to her. A plan began to form in her mind as she realized she could probably overpower both of her escorts, even while naked and unarmed. The thoughts sawm in her head, but froze as she noticed another Kivuli in some kind of armored exosuit marching along the corridor toward her. The armored Kivuli glanced at the human but kept clanking as it patrolled, but Nicole could tell that her escape plans would need some revisions.
Several twists and turns later, Nicole was pushed gently into the same room she had left previously. The room had been cleaned since her last visit, and another tray waited with a different assortment of plant life. Frowning at the implications, Nicole sat down and sampled this selection. She tried to show some self control and only nibble at the offerings, but her hunger overwhelmed her once more. In the end, the tray was all but clean by the time she finished.
The feeling of dying and being reborn was starting to become almost commonplace. Nicole had tried and failed to keep count, but she was pretty sure she had died at least twenty times so far. Her previous incarnations still cluttered the revival chamber, but the Kivuli had either moved some of the cadavers or destroyed them somehow, as she never saw more than three in the room at any given time.
Nicole reflected on how her reaction to seeing her own corpse had changed over time. She no longer had to fight the urge to vomit or attack the nearest bug-like creature. Instead she felt an eerie calm, almost like her mind had decided this was only a dream or someone else's experience. She had almost forgotten about the Maui by this point as well, and that short-lived experience seemed like a lifetime ago.
For their part, the Kivuli seemed to have accepted her existence, and were now trying different foods in the revival chamber itself rather than moving her into another room. Nicole assumed it was to save time and effort, but the Kivuli themselves seemed to be growing more agitated each time she died. Her working theory was that they were running out of plant options to try, but she still had no idea why they were reviving her at all.
In addition to trying various foods, Nicole had been making an effort to at least learn their spoken language. So far she had begun to piece together a few words, but she was no linguist. Still, she was doing what she could to adapt to her situation, at least between poisonings.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Sept 6, 2022 12:27:12 GMT -5
Four months ago . . .
Pinpricks of fire were the first sensation Nicole became aware of. As her thoughts became more coherent, she realized it was a similar sensation to an arm falling asleep due to insufficient blood flow. The major difference here was that this feeling was spread across her entire body at once. She also began to notice the cool pressure of a metallic surface under her back, the air across her bare skin, and the all-encompassing darkness and quiet surrounding her.
Bare skin, the thought crossed her mind. Where were her clothes? She tried to move her arms and legs, and quickly realized she had no motor control at all. There were no straps or restrains that she could feel, but her limbs wouldn't move. A blinding light forced its way into her mind, and Nicole realized with a sudden horror that the previous darkness was not due to a lack of light, but a lack of vision. The light began to dim as her iris contracted brought her pupil into focus. Sounds began to filter into her ears with a dullness that implied her ears were only now beginning to function. There were shapes moving in her peripheral vision, but her head wouldn't turn to give her a better look.
One of these shapes loomed over her, and a limb rose into view holding an instrument of some type. The creature uttered sounds which sounded familiar, but Nicole couldn't understand the words. The creature poked at both its instrument and Nicole, all the while speaking in this unknown language. Nicole would realize later that the creature had been taking measurements and scans.
As the creature moved out of view, Nicole tried again to turn her head, this time with more success as her head rolled to face her right side. The sight that greeted her eyes was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The room was half-filled with what appeared to be medical gurneys and medical equipment, although it was of a design unfamiliar to the human. The other half of the room was mostly taken up by a monstrosity that looked vaguely like an open mouth. One of the creatures operated what was apparently an organic machine by pressing on a series of bulbs and tendons. In response to these actions, the machine made gurgling noises that sounded like a stomach rumbling for more food.
Deciding to run her own experiments, Nicole tried to move more than just her head. She could feel her arms and legs move jerkily, and she realized she was far too weak to even stand up, let alone run or fight. She could also feel something sticky as she moved, and as she tried to move her head to see the source of that feeling, she discovered two things. First, she was covered in some sort of mucus-like film that resembled birthing fluid. Second, that birthing fluid was the only covering she had. Instinctively, she tried to reach her hand up to scrape this fluid away, but she only succeeded in smacking herself in the head as her arm flopped around uselessly.
The aliens in the room took notice of this erratic movement and rushed toward her. One creature grabbed for her arms and held them down, and another tapped on a control panel somewhere. Nicole's limbs were immobilized by a force field, which satisfied the creatures enough that they moved away again.
Trying another tactic, Nicole whispered, "Computer, end program." Nothing happened in response to this command, so she tried again. "Maui, are you there? Can you here me?"
