Scientific Surprise [Part Two]
Posted on Wed Nov 15th, 2023 @ 11:49pm by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Commander Lorut Vila & Lieutenant S'Tera & Lieutenant JG Aurora House of Kor & Lieutenant Sardeek
1,732 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
First Contact
Location: USS Intrepid: Astrometrics
Timeline: MD3: 0930 hours
"This is not good. Heliv is being drawn out of it's orbit by that comet. The planet is on it's way from a Class M world to a Class H unless we get it back into it's proper orbit. We need solutions, and fast, otherwise Heliv will be in big trouble and all life may go extinct; there will be terrible destruction! Anybody got any ideas?"
Vila chuckled a little. "How much time do we have?" she asked, redirecting the conversation a little. "That will help us to determine what the best way is to use the tractor beam," she said, gently. It was always best to start from the beginning, after all.
Max worked on one of the external consoles, helping Sardeek to map the course of the comet. He didn’t have anything to add and he certainly wasn’t going to add fuel to the fire, as the humans say.
Sardeek’s fingers twirled over the console as he assessed the captain’s information, which he had already completed earlier, but it kept the man quiet and feeling important to the process. Sardeek had learned a long time ago that captains and those above them liked to have their egos stroked from time to time.
“In truth, we could have all of the time in the universe or none of it. The comet will impact with Heliv in a matter of months. The Helivans have already realized their planet was dying and are seeking a new planet to inhabit or cohabit with Romulans. Since the Romulans are no longer an option for them, I think it fair to let them decide,” Sardeek answered dispassionately.
Aurora tried to be very quiet...she wasn't sure she could offer anything to the conversation right that time.
"A matter of months," Vila said. "Ok. Let's try to arrange it for week's end, then. Now. Back when I was a baby science officer, fresh from the Academy and still gave a fuck about what the Federation Science Council wanted, I had the opportunity to participate in something similar-not the same, but it was moving a planet back into it's correct orbit AFTER a comet hit it. I learned then that it's a very delicate thing. Going too far in either direction will cause some massive problems. Lieutenant S'tera. What can you tell me about these outcomes?" She asked.
Aurora was starting to get excited, but she was a little shy as she still settling into her role...and didn't want to overstep her bounds.
"Um...Captain? Since Heliv only has about 150 living beings or so, and if we're not careful and do something wrong, it will guarantee their deaths, couldn't we just evacuate the planet instead of moving it? It should be doable with that small of a group. Also, as we're near a planet that has multiple races living on it, perhaps Campor 3?" Aurora suggested...not quite sure of herself all of a sudden.
“I have no doubt you’re right about that, Aurora,” Max responded. “But we’ve sort of put ourselves in a place where we’re at the Helivan’s discretion and this is a minor project for us. I may have to call in a few favors, but none of what we’re proposing would be that hard.”
After a moment, something hit the XO, and she stood up, to pace. It was how she did her best thinking. "Lieutenant Sardeek, bring up a starmap, please..." she said.
Sardeek moved to another station and brought up the charts requested by the executive officer. Adjusting for the changes he was tracking, he dispersed the map as a hologram around them.
Aurora looked at the numbers lining the hologram...something wasn't right, but she couldn't figure out what.
"Captain...Lieutenant Sardeek's number's are wrong," Aurora stepped closer to a section of numbers...wishing she was wrong.
"Heliv doesn't have months...it has weeks. I could get my team down there and double check if you want me to?" Aurora was hesitant to speak, but she knew she could help.
"Aurora let me check those numbers if you don't mind." S'tera said. After double checking them, "K'tal's claws,” she’s right. Heliv has three weeks at this rate!"
Vila looked to the Captain. "Do it," she said. "With respect, Captain, this is my wheelhouse. I'd defer to you in Engineering matters. Let her go, with a team. I'll supervise," she said. She turned to Aurora.
"Subdermal transmitters. Blend in, wear civvies. We'll take the Helivan contingency and some security officers, just in case. Get me a list," she directed. She realized she had overstepped Lieutenant S'tera's job. She turned to the Caitian.
"My apologies, Lieutenant, I didn't mean to take over. What would you do?" She asked the woman. She just got excited sometimes about this kind of thing. It was still weird, not directing the science team 24/7.
