The Search For Spock

Posted on Fri Oct 2nd, 2020 @ 3:13am by Galatea & Captain Nathan Bishop & Lieutenant Commander T'Lisha "Hawkeye" Bishara & Lieutenant Commander Lily Snow PhD, MD & Lieutenant Commander Chire & Councilor Jahra Naron of Bajor

1,945 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Exodus
Location: Stardrive Section
Timeline: 2430-01-10, 15:50

OOC: For those interested in 'picturing' where they are, the Battle Bridge of the Stardrive looks very similar to the Battle Bridge of a Galaxy Class starship. A key difference is that the only doors are on the port and starboard walls. The back wall has a Master situation display and two large stations on the port and starboard wall (Science to Starboard and Engineering to port).

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The Alpha Quadrant terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole erupted from darkness into a beautiful whirlpool of blue and purple energy. Quickly the Stardrive Section of the Starship Enterprise emerged through the Celestial Temple of the Prophets and returned to its home territory of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Saucer Module - left behind - had returned on its course to the homeworld of the Dominion. The crew of the Stardrive were set to join the search for the Federation President before something tragic befell them all.

Galatea stood at the port mounted workstation, "We are secure from transit through the wormhole, Captain. All systems are online and functional."

"Thank you Galatea." Bishop told the AI. Commander Snow, please implement a full sensor sweep of the area. Get with Chire and Bishara and find one that covers the greatest area of space in the shortest period of time. Lets see if we can find the Spock." He looked over to Porter and Rigby. "Doctors please get Sickbay ready for any survivors we come across. They will undoubtedly need your services."

Chire had been anxiously preparing for some time. Mostly this involved a lot of pacing as she need not pack any clothing or special items. She was just waiting for word that she was needed and in the meantime would continue to move to work off the extra nerves and thoughts that perhaps the Spock would not be found in time.

The holographic AI nodded as she passed Captain Bishop in the Captain's Chair. Approaching the two forward workstations holding the Operations Manager and the Helm, she brought up a holographic display of the area using her projectors. "This is the current area," a series of Starfleet insignia appeared, "I have overlaid the current starships on investigative patrols."

Bishop watched as crew began the search for the Spock. He silently prayed that they found the Spock quickly and intact. The quicker they did, the quicker they could get back to the Admiral and the rest of the crew in the saucer section. He shook his head to concentrate on the matters at hand but first. "Galatea, a moment please, when you have the time."

Lily was already at the Science station working on reconfiguring the sensor array. She was making use of her abilities to the maximum as she was studying the incoming sensor data.

Rather that delay her work, Galatea split herself between both the forward workstations and the Captain, "What can I do for you?"

"I was thinking on an earlier conversation we had, where you didn't feel accepted by the crew and I argued that you were." Bishop answered, "In any event perhaps to make you feel even more as one of the crew. Have you thought of giving yourself a first name?"

Of all the scenarios that Galatea had anticipated for this discussion, this was not a question that she had anticipated. She tilted her head as she processed, her eyes temporarily going silver as her processors researched the question. She could only come to one conclusion, "I'm afraid that I haven't."

Bishop smiled. Glad he could surprise Galatea. "Well now, you have something to think about. Personally I think the crew would probably find you more accessible if you had a first name but that's me."

Having come in behind them and hearing the conversation Chire spoke up. "Perhaps we could help each other. I was thinking of adding as surname though my people do not use them. I think it would come in handy as the Earth saying goes. Far too many people ask me if Chire is my given name or surname."

"I think that is a good idea." Bishop told her, "Have you made a list of names you like?"

Galatea was about to answer when a series of trills came from one of the science station. She turned and looked at the Acting Executive Officer and Science Officer, Commander Snow, wondering what they had found.

Lily reviewed the data, and then double checked it. "Captain, I'm detecting a faint signal." She said doing another check. "It appears to be a Federation Diplomatic transponder, or something similar."

"What about that Galatea? Can you clean up the signal?" Bishop asked

"Not at this distance," the hologram answered as data points flashed over her eyes. "The signal strength is barely existent. Not what I would expect from the Spock. They may've moved it to another vessel, a shuttle or even an escape pod."

"Alright, let's go see what we can see." Bishop announced. "Warp six if you please." He said to the helm officer. "Commander Snow, sensors on maximum. I want to know what's out there as soon as possible."

Galatea tugged on her holographic uniform as she approached the Tactical Station mounted behind the Captain's Chair. Typing on the workstation she wondered just what exactly they would find out there and eagerly awaited a report from the others.

"Warp six aye sir," T'Lisha said quickly and took Enterprise to warp 6.