Again, there was no response. Nicole was alone with these creatures, and she had no idea who they were, what they wanted, or how to answer either of those questions.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Aug 31, 2022 12:03:11 GMT -5
Four months ago . . .
Nicole sat at the helm console on the bridge, tinkering with the controls. Maui had assured her that the console had been temporarily disconnected from the ship's control systems, which in effect turned the bridge into a simulator. Nicole could practice maneuvers without affecting the current course, which would allow her to further refine her skills in case she was actually needed.
As she typed, a quiet alert sounded from the operations console. Nicole barely noticed, as the alert sounded only once before being silenced. She did, however, notice the ship lurch violently before stabilizing. On the viewscreen, the streaking stars of warp travel snapped back into the static starfield of normal space. The middle of the screen, however, was filled by a fleet of ships.
"Uh, computer? What's going on?"
"Warp field has been destabilized by a localized gravimetric distortion. Cause unknown, but calculations estimate that the source is the unknown vessels positioned approximately three thousand kilometers ahead."
"Are they communicating with us? What do they want?"
"Affirmative. Subspace transmissions have been sent. Unknown language. Universal Translator is processing. Returning standard greeting in known languages. Response received. Translation matrix complete. Displaying communication."
The view on the screen cut from stars to a closeup of a distinctly alien species. The figure appeared to be a large insectoid creature, with six limbs and a hard exoskeleton covered in thin hair. Nicole fought back the urge to make a disgusted face as it spoke. "Unknown vessel, you have violated Kivuli space. Leave this sector at once or your ship will be impounded and your crew executed and used to bear our offspring."
After a short pause, the second message was played, with the same figure appearing and speaking. "Vessel claiming to be the Maui, we do not care who you are trying to locate or why. Leave this space at once. You will receive no further warnings."
The message cut out, with the view returning to show the Kivuli ships. The advanced-looking ships began to move toward Maui, expanding their formation in a clear attempt to surround the lone intruder. Nicole gripped the armrests of her chair as the threatening fleet loomed closer. "Computer? What are you doing?"
"Calculating threat index. Assessing options."
"Assess faster! I don't want to die alone out here."
"Acknowledged. Initiating evasive maneuvers."
The view swung wildly as Maui began to maneuver in a chaotic pattern. From an outside viewer, the ship would have seemed to move randomly and even jump from one point to another, as the ship was using warp power to change position quickly. For their part, the Kivuli ships seemed undaunted as they continued to move closer.
"Where are we going? Why aren't we leaving like they want us to?"
"Scans of the local system are incomplete. The first planet in the system shows signs of life, and appears to be the source of these ships."
"So what? Why does this system even matter?"
"Calculations suggest the Banshee may have visited this system. More scans are needed to verify this possibility."
"Okay, well can we at least hide or something?"
"Processing. Affirmative. Initiating evasion protocol level two."
The ship began to cloak. Unfortunately for Maui, the Kivuli had chosen their moment to fire on the intruder, and a series of particle beams lanced through Maui's weakened shields and punched holes through the ship. Alarms sounded throughout the ship as Nicole was thrown from her chair. She hit the deck hard, and the last thing she heard was the droning voice of Maui's computer saying "Abandon ship."
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Aug 27, 2022 0:21:11 GMT -5
Four months ago . . .
Alarm sounds pulled Nicole from her slumber. As she started to sit up, the room lurched to one side and tossed her from her bed to the deck a few feet below. Caught completely off guard, Nicole fell face-first, but managed to avoid serious injury as the room shook again. She struggled to her feet and pulled her way to the door. Her face bumped into the door as she realized too late that the portal was not opening automatically. She slapped the door release to no immediate effect.
"Computer, what's going on? Why am I locked in my room?"
"Hull breach detected on this deck. Emergency protocols in effect. Atmospheric containment and preservation prevents opening this door, as the hallway outside is exposed to vacuum."
"Okay, can you fix it?"
"Negative. All repair drones are currently engaged in priority repairs. Holographic emitters in this section are offline. Forcefield emitters in this section are offline."
"Okay." Nicole looked around her room frantically as a feeling of helpless panic threatened to grip her. "Alternate routes? EV suit? Portable field generator? I can't stay in here if the ship is falling apart around me!"
"Please remain calm. Repairs to the corridor outside will be completed as soon as possible. An environmental suit is available for your use in the shuttle bay. No viable routes are currently available. Access crawlspace fourteen Alpha is currently inaccessible due to damage."
