The wages of altruism
Posted on Thu Aug 8th, 2024 @ 3:16pm by Lieutenant Commander Alex Flynn & Commander Rovak & Lieutenant Atna & Lieutenant Alph & Lieutenant JG Frak & Ensign Abra Akzhouri & Ensign Shova Qiil & Navigator Korusca & Head Nurse Akendjaaq Son of Akondjaaq
Edited on on Thu Aug 8th, 2024 @ 3:22pm
1,336 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Startup Sequence [0]
Location: CIC, DS13
Timeline: 1200 Hours, MD24
“Station commander’s log, Stardate 79598.63. The crew of our garrison ship the Faraday are preparing for their first –“
“Sir – sorry, excuse me.” Lieutenant Frak interrupted. “You’re not recording.” The Ferengi sitting at comms told Rovak when his gaze let her know he was listening. “You hit the button twice. They’re a bit more sensitive than the old LCARS build, if you don’t lift your fingers enough it can be activated by the radiant heat.”
Rovak looked down on the armrest access panel of the ostentatious command chair at the end of the CIC’s peninsular mezzanine, his intended seat as commanding officer. The Ferengi communications officer was correct, he hadn’t been recording. He tapped the panel again, lifting his finger away carefully. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”
“Station commander’s log, Stardate 79598.63. The crew of our garrison ship the Faraday are preparing for their first exploratory mission, where they will begin the in-depth survey of Dreizhen V. The station is currently orbiting Dreizhen IV, but I intend to conduct a test of the station’s impulse positioning system to reorient us around Dreizhen III once the Faraday has begun its work. It is an unusually powerful system for a station, and certainly not a feature ever theorised by Starfleet designers at any stage. The mystery of this station seems to still be growing, but its strangeness remains matched only by its efficacy.” Rovak explained ending the log.
“Faraday to Ops,” Came Ensign Abra Akzhouri’s voice over the comm channel. “Requesting launch clearance.”
“Clearance granted, Faraday. Fair winds.” Rovak said, repeating the farewell he recalled Admiral Reardon giving from Cellis Station every time the Sojourner had departed. “Mr Alph, open upper docking bay doors.” Rovak instructed the android at the Ops station, who replied with a professional enthusiasm.
There was relative silence across the CIC as the viewscreen showed the old Oberth-class leaving the central docking column and moving smoothly out the doors on thrusters alone.
As the ship continued on under impulse power, Rovak instructed for the viewscreen to be returned to the planet. “Mr Korusca, begin preparations for the test of –“ Rovak’s instruction was interrupted by a loud ping at the communications console. “Mr Frak?” Rovak asked.
“Commander I’m picking up a distress signal coming from the other side of the system. I believe it’s one of the Romulan freighters from the deuterium refinery.” Frak explained.
“You believe?” Rovak asked, expecting more certainty in the CIC.
“The transmission is unencoded, they’re currently on the opposite side of the sun and the third planet’s current orbital position, scanners can’t reach it directly. The position matches their planned trajectory.” Frak explained.
“Mr Korusca, begin the maneuvering operations as planned, get us to Dreizhen III. Mr Frak, open a channel to the Faraday.” Rovak instructed, and as he heard the tone he looked up. “Rovak to Faraday.”
“Already changing course, sir. We’ll have sensors on them in 30 seconds.” Alex said as the Faraday veered sharply, rising as it progressed to gain a view over the system’s sun.
“Atna, what are we looking at?” Alex asked as the vision of several smaller ships firing at a larger one appeared.
“A Romulan freighter under attack by five snakehead-class scoutships. Correction, four snakehead-class scoutships.” Atna noted as the old Cardassian-surplus groumal class ship nailed one of the snakeheads with its spiral wave disruptor, reducing it to constituent atoms with a flash as it breached its core. “It’s shields are at thirty-two percent and dropping.”
“How long until intercept?” Rovak asked through the Faraday’s speakers.
Flynn looked to Ensign Akzhouri who told her “Two minutes.”
