Through the Paces (Part 3 of 5)

Posted on 16 Nov 2023 @ 9:08pm by Commander Morgan Tarin & EMH Mark X-C "Shirley" & Commander Scarlet Blake & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Lieutenant JG Rafe Caradec & Lieutenant JG Zara Ghemora & Lieutenant JG Sofie Ullswater & Lieutenant JG Montgomery Vala & Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor & Ensign Amanda Turell & Chief Petty Officer Afthinam Naime & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark & Petty Officer 1st Class Lysander Octavio & Petty Officer 1st Class Ember Locksley & Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Inaros & Petty Officer 3rd Class John Hollenday & Petty Officer 3rd Class Helliun 'Hel' Inant & Nesh Saalm & Laeon Wylde & Lia Quil & Master Chief Petty Officer Toren Vral
Edited on on 16 Nov 2023 @ 9:16pm

4,424 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Various
Timeline: MD 19, 1240 hrs

Previously, on Through the Paces (Part 2)...

After the first officer rose and headed to the port exit, Tarin glanced back across the bridge at the various personnel manning their stations including the observing COB. "We'll be back shortly. Mister Caradec," she informed the bridge crew and conn officer, "you have the bridge. Maintain present course and speed." She secured her PADD in its holster then quickly walked to the side exit behind Blake, the door swishing open then shut behind her.

"Aye, Captain.", Rafe responded. He then moved to the chair and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Darius took Caradec's place. "Maintain course and speed, Darius. Lt. Vala, scan ahead and alert me as to any unusual readings."

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Deck 1, Conference Room

The door to the conference room hissed shut behind Tarin and Blake for some much-needed privacy and important decision-making. The ongoing systems test had so far proven the small planetary survey vessel to be at fully operationally capable, but there was another lingering and unrelated issue the captain needed to address before Galileo returned to Regula I. To say it was a sensitive matter would be the understatement of the decade, and Tarin was visibly uptight when she stopped in front of the large room's wall-mounted LCARS screen. Her hazel eyes captured Blake's blue irises before she spoke.

"I need to make an important decision right now, and I need your guidance," she revealed to the first officer.

"Of course, Captain," Blake nodded firmly as she held her eyes to show she had her undivided attention, her hands moving to clasp behind her back. Everything had gone to plan so far, it seemed a good time to pause for whatever was on Tarin's mind.

Tarin's chest rose then fell when she took a deep breath before explaining what was recently consuming her thoughts. "This regards the Cold Station 31 computer and research data we were able to retrieve before your teams destroyed the station," she revealed. Her gaze shifted to the carpet before looking back up. "Command is still demanding we turn it over through a secure subspace relay. And not just Starfleet HQ and 1st Fleet admiralty...I've also received coded transmissions from Starfleet Intelligence and even the Planetary Sciences Division, all expressing intent interest in our 'discovery'..."

A soft breath escaped Scarlet at the development, and she looked to the view as her jaw clenched involuntarily. "This was exactly what I was worried about," she admitted quietly.

"It was inevitable, I suppose." Tarin lightly shook her head to herself, her dark and loose curls shifting across the tops of her shoulders. "I've delayed as long as possible but it's time to make a decision. And I don't know if it's going to be the right one, Blake." She turned away from the large monitor then slowly walked to one of the windows where she gazed out into the stars. "I've spent several nights debating the conundrum with myself; attempting to weigh our duties as Starfleet officers with our ethical standards and private oaths to our personal moralities; to compare what's right versus wrong then apply it to what I know of the geopolitical landscape the Federation's currently involved in." She wandered back to the table then bit her bottom lip while concentrating in thought. "Quil and Mulder were right about one thing: allowing the deaths and sacrifices of the cold station's personnel to go in vain would be...hard to swallow."

Blake just listened as she spoke, allowing her to sound out all of her thoughts and order them. She only replied with her own view on the matter once she was certain she was finished. "The truth is, there is no right answer here," she replied quietly. Because it was an important point to reconcile one's self with before being able to move forward. "Both are 'wrong', in one way or another. Be it for reasons of morality or loyalty. In which case, I would think about it from the point of view of which option will do the least amount of damage."

Biting her lip harder before releasing the soft tissue from her teeth, Tarin adamantly shook her head. "No. I refuse to accept that. There's always a difference between right and wrong," she refuted. "Our training and experiences as representatives of the Federation demand we distinguish between the two even if it isn't obvious at first." It wasn't that she disagreed with her XO's sentiment regarding difficult decisions, but Morgan didn't believe two 'wrongs' were comparable. There was always a better option, in her mind.

