USS Phoenix sector exploration

 At his engineering station near the back of the bridge, Rogers ran a quick inspection algorythm on the new protocols running within the sensor grid and confirmed their new sensitivities. With this information and what he knew of sub space physics and impulse drive parameters, David took the proferred opportunity to address captain Syntron's open question.

"Captain. The latest test of the sensor suite confirms a one hundred fifty percent reliability from the new protocols. I am confident we can trust the sensors on this. But be warned ..."

As he spoke this he swiveled on his chair to face Syntron and Riker at their station.

"... impulse drives also rely partially on sub space to improve the propulsion effect, by passing the accelerated plasma through the driver coils to generate sub space fields. If we enter that ... void ... our impulse drive will be sluggish. Hampered if you will. Normal maneuvering will take longer turning arcs and reduced speeds will be evident as compared with what we are used to out here with a sub space backing."

With a tone of frustration Riker simply sighed

"Like driving on ice... great"

Subtly, the Vulcan captain nodded affirmatively as the bridge officers spoke. After they both finished with their statement, Syntron responded.

"Continue on course toward the signal and initiate the new sensor protocols. Perhaps they will reveal something that we are currently missing."

"Acknowledged," the science chief answered, controls already flashing in response to his cranial interface.

The captain then faced toward helm control.

"Lieutenant Aulder,  design a procedure to compensate for a potential sluggish helm response if we enter into this void.  We do not want limited maneuverability coupled with reduced acceleration to affect our offensive and defensive capabilities... should we find ourselves caught within adversarial circumstances."  

"The best I can think of that would work on such a short notice would be to combine thruster maneuvering with impulse in a kind of switch back and forth combination along the needs of the moment," sighed the pilot. "And it will be learn as I go, Sir."

Leaning back into his chair once again with his torso fully erect, the captain acknowledged the helmsman's assertion.

"That is a key aspect involved throughout space exploration Lieutenant. Proceed onward."

Realizing what the Captain had just ordered combined two different motions, it reminded Commander Riker of the wagon rides through the tar pits back home.

"Trust me Lieutenant, it is easier than it looks"

Walking over and leaning behind the helm Riker continued

"Just like the tar pits back home.  The key is going to be understanding the balance of each system.  If the impulse is going to be sluggish, then turn into the momentum with a push from the thrusters.  I mean you don't whip a three horned mule while you are turning, you whip her before the turn and then carefully slide through the momentum."

"Not sure what a three horned mule or a tar pit are exactly, Sir," the Bolian helmsman said; "we on Bolarus IX don't have any of those... back home, as you say. But it sounds like driving a porpoise-drawn sea barge in heavy current... I think I see what you mean, Commander. Fact is, now that you put it this way, what Lieutenant Moore trained us for when we were going through the wormhole just might help do just that..."

With renewed confidence, he positionned his blue fingers on the controls and readied himself for the proposed maneuvering with a small smile that showed how much he was looking forward to the challenge.

After a moment, a jolt was felt throughout the ship but the standard Lotus Fleet protocol of wearing the new buckle-belt-sized personal inertial dampeners left everyone firmly in their seat.

Looking around Commander Riker noticed that the restraint belt on the first officer chair had not activated.  As he looked back and forth he threw his hands up and grunted angrily.  Standing up Riker approached the helms position.

As Riker stood from his chair his restraint belt then activated on the now empty chair.

"Oh come on..." Riker mumbled to himself

Turning back to the helm Riker leaned over the position.

"What happened?"

"We dropped out of warp, Captain. Moving at full impulse."

"Have a clearer signal coming in now," Bijou reported after a moment. "Definitely a Starfleet ship's disaster beacon."

"I have it on sensors dead ahead, Sir," Livingstone announced. "Drifting, minimal power output, life support on emergency low power level, no power coming from engines or reactors; size and mass of a small cruiser; hull material conforms to Starfleet current alloys; no discernable damage or debris surrounding it; by configuration... a Nova class science vessel."

"I can read it's transponder code," Counselor Bijou at the medical command chair said then. "NCC... 72947..."

her widened eyes went slowly to her commanding officer before she finished.

"USS... Nuntio."

With a quizzical expression veiled across his face, the captain of the USS Phoenix twisted his upper body toward the communications officer.

"Counselor Bijoŭ, bring up all Starfleet records and other relevant information related to the USS Nuntio."

It took but seconds for the counselor to answer her commanding officer's request.

"USS Nuntio, Nova class, official Federation News starship assigned to the Hromi sector and coverage of Lotus Fleet's activities following it's remarkable involvement in the Last Borg War. Captain Caroline Rousseau, commanding. Standard crew complement of eighty, all usual scientific personnel replaced by communications experts, sensors specialists and newspeople, making a third of the crew civilians. Last recorded transmission was a distress call from the vicinity of the Azimuth Horizon anomaly prior to Operation Horizon, when the anomaly was still running wild accross the sector. They were being pulled within a subspace fracture after being severely damaged by a plasma ejection and energy discharge. Declared missing in action since then."

"Apparently, they managed to travel the fracture like the USS Artemis did before her but emerged this side of the anomaly instead of back in our own universe," observed Livingstone out loud. 

"I rread severre damage to herr warrp nacelles and no powerr output frrom herr corre," now reported M'ata. "Impulse powerr is also out. Only rreserrve powerr active but at verry low levels. Life supporrt also at minimal levels, barrely enough to sustain standarrd humanoid life and only on cerrtain decks. A few of them arre even open to outerr space. And... Sirr... all phaserr strrips arre burrned out and the torrpedo launcherrs and magazines arre empty... as if they exhausted themselves in a firrefight; but I rread no weapons damage at all on herr hull... only those consistent with exposurre to plasma discharrges."

"No discernible life signs, Captain," then announced the science chief also reading his sensor data. "However... there is some faint oxygen and carbon dioxyde process going on in there... which would not have remained for so long on a dead ship. It is however too low for animal breathing; closer to what is proper for plant life, Sir."

Syntron listened intently as information was imparted by each of his officers. As the ship came within sight on the main viewscreen, the Vulcan stood up and moved near the science console.

The Borg war was years ago and the condition of this vessel is abnormal Syntron thought. 

Something was not adding up accordingly in the mind of the captain, but he could not yet put his finger on it.

"Continue scanning this vessel thoroughly as we move in closer" he commanded as he gazed down at the readings as well.

"Aye, Sir," Livingstone acknowledged without raising his gaze from his instruments, cerebral implants flashing furiously

"Unable to raise them, Captain," Bijou added after a moment. "All I get is the disaster beacon."

"Anticipated risks involved in sending in an away team?" he queried to his bridge officers as he looked back at the curious image on the viewscreen.

His chief of security turned in her chair to face him.

"Without conclusive data, rrisk assessment is tentative at best, Captain. Envirronemental hazarrds seems minimal and well within standarrd rrescue operration prrotocols. Since we don't know yet what happened therre, we should firrst and forremost prrepare for sudden envirronemental or technical failurre. I rrecommend maintaining skeletal trransporrter lock one everry away team memberr to counterr any interrferrence in case of a need to bail out."

"I for one would like to know as much as we can about the atmosphere on that ship before I take a team over." Riker said

"Life support is minimal but enough to sustain life with the support of our PIDS," the X'Ell officer reported. " Breathing would feel to most like being on top of a mountain but otherwise tolerable unless you start running. Engineering and bridge however are deppresurized... although there is no hull breach and all hatches are closed."

"Continue scanning and hailing protocols" the captain replied before turning his attention back to his first officer.

"Commander Riker...  prepare an away team to investigate what happened to this vessel and its crew.  Take Commander Rogers and a small team of engineers along with security to help re-pressurize and stabilize both the bridge and engineering areas of the ship. They may also be able to stabilize life support and other requisite systems throughout the ship as your team explores this vessel. "

Riker nodded and began to look around the bridge making eye contact with the officers that were to accompany him.

Contemplating the overall circumstances for a moment, the captain continued.

"Minimally, we should at least be able to activate command logs and other data to help us with our analysis of what transpired there. Environmental suits may be requisite for access into more hazardous areas of the ship.  A skeletal transporter lock from here is a prudent recommendation and will be maintained throughout the time that any member of the away team remains there."

Riker pointed at Commander Rogers.

"Salvage and possible repair, get a good team together."

Continuing to look around the bridge Riker continued to appoint his team members.  He started with a simple nod to security chief M'rrin M'ata.

"Gear up Lieutenant."

"Aye, Commanderr," the imposing felinoid woman acknowledged as she stood up and immediately nodded for her replacement to take over tactical.

Walking over to Lieutenant Livingstone Riker leaned over.

"Lieutenant security is going to need as much help as they can get on this one.  Grab a rifle and suit up."

The joke was obvious, but still the confidence Riker showed in Livingstone to blend with the crew was a compliment.

"Seriously though, we are going to be sending back a lot of data I need you to be able to sort through and give us as much feedback on what we are finding as possible.  Sorry but maybe next time."

Again, the X'Ell stood beak open and blinking the whole time. But then he finally nodded in his peculiar sideway manner.

"Not to worry, Sir; I'll serve you much better here. My service oath of non-violence and Federation compliance to it is in my Starfleet record."

It sounded like a joke but it was not. A X'Ell was physiologically and psychologically as unable to harm another living being as a Human was to live unprotected in outer space. Still, it had taken some time even for the intelligent science officer to grasp the playful teasing of his superiror officer for what it was,

Looking around Riker saw that he had assembled an engineering team, security and had operations on stand by for processing of information.

Although somewhat reserved, the Orion Ops chief stood up and addressed the executive officer from her station.

"Commander Riker, I would like to offer my services with the away team mission. I could work with Commander Rogers to access the condition of ship systems and then allocate resources required to bring them back on-line."

Elisha could see a glint of hesitation in the first officer's expression, so before he responded, she continued.

"Sir,  even though I am the Operations chief here I have years of experience running diagnostic analysis in both engineering and science applications. This may be of use to you as we investigate this ship."

She did not utter another word but stood waiting his decision.

Riker looked over at Commander Rogers, who just shrugged as if to pass the decision back to Commander Riker.  Smiling Riker nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, gear up and meet us in the transporter room"

"Yes Sir" the Orion officer spoke as she contacted her replacement and then began preparations for the away mission.

Riker looked around the bridge as the officers began to prepare.

"Everyone gear up, grab what you need and meet in the transporter room"

Tapping his combadge Riker continued

"Medical this is Commander Riker, I am going to need medical personnel for an away team equipped and ready in transporter room two in five minutes."

"Aye sir."

As the away team was being assembled by his first officer, the captain of the Phoenix addressed his security chief.

"Transport over with your team to the USS Nuntio first to secure the area, before the remainder of the away team is ready to join you. Signal when you have arrived and keep your channel open until the others get there and are situated."