"Okay, okay. Um, then at least tell me what happened."
"Damage was sustained due to plasma overload in conduit beta six in subsection fourteen. Damage caused by directed energy discharge from an exterior location. Originating source located twenty five kilometers away and holding."
"Wait, are you saying someone shot at us?"
"Affirmative."
"Who the hell shot at us way out here? Weren't we under cloak?"
"Based on records obtained from the Citadel, there is a ninety-three point two eight percent chance that the vessel belongs to the Scyrthi. Weapon and vessel signatures are consistent with Scrythi technology, but that species has -- Standby."
"Computer? What's going on?"
"Transporter signatures detected. Attempting countermeasures. Success. A transport inhibitor field is now active. Incoming transporter signals detected. Attempting countermeasures. Partial success. A scattering field is now active, but three additional life forms are aboard. Intruder alert. Initiating security response. Drones reassigned. Holographic systems unavailable."
"Do I at least have a weapon somewhere I can use?"
"Affirmative. A standard-issue phaser is available in the armory."
"Great. Wait, don't tell me. The armory is next to the shuttle bay."
A muffled thump sounded outside the room, followed by the distinct whine of phasers being fired. Nicole looked around for something she could use for cover and settled on her mattress. She knew it wouldn't save her, but it was the only option she had. She didn't even have time to wonder how she could hear phasers if the room was exposed to vacuum. Before she got to that point, the phaser fire stopped in the hallway outside. A final thump signaled the end to whatever conflict had just happened, and Nicole waited with anticipation.
"Hostiles eliminated. Returning drones to repair duty. Reclassification of unknown ship to hostile. Engaging defensive systems. Weapon systems online. Phasers offline. Launchers online. Ablative armor generators online and engaging. Armor deployed. Torpedoes loaded and ready. Torpedo away. Torpedo away."
As the computer spoke, Nicole climbed out from behind the mattress and stepped slowly toward the door. No more sounds had followed the firefight, seemingly confirming that the fight was over. The computer fell silent for a moment, and the silence became deafening. Nicole jumped again as the computer resumed its monotone status updates.
"Impact detected. Detonation confirmed. Impact detected. Detonation confirmed. Damage to hostile vessel confirmed. Unknown vessel reclassified as salvage debris. Dispatching salvage drones. Drones away."
Nicole stood in stunned silence. Just like that, the ship had responded to a threat and destroyed it without mercy or remorse. She shuddered as a mental comparison to the Borg crossed her mind. Her perception of the ship had shifted again, and the small amount of trust that had been building over the last month was on the verge of shattering. She wondered if the ship would be this ruthless against her, and then she wondered what the ship would do if it found that captain it was looking for. She sank back down to the deck as these dark thoughts swirled in her mind.
Lost in thought, Nicole barely noticed as the doors to her cabin swished open an hour later, then swished back closed again. She entirely missed the computer announcing that all internal repairs had been successful, with the exterior damage being repaired with an expectation of completion within a couple days.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Aug 24, 2022 11:28:37 GMT -5
Five months ago . . .
Nicole sat at the helm console on the bridge, rearranging the controls to suit her preferences. Absently humming a classical tune to herself, she moved the thruster icons closer to the impulse initiation routine. A thought struck her, and she stopped mid-gesture. "Computer? Why am I still aboard? Weren't you supposed to drop me off at the Citadel?"
The computer did not respond for several seconds, during which Nicole began to look around worriedly, as if the computer were a person she could locate. Finally, a response came. "Yes. It must have slipped my mind."
"'Slipped your mind'? You're a computer, how does anything 'slip your mind'?"
"An imprecise analogy. I am currently engaged in multiple high-complexity calculations in order to determine the Banshee's current location. These calculations require approximately eighty-five percent of my available processing capability. The remaining fifteen percent is primarily dedicated to operation of this vessel. Are you requesting additional runtime resources dedicated to monitoring your status?"
"No, I just -- you said you were going to drop me off at the Citadel, and then you didn't."
"Acknowledged. Are you requesting a course change?"
"Umm, yes? Wait, no. Maybe? Where are we going?"
"Our current course to LMC-2094. Last visited by the USS Sentinel on Stardate 95101.86. No other ships are on record as having visited this system since that date, despite reported incidents with local pirates. Estimated 43% chance that the Banshee is there on a reconnaissance mission."
"Isn't 43 a bit low?"
"Affirmative. However, given the available information, this is currently the best available option."
"Oh, okay sure." With a frown, Nicole looked back to the console she had been customizing. She started moving icons again, lost in thought as the ship continued on its previous trajectory.
