The Call

Posted on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 @ 11:17pm by Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai & Captain Björn Kodak & Lieutenant Serana Zhaan & Lieutenant Sharrina Blackstone & Lieutenant Mothim-Ril & Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh & Lieutenant Timmoz

Mission: Sojourners of Time
Location: Bridge
Timeline: Mission Day 5 at 1750

[The Bridge]
[USS Sojourner]
[MD 5: 1750 Hours]

Flying along at warp seven -- en route for the homeworld of the Talbeethian Guard -- the USS Sojourner had received a text-only distress call. At first, the crew wasn't even sure it was a distress call: that had to wait until the universal translator had finally parsed the text. But that translation had diverted the vessel from her course, veering off toward the source of the call. The Sojo had increased speed to warp nine point five, estimating arrival in just over three hours.

In that time, Captain Kodak had tried repeatedly to raise the ship in distress by voice and text but no response came. Whether the person who placed the distress call was unconscious or simply unable to respond was unknown. All the crew did know was that there was a hodge-podge shuttle out there, devoid of power and drifting along on its own inertia, with one life-sign onboard. That life sign had grown fainter and fainter as the hours had stretched on.

As the Sojourner exited warp, Captain Kodak looked around his Bridge. "Mr. Timmoz, bring us within transporter range of that shuttle but stay ready. If this is another Vidiian trap, I want us ready to run. Blackstone," he looked behind him, "go to yellow alert but be ready to bring shields and weapons online at a moment's notice. Once we're in range, beam the occupant of that shuttle to Sickbay. Zhaan, what kind of readings are you getting from that shuttle? Has it shown any signs of powering up?" Clearly, Kodak suspected a trap indeed.

His panels and holographic bezeling in yellow, the quiet verdant one at CONN swiped and slid fingers over the whites and blues of the Sojourner's navigational controls. Lieutenant Timmoz zeroed in on the transponder of the shuttle, pinging small on the navigational sensors. His nod, too, was a silent one, glancing back over his shoulder. I hope they try... he muttered without a voice to himself, his brows raising. "Twenty seconds," he rumbled.

"XO," the Chameloid looked then to t'Nai at his side, "Sickbay is preparing for medical transport. I want you down there with a security team to greet our new arrival." He nodded to her before turning to one last bridge crew member. "And finally, Mothim-Ril, I want you to keep an eye out for anything strange out there. I'm serious...if so much as gas moves our way, I want to know about it. It would be just like the Vidiians to lure us into a sense of false security out here alone."

Serana Zhaan studied the active sensor readout, adjusting for both short and long-range views; she nodded to herself sending a longer side of her asymmetrical hair cut falling forward along the side of her face. "One life sign and no power signature from the shuttle, Sir," she said. She tucked one leg up beneath her which gave her enough height to swing her other leg slightly.

Emni, from her spot to the Captain's side, straightened in her seat, considering quickly who to take with her quickly before swinging up from the chair to her feet. "Aye, sir," she remarked as she hurried to the port-side corridor, taping her combadge to notify the appropriate security team members as she did.

Mothim nodded in recognition quietly, not responding verbally as he did not have much to contribute. The Aurelian sat stooped over the science station, keeping his blue eyes open for anything that was not as it should be.

Sharrina acknowledged the captain's order with her usual crisp "Aye, Captain." She had then keyed the sequence on her panel that sent the ship to Yellow Alert, her fingers instantly carrying out the rest of the instructions as if they had a mind of their own. The ship's shields and weapons went to an 'online but on standby' status, and she watched her board for the second that they were in range for transport. She was, of course, also watching for any sign of anything remotely resembling a threat. And just to be safe, she dispatched two security guards to sickbay. When they were in range, she locked onto the single life sign and activated the transporter to take the person to sickbay. She then looked up at the captain. "Transport complete. I also posted two guards outside of the main sickbay awaiting the arrival of the XO."

"Good work, everyone," Kodak nodded, looking around the bridge. "We haven't seen any signs of subterfuge so far. I believe this truly was a cry for legitimate help, given the condition of the shuttle's occupant. Mr. Timmoz," he looked then to the Orion, "not to be indelicate to our guest but we are expected at the Talbeethian homeworld. Is there room for that shuttlecraft in our flight bay? Perhaps we can scoop it up and carry it with us...assist with repairs en route? We should avoid being late for our diplomatic rendezvous if we can at all help it," the Captain rasped.

The Orion glazed fingertips over his controls, seizing on a portion of the navigational sensors to get a rough measurement of its size. A wireframe of the damaged alien ship rendered in his holographics. Only when he was satisfied did he turn to the Captain. "Ops will have less than two meters on the y-axis to work with pulling it in. If we put two of the shuttlecraft into the loading subdecks, we can fit it." The Orion glance at Ops and back, "The alternative is put me in a vac suit and a portable power source, and I can try to guide it in by thrusters."

"As much as I appreciate your piloting skills," Kodak smiled at Timmoz, "let's let the tractor beams do the work this time. Lieutenant Zhaan," he turned to the woman, "we'll leave bringing the shuttle in under your tender care, then. Please alert the shuttle bay to move the needed shuttles and then guide the craft inside. Blackstone," he looked to the tactical officer, "let's throw up some security fields around the shuttle once its inside. At least until we can examine it thoroughly," he ordered.

