From Vulcan with positive sentiments

Posted on Mon Dec 9th, 2024 @ 4:04am by Captain Rovak & Marcus Grey Horse & SubCommander Saa & Ensign Talar Thayn & SubCommander V'Lia & ProLieutenant Sarek & Lieutenant Zar & Commander Sylok & Captain Rok
Edited on on Sat Dec 14th, 2024 @ 4:51am

1,056 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: DownTime [1]
Location: Alpha Dock, Docking Port 3, DS13
Timeline: 1400 Hours - MD02 (During the Dreizhen V survey mission)

A warp flash appeared some distance away from DS13, approximately as far away as Dreizhen VIII.

In the command information centre of the station, Ensign Thayn was the first to notice the unexpected arrival. “Sir, I’m detecting a ship decelerating from slipstream velocity, currently in the eighth planet’s orbital space, 9 AUs out.”

“What is it?” Chief Grey Horse asked, moving from the science station where they’d been monitoring seismic activity on Dreizhen IV.

“Registry is.. Vulcan, sir. VSS Needs of the Many. There’s a registry file but it’s mostly blank.” Thayn told the Chief.

“Hail them.” Grey Horse instructed.

As soon as Grey Horse had finished, a Vulcan appeared on screen and began to speak. “Greetings Deep Space 13. I am Captain Rok of the Needs of the Many. We come to serve.”

“Welcome, Captain. Feel free to.. –“ Grey Horse’s attention was grabbed by the frantic Romulan T’Vek at comms, who was gesturing for him to stop. ‘Your service honours us.’ He mouthed to the Master Chief.

“Your service honours us.” Grey Horse said into the comm, skipping comfortably over the misstep. The Vulcans nodded solemnly and closed the channel.

In the time it took for them to dock, Rovak had arrived with a small contingent, including Ambassador Velt. Much of the rest of the senior staff was out surveying Dreizhen V.

At the airlock, Captain Rok brought all of the transferring officers with him.

Rovak gestured subtly to Velt, and the Ambassdor took the lead. “Captain Rok, your service honours us.” Velt said, shaking the man’s hand eagerly, one hand on his shoulder. Rovak and Rok exchanged Vulcan salutes.

“We come on behalf of the Administration of the Vulcan people, to learn of this anomaly, and share the wealth of our minds.” Rok said.

“All are welcome.” Rovak said ceremonially, in truth this had all taken him by surprise, and he wanted most of all to see some paperwork. He wondered who would have approved this without telling him.

“Commander, I expect you are somewhat confused. We left shortly after the orders were received from the office of personnel management. Likely they have not yet had priority on slipstream transmitters to relay the orders and confirmation. Our ship officially entered service a few days ago, shortly before our departure. It may be small, but is capable of sustained velocity equivalent to second-stage slipstream.” Captain Rok explained to his fellow Vulcan.

“So you are travelling faster than your orders. Fascinating.” Rovak said, looking past Rok to the crew he had brought. “I trust I am not depriving your crew of any essential staff.” Rovak said.

“The crew we have brought are surplus to our operational needs.” Rok said, gesturing to the row of assembled Vulcans and one dolphin. Allow me to introduce Commander Sylok, one of our most gifted navigational experts. Subcommander V’Lia, a perennial place-getter in Federation civilian wargames. Lieutenant Zar, a talented mechanic and damage control officer. Doctor Sarek, previously of the Eta Eridani shipyards hospital. And SubCommaander Saa, one of our preeminent propulsion experts.”

“Greetings.” Rovak said to the assembled Vulcans, who acknowledged him subtly. “Please make yourselves at home, do not hesitate to call on one of the yeoman if you require any assistance.” Ambassador Velt captured Rok in conversation, and the arrivals began their journey further into the station.

Rovak turned from the Vulcans back to Saa. “SubCommander, it is agreeable to have you with us. I had requested you at Captain Akia’s recommendation. I hope your assignment here was in line with your wishes.”

The subcommander, bobbing slightly in the personal void her fin-mounted field stabilizers created in the station’s artificial gravity net, looked up at him with what might have been a grin of anticipation, were it not a permanent fixture of her anatomy.

“A privilege to be here, sir," she clicked. “But before I officially report for duty, I have to request drydock access for the Needs. We hit some gravimetric shear on the way in. The navigational array will have to be realigned before she can go out again.”

"Of course. The Deck Crew will be happy for the work, they have only had our damaged survey vessel to repair. That is presuming they can offer the necessary assistance." Rovak said, looking back to the sleek Vulcan ship for a moment. "I had heard that much of the knowledge of Jellyfish-type design innovations had been lost with the prototype. It is remarkable to think that standard warp drive may become obsolete this century if progress continues apace."

Saa’s dark eyes glinted with a hint of quiet pride as she followed the commander's gaze out to the ship. Pride and an engineer's instinct for accuracy.

"It's been a wild ride, in more ways than one," she agreed, propelling herself alongside him with a stroke of her fluke. "But as for replacing traditional warp drive, I tend to take a more skeptical view, at least in my lifetime. From a field perspective, any system's only as good as its reliability under stress. Issues like the one we had today should remind us that we still have a long way to go."

"Still, another fascinating development. As Surak said, there are no limits to science." Rovak observed with a controlled level of whimsy.

As she spoke, a tiny sensor drone detached from her utility harness and began taking scans of the station's interior. "With your permission, I'll start with an inspection of the drydock facility. I heard you have a certain Ithenite down there I'd enjoy catching up with."

"Of course. Engineer Yan will be pleased to see you, I'm sure. I shall accompany you, there are some unique factors that I wish to ensure you are made familiar with." Rovak said, leading Saa to the nearby utility turbolift. "At present much of the upper dock's resources are going towards the fabrication of a new secondary hull for our garrison ship. It was... damaged during a rescue mission a few days ago." Rovak explained. "The assembly of a new warp core is a task the team have been putting off for want of experience in the process."

Rovak continued the explanation as they ventured to the upper dock, and the Vulcan crew reported to their new departments.

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