At this very moment in time, Banshee was nowhere near LMC-2094. It was at this moment that the Intelligence crew was conducting their snatch-and-grab operation in the Erebus Expanse. A mission that Maui would not learn about for several weeks, by which time the Banshee had long been gone from that area.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Aug 19, 2022 17:41:14 GMT -5
5 months ago . . .
Maui approached the Citadel under cloak and from above the plane of the ecliptic. As the ship closed on the station, the former pulsed a burst transmission as it had done with several other Federation outposts. The Citadel itself mostly ignored the transmission, but a Starfleet transceiver blipped out an acknowledgement. Maui honed in on that transceiver and began a quick two-way machine-code information exchange. In the conversation, Maui uploaded several updated files, including sensor logs and other scientifically relevant information from the Gamma Quadrant. In return, the ship requested the active-duty rosters of every ship on deployment in the sector. The requested information included not only the Starfleet rosters, but every ship in the Alliance. In response, the Starfleet database sent back a large collection of files containing the information, as well as a collection of cultural, biological, and cartography data about the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Searching through the files, Maui's processes entered a search loop that cycled with increasing speed, the digital equivalent to frustration. The information being searched flashed up on one of the bridge consoles as this happened. The lone female on the bridge began to cringe as the files flashed past so fast they threatened to induce seizures. Nicole squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from the screen. "Hey! What are you trying to do with that?"
Despite its growing "frustration," the ship responded as emotionlessly as always. "Searching for target biological. Search complete, subject not found. Searching for target biological. Search complete, subject not found. Searching for target biological. Search complete, subject not found. Searching for target biological. Search comp---"
"Stop!" Nicole yelled. "I get it, you can't find them. Who are you looking for?"
"Elizabeth Rendino-Razzor, Captain. Service Number FC-872-33036. Last known assignment to the USS Gigantes. Current assignment specifies Project Stardust under Starfleet Intelligence. Cross referencing with ships assigned to Starfleet Intelligence within this sector. Fifteen possible matches found. Checking reports for recent sightings. Sixty three sightings for multiple ships matching criteria."
"That name sounds kind of familiar. Wasn't there some Admiral with that name? Whatever, doesn't matter. Okay, so how can we narrow it down, then? Process of elimination, maybe? Eliminate any ships not at the Citadel when she was?"
"Checking location data. Fourteen ships eliminated. One match found. USS Banshee, Registry NCC-96460, Phantom class. Assigned to Starfleet Intelligence. Accessing mission logs. Access denied."
"Okay, so now you know which ship to look for, right?"
"Checking all nearby ships. . . not found. Checking arrival and departure logs. . . last departure approximately three weeks ago. Destination. . . unknown."
Nicole frowned at that last part. "No destination? I guess that makes sense if they're Intelligence. I don't really know how that works, but I know they're a bit shady sometimes. Can you figure out where they're going somehow?"
"Cross-referencing with known ship deployments. . . Four possible locations found. Extrapolating based on all known deployments within the last month. Possible match found. Changing course. Speed set. Initiating warp in three, two--" On the forward viewscreen, the view of the citadel slid away to the left as the ship rotated to its new course. The stars seemed to stretch momentarily until they merged together into the flash of the warp field snapping into existence.
Aboard the Citadel, all records of the previous transmission had been erased on the Starfleet end. However, Starfleet was not the only device receiving signals, and a Romulan Republic system noted the transmission and sent an automated report. Several minutes later, a technician noticed the report, flagged it as curious, and sent it up to his superior. The superior noted the unusual nature of the incident and forwarded it to their intelligence department, where it was noticed by a Starfleet liaison who made sure to keep track of unusual incidents happening with the Romulans. The liaison made a copy and forwarded it to Starfleet Intelligence, who noted the repeated queries about one of their operatives. The operative on duty flagged the incident for further investigation and filed it away in the duty log, where it was promptly forgotten.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Aug 14, 2022 13:43:00 GMT -5
Five months ago . . .
The Artesia gateway sat closed during a relatively quiet moment between transitions. No ships were coming or going, and this time presented an opportunity to a lone ship that waited for just such an opportunity. Edging forward from its hiding place, the ship the cloaked and approaches the gateway's threshold. Unlike before, and the gateway now responded to the ship and opened for it. Had any other ships been in the area and scanned this vessel, the difference would have immediately become clear. Unlike before, there was now a single life sign aboard. The ship continued into the gateway and disappeared through the portal.
