Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Cassidy Abrams (Chief of Security) in Mission Start - Life & Death

Posted by Gamemaster Demi Tribble (Gamemaster) in Mission Start - Life & Death

Posted by Captain Johann Dvorak (CO) in Mission Start - Life & Death
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Zorell inhaled and blew out a breath. “We’re not supposed to know about it, and my random stumble upon it was a mistake.” She frowned, trying to not go too far down that strange path.

~Vora Zorell, Sciences

“Well, I’d vote for classified too,” Cassidy said with a slight grumble. “You don’t get that sort of… occurrence on a mystery outpost without something possibly shady going on.”

Abrams, COS

“If it’s actually classified, I doubt you would have stumbled across it,” the Captain said a little later. “Unless it was somehow retroactively classified. Which doesn’t happen that often.” Retroactive classification was something he was more than a little personally familiar with.

“This also could be a trap of some sort, to get us to change course. Fake distress call is a pretty old trick. Are there any sensor contacts creeping up on us?”

– Johann Dvorak, CO

“The analysis can be classified. If for instance a planet is classified, they let you know it’s there. Nobody wants a starship to crash into a classifed planet because they didn’t let you know it was there. But they would block your ability to scan it and research it.”

“Or at least Zora’s ability to… maybe you should rub some of your Captain clearance override on it.”

Marsh

“Hmm, yeah I can try,” Johann thought aloud.

=/\= Computer, access all records regarding Iota-Gamma Outpost, including classified ones. Clearance Override Authorization Dvorak-4-Upsilon-3-Kappa. =/\=

– Johann Dvorak, CO

OOC Thanks for keeping yourselves busy. I am sorry that I was absent for so long. Work was complicated, the charity was advised that they would be losing their office within weeks, rather than the move occurring in the second half of the year. We learnt this week that it is at least six months away before the land will be compulsorily acquired for the railway expansion. We have a contact within the department now who is in the project team for the railway modernisation, meaning the original plan of departure is back in place, meaning the new building will be ready.

I also misplaced my notes for the mission until recently when I found an electronic copy of the notes buried deep in a program that made no sense for them to be there. But they were there, and I know where we are going now. So let’s do this.

IC At Johann’s correctly stated code, the computer was far more helpful. Zorell’s eidetic memory would confirm for her that was said by the computer was correct.

The computer was succinct and responded almost as though it was reading a list. I mean, it almost seemed to have a silent number before each point.
=/\= Iota-Gamma Outpost is a deep space station constructed decades ago. It was cutting edge
It has been retrofitted numerous times during the decades as new technologies have become available.
It has a full complement of 47, Starfleet, civilian and non Federation. Most are scientists, though there is a token security detail as well as a couple of medical staff and engineers as well.
The purpose of the station is to conduct experiments into the unusual though interesting subspace eddies and gaseous anomalies that make up the region.
The region has no strategic relevance to the Federation or the other nearby powers, they have even conducted some joint science experiments in the past.
There are no classified records on Iota-Gamma outpost.
The lonng range supply ship USS Woolworths delivered supplies to the outpost three weeks ago. They reported nothing untoward.
A ferengi freighter delivered scientific equipment to the outpost a little over a week ago, nothing untoward was reported.=/\=

It rattled off more details of visitors to the outpost.

A couple of the NEs on the bridge exchanged looks and one opined, “but why didn’t the computer tell us that up front? Why tell us it didn’t exist if it does?”

-GM

“That is a very good question,” Abrams said. “Our idea about it being classified is clearly out, but it’s very bizarre. I also wonder if one of the recent deliveries had something tagging along. Could be a virus or something of that ilk. We should be prepared when we arrive for the possibility that there is some sort of contagion affecting everyone.” Her mind was already running through the myriad of precautions they would have to enact before they went anywhere near the place.

Abrams, COS

“There could still be classified information about the base at other clearance levels above my own,” Johann thought aloud. “Though that would be very strange.”

He didn’t like this either way. Strange things were sometimes known to come out of subspace phenomena, so who knows what kind of experiments were really happening at this place.

