In Balboa's Shadow

Posted on 21 Dec 2017 @ 7:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Darren Marian (Dec-Jan 2389 - WIA-TRNSFR to XFY Medical) & Lieutenant Nimh Ahressa (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR, Bre'el Dip. Msn.) & Lieutenant Zim Salmon, Ph.D. (Dec-Jan 2389-TRNS, Bre'el Dip. Msn) & Lieutenant Junior Grade Jula Danz (Dec-Jan 2389 - TRNSFR, Bre'el Dip. Msn.)

Mission: He ho'omaka hou 'ana - A New Beginning
Location: Bridge
Timeline: 1700, 25 December

Bridge

Executive Officer's Log, stardate 65982.8
The Hawaii has left spacedock and starts today on her maiden voyage to the stars. Per orders, we are enroute to the Bre'el system to rendezvous with the USS Wyoming and check on the availability of transport and supply vessels at Bre'el IV. The atmosphere onboard is one of both excitement and trepidation as we inch ever so closer to the border and the sectors known to be occupied by the Gorn. Before we get fully underway, however, we are scheduled to run a standard sensor test with the USS Balboa. Contact with the Balboa is expected at any time.

Darren sat in the center chair, watching stars stream across the main viewer as the Hawaii hurtled through space at warp 8, gliding comfortably in its warp field toward Bre'el IV. He picked up his PADD from the armrest and double checked the time the Balboa was supposed to make contact.

"We should be hearing any moment from the Balboa for the sensor test," he announced to the bridge at large. "Keep your ears perked and your stations ready." He leaned forward a little bit in his seat. "That could be a Gorn ship or a rogue Klingon vessel instead of a friendly one day. We want to make sure our ship's eyes and ears are sharp."

Ahressa, who had elected to stay for the additional hours on the Bridge to assist Doctor Salmon in the sensor configuration with the Balboa, tapped on her station. Still can't believe they're selling the crew the - we don't know what they look like - story. She thought to herself.

"Kommander," Jula the trill spoke up from Tactical, her accent having a soft russian twang, "I am detecting a federation ship signature at the edge of our senors. Running ship recognition protocol."

Ahressa had also picked it up, but she let the trill finish. The young woman needed a chance to show what she could do.

"It is the USS Balboa, sir." Danz said finally.

"Very good," Darren said, standing and clasping his hands behind his back. "OPS, notify the Balboa we have them in sight and we're ready to begin sensor testing. Science and Tactical, run the full gambit of scans you have available and mark results in your reports. Make sure to note any recalibrations that you make as well as any irregularities you come across so that we can get them fixed."

"Aye, Commander." Ahressa nodded, opening an outbound channel to the USS Balboa. "USS Balboa, this is USS Hawaii, we have you on our sensor's edge. We are ready to begin sensor testing. Please confirm?"

This is the Balboa, confirm ready for tests. We'll start moving along the planned navigational path thirty seconds from my mark. Please sync your timer with ours, starting in three...two...one...mark.

"Two...one...mark." Ahressa counted off in sync, "timers syncronized. I am handing you over to science and tactical."

Ahressa swiveled in her chair towards the humanoid otter and nodded, " show's yours Doctor Salmon."

"Thank you" Doctor Salmon more or less chirped from the Science station. He was working hard to keep his enthusiasm under control however. This was a sensor calibration. In most people's book, terribly dull. But, this was a brand-new ship headed to the fringe, and anything could happen. How could anyone not be excited by that?!

"Making minor adjustment in the number 2 sensor array. Better, better... Good. Hmm" he said, peering at his display. Dr Salmon looked up to the other officers.

"There is an energy anomaly, very low in the spectrum, in the vicinity of the Balboa. Do you see that? I'm not sure if that is coming from the Balboa, or from something else. It may well be a test that we were not advised of in advance, to see if we noticed sir" the science officer reported to the Exec, one furry hand still resting on his sensor display.

Ahressa looked at her readings, "could be. I can't make a distinction either." Her thoughts however grew concerned, low spectrum energy anomaly in this area of space. A cloaked ship?

"Checkink the flight plans for the sector and projected stellar events," Danz sounded off from the tactical station, "all estimates indicate clear. So whatever it is, it's a test or somethink new."

Darren narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. OPS, hail the Balboa and check and see if it is a part of the test or something else. Science and Tactical, try to optimize the sensors in such a way that we can tell if the signal is from the Balboa or from another source. I don't want to be caught with our pants down if it is something...else."

"Aye, sir." Ahressa nodded tapping on several controls, "Balboa, this is the Hawaii. Are the readings on your surroundings clear?" She asked as she opened the channel.

This is the Balboa. We're also picking up something odd off about 1000 kilometers off our starboard bow, but we haven't been able to find out what. Nothing on visual, just open space. The voice paused. Please advise whether we should continue the test.

Jula spoke up this time, "Balboa, this is Hawaii Tactical. Are you detecting any neutrino levels or odd space dust shifts?"

Stand by. The comms were silent for a few moments. Then, We have detected very slight neutrino readings Hawaii.

Darren turned to Jula. "Thoughts, Lieutenant?"

"It could be a number of tings, ser." Jula gave a little shrug, "most of the time such readinks could indicate the presence of a cloaked vessel. Or it could indicate the presence of a wormhole." The trill suggested.