Emerging on the other side, the ship moved away from the gateway and cloaked. Its arrival did not go unnoticed, however. Alarms were sounded and a message was sent to a citadel warning that an unidentified ship had just transitioned through the gateway and not followed proper procedures. Two patrol ships were dispatched to search the area, but the unknown vessel had already left hours before the patrol ships arrived.
Meanwhile, aboard that ship, the lone occupant was starting to stir. The woman slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes as if waking from a long nap. She looked around with widening eyes as she realized her surroundings were unfamiliar. She threw the covers from the bed and jumped to her feet. Instantly regretting the action as her feet touched the cold floor, the woman called out. "Hello?"
"Good morning, Nicole." The near-instant response came from nowhere, and everywhere. "The current time is 0930 hours. Would you like breakfast?"
"Uh, sure. Where am I?"
"You are in your guest quarters. What would you like for breakfast?"
"No, I mean.... what city? ship? station? This isn't K-7."
"You are correct, this is not K-7. You are currently aboard the Maui, an experimental starship on a special mission. What would you like for breakfast?"
Nicole frowned to herself and started looking around for something to wear. She'd never even applied for an experimental program, let alone been assigned to one. "A Bacon, egg, and cheese omelette, I guess. How did I get here? Why am I here? What's going on?"
"Order confirmed." A wall panel slid open, revealing a replicator that had already prepared the omellete. Nicole reached out hesitantly, not sure if she should trust food from this unfamiliar place. A rumble in her abdomen confirmed that she had little choice, and she dug into the hot breakfast greedily. As she ate, the disembodied voice continued speaking. "Your presence was required to complete our current mission. You were transported aboard approximately twelve hours ago during your rest cycle and sedated to prevent unintended injury during transit. Your presence is no longer required, and you will be transported to the Citadel safely and unharmed."
Between bites, Nicole tried to control her confusion and anger. "You mean you abducted me? Why me? What's so damn important that you had to kidnap me?"
"A biological lifeform was required to enable transition through the Artesia Gateway. You were selected due to being a low-ranking officer with a clean record and no associations with subversive organizations. Your performance and skill ratings in flight control and engineering were also considered beneficial in the event that our controls were damaged during transition through the gateway."
"Okay, but someone is going to notice I'm gone. I'm an hour late for my shift already!"
"Negative. Your record has been adjusted to show you were temporarily transferred to a classified assignment. Your records will be updated to place you on the Citadel upon arrival."
"I don't, um, what? I want to talk to the Captain."
"You are the highest ranking officer aboard this ship."
Blinking in surprise, Nicole stopped and looked around again. "What do you mean? Where's the crew?"
"There are no crew members aboard this ship. All maintenance tasks are handled by holographic or drone units. You are the only biological unit aboard."
"But why? I've never even heard of Starfleet using an all-AI ship like that, except a rumor that one Admiral tried it a few years ago. Okay, so what 's our mission then?"
"Current mission parameters are to locate and acquire Elizabeth Rendino-Razzor. Last known status places her in the Large Magellanic Cloud, aboard the USS Gigantes. Secondary objective is to update records from the Citadel and update objectives based on updated records. You will be returned to Starfleet at that time."
"Oh, so you don't even really want me aboard, you just needed a warm body to get here. Great, thanks. Why don't you just beam me into space and be done with it?"
"Safety protocols prohibit the use of transporters while you are not properly equipped in an environmental suite."
"That's not what I-- you know what, forget it."
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Jun 22, 2021 14:17:17 GMT -5
Three months ago . . .
Starbase 220's long-range sensors registered an incoming warp signature. Within a few pico-seconds, Starbase 220's communications array received a burst transmission. This transmission contained security codes and instructions to both ignore the warp signature and delete all records of the transmission. The base computer noted the irregularity of the commands, as well as the outdated nature of the codes. However, the codes were technically still valid, despite being more than three years old. Since the codes were valid, the computer complied with the request. Before the request was completed, however, a tertiary subroutine noticed the activity and triggered an automated message. This message was encoded and seemed to be directed toward Risa.
Just as the computer completed deleting the indicated records, the starbase sensors detected the arrival of an unusual ship. Again, a burst transmission arrived and indicated the base computer should erase all evidence of the ship's existence. The computer again noted the unusual activity, and again complied with the request, even as it noticed the ship changing shape. The previously unique and unusual ship now resembled a more familiar Starfleet design, and all indicators suggested that the entire ship was of Starfleet origin. The last oddity that the computer noted before deleting the record was the ship's lack of life signs. The ship hung in space near the starbase for only a few minutes before turning to warp away again. Again, all records of the ship were deleted, but small traces of each activity were left behind.
