JP Yogan Yalu & Etan Iljor - It's Gloria, from Cleveland (Parts 1-5)

[Genkos Adea]

It's always a pleasure to see talented writers scribing together, and this is an absolute pleasure. Well done @Etan Iljor and @Yalu; this is so much fun. I cannot wait to see where it goes!

(( Shuttlecraft Rennell, Outermost Boundary of the Celendi Nebula, The Borderlands ))

Awash with a hazy golden glow, the Celendi Nebula was situated at the eastern most edge of The Borderlands. An unfathomably large stellar gas cloud that had held its secrets for as long as the Federation had attempted to cross it, it was best known as a navigational hazard and a place best avoided by all but the most foolhardy explorers. Though not impossible to traverse, its composition made it extremely difficult. As he looked at the readout on his console, Etan Iljor could see why: synchrotron radiation, neutrino emissions, magnetascopic interference and large quantities of protomatter. He turned to the shuttle’s pilot- his roommate and Resolution’s helm officer, Lieutenant Yogan Yalu.

Etan: Remind me why we’re here? ::he asked, his voice flecked heavily with sardonic humour.::

The corner of Yogan’s mouth turned slightly upward and he let out a brief chuckle.  Their current situation reminded him of the latest chapter of The Belonging Season, his psychodrama du jour, in which the protagonists had just embarked on a locked-room style adventure of self-discovery and -expression.  This simple survey mission, however, would likely pale in comparison to the pages of The Belonging Season.  Taking his eyes off his console for a moment, he looked to his right, to the copilot’s seat, where his roommate and friend Etan Iljor sat, an inscrutable expression on his face.  Iljor’s sense of humour never failed to bring a smile to Yogan’s.

Yalu: I could read the mission briefing again.  ::beat, in a theatrical narrator voice::  In a section of nebula, so weird, only two junior officers could possibly survey it.  ::beat, normal voice::  With Resolution being repaired, I think we just might have been the only pilot-scientist combo hanging around the station.

It had been a two day voyage from Deep Space 224 to their present location- just long enough to remind the young science officer why he did not care for the small auxiliary vessels used by their mothership. Two years earlier, he had been one of eight cadets sent out on a training expedition in such a vessel. What had started as an exciting opportunity for exploration and discovery had quickly lost it’s sheen when it had become apparent that eight cadets were not supposed to fit in such a cramped space. Two weeks and many, many frayed nerves later- Iljor had returned to the Academy campus on Betazoid with a healthy resentment for what many called ‘the Class 2 coffin’.

Etan: And we couldn’t have taken the Waverider instead?

Yogan nodded his shared disappointment.  Waverider was far more comfortable for a two-person survey mission than this type-9 shuttlecraft–at least they would each have had their own bunk–but it was designed primarily for atmospheric rather than interstellar flight.  Plus, it happened to be docked on the underbelly of Resolution’s saucer section, which meant...

Yalu: It had a bit of a rough landing on that planet.

It figured, given the Resolution’s last assignment had resulted in a crash landing that had damaged almost every system and compartment aboard. Of course the Waverider was being repaired. Some people, like Iljor, did not have any luck at all.

Etan: Figures. ::he said, rolling his eyes for dramatic effect, before turning back to the readouts on his console.:: All that magnetascopic interference and ionising radiation is going to make our job a lot harder.

Even at a considerable distance from the nebula’s outermost boundary, sensors were already struggling to identify anything inside. A confusing and contradictory stream of data filled his screen, reducing the sensor’s effectiveness by nearly 70 per cent. It occurred to Iljor at that particular moment, that there were some nebulas Starfleet were best avoiding.

With all of its potential hazards to navigation and impediments to commerce, exploration, and general development in the region, it made sense to Yogan that properly charting some of the more dangerous fringes of the Celendi Nebula was a relatively high priority.  It never ceased to amaze him that with all of their technology, still so much of their galaxy remained unexplored.

Yalu: You’re right.  The interference in this sector is 500% higher than the baseline for the rest of the nebula.  Who knows, Iljor, there might even be undiscovered planets in here.  ::beat, grins::  Have you completed first contact training?

Etan:  At the academy. ::he replied, bobbing his head:: It’s a required course for all students on the Anthropology & Archaeology track. ::best:: I must have spent a hundred hours in the simulator preparing for my exam. Maybe more. ::he turned from his console to glance at the pilot.:: What about you?

