In Harm's Way

Posted on Fri Dec 4th, 2020 @ 5:25am by Captain Wilkan Targaryen & Galatea & Captain Nathan Bishop & Commander Nathan Hawkins & Commander Ash Randall & Lieutenant Commander T'Lisha "Hawkeye" Bishara & Patton O'Sullivan & Lieutenant Commander Lily Snow PhD, MD

2,298 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Cheese
Location: Bridge, Starfleet One
Timeline: 2430-08-29, 18:00

Commander Galatea stood next to her station on the Bridge of Starfleet One monitoring the readouts from the various ship systems. Six months had passed since their diplomatic mission to the Dominion and many of the ship's crew had still not fully recovered from the effects of that day. The Federation may have scored a major breakthrough by establishing peace with the Dominion, but the devastating attack upon the Starship Spock had rocked many of them to their core. The effects could still be felt today.

Starfleet One felt different, it was more quiet and subdued than it once was. Back when the hustle and bustle surrounded them she had hoped that things would slow down so that they could all take a breath. Now that it had happened she missed the crazy that was the norm for this ship and crew. She missed the fast paced adventure that they encountered on the day to day as the ship boldly went representing the Federation and its aims.

Currently they were in orbit of the Klingon Homeworld. The President had been invited to a diplomatic conference between himself and the Klingon Chancellor. Ever since it was uncovered that the Klingons had been behind the attack upon the Spock the Chancellor had been pleading the Empire's innocence. They had just concluded a diplomatic mission where the President himself had agreed to travel to meet with the Chancellor to discuss the current environment they were all living in. The situation was tense and everyone was on edge. With the President at the High Council it was a perfect opportunity for the Klingons to strike again if they felt the desire to do so. They were a little better protected this time around though. They had been at Yellow Alert since they entered Klingon Space and their mission support vessels - four Inquiry Class Battlecruisers - were in a diamond slot formation alongside them waiting to defend if necessary.

A series of beeps rang from the workstation, "The Transporter Room reports that the President and the away team are back aboard, Sir."

Bishop nodded, "Very good." Relief evident in his voice at the news. He felt much better with the President and the away team aboard the Enterprise where they could be protected.

T'Lisha was glad to hear that the President and away team were safely onboard. The whole time she had SF1 in orbit around Quono's, she was worried about the President and AT. She had faith in the Klingon Ambassador Mok'leth, and that his voice would bring calm and help in the talks or whatever was going on.

At his station Hawkins rolled his stiff shoulders to ease out the tension. News of they'll safe return would help eliminate the knots in his abdomen it was still lightyears away from restoring his confidence in they'll alliance and peace. The crippling strike upon the Spock had shaken his respect and belief in Klingon's promises, though, naturally they denied everything and the evidence from the Spock wasn't enough to prove anything substernal. He relayed the President's return to their support vessels as it was likely they'd be underway soon.

"Teagarden to Bridge."

Sitting in the center seat, Bishop replied instantly, "Bishop here Admiral."

"Set course to take us back to Earth," the disembodied voice of the Admiral ordered. "Warp 8."

"Aye sir. Warp eight." Bishop replied as the channel closed. He looked to T'Lisha, "You heard the Admiral T'Lisha, warp eight back to Earth."

Commander Randall looked up from her engineering station for a second or two and then went back to what she had been doing. Warp was available and all systems were go. **Nothing to see here.** She thought to herself. Six months on from the Dominion alliance and the attempt to...well, Ash wasn't sure what the intent was where the attack on the Spock was concerned, the Chief Engineer was still...unsettled.

Galatea moved around the Bridge from the upper level workstations studying the different actions of the crew. The hologram tugged on her replica of a uniform as she watched, relieved at how capable the crew of the ship were as they started on their voyage back from the Klingon Homeworld. She was still a little unsettled by it as the Klingons were still believed to have been behind the attacks upon the Spock.

"Do you think that the Admiral would be opposed to a higher speed?" Galatea asked as she walked near the Engineering workstation.

"Your guess would be as good as mine." Commander Randall responded, quietly. "Ordering Warp 8, to my mind, signals to the Klingon's we're making an expeditious exit from their territory without it appearing we are hurrying because we are afraid something might happen." She added, while she brought up a navigation chart that showed where they currently were relative to where the border of the Klingon territory was. "If you are concerned of an attack similar to what happened to the Spock and its escorts, it is unlikely to happen before we leave Klingon space. I see a great likelihood that there is a small cloud of cloaked Klingon vessels making sure we are unmolested while in their territory." She observed, in a speculative manner.

"Perhaps we should be running anti-cloak scans then," the AI mused as she still remained near the Engineering consoles. She sounded like she was joking, but was being serious. She wondered what the others - maybe even Commander Snow - thought about such a likelihood.

Patton felt it was a part of his job not only to keep an eye out for trouble from other ships but to also listen to what was going on while he was on the bridge. “I believe that running those scans would be an excellent plan.”

Having relayed the destination their security escorts Hawkins peered over his shoulder at the others. "No harm in being cautious," he agreed. "I'd like to think we're better prepared for any assault this time."

"Commander Snow your thoughts?"

Snow had already been running various anti-cloaked scans. "Nothing in the area that is cloaked." She said with some of her normal chillness in her voice.

"Good to know," Galatea said with a smirk. She had a feeling that the Chief Science Officer had been running the scans already. Commander Snow was excellent at her job. They were lucky to have her.

Snow simple nodded at the hologram, as if she knew what she was thinking. "If you need something more let me know." She said as her attention went back to her console.

Turning back Hawkins rolled his eyes at the two women exchanged notes with some sort of vague pleasantries.

