Reunification, Part 2

Posted on Sat Oct 17th, 2020 @ 4:53am by Captain Wilkan Targaryen

3,231 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Reunification

“Interface completed,” the Engineer reported as the away team reached the airlock. “We have been able to access the Romulan airlock controls and you now have access to the vessel.”

First Officer Guri zh’Aald looked at the Engineer, “Thank you. Will you remain here to monitor the entrance with the Security Team?” The Andorian asked as two of the Security Officers moved into position nearby.

The Engineer shook his head, “Existing tasks have higher priority and core functions have been neglected by this assignment. I will be returning to those responsibilities.”

The spider-like Chief Engineer of the Enterprise, Lieutenant Commander Krimik, let out her species version of a sigh. “Override on my authority. Authorization: Krimik 8 Tango 0 Sierra,” the mechanized voice of the universal translator commanded above the clicks of the Commander’s species.

“Override accepted,” the Engineer answered, “support ticket added to queue with priority.”

As the Commander looked back at the Chief Engineer several of the alien’s appendages lifted in her version of a shrug, “Engineering holograms can be cantankerous. With a ship this size and as rushed as her relaunch was we need them.”

“I’m not complaining,” the XO replied and then moved on to address the entire away team. “The Romulan colony ship we’re boarding is a robot ship that is on an unknown mission and we’re going to find out exactly what that mission is. We have no way of knowing the crew complement or armaments of this vessel because of a sensor reflective hull. Phasers are to be set to heavy stun setting. I’ll take point; security guards you have the rear.”

“Ma’am,” one of the guards asked up, “what are our engagement protocols?”

It was a good question. They were effectively boarding a vessel operating in its own territory for no good reason except to see if there was stolen Federation technology aboard. It was certainly an interstellar incident and, more than likely, they were just going to add to it. There was only one applicable answer, “If someone shoots at you then shoot back.” There were some light chuckles as she tapped her combadge, “zh’Aald to Admiral Teagarden.”

“Go ahead.”

“We’re entering the Romulan ship,” she said nodding to the hologram as permission to open the door.

“Understood and approved. Keep an open communications line to the Bridge at all times. Each of you. Teagarden out.”

The ebony skinned Deltan Science Officer sighed, “He’s been a barrel of laughs since this mission started.”

Rrawran, surprisingly, agreed. He and Science Officer Jakali rarely saw eye to eye ever since the incident on the Orion Pirate vessel, but this was one instance where they couldn’t avoid the truth. The mechanical voice of his translator played over the growls and howls of his species’ language, “I’ve served with the Admiral for a very long time. I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Might I remind you that this conversation is on the record,” the Andorian Executive Officer added. “Let’s keep the speculation to a minimum – at least as far as the Admiral’s actions are concerned. Let’s go,” she ordered as she lifted her phaser pistol and started across the airlock tunnel.

No matter how many times she crossed through the airlocks of the Enterprise she was always a little unnerved by the whole experience. Her antennae betrayed that fact as they crossed the transparent aluminum gangway toward the small, emerald green starship. The Romulan vessel looked like a smaller version of the massive warbird, the only difference being that it was a solid ship rather than having the null space in the center of the design. The gangway was attached to a small airlock on the side of the head of the ship. As planned the door opened when they reached it to reveal darkness beyond.

Jakali’s tricorder chirped as the lights came online inside the Romulan ship, “I’m reading minimal atmosphere and life support ahead, Commander.”

“Strange for a colony ship,” the humanoid spider interrupted.

Guri looked at the Chief Medical Officer, “Can we proceed, Doc?”

The Caitian Doctor nodded, “It’s a little thin but we can manage it. We’ll just need to keep our tricorders on active monitoring.”

“I’d recommend that either way,” the Security Chief retorted. “This is a starship of a hostile power to ours.”

“That had its life support set to off,” Jakali said annoyed. “I doubt that the Romulans are going to pop out and start shooting at us in space suits.”

The Enterprise’s First Officer didn’t appreciate this discord. She’d reviewed the history of Lieutenants Rrawran and Jakali and had tried to get at least one of them reassigned, but was overruled because of their past successes. The truth was that having them together on away missions like this was the problem. Jakali’s parents had been killed by Rrawran while he was on an undercover mission. Them together was a personnel nightmare and Starfleet still approved it.

“We can’t rule anything out. Commander Krimik can you get access to the computer for me? I want to see what we can find out about this ship and her mission.”

The Chief Engineer nodded as all eight of her eyes blinked. She looked through the corridors and found a small workstation built into the wall of the hallway. As she started working, the upper appendages of her body all racing across the panel, the rest of the away team stood near the entrance waiting.

Another series of beeps, this time from Doctor Fula’s medical tricorder, interrupted them. The golden furred lion checked the readouts on his screen, “I’m detecting lifesigns from nearby. Nearly 2,500...”

It was the Security Chief who spoke next, “Where?”

With her furred hand she pecked at the controls of the scanner, “I can’t pin them down but close by. It looks like they’re together.”

It took a moment but she shook her head in disgust. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, but I can’t access the computers from here. We’re going to need to get to a command node either on the Bridge or in the Engine Room.”

Guri sighed as she looked amongst the group, “Of course it couldn’t be that easy for us. We’re going to divide into teams. Myself, Mister Rrawran, Engineer Krimik, and Crewman Suder will go to the Bridge to try to interface with the computer system. The rest of you will pursue Doctor Fula’s indeterminate lifesigns. Maintain open communications lines just as before. Report anything of concern immediately and, most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

As the two teams started to disperse, Commander zh’Aald glanced back at the other team as they headed toward the access tube at the far edge of the corridor. For a brief moment she considered stopping them and scrubbing this whole mission because, deep down, a momentary twinge of fear spread throughout her entire being. Something told her that the other team was about to make a discovery far more devastating than anyone could imagine, but it was already too late.

***

Doctor Fula was the last one to climb out of the accessed shaft. The Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise sighed as he looked around the dim corridor and was thankful for his natural Caitian senses. The Doctor looked carefully around at the rest of his team as he joined them on the deck. Lifting his tricorder he tapped at the controls, “Readings show that the lifesigns are mainly on this deck near the central nexus.”

Lieutenant Jakali looked around the corridor. To help she switched on the palm beacon attached to the back of her hand, “I can’t believe how dark it is on this ship.”

“You may want to shut that off,” one of the Security Officers – a Bajoran – recommended.

“Why is that, Ensign?” The Science Officer asked as she walked.

He pointed, “You just gave a Romulan something to target.”

Jakali sighed, “Like I said to your boss a few minutes ago. Life support was on
minimum levels when we came aboard this ship. Unless the Romulans are running
around in spacesuits then we’re not at much of a risk.”

“We are if the ship is crewed by Remans,” the Bajoran pointed out. “Very low oxygen needs and they can thrive in less light than even this.”

The Deltan Lieutenant pondered it for a moment, “Then I’ll just shine my light in their eyes before I fire.”

The other guard chuckled and Doctor Fula couldn’t stop himself either. “She has a point,” the Caitian relented.

“I still don’t like it,” the Bajoran answered. “But you’re in operational command of this group. I’ll defer to your judgement.” The Ensign shifted his phaser rifle, “And I’ll try to hit the enemy before they can shoot you, Lieutenant.”

“All I ask,” the Scientist teased. She walked alongside the Doctor, “Anything?”

“Nothing more than what I just said,” the mechanized voice of their Chief Medical Officer answered. The translator matrix struggled for a moment with the purrs and meows of his language as they walked. “I don’t read Romulan so I’m afraid I’m not too familiar with where we’re going.”

Jakali looked at the screens, “Terraforming bay.”

The lionesque alien looked at the Deltan, “Excuse me?”

