The Escape Pod
Posted on Wed 4th Jul, 2018 @ 11:36pm by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark & Lieutenant Jacen Miller & Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro & 2nd Lieutenant Carlos Vasquez
Edited on on Wed 4th Jul, 2018 @ 11:42pm
1,196 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Oblivion
Location: Space, about 4.2 LY out from SB109
Timeline: MD 2, 1038
Tags: Eberstark, Baro, Miller - any or all
"Nanny One, Little Kitten. What's the status of that pod?" Beck asked Vasquez, as she saw Baro and Miller exit Beowulf.
"Still coming in straight on its trajectory, Little Kitten, about 45,000 klicks out now, smooth as she goes," Vasquez replied. "You want I should take a look?"
Beck dithered for a few seconds, and finally ordered. "Yes, take a look, but approach cautiously. I know, from having been one, that's like telling a fighter pilot to wear training wheels, but we've lost more pilots this week, and I simply don't want to lose any more. So put on the training wheels, and that's an order, if it has to be. The first sign of anything odd, you get out of there at top speed."
"No worries, querida. I have a wife and a band to get back to. Approaching escape pod with tray tables secured in the upright and locked position." Vasquez banked off from his flight path and sped in to examine the pod.
Beck waited. Close enough in, and nothing could save him, but she hoped this really was merely an escape pod. It seemed odd, given that Samurai had reported picking up everything before leaving the area. On the other hand, both their ship and their captain had been badly damaged, so they could have missed the pod ... or it could have launched later ... or it could be more space debris or.... Only one way to find out.
"Lieutenant Eberstark," Beck called back to the other officer. "Would you like to come up front and observe from here?"
Andrew rose quickly from his seat and approached, "I thought you'd never ask. Anything I can do to help out?"
"If you bite your fingernails, I might not have to bite mine," Beck joked. "I'm going to turn my attention to the fighters. If you listen to the away team, I won't have to split my attention, and no one will be left on his own. I appreciate it."
"Little Kitten, Nanny One," Vasquez said. "This pod can't have come from far off; its trajectory is too smooth. I don't see a mark on the thing. No impact streaks, pitting, nothing. It's not tumbling. Looks like it came right out of the factory. Giving it a wide berth while I do some scans."
"Nanny One, Little Kitten. Endorsing wide berth. Best guess, do you think it could have been in space longer than the time since the attack on Samurai? Or even that long?" Rebecca responded.
In his fighter craft, Vasquez chewed on his lip for a moment and tapped one of his navigation screens. "Hard to say, as to time, but I can tell you the pod's trajectory tracks back to a relatively empty bit of space--no asteroids in the area or Oort cloud material. I'd say yes, it could originate from as long as the attack on Samurai, but not for much longer ago than that without traveling through a pristine area of space."
Beck nodded, forgetting momentarily that the pilot couldn't see her. "Alright. Take your scans and let's see what we see."
Baro and Miller were on the Lyran cruiser trying to learn what they could, still tied in the comms net she asked, "Can you move in closer?"
"Have your scans picked up any identifying marks?" Jacen chimed in.
"Okay, this is bizarre," Beck could hear Vasquez saying to himself. "Little Kitten, Nanny One. My scans are showing--get this--a stasis pod inside the escape pod. I'm reading a Vulcan female in the stasis pod, approximately 75-80 standard years of age. Markings on the escape pod identify it as belonging to the Beowulf, and I can see where the pod's trajectory has to have originated. The pod must have been ejected before the singularity was created. Nanny Two, can you confirm?"
"Nanny One, this is Nanny Two. That is a negative on confirmation from this location. Too much debris in the way," Brandt said. "I can swing over your way and check it out, but that leaves this sector wide open. Little Kitten, decision on that?"
"Nanny Two, Little Kitten. Have you picked up anything that makes you think we aren't alone out here?" Beck asked, but she had a tense feeling in her gut.
"That's another negative, Little Kitten. There are none of the signs I'd expect from use of a cloaking device, especially one that isn't state of the art Klingon make."
"Then take a sweep around and confirm what you can. If you agree, we'll tractor the pod in, while you get back on station."
Having heard little over the coms from the away team, Beck spoke to those investigating the battle cruiser. "Lieutenants, if there's nothing exciting on the Lyran cruiser, you might find this pod more to your taste," Beck advised.
"Just a moment. I think I've found a cloaking device, looks Romulan ... I just need some time to disengage and prep it for transport," Baro replied, focused on the device. They'd been going through the ship and found it as empty as the other vessel, except now, in the engine room, Baro and Miller had found something interesting. She was currently preparing to take it with them, never one to pass up being able to review a cloaking device.
"Nanny Two to Nanny One, confirm your previous findings. Definitely Beowulf markings, and the current path seems to endorse being forcefully disgorged from that ship," Brandt relayed. "I'm seeing the opposite side of the pod, and there are no scorch marks there, either, but ... I'm not sure from this distance, but it looks like a long score down the side, as if it scraped against something."
"Little Kitten, Nanny Two. Have you taken scans of everything from your vantage point, and concur there is a stasis pod, with possible Vulcan female?"
"Roger that, Little Kitten. I don't know what she's doing in there, but the computer reads the same for me as for Vasquez. I'm heading back on perimeter duty."
Beck watched the green blip on her screen turn away from the pod and head for its former circuit. "Nanny One, give me your best estimate of safety in tractoring pod into our cargo area. Safety for us and for the contents."
"Nanny One to Little Kitten. My tractor shows green on all indicators. Even with the stasis element, I have enough beam strength to get Sleeping Beauty safely back to base. Recommend taking her to the aft bay."
"Engage and head on into the barn, Nanny One," the captain said. "We'll leave the door open for you."
"Roger that. Tractor engaged and pod secured, Little Kitten," Vasquez replied. "Following you home."
Baro finally got the cloaking device ready to move, "Baro to Beck, ready for transport." She was also curious about the pod but one thing at a time.
"Hang on to the treasure. Two to beam home in three, two, one, go," Rebecca said. In seconds, Baro and Miller materialized in her Arrow's transporter. "Welcome home," she greeted them. "You can secure that in the rear bay as soon as we get the escape pod inside."
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