Ensign T’Fearne - Radiation & Razor Rain
teayl.thorn
((Sojourn Shuttlecraft, En-route to Proxima Sigma IV: T-minus 90 Hours to Impact))
T’Fearne: =/\= Flight Ops, this is Sojourn. All crew aboard. Systems are optimal, we are ready for immediate departure. Request clearance to depart? =/\=
She raised an eyebrow at O'Connor, waiting for any additional instructions before they left.
Flight Ops: =/\= We read you, Sojourn. Green for departure. Good luck. =/\=
Carpenter: Thank you, Control. ::she drops her voice slightly:: From your lips to God's ears…
That was all T’Feane needed to hear.
The controls felt familiar beneath her fingertips as she engaged the maneuvering thrusters, feeling the shuttle lift ever so slightly off the deck. The Sojourn, for a compact craft, responded well to her touch. She eased the controls back, gently guiding the shuttle forward, feeling the familiar pull of the inertial dampeners working their magic as they exited the Ronin’s shuttle bay and moved clear, coming about in the direction of Proxima Sigma.
A slight grin tugged at the Vulcazoid’s lips as without taking her eyes off the helm controls, she felt the urgency in the tiny shuttle and also the excitement, the rise in adrenaline and apprehension in the teammates around her, echoed in her own strange heart.
Syrex: You know, when I said to Quent- Dr Beck about breaking in our half-pips he had me do some basket weaving, this is a bit more like it.
Carpenter: Yeah, I always pull the best away assignments. She says as she was careened through time on the last mission…
Focusing keenly on her task, she half-tuned out the casual conversation behind her and so only responded vaguely.
T'Fearne: Basket weaving? :: warning all:: Preparing to enter warp in T-minus 5 seconds.
Syrex: Oh, just trying to make conversation. Actually I’ve done a little research. The Soliton Express is moving at Warp 5-ish right? This shuttle ::looking to her console for confirmation:: moves at just over Warp 5 at maximum velocity. Do you have a plan of action for when we arrive? We may not have the luxury of planning it as we go along.
She took a breath and engaged the warp drive, catapulting the Sojourn towards Proxima Sigma Four with purpose.
Carpenter: Hopefully, we can either dock with the remains of the Receiving Station. Or find some way up from the ground. Cap said efforts planetside are underway, but they are scattered and likely panicking. I don't want to get swept up into a position we can't gain any ground from.
O'Connor: Normally there would be plenty of places to dock at the station, but the damage is still being assessed so who knows at this point. Worst case is I can drop you off. I should then be able to beam to your location.
T’Fearne gave a slight nod, acknowledging the backup plan.
Syrex: On it.
Carpenter: How long?
T'Fearne: Approximately 2.37 hours. The navigational route plotted has already shaved off 52 minutes by taking us closer than is strictly prudent past the edge of a small gravitational vortex. But we’ll need time to weave through the expanding debris field from the damaged station.
O'Connor: Sorry Commander, she’s right. There are some gravitational anomalies we need to go around. Definitely a good couple hours.
((Timeskip 2 hours: T-minus 88 Hours to Impact))
Two hours later, the Sojourn was coasting through space, the starfield outside shifting with the warp jump. Inside, the atmosphere was subdued, the crew quietly preparing for what lay ahead.
T’Fearne found herself, once again, hovering her hands over the controls. She would rest them on the armrests as she watched over the inputs like a bird of prey. But eventually, she would find her own treacherous hands hovering over the console again.
Despite the calm, there was an undercurrent of tension, an itch beneath her skin she couldn’t quite shake. O’Connor asked a few questions here and there, perhaps to pass the time and she had no problem answering his questions while monitoring her inputs. There was an almost tangible awareness in the air that he was watching her more closely than a typical co-pilot.
oO Perhaps to do with getting my instructor's ticket? Oo
They came out of warp a safe distance from the station, and T’Fearne re-engaged the impulse drive to take advantage of their initial momentum and harness more speed for their approach.
