Avengers Assemble!

Posted on Tuesday 30 June 2020 @ 11:05 by Captain Melody Jones

Mission: Race against the machine - Joint Mission with USS Andromeda
Location: USS Andromeda Transporter room 3
Timeline: MD3 0845
1399 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

The transporter effect dispersed leaving Melody and her party now in the transporter room of the USS Andromeda.

Zim materialized with the rest of the party. A small amount of excitement welled up in his stomach. Harris had not been on a Galaxy Class in some time.

The door opened and a handsome man with telltale black Betazoid irises stepped in alongside a young brown-haired Ensign.

The Captain held out his hand. "Captain Jones. Welcome to the Andromeda to yourself and your crew," he nodded at the rest of them. "May I introduce my chief of security Ensign Gwen Leighton." He watched their reaction carefully. Not many chiefs had the rank of ensign, but Jon saw some potential in Leighton and was taking a chance.

"Welcome Aboard," Gwen said with a clip of her heels and a nod. Butterflies moved in her stomach at the sound of the word 'Chief'. This was her first time being introduced officially like that. She squared her shoulders and glanced at the rest of the party.

Caroline stepped forward. "Captain Reynolds I know your brother. Caroline Miller, Counselling Chief."

"Yes," he nodded. "He has mentioned you. A pleasure," he said smoothly. "I keep hoping I will get a chance to visit his new Starbase. That Aquil species certainly sounds interesting."

"Aye sir," Caroline said in agreement.

"Shall we?" Jon said indicating the door.

Zim stepped off the transporter pad and began to take it all in. He was not sure what he was sensing, but there was a feeling that something big was on the horizon. He smiled at the Andromeda officers, his large frame lumbered as they walked.

Melody stepped down on the transporter pad and extended her hand to Jonathan. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person Captain. This is Chief Zim and you've already been introduced to Commander Miller, our ship's counselor."

"A pleasure Chief Zim. Welcome aboard the Andromeda," Jon said.

Jon led them to the observation lounge and once everyone was sat down. "So I spoke with the Admiral over subspace and they are naturally very worried about that thing floating out there. A sentiment we all share. My chief engineer has some ideas but I am open to any suggestions on what we can do."

Zim had read up on all that had happened before the Marlin arrived. Something occurred to him and he wondered if it had ever been tried. "The first rule of any sort of warfare to learn what the enemy wants. Has there been any attempt to learn if this thing is sentient? If so what it may want? This could be easier than destroying it."

Melody waiting until Jon had sat, this being his ship. She then sat down close to him. "The previous encounter with this.... thing all it seemed to do was destroy planets and use them for fuel. It seems it's priorities have changed as it is bypassing several potential targets that are much closer than it's current flight path."

"We think the Cetea are involved," Jon told her. He handed out PADDs with information on the Sona group who had not reunified with the Baku 20 years back when the Enterprise had been part of the crisis. "The planet we found - Villanueva had lots of them. So many weapons. Like an alien store house. Biggest planet I have ever seen and," he pressed a button so that they could see what they had recorded upon reaching the planet ... "There was this recording."

"Whoever you are welcome to Villanueva. And if you have come here, you are obviously looking for superior weapons to use against the dark scourge. Lock on to my coordinates and come on down. Lets see if we can cut a good price, no reasonable offer will be refused …." The being did what Jon assumed was a salesman's killer watt smile.

Zim listened to the recording and was both curious and disturbed. He was disturbed that someone would sell weapons, it was not the way. The curiosity came with investigation, Harris presumed that the Andromeda went checked out this salesman and perhaps may have even discovered if this super-weapon was sold there. If they had not, now was certainly not the time. He began to read up on the people known as the Cetea. Know thy enemy... he thought.

"You look deep in through Chief Zim," Jon said watching him. "What's your take on that?" he asked.

The call of his name brought Zim back to the present. "Forgive me sir. I am sure you have already tried this. But did we track down this salesman and see if he sold this thing to anyone. I wonder if there isn't a higher purpose at work here. Perhaps this thing is programmed to attack a certain place at a certain time..." His voice trailed off as he realized there was something else. "...I think that this thing has either been programmed with an artificial intelligence or is sentient in its own right. Commander Jones stated before that the fact that it skipped a number of potential targets to then attack others shows that it is thinking. Have we tried to simply talk to it?"

Melody arched an eyebrow. "That's an interesting idea Chief, It's certainly not being tried before. It's certainly worth the attempt. What do you think?" She turned to Reynolds.

"That recording is as old as the planet. The salesman was long gone I'm afraid.

In terms of your other suggestion though I think that it's worth a shot. Chief Zims not the only person to suggest that." He held up a PADD and nodded. "My science chief and a science person called Bumble have requested to send a probe out and mentioned the idea of possible life beyond that things crust. This Bumble chaps an exo-biologist. If he's not yours, I assume he's one on the Europa," Jon mused.

"It certainly is odd that its bypassing lots of other things it can ingest. Like it's on a sole mission. The Cetea link though means we strongly think Baku is the target," Jon stated.

"Are there any other inhabited planets on its current trajectory?" Melody interjected.

"Non inhabited as far as we know," Jon answered. "But there's a space station market place. The Agora crossroads. I have a representative from there onboard and they will be contacting them to warn them. I don't think it will try anything as its not a planet but as we say its not acting in the manner it seemed to in the Federations previous encounter with it."

"Tar-getting the Baku would certainly make sense. Have they been warned?" Zim chimed in.

"I have spent many subspace calls with the top brass and with the personnel on Starbase 308. I have spoken with the Baku ambassador there and she has relayed it to her people," Jon replied. The starbase is coordinating with them if we need to make an evacuation attempt."

Melody mused for a moment. "So we make an attempt at communication but I think we should be prepared with our backup plan in case diplomacy falls on deaf ears. I understand your chief engineer has come up with some alternate ideas."

"Yes," Jon agreed. "Lieutenant Karakalakss has 3 ideas to try stop it. One involving Phasers, one involving Photons and one involving some sort of slingshot tractor move. I'm not a scientist. Security by background but ... "He pressed some parts of the PADD. "Ive sent you access to all the details."

Melody nodded. "Sounds good. We should return to our ship, coordinate with both your engineering teams and make the preparations."

Jon said, "We plan to move on this as soon as it stops to "feed" again, so we don't know how much time we have or when it will happen. There could be little or no warning."

"Acknowledged Captain. Good luck," she stood up and indicated her staff to follow suit.

"To us all Captain," Jon responded.

OFF:

●●●● Captain Jonathan Reynolds
Captain
USS Andromeda


●●● Commander Melody Jones
Commanding Officer
USS Merlin

● Ensign Gwen Leighton
Apprentice Chief Security / Tactical Officer
USS Andromeda

>>>> Master Chief Petty Officer Harris Zim
Chief of the Boat
USS Merlin