On The Night Shift (Part 2)

Posted on Fri Jan 19th, 2018 @ 3:34am by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*) & Jasper Offermans & Johnathen Anderson Jr

Mission: Ishimura
Location: USS Ishimura - Main Bridge
Timeline: 2245
1179 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

As soon as Malko said, "On screen," the image of streaking stars on the viewscreen shifted as the Ishimura gently dropped out of warp. There before the bridge crew's eyes were the gossamer strands of amber energy crisscrossing around the darkened Pakled freighter. Getting to his feet, Malko stepped forward to the viewscreen, and paused as he stood between the helm and navigation consoles. "Reports?" Malko asked, feeling naked without sensor readouts immediately at hand.

Cassie turned around and looked at the viewscreen herself and sighed. "It looks like it is Tholian in design." She didn't need to even see if console to know that but she confirmed what she knew by checking the radiation coming from the energy. She had recently taken part in a Tholian-based battle simulation very similar to the current even and what was going on.

Johnathen continued to manipulate his controls. "Sir, I have plotted an escape vector for us, should you order a withdrawal." The young pilot had studied everything he could about the Tholians. What little there was. What information he could collect told him one glaring fact: avoid the Tholians at all costs. Especially when there were several of them in a group. He was certainly not keen on running into them on his first voyage.

Malko patted the back of Jonathen's seat. In an encouraging mien, Malko said, "A wise course of action, Mister Anderson." --He tilted his head to one side, his lips curling into a wry smile, despite himself-- "...Let's see if we need it." Turning away from the viewscreen, Malko took long strides towards the tactical station to one side of the bridge. "Apart from the energy cage," Malko asked, "What weapons can you detect aboard that ship?"

"Some kind of Cobalt based torpedoes. Tetryon arrays." Hal replied. There was a certain amount of confusion in his voice. " Will keep scanning, sir"

"Thank you," he said. With a new fire in his stride, Malko closed the distance between himself and the Captain's Chair with greater ease than before. "Open hailing frequencies with the Tholian vessel, please," Malko requested. He waited for the telltale feedback tones as the communication channels were open. The Tholian ship didn't immediately engage them with video communication, but Malko was on a roll. "This is Andreaus Malko and the Starship Ishimura," Malko said. Some of his confidence waned as he wondered why he said it like that. When he said it like that, it sounded like the name of a bad cover band. "On behalf of Starfleet, we offer aid and relief efforts to the Pakled freighter Tremendous."

A series of high-pitched squeaks, clicks, chirps and screeches echoed through the bridge making most of the crew jump in there seat. “Sorry…” Cassie sighed and quickly adjusting things so that the Tholians system that was specifically capable of being used by Federation translator technology was turned on. She breathed a sigh of relief as a voice echoed through as the translator system only applied to their vessels on border patrols or on diplomatic duties. Encounter with any other kind of Tholian vessels meant the risk that they were unable to communicate with them.

“Federation vessel you are inside the Tholian border.” The eerie voice announced. “Just like the lying Pakled freighter.”

Lying? Hal thought from his station

Swaying back on his heels, Malko visibly blanched at that declaration. "If I'm hearing you correctly, we're all within Tholian territory now?" Malko asked of the Tholian Commander. He sought to acknowledge and validate his opposer, but he wasn't about to turn away yet. "I'm afraid our Starfleet hasn't received that declaration from your Assembly. ...Perhaps I could facilitate that communication for you?" Malko offered.

Immediately, Malko swiped his hand over his throat to request the communication channel muted. Without even thinking about it, he was mimicking the Captain. "Did I just lie?" he asked the Bridge crew. "Are we in Tholian space?"

John quickly scanned over his controls. "Uh, Sir? According to my readings, we are in Federation space. The nearest border with the Tholians is about three light years off our port bow."

"Thank you, Anderson," Malko was quick to say. Looking back over his shoulder, Malko exchanged a look with Cassie. They had just been talking about this over lunch the other day. "The Tholian Assembly has a different interpretation of borders than we do," he remarked, looking at each of the faces all around him. "Maybe we can still mediate. We're Starfleet, after all," he affirmed. Then he gestured to the Communications Officer to open the communications channel again, as Malko waited for the Tholian Commander's response.

"You close the channel on me Federation? Muted my voice." The Tholian said with an annoyed click that didn't translate at all into Federation Standard. Cassie slowly turned in her chair, the scientist in her annoyed that she hadn't taken a look at the screen. There are few accounts of Federation observers actually coming face-to-face with a Tholian let alone of encounters taking place across a viewscreen, this was a huge opportunity.

"I didn't catch that," Malko replied quickly, feigning a communications malfunction. Quickly, he moved on in a confident mien, "I repeat, we are offering aid and relief efforts to the Pakled freighter Tremendous, and we are prepared to leave this sector to notify the Federation of your ownership of the same."

"You will leave." The Tholian said simply. It wasn't hard to understand both ships were a part of space they shouldn't have been in.

John quietly swallowed the knot that was sitting in the back of his throat. He was certainly glad that he wasn't in a position to decide what to do next. While he waited for orders, he quickly ensured that he could pilot them out of danger in a hurry if needed.

"Can we get a communication link to the Tremendous?" Cassie wondered as she turned away from the screen as nothing had changed. She knew that Tholian's barely moved to conserve energy but it was boring to see it in real life.

"Sure," Jasper piped up as he rerouted some connections. His hands flew across the display before him intent on his work and listening to the beeps and sputtered that indicated his success, "when you're ready." Finally, the man's eyes left the console until he was finished and then they moved to Cassie, "and for the record the sensors are correct."

It was a cheap parting shot but it did amuse the hybrid to no end. It was a normal exchange between them but in a serious situation, it brought some levity to the situation.

OFF::

Ensign Cassie McAvoy
Science Officer - Biology
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Gregnol)

Lieutenant JG Jasper Offermans
Operations Officer
USS Ishimura

Lieutenant Andreus Malko
Chief Science Officer
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Theroh)

Ensign Hal Detan
Seceurity Officer
USS Ishimura

Ensign Johnathen Anderson Jr.
Junior Helmsman
USS Ishimura
(PNPC Robertson)