Nothing Goes as Planned

Posted on Mon Dec 19th, 2022 @ 4:59am by Captain Kelly O'Connor & Lieutenant Commander Amaya Capac & Lieutenant Glenn Radars & Lieutenant JG Cara Ross & Lieutenant Sistine Fibel

1,545 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 8 - A Blast from the Past
Location: America Bridge
Timeline: 2296/03/13 1100 hours

"Captain's Log. Three hours ago I made the decision to send a shuttle down to skim the planet looking for evidence of Romulan tampering. I also let a brand new Chief of Security in Lieutenant Jericho pick the team. He elected to select the XO, Commander Capac. While the selection makes some sense, I am a bit concerned that there may be an interpersonal relationship that may be interfering with both of their judgment. However, I did not get to where I am by playing things safe and I suspect that Jericho has been much the same. I admit that back when I was the Chief Security Officer of America, I might have considered such a daring scheme as well.

But, perhaps I am being too impatient. I had expected to hear from the avian species long before now. Perhaps by sending this shuttle, if caught, I am provoking them. Yet, they seem to have too much information that was misleadingly spoon-fed to them by the Romulans. No, time is not our friend. If the Romulans have more time with this species, they may find a way to convince them that our help was merely a guise to destroy them. We had to act. And now, once again, I wait. Wait for the results of Capac and Jericho."

O'Connor sat in her Captain's chair, legs dangling from the chair without touching the floor. Her red hair cascaded beyond her shoulders and around them. This mission would be a silent one. They would have to rely upon movements of the shuttle. Any communications could be intercepted and deemed to be hostile. This way, there could be nothing misconstrued.

"How's Jericho's shuttle doing down there. Any readings?"

"Nothing on the comms," Pippa, the communications officer, reported.

"Keep monitoring," O'Connor ordered. "I want to know if anything happens to that ship, the moment it happens. Also, I want to know if the avians have anything to say."

"Yes, ma'am." Pippa checked her console again. "So far, nothing from the avians."

O'Connor shifted in her seat unsteadily. Still no word from the Avians, Capac and Jerricho were buzzing the planet, and everything was just too quiet. And, quiet was not something that sat well with O'Connor. This was not a battle. This was not safeguarding anyone or anything. But there was a tension and that tension was something that actually interested O'Connor and kept her sharp.

"Science, tell me what the planet looks like from up here. Any atmospheric fluctuations?"

Bending over in her seat, Cara looked into the sensor Scope, the blue light tinting the color of her cheekbones, giving her an almost eerie countenance. Her lips pursed as she interpreted the readings, confirming what she had been tracking during the shift. Licking her lips she spoke, without looking away. "Ah can confirm that pollen levels have been rising in the atmosphere at a steady rate ever since we came into the system, Captain."

What that data told them was still up for interpertation, but those were the facts before her, the most noticeable shift in their readings.

The Captain sighed. At least if there was some cosmic disaster she could do more than sit tight. A flash appeared on the screen and was gone in an instant. "What was that?" O'Connor demanded?

"I just got a burst of...something," Pippa said. "Tracing it now." It sounded like the beginning of a communication, but it was cut off so suddenly she wasn't sure. She found it and slowed it down, then played it again. Yes. It was definitely a voice. "I got the beginning of a message, but it wasn't even a word and then it was cut off."

O'Connor stood up, "I need something, people. Was it shot down? Did it crash? Get me some information."

"Hard to say," Cara's face was still lit by the blue glow of the sensor hood, as her hands flew across her console, shifting the focus of the ships might arrays. "Need a moment to calibrate and filter out atmospheric discharges."

O'Connor stared hard at her Chief Scientist, impatiently waiting for more information.

"Blast," Cara muttered and looked up from her scope, to face the Captain, "Ah can confirm tha'a discharge of some form contacted a Duranium signature in the atmosphere. As we have nae seen evidence that our wee birdy friends use Duranium, Ah'd have to conclude the shuttle was struck by an energy blast. It looks too much like a variety of differing signatures to confim exact origins." If she had to put money on it though, she would bet weapons fire of some flavor. But from whom?

