ST:TTV222 | "The Drayden Event"
Updated: Mar 18
Stardate 94629.9
The Valley Forge's survey of a black hole takes an unexpected turn as they bear witness to what could be the renewal of old hostilities between new allies....
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Patsy@turtles#8407 Tpas lightly on a PADD while she is in the turbolift Gabriella@drcrippler looks at Patsy and gives a nod before she wonders on in. Grins when she sees T'Rara and takes up a tactical position behind her. T'Rara@vineco: "C-Captain.." She finally speaks after standing near Keelah for nearly ten minutes. "Thank you for having me onboard." Keelah@crystyll looks back from her console with a soft smile, "Glad to have you with us Rara-... Commander. Getting a change of scenery from the office are we?" T'Rara@vineco: "I figured this experience might be helpful. The scene does not change too drastically however." Patsy@turtles#8407 Very patientily and politey waits "Excuse me Captain, I'm Nurse Mount. I was sent here by the chief medical officer as he feels some bridge time would do me some good. Where would you like me?" Patsy@turtles#8407 She is quite posh Gabriella@drcrippler shifts over to Keli and leans on the console. "Which button is self destruct?" Keelah@crystyll: "I guess that depends which window you loo-... oh, of course nurse" she smiles, "Feel up to taking the science stations?" Patsy@turtles#8407: "I will do so." she nods T'Rara@vineco: "I too shall need a station. If you are willing to use me." Keliaya@anncarise: "This is the engineering console, you know..." Keliaya@anncarise: "Self-destruct is usually reserved for command personnel." Keelah@crystyll: "Always." she glances around, "Tactical or ops could probably benefit most from your expertise" T'Rara@vineco: "Very well." She smiles briefly and moves over to what she believes to be the original tactical station. Keelah@crystyll clears her throat and taps on the armrest Gabriella@drcrippler looks at her. "Well I suppose you could just...accidently turn off the life systems thingy..." “Captain’s Log, Stardate 94626.6. The Valley Forge is currently on route to survey the Drayden black hole, an astronomical formation in the Minos Korva sector.” “While charted by Trill Expeditionary Forces centuries ago, recent complaints by passing freighters of sensor issues in its vicinity has prompted Starfleet to order an in-depth analysis.” Gabriella@drcrippler: "Wait, this isn't a...that son of a..." sighs Keliaya@anncarise: "Well, that does the trick for intruders that breathe our air, but usually self-destruct is for the purpose of making sure our technology doesn't fall into enemy hands." T'Rara@vineco eventually finds a replicator on the deck of the starship and replicates herself a black tea, bringing it back to her console. Keliaya@anncarise: "In which case you want the whole ship gone, not just the people on bo- hmm?" Keelah@crystyll: "ETA to the survey site?" she asks of the flight crew NPC's up front Keliaya@anncarise | Chag: "Five minutes, captain." Patsy@turtles#8407: "Captain I must admit I'm not very adept at the sciences of Chemisty or Physics, however my biological knowledge is quite robust." Gabriella@drcrippler checks out Rara as she walks past. "Captain Bishop stated that the Valley Forge needed a military hand on thier next mission, which is why I'm here. He didn't tell me it would be...science... Gabriella@drcrippler: " Keelah@crystyll nods and looks back, "noted. Hopefully none of the above will be required here, just keep an eye on those sensors as we approach" T'Rara@vineco talks with the pig-tailed tactical officer sharing the large console with her. Patsy@turtles#8407: "Will do Ma'ma." T'Rara@vineco: "Excuse me a moment.." She turns around. "Captain. Sensors indicate that weapon fire is going off in a nearby region." Keliaya@anncarise looks across at T'Rara, then back to Brie, "Be careful what you wish for..." Keelah@crystyll leans forward a little as she looks over, "Analysis?" T'Rara@vineco tries to determine what type of weapons are being fired. Gabriella@drcrippler looks at Kelly with a wink. "Jealous?" T'Rara@vineco: "It appears to be Polaron