“I can read and speak Romulan,” she answered as they walked. “We’re heading toward the terraforming bay according to the directional markers.”

“You didn’t think to tell any of us that you could speak Romulan when we came aboard?” The Doctor asked as they turned a corridor.

She shrugged in the lowlight, “Didn’t come up.”

The Bajoran Security Officer’s tricorder beeped rapidly. He reached down and slid open the unit to look at the readout, “We’re here.”

The two guards took position on opposite sides of the doors. The two scientists were motioned to stay behind the Bajoran as the other guard manipulated the controls. After sitting a small disk on the panel a series of beeps erupted amid flashes of red light blinking on the console top. With a hiss the terraforming bay doors opened.

The guards were the first ones in. Their phaser rifles were drawn and were pointed forward, prepared for any enemy force that would come for them. After a moment the Bajoran called out, “It’s clear. You can enter.”

Doctor Fula complied and came around the corner into the cavernous bay. Surveying the room he carefully studied, but only one phrase could come to his mind. “Oh my God.”

***

If this mission had been his and his alone to undertake then Lieutenant Rrawran would’ve taken the decks of the Romulan ship on all fours. It hadn’t taken too long for the foursome to reach the Bridge of the Colony Ship, but it would’ve been freeing for him to have been natural. His species, the Rorwoor, were descended from what the Humans called wolves and – while they evolved to be bipedal – sometimes the old ways were just better.

“We need to interface with their computers,” Commander zh’Aald directed. “Chief, see what you can do.”

He almost answered before remembering that the Commander was talking with the Chief Engineer. There was something about Commander Krimik that gave Rrawran the willies. Her being an Arachnean may’ve had something to do with it. Her species were descendants of spiders and her species kept a lot of the characteristics of their forbearers. She had eight appendages and, more frightening, from what he’d been told she could spin intricate webs that could trap even the largest of creatures if she needed to. There were a couple of rumors about her making a nest deep within the Jeffries Tubes beneath Engineering one time and spending a lot of time down there. If anyone ever went missing he’d surely check there for them.

Rrawran studied the terminals in the small, triangular Bridge. There were only three workstations located in the center of the room and Commander Krimik had taken up shop at all of them due to their proximity. The dog-like alien glanced at the labels on the consoles, determining what they were. It had been a long time since he’d studied Romulan ships, but he knew enough to get by.

“Looks like they’re pretty streamlined aboard this ship,” the mechanical voice of his translator interpreted from his growls. “I only see an Engineering, Navigation, and Operations configuration for these stations.”

The Andorian XO added, “No Tactical or Security workstation?”

He shook his head, “My Romulan’s a little rusty but I don’t think I’m wrong. Besides, since this is a Colony ship, they’re probably not outfitted with weapons. Security functions could be easily completed from the Ops console, same with sensor analysis.”

“Fortunately I can answer a bit more of your questions,” the spider-like alien interjected. “We’re aboard the Gevius – a Cenian Class passenger transport – currently assigned to the Tal Shiar.”

Guri was instantly on alert, “The Romulan Intelligence Bureau? What’s her mission?”

The Engineer’s appendages worked each console, “I can’t get into that. She’s a completely automated vessel. No standing crew complement aside from the ship’s AI. I’m trying to access the navigation logs now to see where she’s going.”

“If there’s no crew then what were the lifesigns that Team 2’s pursuing?” The Saurian Security Guard they brought along asked.

“Unknown,” the Commander answered as she manipulated the workstations. “I’m going to access the passenger records after I get into the navigational records, but they are both still encrypted.”

Zh’Aald crossed her arms, “What timeframe do you need?”

Her six other arms rushed over the other panels, “Should just be another few minutes. You know there’s one thing I’m just not too sure of.”

The XO took the bait, “That is?”

“Why is the AI letting us do this? It’s one of the most capable and effective artificial intelligences that the Romulans have to offer and it’s pretty much given us free reign so far. It just doesn’t make sense,” the Engineer pointed out.