Yalu: ::chuckles::  Nope.  ::beat::  Well, yes and no.  One of my previous hosts, Auzell, was a Starfleet officer, and she served on a couple of First Contact teams.  I remember that simulator, too.  Yogan, on the other hand… well, I suppose I can rely on my MED 111 course at the Academy.  ::beat, off Iljor’s look::  Bedside Manner.  I got an “A.”

Iljor chuckled as he turned back to his console. He often forgot that the Joined Trill had entered Starfleet with the intention of practising medicine. Instead he forged himself a path as a consummate helmsman. He ran a scan of the region before them, not expecting a clear reading. The Celendi Nebula was not likely to reveal its secrets to the two men.

Etan: I’m picking up a slight drag from our impulse engines. ::he cross referenced with the external sensor feed.:: The nebula density is increasing.

As they neared the nebula, the density of its contents increased, blocking out the stars and casting a more muted, flaxen quality to the space ahead of the small shuttlecraft.  Less awe-inspiring and more like an unpleasant soup one might order without realizing what it was made of.

Yalu:  I’ll take us in slowly, monitor our position, and keep an eye out for any navigational hazards while we execute the survey pattern.  ::beat::  Once we’re off and running, it’s your show.

Iljor smirked in reply.

Etan:  I hope your not expecting a gripping psychodrama, Yogan. ::he replied with no small amusement. He had seen the man’s reading material in their shared quarters.:: This will be a more sedate show. oO One that might put us to sleep. Oo ::he added mentally, preparing himself for a long assignment with little reward.::

The friendship Yogan had formed with Iljor since the two were assigned to share quarters on Resolution could best be described as easy.  He enjoyed the Bajoran scientist’s company, and while they had few interests in common, they possessed a similar attitude that made cohabiting in a living space relatively unremarkable.  Iljor was a contemplative sort, much more like Yogan Verso was before being Joined to Yalu.  Even with all of the past lifetimes enriching and transforming his personality, Yogan was still introspective at heart, which made the two officers well-matched as roommates.

Yalu:  All right, starting in grid One-Alpha.  ::looks over to Iljor, grins::  Survey away, my friend.

Technically, as the superior officer, Yogan was in command of the survey mission, but when Iljor had first arrived on Resolution, the two men made the decision to leave their rank at the door of their shared quarters.  Here, they were on duty, but their confinement to the shuttlecraft made the experience seem much more like they were hanging out at home rather than at work.  Yogan was content to sit back and let the scientist do what he did best.

Etan:  ::he breathed in and reconfigured the console in front of him.:: Beginning scans of grid One-Alpha. Full sensor sweep.

Yalu:  Holding position.  There is a stream of radioactive protomatter moving slowly toward us, but we’ll have moved to the next grid by the time it gets here.  ::beat, sighs::  Exciting enough for you?

He leaned over to get a better look at the data on Yogan’s console, his cautious nature taking hold. The information displayed was just as the Trill had said. Rendered as data on a screen, it did not look particularly threatening but if it intersected with the shuttlecraft’s position, there would not be much left of either man for Doctor Adea to identify.

Etan:  ::he looked at Yogan.:: I’m gripped already. ::returning his attention to his own sensor scans, he began to analyse the data that the sensors were relaying.:: I’m detecting a 0.002% increase in neutrino emissions. ::he rolled his eyes for dramatic effect.:: However will we sleep tonight?

Yalu: ::chuckles, wryly::  With this firestorm of activity?  I’ll be up for days.

Yogan looked out the forward viewport at the slowly swirling, golden-green nebula.  He was grateful to have a couple of days of uneventful, routine work to do before Resolution was ready to welcome them back aboard.  There were still some twinges in his lower back and soreness in his arms from the physical work of building the home for the Romulan refugees, and sitting in the pilot’s seat of the shuttlecraft for an extended period had left him feeling a bit stiff.  He’d heard about a place on Deep Space 224 where he could get a massage to work out the knots in his shoulders and neck, but after receiving a somewhat lukewarm review of the place from Meidra, he never pursued it.

Etan: How did you find Oreen V? The topographical and environmental reports I read made for some pretty unpleasant reading.

Iljor had not seen Yogan since he had returned from the nascent Romulan colony, even though they shared quarters. With his sleep cycle all but non-existent, Iljor had taken to working in the various science laboratories on the Resolution or wandering the gargantuan Deep Space 224. His conversations with Genkos and Aine had given him some solace that he was not as alone as he felt- but still, sleep eluded him. One such report he had come across during his nighttime endeavours made Oreen V seem like a difficult place for anybody to set up a colony, let alone a group of disaffected Romulans with limited resources.

