Blink

Posted on Tue Dec 31st, 2019 @ 2:27pm by Captain Wilkan Targaryen & Commander Zephryn Kaldiran & Commander Nathan Hawkins & Commander Ash Randall & Lieutenant Commander T'Lisha "Hawkeye" Bishara & Patton O'Sullivan
Edited on on Thu Jan 2nd, 2020 @ 5:07pm

4,368 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: Atlantis
Location: Bridge, Starfleet One
Timeline: 2429-12-03, 23:00 Hrs

"Warning: Enemy weapons charging."

Admiral William Teagarden looked up from his static filled console, "Red Alert." He watched the viewscreen as the Preserver vessel hung in space between them and the replica Earth below. The HUD of the viewscreen activated displaying tactical data regarding the Preserver vessel, the computer placing combadge insignias of the away team overlaid on the alien ship.

Despite the lack of computer power the ship was still able to react to the Admiral's command. The familiar red hue and klaxon came into life at the late hour. Any sense of drowsiness among the crew quickly evaporated.

Having finished in the Threat Assessment Center Commander Hawkins had returned to bridge and clenched his jaw at the Preserver as it powered its weapons. With the away party still aboard they faced a difficult choice should the level of aggression continued to grow.

"Let's get prepared should we need our new doomsday weapon," the Admiral said defeatedly. He didn't want to destroy the Preserver vessel, but he had to worry about the lives of those aboard the ship. "Is our new weapon ready?"

"Our new weapon is ready, Admiral." Commander Randall responded. "Nominal, 52 Isoton yield, juiced, with a 15kg rodinium crystalline composite core." She added, as confirmation.

"Begin programming targeting solution should we need it," Teagarden ordered as he saw the Turbolift doors slide open. He was a little surprisedby who he saw, "Commander Bishara, don't take this the wrong way, but have you been cleared?"

“Starting the programming, Admiral,” Patton replied. He prayed they didn’t have to use it but he would if need be. The lives of the crew depended on it.

"I am needed here. There is more to this than meets the eye. I have taken an additional dose of neural blocker. There is a reason why the music and tones get louder and then softer. Something is messing with that ship out there," T'Lisha said taking the helm from the Ensign that was there.

William tapped the communications control, "Starfleet One to Away Team. We are reading an active target lock upon our vessel by the Preserver ship."

"That would be me, Admiral," the hologram answered through Commander Bishop's communicator. "We are having a discussion regarding the sins of your past. The Preservers placed Humanity on trial for its actions, and the trial has resumed once more. I will accept your surrender in exchange for the lives of your away team and crew. You have one minute to decide or we will open fire. I will resume communications in one minute." The channel went dark from interference.

Teagarden wanted to make clear nothing of the sort would be happening, but she cut him off before he could. He rose from his chair, arms crossed, "Energize defense fields, power weapons, full shields. Standby evasive maneuvers."

The sensors struggled with the data they were being presented, but the acoustic pulses were growing in intensity.

At the Science workstation the Tellarite relief scientist typed at the workstation's primary monitor. He slid his fingers over the controls, adjusting the scan fields. "Admiral, I'm reading fluctuations in the power grid of the alien ship."

Teagarden turned in his seat toward the Science Officer, "What?"

"It's like it's waking up. I'm reading increased activity throughout the vessel," he informed while typing. "The acoustic signal is increasing in intensity also, almost on a congruent pattern."

"Put it on screen," William ordered as he rose and walked toward the viewer. "Overlay the energy emissions and the acoustical signal." The scientist did as requested and the graph appeared, showing the energy levels and signals were rising at the same rate. The Admiral stared.

"What could this mean? Could the signal have been used to control the vessel?"

“I believe Hannah was correct,” Patton called out. The Preserver is a living being and it is no longer being controlled.”

William crossed his arms as he looked at the Preserver ship on the Viewscreen. If the Preserver ship was alive and was coming back online as was suggested it was possible it was behind everything. "So the sonic pulses, the acoustical pulses, could they be how this ship was controlled? And how do we disable their capability to do so?"

"If the Preserver ship is, or was, being controlled while asleep, by an external source then it could be coming from planet side or any number of satellites the Atlantean's have in orbit, any number of which we might not have detected yet." Ash suggested, quietly. If the Atlantean's were keeping the Preserver ship dormant and asleep and had a measure of control over the ship, then they were, likely, why the Preservers on board were all dead. Once the ship woke up, Galatea was going to be the least of their problems if the ship was protective of its crew as Galatea was, of the Enterprise crew, once-upon-a-time.

"The acoustic signals are coming from inside the Preserver ship!" The Tellarite spoke up as his clawed fingers typed at the keys on the Science workstation. He looked over, "We're reading a buildup from not far from the cockpit."

Teagarden watched the viewscreen from the front of the Bridge. He brought his fist up to his lip, holding it there as he looked at the displays. A new area highlighted on the Preserver ship, identifying it as the source of the acoustical outbursts. The away team indicators were still in place, the crew moving around quickly inside the interior. An alarm rang from the viewscreen as the Preserver ship began to rock from left to right, slowly falling from its perch before them.

"Helm, keep us with them," the Admiral ordered. "Start programming target lock for our tractor beam. Let's hold them in place.

Zeph responded from the Operations section, "On it Admiral. Spatial parameters programmed into the Aux Computer for the tractor, and... Locked. Helm, I am sending restraint parameters."

"Understood, maintaining matched speed and course", T'Lisha said, hands moving quickly over her console.

William looked at his Tactical Officer and the Engineer, "Do either of you think that knocking out the acoustical beacon would help our case or make things worse?"

Hawkins exchanged a glace at Ash knowing she had more experience with the Preservers than him. "I believe it would benefit, if the ship is being controlled surely it would desire freedom, though you have my experience with the Preservers that myself. Would they be grateful, or see us as the slavers and attack?"

"Dampening field to block the acoustics from reaching the ship," T'Lisha said gently.

Hawkins nodded toward the conn: "That's a option to test the waters before a more permanent solution."

"Too many questions that haven't been answered yet but let's make a few assumptions, for the moment." She answered, quickly.

"We assume that the acoustic emitter is NOT part of the Preserver ship and was placed there by the Atlanteans. Also assume that it was placed there to keep the vessel in hibernation and is why the Preserver crew aboard the vessel is dead. Further assume that a control signal must be coming from the surface or somewhere else. Finally, assume that what we're seeing happen now is a battle for control of the Preserver vessel between Galatea waking it up and the Atlanteans trying to keep it in hibernation and, the Atlanteans are winning though the victory might be at the cost of the ship." Ash continued, without pausing. "If we block control of the ship by the Atlanteans we risk the Preserver vessel realizing it has a dead crew and commences to deal out a death penalty to everyone that's not a Preserver who happens to be in this vicinity. It nukes the city below and we cut it in two with our doomsday torpedo, if we get that chance. About a coin flip it doesn't try to kill us all, immediately, and without control by the Atlanteans we might end up negotiating with a less hostile Galatea for setting the ship free. Personally, I think we have nothing to lose by freeing the Preserver ship at this point. Whether we do or don't we may be fighting for our lives either way. A lot of assumptions and, worse, conjecture there and I think the only way we could possibly get more information is if we were to grab the Atlanteans leader and extract some answers from her." Ash finished.

"We're assuming too that the Atlanteans are the one that did this. It may be the Preservers themselves using the beacon to control the ship." Teagarden grinned at Ash, "As good an idea as any. Commander O'Sullivan, be ready for a guest on the Bridge. Commander Kaldiran, bring the Atlantean Prefect aboard. Beam her directly here."

“Ready Admiral,” Patton replied, more than ready to handle their guest, as the had Admiral said with a smile of his own, his hand on his weapon.

"Understood Sir. We have her locked from our hacking the planetary net. Beaming aboard now, directly onto the bridge." Zeph signaled Transporter Chief Fournier, who activated the pre-programmed Sigma Delta Variant, and the Prefect Materialized on the Bridge.

William watched as the transporter beam deposited the leader of the Atlantean civilization near the viewscreen. Prefect Daiarcall looked around the Bridge, fire in her eyes as she realized where she was. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you abducted me from my chambers?"

The Commanding Officer of Starfleet One sat in his chair, "I apologize for our intrusion, Madam Prefect, but this was a matter of utmost urgency for us." He motioned toward the viewer, the horseshoe shaped craft being held in the air by the Tractor Beam, "It would seem that you have another guest of honor."

The Atlantean dropped to her knees before the viewer and bowed her head in silence. The Admiral looked at her, surprised by her reverence. "Prefect?"

"Have you forgot what I told you so quickly, Admiral? The Preservers spared us once before and they are here to spare us from you today. It is not an accident that they are here. Despite them taking from us our energy core, they told us that whenever a great serpent came to our world they would return for us to save us once again. Now their ship is here, waiting to defend us from you."

"That may be a little difficult," Teagarden informed. "The Preservers aboard that ship are dead."

"Blasphemy."

"I can show you the results of our scans," William nodded to the Science Officer to place the readings of the lifeforms aboard the Preserver ship on the screen. As they displayed he pointed, "There's my First Officer, the Security Chief, a Medical Technician, and our Chief Science Officer. All of them, each and every one, a member of my crew. One difference, however, is the presence of our AI and the Preserver ship itself."

She looked surprised, "Meaning?"

"The Preserver vessel is alive. It is awakening after its own slumber," the Admiral explained. "Did you or your people in any way place it into suspended animation? Have you been in control over the vessel this whole time?"

"No," she answered. "You have seen our shuttle. It's barely capable of travel like yours. We had nothing to do with this. You have to help it!"

"Admiral, I took a few moments to read the away mission reports and a number of the crew members reported an undue influence that was attributed to a harmonic, in this case, music and we have the harmonic that is responsible for some of the issues we are experiencing aboard ship." Ash stated, and looked to the Prefect. "There is a conundrum here that I believe only you can solve and the solution may come down to the uniqueness of your society and the city in which you live. You say the Preservers took away your energy core and you were placed here. That they would return. To me, it appears they never, actually, left and have been sitting in orbit of your world for Millenia, dead. Dead, because something put their ship into hibernation and may well have, deliberately, killed them. With that said, what is the nature of the floating city? Does it see to the welfare and well being of your people?" Ash asked, quietly.

The Atlantean stood, pondering what was asked of her. She thought carefully, "Our island is just that: an island. We are philosophers, scientists, I don't know of anything mystical or technological that influences us." She paused, "We do have a mineral in the island that affects technology. It affected you if memory serves."

Patton stood close to the Atlantean, but not too close. He made his presence known but didn’t invade their guests space, his eyes and attention on her.

"Something disrupted the scans our away teams attempted." Ash admitted. "Something..." She added, and looked to Admiral Teagarden. "No mystical or technological influences but I wonder if there might be something biological, another ship maybe? Or some other Preserver technology?" She asked him.

"The Preservers removed all of our technology," the Atlantean Prefect informed. "It was a punishment for our hubris."

William stood at one of the side workstations, typing on the display for a moment, "So, we know that the Preservers removed your technology. Maybe this ship was left here as a sentry? To serve as a means to prevent you from becoming too advanced." He typed, looking at the mythology, "But what killed the Preservers aboard the ship? A failure of their stasis systems seems the most likely cause. Could this all be a horrific accident? It's seeming more and more likely," he yawned after saying it.

The Prefect stared at the ship on the viewscreen, carefully studying it. She reached toward it, touching the holographic replica and quickly pulling her hand back as it shimmered from the impact of her finger. "The Preservers are dead?" She asked, her voice quivering after saying it.

The Admiral nodded, "For a while. They've taken one of our officers, corrupted her, now she serves that ship. We're trying to rescue her, but it's not going well. Now the Preserver ship is... adrift and uncontrolled. It was just falling toward your world."

"The Prophesy says that the Preservers would return one day and they would prevent us from further our efforts in space," the Atlantean informed. "That's one, there are others that they would restore us to our rightful place in this galaxy as a leader among others; or as a leader above the others." She paused as she considered the words she'd said. She had a momentary flash of understanding, "You have to help us to fulfill the prophesy, Admiral."

"I cannot, by definition, interfere with the development of your world, Prefect. In any of those scenarios." He approached her, "But, I can tell you this: I will work to ensure a proper outcome for all involved. My only request is that Commander Viol be pardoned and allowed to return to this vessel. That way your efforts at control are unimpeded, but she is with us and will not return to this world."

"Us turning her over to you would be an impact upon our world as well," the Atlantean Leader answered.

William nodded, "To an extent, but she would not be coming back. You could just easily say you did execute her." He approached his chair and sat, "Irregardless, we have work to do. Please return the Prefect to her world."

She protested, "Fine. I will extradite Viol to you in exchange for her never returning. But save my world."

Teagarden nodded, "Return the Prefect to her world and bring Commander Viol aboard."

Zeph replied, "As you wish, Sir. Initiating now." Below decks, in transporter room 3, Chief Fournier activated Protocol 5, and the prefect was returned to her world even as Commander Viol was transported to Starfleet One Medical.

After the Atlantean Prefect was gone, William looked at his Bridge crew. "Our options are somewhat more limited at this point than before. I'm inclined to agree that the Preservers are behind this, all of this, but I think the answer is on that ship. Let's see what happens next. High intensity scans, look directly at the vessel's systems. Let's see how it..."

Starfleet One shook as an energy pulse emanated from the Preserver vessel and rode along the Tractor Beam to the ship. The crew were thrown around, the Admiral hitting the deck far harder than he anticipated. His head bled from the cut he'd been inflicted with. He struggled back to his feet, "Evasive maneuvers, Commander Bishara, full impulse power. Get me a damage report."

"Aye", T'Lisha said quickly engaging the impulse engines and expertly maneuvered Enterprise out of harms way.

Commander Randall scrambled to the nearest aux station,, from where she'd ended up when the shook to get a damage report for the Admiral. We've lost our primary forward tractor beam emitter and there are reports of minor power overloads on several decks but no structural damage to speak of." Ash reported, quickly"

Zeph used his telekinetics to keep himself in place. He was already routing energies to a new emitter for a tractor beam, but knew it might be pointless. "Sir, the preserver ship threw off our tractor. I am attempting a new tractor, but the vessel will more than likely throw that off as well as Galatea is on board to direct her energy shields to offset our tractor beams."

"Lock weapons on the Preserver vessel," William ordered. "Not enough to destroy it, but give them a taste, Commander O'Sullivan. Target that beacon."

Patton did as ordered. “Weapons are locked and I am ready to fire in your orders, Sir." He had hoped it wouldn’t come to this but Paddy knew it was their only choice.

"Nathan, get in touch with the away team."

Scrambling quickly to his feet Hawkins keyed the con: "Starfleet One to away party, what's you're status?"

"In flux Nathan. Continue to monitor us. "

"Affirmative," Hawkins signed off wishing he could help them further.

The Admiral sighed at the thought of what he was about to do, the risks greater than he could imagine. He knew they were limited, but it felt like defeat, "Fire phasers at the acoustic beacon. Let's give them as much help as we can."

Patton fired the phasers, watching as they hit their target. He looked over at the Admiral. “Successful Sir!” He informed him.

"They're going to try to defend themselves. I need as much power to the defense systems as we can muster," he looked at Kaldiran as he said it. "Ash, try to get that ship disabled as best you can."

Ash looked to Admiral Teagarden. "I may be able to kill that acoustic beacon and not risk destroying the ship or killing our away team, Admiral, but the weapon would have to be delivered with a pin-point transport or, if needed, I could transport back to the ship and deploy it by hand. You remember Project Snow Globe? I scaled it down to a photon grenade size to deal with adversaries who shrug off phaser fire." She informed Admiral Teagarden. "It'd do the job, if we can deliver it." She added.

"Keep up the erratic maneuvers, Helm, fluctuate engine speeds to keep them off balance," Teagarden ordered as he approached the Engineer.

"Ducking and weaving like a drunken sailor Aue sir. Crazy Ivan starbord, then port, half impulse, RCS thrusters, the whole nine yards", T'Lisha said as the ship did what sje wanted it to do.

"So, you're telling me that we may be able to destroy the beacon with that Project," William acknowledged. "I'm guessing that delivering it is going to be the hard part."

"Yes." Ash replied. "Now wishing she had volunteered to go back to the Preserver ship as she'd taken the snow globe photon grenade variant with her on the first trip in case they encountered a hostile Preserver and would have had a brace of them with her on the return trip.

Zeph called out, "Initializing response music beat protocol. I am hoping we can synchronize with the preserver vessel for it to realize we are not enemies. Not friends, but at least, no enemies."

"The Preserver ship does not appear to be utilizing a defensive shield," the Tellarite informed from the Science Station. "I am reading an armor though, not too dissimilar to the old Reactive Hull Polarization Plating of the 22nd Century - only a Hell of a lot stronger."

The Admiral sighed, "Keep firing for now, Patton. Kaldiran, work to get Commander Ash over there. You have five minutes to get ready, not a second."

With a nod, Commander Randall retrieved her black bag from where it landed after the ship was jolted and removed a utility belt from it that she quickly put on and then pulled 3 photon grenades out of the bag that she slipped into their holding spots on the belt and held a fourth one in her hand. "Ready to go, one way or the other." Ash announced, to no one in particular.

Patton continued to fire at the beacon. He hoped they could end this as quickly as possible. He was worried about the away team as well as all of them.

"Admiral! I'm reading an energy buildup aboard the Preserver ship," the Science Officer said alarmed. "I think they're engaging a self-destruct!"

"What?" He looked at the Strategist, "Get me in contact with the Away Team. Find out what's going on. Be ready to bring them over here."

Ash looked to Kaldiran, for a couple of seconds and then nodded to herself.

Zeph responded, "I have the trans-code effect programmed into the sensors. Locking... I have the away team. Chief Fournier is ready to energize when command given."

"Starfleet One to away party," Hawkins hailed them again. "What's going on? We're reading increased energy readings at your location."

"Attempting to destroy the beacon! Away team out!" Bishop snapped he didn't have the time to go into a longwinded explanation. If they were successful Starfleet One would know.

"Back us off, but maintain transporter range," the Admiral ordered quickly. "Tactical plot on viewer," he commanded as he looked at the horseshoe shaped craft and the projected blast radius of its detonation. "Could this be a response from the lifeform since its not able to wrestle control away or are the Preservers themselves behind this?"

"In either case it seems that destroying the acoustic beacon will be the resolution." Ash observed, while she studied the tactical plot. "I'm ready to transport over and deploy the countermeasure by hand. There may be need to improvise." She added.

T'Lisha now backed Enterprise from the Preserver ship but kept within transporter range. Once she had accomplished that, she plotted an escape route out of the area if and when the ship blew up.

"STOP FIRING AT US!" Petty Officer Hannah's voice came over the com: "You're going to kill us, Galatea AND the ship for nothing!"

The Science Officer interrupted, "I'm reading weapon's fire inside the Preserver ship." The Tellarite pulled back a clawed hand as he studied the readouts, "The acoustical beacon has been destroyed."

William looked at the viewer as the Preserver ship leveled off. "Could it be that easy?"

The Science Officer looked at the screens, "I'm also reading decreases in psionic activity in the area. Sir, this may've been what was causing the instability among the crew."

Teagarden smiled at the Helm Officer, "How are you feeling?"

Closing her eyes, T'Lisha finally stopped hearing the noise in her head. It was if she had become deaf to all sound. "Thank god all the noise has stopped! Now all I have is a serious headache. How did you accomplish this?", she asked, rubbing her temples gently.

He turned toward his officers, "Let's get a read on how our away team are doing. I want Engineering to get to work on repairs and figure out a way to get Galatea back over here."

Commander Randall removed her utility belt and put it back into her bag and looked to Kaldiran. "Cleanup on aisle three." She remarked. "Most of the damage is already being managed by auto-repair but will go a lot faster once we have Galatea back. How about if we get her back the same way she was taken?" She asked.

"I'll leave that in your capable hands," the Admiral answered. "I want to know how our away team is doing as well now that the shooting has stopped."

Relived the situation had run its course without incident Hawkins felt the tension start to leave his body. "Understood sir," he answered the Admiral's request leaving Randal with the delicate procedure of returning Galatea back into their systems. That was far over his mental abilities especially at this time to evening, instead he opened a channel to Bishop and the others.

Commander Randall went to an aux station near where Kaldiran was working and stood, quite motionless, for several seconds while she stared at the main viewer and then brought up an Operations and Engineering interface. "I suppose we could use the same method to get her back as the last time." She mused to herself, quietly, and queued the ops and engineering logs from the previous incident for review by herself and Kaldiran for feasibility in this instance. Ash felt something wasn't, quite, right a the moment but couldn't put her finger on what it was. She was ready to put the feeling off to being back on THIS particular ship and it's off feel but, knew the funky feeling wasn't the other dimensional vibe that still clung to the Enterprise or, as it was now known, Starfleet One.

"Let's go to Yellow Alert," William authorized. "See to accomodations for our new passenger."

“Yes Sir,” Patton put them at yellow alert. He ordered several of his officers to take their passenger to secure accommodations and ordered them to stand guard.

Admiral Teagarden let out a long breath, "I'm going to go make a report to Starfleet Command. Commander Hawkins has the Bridge."

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