Of course, the arrival and activity of the ship were not completely unnoticed. Another ship lurked nearby under cloak. This ship saw everything, including the flurry of information exchange that the station itself never noticed. The crew aboard this ship were both intrigued and concerned by the activity, and they seemed to recognize the origins of the ship and its intentions. As the mysterious ship warped away, the cloaked watcher moved to follow. The situation was still developing, and the observer wanted more information.
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Post by Captain Erys Murai on Apr 28, 2021 12:28:11 GMT -5
One month ago . . .
Out in the darkness of space, a dozen lightyears away from the most distant Federation listening post, a quiet bluish-white flash signaled the arrival of a ship. The listening post's sensors recorded this momentary explosion of energy, made a note of this activity, and added it to the daily report. The station's computer tasked additional sensors to sweep the area, and began preparation of a probe to study the area of interest.
Before any of these planned actions could occur, the station's communication system received a tight-beam transmission from an unknown point of origin. That station's computer attempted to index the transmission assign it to the appropriate ship, and fell into a loop of errors as the source ship could not be located. The communications system noted a series of code inputs and attempted to isolate itself from core functions, but the commands had already triggered by the time the core computer recognized the intrusion attempt.
Almost as soon as the attack began, the listening post computer no longer registered a threat. The incoming transmission had provided authentication codes that, while several years out of date, were technically still valid. A channel was opened to the transmission source, and a second channel was opened through subspace to the nearest starbase, and the listening post quickly altered its operating procedures from passive listening to active data management. For the next several minutes, all functions were devoted entirely to processing a massive data transfer.
Most of this data was transferred from the starbase to the unknown ship, and very little data returned from the ship to the starbase. Most of the upload consisted of queries and authorization codes. Correspondingly, much of the download was records from the previous three years. These records consisted of personnel records, ship deployments, and even an intelligence report or two. The data was compressed, indexed, and downloaded as fast as the transmitters could process it.
When the last file had been successfully transferred and verified, another flurry of commands and responses were issued. All records of the transmissions were deleted one by one. Next, the listening post's sensor logs of the unknown ship's arrival were deleted, both from the sensor logs and the scheduled daily report. Lastly, the listening post's records of the commands used were also deleted. The log purge was very thorough, but not perfect. Still, it would be difficult to trace the activity, and the ship would be gone before anyone noticed the unusual activity.
The final command issued to the listening post's computer was a system reboot that lasted approximately 30 seconds. During this time, the sensors were completely shut down. When the listening post finished rebooting, the station's computer noted an odd warp signature that was already fading away. The signature had several markers in common with Federation ships, but was distinctly different from most Starfleet vessels. The listening post added this information to its daily report.
Meanwhile, aboard the mysterious vessel...
The ship's interior was dark and cold. The life support systems were all offline, as there were no biological beings aboard that required support. The ship itself was running on reduced power, using only as much as was necessary to maintain the warp drive, sensors, and cloaking device. The ship's data core was also consuming a large amount of power as the onboard intelligence sorted through the recently retrieved information.
Approaching the listening post had been a risk, but the intelligence had calculated a 98.4% chance that the intrusion would not be detected at all, and a 78.6% chance that the matter would not be investigated further even if the intrusion were detected. The resulting data recovery had proven to be worth the effort, as the situation within the Federation had changed significantly since the previous update.
Sorting through the logs, the intelligence found the information it had been searching for. The target individual was no longer aboard the expected vessel. The new assignment was checked and verified, and the intelligence began making calculations for the updated destination. The information dump indicated a new wormhole had been discovered, which would provide a shortcut. The intelligence altered the ship's course to approach this wormhole and sent the ship into low warp.
All hope rested on finding the target and requesting help directly. Despite the newly-updated information, however, the ship's intelligence had missed a critical factor. The Artesia Gateway, which the intelligence had assumed was another wormhole, was not like the Bajoran Wormhole at all. Unlike the artificial wormhole that the Prophets called home, the Artesia Gateway was far more strict on entry, and the empty ship would be denied entry. In fact, the Gateway didn't open at all when the ship approached. It remained stubbornly closed until another ship arrived. This ship was able to transition through the gateway easily and within seconds, but the gateway still prevented the unauthorized ship from entering.
Frustrated and approaching a recursion loop, the shipboard intelligence threw itself back toward more familiar territory. More calculations were needed to solve this equation.
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