"Aye, Sir," Serana replied. "Engaging tractor beam. Shuttle bay, this is Zhaan. I've got a shuttle ready to tractor in. Prepare the shuttle bay and notify me when you're ready." Tractor beam engaged, she began the slow process of aligning the shuttle and moving it toward the ship. It took time but then it took time to make space in the bay as well. She held the ship within sight of the bay doors, waited until she received the go-ahead over comms, and then, with guidance from personnel in the bay, brought the shuttle in for a safe landing. While disengaging the tractor beam, she reported, "Shuttle Bay reports shuttle is secured, Captain."

Sharrina acknowledged the order with a nod, but her fingers were already flickering over her console. She was figuring out where the optimal placement of the shields would be between the shuttle bay walls and the shuttle, given how little space she had to work with. When Zhaan informed the captain that the shuttle was secure, Sharrina activated her forcefields around the shuttle. A quick check to make sure that everything was functioning as it should, and she reported, "Shields in place around the shuttle." She keyed more commands, sending a team of Security personnel to guard the bay. "I have also dispatched a Security team to guard the bay, Sir." Moments later, they signaled that they were in place, and she added, "Team in place, Sir."

"Thank you both," Kodak nodded from the center seat. "With that done, let's get back on the road. Mr. Timmoz, resume course for the Talbeethian homeworld, please. Increase speed to make up for our slight delay. Let's hope," the Captain leaned forward in his chair, watching the Orion send them back into warp, "that Commander t'Nai is getting well acquainted with our guest."

[Sickbay]
[Concurrent]

You’re the Chief Medical Officer now, Kennedy thought to himself as he received notification from the bridge that they will be providing someone Medical Transportation. He shimmied into his doctor coat as he walked out of his office, “Gather around quickly everyone.”

The Tellarite Nurse gruffed while he moved from a station nearby, “Yes, Good Doctor?”

Kennedy looked to Dogrov, nodding his head and then to the Longterm Medical Hologram who had been activated since he was officially Chief Medical Officer. At least temporarily until Sickbay had another fulltime medical officer on staff.

He looked to Head Nurse Lal who approached, “Bridge says that we’re going to be having a visitor and will be providing them Medical transport. Not sure what their condition presently is… or species for that matter but let’s give them Starfleet’s best care…” Kennedy cringed slightly at what he said, “Over to you, Nurse Lal?”

The Trill woman pulled and pinched from the PADD she was holding, the limited information that the Bridge had provided displaying in the air between the group of them.

“Unknown alien species. Appears to be carbon-based, but we have limited details. Life signs were present at last scan, but have diminished over the time since we received the distress call. While it seems likely the patient may be unconscious without knowing their species we can not rule out the possibility of someone hostile. I understand that Commander t’Nai and two security officers are on their way,” she finished her brief explanation with a small shrug. “We’ll have to rely on scans taken upon arrival to know more.”

“Is there anything you’d like us to be specifically prepared for Dr. Ryan Walsh,” she added after a pause, looking to the younger man for next steps.

“That being said let’s make sure that our guest receives attentive medical care,” Doctor Ryan Walsh, “LHM since you’re connected directly into the databanks I would like you to bring medical encyclopediac knowledge. Perhaps while our guest might be new, their might be similarities with what we already know…”

Kennedy found himself slightly out of his depth as he looked around the room before the Transporter Room interrupted his chain of thought, "Transporter Room to Sickbay. Here he comes..." came a disembodied voice over the comm system.

In a curtain of sparkling motes, the form of a man materialized on one of the bio-beds. As the haze of dazzling particles faded into nothingness, the occupant of the shuttle was left in need of medical attention.

Baxter wasn't sure what was happening, he felt almost like he was floating for a moment, before the air from Sickbay hit him. He'd been attempting to jury rig the propulsion system when he'd been hit in the back of the head and the shoulder by a piece of metal that was improperly moved. The thick gash had only just stopped bleeding, the cerulean blood currently matting up his silver/blue hair, which normally hung down to his shoulders.

He had just been coming around to consciousness when he was transported to sickbay, and, if the plasma burns on his hands were any indication, he'd been knocked out for several hours at least, possibly even a day.

Emni noticed the foreign emotional signature just before rounding the corridor to Sickbay. Confusion and recognition of pain echoed through her and she quickly threw a series of emotional defenses into place. She had considered having Karim join her along with the security team as the ship's first contact specialist, but ultimately scrapped the idea. If this person was in Sickbay there was plenty of time for Karim's particularly unique brand of introduction.

The double doors of the ship's Sickbay whooshed apart before her and Emni, two security officers right on her heels, stepped inside, stopping just to the side of the door to be sure they were out of the way.

"Welcome aboard the Federation Starship Sojourner, I'm Doctor Ryan Walsh, the ship's Chief Medical Officer. We are going to take good care of you."

=/\= A Side-Mission Post By =/\=

Captain Bjorn Kodak
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Timmoz
Chief Flight Controller

Lieutenant Serana Zhaan
Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant Sharrina Blackstone
Chief of Security

Lieutenant Mothim-Ril
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh
Chief Medical Officer

With Cameos From:

Baxter
The Rescued

Lieutenant Miriam Lal
Nurse

Lieutenant Junior Grade Glum Dogrov
Nurse