A series of trills and beeps delayed their discussion. Galatea turned toward the communications workstation and a younger officer, a Boslic, rapidly typed on the console. She looked concerned by what she was seeing and turned away with a strange look on her face, "Captain, I don't believe it but we're receiving a priority one transmission from Vulcan."

That was something none of them would have expected to hear. Vulcan - one of the founding worlds of the Federation - had long ago declared reunification with their Romulan cousins. They had left the Federation and had become part of the Romulan Free State. Any communication from them was a surprise, not to mention a potential risk.

"Vulcan?" Bishop questioned a frankly skeptical look on his face. "Now, that is unusual, wouldn't you agree Galatea? Go ahead and put it through. Lets hear the message." Bishop told the AI.

Galatea nodded to the Boslic, who in turn pecked the control for the communications array. "Audio only," the violet haired alien announced as she opened the channel.

The main viewscreen minimized the live sensor feed and replaced it with an audio waveform on the screen. A deep voice came over the loudspeaker, "Cheese." The message then terminated.

Commander Randall looked up from her work station for a second or two and then back to monitoring. Whatever the message was, it wasn't for her.

Galatea was, oddly enough, the first one to question it, "What the Hell does that mean? Some kind of spam message? Should we run a diagnostic to make sure they aren't trying to hack our systems?"

"I don't think so Galatea however please run a diagnostic to make sure our systems weren't hacked." Bishop replied to the AI. "As to the meaning and using the word cheese maybe it's meant to to entice us like cheese is used to entice a meal." He suggested.

"Or to set a mouse trap," Hawkins added softly from his station. He was equally confused by the message but unlike Galatea or Bishop he wasn't convinced this a malicious attack, more likely something above their security clearance.

Bishop glanced over at Hawkins and nodded. "Good point Nathan, could very well be to set a mouse trap. One thing is for sure, we need more information than we have right now."

Commander Randall listened and considered what they already knew and what they could surmise. What they knew was that a one word message, originating from Vulcan, was directed to Star Fleet One, formerly the Enterprise, and perhaps others. The message was received. One could surmise that the message was intended for a specific individual aboard the vessel, otherwise, why send it to this ship when there were hundreds of other vessels and installations it could just as easily been directed to, if not all of them, and may well have. One could also surmise that the, one word message, was a code word and was meant to convey specific information to the recipient, whoever that might be. The Chief Engineer mentally shrugged. "Cheese." She said aloud, quietly. "Did the entire quadrant receive this message or just Star Fleet One?" She asked, no one in particular.

The Boslic Officer pulled up a menu on her workstation. Brushing aside a lock of her violet colored hair, a nervous tick she'd long ago acquired, she looked at the readouts on the screen. It took a moment but she answered, "It looks like it came directly to us."

"Then I submit that the message, 'Cheese', is intended for someone thought, by the sender, to be on board this ship and is supposed to know what it means." Ash observed, while she went back to her work.

Galatea thought about it, "The question then becomes who exactly should be receiving the message." She looked at the Captain and around the Bridge, "Anyone y'all know?"

"Judging by our faces Galatea," Hawkins turned fully. "It's certainly not for one of us. Realistically as this message was sent directly to Starfleet One, not the Enterprise its intended recipient would be Mister President, a member of this aids or even Admiral Teagarden."

“It seems like we aren’t going to know unless the person it is meant for retrieves it or makes a move,” Patton spoke up. “It is obviously not us, the question remains finding out who and doing what we can so ascertain that.”

Galatea stood at the console near the Captain's Chair. She relented, "We need to inform the Admiral. He may be aware of what is going on or the origins."

Ash nodded agreement with that statement. The Admiral might know what the one word message meant. Would he let on it had some kind of meaning to him? Who knew? It really depended upon what information, what message, it was meant to convey and what sequence of events it was intended to kick off. One word messages were, usually, a go code for a predetermined plan of action. What cheese really means? The chief engineer couldn't, really, guess and wasn't about to try and find out. She didn't want to know. "Pass it on, forget we ever heard it and never discuss it again?" The engineer asked. It came out as a question but sounded a lot like a suggestion.

"No." Bishop answered firmly. "We can't run the risk that this a legitimate call for assistance. We pass it on to the Admiral and we wait and see how he wants to pursue this or just ignore it." He jabbed at a button on the arm of the command chair. "Admiral, will you come to the bridge please? Have something you need to hear."

The Admiral replied a moment or so after, "Unfortunately I'm currently in a meeting with Starfleet Command, Captain. Please route the message to my Quarters. I will take a look at it after my meeting. In the mean time please maintain course and speed to take us back to Earth."

Bishop looked at the others on the bridge before replying. "Then may I suggest Admiral that you listen to the message as soon as you are finished with your meeting with Command? It won't take you long to listen to it."

"I already plan to. Teagarden out."

"Captain Bishop. Maybe we could just send him a transcript of the message, in its entirety, so the Admiral can review it while he's on with Starfleet Command?" Commander Randall suggested, with a dead-pan, expression. If the Engineer was joking, there was absolutely no indication in her voice or expression.

Galatea smirked at the recommendation, "I've heard worse suggestions. He'd get irritated if we did though. Probably best to just leave well enough alone and stay steady as she goes?"

Snow just sighs at the conversation on the bridge. She was curious about the one word message sent to the ship directly, but not to anyone specific. So she started to run a search on any phrases used by Intelligence Personnel, especially from Vulcans.

Within thirty seconds a notice appeared on her screen linking the code name Cheese to Rear Admiral Gregory Coulson.

RSS Feed