Darren thought for a moment as he paced the bridge in front of the main viewer. "A cloaked ship. That's not good." He paused, staring out at space streaming past them. "We're actually in a bit of a hostage situation here. If that is a cloaked ship and we let on in any way that we've detected them, they can hold the Balboa at gunpoint. The situation could get out of control quickly."

"Nimh, please inform the Balboa to proceed as though nothing happened." He turned to science and tactical. "Lieutenant, Doctor, we now have a much more difficult target for our sensor tests. Are there any kind of covert scans that we can do to get more information about the ship as we close in? Something that would A, let us know if that is a cloaked ship or some sensor bug and B, tell us as much as possible about it if it is?"

"There is a comet, relatively close by" Dr. Salmon began. "Perhaps send Balboa a message, in the clear," he specified, "that we're ready to begin comet test. Tell them to move into the comet's tail. Balboa raising shields for such a thing would be normal procedure, and thus not be suspicious. If it is something cloaked, their getting anywhere close will provide some sort of wake that should indicate size" the furry Science officer suggested.

Ahressa swiveled in her chair to face Zim, and glance at Marian, "Doctor Salmon is right. We don't have a method of scanning that wouldn't tip the cloaked ship off that we're onto them."

Jula nodded too, from her station, "Tactical agrees too, sir."

Darren nodded. "Very well. Let's go with the Doctor's plan. That way we'll at least get the Balboa in a safe place and have a chance of knowing if we're dealing with anything at all or just a sensor ghost. Contact the Balboa and instruct them to begin the comet test and move into the tail." He paused. "Hopefully they'll get it and go along with our plan. Once they get into the comets tail, keep a close eye on the wake. Watch for any disturbance at all."

Darren turned and sat down in the command chair. He felt very tense. He hadn't expected something like this to come up during something so routine as a sensor test.

"Balboa, this is Hawaii Operations, apologies for the delay. We were detecting the wake of a comet on our sensors at the coordinates I am sending you. If you agree, we can adjust our testing parameters." Ahressa said as she opened the comms channel again, "confirm readiness once at coordinates, please."

Hawaii Ops, Balboa in position. Shields are raised as per procedure. Begin testing.

Darren breathed a sigh of relief. Whoever was commanding the Balboa, they caught on quick. "Okay. Now that the Balboa is out of harms way, initiate intensive scans of the neutrino anomaly. I want to know what's out there." He gripped the side of the of the command chair. "Our orders are to engage any hostiles. Be ready in case of the worst. Begin scans."

"Doctor Salmon, floor's yours." Ahressa announced.

Jula tapped a few commands in, readying shield cycles and weapon readiness. though she didn't transition into target locks or powering up of weapons just yet. If there was a ship out there, they would see them ready for battle. Half the battle usually was the element of surprise.

"Scanning" Dr Salmon announced, studying his display for awhile. "Our anomaly has changed course. It is still mimicking Balboa's moves to some degree, but staying well clear of the comet's tail. Further, they have positioned themselves exactly opposite us on the far side of the comet. I would say we are dealing with a "who" at this point. The contact's movements show tactical intelligence, moving to where our scans will be least effective" Dr Salmon reported. A little tuft of fur on the back of his neck was sticking up. He didn't like this, not one little bit. Something dangerous was out there, playing hide and seek.

"We should tell the Balboa to get out of here and head for a safe area." Ahressa mused.

Jula nodded, "we kennot openly attack unless they make a threatening gesture and we heff no idea if whoever that is is an enemy or just someone curious. If the signal follows then we can act, either by alerting nearby allies or goink after dem ourselves."

"Excellent points, Lieutenants," Darren agreed. "Signal the Balboa to move away and-" As he spoke, Balboa comms cut across him.

Hawaii, there's a ship uncloaking near us.

Darren gripped the armrests. The words 'Red Alert' were just coming to his lips when another transmission from the Balboa came in.

It's turned and warped away. The Balboa crewmember sounded noticeably relieved.

Darren tapped his commbadge. "Balboa, this is Hawaii XO, did you get any reading on who it might be before it warped away?"

We had no visual because of the comet tail. We did get scan readings but normal ship IDs seem to have been encrypted or altered in some way. Whatever we got is unusable without some serious scrubbing.

"Very well. Send your results over and I'll get people working on it." Darren touched his forehead and was surprised to find there was a little bit of sweat on his hairline.

"Great way to start a mission, eh everyone," Darren said to the bridge at large. "Reminds me of the old Chinese curse 'May you live in interesting times.' Well, it'll be a fun report for the Captain anyway. Good job everyone. I think we can definitely mark the sensors as operational. Nimh, once you receive the data from the Balboa port it through the proper channels and get some people working on it. Maybe we can make some sense of what happened here today."

Ahressa nodded, "yes, sir." She was already quickly setting a copy of the event for her own research that she would do later."

OFF:

Darren Marian, LT, SF
Executive Officer, USS Hawaii

Nimh Ahressa, LT, SF
Chief Operations Officer, USS Hawaii

Jula Danz, LTJG, SF
Assistant Chief Tactical & Security Officer, USS Hawaii

Zim Salmon, Ph.D., LT, SF
Chief Science Officer, USS Hawaii