weapons and Disruptor weapons engaged against one another." Keliaya@anncarise: "Hey, engineering has more than enough to do in a combat scenario too." Keelah@crystyll hrms, "From what we know of current activity in this region, who are our most likely candidates?" T'Rara@vineco: "This combat is within a lightyear of us. Sending the coordinates to the helm." She presses a few buttons and it is done. "Should you wish to investigate." Gabriella@drcrippler blinks. "Wait what are you talking about?" laughs. "You do realise I'm a combat engineer, you're preaching to the choir!" Keliaya@anncarise: "I'm damage control, so seems like we'll both be busy if this comes down to a fight..." T'Rara@vineco: "It is to my knowledge that this Polaron is most likely salvaged Dominion tech, possibly used by the organization known as the True Way. The Disruptors are harder to determine." T'Rara@vineco scans the environment alertly. Gabriella@drcrippler: "Well. I should probably go and...well...do something..." waves and makes her way over to Chag Gabriella@drcrippler: "Heya Blue, what we looking at?" Keelah@crystyll nods her appreciation of the initiative, "Helm, lay in a course. This is a little too close to the former DMZ for my liking, we should investigate" Keelah@crystyll: "Raise shields and open a channel as soon as we are in range" Keelah@crystyll Chag | leans back a little as he looks back at Brie with a grin before looking to the viewscreen, "Beautiful isn't it!" Keelah@crystyll FX | The screen is filled with... stars. lots and lots of stars blurring by at warp... Gabriella@drcrippler looks at T'Rara as she replies. "Yeah it is..." T'Rara@vineco blinks, believing for a moment that someone might have been looking at her. Vulcans have eyes in the back of their heads. Keliaya@anncarise taps away at her console, "Sensor readings of the ships involved in the engagement are coming in..." Keelah@crystyll turns back to Kelly Keliaya@anncarise: "One of the ships is definitely Dominion. A large one, seems to match the battleship configuration encountered in the Dominion War." Keelah@crystyll: "And the other...?" she asks almost hesitantly Keliaya@anncarise: "The others are...Klingon. Two birds of prey and one raptor. All very old models." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Sounds like a party," Patsy@turtles#8407: "Oh my, was there not a treaty signed recently?" Keelah@crystyll: "Indeed... are we in comms range yet?" T'Rara@vineco wanted to check out that blackhole.. Gabriella@drcrippler Brie wanted to check out a very different blackhole Keliaya@anncarise | T'Quila: "We are, but they are not responding to our attempts at communication." Gabriella@drcrippler looks at TQ. "Well this is getting interesting..." Keelah@crystyll purses her lips with consideration, "T'Quila, give me an open broadcast then" T'Rara@vineco: "That Dominion ship is a older vessal. However it appears to be in peek condition. Curious." Gabriella@drcrippler does some tactical scans on the ships Keelah@crystyll: "Keep on the intrusive scans, I want to know everything we can about those ships" Gabriella@drcrippler: "It looks like one of the Bird of Preys is about to blow," Gabriella@drcrippler: "That Dominion ship is able to take a few hits," scans ship of weakness Keliaya@anncarise T'Quila: "No one is still responding to our communication attempts. However, we are now within range to magnify for visuals if necessary." Gabriella@drcrippler resists the urge to say do it Keliaya@anncarise: "It's odd that no one's noticed us yet...not like we're cloaked or something." Keelah@crystyll with a nod from TQ, she speaks on open comms, "Dominion and Klingon vessels, this the Federation starship Valley Forge. Cease and desist hostilities immediately. You will not be warned again" T'Rara@vineco: "I would suggest beaming as much as we can off of the impending exploding ship. However Klingons do not take kindly to that." Keliaya@anncarise: "There was something in the briefing about sensor issues around that black hole...maybe they're being jammed?" Keelah@crystyll: "A possibility" Gabriella@drcrippler thinks. "So won't our sensors be jammed when we get within