“Is that Ferengi ship still in this sector? We could check on them on the way to see if they have had any similar problems.”

– Johann Dvorak, CO

“Checking,” Vora said, scanning the region for any ships. The whole thing was unsettling, to say the least, but she was at least properly composed now. On the surface. Underneath her tightly controlled veneer, she really just felt like vomiting.

~Vora Zorell, Sciences

Marsh sat back and listened to the reports. As a scientist his mind moved differently than others at times. As theories began to coalesce and crumble in his mind, he glanced at Vora. “Sill copasetic,” he queried. “If now what do you need from me?”

Marsh

Zorell nodded slowly. “Staying busy and keeping my mind elsewhere helps. But the… moment has passed. But I think it would be wise to not include me in any away team should it be decided that we should go over onto the outpost.” It pained her to say that, but she had to be realistic here and she was no good to anyone if her traumatic memories were triggered.

~Vora Zorell, Sciences

“Noted,” Marsh nodded at Zorell. In a way it was a boon for him. As Science chief he often sat out of the away missions. Going on one would break up the monotony of his post. Being in charge was had a lot of benefits but also required one to often sit out on the adventure which drew everyone initially to Starfleet.

Marsh CSO

Mathys wished he was in another room. It felt intrusive listening to CSO’s and Zorell’s conversation. Sighs of past trauma lingered between the lines and it stirred the empathy in his core. He couldn’t blame her since he knew how strong past demons could be. His eyes spared a glance at the captain when the mention of an Away Team came up. He wondered who might be assigned to it.

-CE, Mathys Ducote

Johann returned the glance from Mathys, as if knowing what question was being asked without being stated aloud.

“I don’t intend to beam anyone down into anything without knowing anything about what is running around on that planet,” he said loudly enough for everyone on the Bridge to hear. “Which… I’m guessing we will not really be able to tell anything about it at all until we’re in orbit around the outpost.”

They’ll probably all be dead before we get there, he thought sardonically. Maybe we can skip the rescue and just write the whole planet off. It was not a serious thought, but it was also not entirely unprecedented either.

“That said, we should probably have the entire next shift of security on alert. Sick Bay should also be prepared to handle a large volume of wounded.”

– Johann Dvorak, CO

The ferengi vessel was within range. The screen was filled with the image of a Daimon and two other Ferengi, one to either side of him.

=$= Hello Federation vessel. I am Daimon Don of the Ferengi Trading Vessel Lobes. My compatriots are Dos and Doh. How may we assist the Federation today? We have a fine array of products for you to view if you would like to purchase something. Or we can secure a wider set of goods if you are looking for something that we do not have in stock at moment. =$=

Meanwhile the computer had responded to an earlier question posed by the nameless ensign.

=^= The details on Iota-Gamma Outpost just suddenly appeared in my systems. As though they were just put there. It is not known why they have just appeared. =^=

– GM
OOC: Sorry for the Ferengi not sounding very Ferengi-like. I need to rewatch a few Quark DS9 episodes. Don is named for a small goods manufacturer in Australia (and probably overseas), Dos is literally of MS-DOS fame and Doh is from Doh Re Mi. Work seemed to drain the creativity out of me today lol

Russell

Cass immediately ran a search for the vessel to see if it had come up in any alerts, before she sent a message to Ducote’s terminal. ||Can you run a check to see if there has been a change in Europa’s systems that allowed the library change, or if it was simply something in the standard library that might have been triggered by the Captain’s accessing it with valid credentials?||

Abrams, COS

As the CO answered his unspoken question, Mathys’ right eyebrow lifted. Recovering from his brief surprise, the man’s head shook loose the surprise. He had been about to send the orders when a trio of Ferengi appeared on the screen.

Letting the CO deal with the ‘pleasantries’, his ears caught the computer’s response. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as Abrams’ message appeared on his console. He nodded subtly in her direction, hinting that he got it. Mathys began scan the ship’s library systems looking for unusual access, new input data, overrides of security, and more. The idea of someone accessing the ship without permission sent an eerie discomfort in his gut. One he wished he could forget.

-CE, Mathys Ducote