Ensign Eze Tapor - Through the Storm
Ryan
(( Runabout Iaonaiae – Atmospheric Descent ))
Tapor braced himself in his seat as the Iaonaiae plowed through the ion storm surrounding the unknown planet. He found his attention drawn in all directions - readings from S’Jenes’ station, alerts from the shields as Mec worked on them and his own scans as he worked to keep a lock on the Little Crow.
Foster: We’re going to follow her in, and then planetward. We’ll break only when it’s clear.
Eze: Roger. I’m keeping a lock on the Crow’s transponder, there’s some garbling but you should see them on your HUD.
S’Jenes: Trajectory synchronized. Sensor clarity has improved marginally. I am forwarding refined data to all stations.
Tapor brought up S’Jenes’ latest offering, using some of his station’s compute to update his sensor profiles.
Foster: Those readings looks … primordial. Universe knows what’s growing down there.
Mec: I've got standard power distribution, but shield modulation is acting up- ::pausing. Noting a need for clarity:: Shield modulation is shifting in response to some weak scattered impacts. Maybe keep a watch out for larger debris as we descend?
S’Jenes: Agreed. Recommend harmonic recalibration rather than increased shield output. The impacts are consistent with particulate matter, not macroscopic objects.
A logical conclusion, but one that would be complicated if they encountered anything bigger. Tapor activated one of the phaser banks in a point defence profile, hoping he wouldn’t need to use it.
Foster: Once we’re clear we’ll take the opposite side of the planet as the Little Crow. ::he paused:: and I meant what I said about the beacons. Drop them just in case.
Mec: Aye, sir. Beacons are prepared for release.
S’Jenes: Beacon signal confirmed. Fluctuating, but within acceptable parameters for return navigation.
Foster: Excellent.
Tapor kept his own lock on the breadcrumb beacon they had just dropped, this mission was getting more and more like his final exam by the minute.
Eze: The Crow is diving - thirty degrees. Electrical discharge straight ahead, they're evading.
He gripped the edge of his station as Foster followed the Crow down, tensing against the momentary increase in G-forces. The ship passed below an active storm system before rising into a more shallow descent.
S’Jenes: We are approaching a transitional atmospheric layer. Conditions should stabilize shortly—assuming the planet continues to behave within projected tolerances. ::A pause, then—quietly:: I find that… encouraging.
Foster: I like it, I’ll take it.
Tapor looked at the soup displayed on the runabout scanners, doubtful. The data began to resolve, topography below them starting to become visible.
Eze: Breaking through - let's see what we're dealing with.
Mec: Response
As they dove lower they could start to see the planet below, covered with dense storms and lightning discharges, the whole place seemed to vibrate with primordial energy, as if the planet itself was evolving, growing, trying to burst forward with life.
S’Jenes: I am registering localized energy fluctuations on the surface. They appear irregular and… difficult to categorize.
Foster: Howso?
S’Jenes: It may be nothing. I am forwarding the readings for context.
Foster: Hm. That’s not an energy signature I would expect from a primordial planet.
Tapor glanced away from his tasks, seeing the spikes in the incoming data. This wasn't what he expected from a natural system, it looked an awful lot like an active jammer.
S’Jenes: Ensign Mec, are you observing similar variance in shield feedback, or is this limited to my sensors?
Mec: Response
S’Jenes: That fluctuation does not appear atmospheric in origin. I cannot yet determine causation.
Foster: There’s not really enough information from the fluctuations to tell exactly what they are, but they don’t match the rest of the planetary readings. Keep your eyes peeled.
S’Jenes: I will continue to monitor and advise if the data resolves into something actionable.
Tapor paused a moment, watching the data fail to resolve. At their range, even through the unstable atmospherics the data should be clearer.
Eze: Don't rule out deliberate interference. Maybe the reason this planet is unexplored is because someone on it doesn't want to be.
Mec: Response
Foster: Hold tight, we’re making our final descent.
The runabout rocked back and forth, pushing on through the turbulence. Suddenly, they were through, the planet revealed clearly beneath them.
Tapor looked up at the main viewscreen, scanning the landscape, the landmasses, framed in crackling clouds.
Lystra: =/\= Little Crow to Iaonaiae. We made it through the storm. You still with us? =/\=
Foster: =/\= We’re here and kicking. =/\=
Lystra: =/\= Looks like we’re a few degrees north of the equatorial range. Since we got down here first we’ve got dibs on the Northern Hemisphere. How about you all take the South? =/\=
Tapor smirked to himself at ‘First dibs’. Maybe Starfleet was just like he imagined as a kid.
Foster: =/\= Oh, that’s how it goes? Watch us find a beach and you’ll be jealous. South it is. =/\=
The Little Crow peeled off as the Iaonaiae veered towards the southern hemisphere.
Foster: Alright, let’s see if we can clarify those scans and get a better idea of the class of planet here, and the atmospheric composition.
Eze: It's much greener than I expected. I thought we'd be landing on a barren rock from all those storm systems.
Mec/S’Jenes: ?
Foster: First let’s focus on what might kill us so we’re aware of what to avoid or prevent. Then let’s get a good picture of what sort of planet we’re dealing with.
Tapor tapped through the data fed from S’Jenes’ station, voicing some of the obvious headlines whilst the science officer continued to analyse.
Eze: Plenty of plant life. A number of temperate zones. It must be geothermal activity driving that, surely?
Mec/S’Jenes: ?
Eze: Interesting. Are we still experiencing the energy fluctuations? Can we identify a source?
Mec/S’Jenes/Foster: Response
Tapor nodded along, it didn't sound immediately dangerous, only intriguing.
Eze: Perhaps we can get a better lock when we land. Speaking of which, we need a landing site.
Tapor tapped on his station, feeding a set of coordinates to the rest of the group as a suggestion. The area was on a moderate elevation at the edge of a temperate forest, positioned in a gap in the cloud cover.
Eze: There's a relatively open area here, in what looks like a temperate zone, the plant cover is sparse enough not to hinder landing.
Mec/S’Jenes/Foster: Response
As the others continued to debate, Tapor pulled up the atmospheric readings as they began to populate. Significant EM interference remained, he fed the data into his sensory profile, the projected range remained low.
Eze: Alot of electromagnetic interference still - makes sense with all the storm fronts we're seeing out there.
Mec/S’Jenes/Foster: Response
Ensign Eze Tapor