LtCmdr. Promontory & Lt Herrick: Theft of Time: Prologue

[Tony, aka Rouiancet]

Such a good start to Brent's practical mission! Bravo, @Avander Promontory and @Josh Herrick!

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Acting Captain’s Log, Stardate 240110.01

With Commander Captain Rouiancet otherwise occupied at a summit of Captains from the  Gamma Flotilla Expeditionary Task Force I have taken temporary command of the Butler. Per protocol, I have named Josh Herrick as my acting number one. It has fallen to us to keep up with the regular ship assignments. Today we have been tasked with conducting an in-depth scan of a curious anomaly that has characteristics of a wormhole. The phenomenon may have an unstably short half-life so we have been dispatched to investigate with all due expediency.

 

It may be nothing, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is something more going on here.

 

(( Bridge, Deck 1, USS Octavia E Butler ))

 

Lieutenant Commander Avander Promontory sat in the center chair of the Sagan-class starship as he often had before. But this time was different. This time there was not a higher ranked officer below decks or down on a nearby planet. This time, there was no one to fall back on–everything that happened from here on out was on him.

 

It should only be for a few weeks, while Captain Rouiancet attended a conference of commanding officers. There was plenty going on in the Quadrant and given some of the escalated dangers of late, it seemed prudent that the higher-ups revise their approach to the whole area.

 

And the assignment should be routine. “Should” was doing a lot of heavy lifting, however. Exploring phenomena on the edge of understanding always involved risk. The viewscreen was displaying an impressive pulsating swirl of colors, deep purples, neons, oranges. The stars at the edge of the anomaly were a little distorted, as if they were seeing them through a diffraction lens.

 

Avander looked over from the captains’ chair to his usual post. Lieutenant Josh Herrick was filling out the right-hand chair as acting first officer. They hadn’t spent much time together on duty, but if he had to guess, the chief engineer was nervous.

 

Promontory: Alright, bring the sensor array to full-power and begin scans.

 

The operations officer confirmed the power transfer, followed by sciences initiating the scans. Josh, however, was trying to discreetly adjust his posture and seating position to try and find something more comfortable. As he did, he also opened up the display panel in his chair arm and asked for an update.

 

Herrick: Wauhlk, report?

 

Josh’s volume was a bit too loud, landing him a few looks from staff around the bridge.

 

Wauhk: Scans detect a temporal… unknown. The resolution at this range is not ::interrupted by a chirping console:: Now, a distress call from the same location.

 

Josh leaned forward, looking at his own readout.

 

Herrick: ::turning to Avander:: Confirmed, sir. The readings are too distorted to identify the ship — it seems like a Starfleet distress signal but… there’s a strange modulation to it. (beat) I wasn’t aware that we had any ships in the area. oO Not that my temporary first officer role would elevate me to restricted fleet intelligence. Oo

 

A familiar knot in Avander’s stomach began to form. It was probably chronitons.

 

Promontory: We don’t have any ships out this way. Official or otherwise. (with urgency) Enhance that signal!

 

Josh watched from a far as the science officer jabbed at the console, negotiating unsuccessfully with the computer. That word ‘otherwise’ piqued Josh’s interest but he parked that for now. 

 

Herrick: We need to reduce our distance to get anything more discernible… It could be one of ours, or more like a trap.

 

If there was another Starfleet ship in distress, Avander didn’t want to lose it. The anomaly had a strong gravity well and it was possible a vessel was trapped.

 

Promontory: Bring us closer–as close as possible while staying safe!

 

While Josh knew they had a duty to rescue ships in distress, they equally needed to think about how they kept themselves safe if these were indeed bad actors. He opened his mouth, about to question the order, when he decided that this should not be what marked his first hour in this temporary role.

 

Herrick: Helm, keep us a hundred thousand klicks from the anomaly. I don’t want us getting pulled in.

 

The officer directly in front of him nodded and the ship traversed closer to the phenomenon.

 

Wauhk: We’re not close enough.

 

Herrick: Sir, I…

 

But there was no time to get guidance from Promontory as the ship rocked, almost throwing the bridge crew out of their chairs. The lighting shifted, now accompanied by the yellow hue of the alert lights, and klaxons and consoles blared.

 

Wauhk: ::looking at one of his holo panels:: The event horizon is expanding; 2% every second ::more urgent beeping:: Chronitons are present, now exceeding sensor maximums.

 

Promontory: Get us out of here!

 

Herrick: Burn out the engines if you have too, push us past the maximums.

 

The HCO officer at helm looked a little green behind the gills, but responded professionally.

 

Klyte: Aye, sir.

 

As his hands navigated the menus, the ship began to shudder, the stress on the hull creating a groaning noise.

 

Promontory: (looking to the science station) While we’re leaving, any update on that signal?

 

Computer: Structure failure imminent, recommend disengaging engines.

 

Herrick: (shaking his head) Not today Satan! ::tapping his panel:: Rerouting power from all secondary systems and life support to structural integrity.

 

Wauhk: Signal is gone.

 

Promontory: (nodding) Help the helm find a path out of here!

 

The shuddering subsided for a few moments, but it was clear that this anomaly wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

 

Herrick: Punch it!

 

Klyte: ::batting away warning pop ups on his holo:: Aye, sir.

 

And as he squeezed every microjoule of energy from what the system could provide, the ship started to shutter again, several consoles on the bridge creating rivers of sparks. And then, they were sunk into darkness until the emergency lighting came on several moments later.

 

With one final shutter, the external shaking stopped abruptly and the ship became eerily quiet.

 

While Avander hadn’t been knocked to the floor, he was feeling particularly nauseous.

 

Promontory: Status report; Are we in the clear?

 

Wauhk: Still alive.

 

Klyte: Propulsion is off-line. Sensors down. Life-support is running on back-up.

 

Herrick: I think it’s safe to say that either it stopped, or we made it through whatever that anomaly was… wormhole perhaps?

 

Promontory: Switch to visual, open the front viewer. Get those systems back up.

 

The anomaly, so large before, could barely be seen in the corner of the viewer. It was now just a tiny spec before them–barely noticeable to the naked eye. And the colors had shifted, dark red and black.

 

Klyte: System power is stabilizing. Sensors coming online… Calibrating.

 

The young ensign seemed disturbed and rechecked his console.

 

Klyte: Something not right. According to these readings we’re in the Beta Quadrant. And we’re… we’re…

 

He seemed unable or unwilling to finish the thought. Wauhlk, however, had no compunctions about saying it outloud.

 

Wauhk: 800 years in the future.

 

[End Prologue]

Act I coming soon!

--

Lt Cmdr. Avander Promontory

Executive Officer

USS Octavia E Butler

O239910AP4

&&

Lieutenant Josh Herrick

Chief Engineer

USS Octavia E. Butler

O240005JH3

he/him/his (player/character)