The sight of PS4’s receiving station was haunting. One-half of it still clung to the orbital tether, spinning slowly with the rotation of the planet. The other section looked to be about a quarter of the station, severed and slowly drifting apart as the gravitational pull spread its debris further from the source of the explosion. There were large drifting metal scraps scattered through space like shrapnel and short-range freighters, shuttles and barges, their engines flaring, wading through the mess, seemingly evacuating from the hazard zone.
T'Fearne::: dubiously:: Should I attempt to dock with the station, or what’s left of it?
The chief redirected.
Carpenter: Take us down as carefully as you can, Ensign. Directly under the Receiving Station. Once we land, you and I will set a parameter around the shuttle. ::she turned in her seat toward Ian and Syrex:: While you start to offload our aid supplies and set up a triage. From there, we...find out what the hell happened. Find some way either to contact the Station or to get up there ourselves. I have a feeling whoever is responsible for this isn't done with Proxima Sigma just yet.
O'Connor: Sounds good Commander.
Syrex: Aye, I scanned the freighters for lifesigns, nothings come back yet. There may be nobody out there, but I recommend that
Carpenter: We can't do anything for anyone already in the air. But I'm sure there will still be plenty of people on the ground. Clues, hopefully, too. Did you see how some of the Station had fallen to the planet? We need to check that debris.
Syrex: Reluctantly, I agree. Anyone being out there is theoretical and possibly beyond our help. Going to the ground may in the long term let us save more people.
O'Connor: Running several scans now. I can try to work at creating some holomodels once we are set up. Not my forte but I should be able to pull it off if we get good enough scans.
T'Fearne: Lieutenant Syrex is excellent at holomodels, perhaps she could be of assistance:: throwing her friend under the shuttle-bus::
Lips twisting to the side in a smirk, she could almost feel Alyndra’s bionic glare through the headrest of the pilot seat.
oO I’m safe until she installs a glare stun setting on the implant. Oo
Syrex: Nice technique bestie.
O’Connor made a whirling gesture that she interpreted to take Sojourn around the station a few revolutions. T’Fearne adjusted the controls, keeping the shuttle steady as they began descending toward the planet’s surface in a wide spiral around the transit tether. As expected, the wind shear was unpredictable. It took all the Vulcazoid’s concentration to adjust as additional small debris from the damaged station peppered their shields.
T’Fearne winced as, despite her best effort, several small bits of metal pinged off the shields. Her keen hearing easily picked up the sounds, but she hoped no one else noticed and flicked a glance at the helms officer out of the corner of her eye. Keeping her hands steady and not letting small impacts cause her to fluster.
Carpenter: Response
O’Connor: Yeeesh.
The scene from the Sojourn’s forward view as they neared the ground showed severe devastation. The landscape below was a mix of wilderness and industrial infrastructure, littered with chunks of station wreckage falling like shrapnel, raining down toward the planet. Though most of the impact scatter seemed to be drifting away from the tether base as entropy took hold.
Syrex: That looks very unhealthy.
T'Fearne::: Warning all:: Landing momentarily, brace for turbulence.
Carpenter: Response
Adjusting the controls, T’Fearne brought them to a relatively clear area near what appeared to be an arrivals and departure terminal for the tether to send and receive cargo and passengers from the station. The shuttle kissed the ground with a slight jolt.
The green helms officer gave her the Human sign for well done with his thumb up.
O’Connor: Nice job. I can do the post flight checks so you can help the Commander make sure we’re safe out there.
Getting up from the pilot's seat she extended a hand to Lieutenant O’Connor, judging that he would likely respond to a human handshake.
T'Fearne: Thank you for the flying lesson, Lieutenant.
Despite his preceding reputation, he had been nothing but competent and professional. She wondered if he had a problem with the bar setting. Not many species seemed to be able to metabolise alcohol efficiently. Perhaps that was his issue.
Leaving the helm to O’Connor, T’Fearne strode into the fuselage to collect her gear.
Syrex: Personally, I’d recommend we all wear some form of EVA suit. I understand we are in atmosphere but breathing in that could lead to worse conditions to all of us. I’m going to run a radiation check too to see if we need full suits or just rebreathers.
