Welcome Party

Posted on Wed Jan 1st, 2020 @ 9:22am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Fordyce Kirschler PhD & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers

Mission: Mission 10 - Temperance
Location: SS Mary Rose
Timeline: MD12 07:00
1202 words - 2.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously...

The cockpit went eerily silent immediately. Every interface panel continued to flash but at least it was quiet. He just needed a moment to brea-

"There are two vessels in close proximity, Dr. Kirschler. I am pleased to report that they do not appear to be hostile. One vessel is unidentified and does not correspond to any known vessel databases. It appears to be in a state of disrepair. The other is identified as the SS Mary Rose, a civilian ship with Federation registry. It also appears to be in a state of disrepair."

"I don't think we have much room to talk. What are they doing? Use the maneuvering thrusters so we can get a look."

"The maneuvering thrusters are offline."

"Well, okay. Impulse engines?"

"All navigation systems are offline."

"So we're dead in the water?"

"I believe it would be more apt to say that we are adrift in space."

"Thanks, P.E.A.R.L."

"You are welcome, Dr. Kirschler. I am pleased that I could be of assistance."

ON::

The Bridge was eerily quiet at that of day, no one talking or even bothering to consider talking like they had all made a pact to not bother until more coffee has been consumed. The Captain slumped in his chair just a little as he watched the Temperance shift every so slightly in the view screen before resuming its previous position, it was mind-numbingly boring but it was giving the man time to think over his options.

Eden wasn't doing anything. She was sitting in her chair staring out at the viewscreen but not really seeing anything through it. She was thinking about Stan and Jake. Stan was safe, at least for now. And Jake was well . . . sweet in her opinion. He had helped her find the spider and bring him aboard Rosie. She realized it was probably because he liked her and didn't want to see her cry over a spider, but she appreciated the sentiment all the same. She was really starting to like him, a whole lot. That brought out other complicated feelings of guilt towards Sebastian though he was long dead.

A small beeping sound barely audible caught her attention and she turned to look down at her monitor. Her eyes rose. "Captain, I think we're getting a distress call."

On the Couronne, Ford Kirschler gestured toward the flashing light on the primary console. He spoke up as he did so, adopting the tone one used when scolding a pet, "What's that? What is that? Did you activate a damn distress signal, P.E.A.R.L.?"

"We are in distress, are we not?" replied the robotic assistant.

"Well bring it up please Eden. We might as well save someone else today." Gregnol sat up straighter and looked at the view screen expectantly. He still wore the beard he had, had since returning from the other universe but apart from that, he looked his usual relaxed self. Maybe he should consider shaving it, Jeassaho had commented on the fact it added years to him. "Ship in distress this is the civilian vessel SS Mary Rose can we be of assistance?" He wondered.

It took a moment but finally the viewscreen activated to show the interior of the Couronne's cockpit. The image was a little hazy from the lingering smoke of an extinguished electrical fire but it revealed a frazzled looking man with scruffy facial hair, dressed in synthetic leather, and wearing some sort of cybernetic assistive device on his head that partially obscured his hair. In the co-pilot's seat was his robotic assistant; the soft blue glow of her holographically projected face came more fully into view as she craned to see the monitor on their end.

"Uh, this is..." In the moment of hesitation, he realized he was too tired to lie. "...Dr. Fordyce Kirschler aboard the SS Couronne. We lost navigational control due to some instability in our warp field after being caught in, uh..." Well, maybe not that tired. "...a plasma storm."

Beside him, P.E.A.R.L. nodded as if to add credence to the explanation.

"A plasma storm you say?" Gregnol wondered glancing at Eden knowing full well there were no storms in the area at all and had not been in nearly two weeks but what trouble could he cause with so many people already on edge. They could patch him up and get him on his way. "You must have been difting for a long time. We better bring you onboard and see if we can assist you and your ship." He would drag Jake and who ever was duty medical out of bed to join him in the shuttle bay.

In its slow spin, the viewport of the Couronne finally drifted around to afford him a look at his rescuers, which threatened to trigger a laughing fit. "Is that... Is that a Constitution-class ship?"

"It is," interjected P.E.A.R.L.

"Boy howdy, you sure it ain't y'all that needs rescuing? I ain't seen one of these outside of a scrapyard in prolly twenty or thirty years. Y'all even got a tractor beam?"

Gregnol was used to the jokes and mocking from other Captains. "Beggars cannot be choosers right now I believe Dr Kirschler. We will bring you in and I will happily meet with you." Gregnol cut the communication with a sigh. How many people were they going to rescue before even breakfast? First Draia and now this Doctor and another AI by the looks of things. "Bowers get out tractor beam on the thing and bring her in. Get whoever is the duty security crewman to escort the good doctor to my ready room."

"Yes sir," Eden said. Her curiosity about these people was killing her. She wanted to meet them there herself but her place was on the bridge, it was what she had been hired for.

---

Once the viewscreen went black on the Couronne, Ford immediately turned to P.E.A.R.L. "What'd you do that for?"

"Do what, Dr. Kirschler?" asked the robot.

"Send out a distress signal! They could have been pirates. Or worse, Starfleet!"

"They appear to be neither."

"Well obviously! But you didn't know that."

"Your heart rate is elevated, Dr. Kirschler."

"Quit tryin' to change the subject," huffed Ford as he turned back to the pilot's control panel. "Half the time, I don't even know why I keep you around."

"56 hours ago, you stated, 'You're worth ten times what I paid for you.'"

"Don't you dare play back what I said, P.E.A.R.L..."

"'You're worth ten times what I paid for you,'" he heard himself say through her vocal processor.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and start compiling a damage report?"

"Of course, Dr. Kirschler. Would you like to assist me?"

"No, I would not."

"Very well, Dr. Kirschler."

OFF:

Dr. Ford Kirschler
Consultant
Bank of Bolias

Eden Bowers
Chief Helmsman
SS Mary Rose

Rueben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose