Dark Side Of The Planet

Posted on Sun Jul 26th, 2015 @ 12:11pm by Captain Aidan Rackham & Commander Ashley Kennedy & Commander William Carver M.D. & Lieutenant Lhravitelim th'Endirhc & Lieutenant Rianna DiMarco & Lieutenant Duncan Harper & Lieutenant David Windsor & Ensign Abigaël Sorensen & Ensign Daisy Skie-Cloud

Mission: The Belle of Bellatrix
Location: Main Bridge [Deck 1, USS Farragut]
Timeline: 2278.54 1100hrs

Captain Aidan Rackham pressed his fingers together and focused as hard as he could on the stars which streaked past on the Farragut's viewscreen. The helm informed him that they were due to arrive, and not a moment too soon.

"How long now?" He asked for what must have been the tenth time that hour, sounding ever more like a petulant child.

"About five minutes less than the last time you asked," Telim replied from the helm, starting to get a little irritated - even if mildly amused - at the captain's impatience.

[Sickbay]

The mental checklist in Carver's head was ticked off one by one as he goes over the items in his medkit. A standard medkit would be designed for first aid, but this was not a rescue mission. There were no expected medical emergencies. This was a first contact mission, and his role was exploratory, not surgical. Still, he wanted to make sure that he had the basics: hyposprays, tricorder, bandages, et cetera. But he added a few additional scanners as well. Since Windsor was staying aboard the ship, he had to be the science officer's eye's and ears, and someone had to make sure the food and water were safe to drink. Confident that he had everything he needed, he turned his attention to other matters. "Nurse?"

"Moreno," she replied, as if she was answering his question.

Will ignored it. He still hadn't quite figured out why the ensign thought that he couldn't remember her name. "Right. Listen. I'm not sure how long we will be planetside. Hopefully there won't be a crisis while I'm gone. But just in case, I trust that you are capable of managing things until I can get back."

"Of course, sir. If there is an emergency, what should we do?" Ensign Moreno asked.

"Then call me. I should only be a transporter room away." Carver closed up his kit and started for the door out of sickbay before doubling back. He grabbed his communicator from his desk. On the ship he didn't need it, but on the away team was a different matter. He waved it towards Moreno before heading out into the corridor. "If you need me, call. But only if you need me." Before she could answer, he was out the door.

[Main Engineering]

"We're not painting it red!" DiMarco groused for the third time during the conversation as she rounded the probe.

"But red makes it extra fast. What about racing stripes?" Caplan fussed. He directed a pointed look at Sorensen as if it would help his case. "Tell her. Tell her it's better red."

“It would be against Starfleet regulations to change the composition of the probe, including its color, without authorization from the captain, who would then need to justify it to Starfleet.” Abigaël said matter of factly. “And while I agree it would be pretty in red, especially with white racing stripes, I wouldn’t want to be the one to put the Captain in trouble, would you?” She looked at Caplan with dead seriousness.

"You and your regulations.." with the attention off Ri as she spirited away the paint pots, Caplan continued to fuss, focusing on Sorensen now as DiMarco had adopted the 'go die in a fire' expression that clearly stated that further discussion was just not happening. "Regulations don't aid the spirit of discovery. They don't further the sciences of tomorrow or inspire adventure, hope, pushing the limit.."

"Red is often associated with blood and warfare as well... So... you know... there's that," David offered, his head tucked in the probe, making the final adjustments to the internal sensors and collection pods. "I mean... I suppose an aggressive stance for the sciences isn't a bad thing... but perhaps... perhaps grey is fine."

"Regulations are there for a reason Mr. Caplan. They permit us to temper ill-advised risk taking and ill-placed exuberance. We wouldn't be in starfleet if we didn't have a spirit of discovery and adventure. And pushing the limits is what missions like these are all about." Abigaël smiled at the petty officer. "Besides, I agree it would look pretty with some color, but grey will do in this instance." She shot a look at the two lieutenants wondering if she should simply stop talking.

"Not red, but perhaps a nice cool blue would be appealing..." Windsor said absently, finally bringing his head out of the probe and staring off into a corner of the room as though visualizing the probe in his mind.

"No one is painting the damn probe!" DiMarco yelled from the corner where she was sifting through the last few bits of sensor hardware to plug in before launch. "We're going to launch this thing off- and if we ever see it again- lock it in a bay somewhere until the next time we need a non-breathing sacrificial lamb. It's not your ride. Why is this even a point of contention?"

Caplan pouted, his great big shoulders squaring even further until they looked almost blocky in his uniform. "Because," he began, his words peppered wit irritated Texas drawl, "This is from us. It's our work. It deserves to be the best work and that requires stripes."