range?" Patsy@turtles#8407: "Shall I have the computer run an analysis of your hypothesis commander?" Keliaya@anncarise FX | The image of the fighting ships appears on screen just in time to watch a polaron beam strike the failing Bird of Prey, which disappears into a bright explosion. Keelah@crystyll sighs Gabriella@drcrippler: "Oh, well, that heppened," Keliaya@anncarise FX | The two remaining Klingon ships turn and fire relentlessly despite being obviously outgunned. Keelah@crystyll looks to TQ in hopes of a response to her challenge" Keliaya@anncarise FX | In the background, a black hole looms, and as the flash dies down, the debris can be seen slowly moving towards the formation, being sucked in by its massive gravitational pull. Keliaya@anncarise T'Quila shakes her head, "Still no response, captain." Keelah@crystyll leans forward, watching intently, "Chag... let's keep our distance from that event horizon, yes?" T'Rara@vineco: "Might I attempt to disable their weapons?" Gabriella@drcrippler: "We should beam across and capture the bridge to end hostilites," she says matter of factly Keelah@crystyll Chag | Sagenods Keelah@crystyll: "Do what you can Rara" she turns to Brie, "Not until I know more about what's going on here..." Keelah@crystyll: "Helm, take us in. Put us right in between them all" T'Rara@vineco uses a low setting and opens fire upon the weapons of the Dominion ship in the hope that she could disable it.. Keelah@crystyll looks back to Kelly, "Auxiliary power to the shields" Gabriella@drcrippler: "Yes sir," she says to Keelah and then looks to Chag. "What, this is what I'm trained to do!" Keelah@crystyll: "First Rara; fire a single - high yield - burst from the forward cannons across the bow each ship. 3 short sharp warning shots while we manouvre" Gabriella@drcrippler (Chag) steps away from Brie slightly Keelah@crystyll: "Maybe this will get their attention..." Keliaya@anncarise nods, "Auxiliary power rerouted, shields at full strength." T'Rara@vineco: "No affect Captain. Despite a direct hit, according to the computer." Keelah@crystyll: "Continue with whatever tricks are at your disposal to disable them then" Gabriella@drcrippler does some scans at the effects of the black hole T'Rara@vineco tries a tractor beam. T'Rara@vineco: "The tractor beam failed to lock on to anything. Its as though there is nothing actually out there." Keelah@crystyll frowns a little and looks back to science corner, "Any unusual readings coming from that black hole? Temporal indicators or such?" Gabriella@drcrippler: "Yeah this means nothing to me," she slides the data onto the PADD and walks to Kazra Gabriella@drcrippler: "Hey science, science this out," gives the PADD over Keliaya@anncarise | Kazra: "This is strange...the Drayden black hole has all the properties of a black hole, as in it has intense gravitational force that sucks anything and everything in..." Keliaya@anncarise | Kazra: "Except it's also emitting. Which is not what black holes do." T'Rara@vineco: "Has there been any other instances of this occuring in Starfleet history?" Patsy@turtles#8407: "Oh dear looks like we have a bit of a mystery here." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Oh so that's what that meant. I thought it was doing a Mexican wave," Keliaya@anncarise: "Seems so...as far as I'm aware we've encountered odd or artificial black holes, but nothing that actually emitted energy." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Perhaps it's not a black hole!" Keliaya@anncarise: "We do have instances of black holes tied to spatial or temporal distortion, but I'm not reading any tetryon or chroniton particles here." Keliaya@anncarise FX | On the viewscreen, the Klingon ships continue their futile assault, and the raptor is taking visible damage, with one of its wing cannons holding on by a few struts, and its - Keliaya@anncarise - hull plating is starting to flake off in its wake... Keelah@crystyll: "Alright, helm; back us off to a safe distance from the event horizon" Keliaya@anncarise looks to Brie, "That's what I'm thinking too...something that mimics the properties of a black hole but is another thing entirely..." Gabriella@drcrippler