[snip]

Glen spoke to his CSO. =/\= Captain Glen here, Lt. Make this a top priority. Please use whatever tools you have available to get to the bottom of this. I need to know if it is related to the influence of the Reality Stone or to something else. If it is the Reality Stone, can we block it, prevent it or ameliorate the effects? How much of a danger does it pose to our systems? And can we use the strength and direction of the effects to find the stone? And yes, I realise that last question is a big ask! =/\=

Nkosenye listened and silently updated all Security teams to be on the lookout for anything… unusual.

Glen spoke again with the Avenger. =/\= Sorry to keep you waiting. If they are the cause, then I’m going to investigate if we can use the intensity of the weird events to triangulate a position for the Reality Stone. While they occurred in the previous system, there may be more, and as a natural phenomena, there will undoubtedly be some element of stochastic randomness in their appearance. We have also been detecting a background “hum” from communications which is stronger in this system. We will lock in a standard orbit of the M class planet and make further investigations. I will contact you again if we discover anything of note. Glen Out. =/\=

“We should be cautious sir. The closer we get the higher the potential strength of the device. I’d hate to have the ship turn to meringue around us.” Kord said with a bit of humor.

“As you know, Kord, the degree of hazard encountered is never the barometer of an officer’s conduct,” Glen replied, “but we do need to be careful if our thoughts, of things that cannot possibly exist, are being turning into an undeniable reality. I’m also wondering about the power source. Where would such a device draw its power from, and how?”

As the Merrimack settled into a standard orbit scans of the class m world below came back. It showed a planet filled with oceans and small to large islands scattered around the planet. No single continent existed but small and large animals were picked up mainly in the ocean and in the air. Most sea borne life was like Earth’s whales or dolphins in scope, while the Avian life was similar to prehistoric pterodactyls. There was also signs on the island chains of ancient roadways made of large concerte like blocks.

Glen observed the pictures on the viewscreen along with the rest of the Bridge crew. He was particularly taken with the biodiversity of wildlife visible and how nature had retaken the world back from whoever had laid the concrete blocks down.

“Analysis?” Captain Glen asked his senior officers.

Kord was still pondering over Glen’s comment about the degree of hazard and an officer’s conduct. He was a little distracted by it.

“My thoughts,” Glen mused aloud, “are that any device on the planet surface would have been taken long ago by freebooters and plunderers. If it is still here then it must be well hidden… only, Captain Rogers gave a description of the device, which would tend to suggest that someone has at least seen it.”

Meanwhile on sensors the Avenger was still patrolling and scanning through the system on the opposite end from the Merrimack. No sign yet of any Orions, much less Klingons or Romulans were showing up thankfully.

On Comms the officer was still picking up the odd hum tone, but pinning it down yet was still proving frustrating!

Tinga worked with her instruments but was still frustrated with the odd humming noise.

“Given the description, do you think it’s worth trying to scan for?”

She knew it was an obvious question.

“Indeed!” replied Glen, “I think scanning is a better option than any on-the-ground physical search, and when the CSO got his butt back from Engineering, I thought that he would make it his priority, as I have already asked.”

“Mr NE Hackenbacker?” Glen asked the bespectacled NE standing in at the Science station, “Can we begin a series of planetary scans right now please, without waiting for your Department Head? Thank you!”

-Glen, CO

“Of course sir.” NE Hackenbacker replied and began running the requested scans.

• NE Hackenbacker

William arrived on the bridge after a short conversation with the Chief Engineer “Captain, Engineering has stabilized for the meantime, internal scans and sample testing didn’t reveal anything at all. Besides the slight anomalous readings I got earlier it’s as if nothing out of the ordinary happened… you know besides clothes turning into fish and all that” He explained as he walked towards his station.

CSO

OOC: Info dump incoming!

Scans of a more varied nature finally started to come back from the science labs the reports read as follows:

• The archaeological department found nothing on their scans that might be amiss, though they did note they were itching to check out the concrete block roadways on the planet below.

• The geophysics department reported nothing amiss on scans for the ship, though they indicated that the planet below did seem to have far warmer waters then should be expected of a planet of this type, and that the ocean currents seemed ‘off’ based on the seeming appearance of no lunar body, the waves were functioning as if something was affecting them, though what they couldn’t say

• For the meteorology department, there was a report that on the Merrimack the ship’s air had an increased amount of methane by .04% who’s source was still undergoing. NE Froza made a joking remark in the report that it was due to too much bean dip from the last ship’s meal. For the planet, they reported that the weather for the planet was equally warmer then usual for such a world, though no links to a reason were yet found

• The quantum mechanics department reported they were still analyzing some odd energy readings coming from deck 2 section 3 in the VIP quarter 1, initial results though seemed to indicate the energy wave was similar to some kind of wormhole, but NE Venca reported such had to be impossible as even the tiniest wormhole on the ship would tear them all apart!

• The botanical department reported all was currently well in the labs, planetside they reported on the planet’s various plant life reporting some islands seemed to have a large ivy plant which was like a shuttle sized venus fly trap. They noted some of the local four legged life forms seemed to dance around it at times suggesting it gave off possibly some kind of chemical that acted upon the impulses of passing animal life brain’s to entertain it

• The Biochemistry department had nothing to report, both ship and planet side for now

• The biophysics department reported they were studying the samples from engineering but could confirm they were just fish and cooked fish, and quite tasty with their sauce, planetside they had nothing to report

• The xenobiology department reported that the local animal life seemed non-intelligent though further study and tests were needed, they felt based on reports from the botanical department that the plant life might have a symbiotic like relationship with the animals by some measure

• Finally the ship’s communication’s department reported in that the ‘odd sound’ they were picking up seemed to have one-three points of origin somewhere in the system, the first seemed to be deep in an underwater trench along the southern hemisphere off one of the larger island chains. The 2nd seemed near the Avenger’s current location by a large comet/asteroid they were checking out, the third they couldn’t yet pin down other then it seemed to ‘echo’ within the system.

GM CockRoach