Ensign Lyra Voss: Like a Fish to the Bait
Sarah Terry
((Deck 1 – Main Bridge – USS Narendra))
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?
Lyra could see data running across the flat screen in front of them - the strange way the particles moved along the perimeter of the deflector’s range. For a brief moment, she felt that same heady sensation she’d experienced as they entered the nebula’s range - reaching, pleading, grasping…
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?
He met her gaze. Even without an active telepathic connection, there was a thread of understanding between them.
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.
There was no doubt that it would be dangerous, and they would be right to take appropriate precautions, but she was relieved it wasn’t a “no.”
Voss: Agreed. If we could calibrate a neural inhibitor to dampen the frequency without completely suppressing it, that would hopefully make contact easier to withstand?
Would it be jumping the gun to immediately volunteer herself to try it? There was a nervous, almost frenetic excitement to her thoughts. If there was a creature inside this nebula, what did it want? Why was it reaching out to them? Was she falling for the lure of something waiting to strike from the shadows, or was it crying out for help? And was it alone in that nebula?
She was pulled back to the conversation by Taylor’s voice.
Taylor: Response?
The commander nodded thoughtfully.
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: I think it’s worth a shot. If it really is reaching out to us, I’d like to figure out why.
Taylor: Response?
Commander McLaren nodded again, and turned her gaze to her bridge team.
McLaren: I want us to be reasonably certain before we make any attempts. What can I do to help?
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: ::nodding:: Yes, and I can use our analysis of the previous frequency pattern to create a layer of destructive interference we can project through the deflector array - that should cancel out some of the more intense acoustic radiation. Commander, if we could also take the ship through a short-range test flight pattern, I’d like to see if the particles really are moving with us, now that we know what to look for.
Taylor: Response?
The commander nodded, tapping a few controls on the armrest of the command chair.
McLaren: Conduct any scans you think you need.
Lyra started working with Kel to create a unified model that compared particle density and frequency to the aggregate neural patterns of the crew. A few more tweaks and they could also drill down to individual crew member’s neural profiles, which would allow them to carefully monitor whoever was going to make contact. As much as she was concentrating on the task, she also found herself observing Kel. He worked carefully and methodically, with an intense focus. Where did that intensity come from? The compelling drive to have the answers, to be better, to be… She shook her head lightly. To be enough. It was a feeling she knew all too well.
But this was not the time to interrogate that feeling. She started working on the destructive interference pattern, but then a sudden sound drew her attention.
One of the displays on Commander McLaren’s control panel beeped and Lyra turned to see a curious expression come over the other woman’s face.
McLaren: Strange... traces of duranium deep within the nebula. Another ship? Something else?
Lyra felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck and she immediately moved back to the center display behind the captain’s chair. She pulled up the metallurgic scans.
Voss: Hmm… ::tapping quickly on the glass panel:: I see the duranium traces on that last scan, but I just ran another and it didn’t show up. The density of the nebula is in constant flux though. I’ll set up a passive metallurgic scan to run once a minute as we approach, and see if we pick up a pattern.
Taylor/Kel: Response?
McLaren: I don't know, active sensors are pretty hazy the deeper into the nebula they scan. Probably a result of whatever particles are being sent out.
Taylor/Kel: Response?
Just how many things might be hiding in this nebula? A creature? A ship? Just one ship? More? A base? They weren’t going to figure out the answer until they got closer. Lyra turned back to her screen and put the finishing touches on her interference pattern. She sent it to the deflector array and started a series of short burst frequencies.
Voss: The interference pattern is up and running. I think we should be able to cancel out some of the more dangerous frequencies as we get closer. The particles are definitely trailing us, but they shouldn’t have as strong an influence. Are we ready to move in?
Taylor/Kel/McLaren: Response?
Lyra looked at the Phaethon Nebula in the viewscreen. Despite all the precautions they were putting in place, she couldn’t ignore the persistent pull the nebula seemed to have on her. Like it had latched on to something deep inside and wouldn’t let go. She could feel her heart rate start to pick up, and she turned to Commander McLaren.
Voss: Commander, if our safeguards hold once we’re within the area of the nebula’s effect, we should be ready to attempt contact as soon as possible. If there is some kind of intelligent life in the nebula, it needs to know we don’t have hostile intentions. Are we all… who should we prep to make contact?
McLaren: Response?