“We pumped the area with interference,” Rrawran added. “Could that have messed with it?”

One of her many eyes seemed to turn toward the Security Chief as she kept working, “Maybe. It’s just odd.”

“Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth and we can worry about it later. For now we need to get the Admiral his answers and get back to the Enterprise. I want off this Haunted House as soon as possible.”

It was the Saurian who interrupted this time, “The Gevius – not the Haunted House.”

“I was being sarcastic,” she answered. “I know it’s not named the Haunted House.”

The Saurian nodded, “Sorry, Ma’am, I know that I can be too literal. I just wanted to make sure that…”

“Fula to Commander zh’Aald.”

“It’s fine,” The Andorian lifted her ice blue fingers to her communicator, “this is zh’Aald.”

“Commander we’ve found something interesting in the Terraforming Bay. You’re going to want to see this.”

Zh’Aald walked toward the door, “Is it serious?”

“Interesting.”

“I’m on my way,” she said tapping her communicator. “I’ll be in the Terraforming bay. Mister Literal why don’t you come with me so that Commander Krimik and Mister Rrawran can break the Romulan encryption.”

The Engineer interrupted, “I may have one answer for you.”

As the Saurian stood next to her, zh’Aald’s antennae moved amid her snow white hair, “Don’t keep me in suspense.”

“This ship was on its way to the Nova Roma System,” the Engineer reported. “It’s not the only one either. I’m detecting evidence of no less than 100 ships have launched on the same course in the last week.”

“So we know that these ships are going to the Capitol. The question is why,” the Security Chief interjected.

It was the XO that finished, “That’s up to the two of you to find out. Keep at it. We’ll be in the Terraforming bay.”

***

It only took a few minutes for Commander Guri zh’Aald and her Saurian guard to navigate through the Romulan transport vessel to the Terraforming bay. The ship was large, but it wasn’t too difficult to traverse and the Romulans seemed intent on ensuring that their colony ships were built to be as uncomplicated as possible. As one of the largest compartments in the ship the Terraforming bay also extended up to the same level as the command deck.

Despite everything there was still something about all this that was rubbing the Commander the wrong way. This had been too easy so far. In this short amount of time they’d disabled the Romulan ship, boarded her, and accessed her main computer systems. Now the second team had found something. If the Romulans were stealing Federation technology they surely weren’t doing a lot to hide it.

Though the Romulans really couldn’t afford to do much to hide these days. Ever since the Hobus event they were little more than a third rate power in the galaxy. They’d once been a superpower on the level of both the Federation and the Klingons, but now they were barely able to feed their own people. Plus half of their worlds had fled to form their own government in recent years and they were thriving. It was amazing to think about how different the galaxy had become for them in such a short space and time. The only thing that the Star Empire really had going for them at this point were they’d convinced the Vulcans to unify with them and leave the Federation behind.

It still gave her goosebumps. It was only a few days ago when the Enterprise watched the Gal Gath’thong decloak in orbit over Earth and that they watched the reunification announcement by Praetor Tei. It was only seconds later that the XO at the time rescinded her commission and Guri was elevated to the role. She was in the most envied role, aside from Captain of the Enterprise, in Starfleet and she’d given it all away. These were certainly frightening times.

The doors to the Terraforming bay slid open on command and they were immediately greeted to the sight of team two and what were easily 2,500 stasis chambers. They were Federation design, illegal but not the worst thing that they could find. “I take it that this is what you wanted to show me,” zh’Aald commented to the sea of chambers.

Doctor Fula shook his maned head, “Afraid not.”

“Then what is it?” She asked as she walked closer to them. “They stole twenty-five hundred stasis pods. It’s not the end of the galaxy, but was illegal. Unless they’re filled with people…”

“Ding, ding, ding,” Jakali joked.

Guri’s antennae perked up, “They’re filled with people?”

“Not just any people,” the Caitian said as he ran his furry hand over the frost on the viewport window, “Vulcans…”

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