[Mission Start] Capt. Lia Rouiancet: Awful Sound Coming Down

[Tony Colella]

Captain's log, stardate 240206.15. 

I have elected to remain as the commanding officer of the USS Octavia E. Butler for the foreseeable future. My reasons for this decision are detailed in my personal log, and for this official record, I believe it is sufficient to say that I believe I can still command with courage, honor, and merit, and Task Force command out of Deep Space 14 agrees with this self-assessment.

The Butler has been assigned to retrace the flightpath of the Phoebe, one of the Luna-class vessels of the Task Force, which reported massive power fluctuations en route to a survey in the Aryabhatiya star-forming region. Our orders are to drop out of warp in the nearby volume, and to determine if anything within scanning distance could have harmed the Phoebe. The Janaran is nearby and just a quick comm call away if it turns out that we need a tow, and the Bosch and the Themis are about to come off a period of shore leave at the I-Kiyo ring if we need scientific support.

Ultimately I expect this to be easily handled by our newly expanded scientific staff, and as such I am taking additional time to get to know some of those new officers, as well as connecting with established officers in their new posts -- Lieutenant Nis as chief of physical health, Lieutenant Saa as chief of mental health, and Lieutenant Lahl as chief of engineering, all recently promoted from acting to permanent chiefs. I am disappointed to lose Lieutenant Caras as acting chief, but I believe the choice to be best for him.

It seems most likely that I will update this log shortly with the mission's conclusion. End.

(( Deck 9 Corridor, USS Octavia E. Butler ))

Lia finished her log and exited the turbolift, feeling much more conflicted than the report implied -- but, as she'd said, those feelings belonged in her personal log. She had decided to stay on as the Butler's captain, and she would do her utmost in that role. 

She was less complacent about this unknown phenomenon than she'd implied, but she did think that the new science officers were up to unraveling the problem -- and after spending time getting to know Ensign Shepherd, she thought she was overdue to get to know some of the other new officers. She planned, therefore, to meet Ensign Morton in the arboretum -- and as an added benefit, Jania had mentioned that she was likely going to be there as well, so it would be an opportunity--

Lia was suddenly on the floor.

The sound was so sudden, so overwhelming that she'd had no defense. She didn't understand what she was hearing or experiencing, only that it was entirely debilitating. High-pitched, nearly ear-bursting -- but low-pitched, too, beyond what she thought she could hear, so deep that she felt it in her bones, so low it seemed to threaten to vibrate her apart.

As soon as it had come, it was gone. Lia couldn't believe what she'd just experienced or the end of the excruciating experience, and indeed she felt like she had blacked out -- but as the emergency lights activated, she realized that main power must've been knocked offline. She tapped her commbadge.

Rouiancet: Rouiancet to bridge.

She could barely hear her own voice, and heard nothing of the reply. If there was a reply? She tapped the badge a few more times, and finally confirmed that it was dead, comms blocked or offline, the badge nothing more than a piece of jewelry. 

A few wall panels were still illuminated, and she scrambled up, tried to use them to communicate. She noted at a glance as she considered where to send messages that the senior staff was scattered all over the ship:

Bridge, Deck 1: Arlill, Saa

Turbolift En Route to Deck 1: Promontory, Tasen

Holodeck 5, Deck 7: Katsim, Herrick, Caras, Woolheater

Bowling Alley, Deck 9: Nilsen, Lahl, Forsyth, Kovacs

Spa, Deck 9: Nilsen, Richards, Shepherd

Arboretum, Deck 9: Nis, Morton

More than half the senior staff was enjoying the down time before the mission began, and even as Lia sent an emergency message to Toxin and Sevantha on the bridge, letting them know that she was alive and had no idea what had happened, backup power failed as well, leaving the wall panels dead and only the briefest illumination and life support active in the corridor.

Without any immediate idea of what to do, Lia stumbled down the corridor for the arboretum entrance, which was still closest. The doors had, thankfully, all opened with the power failure and the continued life support (though they would seal if life support failed, in an attempt to conserve breathable air and heat), and she found her way in immediately. To her great relief, she saw Jania and Ensign Morton immediately.

Rouiancet: Are you both okay?

Morton / Nis: Responses

Lia shook her head. Nothing like this had been in the mission brief. 

Rouiancet: I don't know. The bridge knows I'm down here, but otherwise...

She shook her head again. The first thing they needed to do was come up with a plan.

Morton / Nis: Responses

Tags and TBC!

--

Captain Lia Rouiancet

Commanding Officer

USS Octavia E. Butler
V238208LV0
she/her/hers (this character)