Siblings

Posted on Thu Dec 26th, 2019 @ 9:07pm by Captain Benjamin Ingram Dr & Lieutenant Commander Mara Ricci & Lieutenant Commander Meilin Jiang

Mission: S1E4: Upon A Darkening Tide
Location: Canopus Station, Pier 3 Egress
Timeline: MD 1 : 21.45

The dock control reported a solid seal on the airlock, and the lights above it changed from red to green. The dock controllers on hand to aid in the docking procedure of the RCN Dauntless had commented a number of times at how similar the design was to a Starfleet vessel. The set up of the nacelles in a paired set, though canted vertically instead of horizontally. The arrangement of the deflector dish in a recessed housing, a relatively new concept for Starfleet prior to 2370.

Even the docking collar had been similar enough to Starfleet standards that only minimally adjustments needed to be made to perform a hard dock to the hull. Mooring tractors glowed through the wide transparent wall that ran along the side of the pier, showing off the graceful lines of the ship. A sleek, sharp-toothed design if Ingram was any judge of it.

He gave the nod, and the side party before the airlock worked the controls and the wide passage opened. Beyond was the short connecting corridor, and then the blank armoured airlock hatch of the Carcosian navy vessel. The hatch opened, sliding up and into the armoured hide of the warship, and the shore party exited onto Canopus Station.

The four members of the Carcosian shore party were still kitted out in their EV suits, with two of them padded in the limbs and chest with armour plates. A security detail, flanking two officers. One of them held up a scanning device, a small sensor wand protruding from it as it sampled the air with tonal beeps.

"No spores, or pheromonal indicators," the one with the handheld sensor reported, their voice distorted by the helmet they wore. They then reached up, tapped a control on the side of the neck guard, and like a spring trap the suit's visor and backplate folded away into the collar. She was a young woman, perhaps just past 18, with short red hair cut in a military buzz. The other officer beside her did the same, revealing an older man with weathered cheeks and grey hair. The two guards did not recess their helmets. As a unit, the four stepped to one side of the airlock hatch and drew themselves to attention.

"Dauntless departing," they said as one, as more of the Carcosain crew exited the lock, this time accompanied by Mara and Meilin.

"Why is it, whenever I put you two in EV suits together, you find a way to collect strays?" Ingram asked dryly to his officers. Foreward Commander Larkin Harris, and his short natured and tempered Chief Engineer Sorma dogged their helmets stepped alongside them. Larkin was a handsome man with blonde hair and sharp eyes. Sorma carried the spots of her Trill homeworld, but they were not the bright colour that was the norm. They looked faded, bleached of definition.

“We’re good at finding people,” replied Mara with a grin. “I suppose that means if we ever have a missing person, you can just slap us in EV suits and send us out.”

"Mind your manners, Captain," Meilin said. "This time, we may very well be the strays."

“Accurate,” agreed Mara. “These guys have been here for years. Sorry, history is not my strong suit, so I couldn’t even begin to do the math. This is Forward Commander Harris and his chief engineer, Sorma. And this,” she said to the two from the Dauntless, “is Captain Ingram, our much-beloved leader.”

"Captain Ingram. I am Forward Commander Larkin Harris, of the Reciprocity of Carcosia navel vessel Dauntless," he held out a hand. "On behalf of my crew, I wish to thank you for the aid you are providing. And hopefully, much needed answers to many questions we both have I think."

"I can think of one or two off the top of my head," Benjamin hedged and took the mans hand firmly. "On behalf of Starfleet, and by extension the United Federation of Planets, I welcome you and your crew to the full hospitality of our station. Whatever we can provide, be it crew or material, do not hesitate to ask for it."

"A Federation?" Larkin asked, looking at the assembled Canopus crew. "The successor to the Coalition of Worlds I take it? I will be quite frank, history is not my strong suit. And with power down on the ship, we are not able to access its data troves."

"In a form. Chief Ricci, can we run power from the pier across to the Dauntless with what we have?" Ingram asked his chief engineer.

"I think so," replied Mara. "I'm a bit concerned about power backflowing from their system, though. I might have to invent a kill switch for just in case. Shouldn't be difficult, though."

"Commander Meilin. Given your vocation as the stations Science Officer, would I be far from assuming you would relish a chance to mediate the cultural exchange between the Federation and the Reciprocity?" Ingram asked, looking at Larkin. "Whilst your crew is here, it would be foolish not to grant them shore leave?"

"Within reason, yes," the Forward Commander said guardedly.

"I would be honored," Meilin said sincerely even if with muted eagerness. Her tone carried an air of thoughtful persuasion. "Perhaps Ambassador Calida might join us as well?"

An Ambassador? thought Mara. Oh, hell, let's bring Spires, too, while we're at it. But, she said nothing. She had the feeling she'd pushed the cheek as far as she could today.

"And here I'd hoped we'd forgotten they were on the station. Very well. It looks like you'll be our guests until such time as we can get you back on your feet Forward Commander. Until that time, I'm sure we can arrange you access to our subspace transmitter to make any reports to your homeworld you might need to," Ingram said.

"That is very thoughtful of you. I am sure the Reciprocity of Carcosia will be overjoyed to hear the news that we are not as alone as we once thought," Larkin said. He turned to his shore party. "Chief Sorma, please lias with Chief Ricci on the power shunt and keep me updated. And whilst you are at it bring me recommendations on who in your engineering crew has better working knowledge with Esoteric Sciences."

He looked over his shoulder at Ingram.

"You are doing us a great favour, the least we can do is aid you in yours. We have more experience with Prior artefacts, it would be little trouble for us to determine if yours on the moon below can be turned off," he said.

"Really?" Ingram thought aloud with a quirked eyebrow.

"Indeed," Larkin said. "We have had nearly two centuries of study devoted to understanding the Priors. I would like to think the universities on Tempest or Crest would both claim to have borne scholars of suitable prowess in the field of Esoteric Science. I think I have one or two graduates of those academies on my ship who would be suitable for solving the nascent problem of your artefacts."

The commander smiled at Meilin.

"I'm confident that the libraries of those universities could be made available to your station once we have made contact with the Carcosian Admiralty. I wonder how many discoveries our civilisations have made in the shadows of our own ignorance, how many impossible things we will find the other has done?" Larkin said, looking back over his shoulder at the airlock back to the Dauntless. "How far we have both come from the shadow of a terrible war."

The promise of such a catalogued treasure trove nearly made Meilin's head spin. She had to still herself to reacquire her inner calm. "I confess that I would be greatly obliged for such a privilege. We have thus far been at a disadvantage regarding the Priors, as it appears everyone from the Sleepers Bazaar to the Concordance to the Academia is far better versed than we. It will be good to catch up."

"You seem to have only the most brutal of introductions to Messier 4. The Bone Golem, the Žabe and world eaters...and yet you remain," Larkin noted with a nod. "It would seem we have a great deal to learn of the other."

Meilin noted the distinctive alternative names for the factions she had just stated. What else did they know? And, more importantly, what would they do with it? "Indeed, so it would seem."

"Then let us be about it," Ingram said and gave a nod.