In a way, their efforts made him think of the refugee camps-turned-semi permanent settlements that had cropped up all along the Bajoran border with the Federation during the Occupation. Conditions on a plethora of worlds had been difficult to say the least, if not downright hostile to Bajoran life. But those displaced in the Diaspora were a hardy group- and they had made the best of a terrible situation. He knew that his paternal grandmother, Sobra, had spent some time in one such ‘settlement’ but she didn’t much like to talk about those years. He had tried occasionally over the years to glean some information- but it had not been until after her passing- at her memorial service- that he had learned she had worked as an healthcare assistant in the Federation administered medical centre.

Yalu:  The reports were accurate about the planet.  The environment is hospitable, but definitely not conducive to sustainable, long-term settlement.  ::beat::  I got the feeling it was given to the Romulans to settle because no one else wanted it.  ::beat::  But they’ve done a remarkable job of building a community there.  It’s inspiring, considering what they’ve been through in the last decade.

Etan: They’ll bounce back. ::he said with certainty.:: The Romulan people are amongst the most resilient species in the quadrant. Part of my anthropological studies at the academy were centered on the Romulans. We don’t know a lot about them, believe it or, but what we do know is that they thrive in adversity. We may not always see eye-to-eye, if ever, with them- but we can respect their ability to come back swinging.

Yogan held deep respect for Iljor, whose words sounded like they belonged to someone far older than his 22 years.  Coming into the world on the heels of the Occupation and the devastation of the war, it would have been perfectly reasonable for someone of Iljor’s generation to become disillusioned and bitter.  Instead, he seemed to maintain an inextinguishable curiosity about the universe, coupled with a healthy admiration of the accomplishments of his people.

Yalu:  You’re right.  If Bajor can come out of the Occupation, with all of the devastation the Cardassians wrought over six decades, there’s hope for the Romulans.

Etan: There’s that too. 

The smile that curled the corners of his mouth was tinged with pride. The Cardassians had plundered Bajor for sixty years. Plundered it for minerals, art, literature, arable land, oil and gas- amongst other things. By the time the Resistance finally succeeded in driving them off Bajor, the planet had been strip mined to within an inch of its life, most of its arable land had become poisonous, it held little natural resources and its people- once united in common cause- were on the verge of warring with one another. Iljor had been born several years after the end of the Occupation, but as a small child he had still seen the scars that it had left. He was undeniably proud of the work his people had undertaken to transform their homeworld back into a centre of diplomacy, commerce, academia and art.

Etan: oO And there are still scars, even now. Oo ::he thought to himself, reminded of the accusations that Akhbett Jirall had levied across his beloved parents. He didn’t want to think about them for the time being- though it was becoming increasingly difficult not to. He forced himself to look back at the readings on the screen in front of him.:: Stellar winds in this grid are increasing. Not by much, but we still should be careful.

Yogan’s attention was diverted briefly to the navigational console, and he noticed the same thing that Iljor did.  His hands moved across the glossy surface and keyed in sequence of commands.

Yalu: Engaging manoeuvring thrusters at one-quarter.  That should keep us from getting buffeted about too much.  ::beat::  Haven’t seen much of you since we left the Briar Patch.  ::beat::  Or, come to think of it, since we got back from Trill.  Opposite duty shifts, I guess?

Iljor nodded, but looked at his console in an effort to not look at Yogan. He suddenly felt the cloud that had been hanging over him returning. Had his roommate noticed just like Aine and Genkos?  Yogan had noticed that Iljor had seemed preoccupied of late, even more contemplative than usual.  At first, he had chalked it up to the transformative experience they’d shared on Trill, Yogan’s zhian’tara, but Iljor’s muted disposition had continued beyond that.

Etan:  Uh, yeah. I guess. ::he could hear himself, he sounded non-committal::

It seemed as though Iljor wasn’t particularly eager to talk about it, and although Yogan was concerned for his roommate and friend, he didn’t intend to push the issue.  After all, the two officers shared a living space and were friendly, but Yogan knew that Iljor had closer friends aboard the ship with whom he could share his troubles.  Even so, whatever was on Iljor’s mind seemed to occupy him at all hours.

Yalu:  I’ve heard you pacing in your room at night.