holds up her hands. "Woah, I was kidding you know..." Keelah@crystyll: "Rara, prep a class IV probe. Target the centre of the anomaly" Gabriella@drcrippler walks back to her console and does a database search of any mentions of this kind of thing in the MACO records Keliaya@anncarise FX | As the Valley Forge backs off, the raptor manages to get a few hits in on the battleship as it strafes by on an attack run, but doesn't get away fast enough before it takes a direct hit - Keliaya@anncarise - which tears off one of its wings. Gabriella@drcrippler partners up with Silvestrie this time Patsy@turtles#8407 Taps on a PADD making notes while the actually scientist handles science T'Rara@vineco does as requested. Keliaya@anncarise FX | The crippled raptor spins out of control, slowly being sucked into the black hole... Patsy@turtles#8407: "Captain sensors are now coming in the battle ship has lost their port shields. The Jem'Hadar appear to Gamma Quadrant born not alpha quadrant." Keliaya@anncarise FX | The Bird of Prey rushes for it but the Dominion Battleship disintegrates the raptor's bridge with a polaron beam straight through it before their allies can rescue them. Keelah@crystyll: "Something tells me there is nothing we can do here but watch" Gabriella@drcrippler: "The Dominon ship isn't taking any prisoners," T'Rara@vineco: "The probe is ready to launch at your command, Captain." Keelah@crystyll: "Do it" she nods T'Rara@vineco launches the probe towards the black hole. Keelah@crystyll watches the small red blip arc away from the ship on the viewscreen Keliaya@anncarise FX | Meanwhile, the little Bird of Prey turns away from its dying ally...and charges directly for the shield opening the raptor punched through. Keliaya@anncarise FX | The remaining fighting ships are either too preoccupied or unable to see the probe; either way they do not take heed to it passing into the black hole at all... Gabriella@drcrippler: "The Klingons have some spunk," she comments Keliaya@anncarise FX | The little Klingon ship goes to full speed, dodging polaron beams left and right as it makes a dash for the battleship, unloading its entire arsenal... Keelah@crystyll nods her agreement with Brie's tactical assessment Keliaya@anncarise FX | One of its wings is torn off as the Dominion finally scores a hit, but the little ship still hurdles at full speed into the battleship... T'Rara@vineco: "The probe was destroyed. However it did send data. Klingon and Dominion wreckage emgering from the event horizon. Hmm." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Wait, emerging?" Keliaya@anncarise FX | After a massive explosion, the Bird of Prey is completely gone...and the Dominion ship has lost power, slowly drifting into the event horizon... Gabriella@drcrippler: "Like, coming out emerging?" Keelah@crystyll: "Helm, back us right off. Something tells me that more than debris may be about to 'emerge' too..." Keliaya@anncarise: "Seems so..." Keelah@crystyll: "See if we can beam over a sample from that wreckage for accurate dating" Keliaya@anncarise FX | The hull of the Dominion battleship crumbles under the gravitational forces of the black hole...but before it is entirely gone its remains are already coming out of the black hole... Keelah@crystyll: "Well that's new..." Keliaya@anncarise nods to Keelah, "Transporter are locking on...aaaand...success! Looks like what's coming out is actually there." Gabriella@drcrippler: "We should call it a white hole..." T'Rara@vineco: "Why?" Keelah@crystyll glances over with a Vulcan'y quirked brow Keliaya@anncarise FX | Soon, the Dominion battleship disappears, but tiny pieces of its remains are now emerging from the 'black hole' alongside pieces of Klingon debris. Gabriella@drcrippler: "Because...well if stuff's coming out, it's the opposite of a black hole Gabriella@drcrippler: + ... a white hole" Keelah@crystyll gives a small conceded shrug at the logic Keliaya@anncarise: "I don't think stuff is just coming out...the initial readings are coming back and the wreckage dates to about forty years ago. Around the time of the Dominion War." T'Rara@vineco: "A hole would still implies that things fall into it though." Keelah@crystyll: "That would certainly be consistent with what we saw" Keliaya@anncarise: "I think these ships were sucked into the black hole, just...a long time ago." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Things can come out of holes," she nods wisely Keelah@crystyll: "This anomaly then... is more like a wormhole, just with both apertures at the same spacial coordinates" Keliaya@anncarise | T'Quila: "And with the power of a black hole that absorbs not just matter, but light and energy." T'Rara@vineco: "There is still a lot I do not understand about this however. Our weapons are much more advance than what they had. Yet did nothing. And the tractor beam was unable to get a lock despite the ship + T'Rara@vineco: being there." Keliaya@anncarise | T'Quila: "Observe this playback of Lieutenant Commander T'Rara's attempt to disable the Dominion ship's weapons." Keelah@crystyll nods to TQ's theorizing, wondering why we haven't given her a commission yet Keliaya@anncarise FX | The viewscreen shows a replay of the VF's phaser beam striking the Dominion ship, except this time it is greatly enhanced. T'Rara@vineco moves over to look at the playback on the big screen. Keliaya@anncarise FX | The speed is slowed down as well, and now one can see that the phaser beam not only hits the battleship, but goes right through it, as if nothing is there even though we can see it. T'Rara@vineco: "It did not absorb it completely however. You will recall it expelled pieces of those ships." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Not a bad shot...oh wow..." T'Rara@vineco stares curiously at the reply. Keelah@crystyll: "The light and energy passing through the aperture ahead of the physical matter, thus appearing here without physical presence" Keliaya@anncarise: "I think it absorbed, stored and eventually refracted..." T'Rara@vineco: "Like how we are watching the reply of events previous now?" Gabriella@drcrippler glances around. "I have no idea what any of this means..." Keelah@crystyll: "In essence, yes" she nods, "...I think. Temporal mechanics was never my strong suit, that's why I played with warp cores instead..." Gabriella@drcrippler: "My UT isn't broken right?" she jokes Keelah@crystyll chuckles Keelah@crystyll: "Can we get a measure of the time dilation based on the appearance of the physical debris fragments here after we saw them disappear first?" Gabriella@drcrippler says something in her native Spanish to prove her point Keelah@crystyll: "I would like to extrapolate an eta for the arrival of the Dominion battleship hulk. Unlikely as it is, I do not want to risk survivors of the Dominion war suddenly arriving here now..." Keelah@crystyll 's UT is universal. So she didn't hear Spanish, just Vulcan Keliaya@anncarise: "We've already gotten the Dominion battleship's remains...it's just tiny shreds mixed in with everything else." Keelah@crystyll: "Oh well, no need for concern there then..." Keliaya@anncarise: "There's not enough for anything to have survived, and with the exposure to vacuum in its last few seconds I think even the microbes are gone now..." Gabriella@drcrippler fake frowns. "I wanted some action..." T'Rara@vineco: "Was this our intended blackhole for study?" Keliaya@anncarise nods, "It is. And there have been reports of sensor anomalies around it for the past few months." Keliaya@anncarise: "Just...nothing so dramatic." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Wait, did I just do some science?" Keelah@crystyll: "Well, let us at least deply warning buoys at a safe distance and update the astrogation charts accordingly" Keelah@crystyll: "It may be worth having Starfleet check the history records for any other events noted to have occurred in this region during that time which may 'crop up' for first hand study again" T'Rara@vineco: "I recommend we place a warning buoy that discourages close proximity to this wormhole and its.. Flashbacks." Gabriella@drcrippler: "Ew, history," she sticks out her tongue Keelah@crystyll chuckles, "Agreed though on the buoys. Deploy at your discretion" Keliaya@anncarise: "I think it's more of a mirage...in space." Keliaya@anncarise: "Sensors show no sign of anything temporal...I believe whatever this anomaly is, it just sucks in everything it has, stores it for a certain period of time and then...refracts it." Keliaya@anncarise: "In some ways it is a black hole, but things don't just disappear into it, they...bounce out." Keelah@crystyll: "So in 40 years time, our phaser fire will appear from it...?" Gabriella@drcrippler: "Ooh, a space mirage," T'Rara@vineco prepares such a device and launches it when completed with the prep work. Gabriella@drcrippler: "It's a...grey hole?" she offers helpfully Keliaya@anncarise: "As well as the Valley Forge itself, since it seems to take in everything including light and energy." Keliaya@anncarise laughs at Brie's suggestion. Keelah@crystyll: "Great... let's be sure those warning include a warning about future visitations here witnessing a 'hostile' Federation vessel" Keliaya@anncarise: "Yeah..." T'Rara@vineco: "It is still a black hole. Just has a unique quality to it." Keliaya@anncarise: "It might not be forty years next time, we have no idea how this anomaly works yet." Keliaya@anncarise: "But yes, it seems in essence to still be a black hole." Keliaya@anncarise: "Just one that also unintentionally acts as a system-sized holoprogram..." Keelah@crystyll: "Maybe it's not unique. Maybe all black holes share this property, just over different time periods. Who knows, maybe one day it will be a common sight..." Gabriella@drcrippler: "If it does, I want to be credited. Gabriella Valencia, MACO Scientist," T'Rara@vineco: "A black hole does not typically project what is has consumed." Keelah@crystyll chuckles, "Alright, I think we've covered all the bases here. We'll remain in the area for a while for extended surveys, otherwise; stand down action stations" T'Rara@vineco returns the station to the capable hands of the pig-tails. Keelah@crystyll FX | Cue slow zoom/pan away from the ship before a fade to black Gabriella@drcrippler: "I hope you tell Captain Bishop what a good officer I've been so he let's me drink again," Gabriella@drcrippler smiles to Keelah as she departs T'Rara@vineco chats a bit with T'Quila about her opinion of what they just saw. Patsy@turtles#8407 Taps on her PADD T'Rara@vineco: "Request permission to leave the deck, Captain." Keelah@crystyll: "Of course, and feel free to come back any time" she smiles T'Rara@vineco: "I will go see your daughter. Then perhaps get a drink."
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SUBMITTED: Stardate 94629.9 FILED BY: CAPT K Se'Lai SECURITY: Level 1 - Open
LOCATION: Deep Space
MISSION: Investigate reports of strange activity surrounding the black hole.
OUTCOME: Anomoly properly recategorized and warning buoys placed.
KEY PERSONNEL:
CAPT Se'Lai LCDR Keliaya LCDR T'Rara LT Mount 1LT Valencia
NARRATIVE: Whilst en route to investigate reports of unusual activity surrounding this particular black hole, we detected additional vessels in the vicinity that appeared to be engaged in combat. Preliminary scans indicated the presence of both KDF & Dominion vessels and so we moved to intercept. Upon arrival, we found a small armada of aged KDF vessels engaged with a Dominion task force (Gamma variant). All attempts to communicate with the vessels were in vain and so in an effort to disrupt the fray between present allies I ordered the Valley Forge to take up position in the middle of the group and fire warning shots across the bow of both lead ships - also to no avail.
It soon became apparent that the ships we were observing were in fact not truly present, as we witnessed debris from them fall into the event horizon of the (presumed) black hole before emerging again in front of us a short time later. Analysis of the debris confirmed it's age and we were able to calculate a temporal dilation of approximately 42 standard years. The best hypothesis coined thus far is that the anomaly is in fact a type of wormhole, only with both apertures occupying the same point in space, leaving time as the only transition between entry and exit. Satisfied that the reported activity had been accounted for, we proceeded to deploy warning buoys around the anomaly.