Chire sat up straighter, her mind contemplating how long it would take them to get there. She felt excited and slightly terrified, hoping that her friend was okay but also reveling in the idea that she was experiencing why she had joined Starfleet, which was to explore and to find things she'd never seen before. In fact she was so interested in what might be on the viewscreen at any moment that she leaned too far forward and nearly fell out of her chair. A floof of feathers flew up and then collapsed again as she caught herself.

Since boarding the stardrive section, Naron remained in the quarters given to his use. he had little reason to remove himself from them as he fielded communique after communique, call after call. Many were placed to Bajor's ruling body and the Vedek Assembly. Often these conversations became heated, shouting could be heard albeit muffled. Other calls were placed to other representatives of other systems. Fellows in the Federation government. Some were made to just suss out the position of other governments. Some were attempts to put out fires. Some...to conflagarate fires that were already smouldering.

Through it all, Naron worked hard to keep his increasingly hostile temper in check. However, once passing through the Wormhole and the distance between him and the Wraith Orb made that much greater, he felt a lessening of his emotional instability. It couldn't have come at a better time.

And as he was looking at it...he was finding more and more his prediction was correct. Gruzy's administration was working hard to make sure that Gruzy was the last Federation president. Because the Federation was cracking and falling apart. Naron's experiences and - here he refused to lie to protect the president's administration - were telling of the rumors and innuendo that beset the President before the mission to meet with the Dominion diplomats. While not all he spoke with agreed with him on standing by the principles of including the Romulans and Klingons, they also agreed that a unilateral agreement that barred them from the process would lead to open hostilities...again.

"I'll contact you when I have further news, First Minister," Naron said as he reached forward to cut the comm channel. He sat back in his seat, gripping his temples and wondering why the Prophets were punishing him by putting him in this position at this time. Surely he could not have committed a moral offense this truly terrible. Sighing, he stood and, for the first time since entering the Stardrive, left the quarters and made his way to the Bridge.

Despite everything, he hoped they found Gruzy and the others safe.

Lieutenant Rrawran stood next to Galatea at the Tactical workstation, maneuvering dials and indicators across the display panel. The brief interlude where they had detected what appeared to be a diplomatic transponder had got their hopes up, but something about the whole situation was atypical in his view. The alien Lieutenant clawed at the indicators, turning to the Science Officer as he saw something that got his attention.

"Commander," the universal translator struggled with his race's natural language. "What do you make of this?" He transferred the readouts to the First Officer from nearby. The Defiant was not far away from the source of the message and could intercept far quicker than they, but there was something about the anomaly that didn't seem right to him. It was a large gravimetric distortion.

Snow looked over the data that was transferred to her. Within a few moments she discovered that it was artificial in nature. It seems that it is being used a a multi-spectrum jammer. "Galatea can you review this as well? It seems to be artificial and a jamming device."

Galatea looked at the readouts herself as they traveled, "Hopefully the President is ok. They have been out of communication a long time, and the Defiant has reported they have located the remains of the escort craft." She typed on the panel, looking carefully at the results.

"But no remains of the Spock?" Bishop questioned. If that was indeed so, then the Spock was still out there, probably damaged maybe hiding. Which ked to the next question if they were hiding where would they be? "Galatea, is there anywhere close where the Spock could hide if damaged?"

Interested to here what Galatea had to say, Chire listened intently until an idea popped in her head. "What about other forms of communication. I mean what if they cannot use their comm systems. I did some research on rescue forms of communication at the Academy and would be happy to search the area for any kind of patterns I could pick up?"

"Please be my guest Chire. That's is an excellent suggestion. You may just be on to something." Bishop replied gratefully for the extra help.

"Yes sir," she responded, happy to have something to keep her mind occupied from worrying.

Galatea checked the details on the Tactical Station a second time, looking closely at the data that was being fed to her from all the sensors. She hoped that the Operations Manager was on to something because she was looking forward to getting back to some semblance of normalcy. This mission had felt, to her, like it had been almost an entire year and it had only been less than two weeks from start to finish. It was really starting to mess with her systems and knew it was probably messing with the heads of the crew.

A series of trills erupted from the workstation. The hologram sent the data, "I have a lock on the signal, Captain. The vessel is six light years away. I am registering energy discharges."

Rrawran looked at the Captain, "If we use the Coaxial Drive at maximum we can be there in less than a minute."

"Sir, I have a reading on those energy discharges." She stated making a double check. "It looks like the Spock is exchanging blows with a Klingon Battle Cruiser." Snow said with some ice in her tone.

Galatea's subroutines kicked in, "With its support vessels having been found destroyed the Spock is nearly defenseless against the Klingon vessel. Engaging Coaxial Drive."

 

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