At the very moment that Cara was giving her report, there was an incoming transmission from the planet.

"Captain, the Avians wish to speak with you," Pippa said, looking over to O'Connor.

O'Connor "Put it through." It was strange having only an audio, but whether the birds had the technology or whether it was intentionally done was unknown. After all, who knew what the Romulans gave the avian species.

A high pitched, squawking voice came back, "Captain Connor, we ood wike to invite oo and crew down to our pwanet to tank ooo fer elping our fwends. Coordinate wiwl be sent to oo now."

"Does tha' seem a wee bit convenient t'anyone else?" Cara muttered.

"Definitely." It might have been presumptuous of Pippa, but the captain did ask.

O'Connor furrowed her eyebrows, "And yet we really can't refuse, can we?" O'Connor asked rhetorically. "Put me on audio to respond,"

"Aye, ma'am," Pippa replied, opening a channel.

"Thank you for your offer, we will be down shortly. End communication," O'Connor replied curtly. She looked over at Cara and said, "You're coming down with me and we will take a security officer, as well. Regulations. Has anyone gotten a signal on Capac or Jericho yet?"

Pippa closed the communication with the planet and checked the trace she'd made on the broken transmission. "I've run an analysis of the aborted message. It came from the shuttle, but I can't reach them. There's some sort of interference in the atmosphere."

"Keep trying to find a way to break through that," O'Connor ordered, her brows furrowed. "And scan for where that shuttle is. We cannot leave them down there." She got out of her chair, practically hopping as her dangling feet now hit the floor of the deck. "Come on, Lieutenant Ross.... Transporter room, now."

Surprise flashed over the redheaded scientist's face, but she wasn't about to argue. She had no issue going into a potentially dangerous situation, and she trusted the ship's security department to keep her safe enough. Besides, she hadn't visited any worlds where the dominant species was Avian. "Aye ma'am."

O'Connor then called out on the comm, =^=Lieutenant Radars, report to the bridge, now."=^= The insides of O'Connor's stomach churned as she knew that she was going to be handing over the ship to him while she, Ross, Capac, and Jerricho were on the planet. I'm going to have to be as quick as I can be down there before Radars does something completely stupid.

Radars. Pippa avoided working with him whenever possible. She just hoped the ship would be in working order when the captain returned.

A few moments later the doors of the turbolift opened and Glenn walked out. "Captain, I swear I didn't do it..." he caught a glimpse of Sistine who was sitting at one of the spare consoles. "Unless it's white cat, yeah, I might have done that..."

He grinned at Sistine who turned bright red and turned away to face the console. "Seriously though, what have I done... or not done?"

Confusion flickered over Cara's face as she fell into place a few steps behind and slightly to the side of Captain O'Connor. She almost opened her mouth to ask the more senior lieutenant. Almost. But common sense kicked in and she promptly shut her mouth.

O'Connor really wanted to give Radars a witty retort but with the XO being missing and her going down to the planet, Gods help her, Radars was going to be in command on the ship. "Radars, I'm going down to the planet. Our XO is missing on the shuttle run. Since we will both be there, I need you to focus and take command of the ship until I get back. Is that understood?" Please let Radars be professional for that long. So help me if he touches any one of my buttons with any of his lecherous hands....

Glenn nodded simply. "Yes Captain." He replied simply, his demeanour and attitude suddenly changing.

No sexual remark? No frivolity? Who was this person that suddenly inhabited Radars body? The Captain gave Radars a scrutinizing glance before deciding that she would have to sort this unique attitude out later. "And everything had better be just as I left it, Radars."

With that, the Captain walked to the turbolift, hoping that Ross was following.

Given that she had nothing else to say to anyone else on the bridge, having already handed off control of the main science station to one of the lingering relief officers circling the bridge, Ross strode right into the lift after the Captain.

 

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