Carpenter: Response
Syrex: Alright, heres the situation. Base radiation level per year for anyone is between 0.2 and 0.4 rads. Out there I am detecting spots where it gets as low as that, but also spots where it’s as high as 500 rads.
Carpenter/O’Connor: Response
Keeping an ear out for the conversation, T’Fearne gathered the special gear she had packed and ensured that her sidearm, a type 2 phaser pistol, was secure in her thigh holster and a type 3b phaser rifle slung securely across her torso by its strap. She loaded half a dozen crowd control less-lethal grenades and three explosive ordinances into her pack along with appropriate emergency supplies. She hoped Kirsty didn’t tell her to put any of it back. They were going into an unknown situation, and weapons and supplies were prudent.
oO And I’m prepared, not paranoid! Oo
Syrex: I propose two options. Option 1, we go out there in full EVA suits, our time out there depends on the air supply in the suits and the radiation shielding of them. Option 2, we take our tricorders with a passive scan for upticks in radiation and some inoculant. It’ll limit your exposure, not being as good as a full suit, but the time you can be out there isn’t limited by much else. The rebreathers filter the air from the environment, so..
O’Connor/Carpenter: Response
Joining the conversation and putting a hand on her friend's shoulder reassuringly.
T'Fearne: I trust your judgement Alyndra. I’ll work with whatever you recommend.
Alyndra sighed, leaning on the wall with her spare hand, scratching her chin, clearly deep in thought.
Syrex: Personally, I couldn’t possibly decide. They both have their pro’s and con’s. There are very strong factors for both. Ultimately I, as the only doctor here can say that I should be able to revert or fix any damage given enough time and the resources back on the ship. As far as I am concerned, :: looks at Kirsty:: the decision is yours.
O’Connor/Carpenter: Response
Nodding acknowledgement to the course of action. Holding up four small devices.
T'Fearne: If I may Chief? :: glancing at Kirsty for approval:: We have some gear I need to brief you on. Here. :: Handing out devices to each team member:: These are combat or tactical tricorders. They have enhanced scanning capabilities and linked short-range databases. They can register and plot falling debris or radiation hazards and update the danger to the rest of the team. They have secure and reliable communication capabilities even in poor operating conditions. :: Tapping a section on the side of the unit:: This is a self-defence feature, a temporary energy shield. You may have a few minutes if someone is firing intermittent energy or projectiles at you, use it sparingly.
Syrex/O’Connor/Carpenter: Response
T'Fearne: The current known danger we face comes from radiation, the falling debris from the station is mostly drifting west of the colony, though keep alert. The unknown factors come from the inhabitants of PS4 and their reaction to our presence, though it appears that the majority who could leave have fled to safety out of the range of the razor rain or off-world if they are prudent.
Glancing at Kirsty to see if she wanted her to elaborate on anything.
Syrex/O’Connor/Carpenter: Response
(( Outside the Tether Terminal Building, Proxima Sigma IV: T-minus 87 Hours to Impact))
The hatch groaned open, releasing a rush of warm, earthy air, rich with the scent of freshly disturbed soil, crushed vegetation, and the sharp tang of shattered green wood. Beneath it all, the acrid bite of burning metal and smoke stung T’Fearne’s sensitive Vulcazoid nose.
Following the Chief’s steady stride out of the shuttle, T’Fearne lifted her dark gaze to the lavender sky above and the rich red soil beneath her boots. The landscape before her was warm, dotted with patches of verdant green and blue and distant trees, their dark silhouettes rising from the horizon. The base of the tether and its receiving and departures terminal, nestled on the outskirts of the colony, was surrounded by what looked to be industrial buildings for shipping and storage.
T'Fearne::: eyes flicking to the combat tricorder:: Few life signs in the immediate area. Impacted debris from the Receiving Station is about 0.48 klicks to the west. After we finish setting up a perimeter, should we investigate or...?:: gesturing towards the nearby building at the base of the tether::
Syrex/O’Connor/Carpenter: Response
[Tags, You're it! / TBC]
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14