[TEASER] Dawn

[richyulin]

((Command Tent, New Risa Resort and Spa -- Day 105))

::It had been more than five hours since Teller and Ukinix had entered the Captain’s tent, followed closely behind by Jhalib Ekal.  The small crowd of curious crewmen grew as snippets of excited conversation leaked outwards. Runners were sent with working PADDs back to the beach to retrieve Teller’s diagrams and hastily scribbled formulas, then just as quickly dismissed from the tent without further explanation.::

::There was a palpable air of anticipation from the gathered crowd who struggled to catch any hint of what was going on.  Rumors, the only natural phenomenon that traveled faster than the speed of light, were spreading through the camp like wildfire.   Beyond the tent flap, people could occasionally see Teller frantically pacing back and forth, pointing to PADDs and drawings that now covered the walls.  The Captain and Ekal had their heads together at a small table, looks of intense concentration on their faces as they worked at PADDs of their own, crunching numbers.  Commander Delano and Ukinix meanwhile were standing near a makeshift whiteboard made out of a salvaged escape pod hull panel. Both men were scribbling notes on a diagram of the timeline that had been etched into the metal. Ideas were discussed, dismissed, revived, dissected, reformed, agonized over.::

::After several hours, crewmen brought jugs of water and food to the edge of the tent but dared not enter, leaving it at the entrance where it sat ignored by those within.  Night fell. Lanterns and campfires were ignited as the crowd continued to swell. The mess tent served people where they sat on the sand, excitedly whispering to one another.  No one wanted to risk disrupting whatever was happening within. No one dared leave. No one slept. Even the local wildlife was unusually quiet in the face of such a gathering.::

::As dawn broke, crew members began stirring as they could hear the tenor of the conversation within winding down.  First, Ekal exited the tent, and shortly after, Teller and Ukinix emerged, both with deep rings of exhaustion under their eyes, still rapidly talking in voices that had long ago gone hoarse. They stopped short and were instantly bewildered by the expectant faces of the entire camp a few feet away.  Teller blinked a few times, coming out of whatever fugue had driven him since his revelation yesterday. He looked back at the command tent, Rahman and Delano still inside, before he nodded back towards the crowd and walked away.::

((Inside the Command Tent))

::Roshanara remained sitting at the table as Evan stood near the scrap of hull paneling, looking over the final timeline they’d outlined. The first officer wore a skeptical expression::

Rahman: Share your thoughts, commander. It's okay. You can tell me it’s a crazy plan.

::She let out a tired chuckle before her own eyes darted over towards the diagram on the hull panel.::

Rahman: I mean, I already think that, so it would be nice to get confirmation.

Delano: It does seem a little… reckless.

::Evan looked to where the engineers had left a few minutes earlier, then back to the captain.::  

Delano: It’s obviously unorthodox. Of course, in lieu of anything better, I’d rather take the chance. The alternative is living the rest of our lives down here. Assuming we can make the camp sustainable, most of the crew will have died of natural causes inside of three weeks of normal time.

::She looked back down at the PADD in front of her that lay on the desk, another diagram, this time of a massive relay that would need to be constructed on the surface to ensure the plan worked.::

Rahman: The enthusiasm of our engineers is infectious, and I don’t doubt their technical ingenuity. But truthfully, this plan will require a lot of good fortune as well.

::Luck. She didn’t like using that word, but that’s what it came down to. Whoever got back aboard Veritas was hoping there was still enough there to work with to execute this plan to dissipate the anomaly around the moon that was causing the temporal differential effect. Even with the extra time they’d get aboard Veritas by sending them back to when the Compass carrying Fleet Captain Kells and Vyrenna first crashed -- day 56 on the surface, minute 80 on the ship -- that still left only three hours before Veritas came crashing down. Which, for those left on the surface, meant their chance of rescue closed on day 180.::

Delano: I’d still rather try.

::She folded her hands together, gesturing with her head for her first officer to sit down in the empty chair across from her.::

Rahman: So if we do this, then we need to decide who’s going with Mr. Ekal.

Delano: If there can only be a total of six people going, I think you should lead the team. You have the most engineering experience of the command staff.

::And, if things went wrong, the captain might be able to escape the time bubble.::

Rahman: Ordinarily, I might agree, but if Lieutenant Teller is accompanying Mr. Ekal, then the ship’s chief engineer will already be aboard. And the crew that remains down here on the surface for possibly the next couple of months or even longer if we’re not so fortunate… they need Captain Rahman more than they do Dr. Rahman… ::She looked into his eyes for a moment.:: I want you to lead the shipboard effort, Commander.