"Scarlet," continued Tarin in a personal moment between the two punctuated by the rare usage of the first officer's first name, "I'm going to ask you to do something that could set your career back - I intend to delete the recovered cold station logs and data from Galileo's computer then inform Starfleet of my actions. I'll take full responsibility but they'll no doubt hold you accountable as well...because I'll need your command authorization alongside mine to purge it from the computer core."

Blake moved slowly, perching on the arm of the sofa as she looked out of the viewport in thought. "I joined the marines to protect people," she took a deep breath before shrugging heavily, her features matter of fact as she looked back to Tarin. "There's no question after what I saw in that place. Delete it."

The captain searched Blake's eyes for a protracted moment in an attempt to locate any sense of doubt or insecurity. But the commander's features instead revealed an aura of conviction and determination. It was a welcome sight and she firmly nodded to her XO. "Computer, unlock access to encrypted files C-S-3-1-Omega, all data blocks. Voice authorization: Tarin-Alpha-Uniform-Seven-Zero-Zero-Delta."

The ship's computer analyzed the request with several processing chirps then spoke in its distinctive female voice, "Additional Level Nine security clearance required to perform this function."

Blake didn't miss a beat, glancing upward as she started to speak. "Blake-Epsilon-Kappa-Eight-Two-Zero-Nine."

The computer chirped again, this time with its distinctive confirmation sound. "Data access restored."

"Computer," instructed Tarin with a slight pause in her speech, "delete all encrypted files marked C-S-3-1-Omega in both the active and backup memory banks."

"Processing..." Another series of multi-toned chirps sounded before the computer spoke again, "Additional Level Nine security clearance required to perform this function," it repeated.

Blake repeated her authorization, sitting back as she rubbed the back of her neck. She wondered wryly which far reaching corner of the universe they'd be sent to as a result of their decision? They were pretty far out as it was, they couldn't be shoved much further.

The final series of computer notifications tweeted through the room before confirmation was audibly acknowledged. "All files deleted."

Tarin let out a private sigh. The difficult decision produced a faint semblance of relief now that it was finally over, but the true judgement would take place once Galileo returned to Regula I in a matter of hours and she was forced to sit down and explain herself to the admiralty. It wasn't going to be an easy conversation nor a pleasant one. She glanced over to Blake and nodded with respect to the former marine. "Thank you, Number One. Regardless of what Starfleet decides to do with us, we've done the right thing."

Scarlet gave a small, half smile, shaking her head lightly at the prospect, her chest and shoulders lifting with the sharp intake of breath. "We've both had tougher fights, I'm sure," she said softly as she got to her feet. "I assure you, whatever the outcome, I'll sleep easier at night this way."

"So will I," agreed the captain who casually pulled her arms in front of her chest in order to stretch the muscles in her upper back. "But I'll be the first to admit - and you've probably noticed by now - sleep comes hard for me, at times." Too often, she confessed to herself. Outside the ready room's window port with streaking stars passing by, a subtle turquoise light hue caught Tarin's eye then disappeared. Her gaze returned to Blake. "You're a former counselor...any tips?"

Blake took a soft breath as she considered the question, the irony not lost on her considering her own recent struggles with sleep. "Pinpoint the cause," she replied quietly, but shook her head because she knew that made it sound over simplified. "It varies so much from person to person. Physiological...psychological. The first step is usually to make sure that you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day..." her expression was knowing as she folded her arms. "...Which we know is impossible in the fleet. Some people find guided meditations help, to quiet the mind.

"Then there's the way we were taught in the marines," Blake suggested, because she suspected it would be more up Tarin's street than meditation. "Get comfortable on the bed, eyes closed, and relax every part of your face, every muscle. Take slow, steady breaths as you drop your shoulders and relax your hands. Then keep going down your body...relax your torso muscles, then all the way down one leg, then the other, with slow steady breaths throughout, picturing somewhere relaxing."

Blake paused, watching her with a weak smile for a moment, letting her absorb the practical advice before offering the part she might not be so eager to explore. "Although...you really should talk to someone about what might be weighing on you and causing the sleepless nights, and maybe even drop into Sickbay to make sure it's not medical."

Tarin cocked her head to the side at the 'expert' details of marine advice. "Really, Blake? They taught you to masturbate to alleviate stress in the Corps? Tell me something I'm not aware of." Another flicker of turquoise light flashed through the window and briefly illuminated the small ready room. Tarin's attention was now captured by the strange colors and she frowned then rose to her feet. "...Am I going crazy or did you also see that?" she interrupted their conversation to flick her hazel irises to the window.

"That's definitely not in your head..." Blake frowned with concern as she moved to the viewport, trying to get a better look. As much as it pained her to admit it, because she sincerely wanted nothing more than a calm and dull system's test, the strobing light had definitely caught her eye.


Deck 1, Bridge

The Nova-class' main viewscreen continued to display the distinctive forward image of its warp starfield. Multiple distant stars and nearby celestial objects streaked past the vessel at varying speeds with a mesmerizing effect for all who stared too long at the exhibition. It was a familiar sight to those who'd served aboard a starship before, but a faint cyan flare in the near distance at the center of the viewscreen interrupted the tranquility. It flared again, then several more times as a growing circular turquoise cloud started to rapidly manifest. It emanated powerful light flares which started to cast flashes of blue within the command center.

An unexpected wake within its warp course suddenly rocked Galileo, yawing the vessel slightly from side to side before it re-stabilized. Within the bridge, the science and navigational consoles came alive with multiple visual and audible alerts.

"Lt. Vala, status report! What is causing this?", Rafe demanded.

It was normal to read slightly elevated temporal impetus when travelling at warp, particularly when breaching warp 9. The readings had been within tolerance and Vala had expected them to drop with the warp factor. It was therefore strange when they remained steady even as the ship had slowed to warp 8. But even then it was not extremely unusual, it was certainly all within the tolerance of a poorly calibrated sensor. He had run a diagnostic as was protocol and kept an eye on it.

Then, just before the visual phenomena had appeared Vala noticed something. There was some kind of... bleed. Chronometric particles were seeping into the third dimension from the fourth where they belong. Initially this was happening at a rate that would only constitute a minor aberration, something he could simulate in the lab if need be, but with his background in temporal mechanics and the Galileo's superior sensors at his fingertips it became clear that this was heading in a direction far from normal.

The turquoise and blue lights signalled a development of the bleed into a gaping wound, sensor readings began to aggressively take over the science console as particles shifted and caressed the form of the hull.

"Chronometric particles, Lieutenant. Chronitons to be exact. Some kind of anomaly is developing ahead," Vala remained as calm as possible, but scenarios began to flick through his mind, "I am monitoring its growth."

Rafe's mind immediately flashed back to a report he read about Voyager's maiden voyage. Immediate action was necessary if this was even a remotely similar situation. He practically yelled, "Yellow alert!! Lieutenant, scan in all directions for any entities with properties of the Caretaker! Captain Tarin and Commander Blake to the bridge!!"

"Chronometric particles?" Ullswater was incredulous, it must be a sensor error because there would be no reason for- Wait, no, she checked and rechecked but the readout in front of her was adamant: chronitons. "Confirmed, that's a temporal anomaly forming ahead of us."

The anomaly continued to expand on the main viewscreen as Galileo rapidly streaked towards it high warp. The small starship shuddered again with low-frequency oscillations which began to increase in severity. The deck plating and bulkheads chattered, then the bridge's overhead lighting dimmed and mustard strobe lighting pulsed throughout the control center.

The bridge's side entrance swished open and both Tarin and Blake swiftly walked in from the adjacent conference room. The captain strode down into the command well to relieve Caradec but slowed as she took in the sight of the large cloud-wormhole-esque formation brewing on the viewscreen. She had no idea what it was and quickly snapped into action. "Report!"

There had been no luxury of staring at the viewscreen for the deputy engineer. Although the ship had returned to a warp speed that was within safe operating parameters, Sera—and her team down in the pit—were hustling to soothe the rather ruffled feathers of the core. Most of the red alerts had bled away from her screens which was satisfactory…

The station began alarming again – a new alarm, a different alarm. Sera pulled up the alert which displayed the data it was all ‘in a tizzy’ about.

“Sir, readings are indicating an exponential increase in gravimetric stressors on the hull.” Finally looking up, Sera took in the turquoise pulses that was the expanding anomaly.

“These pulses are affecting the integrity of the subspace displacement field; if this continues, I cannot guarantee we will be able to maintain a stable warp field.”

The ship shuddered again as the warp field fluctuated, which caused a sub-second increase in the inertial mass of the ship. An apt analogy would be like a rock skipping across the pond, and by Surak were the nacelles unhappy with the energy waves.

"Captain, this is now affecting matter/antimatter field containment." Sera raised a brow at the colorful metaphors scrolling across her console from Chief Naime. She was not about to relay that particular message to the captain.

"Constant velocity is becoming untenable, Captain! Speed is becoming erratic! However, we still have navigation.", Rafe reported.

Vala's eyes remained fixed on his console, his fingers a blur as he rushed to calibrate the sensors to accomodate the full breadth of the anomaly. A strong sense of déjà vu washed over him as the data streamed in. You could never truly predict it, but he had seen myriad outcomes of exposure to a rich chronometic field in his time. Few had been pleasant.

"We have a significant buildup of chronitons, Captain, expanding at an unpredictable rate. The leading edge is spreading chronometic particles along the hull but the bulk of the field is ahead," he took a slightly shaky breath, "It would be difficult to classify this as anything other than a temporal anomaly."

Toren gripped the edge of the console tightly, his knuckles turning white, antennae flattening against his head—a silent display of alertness and concern. His eyes rapidly scanned the flickering readouts, processing the cascading errors and the crew's frantic efforts to stabilize the ship. Despite the chaos, he remained outwardly composed, an observer's stance masking the seasoned experience and readiness to act that lay just beneath the surface. With each new tremor, his posture adjusted minimally but with purpose, poised to provide assistance if the situation deteriorated further.

Tarin steadied herself using one of the nearby railings when the ship lurched again, then unceremoniously sat down back into the captain's chair to relieve Caradec. The reports coming in were concerning at the least, and she struggled to comprehend what was unfolding in front of their starship. She swiftly tapped the commbadge pinned to the top of her breast, "Tarin to all hands...we're encountering an unknown phenomenon. Prepare for further updates. Security, I need one of you up here. Now."


Deck 3, Security Office/Brig

"Tarin to all hands...we're encountering an unknown phenomenon. Prepare for further updates. Security, I need one of you up here. Now."

Aria let out a breath as she looked around. And there was that other shoe, dropping down to squash the ants on the USS Galileo. It took her only a second to make her decision. "Lieutenant Ghemora, no time like the present. Report to the bridge," she said, her voice firm but also light, as if it wasn't a big deal. And it might not be.

There was a slight pause after the order was given where Ghemora glanced between her chief and the duo of detainees before she finally responded, "Aye, chief," as she moved to hand Amanda the Type-IIIc she'd equipped herself with due to the unusual detainees and exited the Security Complex for the Bridge...

Amanda took the rifle as Ghemora came out of the brig area proper, it felt slightly alien to her compared to her purpose built phaser rifle that was safely locked away in the attached armour. "Have fun." She remarked as the door began to close behind the Cardassian.

Quil didn't so much as shift her gaze as the security officer left, but she certainly noticed it. "Now can I have something to write with?" she asked again, not moving from her place by the barrier.

Aria looked at Quil for a moment before she nodded. Yellow alert was yellow alert, but she rooted around in the locker before she found a notebook and charcoal...she wasn't sure who was the artist in her team, maybe T'Paaru, but nothing had been drawn. She walked over and opened the forcefield enough to give the woman, watching her face. "You alright?" she asked her, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry too much, we're on alert so much I am considering changing my makeup to look better when the lights change."

Lia caught hold of it with her remaining hand, not looking at the other woman as she returned to her bench, setting the pad out. She bent down over it, her blonde waves of hair falling forward to obscure her features as she started writing as swiftly as the charcoal would allow. "There's no use in worrying unless I am somewhere I can make a difference," she replied lightly.

Aria let out a breath, pulling back and closing the forcefield completely. She looked at Mulder, who had gone back to sitting, just watching. It did creep her out a little bit, but she didn't know what trauma they had been through. She looked over at T'Paaru, giving her a nod before she looked over at the doors as they opened and Octavio entered. "Everyone, meet our newest member...Petty Officer 1st Class Octavio."

Lysander did his best to remain composed as he briskly walked in. The ship lurched, but he managed to catch the doorway, then carefully readjusted his hair. It had not been the expected start to his voyages on the starship Galileo and he would be very much displeased were he to die before he finished his most recent holonovel. "Thank you for the introduction, sir. Seems like we're in a bit of a fix. I can report the torpedo bay was looking excellent when I left." He smiled and gave a nod, "In any case, present and ready for orders."