Etan: Hm? ::he looked up and glanced over at Yogan before looking back at his readings.:: I’m fine. ::Was it his imagination or did his own voice sound higher?::

Yogan looked down at his controls, manufacturing a break in the conversation.  Perhaps there could have been a subtler way of backpedaling from the conversation than awkwardly about-facing back to work, but it was effective.

Yalu: Grid One-Alpha is complete.  Setting course for Grid Two-Alpha, thrusters only, 500 kph.

Glad of the opportunity for the break in the conversation and feeling guilty about the fact he had lied to his roommate, he focused on the work ahead of them.

Etan:  Understood. Reconfiguring sensors now.

Yalu:  ETA at Grid Two-Alpha, 90 seconds.

The craft rolled slowly toward its new destination, the only sound inside the shuttlecraft being the low hum of the engines.

Yalu:  I hope that whatever is bothering you, you have support to work through it.

Iljor looked at Yogan from the corner of his eye. He wasn’t pushing the issue and for that he was immeasurably grateful.

Etan:  I do.

He had yet to speak to Meidra although he had made an appointment. Knowing that Aine and Genkos were prepared to be there for him, even without knowing the specifics of the situation had made him feel a touch better. In his own way, Yogan was showing his support and Iljor was grateful.

Yalu:  I’m glad.  ::beat::  Holding position at Grid Two-Alpha.  Ready when you are.

Etan:  Sensors reconfigured. Beginning scans.

Yogan looked through the viewport at another unremarkable swath of nebula, when something in the distance caught his attention.

Yalu:  ::pointing::  What is that?

At first Iljor could not see what Yogan was pointing to. Given the Celendi Nebula’s reputation to could have been almost anything. Then his eyes caught it.

Against the backdrop of the dusty golden gas clouds that marked the edge of the nebula, something was drifting slowly in space. The way in which tumbling gently over itself suggested to the science officer that it had been ejected some time ago from the nebula- perhaps a day or two- via the stellar currents that were found within.

Iljor’s hands danced quickly over his reconfigured console, directing every available sensor at the small object.

Etan:  Scanning the object now.

Yalu:  It’s moving slowly, less than 20 kph.  ::beat::  Getting a clearer picture of it on sensors.

The sensor scans resolved themselves on the screen in front of Iljor. He raised an eyebrow and let out a small gasp of surprise.

Etan:  It’s a Federation Type-7 shuttlecraft!

Yalu: ::squinting:: What’s it doing out here?

The rounded hull of the shuttlecraft tumbled through space, emerging through the nebular haze and becoming easier to make out.  Yogan’s question was purely rhetorical, as the small vessel was clearly adrift, its journey at the mercy of the currents whipping and whirling through the nebula.  Whatever the reason, it wasn’t good.

Etan: I’m running it’s registry through the Starfleet database now. ::he said, his hands at work once again.:: According to the this, this shuttle belongs to the starship Ibn Battuta. ::he turned to Yogan again.:: Does that sound familiar to you?

Yalu: ::copies Iljor’s data onto his own console:: Doesn’t ring a bell.  ::beat:: It says here that Ibn Battuta patrolled a section of the Klingon border near the Celendi Nebula in the late 2360s.

Etan:  So it’s been out here for thirty years? I’m going to run a search on the Ibn Battuta and see what I can find.

Yalu:  The hull is intact.  I’m going to move us in closer and tractor it out.  ::beat:: Our survey can allow a brief detour to investigate.

Yogan piloted their shuttle deeper into the nebula, which was more difficult than he anticipated due to the unusually dense matter surrounding them.  A few minutes later, they were parked back in their original position near Grid Two-Alpha, with a derelict shuttlecraft staring back at them a few dozen metres off their bow.

Etan:  Should we go over?

The idea caused a strange mixture of intrigue and apprehension within the science officer. Abandoned and adrift shuttlecraft certainly held secrets, but whether anybody should uncover them was debatable.

Yalu:  Good question.  ::beat::  Is it safe to beam over?

Iljor ran a quick scan before replying.

Etan:  Sensors are showing that the shuttle is operating on a reduced power mode. There’s a breathable atmosphere over there, but we can remote trigger it’s power systems to bring it up to full operating capabilities.

Yalu:  ::shrugs:: Might give us a sharper clue into this region of the nebula.  After all, this craft has been lost for 30 years.

Iljor’s console bleeped at him. His search on the USS Ibn Battuta had brought up some interesting information and he scanned through the documents that the computer had selected for his attention.

