ST:TTV402 | "Disappearing Acts"

Stardate 96402.5

The Valley Forge encounters the first curiosity on its mission, a ship that vanishes seemingly without the use of any known cloaking technology...

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Sana@turtles#8407 Strolls on in into her usual spot next to Kazra Keliaya@anncarise FX | Over a week into her journey, Valley Forge cruises through uncharted space, having found little more than a few asteroid belts with decent resource content so far. Keliaya@anncarise taps away on the bridge engineering console. Keliaya@anncarise glances to Sana, "Lieutenant, anything in those asteroids worth coming out here for? We're not too far from known space yet, so it's potentially of use to the Federation in the near future." Sana@turtles#8407 Has a little check Sana@turtles#8407: "Hmm, there are various metals out there that ship builders may find useful, maybe something we can bring on board in case the ship ever needs a patch job? But other than that not much." Keliaya@anncarise | Fisher: "By the time we run out of resources, this'll be a little too far to double back for." Sana@turtles#8407: "Could send someone out there now to fetch them, shouldn't take too long I don't think." Keliaya@anncarise: "We're good on resources for now, but we'll keep it in mind when we do need more materials for anything." Sana@turtles#8407: "Oooh I've got something come into sensors now." Sana@turtles#8407: "It's a ship, I don't know why I didn't pop up on our long range sensors before because it's quite close now. How strange, hope nothing is wrong with the sensors." Keliaya@anncarise: "Not that I know of. We checked all the systems before we set out. Forward me the readings on that ship." Sana@turtles#8407: "On it." Keliaya@anncarise taps away at her console as she awaits Sana's readings. Sana@turtles#8407 Sends all the readings and accidentally also sends her high score on angry warbirds she was definitley not playing secretly Keliaya@anncarise chuckles and looks over the scans, "Doesn't match any design we know of, but some of it looks like Orion tech." Keliaya@anncarise looks over to TQ, "Colonial Fleet?" Keelah@crystyll | TQ checks her readings and shakes her head, "Nope, not Colonial transponders. Could feasibly be part of the disbanded pirate fleet still, I don't think they used the standard ID's" Keliaya@anncarise: "It does have armaments, nothing too heavy though..." Keliaya@anncarise taps her console, "Keliaya to Captain Keelah." Keelah@crystyll: <C> "What's up Kelly?" Keliaya@anncarise: <C> "We've got a ship on sensors, unknown design but it might be a part of the Branded Lady's former pirate fleet. It's got Orion modifications." Keelah@crystyll: <C> "Bring us into range and see if Tee can raise them. I'll be right along" Keliaya@anncarise nods, "Fisher, move us towards the ship. Tee, try and hail them once we're in comm range." Keliaya@anncarise | Fisher: "Aye aye, Commander. Heading for the ship now." Keelah@crystyll | Tee nods, "On it" she taps away, trying to open a channel as they approach Keliaya@anncarise | Fisher: "Am I seeing this right? It just...dropped off sensors again." Sana@turtles#8407: "The ship is gone. It's not longer on sensors all I've got is some tachyon particles." Keliaya@anncarise | Vrolmacht: "They must have a cloak." Keelah@crystyll strolls onto the bridge, "What's our status?" Keliaya@anncarise: "The ship's just disappeared again, Captain." Keelah@crystyll | Tee: "No response to our hails" Keliaya@anncarise: "It's not any cloak I've seen. The tachyon dispersal is way off." Keliaya@anncarise: "Nowhere near enough energy output before it disappeared either. Even the most refined cloak still takes a lot of energy to power up." Keelah@crystyll looks between Kelly and Vrolmacht, leaning back and looking to the viewscreen as she considers, "Raise shields. Hold position and continue scans for now" Keliaya@anncarise | Vrolmacht nods: "Raising shields." Sana@turtles#8407: "I'll try to adjust the sensors to see if it can't pick up anymore of these particles, it may be emitting more under it's cloak." Sana@turtles#8407: "Even with a tachyon sweep I can't find anything. It's like the ship has just vanished out of existence." Keelah@crystyll perks a brow, "A phased cloak, possibly?" Keliaya@anncarise | Vrolmacht: "Or an advanced Romulan one. They are impervious to tachyon sweeps as well." Keliaya@anncarise: "If they've disappeared off like that...either they really don't want to talk to us, or they're planning to ambush us..." Keelah@crystyll: "Which would mean they are either up to something untowards, or determined to make an enemy of Starfleet. Either way, we need to investigate. Suggestions?" Sana@turtles#8407: "Sorry to rain on your parades here but I don't think it's a cloaking technology." Keelah@crystyll turns to Sana Keliaya@anncarise looks to Sana as well. Sana@turtles#8407: "Looking at the initial burst of the tachyon particles I would say it seems much more like some sort of subspace rift rather than a cloak." Keliaya@anncarise: "A subspace rift..." she glances back to her own console. "That does fit the dispersal better!" Keelah@crystyll: "A form of subspace travel like the Turei's underspace then?” Sana@turtles#8407: "It would seem so, it would justify why we can't detect any other particals and why our tachyon sweeps have detected nothing." Keliaya@anncarise: "That it does...once the ship's in subspace, it may as well have disappeared completely from our universe." Keliaya@anncarise: "Or our layer of the universe, at least." Keelah@crystyll: "I can't say I like the idea of any rogue element having such a capacity..." Sana@turtles#8407 Quickly doodles on our console "You are right captain the dispersal patterns match up perfectly with the Turei method." Keliaya@anncarise: "Me neither...from what we know of the technology, it was notoriously misused by the Vaadwaur during their height in the Delta Quadrant." Keliaya@anncarise taps her console, "We have no way of tracking them though unless we go in after them, but Underspace corridors can be dangerous to travel and are very confusing to navigate." Keliaya@anncarise: "No way to chart them either. The Turei and Vaadwaur are highly secretive about it, and by all indications they did it manually, at the cost of many exploration vessels." Keelah@crystyll: "What about detecting the apertures? Anything we can do to pre-empt one opening if we know it's position?" Sana@turtles#8407: "Hmm, well if it helps sensor records do show some tachyon signatures moments before a ship appears but until a ship does appear it's invisible to us I believe." Keelah@crystyll: "Well let's do what we can to actively scan for those readings. Just in case our mysterious friends do