Capt. Shayne: Ahead Of Time
Randal Shayne
Shayne: What’s your plan, Lieutenant?
Shock though he might be, he had a sneaking suspicion that Amelia’s idea would be intriguing, if not genius, and it would make him feel like an ass for ever questioning it.
Semara: There's loads a' heavy gasses in the nebula, formed by the energetic Sencha bursts. If we can energize 'em even for a moment, the whole nebula'll light up like a giant neon back-light. Brighter the better. If anyone's around, they'll show as an occlusion - a shadow - on sensors, even if their power level's nothin'.
Hobart / Korras / Ayemet / Any: Response
Damn. He’d been right. It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was inventive, and it stood a fair chance of working. Realizing this would be an order best given by him, Shayne addressed himself to Korras.
Shayne: Prepare to vent our drive plasma, Mr. Korras. Give us some speed as we let loose- don’t want to be caught in our own wake.
Korras/Any: Response
The Khitomer stirred forward with greater speed, deeper into the anomalous nebula.
Shayne: Begin venting as soon as we’re at a safe velocity, Lieutenant.
Korras: Response
A stream of brilliant blue-green scalding hot noxiousness spewed in graceful arcs from the Khitomer’s newly modified silvery nacelles. At first, nothing changed. The viewscreen was still a semi-snowy haze of misunderstood inputs. But then, like lighting a match, a spreading electric charge bolted all around them from astern, and the snowy colors turned into a vast, brilliant display of immense intensity. Shayne shielded his eyes for the instant before the visual filters in the viewscreen compensated, and when he looked back, it was now even more useless trying to discern what was happening. Sensors, on the other hand…
Shayne: Korras, Semara- what do your elf eyes see?
He would have stood and looked for himself over their shoulders, but Ayemet’s control was being stretched. He couldn’t just get up and leave her now. Not again.
Korras/Semara/Hobart/Ayemet: Response
Shayne: There! Is that it? Magnify bottom left corner.
The screen obeyed at an unknown person’s hand, and the tiny splotch of relative shadow became an imposing span of darkness, fluttering with distortion but holding to a central position.
Shayne: Mr. Korras, close external plasma vents and bring us to bear with that object. Ms. Semara, anything you can tell me would be good.
He turned to Ayemet, trying to hide his own concern. She could feel it, of course. He had to be better than that.
Shayne: We’re bringing you assistance now- please, help me understand what is wrong.
A movement to his right told him that said assistance was being requested.
Korras/Ayemet/Semara: Response
The captain’s eyes squinted, and he stood, not quite believing what he was hearing. How was that possible? How was that even reasonable? And yet…
As they grew closer, the shadows began to grow shorter. The shimmering effect of distorted light passing through nebular material began to ease. Slowly, but steadily…
…the outline of a drifting, battered runabout patiently manifested before their eyes.
Shayne: Nolen, I thought your report said the runabout was destroyed.
Hobart: Response
He shook his head to clear himself. They weren’t going to get answers by staring. Something beyond strange was going on here, and if Starfleet was anything, it was home to investigators of the strange.
They needed to get inside that runabout. But its limp, lifeless appearance precluded the possibility of a proper landing or docking. Looks like they’d have to do it the old fashioned way.
Shayne: =/\= Bridge to Engineering. Standby to arrest a drifting small craft. =/\=
The momentary pause in the response was classic Dewitt- misgivings and surprise all buried under a dedication to duty… save for a touch of hesitation.
Dewitt: =/\= What class of shuttle are we expecting? =/\=
Shayne: =/\= At this point, a runabout. If you’re looking for more details, we won’t have them until it’s aboard. =/\=
Another pause as the news was digested.
Dewitt: =/\= Understood. On our way. =/\=
The channel shut, and the captain turned to his first officer.
Shayne: Nolen, take charge down there- I want answers as soon as you can get them.
Hobart: Response
With the situation below as handled as it could be, between his first officer and chief engineer, Shayne turned back to the viewscreen.
Shayne: Mr. Korras, angle us to intercept the craft in our main hangar. Coordinate with engineering. Lieutenant Semara, full active scanning. When we’re in position, tractor the craft as close as possible.
Semara/Korras: Response
The last matter to attend to at the moment was Ayemet. He reached out, held her hand in his.
Shayne: We’re going to get to the bottom of this. Just hang on for now. It will be alright.
Ayemet: Response
A small alert informed the bridge that the shuttlebay was opening. The crew watched the stern view on the screen as the beaten, discolored runabout was slowly swallowed by the hangar deck.
Ayemet was absolutely correct.
Something was wrong…
Tag/TBC…
Captain Randal Shayne
Commanding Officer
USS Khitomer
NCC 62400
G239202RS0