Fishing (Darwin-A)

			Season 3, Episode 5

USS Darwin-A
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The Next mission begins, as do where many of them do, on the bridge and at the command of FltCapt Renos. The USS Darwin is to set course towards the Raikenoff’s folly, a nebula in the Delta Quadrant and engage at cruising speed. Lt Merrick R’Ven is asked to give the bridge crew a highlight of the last time they encountered this region. At last scan it was a class 2 planetary nebula, 10 AU in diameter, larger than what is thought to be standard for this class of nebula. Also that it should not adversely affect Shields, propulsion, weapons, however sensors will only have a range of several kilometers and communications will be reduced or intermittent. Additionally the region is turbulent and possesses volatile gasses and chemicals. Weapons discharging into the nebula will create a chain reaction in that region which will further inhibit sensors. Lt Randal Shayne tells them it will take 7 hours 34 minutes to reach.

With that in mind Renos asks LtCmdr Nate Wilmer and Ens Luis Esqueda to use the data from R’Ven to try and boost the sensors to make navigation within the nebula easier. Their work makes it difficult for R’Ven to work since they all at the same station. In an effort to help R’Ven sends Wilmer and Esqueda the data from the Darwin’s last visit. LtCmdr Rendal Rennyn also came to help and after looking over the notes he told Wilmer and Esqueda that he had something to show them in the cargo bay and they left the bridge. This was just fine with R’Ven as it left him unfettered use of the science station again.

As the ship continues towards its destination Rennyn down in Cargo Bay 2 displays to the group a few modified Aids to Navigation, and the three of them: Rennyn, Wilmer and Esqueda begin working on the probes, getting them ready for possible deployment. Meanwhile on the bridge R’Ven does note that there has been an increase in metaphasic energy in the nebula and that it may affect the the shields requiring an adaption. He recommends using probes to analyze the interior of the nebula. Shayne on the other hand suggests using a shuttle to enter the nebula and investigate and with R’Ven’s help they can adjust it.

R’Ven, with permission from Renos relays all the salient information to several of the department heads: Lt Graeme Cook in Sickbay, LtCmdr Brell in Engineering and LtCmdr John Valdivia and Ens Christoper Lambert in the Astrometrics Lab. Most of them already have varying degrees of knowledge about their destination and request to be kept in the loop. To which R’Ven agrees.

With that done Renos lays out plans for the Darwin. They would send in send the Darwin and deploy both probes and shuttles strategically to map and explore this nebula and they were to find the best places to deploy and work on coming up with a search pattern.

Just as that was R’Ven was displaying a grid pattern on the screen Doctor Cook arrived on the bridge stating that he needs to speak with Renos about a patient. After a few words to the Captain they both went into the the ready room, and for the first time R’Ven is left in charge of the bridge and that he was to contact Cmdr Varaan and update him.

In the ready room Cook reveals that the patient is none other then the Captain! Cook asks the captain about Zackdorn, The QSD and Raikenoff, wondering if this will cause an outburst. It does not, in fact Renos appreciates the concern, something that stuns the doctor. Shifting to his tricorder for a more thorough diagnosis Cook and renos continue to discuss the nebula. After Cook gives Renos a clean bill of health Cook sits down to discuss Dr. Tarna and getting him a proper burial, but his body was still part of an ongoing case. Renos admitted to the need to catch up on things and they talked of Rosek and the difficulty in getting the body back. Their conversation ends in frustration and anger not only at the murder of one of their own but the uncooperative nature of the Numiri government

Meanwhile back on the bridge, Merrick’s surprise and being ‘given’ the bridge was broken as Valdivia calls the bridge and shares with R’Ven his theory that the rise in metaphasic energy is not natural but due to a weapon that the Numiri have developed and that he would be in hazmat trying to confirm it and to let the captain know.

Agreeing R’Ven closes the channel and opens one to Cmdr Varaan and relays Valdivia’s news as well as the Captain’s update. With that done he returns his attention to Shayne and the two began to discuss what may constitute the most efficient search pattern. A short time later Varaan arrives back on the bridge, asks for updates and takes a seat. A few minutes later Renos and Doctor Cook arrive back in the bridge and then Captain Renos arrives as well and outlines his plan for exploring the nebula. As the Darwin finally arrives in the area of the Folly Renos dismisses the senior staff to get some rest before they actually make entry the next morning.

As all over the ship the shifts changed, Valdivia emerged from Hazmat and discussed a few details with LtCmdr Emery Rhyn about a Metaphasic beam and how it can be stopped, both of them are cut short as Renos' command to change shift blares over the loudspeaker. After a quick call to the bridge both of them head towards the Astrometrics lab.

The call to the bridge finds most of the crew already changed to the next shift. The Captain, the helmsman and other were already gone, but Varaan was still here and R'Ven was on the way out when Valdivia called to give his report, a call that R'Ven "hijacks" much to Varaan's consternation.

With most of the alpha shift off to get some much needed rest, the Darwin and her crew continues scan the nebula, a region of space that seems to have undergone a strange change, but the nebula remains largely opaque to their scans. However deep inside the region something uncoiled itself, moved flickering in mix of starlight and unbridled energies as muscle mixed with will and curiosity! It raised its head erect as if tasting something new in the offing and then moved on.

What was it and what other secrets was the nebula itself holding? It will all be revealed in . . .

