Strange Storms (Part 1)

Posted on Tue Sep 15th, 2020 @ 11:42am by Commodore Samantha York & Commander Hans Munich & Major John Kayhill & Lieutenant Lei Shan & Lieutenant Aenar Torek & Lieutenant Dwight McCabe & Lieutenant Bela Swain

1,079 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Eye of the Storm
Location: Calypso
Timeline: MD01

ON

Samantha was in her ready room when a message came in from Starfleet Command. She set aside her PADD and sat up straighter as she activated the call.

A tall, thin admiral with purple skin nodded a greeting. "Commodore York, a freighter relayed a distress call from the colony on Tigris IV. They've been at the mercy of several unusually strong ion storms and request assistance. You are the nearest starship. Please alter course immediately. We're forwarding the information to you now."

Her computer chirped that the information had been received. Sam pulled it up, curious about the storm. "These look too strong to be natural."

"That's what Federation Sciences believe. Your assignment is to run tests and ascertain what is behind the storms, render aid, and do what you can to restore order. Let us know what you find."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll inform the crew."

"Good. Starfleet out."

Sam looked over the data, then walked onto the bridge.

"Hans, we've been diverted to Tigris IV. Please ask the senior staff to meet in the observation lounge in fifteen minutes. Helm, you have the coordinates."

"Right away Commodore." Munich said and quickly using the arm unit in his chair he sent out the notice for all the Senior Staff to the Conference room in fifteen minutes. "DOne as instructed ma'am." he informed.

[Fifteen Minutes Later]

Sam replicated a tall glass of apricot juice and sat down to go over the data again while she waited for the others to show up.

Cup of strong tea in one hand and PADD in the other, Aenar walked in to the Briefing Room. Seeing only the Commodore he nodded as he took his seat, 'Morning Commodore.'

"Good morning, Lieutenant," she replied.

Bela beamed as she finally was called into a command meeting. Her infectious smile lit up the Briefing Room as she walked in. "Good morning, Commodore and Lieutenant Torek. I take it that something important is going on." Without waiting for a response, she gave a hug to the Commodore, broke it, and then moved to Lieutenant Torek and gave him a large hug.

Munich entered with a PADD in hand; he moved swiftly to the chair just to the right of York.

"Commodore; I have the Communications Section trying to establish a communications link and update the situation." He reported. "I take it Ve Vill not be going to Earth for R und R?"

"Not right now, I'm afraid. Hopefully afterwards," she said. "Sorry."

John came in a few minutes later with a data padd and stood briefly at attention and said, "Commodore" and then took his seat, nodding to everyone.

Shan took a bare second to straighten her jacket before walking into the conference room for her first meeting as Chief. Serious and earnest, she nodded as she greeted York, then Munich, aloud, the others at the table already with a nod, and slid into a seat. It was about time., she couldn't help but think.

The doctor quietly entered the meeting room and placed himself in an empty seat. He nodded to a few that he barely made acquaintance with. Dwight is still
consider a new member. He has had enough coffee lately and decided to come empty handed, placing his folded hands on his lap under the table.

When everyone had arrived, Sam handed each a PADD. "Starfleet received a distress call from Tigris IV. They've been battered by a series of ion storms and we are to render aid and figure out what's going on."

Bela accepted her PADD from the Commodore and started reading it. "Those poor people," she replied heartbroken. "They must be terrified. Can we communicate with them at all or are the storms interfering?"

"Not yet. We'll be in range in about twelve hours. I don't know what their needs will be, but I'm sure some of them will wish to speak to a counselor," Sam said.

'The ion storms ... happened spontaneously? There's no previous history of the planet being battered?' Aenar frowned at the PADD he had been given.

"I will make sure the Marines are ready to make any ground trips and assist Security depending if we need to bring people on board or not", John said with a nod.

"Thank you, Major," Sam said. She turned to Aenar. "That's part of the mystery. This is the first time they've recorded ion storms, and the intensity is unusually strong."

'I see,' replied Aenar as he scrolled through the information on the PADD, 'when did these storms appear?'

"About two weeks ago. As you can see from the data, this is the first time the colony has experienced them," Sam said. "I'd like you to find out what you can on the storms."

Shan scanned the information in front of her a second time before she looked up to York. "Do we have any information if other parts of the system have been impacted, how widespread it is, and if it's strong enough to interfere with the Calypso in orbit?" she asked, feeling that it would do well to know those things before they got too close- even to render aid. They couldn't help anyone if they were hit by the storms as well, like a lifeguard being pulled under while trying to save a drowning swimmer.

Sam paused. That was a good question. "No. All Starfleet has is the distress call."

Shan nodded. "Then I suggest we stop briefly as soon as we get into long-distance sensor range so we can see what we're dealing with. Maybe even again once we get close enough for a more detailed scan," she said, calculating just how much they'd be able to tell with long distance sensors, and how close might be too close.

Sam nodded. "Good idea."

John was not the scientific type, so he left the more complicated questions to the others. He did have a logistical one though. It was a simple one, but it would impact how they might do their job on the ground.

"How many people live in the colony?", John asked.

"300,000 at last count," Sam said. "The data is about two years old, though."

(To be continued...)

Commodore Samantha york
Commanding Officer

Starfleet Admiral
NPCd by Sam York

Commander Hans Munich
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Aenar Torek
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Bela Swain
Chief Counselor

Major John Kayhill
Marine CO

Lieutenant Lei Shan
Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant Dwight McCabe
Chief Medical Officer

 

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