Lt. Cmdr Robin Hopper – I’ve Got To Run Away, I’ve Got To Get Away
Robin Hopper
((Shuttlebay, Section Beta – Amity Outpost))
Hopper didn’t frequent Amity’s shuttlebay all that often. Even less so, particularly, since her fiancé – no, her husband… that was going to take some getting used to – had been transferred to the USS Shelby to serve as the Ambassador’s pet Chief Engineer. Something about the bay, the smallcraft, inevitably took her back to memories of ‘the good times’ previous and, while she was sure she would get over it with time, for now it all still felt raw…
Nonetheless, her presence had been requested, and she wasn’t about to tell Wil that she didn’t want to do any part of her job because the shuttles made her feel sad. That was not, in her own estimation, a valid excuse for a First Officer to turn down a summons from her Skipper.
As she approached, she found Wil and Stros standing by the Talon Class scouts, seemingly admiring them. Rolling her eyes and scoffing quietly, she pressed onward, coming up behind them quietly – the whir of her bionic leg likely the only ‘giveaway’ to her arrival. The two men continued to stare at their toys.
Ukinix: Tell me about the upgrades?
Stros: I have upgraded the Talon’s hull plating with a coating of a neodymium compound to assist in the repulsion of certain metals within asteroids. Adjustments needed to be made to the deflector systems to compensate for the changes in hull material. I’ve also gone ahead and made some updates on the software side to improve sensor range and resolution. ::Chuckling slightly:: And the Impulse Engines were still the mark one variant. I took the liberty of upgrading them to the mark four impulse generators.
In truth, Robin knew her distaste for Stros was mostly unwarranted. It wasn’t his fault that Ambassador Turnbull had shown up on a newly-launched ship without her crew properly sorted, or that she had decided to steal Amity’s best guy away. No, Stros wasn’t responsible for Nathan’s departure – but Robin still couldn’t help but see his face as the face of her loneliness, irrational as that was.
Hopper: Everything purely by the book, I assume? Hopefully we’re not getting too creative with those modifications, Lieutenant Commander.
It didn’t help that she also had legitimate reasons to doubt Stros’ integrity. His role in the Interlink Program being chief among them. It was hard not to hold a grudge when somebody’s invention tries to kill you.
Wil nodded, rubbing a hand along the Daintree’s hull before turning around to face them.
Ukinix: Well, it’s a welcome upgrade. Stros, I’ll admit I had my doubts about you when we first encountered you at Whispering Wall, but it’s been wonderful to have you here. ::To Robin:: Wouldn’t you agree, Commander?
She could feel Stros’ bushy eyebrow raising before she even glanced, sideways, towards him.
Hopper: Oh, wouldn’t, aye.
Nothing like a little tongue-in-cheek wordplay to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.
Stros: Well, I have certainly enjoyed my time here aboard the outpost.
Ukinix: If it wasn’t for Stros, we wouldn’t have found out about these upgrades for a year. At least.
Stros: I was simply doing my duty as your Chief of Operations, sir.
Ironically, she found Stros’ answer to Wil’s praise pretty agreeable. She didn’t feel like he really deserved praise being heaped on him for doing what was expected of him – keeping their machines working and up to date – but she did appreciate that, at least, he seemed to have a reasonable perspective about it all. Stros was many annoying things but he was not arrogant. That was something.
Hopper: Well, that’s all we can really ask of you, isn’t it? ::Pursing her lips:: Actually, these upgrades should come in handy. As you know, we’ve been trying to work out a method for mitigating the effects of warp travel through the region on the raw benamite deposits in the asteroids. The neodynium coating and deflector adjustments should help to–
Their conversation was interrupted by a call over Wil’s combadge.
Ops: =/\= Commander Ukinix, we’ve received a distress signal from a vessel point one lightyears away. Long range scanners haven’t detected any vessel near there for several weeks. =/\=
((OOC – Distance updated because the CO did not do his math before writing “two systems away”))
Ukinix: =/\= Any idea who it is? =/\=
Ops: =/\= None Commander. It’s an automated signal, no identifying markers, no message... nothing. Shall we dispatch a vessel to investigate? =/\=
Robin’s brow furrowed. Stros, too, seemed perplexed by the unusual circumstances. Wil was inexplicably smiling.
oO Oh crap. Oo
Ukinix: =/\= Yes you shall. And it will be myself, Commander Hopper, and Commander Stros investigating. =/\=
Ops: =/\= ... sir? =/\=
Now Stros was smiling too. oO Double crap. Where’s the chief HCO when you need her to talk some sense into these frat boys? Oo
Stros: =/\= You heard the man. The Daintree will be leaving berth in ten. =/\=
Hopper: Ahem. Skipper, are you sure this is a good idea?
