Vanishing Starr
Posted on Sat Apr 16th, 2016 @ 9:39pm by
Edited on on Thu Jun 2nd, 2016 @ 11:36pm
Mission:
Time and High Society
Location: S.S. Sea of Saipan
Timeline: Night shift.
[ON]
A prime indicator that normality returning to Archa was the resumption of vacation activity. The pleasure cruise ship S.S. Sea of Saipan arrived and settled into a scenic orbit of Planet Archa IV. The patrons were somewhat well-to-do in life, many of them connoisseurs of the arts. The Saipan usually hosted a prestigious touring art exhibit for passengers and visitors alike. Last cruise, it was was ancient Egyptian artifacts. Today, it was exotic collection of minerals from across the known galaxy.
Late in the evening, lights dimmed and the exhibit was closed. After the doors were locked, several of sensitive crystals settled their energy states amidst quieter surroundings. Near midnight, a brilliant splash of colors filled the exhibit room. By the time it settled, a piloted capsule now sat amidst the exhibit.
The man inside was stylishly dressed in far distant period attire. He cautiously emerged from the large cockpit bubble and surveyed the surroundings. "Where on earth...?"
A hologram appeared before him, a woman of most polite demeanor wearing cruise ship uniform, "Sir, the exhibit is closed, but will reopen early in the morning. Could you please return at that time?"
The man gasped. "A ghost!" With heart pounding, he passed his hand through the ethereal form. "Amazing! Simply Amazing?" He collected his wits, "My name is Herbert. May I ask who you are?"
"I am part of the service suite of this cruise ship."
"A ship? I'm on a ship?"
"Yes, Sir. We have just entered orbit of Planet Archa IV."
"Planet?"
She politely challenged, "I do not recognize your biometrics. Are you a visitor?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. And... I do feel a bit disoriented."
She smiled, "If you will come this way, Sir, I can direct you to the help personnel."
The door opened. Before passing through it, he looked back, "Could I prevail upon you to accompany me?"
"We are available in every part of the ship."
"Right... right. Oh, well!" He gave a gentleman's bow, "You have my thanks."
The visitor named Herbert found himself standing before a thick, glassen outer hull. Before him stretched a breathtaking panorama of Archa IV. "I don't believe it! This is astounding! He noticed an approaching crewman, "Do you see that! We are in outer space! Look at it! I never knew that Earth was so beautiful!"
The man politely folded his hands behind his back, "Sir, this is not Earth. It's Archa."
Herbert's eyes widened in shock, "Not Earth?" He staggered, quickly approaching a faint.
The crewman caught him, "Why don't you let me help you. You seem quite disoriented."
"Oh, I am! I am indeed! Thank you."
It wasn't during her duty shift, but Ens. Monday Starr received a call anyway. "Starr, here. Go ahead."
=/I'm sorry to bother you, Ensign, but we've got a really strange situation. Unidentified technology using unidentified matter and energy has mysteriously appeared on a civilian ship. Computer analysis is stumped. Could you help?\=
"Hmm! Interesting. I'm game."
=/Thanks, Ensign. Grab whatever gear you need and report to a T-room.\=
"Copy and out." Curiosity peaked, Monday clipped her wristbook back on again and proceeded to pull equipment that was stuck to the wall. "Tool pack... field sensor... resonance... diffraction..." She needed a larger pack. "Nanopod... micropod... spill membrane... containment field..." She sighed, needing a larger pack.
Minutes later, Monday beamed over to Sea of Saipan. She was met by the captain, "Welcome! Welcome. I truly appreciate your coming over at this late hour."
"It's not a problem, Captain."
He walked with her to the exhibit, "Protocol is perfect harmony aboard a ship like this. It's good to resolve possible problems before any passengers notice."
Inside, the minerals were what caught Monday's attention. "These are... beautiful!"
"Quite a spectacular display, indeed! We were lucky to get it. This way." He led her to the strange capsule.
She shook her head with puzzled disbelief, "What... is that?"
"We are hoping that you can tell us. It's clearly a vehicle, but its function baffles analysis."
Monday activate her tricorder wand to take primary readings. "I'll say! The construction is... I don't believe it. It's mechanisms are purely mechanical! But the the energy crystals..."
"That's the mystery. It's pilot has been less than comprehensible. Ship's physician is currently checking him out."
"I suppose that you wouldn't need me here, otherwise."
"Perhaps I should get out of your way so that you can work?"
She exhaled a chuckle, "Um, sure. Thank you, Captain." Monday shook her head, circling the capsule. The passive readings of vital filaments were indeed baffling, complex energy matrices were like nothing she had ever known. Not knowing if there would be a violent reaction, she didn't dare subject them to active scans. She tried the door, and it opened freely, "No security at all."
Monday plopped into the roomy capsule seat. The controls, everything was purely mechanical. She whispered, "What are these numbers? 1-8-9-6-0-3-1-9." The label indicated 'Origin'. She bit lightly at her thumbnail in thought. "No steering controls... no computer... no communication system..." There was one prominent button. "This closes the circuit, but to what? Power on?"
She slapped herself on her forehead, "Of course!" She tapped her combadge, "Monday Starr to Starbase... patch me through to SciLabs."
=/Ensign Ballo, here. ID'd the tech?\=
"I think this is some kind of jump capsule! Passing prelim scans, now."
=/Receiving...\=
"Foday, check base sensor records. Any unaccounted for warp fields within the past few hours?"
=/Checking... No, nothing abnormal.\=
"You're sure?"
=/Monday, jump capsules make a splash. We'd see it.\=
She shook her head, "Maybe it's a new and quieter shift technology. There's no other explanation for what this thing is."
His voice became tense, "Monday, what are you doing?"
=/What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm not doing anything!\=
"I'm reading a cyclic energy buildup at hour location. It's not stable!"
She checked her own tricorder. "I see it. She waved her wand about slowly, "Oh no... Foday! I'm in the middle of an exhibit of exotic crystals! The splash of this capsule must have excited their energy states."
=/Monday! Get out of there!\=
With heart pounding, Monday slapped her combadge, "Emergency beamout!"
Base computer answered, ==Beaming out now... Malfunction... Transporter beam instability... Beam out is aborted.==
Monday's impulse was to run for it, but thin bolts of lightning crackled throughout the room, gravitating to the capsule. Ship's crewmen tried to help her escape, but they couldn't get near enough. Sparks lashed her control panel, closing the main energy circuit. The capsule rumbled and then levitated, sparkles of glinting colors now bathing her surroundings. Moments later, the capsule vanished.
The Captain rushed in, "Get this exhibit into lifeboats and away from the ship!" Minutes later, sparkles once again manifested, "Oh no..."
The strange capsule reappeared and settled to the deck, but nobody was inside the cockpit.
[OFF]
Ens. Monday Starr
Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet
