Emergence Part Two
Posted on Wed Nov 1st, 2023 @ 7:00pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Commander Cynfor Rees & Lieutenant Commander Rhiana t'Aegis & Lieutenant Commander Jörgen Leed & Lieutenant Tor Ezzo & Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse & Lieutenant Jackson Smith & Lieutenant Soto Gantt
1,581 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: USS Firebird
Timeline: 23 August 2396, 1720 Hours
[ON]
On the main viewscreen, Malcom could see the view of the wormhole. He'd transited the wormhole on more than a few occasions but the view never got old. It was similar to being in warp but at the same time different. He glanced around the bridge, noting everyone in their place, including Commander Leed who sat near him and the XO. He'd signed off on the plan to insert the EVA team but he had some concerns. Serious concerns. He didn't like how exposed they would be.
"Captain, we are two minutes from the mouth of the wormhole," Kipp said from his console.
"Acknowledged, Kipp," Malcom replied. "Lieutenant Woodhouse, please engage the cloaking device."
There was a moment of delay as Woodhouse at the ops station shifted power allocations. "Cloak is online. Wormhole interference is... marginal," he replied as readings stabilized.
Malcom tried not to think about the interference of the wormhole. He'd been worrying about it right up until the mission started.
Malcom had triple-checked whether using the cloaking device in the wormhole was a problem. He'd been unable to find anything saying it was a problem so they were going to use it. Another unknown.
"XO, I want you to monitor the EVA team when they depart. I know Lieutenant Baxter is monitoring the environmental concerns but I want you to keep an eye on the tactical concerns as Commander t'Aegis isn't here."
Cyn rose from his seat and made his way to the tactical console. "Aye, sir. Shields are holding and all weapons are online." He made sure to route the feeds from the away team's suits to his console to keep a close eye on them.
"Thank you, XO," Malcom said, giving him a nod.
"Commander Leed, what's the status on that Bajoran ship? The last I heard it had finally gotten underway."
"Correct, Captain. The Okuda is approaching the wormhole. The Council is deeply disappointed--one might say suspicious--of our flight past DS9 and strongly suggests we alter speed to meet the Okuda in the wormhole. I assured them you would make the necessary adjustment." Jörgen raised his eyebrows in a worried expression. "Admittedly, Captain, I am not sure what you deem necessary."
Malcom grinned at his Chief Diplomat. "Thank you for the information, Mr. Leed. Let's keep an eye on the Okuda. I doubt that they are going to give up and just go home."
"One minute, Captain," Kipp said.
Malcom stood up, needing some action to dissipate his nervous energy.
"Llwyedd to Lieutenant Smith. Give me a status check," Malcom said. He knew that the EVA team was gathered in one of the forward cargo bays that had already been depressurized. The plan was for them to simply float out into space and then use their propulsion to ease into the Gamma Quadrant.
The cargo bay of the Firebird was shrouded in eerie silence. Rows of cargo containers, sealed and secured, stretch out into the dimly lit expanse. The hum of distant machinery is the only sound that pierced the void. In the center of the vast bay, Jackson stood with his three other companions. Each of them clad in the advanced slick black EVA suits. They had just finished checking seals and oxygen levels. Jackson closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. He looked at each of those standing by him, checking to see if they were ready.
Rhiana made the tactical hand gesture to signal that she was ready, though... how ready could one really be for this crazy endeavour? She trusted technology completely, but there was something different between en EVA sortie in the vicinity of a vessel or station and an EVA sortie from the wormhole into the unknown on the other side.
Behind the large sledge of scanning equipment and gear, Gantt nodded twice sharply towards Jackson. He nervously gripped, released, and gripped the push-bar again. Beneath the sledge was a simple wheeled cart that connected with a cable to the bulkhead. The cart would allow him to push the sledge forward into space but keep the cart from floating out after them. He breathed out deeply trying to regulate the flow of adrenaline.
Charles had been making sure everything was secure on the sled as he looked up. "I guess we are ready as ever." He told Jackson with a thumbs up. "I mean we are jumping through a wormhole with no ship while tooting cargo... what could go wrong." He gave a chuckle. "I am getting too old for this!"
"Smith to Captain Llwyedd, we are good to go." Jackson took a deep breath, this is likely the craziest mission they had attempted.
[Bridge]
=^=All hands this is the Captain. We will be triggering the wormhole exit in one minute. Rig for silent running and stand by your stations. It's been a while since we've done something like this but I know you're up to the task. Llwyedd out=^=
"Wormhol exit... now," Kipp said.
On the main viewscreen, the wavy blue image split into an iris with the blackness of space on the other side. The entire bridge crew immediately noticed huge chunks of rock impeding their direct line of flight. Malcom thought he also saw ships, partially hidden by the asteroids."
"All stop, Mr. Tor," Malcom said. "Lieutenant Jackson, you are free to begin your deployment."
Without hesitating, Jackson pressed the button to the cargo bay doors. The massive cargo bay doors began to open, revealing an otherworldly sight. As they slid apart, they unveiled the swirling, iridescent vortex of the wormhole. Multicolored tendrils of energy and luminous particles dance across the space. Looking beyond the tendrils one could see the opening of the wormhole, showing the return to the inky blackness of space marred by some objects. "It's go time." Jackson started moving across the metallic floor of the cargo bay. His EVA boots clanging with each step. He picked up momentum and just as he approached the edge he pushed off and activated the propulsion of the EVA suit sending him forward into the vastness that waited before him.
Behind him, the other members of the EVA team pushed off one at a time, stringing themselves out in an orderly line. As they moved out of cover from the Firebird their visors were filled with the black of space and the looming asteroids. Their sensors picked up unknown vessels, eight of them, but none were close and their suits showed no scans detected. They were in the clear.
[Bridge]
Lieutenant Tor Ezzo brought the ship to a stop wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He had managed to keep the ship from being forced out of the wormhole for an extended period of time requiring over a hundred small corrections in rapid succession. "Full stop sir," Ezzo said looking at his sensor. "I"m showing eight vessels using tractor beams to move asteroids around the exit of the wormhole. It appears the opening and closing of the wormhole has alerted them to our arrival."
Cyn kept his hands on the tactical controls but his eyes were on the viewscreen. From an Operational standpoint, this plan was risky at best. However, he knew that the deployment was the due or die part of the plan. At the moment the main part of his thoughts centered on getting the team back to the ship should something go wrong.
Malcom watched as the situation evolved. The unknown vessels knew something had triggered the wormhole but because of their cloaking device, they weren't sure what had done so.
"Mr. Tor, find us a path inside. I want us moving below the EVA team if possible. Kipp, let me know if you get anything on coms from Deep Space Eighteen."
"Aye, sir," Kipp said.
The Firebird slid forward.
[OFF]
Commander Malcom Llwyedd
Commanding Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Commander Cynfor Rees
Executive Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Commander Rhiana t'Aegis
Second Officer / Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Commander Jörgen Leed
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Tor Ezzo
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse
Chief Operations Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Phoebe Baxter
Chief Science Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Jackson Smith
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Warrant Officer Arlan Harlan
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Chief Petty Officer Charles Stephens Jr.
Chief of the Boat / Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Soto Gantt (NPC by Leed)
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
Lieutenant Commander Cynfor Rees
Executive Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298
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