Ensign S’jenes - Rapid Descent (fixed)
James hassell
(( Runabout Iaonaiae – Atmospheric Descent )) S’Jenes remained composed as the Iaonaiae edged closer to the planet, hands resting lightly against the console in front of him. The Betazoid half of his awareness registered the cockpit’s tension like background static; the Vulcan half categorized it as operationally expected. S’Jenes: All stations appear prepared. I am… quietly interested to see what awaits us. Eze: Let’s ‘boldly’ get going then. Foster: We can’t sit around all day can we? Mec: ::Quietly, with wonder:: Ad astra. S’Jenes inclined his head slightly at the sentiment, adjusting the sensor filters as the runabout lined up behind the Little Crow. Lystra: =/\= Little Crow to Iaonaiae. This windsheer is nasty. You might want to trim your angle of descent by a half degree and keep close. We’re taking the brunt of it, so see if you can ride our wake. =/\= S’Jenes overlaid the Little Crow’s vector atop their own trajectory, fingers moving with practiced precision. Foster: =/\= I’m happy to follow your pretty little trail. =/\= S’Jenes: Matching the Little Crow’s wake now. Projected reduction in cross-shear turbulence is approximately twelve percent. Eze: I’ve still got the Crow - five degrees, no, ten degrees to starboard, range three kilometers. Foster: We’re going to follow her in, and then planetward. We’ll break only when it’s clear. S’Jenes made the necessary adjustments, rerouting fragmented sensor data through narrower, staggered scans. Eze: Response S’Jenes: Trajectory synchronized. Sensor clarity has improved marginally. I am forwarding refined data to all stations. The consoles flickered briefly as a stronger wind shear struck. When the systems stabilized, fragments of clearer readings emerged. Foster: Those readings looks … primordial. Universe knows what’s growing down there. S’Jenes studied the incoming biosignatures, eyes narrowing slightly. 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 nodded once, already correlating the impact patterns. S’Jenes: Agreed. Recommend harmonic recalibration rather than increased shield output. The impacts are consistent with particulate matter, not macroscopic objects. Eze: Response The planet’s curvature grew clearer through the interference—storm-wrapped, volatile, and unmistakably alive. 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. As the beacon slipped free into the turbulence behind them, S’Jenes tracked its telemetry carefully. S’Jenes: Beacon signal confirmed. Fluctuating, but within acceptable parameters for return navigation. Foster/Eze: Response The turbulence eased slightly as they crossed into a thinner atmospheric band. S’Jenes settled back into his seat, posture relaxed but alert. 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: S’Jenes: I find that… encouraging. Foster/Mec/Eze: Response The turbulence eased further, though the runabout continued to vibrate with low, restless energy. Through thinning cloud cover, fractured glimpses of the surface appeared—dark ridgelines, intermittent flashes of light, and shadowed plains that shifted as if the storm itself were breathing. S’Jenes leaned forward slightly, studying a new cluster of data as it briefly stabilized. S’Jenes: I am registering localized energy fluctuations on the surface. They appear irregular and… difficult to categorize. He recalibrated his display, careful to route the data forward rather than act on it. S’Jenes: It may be nothing. I am forwarding the readings for context. Foster: Response A subtle harmonic ripple passed through the shields—gentle, but noticeable. S’Jenes glanced toward Mec’s console. S’Jenes: Ensign Mec, are you observing similar variance in shield feedback, or is this limited to my sensors? Mec: Response Another flicker crossed the display—gone as quickly as it appeared. S’Jenes’ expression remained neutral, though a faint Betazoid awareness lingered. S’Jenes: That fluctuation does not appear atmospheric in origin. I cannot yet determine causation. Foster/Eze: Response He shifted back into his seat, hands resting calmly, posture deferential rather than commanding. S’Jenes: I will continue to monitor and advise if the data resolves into something actionable. Foster/Mec/Eze: Response The planet now dominated the forward viewport, storm bands rolling beneath them as the Iaonaiae continued its descent—no longer approaching the unknown, but entering it.
Lystra: =/\= Little Crow to Iaonaiae. We made it through the storm. You still with us? =/\=
Foster: =/\= Response =/\=
Science Officer
USS Constitution-B
C240209S12