LtCmdr. Shayne: Where's Whittaker? (Columbia)

[Quinn Friedl]

((Bridge - Deck 1, USS Columbia))

::Damn, it felt good to be back at the helm again.::

::By no means was it a permanent arrangement, to his mild discontent. Unless he filled his mind and occupied his hands with work, the allure of assuming his old station would nag at him insistently. But, as Ops Officer, there was no end to the improvements, repairs and necessary connections his position placed at his doorstep. And so, in a moment of relative calm, Shayne decided to slip into the helm, and become accustomed to the ship he’d not yet had the good fortune to pilot. Mandak, now wearing a black collar instead of red, was not present to object to his moment of weakness.::

::So, as the level 1 diagnostic he’d set the station to complete after an update of his making, he allowed himself the small indulgence, and relished the sensation.::

::And yet, there was tension here. Thoran, ostensibly, was the source- though he hid it well, there was no denying his concern. Perhaps it was something only close study could reveal- they were close after all. Perhaps it was a personal issue, or simply the nerves of adjusting to his lofty and laden position. Or… perhaps it was something of deeper concern, something gnawing on his mind that spelled trouble for them all.::

Thoran: Mr Shayne, we’ve not received any word from the Kumari since it departed have we?

::It was a casual inquiry, but then again, there was no such thing as a casual inquiry from the first officer of a starship. Shayne knew the Kumari had been taken out for a test drive by their esteemed captain- Ops granted a certain level of omniscience when it came to the minutiae of the Columbia. The details of this particular excursion, however, were not something Shayne was privy to. Chances were a flight plan had been filed, but checking made him feel rather invasive.::

Shayne: Not that I know of, sir. ::He made an immediate check of the logs, just to make sure his recollection was not playing tricks on him.:: No, sir.

Thoran: Are we able to hail them from this range? What about a subspace message?

::That might be tricky. Their new region, though settled by Dehnir base, still held unknown hazards and difficulties. By now, the yacht could be light years away- their captain, always enthusiastic, would probably like to take this time to feel the Reach instead of simply learning about it from scans and reports. That pioneering spirit- it was going to get him into trouble some day.::

Shayne: I can, sir- but there’s no guarantee he’d pick it up. I’m not detecting him on short range sensors. Should I still put it through?

::As he said it, he realized how steep this particular cliff might be. He wasn’t usually one to ignore the truth of a matter- why else would he be subjected to so much pain?- but perhaps his usually preemptive intuition had demanded action and he’d been unwilling to obey. Had he been so consumed in his own issues and concerns and duties that he’d failed in his mission- to serve?::

Thoran: It's worth a shot.

::Immediately, as if to pay for his earlier blunders of good sense, Shayne began to send a message. Nothing too personal or worrisome- a standard signal requesting an update. Shayne had the sickening feeling that it would fly across the dimension, forever seaking a target it would never find. Pessimism? With Shayne, hardly impossible, but his senses were now buzzing, and though they were often wrong, they were correct just enough of the time to warrant his attention all of the time.::

Thoran: Mr Duyzer, is there any sign of the Kumari on long range sensors?

Duyzer: :: after a few taps on his console :: No, sir.

::Precisely the answer he was hoping to not hear. Then again, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. If long range sensors had picked up the tiny ship, but the Kumari was not responding, the problems could only possibly mount. At best, it was a blown transmitter- hardly likely, given the relative newness of pretty much everything aboard Columbia. At worst… well, the imagination was a torturous place.::

Thoran: Nothing at all? ::More surprised than Pholin thought he would be.:: Mr Pandorn, i’d like you determine the Kumari’s flight path, ascertain its likely current position and send the coordinates to helm. Mr Duyzer, perform a long range sensor sweep of the area.

::Though Shayne felt particularly useless at the moment, he took small twinge in pleasure, seeing Thoran handle the situation so skillfully, so calmly, when the entire crew would be looking to him made Shayne feel ever better about his choice. Jarred really was the man for the job.::

Pandorn: Aye, sir.

Duyzer: Working on it, sir.

::A moment later, his uselessness was paused. Pandorn had sent him the relevant data, and with eager hands that suffered from just the slightest hesitation due to disuse, the information was entered. Just for a moment, the excitement of being an operating helmsman returned, and chilled his skin into goosebumps before the weight of their heavy task layed wholly upon him.::

Thoran: Mr Shayne, lay in a course.

Shayne: Aye, sir.

::Fingers scampered, buttons beeped, and with a spirited, lively whir, Columbia leapt into warp, searing space along her hull. Here was power, here was control. Here, for better or worse, was peace. But the silent anticipation was broken by a rather raucous (at least to his ears) signal from his console.::

Thoran: Mr Shayne, what was that? Have sensors picked something up?

::They had indeed! Something appearing more and more familiar as it was run through the processing software. A grainy, static-filled mess that was beginning to look very much like a..::

::His heart sank.::

Shayne: Aye, sir. This looks like… an automated Federation distress call.

::Indeed. The tone of their mission had just taken a very sudden, very ugly turn. What could have happened? Theo was one of the best officers Shayne had ever seen. What could have befallen him. And… could they have helped?::

Thoran: Are you certain? Can we confirm that the signal is from the Kumari?

Pandorn: ::keeping his attention on his console:: There is considerable interference in the area, sir. It might be the Kumari or not. But it is far off the Kumari's projected course.

::If they were having this much trouble detecting a Federation light craft, and the powerful distress call she was emitting, chances were whatever was interfering with the sensors was having… or had... a deleterious effect on the Kumari.::

Duyzer: The... :: he paused, finding his words :: thing does appear to be Starfleet, sir.

::Even if they were wrong in the end, and the signal was being misinterpreted, it behooved them to make certain, and fast.::

Shayne: Shall I proceed, sir?

Thoran: Mr Shayne, set a course for the signal and advise Starfleet Command. Mr Duyzer, Mr Pandorn, I want all the information you can get me on that area.

::Shayne’s fingers flew across the conn, their previous imperfections lost in the urgency of immediate action.::

Pandorn: Already on it, sir.

Duyzer: Exactly that, sir.

::Shayne was reminded again that there was nothing quite like an alert, attentive crew.::

Thoran: =/\= Commander Thoran to all senior staff. Briefing in thirty minutes in the conference room. Commander Tatash, i’d like you to bring along Lieutenant Pran. =/\=

((Conference Room - Deck 1, USS Columbia))

((Timeskip: Thirty minutes later.))

::Shayne didn’t believe he’d ever been called into two staff meetings so close together- it almost felt like a trespass of time-honored tradition. Yet he was glad most everyone arrived promptly- their situation could afford no delay.::

Thoran: Thank you for your promptness, and apologies for calling you all away from your duties. I’ll keep this as brief as possible. As you maybe aware a few hours ago Captain Whittaker, along with a security officer departed with the Kumari for a test flight. Since then we have had no contact with the captain, and all attempts to contact the Kumari have met without success.

::It had only been thirty or so minutes, but those thoughts had been grasping for purchase in his psyche. Relentless, ferocious optimism, a new and dangerous weapon in Shayne’s ever-expanding arsenal, kept it at bay. Only Thoran’s resigned statement allowed the possibilities that had sought entrance into his stream of thought access. Would this be a tragedy? A launch of somber proportions?::

Thoran: Approximately thirty minutes ago we picked up a series of signals coming from this region, on the edge of the Sagittarius Reach. ::He held up the PADD and tapped in a few commands. Less than a second later, the lights in the room dimmed, and holographic representation of the area appeared above the table, casting a blue glow on the faces of those at the table.:: Long range scans have been unable to determine whether they are being sent from the Kumari. Furthermore based on tactical’s assessment of the Kumari’s flight path, Captain Whittaker would have been far off course to have ended up there. I have ordered a course change and we are currently on our way to investigate. Any questions or concerns so far?

Ezo: ::cautiously:: Have you been able to pinpoint the exact location of the signals...?

::A good question, and one Shayne was surprised they’d been able to dredge up an answer to. Interference in the area seemed to be stifling.:: 

Thoran: From what we can tell we believe there are three possible sources for the signal, although there does seem to be a lot of interference. As such, we’ll be sending down three teams. Extra equipment may be necessary, including the use of shuttles over transporters; however that will be confirmed on arrival in system.

