Lets do science

Posted on Thu Mar 24th, 2022 @ 12:48am by Commander Cyrus Cain & Lieutenant Cael Maz & Lieutenant JG Kassandra Selin

Mission: S1 Episode 2: Caretaker, Part II
Location: Astrometrics
Timeline: Mission Day 2 at 1300
989 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

Cael pursed his lips as he began to get the power restored to the stellar cartography room. It was seldom used at least until now. Somehow he suspected he would be spending more time in here than he preferred to do. While stellar cartography wasn't his first career nor any of his, he still found himself brushing and dusting off what Cael knew more than what Maz had shared. As the lights began to dim, the computer ran a passive scan of the space surrounding them, getting a visual of all the star data.

Kassandra entered the room and placed a pile of PADDs on the floor. "Backed up data" she said softly. "Do you need help with the power distribution?"

"Yes, please. It is fluctuating sporadically. I am trying not to overload the system. Don't want to risk a blowout." Cael said as he looked at the data pouring into the sensors. He looked around as stars began to blink into existence in the room. He hummed as if he knew something was off.

Kass nodded sat down on the floor beside the console. She pulled the side panel off and began running diagnosis on it. "Hmm... " she said softly. "There is a feedback loop in the tertiary matrix."

"Best way to resolve the issue?" Cael asked scratching at his spots as he looked over the data, "These stars...there not right."

"I'll put in a bypass shunt." Kass replied. "Well we are 70,000 lightyears from home, they will be different." she pulled out a circuit board and put in the shunt. "That should stabilize it."

"Humm yes but I mean where we are at verses where I thought we might be is slightly different. Looks like we are....well...here." Cael said pointing to a singular dot. "Routeing home is not going to be an easy feat." He said with a frown as the computer began to calculate the journey home showing the quickest route but showing incomplete data.

Kass stood and studied the image. "Yeah we are so far out... we may need to increase astrometric sensors to see if we can get more data... pull power from subsystems."

"If we were from my universe, I would say yes. However, we are here at this universe. That being said, I am not ready to alert the locals to our location if I can help it. But that is my thoughts on the matter for some seven hundred years of experience to back it." Cael said calmly as he tapped on the screen, "I am detecting a few M class planets but they are a few days out."

"M Class is good. Means life, means food and sentient beings?" Kass brought up the massive station before them. "Someone had to build that."

"No doubt." Cael said tapping his badge, "Lieutenant Maz to Commander Cain. We have located some things of interest if you have the time to take a look down here in Stellar Cartography."

Cyrus had been helping repair teams along with others and letting his paperwork sit for a while. When the com came through, he tapped his badge.

=/\=On my way, Lieutenant.=/\= he said, standing up and walking toward the turbolift in his dirty uniform. After several minutes, he emerged in the Stellar Cartography bay, his eyes falling on the Science and Intelligence Officers. "What is it? Did you find something?"

"A good size station on sensors as well as a few M class planets within a few days travel. However, I am inclined to go with err on the side of caution. I know we are not one hundred percent and only the Gods know what kind of species or tech level we will encounter." Cael offered as he walked over to the platform and brought up the information that the systems were providing.

Cyrus looked at the image of the ominous array which he had become familiar with staring at on the Bridge.

“Whoever is on there, they aren’t answering any hails and our sensors can’t penetrate the hull. Not to mention, we aren’t yet in any condition to defend ourselves from them.” He said, stepping up to the console. “There is one issue here, however.”

He ran his hand over the calculations panel and the distance between their location and the nearest planet shortened considerably.

“Your scaling is off. Probably a result of some component still being out of alignment.” He said. “The array is sending regular energy pulses to that planet there.”

"Interesting. Some type of power for the planet? Or do you think something else?" Cael offered up looking at the scale changes.

“According to the scans we’ve taken on the Bridge, they seem to be transferring energy. Now we know where.” Cyrus said with an interested expression. He looked at Kassandra. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”

Kassandra shook her head. "No Sir, but the power output? Massive, there must be a very large civilization they are powering."

"Then let's see if we can get some information about where this energy is going." Cain said, looking to the two of them. He pressed several keys and the display changed, showing an approximation of what the planet might look like based on the very limited scans they have of it. "This world shows a remarkable lack of flora and fauna for a place that receives so much energy. Do you think there's a remote research operation happening there?"

"Or it could be beneath the surface." Kass mused watching the screen.

Cain watched as another simulated energy pulse arched toward the distant planet, his brow furrowed.

“It’s conceivable.” He said evenly. “Only time will tell. Keep up the good work.”

With that, Commander Cain turned toward the door and began to leave.

Cael diligently went to work on possible theories to bring to the crew.

Kass nodded and went back to reading the scans.