FISHING

The next morning at 09:30 finds Renos holding a meeting with the Darwin's senior officers about entering the Folly. First Renos introduced to LtJG Iniko Mpeba who was was returning to the darwin after several months away. Then Renos talked about how they were going to use the Darwin, the science probes and a shuttle to map the nebula and see what lay within. Interestingly during Gamma shift, limited sensor reading of the interior of the nebula had revealed that there was something artificial inside. To that end Varaan was to take Logan and Doctor Cook to investigate the artificial site. Rennyn was to take Shayne, Lambert and Mpeba and man the survey shuttle. They were to remain within 12 to 15 thousand kilometers of the Darwin and both teams were to have regular check-ins.

Renos was about to go on but was interrupted by Commander Nicu Icavoc from the bridge who revealed that they were picking up organic readings. Possibly life signs.

With a new eagerness Renos finished laying out the assignments: Brell and Pond were to ensure that the away teams are adequately inoculated and prepared for the effects of radiation. Valdivia, R’ven were to choose which one of them would be flying the probes in astrometrics. Everyone else was to report to the Captain on the bridge.

With that the individual groups dispersed to make their plans and prepare for entering the nebula!

Quickly the teams got themselves together. The shuttle teams reporting to sickbay first and then to the shuttle bay in preparation to move out into the nebula, adding in any last minute modifications. Brell and Pond got the MSD panel reconfigured to be able to monitor and lock onto any biosigns on the shuttles.

The bridge was no less a hive of activity.

With Icavoc now at Operations, Valdivia at the Sciences and Wilmer at the Helm, Renos asked for a report which revealed that the organic signatures were located on the border of the zone containing the most metaphasic energy, and the possibility of it being a Numiri ship had been largely ruled out. With so little data to go on Icavoc suggested sending one of the probes to investigate while they discussed what exactly metaphasic energy was and what effect it could have on the ship and the crew. To which Renos agreed and Valdivia gave the order to launch the probes!

R’Ven had not been idle in Astrometrics either. Not having the time to do physical modifications to the probes, he contented himself in doing a few software augmentations, adding in Borg subroutines while watching the sensor feeds. At Valdivia’s orders R’Ven launched the navigational aid probes and added a standard probe to scan the life signs.

As the ship Darwin pierced the outer layer of the nebula the ship was buffeted until inertial dampeners and the skills of the helmsman were able to compensate for the increased turbulence.

Meanwhile the probes were launched, and with the increased sensor data now appearig on his screens the motion of the lifesigns and their movement reminded Merrick of the schooling of fish, triggering one of the memories he had received from the not-Borg nanoprobes. At the same time Merrick detected a larger life sign trailing the small ones at the edge of sensor acuity, and he called the bridge to alert them.

On the docking bay the shuttles were being prepared for launch after their crews had received their vaccinations.

Rennyn, Shayne, Mpeba and Lambert were the first to get to their shuttle, and Mpeba and Lambert set to work installing aby last minute modifications to the sensors and the shuttle itself. However Rennyn noticed a bit of friction between Lambert and Shayne as things got underway and asked a few questions. After the last adjustments were made, the data feed between the Darwin and the shuttle was established and the Santiago was launched.

Meanwhile on board the shuttle Ayora things were not so smooth. Varaan and Logan had arrived and began to prepare themselves for launch, but Doctor Cook had taken ill and Doctor Pond was called in to take his place. Also Stennes had been removed from the team to attend to other matters and was replaced with Icavoc. With the change in personnel they did not have as much time to modify the ship and the result was that they would be relying more on the telemetry fed to them by the Darwin. Also they were mixing Pond Logan, which may be asking for trouble.

The crew of the Ayora made up for the delays by launching and the quickly making their way out into the nebula and located the installation that they were to explore. Jostled about by their initial entry into the nebula their flight smooths out. After making a progress report to the Darwin they docked their shuttle. Donning their EVA suits, with Icavoc needing a bit of help as he was still dealing with the partial loss of an arm, they were finally able to enter the installation. A scan of some of the writing that was found indicated that this installation was Numiri, the data suggesting that it could be an abandoned listening post or gas collection facility.

Back on the Darwin, things were becoming more interesting as well as well. That the smaller fish are being pursued by what appears to be a larger predator fish. Renos theorizes that these creatures are cosmozoan entities. The question was, what did they do next? Firing itinerant pulse from the main deflector dish, stalk them and close into an optimal range for study and observation, or even bring them inside the sphere for study are a few of the ideas put forward.

As the darwin continues its approach it Valdivia discovers that the smaller entities are being attracted to the probes and that is putting them in danger of being killed by the predators, so he has R’Ven shut down the probe’s active scans. In Astrometrics R’Ven does so but points out that the perhaps they could use the probes to actually guide the ‘fish; into the sphere and suggests that they may not want to see what happen. Renos thanks R’Ven for his suggestion but would rather pursue other options given the concerns about harming the fish. Interestingly Brell, who had recently come to the bridge since Pond had been sent to the away team, endorsed at least some of R’Ven’s idea, perhaps they could cycle through the probes’s sensor spectrum and see what attracts them.

At the same time the Santiago, is also approaching its target. While they had to deal with the turbulence of entering the nebula, they had little to no trouble communicating with the Darwin they receive the updates about the cosmozoan lifeforms in the nebula, something that caught Lambert’s attention as he worked on the sensors. It was only a sharp sound from Rennyn as he said ”Ak! Did anyone else see that? I swear it was.. it had a... You all, something just went past the window, and it had an eye!” At the same time Lambert’s work on the sensor grid bore fruit as it reported subspace distortions off the to starboard. His sensors began to pick up life forms four times as large as the shuttle, something that seem to bear a striking resemblance to a prehuman aquatic dinosaur.