Etan:  The Ibn Battuta reported a missing shuttlecraft on Stardate 48401.32 that had been sent on a survey mission. The ship itself tried for a week to find it but two officers were reported missing in action, presumed dead. ::the realisation that meant for the two men hit him like a stellar wind.:: Oh Prophets, you don’t think…?

His eyes fell across the old shuttle full of trepidation, imagining the state that it’s occupation would be in after three decades. Sensors had not registered any life signs, after all…

Yogan bit his lip at this particularly grim development.  The historical parallel wasn’t lost on him, either.  Two officers, sent off in a shuttlecraft to survey the Celendi Nebula.  What was that old cliché he heard during his school days?  Something about learning from history or being doomed to repeat it?

Yalu: We’d better prepare ourselves, mentally, for what we might find over there.

Reluctantly, Iljor got to his feet and equipped himself for their impromptu away mission: a tricorder and a phaser. He was relieved that the Rennell did not carry Visual Recording Devices as standard. There were some things best left undocumented, if what he thought was waiting for them came to pass.

Etan: I’m ready. ::he said, the reluctance he felt seeping into the tone of his voice.::

Yogan locked down their small shuttlecraft, the 24th-century equivalent of dropping anchor or yanking the emergency brake.  Confident that Rennell would be waiting for them when they were ready to return, he stood and grabbed the same bits of kit as Iljor.  After keying in a site-to-site transport and setting the time delay, he rose from his seat and joined his fellow officer at the back of the cabin.

Yalu: Let’s go.

Holding his tricorder in one hand and his phaser in t’other, Yogan breathed deeply in half-anticipation/half-dread as the transporter beam enveloped the two men, sending them into the unknown.

(( Derelict shuttlecraft ))

The first thing Yogan noticed upon beaming in was the smell.  Stale air made the small space feel even stuffier than usual, and the cold temperature immediately made him feel clammy.  There was clearly no threat lurking behind seats or under consoles, so Yogan holstered his phaser and switched the tricorder to his dominant hand.

Yalu:  No signs of electrical damage.  Nothing to indicate a catastrophic systems failure.  ::beat::  With a quick power transfer, this craft would be flight ready.

Iljor took a second to reorientate himself and get used to the staler air of the derelict vessel. He unclipped his tricorder, opened it and began scanning just as Yogan had done moments earlier. He felt an odd sense of unsettlement, as though things were not supposed to be the way they were.

There wasn’t much space to wander around, which made the initial search of the craft relatively brief in duration.  After turning 360 degrees multiple times, Yogan realised that the unpleasantness he had prepared himself for.

Etan: Where are the corpses of the missing officers? ::he said, bewildered and looking to Yogan for guidance.::

Yalu:  I don’t know.  ::beat::  I’m half expecting one of them to drop out of the ceiling.  ::adjusts tricorder settings:: I’m scanning for residual humanoid tissues now.  If they’re here, or were, we’ll find out.

Yogan slowly scanned the interior of the spacecraft, sweeping the tricorder across each surface.  The readout didn’t change at all, and Yogan furrowed his brow in confusion.

Yalu:  I’m not picking anything up.  No signs of decomposition, either.  Those two missing officers weren’t in here.  Or at the very least, they didn’t die in here.  This is anticlimactic.  ::beat::  I mean, I wasn’t hoping to find dead bodies in here, but… ::voice trails off::  At least we can recover the logs and tow the ship back to starbase.

Etan:  Good idea. ::he nodded in approval.:: I’ll get started on the logs.

Yalu: ::returning the nod::  Aye.  I’ll get the navigational computer online and establish a link with Rennell.  If I can pilot her remotely, it’ll be a lot easier.

Iljor took the copilots chair, which was a lot less comfortable than the one he had been occupying in the Rannell. He reached forward and tapped the old style console. A sharp negative beep met his touch and he blinked in surprise.

Etan: That’s odd. This console won’t respond. ::he ran his tricorder across the console.:: The power systems don’t seem to be unaffected by whatever happened to the shuttle. But I can’t access the navigational logs.

Yalu: Hmm.  ::stands behind Iljor at the copilot’s seat::  Mind if I take a look?

Realising that Yogan was more qualified than he was, especially when it came to shuttle operations he vacated the seat promptly and waved towards it.

Etan:  Be my guest.

With a slight smile, Yogan took the seat.  After a cursory inspection of the console, he didn’t get much further than Iljor did, but his tricorder diagnostic spat out a string of text that made Yogan raise an eyebrow.  Iljor was right; it wasn’t a power problem.  It was something far more mysterious.