"Um...not to state the obvious...I kinda stand out like a Guppy in a school of Barracudas! Erm...ma'am," Aurora sputtered as her face switched between blue, brown, and several mixed shades...something she hadn't known she could do.
"Huh...THAT'S new!" Aurora grinned, confused, but intrigued.
"Whoa! Aurora. Never seen you do that before! OK, so I think we can fix this. It'll take careful calculation and that comet has to be maneuvered just right to pull Heliv back to where it belongs." S'tera said.
Vila nodded. "Excellent." She had nothing more to add until the Captain did.
“Slow down. Just…slow down. I think Aurora was referring to her team. A bunch of cetaceans that we carry aboard to keep us right to galactic center, but also to assist in situations like this.”
Max looked to Aurora. “On top of that, why are we running off half cocked when we can evacuate their entire remaining population in seconds? What benefit does that present to us?” Max looked at Vila.
“Lastly, we need all three of you here to move this comet that was what S’tera suggests.” Max looked at her. “How do you suggest that?” he wondered.
Vila stared. "What the hell are whales going to do to help?" She asked. Cetacean Ops had been an addition to the sciences that Vila had disliked - and she hadn't been the only science officer to protest to the Council about it. It was dumb on starships - in her opinion - she was a chemist, not a veterinarian! At any rate, the Council had voted, and won by majority vote, and so here they were. She still didn't think it was useful, but she might be able to be swayed.
“If you weren’t always busy attacking like a Kreho bear, and shut up every once in a while, you’d learn that the whales and dolphins have an innate sense of galactic center. Beyond that, they’ll calculate exactly - to the one thousandth degree - the amount of push and shove when it comes to the comet.”
“How the Hell did you become a scientist when you resist decades of successful integration of the cetacean operations division? Or are you just so psychotically sure you’re correct?” Max asked.
"Anyway. There's also another problem," she said, ignoring her captain. She pointed at the star map. "That's a comet. It's gonna hit somewhere in the Helivan’s direct space. Soon. Probably in a week or three. Evacuating the planet will help to limit loss of lives - Prime Directive, and all that," she made a face. She didn't really believe in the Directive - where was it when the Cardassians were stealing children off the streets?!
She went on. "Finally, it's easy enough to move a comet. There's a few ways. The easiest is to use the tractor beam. The second easiest is to torpedo it, but given that Heliv is inhabited, I don't suggest that." She sighed. She was finally done.
“I’d also like to interrupt,” Sardeek said, looking sheepish. “As close as we are now, there is some type of building within and on the comet.”
Now Max sighed. “Is the asteroid inhabited?” Max asked, rubbing his temples.
Sardeek stood firm and looked at the Aquadian and Bajoran - as if daring them to disagree with him. “There is no life there as we understand life, sir. Succinctly, no.”
Vila blinked. A...building?
"On second thought, torpedo the comet, maybe," Vila said, musing mostly to herself. "How close can we get to it?"
“There’s something too familiar about this, but I can’t place it…” Max paused as he tried to dredge up an old memory. Unsuccessful, he turned back to the others. “No, we can’t just blow it up. There’s at least an obligation to study the building inside the comet. I’m sure the Romulans would agree to a joint archaeological study of the building and how it can to orbit inside a comet.”
Aurora'd held her tongue as her position had been attacked, trying desperately not to physically attack the Commander...then her jaw dropped.
"A what now?" Aurora sputtered, completely dumbstruck.
Vila looked at Aurora, and smiled lightly. "A building. You know, just another Tuesday in the Beta Quadrant," Vila said. She, too, had a thought niggling at the back of her head, something she'd read once from the original USS Enterprise, but she couldn't quite get it. She'd read about the first - and last - until now - she'd had to move a comet, something she never expected to have to do again. It had nearly gone south the first time, aboard the Akira class ship she'd been assigned to as a baby Science officer - right before they were decommed, and it was almost NOT powerful enough.
“I think we should take a break and call everyone together for a Briefing. What do you think, ladies?” Max asked.
Aurora clamped her mouth shut, before letting a small snicker out at the joke.
"Sounds good to me...er....sir," Aurora found some 'lint' to clean from her uniform.
"I agree. A briefing would be good at this point. I think we can fix this but ti's going to take some work." S'tera said.
Vila simply nodded. "I'll put the word out," she said.
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