Posted by Fleet Captain Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in Main Sim - Fulcrum Runabout - Reality Bubble Fishing!
[snip]

As the ‘fishing hook’ was laid out the ‘little ones’ took the bait it seems, mass flocking groups ranging from microscopic to the size of a human hand started trailing after the runabout. The disruption to the alien crafts ‘scoop’ effort got them a few vulgar comm bursts from the alien ship something that rudely translated roughly as ‘damn alien tourists’. After the little ones had cleared the area the alien ship went back to scooping up Boridium innocent it seems of the reality bubble’s existence small or larger for that matter.

Sharah nodded listening to the comm translation, they were annoying but not worth effort.

V’alura breathed a sigh of relief when all they got in response was a couple swears from the other ship. She certainly did not want to have to play security officer. Those were her worst classes at the Academy.

The NE pilot called out. “..We’re topping out at .15c sublight about half impulse, any faster and those little uh things aint keeping up I think. Sensors are also showing a larger grouping following in our wake as well, not sure what that’s about.” he reported. “..ETA till we get back to the Ark Angel about an hour or two at this rate.”

GM CockRoach

She turned to the pilot, “Slow down, we don’t want to loose them.” Sharah turned to the sensors to determine if the larger group was just a larger number of ‘little ones’ or larger. And if larger that might be the ‘parents’. “Make a slow turn, don’t loose the ones we have, but head back towards the other group, slowly and to a side trajectory, I don’t want to go through the middle of the group, just along side them.” She turned to MiniFayth, “The little ones are following us, they should be okay for the moment. Do you know what this other group wants?”

Lt jg Fayth, CSO

The NE pilot nodded, doing so with the runabout.

The larger bubbles meanwhile ranging in size from small shuttles to even a few dwarfing the Ark Angel or even Earth spacedock in scope were in evidence. “..They are....are what you call parents. We....” MiniFayth paused. “..I mean they split off after reaching a certain size. The energy release sends shockwaves as they split. Which…” She paused again brow furrowing, now seeming a bit calmer that the ‘little ones’ were safe. “..which I think interacts with fleshy beings like you.....and me I guess now?” She explained. “..The....faithful ones in this region I think I get it now, that when they have these interactions they believe it is from their ‘Gods of Information’ or as they put it Enlightenment.” She said struggling a little to explain the rush of information she obviously was intaking somehow and yet adapting to the new life of a flesh and blood being.

GM CockRoach

“Take your time, little one.” V’alura suggested. Now that the little ones were safe, and the other ship back to it’s normal business, V’alura breathed easier. Though, something nagged at the back of her mind. Thoughts of Quantum Theory and how observation alters reality. A growing part of her that wondered if their interactions with these bubbles and the events of today caused a greater shift in reality than they could imagine. Or, a more apt metaphor: were they the flap of a butterfly’s wing that changed the future of this region? She almost voiced these thoughts, but what proof did she have?

Ensign Belmont (Science)

Sharah nodded and knelt back down to be eye to eye with MiniFayth. “Can you tell them we are bringing them back, the little ones. That we were only trying to get them away from the other ship? We won’t hurt them.” Sharah wondered if they could convince the ‘parents’ to help them get home. To use one of those shock waves to interact with the crew and ‘think’ themselves home. “I think you may be right. Have the parents ever created these splits, these shockwaves, on purpose to help the fleshy beings?” Sharah turned to the rest of the crew on the runabout, “Let’s get the little ones safe first, then maybe we can figure out where to go from there.”

Lt jg Fayth, CSO

MiniFayth nodded to the first question being silent a moment. “..They know.” She replied then.

When the second question got asked MiniFayth was quiet for a longer moment as if considering this. “..Not on purpose. The splits only happen when one is of age and size to reproduce, you might consider the moment their ‘death’ as well.” She said.

GM CockRoach

Caelian listened quietly, making adjustments to the tractor beam as they maneuvered about in space at Sharah’s command. He was particularly interested in the reactions their vessel and its energies had on the varied protoforms. He also made a few notations in his logs regarding the alien ship’s configuration and outputs, taking special interest in any differing technologies. He hadn’t forgotten that they weren’t in Federation space and that any aliens they encountered would be better adapted to this region of space than they.

His scientific mind perked up a bit at the mention of the shockwaves released upon a protoform’s “death.” While he wouldn’t wish for the death of any sentient being, there was an analytical part of him that was interested in the event and wondered how such a thing could be harnessed.

—Caelian Weir, Engineer—

On scans the small alien ship seemed to finish its gathering of Boridium resources and after a moment came about and proceeded at barely warp 1 towards the system the Ark Angel was in. The alien craft was clearly primitive compared to themselves. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume they could not even detect the protoforms. This also seemed consistent with those who held belief in a higher power related to them in the system the Ark Angel was at. Just how could this information be used or how it might impact such a cultural belief so rooted would have to be approached carefully. It equally wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that in the recent and past other aliens over who knew how long had been scooping up ‘little ones’ with their Boridium harvesting.

GM CockRoach

Sharah glanced at the sensor readings and out the view screen. She rubbed at her temples absently. “Alright let’s drop the boridium off. If we need more it’s available for anyone to harvest. We can come back for more. Let’s let the little ones and the parents have what’s left of the refined boridium. They deserve that much.” She reached over and cut the tractor beam. She looked back at the pilot and nodded, “Takes us to warp and back to Ark Angel.” She looked at MiniFayth. “We’re going to go back to our bigger ship and we’ll do whatever we can to help you and the others.” She looked at Weir, Belmont, and the rest. “We can come back when we know more.”

The runabout landed in the shuttle bay. Sharah stayed to make sure it was powered down and the traces of the experiments were all properly stored away and documented. For now the modified engine could stay until they decided what to do. And then she turned to exit the runabout and promptly collapsed.
Lt jg Fayth, CSO