"He does make a valid point, I mean if this probe is discovered by a yet unknown race, we wouldn't want them to think us unimaginative," David offered.

"I'm with the Engineering lady," Wesley chimed from the other side of the probe where he was running calibrations. "This is like getting worked up on whether or not your poop is pretty before you flush it. It's gone. Let it be. Bunch of weirdos," He said, shaking his head.

Abigaël hid her amusement the best she could, going through the list of modifications. Looking past the science officer into the probe, she handed him the hyperspanner he'd need.

"Nuh uh," with her arms full of the last few pieces that had to be worked into the probe, Rianna was unable to point at Wesley as she normally would and instead bumped him with her hip as she passed by. "You're one of us, Wes. Altrettanto strano."

[Main Bridge]

"We're arriving in the Bellatrix system now, Captain," the Andorain finally announced from the helm as he manipulated the controls to throttle the ship back, slowing her gracefully to sub-light speeds before disbanding the warp field. "Continuing towards the planet on impulse speed."

Rackham rubbed his hands together in glee. This was it, the first time he would be contacting an alien species as the sole representative of Starfleet. "Ensign Skie-Cloud, open hailing frequencies with the planet."

Daisy nodded as she fiddled with the communication panel before her. "Frequencies open, But no video. Captain Rackham."

"Typical." Rackham muttered as he rose to his feet, trying to decide how to open the conversation. By the book worked. "This is Captain Aidan Rackham of the Federation starship Farragut. We are in the region on a scientific survey."

There was a long pause before a greeting to the affirmative returned through the speakers. The voice didn't give their title. "We are requesting permission to beam down to your planet," he paused a moment too long, trying to think of a decent reason that the Federation- a people they'd probably never heard of- might be popping down for a nosey."

"Confirmed." The voice on the speakers was terse, even coarse, and Rackham began to wonder just exactly who he was speaking to. "You are welcome on Bellatrix IV."

Ash raised her eyebrows and turned from her station to face the captain with an expression of mild amusement. It was an unusual response; the unidentified voice on the other end of the connection seemed almost annoyed that his day had been spoiled by this unannounced intrusion. "Not the warm welcome we might have hoped for," she said.

Daisy looked at the occupants of the Centre seats, "Considering the response source is coming from the darkside of the planet below. Probably got a rude awakening." Looking back at her console, flicked a few toggles and dials. "The only one major source of communication is coming from one spot that's able to transmit anything. Ma'am." She flicked a few more switches and toggles. "They do have some sort of vid transmission but on a different wavelength. Should I put it on the main view screen to see?" Even though her voice was soft and pleasant, it was tinged with curiosity.

"Are you sure we're not going to end up seeing some Bellatrixian in their pyjamas?" Telim asked, wondering a just how dishevelled the mystery speaker on the other end of the line might be.

"Lieutenant th'Endirhc's right, Ensign. Let's not spark any diplomatic incidents." The captain responded with a smile. Skie-Cloud had given them some invaluable perspective too regularly missed by the artificial day/night cycles on a starship.

Daisy smiled, "I don't think they would televised that over open air. It's familiar with television type of broadcasting" Eyes sparkled with merriment.

"Commander Kennedy, I'm leaving you in charge of the survey." Rackham said, rising to his feet. "Harper, Skie-Cloud, [any more], you're with me." The captain stood silently for a moment before making a decision and pressing the communicator panel on his chair. "Doctor Carver, meet us in Transporter Room Two."

After a moment passed, the comm panel activated. "Carver here, Captain. I'm on my way."

Daisy smiled widely and a bit surprised at being picked to go on the away team. She hurriedly got her replacement to the bridge. She grabbed her comlink, tricorder unsure what to do with it. But it seamed the right thing to do. Even if she didn't use it, at least there would be a back up incase it was needed. She actually skipped off the bridge to the designated transporter room. She was excited.

Duncan had for now kept himself tucked away on the Bridge of the Farragut, as her Security Officer he was here mainly to observe the Command functions and to assist if needed. "Aye Sir," he said in response to the Captain and it would seem that he was now on the Ground Team.

---

Captain Aidan Rackham
Commanding Officer

Commander Ashley Kennedy
First Officer/Weapons Officer

Commander William Carver M.D.
Chief Surgeon

Lieutenant Rianna DiMarco
Engineering Officer

Lieutenant Duncan Harper
Security Officer

Lieutenant David Windsor
Science Officer

Lieutenant Telim th'Endirhc
Helm Officer

Ensign Daisy Skie-Cloud
Communications Officer

Ensign Abigael Sorensen
Engineer's Mate