decide to pop in again" Keliaya@anncarise looks to Keelah, "We have an Overlooker exchange specialist, don't we? If anyone knows about Underspace, it would be his people." Keelah@crystyll: "An excellent idea Kelly, see what light he can shed on this for us" she nods Keliaya@anncarise taps her console, "Keliaya to Lar." Keliaya@anncarise <C - Lar> "Yes?" Keliaya@anncarise: <C> "We found what seems like an entrance to an Underspace network here. Is there any way to detect those without having to wait for a ship to come out?" Keliaya@anncarise: <C - Lar> "Go inside them." Keliaya@anncarise: <C> "There's no other way? At all?" Keliaya@anncarise: <C - Lar> "Watch. Listen." Keliaya@anncarise: <C> "So...even your people don't know anything about Turei movements?" Keliaya@anncarise: <C - Lar> "Of course we do." Keliaya@anncarise: <C> "But...how?" Keelah@crystyll leans sideways in her chance, listening to Kelly with a bemused smirk Sana@turtles#8407: "Picking up tachyon particles." Keliaya@anncarise: <C - Lar> "We watch. We listen. For many years." Keliaya@anncarise: <C> "I see..." Keliaya@anncarise shakes her head, "No luck. Beyond excessive espionage, apparently..." Keelah@crystyll: "Or patience" she nods over towards Sana, holding the entertained look, "On screen" Sana@turtles#8407 Boops it on up Keliaya@anncarise FX | A ship of unidentified design, scans registering as identical to the former one, does indeed appear out of a rift which promptly seals up behind it. Keelah@crystyll | Tee: "Captain, I have an incoming message this time!" Keelah@crystyll: "This should be interesting now... let's have it" Keelah@crystyll | Tee opens the channel Keliaya@anncarise FX | A figure appears on the viewscreen. He has the green skin and large appearance of an Orion male, but the features of this one seems almost skeletal compared to the average Orion, from the - Keliaya@anncarise: - more angular face to the thinner body proportions." Keliaya@anncarise FX | https://imgur.com/MIeivCW Keliaya@anncarise | Strange Orion: "Starfleet. I should have figured you would find your way to places no one else normally goes to." Keelah@crystyll considers the figure on screen, "The same might be said for someone using underspace corridors. I do not believe I've had the pleasure; I am Captain Se'Lai. And you would be...?" Keliaya@anncarise | Strange Orion: "I am Courier 851. My name is Tokken." Keelah@crystyll: "Courier...? We have not observed any civilization in this immediate area that would warrant such services. Are you having difficulty navigating underspace? Perhaps we may be able to assist" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "I have travelled this route many times, as has my father before me. And I would much like to continue travelling it." Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "These corridors stretch on for many lightyears. You will not come across our destinations for many weeks travelling at conventional warp speeds." Keelah@crystyll: "Many weeks? Impressive. We have no call to interfere in your work, but as you so noted; we are new to this region. As such, we may be interested in anything you have to share" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "If it is maps of these corridors you desire, I cannot share that with you. It may put Underworld out of business." Keelah@crystyll perks a brow, "I am not familiar with this Underworld" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "You have no reason to be. It is where my father's people evolved. We call it Carr, but others know it as Underworld." Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "It lies near the terminus of three corridors, the key to our prosperity." Keelah@crystyll dips her head in gratitude for the explanation, "Fascinating. And since you already seem familiar with Starfleet, I trust that you are equally familiar with our purpose to explore and engage with + Keelah@crystyll: + new cultures" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "All are welcome to visit Underworld. But only Couriers may use the corridors." Keelah@crystyll perks a brow, "If you are the only ones who can use the corridors, how could we visit there?" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "Underworld is accesible by normal means, if you are willing to travel the distance." Keelah@crystyll: "Of course. Well if you would be willing to identify it's location on our charts, we would be very interested in meeting your people" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "You see, the corridors stretch into places you are familiar with. The Cardassians. The Sheliak. The Nyberrite. If Starfleet were to acquire the maps of these and share them, we may - Keliaya@anncarise: - find them...unaccessible to us. Then, Underworld will collapse." Keelah@crystyll dips her head again, "I understand the need to preserve such a strategically important asset" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "I will give you the location of Underworld. If you wish to encounter new civilizations, you will find representatives of many there." Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "They are not always the finest representatives, as one would expect from a place called Underworld." Keelah@crystyll: "Still, it sounds like an impressive centre of commerce. And a place worth knowing if one wishes to make friends in this region" she smiles Keliaya@anncarise | TQ receives coordinates for Underworld on an Orion-style starchart Keelah@crystyll looks over as Tee nods that she has received a data packet and turns back to the screen, "Thank you for the information. I look forward to seeing Underworld for myself" Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "That it is. One word of warning however. I am sure that as an explorer, you are familiar with differences of morality across cultures." Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken: "But Starfleet also has a reputation for morality. It would be...most unwise to assert them on Underworld." Keelah@crystyll nods her understanding, "It would not be the first culture I have met whose morality did not entirely align with our own. It did not stop us becoming friends then either" she smiles Keliaya@anncarise | Tokken smiles back: "Good. Then I suspect you will fit in quite well there." Keliaya@anncarise FX | The channel cuts, and the ship disappears back into Underspace. Keelah@crystyll: "Well then..." she looks to Tee after the charming departure, "Transfer that data packet down to astrometrics. I'd like to see exactly where this place is" Keelah@crystyll | Tee nods, "Aye Captain" Keelah@crystyll: "Helm, resume course. Kelly, you have the conn" she gets up and heads to the turbolift, off to see their well earned prize of info

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SUBMITTED: Stardate 96376.7 FILED BY: CAPT Keelah SECURITY: Level 1 - Open

LOCATION:Sector V-001 | Asteroid Cluster

MISSION:Encounter with indigenous whilst surveying mineral deposits in asteroid field.

OUTCOME:Learned of traders homeworld and identified as potential trade hub for contact to be established when reached.

KEY PERSONNEL:

CAPT Keelah LCDR Keliaya LCDR Vrolmacht LT Fisher LTJG Minatozaki CPO T'Quila Lar Tokken

NARRATIVE:

Whilst surveying a modest mineral deposit found in the sector V-001 asteroid field, sensors showed the brief appearance of a ship within the field. Moving to investigate and attempt contact, the ship promptly dropped from sensor contact. At this point I order the ship to yellow alert as the brief readings we did get indicated at least a partial Orion heritage, though the contact did not have Colonial Fleet transponders and so it was speculated that it may belong to the disbanded pirate operation.

Further analysis of our scans led to the conclusion that the ship was not utilizing any known form of cloaking technology due to inconsistent tachyon dispersal. Based on feedback from LTJG Minatozaki, I postulated that we may be dealing with something more akin to the underspace corridors as utilized by the Turei of the Delta Quadrant. This was further analyzed and found to be consistent with our sensor readings. At this point - and the suggestion of LCDR Keliaya - we consulted our resident Overlooker in an effort to glean additional insight into any means the Hierarchy may have used to plot underspace corridors, though to no discernible outcome.

It was at around this time when we detected the corridor opening once more and the ship re-emerged, hailing us almost immediately upon it's arrival. We established contact with it's CO - a bipedal male of approximate Orion heritage, though build and skeletal structure were inconsistent with Orions of the Beta Quadrant. Identifying himself as Tokken, and displaying a familiarity with Starfleet - by reputation if nothing else - he proved amenable to our opening contact, albeit tentative. He was understandably unwilling to share his knowledge of this underspace network - citing that it was essential to the continued economic prosperity of his homeworld: Carr, or 'Underworld' as it seems to be colloquially referred to. He was however perfectly willing to share it's location with us and suggested that it would prove to be an abundant source of local knowledge, as a trade hub for many of the species indigenous to this region.

Following the brief but amenable dialogue, Tokken departed to continue about his business (stated as a designated courier). With the mineral survey complete, we have proceeded on course.

RECOMMENDATION:

After compositing Tokken's data with our own astrogation charts, the location of Carr (or Underworld) is only a slight deviation from our primary course and in a region we are still several weeks from entering. Unless explicit orders are received to the contrary, I will be taking the Valley Forge to investigate this centre of commerce with the goal of gaining increased knowledge of the species and territories which lay ahead of us. Additionally to this, we will be seeking opportunities to establish friendly relations and trade deals with suitable parties found at Carr. Though this is currently predicted to be less than an optimal likelihood, owing to Tokken's commentary regarding the 'typical morality' of Carr and how it may not strictly align with that of the Federation. Based on our early impression of the culture, I will be keeping the Valley Forge at long range from the Underworld system and sending in a select team via Runabout.