Pandorn: If I may, sir. The signals are relatively near the Galactic Barrier. Approximately 1.5 million kilometers from it. While we will be closer to the Barrier than I'd like and the despite the diminished energy of the Barrier itself, it would account for the interference in the area.

::That infernal barrier. A menace to any that approached it. If it was responsible in some part for the captain’s silence, he would be very upset by that encompassing band of pink pseudo energy.::

Mandak: And who knows what else on top of that... Our knowledge is limited of the area.

::And for good reason. Precisely, the fear that ships would be damaged or destroyed by the region.::

Thoran: Commander Shayne, you’ll be acting XO. I’d like you to take Lieutenant Pran, Counselor Mika and Doctor Lor. You’ll be heading here.

::Were the circumstances not so grim or intolerable, Shayne would have chuckled. It seemed he was destined for that position, no matter how he tried to avoid it or shirk away.::

::He watched the glowing graphic spin, and allow him an unimpaired glance at their target destination. Shayne gave an affirming nod.::

Shayne: Aye, sir.

Pran/Lor: ?

::The first officer- now acting captain?- wasted not time in continuing to assign personnel.::

Thoran: Commander Ezo, you’ll go with Commanders Walker and MacKenna along with Ensign Dakora. You’ll be investigating the second signal, here.

::At the mention of MacKenna, Shayne’s heart gave a little leap, though he wasn’t sure if that was due to joy, or fear for her safety. Whatever had embroiled the captain might happen to her. That, he was fairly confident, would just about kill him.::

Ezo: Of course, sir.

Walker: Yes sir.

::The brave and the bold spoke up first, but it was MacKenna’s somewhat meek reply that fractured his raw heart a bit.::

MacKenna: ::Quietly.:: Aye, sir.

Ezo: ::looking up in resolve:: When do we arrive?

::Shayne wasn’t precisely sure of the interval awaiting them, but he was confident that they’d not have a terribly long time to prepare.::

Thoran: We should be arriving in system in just over an hour, although perhaps sooner if Commander Walker could be persuaded and would be willing to see just what the Columbia can do.

Walker: I can get us there in under an hour without concern Commander. But without knowing what caused the Kumari's disappearance, I'd not want to push the ship faster yet. Especially as close as we are to the barrier.

::Ah, what a refreshing feeling it was to have a competent engineer guiding them into the unknown.::

Thoran: Commander Shayne, once we’re in system and have a better understanding of what the conditions on the surface are like, I’d like you comprise a list of necessary equipment and disseminate it to the team leaders.

::It appeared his qualifications as quartermaster would be taken to a new extreme on this particular escapade. He only hoped he was sufficiently prepared. No such thing, he ruefully thought a moment later. There was only so much they could be ready for.::

Shayne: Aye, commander. I’ll get it done.

Thoran: If there are no further questions, then I suggest we return to our posts. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Dismissed.

::That was something of an understatement, but Shayne was well-accustomed to the multi-tangent tasks Ops had delivered to him.::

::The senior staff began to stand, and to Shayne’s pleasant surprise, Mika approached him. A sensible reaction- after all, they would be working together on a mission that might have profound ramifications for everyone involved.::

Mika: Commander Shayne. Anything I can do to help prep for the mission?

::Shayne nearly chuckled.::

Shayne: You’ll find there’s no shortage of work to go around, lieutenant. But for right now, I need you and Mr. Lor to ready your medical equipment. We’re hoping for the best, planning for the worst here. I know information is scant, but use your best judgement. Depending on what’s happened to Captain Whittaker and the others, they may require immediate assistance.

Mika: ?

Lor: ?

::Shayne then turned to Pran, a striking woman with blonde hair.::

Shayne: Lieutenant, you’ll naturally be our lookout on this particular mission. Information is almost as scarce as the captain right now, so we’re assuming that your services may be necessary.

Pran: ?

::There was so much to do, so little time to do it.::

Shayne: We’ll meet in Transporter Room 1 in an hour exactly. In the meantime, I’m going to start gathering materials necessary.

::As they approached their destination, Shayne hoped the data would be clearer and more forthcoming.::

Shayne: Until then, carry on.

Lor/Mika/Pran: ?

Tag/TBC…

Lieutenant Commander Randal Shayne
Ops Officer/Second Officer
USS Columbia
NCC 85279
G239202RS0