Lieutenant JG Ryden Tarus Kel - Whispers in the Cloud

[Ryden Kel]

((Deck 1 – Main Bridge – USS Narendra))

McLaren: Shouldn’t our navigational deflectors be helping shift that
particulate matter away from the ship? Isn’t that their purpose?

Ryden glanced up from his console. The Commander’s tone carried an
edge of curiosity more than frustration, but the question was valid.
If the particles were behaving anomalously, then their deflectors
weren’t operating as intended... or the nebula wasn’t playing by
conventional rules.

He tapped a few keys, reviewing the most recent deflector telemetry.
The readings were within expected parameters. Whatever was surrounding
them wasn’t simply matter being pushed aside. It was interacting.

Kel: Deflectors are functioning properly, Commander. The issue isn’t
mechanical... it’s reactive. The particulate matter seems to adjust
course to stay near us. Almost like it’s... following.

Taylor: Response?

Voss’s voice drew his attention back across the bridge. She looked
uncertain, but there was an energy behind her words... a need to
understand rather than fear.

Voss: I also… Commander, I know we need to approach with every
caution, but… if there’s a creature or some kind of entity within the
nebula that’s trying to communicate with us… maybe the hallucinations
aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Or rather, they may be the only avenue
we have to speak to it. Once we get closer and have a better
understanding of what we’re dealing with, maybe some of us drop the
safeguards. Intentionally. ::looking back at Kel:: Do you think we
could pull that off safely?

Ryden held her gaze for a moment, considering her words. There was
risk, certainly... but also reason.

Kel: Possibly. If we can isolate the specific frequency responsible
for the cognitive effects, we might be able to create a controlled
exposure... limited, reversible. But we’d need safeguards in place to
prevent full neural saturation. Otherwise, the hallucinations could
overwhelm even trained minds.

Voss: Response?

Taylor: Response?

Sol nodded thoughtfully, her calm presence anchoring the growing tension.

McLaren: If it’s something we can do safely, I’m not opposed to
attempting contact.

Kel: It’s possible... but only if we prepare safeguards. Neural
suppressants, biometric tracking, someone ready to pull the plug at
the first sign of overload. We’d be walking a thin line between
communication and harm.

Voss/Taylor: Response?

Sol nodded again, eyes sweeping across the bridge.

McLaren: I want us to be reasonably certain before we make any
attempts. What can I do to help?

Ryden looked back to his console, already queuing up a data comparison.

Kel: Authorize an increase in passive scans across the forward
deflector grid. The more we understand how the nebula reacts to our
systems, the more accurately we can model a safe point of contact.
I’ll coordinate with Voss to analyze neural interference patterns in
real time.

Voss/Taylor: Response?

As the others began refining their suggestions, Ryden let his focus
narrow to the data streams flickering across his screen. The nebula’s
hum persisted just below conscious thought... faint, rhythmic, almost
familiar. Whether it was life, energy, or something in between, one
thing was clear: it was aware of them.

And it was waiting.

-----
Lieutenant JG Ryden Tarus Kel
Medical Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
O240109RK1