Yalu:  We can’t access the navigational logs because they’ve been encrypted.  Access restricted on Stardate 48401.32.  ::beat::  That was the same date that Ibn Battuta reported this shuttlecraft missing.  Why would someone have done that?

The science officer considered the question before responding.

Etan:  Some kind of classified mission? ::he shrugged uncertainly:: But that still doesn’t explain where the occupants went? ::he ran another sweep with his tricorder, this focusing on biological material.:: I’m not even picking up any kind of biological trace matter. It’s like the shuttle was launched with nobody in it.

Yogan’s brow was getting plenty of practice being furrowed.  If he wasn’t careful, this seemingly simple-on-the-surface survey mission might develop a permanent crease in his forehead.  The Trill intentionally relaxed his expression as he considered what to do next.

Yalu:  Ibn Battuta reported this craft missing with two officers aboard.  Let’s try to figure out who they are.  ::beat:: I have an idea.  ::taps combadge::  Computer, do you have a record of the crew roster of the USS Ibn Battuta on Stardate 48401.32?

Computer: Affirmative.

Yalu:  And a record of the same roster for, say, two weeks after that date?

Computer: Affirmative.

Yalu:  Compare the two and report any changes.

Computer: Working. ::beat:: Two differences between specified rosters identified.

Yalu:  Who are they?

Computer:  First Officer Lieutenant Commander Anxo Oliveria and Shuttle Pilot Lieutenant Junior Grade Parker Costanzo.

Despite being mindful of the expression he wore on his face, Yogan couldn’t help raise an eyebrow at this bit of news.  People go missing on missions from time to time, but for a senior officer to vanish without a trace added yet another wrinkle to this mystery.  He thought about Addison MacKenzie, Resolution’s second-in-command, and had a hard time believing the crew would accept her just disappearing into thin air.

Etan: The First Officer went missing?! ::he said, surprised.:: I guess that explains why Ibn Battuta spent a week looking for this shuttle. ::beat:: But according to our scans, they were never aboard. And a First Officer going missing in action would be pretty big news, right? So why have we never heard about Commander Oliveria?

Things did not add up and coming so soon after their sojourn to the Briar Patch, Iljor was in no mood for more unanswered questions.

Yogan looked back down at his tricorder’s display, as if to confirm that the data was correct.  Both he and Iljor had run the same scans, and got the same results.  With encrypted navigational logs, they couldn’t tell where the craft had been, but the condition of the [...]pit was clear:  it had been launched with no one aboard.

Yalu:  We’ve got limited resources to get the answers we want out here.  But I’m just as curious as you are, Iljor.  We’ve got to find out what happened to Oliveria and Costanzo.

Etan: ::he nodded his agreement.:: Maybe we should take this shuttle back to the Resolution? We’ll be better equipped to investigate there.

Yogan nodded.  The scientist was right.  Perhaps Resolution, with her greater computing capacity, access to Starfleet records, and insolent-yet-efficient staff librarian, would be a more suitable base for launching an inquiry of this type.

Yalu:  Who’d have thought when we flew out here for a survey mission that we’d have uncovered something like this?  ::settles back into the pilot seat::  Should be no problem piloting the craft remotely from Rennel, but it’s a two-day trip back to DS224.  Iljor, I want to find out everything we can before we deliver this shuttle back over to Starfleet.  Something feels wrong about this, and I don’t know about you, but I want to figure it out.

Etan: I agree. ::beat:: We’ve already got too many mysteries left over from the Skarn Homeworld. I’m a scientist- and the idea of something going unsolved make my skin crawl.

Their brief visit to the derelict craft had been a roller coaster.  Yogan beamed over expecting to find the final resting place of two officers, left to the misfortune and abyss of deep space.  Instead, they found an inexplicable situation and two officers whose disappearances remained a mystery.  Yogan was pleased that his roommate and friend was as eager as he was to investigate.  If nothing else, it might give them something to work on together after work, and be a welcome distraction to whatever had been troubling Iljor recently.

Yalu: All right.  The crafts’ navigation systems are linked.  Let’s beam back and see if we can crack the encryption on those logs.

TBC!

 

Lieutenant Yogan Yalu
Helm Officer
USS Resolution NCC-78145
Justin
D238804DS0

Lieutenant JG Etan Iljor
Science Officer
USS Resolution
C239203TW0