Sphere and Surprise

Posted on Wed Mar 5th, 2025 @ 3:28am by Captain Tyler Driskill & Lieutenant Commander Joseph Sledge & Lieutenant Nixie Wilde & Lieutenant Tyler Rehman & Lieutenant JG T'Lar & Lieutenant Commander Gulati & Ensign Skye Vos

1,312 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 3 - Discord of the Mind
Location: Deck 1 | Bridge | USS Concord

The USS Concord had been traveling at warp speed over the last several days. Traveling toward an asteroid field that held several minerals and materials the crew could use. Being so far from the Alpha Quadrant and friend starbases the crew needed to gather these materials whenever they were able. Lieutenant Commander Gulati had also reported that their may be a chance to salvage much needed equipment to fix their transwarp drive. What was making Captain Driskill nervous was the equipment was on a derelict Borg ship.

The nebula-class starship was approaching their target and the edge of the asteroid field "helm bring us to a full stop" Captain Driskill ordered. The Captain had a knot in his stomach as he gave the order, he had no clue what they were facing.

"Aye, Captain," Vos' hands moved with their usual swiftness to carry out his order, but her voice lacked its customary liveliness. Being so close to a monster straight out of a nightmare was enough to do that...derelict or not.

"What's the status of the Borg sphere and are there any other vessels in the area" Tyler Driskill asked, he needed to know exactly what the situation they were about to get into was.

"No other vessels," Nixie confirmed first and foremost, allowing her to focus solely on the possible threat of the borg sphere...for the time being at least. "It does indeed appear to be crippled and without power. I can't say what happened, but it's taken a helluva beating. It's lost integrity at some point...it's coming up as at least three fractured pieces, barely holding together."

The information from Wilde pertaining to the sphere had been both a blessing and a blow for Lieutenant Commander Gulati. The Benzite took a deep breath before turning to Captain Driskill. There was a Borg sphere, dormant and was not an apparent threat. The size of it and its condition was clear enough indication that it was not in one whole piece, but rather fragmented. "It's been there a while, Captain, and evidentially they were incapable of repairing themselves. The time that they've been down there....disconnected from the hive mind. The discord alone would have been too much for them."

"Very well let's go to yellow alert and put the sphere on screen. Ensign Vos take us in at one quarter impulse" he gripped the arm rest of his chair as the image on the view screen changed to a large asteroid field with a Borg sphere nestled inside. Captain Driskill was well aware what they might be facing aboard the Borg ship but there were rich minerals in these asteroid that they could use.

"Even if we are unable to find anything on what's left of the sphere..." Gulati looked at the view screen. "The asteroid field is mineral rich. We could use every little bit that we find. Nokumara should be able to get his men to use our bussard collectors to acquire a sufficient amount."

"Let's make it happen" Tyler looked over at Gulati and gave a nod "assemble your team to check out the Borg ship and we will go from there."

Gulati knew regulations and protocols well and immediately shot a look at Nixie. "Lieutenant Wilde," she said to the Security Chief. It was necessary for the woman to go along unless she handed it off to someone underneath her. Though Gulati expected that Nixie would want the personal responsibility. "We're going to light on personnel and heavy on arms" added Gulati.

"Fine by me, 'Commander'," Nixie nodded sharply as she pushed herself away from the tactical station. She'd have been madder than a wet hen if he hadn't of taken her.

Lieutenant Commander Gulati looked at Driskill. "I won't leave you empty handed. In case something should happen down there..." she prefaced. It was with a nod of understanding. She was pulling the Chief Tactical Officer away from him, but Gulati was not about to sweep the bridge clear of experience. "Sledge, sit this one out."

Joseph had been looking to the viewscreen with no small amount of apprehension. Hearing Gulati speak, he looked over and nodded a bit "Aye."

"I believe Lieutenant T'Lar can handle the tactical station while you have the Lieutenant" Driskill smiled as he had confidence in his Assistant Chief Security and Tactical Officer.

The half Vulcan nodded. "Indeed."

Gulati had looked to the science station on the bridge, an unfamiliar face where Tyler Rehman usually was. She let the ensign there be as she proceeded to the turbolift tapping her communications badge. Rehman was needed for this. "Gulati to Rehman, transporter room two. We're going to the Borg wreckage, pack what you need."

Lieutenant Tyler Rehman was standing at the center console in the main science lab, his fingers dancing across the panel, manipulating mathematical algorithms. Then his combadge chirped and the voice of Gulati came through with her request. "At least she is asking this time," Tyler mumbled. He reached up and tapped his combadge. "Aye, commander, I'll be right there," he said, then tapped the badge to close the comm. He finished up one section of his formula and then logged off. On his way out, he grabbed his away team kit and swung it onto his shoulder and headed out toward transporter room two.

As the members of the away team that were present on the bridge made their exit the Captain requested “let’s keep a constant transporter lock on the away team. I want to be able to get them out of there at a moments notice.”

His hands flying across the console with practiced ease, Joseph nodded and spoke "I am keeping a transporter lock on their comm badges. But sir, if they get too close to the transwarp core, I won't have a good enough lock.."

“In the mean time we can start making detailed scans of the asteroid field. That way Ensign Vos can have a path planned when it’s time to collect some of these minerals.” Tyler Driskill stood from his chair and made his way over to the operations station to review the sensor readings “these are some nice readings. I don’t think I’ve seen such concentrations of some of these minerals in an asteroid belt.”

"No sir, this belt seems to be quite resource abundant. I am even reading some deuterium that we can salvage and keep for spare fuel.." Joseph spoke as he ran separate sensor scans while continuing to maintain a transporter lock on the away team.

“Lieutenant T’Lar” Captain Driskill said as he turned to face the tactical station. “Keep a lose eye on those long range sensors” he had made it back to his chair. Adjusting his uniform as he sat down “I want to know the second another ship enters the asteroid belt.”

"Yes sir." T'Lar replied as she expanded the long-range sensors to maximum range. She was aware that the resolution was significantly reduced at that range, however if the Borg would indeed come to investigate the loss of their ship; they needed to know as soon as possible.

“Now we wait” Captain Driskill said softly and stared at the view screen. An asteroid field and a damaged Borg sphere was what he had to look at.

Joseph stared at the viewscreen for a moment or two before going back to his displays and checking all the reports coming from shipwide. Nearly every department was ready and able to get to work when it came to the Borg vessel. He had made sure that power distribution was set for weapons, shields and sensors as well as the transporter. Going over everything multiple times to make sure all was well was his way of wringing his hands. He hated being near one of these zombie ships.

 

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