USS San Diego

Captain’s Log Supplemental:

While the first few months have been relatively uneventful, we have engaged in some emergency calls for repairs from a few freighters and transports plying the trade lanes around the Romulan Neutral Zone. By the ancestors’ grace no one was injured and we were able to effect efficient and able repairs, it was enough to get the crew some much needed live training. 

We are currently outside our normal operating area, but with Starfleet spread a bit thin in this area, such things are bound to happen. Captain Kanok of the Angosian freighter Silver Runner runs a tight ship and his crew has been most helpful and Commander Massaquoi says the repairs to their warp core should be completed in no more than two hours.

After this, the San Diego will be headed back to our normal patrol area. The crew thus far has performed admirably and is beginning to come together. From Starfleet officers and crewmen, I’d expect no less.

Orex sat at his desk in his ready room, finishing his supplemental log and then rolling his head around on his neck, the Edosian equivalent of a Human’s somewhat long suffering sigh, as he began to dive into the drudgery of crew reports. It was almost a relief when his ready room door chimed around fifteen minutes later

“Welcome.”, Orex said.

The doors opened and the tall, dark skinned figure of his Chief Engineer, Lt. Cmdr. Victor Massaquoi, strode in. “Good news, sir. The Silver Runner’s warp core will be fixed within the hour, well ahead of schedule.”, the Human grinned as Orex motioned for him to take a seat.

“Well ahead of schedule.”, Orex didn’t have an eyebrow to raise sardonically, but the tone of his gravelly voice managed to convey the gesture, “Victor, you do realize I spent several years as an engineer before I went on the command track don’t you?”

Massaquoi looked startled for a moment, then laughed uproariously, “I truly did forget Captain, bless my soul. I did it out of total habit I assure you.”, Massaquoi’s West African accent seemed to add extra warmth to his words.

“Don’t worry, Commander, your secret is safe with me. Please do remember however, I will shave off a certain percentage of time on any estimate you give me. I should remember the ‘Makes Me Look Like A Miracle Worker’ formula well enough.”, Orex gave a small smile of his own. 

Victor Massaquoi had turned out to be quite the boon to Orex. His charm and leadership ability had been able to turn the brand new, disparate and untested engineering team into a cohesive unit. Orex also respected Massaquoi’s work ethic and ability to teach, traits that despite having very different personalities, both shared.

“Still, you could’ve just commed me to tell me this.”, Orex continued, his question unspoken but obvious.

Massaquoi’s smile didn’t fade, “Well sir, you were on duty well before I started my shift and my shift ended….”, Massaquoi pantomimed checking a wrist chrono, “ a half hour ago and you are still here going over reports. I basically decided to check on you and see whether you would realize the time or kick me out of your ready room.”

Orex stared at the chief engineer levelly, “So you’re the ship’s counselor as well? I could see you in that job, honestly. And if I kicked you, you would probably end up through the bulkhead.”, an exaggeration though despite their somewhat spindly appearance, Edosian physical strength was rather prodigious especially in the legs.

Massaquoi blinked and tilted his head with a startled smile causing Orex to emit a rough barking laugh of his own. Massaquoi was starting to warm up to his captain. He was a bit reserved but at least had a sense of humor. He’d served under worse.

Orex stretched two of his arms while using his second left hand to rub the back of his cranium. Massaquoi was right, the reports truly would keep until tomorrow.

“You’re right , Comm-”, Orex was cut off by his Security Officer.

“Lieutenant T’Prenn to Captain Orex.”

Orex frowned as he replied, “Orex here.”

“There is a situation”

The almost imperceptible hesitancy in the Vulcan’s words was not lost on Orex.

“On my way.”, Orex was already striding to the door leading to the bridge with Massaquoi close behind.

“Report.”, Orex commanded as he entered the bridge.

Lieutenant T’Prenn looked up from her station, and said levelly, “Communications and sensor systems are receiving heavy interference, cause still under investigation.”

“Is the Silver Runner also receiving this interference?”, Orex asked after a beat.

“Yes, sir. Captain Kanok has requested to speak with you at your earliest convenience.”

“Might as well put him on now.”, Orex settled into his captain’s chair.

“On screen, sir.”

The grey haired, craggy faced visage of the captain of the freighter Silver Runner appeared on the bridge’s main view screen. His weathered face was creased with worry and his facial tattoo, a relic of his time as a genetically enhanced soldier in the Angosian military many years ago somehow managed to still stand out even after so much time.

“Captain Orex,” the freighter captain growled, “I appreciate your time, I imagine you have found yourself suddenly busy.”

“Indeed Captain Kanok, we’re working to find a reason for the interference. I suggest the Silver Runner stays close until we work it out.”

Kanok gave a harsh bark of a laugh, “Spares me the trouble of asking then. I’ve compiled everything our sensors can see so far, not I expect to have seen anything the San Diego couldn’t, but as we used to say in the service ‘information is ammunition”….even we can barely see our own hands in front our faces.”, Kanok smiled faintly at his own slight joke.

Orex looked up at T’Prenn, caught her eye and nodded, approving the data transfer.

“Every little thing helps, captain.”, Orex was about to continue when T’Prenn spoke up.

“Captain, I’m starting to believe this event is more widespread than we feared. Numerous distress calls, distorted, faint and intermittent but definitely present.”

On screen Kanok turned his head and barked a command as Orex asked, “Can you isolate any?”

“I am attempting to now, sir. I believe I have one, audio only.”

The bridge’s speakers erupted with interference and feedback, “Any ves-zzzzzt area, this-zzzt Bardan’s Folly out of-zzzzzt are out as well as-zzzzzt. Unable to exceed warp fact-zzzzt. Please assist.”

Concentrating intently, T’Prenn spoke, “I have another, sir.”

The speakers hissed and squealed again, “Zzzzzzzt Kri-zzzzzt warp engines un-zzzzzt-ing blind and-zzzzt.”

Massaquoi frowned, “They both mentioned warp engines.”

Orex nodded, “I noticed that too.”, he looked back at T’Prenn, “How bad is the sensor distortion, Lieutenant?”

“Severe, sir. We can see, but only at slight intervals. Most of our time is currently being spent unable to detect much outside our immediate location.”

Having been silent watching the other captain work, Kanok spoke up, “Nothing better on our end, captain. I’ll leave you to it, anything the Silver Runner can do to help just-”

“Astrophysics to Bridge.”, an urgent voice came over the bridge speakers.

Orex blinked in surprise and held up one of his hands to Kanok, “One moment captain, if my science team has found some answers you might as well hear it as well. Astrophysics, Orex here.”

“Captain, we have been looking into the nature of the interference and….well we haven’t found the cause yet but we have discovered another possible effect.”, there was an uncomfortable pause, the woman on the other end of the conversation clearly not about to give good news.

“On with the hunt, lieutenant.”, Orex said, a trace of impatience in his gravelly voice.

“There’s a fair chance our warp speed is going to be severely curtailed, Captain”, the astrophysicist sounded strangely apologetic, as if she was personally responsible.

“Sir? May I?”Orex looked over at his chief engineer, then nodded his assent.

“Astrophysics this is Massaquoi, please send your findings to Bridge Auxiliary Station Two.”

“Of course, sir.”

Massaquoi went to the station as Orex got up and followed him, pausing only to order the ship’s XO, Commander Grkovic, to report to the bridge. Massaquoi pulled up the report along with various graphs and readings. It didn’t take long for him to whistle through his teeth, “Damn.”

“Quite.”, Orex agreed standing at the chief engineer’s shoulder. He then took advantage of his tripodal body structure to use all three hands to point at three different areas of a waveform graph, “See that.”

“Damn.”, Massaquoi grunted again, “Not sure the cause or even exactly WHAT it is, but the effects are clear.”

For a moment they weren’t captain and chief engineer, but two engineers looking at a mystery. A mystery that apparently had just hamstrung their ship.

“Warp four at best, you think?”, Orex asked.

“Three more likely, and given the random intensities, we might spend five minutes at four, half a day at two and then an hour at three….feel free the switch the values however you want, sir.”, Massaquoi grinned but it wasn’t as bright as usual.

“Alright then.”, Orex nodded, deferring to his chief engineer as he returned to his captain’s chair.

“Mr. T’Prenn. Please put a star map on the main viewer and show the estimated locations of all distress calls please.”

As he studied the map and the four distress call locations, the turbolift doors hissed open and the tall, dark haired form of the ship’s executive officer, Commander Adrijana Grkovic bounded onto the bridge, as always exuding a sort of intense energy, like a spring about to release. She smiled tightly at Orex in greeting as she took the executive officer’s seat next to his, “Seems like we have some problems to work through, sir.”

“Indeed we do, XO.”, Orex gave a tight smile of his own, eyes never leaving the main viewer. He then quickly and efficiently caught her up on what little they knew so far.

After a few moments Orex spoke again, “What do you think, XO.”

Commander Grkovic started immediately, having already begun to think of a plan. 

Of course she had, Orex thought with amusement.

“The Ramilles System would be a good centerpoint to gather up the ships sending the distress calls., Grkovic’s voice was clipped and fast, “Hopefully we can get enough communication through to both let the ships know where to rendezvous and to get an idea of the shape their in, we might have to go to them to render assistance.”

Orex nodded as her thoughts mirrored his own, “I was thinking text based burst transmissions might be the way to go here.”

He looked at T’Prenn and his Tactical/Security Officer nodded agreement and replied, “it would be the most efficient in this situation.”

Orex had turned back to Grkovic when T’Prenn spoke again, “I am receiving more distress signals. Fading in and out like the first four, but definitely present.”

Orex gestured to the main viewer, “Add them.”

The Vulcan’s fingers danced over her controls. Orex watched as a new signal began to flash on the star map. Then another. Then two more. Then another. Soon a constellation of fourteen new signals were added to the original four. Orex slumped back in his captain’s chair as Massaquoi whistled through his teeth once again.

“Damn.”, Orex and Massaquoi said in unison.