Seeing that Wil and Stros were both eagerly preparing to leave despite her protestations, Robin weighed the risks and decided they stood a better chance if she went along. Taking a quick, deep, breath through her nose, Robin’s posture straightened up and tapped her badge as well.
Hopper: =/\= Load the latest data on the distress signal and the surrounding area into the shuttle’s computer. =/\= If we’re going to go poking around, we should at least have a clear idea of what's out there.
Ukinix: Well, then “leftenant” commanders, as I’ve been told I should be pronouncing it given where I’m from. Get your arses on board. Want me to take helm?
Stros: If we plan on returning in one piece, perhaps I should take that honor, sir.
Stros was already off like a shot, heading towards the hatch – maybe a good call, given Wil’s offer. Robin didn’t know who she trusted more at the helm, but at least she hadn’t seen Stros’ flying up close and personal yet to be scared of anything specific.
Hopper: I’m happy to take one of the science stations and keep an eye on our sensor readings. Wil, maybe you should take tactical – given the circumstances, it might not hurt to be prepared?
The trio made their way into the vessel and towards the various stations they had each selected for themselves. Stros, at the con, was on the opposite end of the ship’s forward compartment from Robin, which suited her fine.
While Stros and Wil ran their preliminary checks, Robin began taking a look at the data sent from Ops. The distress signal was, in many ways, about as nondescript as one could find. A stripped down signal comprising nothing but a repeating radio-frequency acoustical beacon… low-tech. Robin couldn’t help but wonder if it was from a ship with more primitive technology or if someone was deliberately trying to mask their identity – a question that would need to wait for the time-being.
Stros: All systems showing green, Commander. Receiving departure authorization from Ops now.
Hopper: And I have transferred a flight path that should get us to the location of the beacon as quickly as possible while avoiding the highest concentrations of benamite in the field. Neurodynium upgrades or not, I’d rather not tempt fate.
One unexpected run-in with a micro-singularity in the asteroid field was enough for her. She was not eager for a repeated encounter.
Ukinix: Response
With their pre-flight checks complete, and a route planned, the shuttle hummed to life as the impulse engines and thrusters activated.
Stros: I should perhaps quote regulation on the station’s command division leaving the station unattended…but I don’t think I will. ::Turning towards the others:: This is much more exciting, wouldn’t you say?
Hopper: “Exciting” isn’t the word I would choose. oO Reckless? Stupid? Oo However, the regs don’t explicitly prohibit this sort of away team composition, they merely recommend against it. Strongly. ::An unamused look at Wil:: Technically, it’s up to the CO’s discretion.
Ukinix: Response
Robin nodded wryly. Stros turned back to the viewscreen with an audible deep breath.
Stros: Authorization received. Destination… ::Pointing towards the shuttlebay doors, a smile crossing his face:: Out there.
Ukinix: Response
((A Few Hours Later… ))
During the voyage, Robin had busied herself running a variety of exolinguistic and computational analyses on the distress signal, with no luck. Both she and the computer were having no luck making heads nor tails of its origins – it was simply too rudimentary to extrapolate a culture of origin. As far as she could tell, it was as likely to be Hirogen as it was to be Talaxian or even Vulcan…
Hopper: Skipper, we’re nearing the point of origin for the signal – still receiving it on the lower-level subspace bands, but the drop off in bandwidth suggests whatever is sending it may be losing power…
Ukinix/Stros: Response
As the ship dropped out of warp, Robin’s eyes found themselves drawn away from the waveforms, graphs, and numbers displayed on the console in front of her and towards the viewscreen at the front of the shuttle. Looking past Stros, she squinted at the shape that was slowly coming into view as they neared at sub-light speeds. It appeared to be floating in space, listless and gently spinning at random.
Hopper: Based on its size and the lack of warp engines, I’d guess it’s an escape pod of some kind. ::Thinking:: Stros, can you increase magnification? Get us a clearer view of that thing’s hull?
Ukinix/Stros: Response
She began running a more detailed scan of the craft’s hull composition – metallurgical and radiometric analyses – hoping they could figure out who this escape pod belonged to and what they might expect to find aboard.
Hopper: I’m not reading any lifesigns. Whoever activated the distress call… They may not have survived – that or they don’t read as ‘alive’. ::Pause, pursing her lips:: I don’t know which option is creepier.
Ukinix/Stros: Response
TBC