::Evan crossed his arms, looking to the diagram. This might be the first time in history a first officer had argued for his captain to take on a dangerous ‘away’ mission. And the first time a captain had argued that her place was away from her ship. Had the last few months really changed things so much?::

Delano: Captain, unless you expect this to be solved with a photon torpedo, I’m not sure how useful I’ll be up there. You know Veritas’s systems inside and out.

Rahman: You *were* my operations officer before you became XO. I can’t think of anyone else more qualified, who knows that ship and what she’s capable of.

::His expression firmed. She was right, of course. He didn’t know the first thing about propulsion engineering or time dilation bubbles, but he did know the Veritas. If he’d been in her place, he’d probably make the same argument.::

Delano: Your logic is sound, captain. I won’t fight you on it.

::She nodded and then leaned forward a bit.::

Rahman: But I want you to promise me something, Commander. If the plan doesn’t succeed, for whatever reason, and there’s a chance you can still get away on Veritas, you take it. Find a way to get help if you can, but if we’re gone by the time you get back, then move on. Be with your husband again.

::If Delano and Ekal weren’t able to rescue the crew from Veritas, it was very possible that it would take weeks for another capable starship to try and dissipate the anomaly. Even just thirty days would become the equivalent of 82 years on the surface. Needless to say, a couple of months would mean most of the crew would be long dead.::

::The man’s expression fell slightly, but he recovered quickly.::

Delano: I don’t know that I can promise that…

::She raised her eyebrow, amused.::

Rahman: You *did* make a vow, commander. I was there.

Delano: If we leave, everyone will be gone by the time we get help.

::She could tell despite her attempt at levity, the very real consequences of abandoning them were weighing heavy on his mind.::

Rahman: Then you live your life knowing you did the best you could and that you at least got five others off this rock with you rather than confine them to the same fate. That Veritas won't have been lost with all hands.

::He let out a soft sigh. Again, he knew she was right to give the order. He would have expected the same thing had she led the away team instead. But the idea of running away made him feel like a coward.::

Delano: I will do my duty, Captain. But I will also give you all the help I can. Maybe we can beam some supplies down. You’re going to be down here for weeks, even if everything goes well.

Rahman: If you can spare the power, fine, but don't jeopardize your mission. Teller and Ukinix's calculations are based on what little we know of this temporal phenomenon to begin with, and what we *do* know is that the creation of it nearly drained the entire ship of power. There's every reason to believe dissipating it might cost the same.

Delano: I understand.

::Though he was already thinking of things they could do to ensure the “colony” would survive, even in a worst case scenario.::

::She nodded and then stood up, beckoning for him to come join her as she began to head towards the tent's exit.::

Rahman: Cheer up, Evan. Today's a good day. And if this works, we'll probably rename the system for you.

Delano: Every first officer’s dream, Captain.

::She chuckled as he held the door flap open for her as she stepped outside.::

((Outside the Command Tent))

::Outside the command tent, Evan found himself scanning both the anxiously gathered crew and the camp that was slowly but surely becoming a town in its own right. Over the last three months, they had started thinking about what a future on this planet would be like. He had envisioned children like Natalia growing up here. They had done their best to make it a home that they could be comfortable and happy in, despite the circumstances. It had been - still was - a struggle.::

::And now, Evan had to face the fact that no matter what happened, that vision would never come to pass. At least not from the ground. Either the camp would be abandoned in a few weeks, or Evan and his away team would be forced to watch from a high orbit as an entire generation of their friends lived their lives and died in a matter of days. He was surprised to find the notion of even the former bittersweet.::

::Roshanara looked back over at Evan and then out at the crowd that had gathered around the tent.::

Rahman: What's everyone standing around for?

::Across their weathered faces, she could see a mix of exhaustion, and trepidation. Yet there was also hope among them, and beyond the horizon, the sun was rising. How appropriate, she thought, for a new dawn to mark the beginning of their next mission.::

Rahman: ::smiles:: We've got a ship to get back to.

CUE OPENING CREDITS

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UdhrqLdS5kHpZ3e-hh6DeL1Tf2h-fhY5/view?usp=sharing

Commander Evan Delano

First Officer, USS Veritas

T239007ED0

&

Captain Roshanara Rahman

CO, USS Veritas

I238705TZ0

&

Ensign Wil Ukinix

Engineering Officer

USS Veritas

V239511WU0

&

Lieutenant JG Geoffrey Teller

Chief Engineer

USS Veritas - NCC 95035

Capt. R. Rahman, Commanding

V239509GT0