Dark Lighthouse

Captain's Log, Stardate 40323.7

New Crew and New Orders

With the events of the board of inquiry behind us, the Niven and her crew were still on Starbase 27 undergoing repairs and crew reassignment. Captain Carl Curtis, Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev, Rear Admiral Lower Half Donald Hanlon, Colonel Peterson, Dr. O'Grady, and I had a meeting during the day. There, Dr. O'Grady stated that Captain Billiemae Tompkins was diagnosed with Cushings Disease and was to be transferred off the ship to the diplomatic corps. It was a small comfort that the transfer was something she desired, however, everyone wishes the situation were on better circumstances. She is expected to recover and recuperate just fine in the alloted time.

Admiral Nechayev made the announcement that territory had been ceded to the Cardassian Union including Bajor and planets originally settled by the Federation. We were not at war with the Cardassians, but only due to a treaty, so it was known for Starfleet officers to resign their posts to join a resistance group calling themselves the Maquis. Nechayev delicately stated that though we were not to engage with the Cardassians aggressively, defensive actions were to be taken at any means necessary. She also mentioned that Lieutenant Silon has been offered a promotion to a science vessel and is considering it.

I was also given the Niven's new orders. We were to escort five diplomats from the Affiliation of Outer Free Worlds safely back home to their planet in The Triangle, Baker's World and after successful completion, to stay in The Triangle to protect Federation interests. We were instructed to take a shortcut through Stevens Nebula, an area of space with radiation that makes standard sensors inoperable, by going to a Federation outpost, Deep Space Research facility 3, that locks onto ships with a tractor beam to guide them through the nebula. The outpost is isolated and receives supplies once a year. We are to deliver those supplies.

Later that night, a banquet was held in honor of the completed repairs on the Niven and being scheduled to depart the next morning for its new mission. The admiral started the evening with happy news in presenting Captain Ian Frazier with the medal of valor for his actions aboard the Doomsday Machine. She also made the announcement about the current state of Bajor and the Cardassian Union. Lt. Commander Hazor personally assured me that he has no intention of joining the Maquis. I was also introduced to some of my new officers including security chief, Lieutenant Commander Akoval th'Idrani lorTheel'zhiin, flight control officer Lieutentant Junior Grade Joran Maniersi, and first officer, Commander Devin West. Captain Tompkins looked a little distressed as can be expected, but remained hopeful about her situation. I wish her well.

Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home

Travel to DSR3 was uneventful. When we were within range, a petty officer Reeves came on screen asking us to lay in course to one of their docks to deliver the supplies. He was in the middle of explaining where we needed to go when communication suddenly cut out. Maniersi stated that the communication drop was uncommon and it sounded as though communication was still on, but there was no one there. Sensing that something strange was afoot, we assembled an away team of Hazor, Akoval, Senior Chief Standown, Sergeant Major Pierson, and myself to investigate. Maniersi requested permission to accompany us in order to gain more experience which I granted. Silon had mentioned that an ion storm was heading in our direction, thus making transport difficult. I met with Chief Lysander to formulate a plan for a scheduled return and had him beam us over.

The beam was difficult, but successful. Communication to the Niven was horribly garbled because of the storm, but they seemed fine among the away team. Eerily enough, there was no one around and a scan for life signs confirmed that fact. At the computer station where Reeves was thought to be, a mug half full of coffee, still warm, was on the table. It seems as if all of the people on board the facility suddenly vanished. Hazor brought up the surveillance logs and a visual, even going frame by frame, showed a man working at the station and then disappearing without a trace. We split into three groups of two to investigate the facility. Akoval and Standown went towards the cafeteria, Hazor and Maniersi tried to get the computer systems up and running, and Pierson and I went down the opposite corridor.

An Alien Encounter

After a while, I heard a clanging noise and shortly after, Akoval shouted over the communicator that they were engaged in combat with hostile alien entities. Pierson and I raced over to the cafeteria area only to have our path blocked by what looked like large burlap sacks, about a meter long. Phasers set to stun were doing no damage so we had to turn them up to about level 7 before they finally perished.

In doing a scan, we learned that they don't show up as life forms. Standown cut apart one of them and found out why: their exterior skin is incredibly thick, thus shielding them from our sensors. It was easily assumed that they were an alien race from outer space. Hazor reported that the computer was reporting a hull breach so it was likely that was where the aliens gained entry into the facility. It still did not explain the sudden disappearance of the crew so we continued to investigate.

Tachyon Micromechanics

Maniersi reported a strange power fluctuation coming from behind the doors of Tachyon Micromechanics so the rest of us headed in that direction. On our way up, I got a communique from Commander West saying that the storm had passed and the Niven detected a ship in the distance heading in the direction of DSR3. I asked him to keep me apprised of the situation. Inside Tachyon Micromechanics, there was a device that looked like an experimental transporter. There were 28 orbs of light suspended in the device, coincidentally just one more than the crew complement and the scientists on board the facility. I had Chief Lysander beam down to help us figure it out.

He asked for what the device looked like on his way over so that when he got there, it didn't take him very long to figure out how to operate it. After a short while, he activated the machinery and the orbs of light beamed out into the missing personnel. A few moments later, Hazor communicated that a Cardassian saboteur was taken care of.

Given the unwelcome guest, I communicated to Commander West that the ship headed for the facility may be a Cardassian ship serving as reinforcements or perhaps a pick up for a spy and to hail them. It was reported that they turned around without answering our hails at that point.

We transported the goods as planned and helped the commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Lee get things under control again, including alerting him to the hull breach. The personnel of the facility were disoriented from their ordeal, but unharmed. A strange encounter, but things will return back to normal.