"Hold on to anything not fixed down and try not to die," Gabriel filled him in with a deadpan tone from the other side of the compact brig-come-security office.

"Well noted!" Lysander moved to a nearby bulkhead and adjusted his hair before he grasped the side of it.


Deck 3, Sickbay

"Tarin to all hands...we're encountering an unknown phenomenon. Prepare for further updates. Security, I need one of you up here. Now."

Allyndra didn't need the comm announcement to know that something was off. The ship was letting them know through the shaking.

"Well, that does it." Allyndra pressed her com. "Shirley, since you are already there I want you to 'man' the holodeck ER I will ask a couple of our personnel to come help. I will deal with anybody that shows up here."

The EMH's voice replied through the comm, "Acknowledged, doctor. Because of course, a photonic life form can't be trusted to tend to patients without humanoid supervision." The channel cut off along with the sarcasm in Shirley's voice.

"Everyone, I need two volunteers to go with the EMH." Allyndra looked over the personnel in the sickbay.

"I can go," Ember offered, already moving around the side of the bed, catching hold of a case on her way. "It seems that it never rains but it pours..." she murmured softly.

Leon looked at her before he looked at Allyndra. "If you wish, I can go too, Doctor," he said, because it made sense more serious injuries would go to sickbay.

"Very good, thank you." Allyndra nodded and prepared for any others showing up here.


Deck 7, Main Engineering

"Tarin to all hands...we're encountering an unknown phenomenon. Prepare for further updates. Security, I need one of you up here. Now."

Hel looked up from the console, shaking her head. "By the burning sands, weren't we just stretching our legs?" she said aloud, pulling back from the console.

"We never just stretch the legs. It's always a full-out sprint." John quipped back.

"Maybe next time, we should put on the child lock," Hel said before she shook her head, looking at the temperature. "We're still running a little hot, but not in the danger zone at the moment..." barely. Barely. As long as something unexpected didn't happen.

Naime couldn't help but let out a sigh, this was meant to have been a day of success and celebration at a job well done but somehow once again they were running into trouble. "Burning sands is right, this ship really is cursed."


Deck 2, Mess Hall

Laeon glanced up as the call from the bridge came through, concern flickering across his features as he set his glass down. "We've barely left dock...!" he said with disbelief as he looked across to Nesh.

Nesh sighed as she watched Laeon, nodding. "Okay, help me secure lunch. We should put out rations in case it is needed. If we're lucky, this is just a training exercise and they want to test the lights..." even as she said it, she went to the kitchen knives, touching them. "If it is more and we're getting more unexpected guests, I won't be as patient as I was before. Besides, we should hopefully get the civilians in here now that we're on yellow alert."

Laeon shook his head, sighing as he moved into the back to help her batten down the hatches. How had he become a kitchen porter? It was an unexpected turn that he decided he needed to fix. If the ship didn't shake itself apart. Otherwise, it was a moot point.

Nesh looked a him, seeing the set of his jaw, his shoulders. She reached out, to touch his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "I'd give you an evening sunset for your thoughts," she said, before she grimaced. "Although that might have to wait..."

Laeon's shoulders relaxed a notch with the words and he grinned as he looked to her with awe. "An evening sunset? Only if you paint it for me..."

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CMDR Morgan Tarin
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo-A

EMH Mark X-C "Shirley"
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Tarin]

Lieutenant Aria Rice
Chief Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant JG Rafe Caradec
Senior Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A

Nurse Leon Inaros
Nurse
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

Nesh Saalm
Sous Chef
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

PO3 Helliun Inant
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

CMDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Laeon Wylde
Crew Family
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Dr. Ember Locksley
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Lia Quil
Civilian Scientist
Cold Station 31
[PNPC Blake]

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical and Second Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO3 John Hollenday
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Warraquim]

Lieutenant (JG) Montgomery Vala
Deputy Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

Master Chief Petty Officer Toren Vral
Chief of the Boat
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

Petty Officer 1st Class Lysander Octavio
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vala]

LTJG Zara Ghemora
Deputy Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Sofie Ullswater
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

CPO Afthinam Naime
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Ullswater]

ENS S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
Deputy Engineer
USS Galileo-A

ENS Amanda Turell
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]

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