“Not quick enough.” Flynn said. “Warp two, engage.”
“Commander, this close to a star regulations forbid –“ Akzhouri began an objection, but Flynn did not give her a chance to finish it.
“Warp two, Ensign.” Alex repeated and Akzhouri complied. In only a moment the ship jumped forward into weapons range.
“Fire a warning shot.” Flynn ordered, and Ensign Qiil, on loan from security at the tactical station obeyed, sending a phaser beam almost close enough to graze the shields of one of the snakeheads.
“The freighter has lost its weapons array. All shields except dorsal are gone.” Atna announced as she reviewed the sensor data. "I am detecting a hull breach.”
“Disable the closest ship.” Alex ordered, and Qiil struck one of the snakeheads with a sustained phaser beam, not enough to breach its shields, but enough to knock it off course. The struck ship turned towards the Faraday, opening fire.
“Helm, evasive pattern delta. Those bastards pack a punch.” Alex said just in time for one of the first volley of shots to get lucky, causing the Faraday to shudder as the disruptors impacted against their shields.
“Starboard shields at 90%.” Atna announced.
The Faraday returned fire, smacking the snakehead off its course just in time to redirect its fire, but still not breaching the shields.
“Commander, the remaining vessels are lowering their shields. They’re beaming the deuterium off the freighter.” Atna explained.
“Tactical, target whichever snakehead is closest, take out –“ Alex was interrupted as another volley of disruptors broke against the Faraday’s shields, shaking all aboard. “their engines.” Alex finished once she felt like she’d regained her balance.
“They have completed transport and are moving away.” Atna explained. “Our ventral shields are at 60%. Starboard shields back at full.”
“Arm photon torpedoes and set proximity detonator for five kilometers.” Alex instructed, but before Qiil could confirm it was done, they saw the snakeheads cloak, and then several distant warpflashes, which even Atna wouldn’t feel the need to explain the significance of.
“Are there any survivors aboard the freighter?” Alex asked.
“I am reading twenty-three lifesigns aboard, some are fading. They have hull breaches on multiple decks, and a warp plasma leak.” Atna told the commander, her focus vacillating between the screen and her console. A stream of luminous green plasma began to trail from the listing freighter.
There was little else to be done as they waited for the ship to reach beaming distance other than for Alex to warn sickbay to prepare to receive casualties. They didn’t bring much in the way of medical staff other than a nurse, but fortunately an EMH was included with the recent refit.
“Sickbay to bridge, we have them.” Came the voice of head nurse Akendjaaq.
“Keep me apprised of their condition.” Alex said as an explosion broke out on the freighter, seeming to ripple along its surface as several of the other freight holds also burst into flames.
“Recommend we move away now, Commander. Readings are becoming chaotic, I expect a warp core breach is imminent.” Atna cautioned.
“Do it.” Flynn told Akzhouri, and she didn’t need to be told twice. As the Faraday reached minimum safe distance, the freighter bloomed into a momentary nuclear flare of matter and antimatter, but rather than the expanding micronova they all expected, the incandescent light and burning wreckage seemed to collapse in on itself.
“Atna, were they running a singularity core?” Alex asked, confused. She’d seen plenty of Romulan ships implode upon their own destruction, but to both explode and implode was a strange thing.
“Negative, commander. Standard warp reactor.” Atna said, seeming confused by her own response.
“Get us back to DS13, we’ll figure this out later.” Alex said. “Launch a probe to collect readings and maintain active scans until we’re out of effective range.”
The ship began to turn towards the sun, and began its departure when suddenly it shuddered and slowed.
“Report.” Alex instructed.
“Engines are working, but we’re not moving.” Ensign Akzhouri reported with barely concealed frustration.
“A gravitic sinkhole has overtaken us, Commander.” Atna reported, tapping energetically at her console to clarify what she was seeing. “I do not understand how, but a singularity has formed at the site of the explosion. We are caught in the ergosphere of a black hole.”
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