An Aquatic Second Contact - Part 1
Feb. 21st, 2023 08:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fardell24USS Cerritos
Mariner entered the room to see Tendi and T’Lyn in the midst of a discussion.
“…I disagree that there isn’t any purely terrestrial life forms on any of the islands,” T’Lyn said.
“But I don’t think there would be any,” Tendi said. “Most of those islands are just atolls.”
“But those that aren’t atolls?” T’Lyn asked.
“Are rather small,” Tendi responded. “With an average size of two square kilometres.”
“You have a point there,” T’Lyn said. “But the largest island is approximately seven square kilometres. I would think that would be a sufficiently large surface area.”
“But that island is one of the most industrialised,” Tendi said.
“That’s true, but even extinct examples of purely terrestrial life would still count.”
Mariner cleared her throat.
“Hi Mariner,” Tendi said.
“Greetings,” T’Lyn added. Mariner could tell there was some annoyance at the interruption.
“That discussion was interesting, but we’re not here for a survey, just laying the groundwork for future surveys,” Mariner said.
“Not entirely true,” T’Lyn said. “We will be surveying some of the shallower seas around their main settlements.”
“That’s great!” Mariner said. “But you do know what I have done in the past.”
“I thought you were turning over a new leaf?” Tendi asked.
“With the support of the Captain and Commander Ransom, rather than going behind their backs.”
“And that is what you did in the past?” T’Lyn asked.
“You have heard of my reputation, right?”
“I have, and I can see why someone would do that, given that I had done some similar things in the past,” T’Lyn admitted.
“Really?” Tendi asked.
T’Lyn nodded.
“The events of the past year have changed me. I’m no longer the headstrong and insubordinate officer I was.”
“That’s a long story,” Tendi said to T’Lyn’s look.
“Let’s get to work,” Mariner said as she put her PADD on the table.
“Of course,” Tendi said.
Eali Toromi Station
The twin assistants lead Freeman and Ransom to a meeting room. “The Klingon captain will be here soon,” they said, again in unison, as the door opened.
“Thanks,” Freeman said.
“You’re welcome,” the twins said before slipping entirely beneath the water and swimming away.
“A little creepy.” Ransom commented.
“Not really,” Freeman said. “Besides, it’s probably a cultural thing. Something we may need to find out about before we cause offense.”
“Of course, Captain,” Ransom said as he paddled the raft into the meeting room.
They didn’t have to wait long before Captain Ma’ah and the other assistant arrived. “A representative will be here shortly,” the latter said before leaving.
“We weren’t informed that a Klingon ship would be here,” Captain Freeman said, as the Klingon joined her and her first officer in the middle of the room.
“This was a last minute assignment,” Ma’ah explained. “By Chancellor Martok himself. Imperial Intelligence had informed him that a rogue house might attempt to annex this planet into the Empire before he could prevent them.”
“They can do that?” Ransom asked before the Captain answered.
“It has happened before. If a planet is already annexed then the High Council invariably votes overwhelmingly not to withdraw,” Ma’ah explained.
“A fait accompli,” Freeman commented. “Hence why your ship was sent. To act as a deterrent, whereas a California class ship wouldn’t.”
“That’s correct.”
USS Cerritos
“Captain Freeman to Cerritos.”
“Shax here, Captain.”
“I’ve been informed that a rogue Klingon ship may be arriving soon.”
“Understood, Captain, we’ll be ready for them.”
“Good, Freeman out.”
“Ensign Barnes, prepare to launch probes.”
“Sir?” Barnes asked.
“They would likely be arriving under cloak!” Shax explained.
“Of course, sir.”
“There are methods of detecting cloaked vessels,” Boimler said to Barnes.
“I know there are,” Barnes said. “Anti-protons and tetryons.”
Boimler nodded.
Eali Toromi Station
Ransom saw someone enter the meeting room. “Welcome to Eali Toromi Station, Offworlders,” he said. “I’m Alean E. Rasle, the representative of the Republican Alliance of Oarnva Meraess. I wasn’t informed that the Klingons would be sending a representative.”
Ma’ah took that as a prompt. “I was sent by my government to ensure that rogue elements would not attempt to annex your world.”
“I see,” Rasle responded. “You have proof of this?”
“Of course,” Ma’ah said. He placed PADD on the table and played the message Chancellor Martok had sent him.
Captain Freeman took in the message. It was reassuring that Martok and Ma’ah were on the same page, so to speak. But that doubled her resolve that the rogue House wouldn’t succeed.
USS Cerritos
“Probes are ready, sir,” Barnes reported.
“Then launch. Place them at intervals between the planet and the approach vectors into the system from the direction of Klingon Space,” Shax ordered.
“Aye, sir,” Barnes said.
It was boring, Mariner considered, but it would be worth it. Knowing the ecologies of the various settlements would help her know where the needs were. “So, these towns specialise in their equivalent of vegetables?” she asked.
“That’s right,” Tendi answered.
“Cool,” she commented.
“Captain Freeman to Ensign Mariner, please report to the meeting room one the station.”
Mariner tapped her commbadge. “On my way, Captain!”
Mariner entered the room to see Tendi and T’Lyn in the midst of a discussion.
“…I disagree that there isn’t any purely terrestrial life forms on any of the islands,” T’Lyn said.
“But I don’t think there would be any,” Tendi said. “Most of those islands are just atolls.”
“But those that aren’t atolls?” T’Lyn asked.
“Are rather small,” Tendi responded. “With an average size of two square kilometres.”
“You have a point there,” T’Lyn said. “But the largest island is approximately seven square kilometres. I would think that would be a sufficiently large surface area.”
“But that island is one of the most industrialised,” Tendi said.
“That’s true, but even extinct examples of purely terrestrial life would still count.”
Mariner cleared her throat.
“Hi Mariner,” Tendi said.
“Greetings,” T’Lyn added. Mariner could tell there was some annoyance at the interruption.
“That discussion was interesting, but we’re not here for a survey, just laying the groundwork for future surveys,” Mariner said.
“Not entirely true,” T’Lyn said. “We will be surveying some of the shallower seas around their main settlements.”
“That’s great!” Mariner said. “But you do know what I have done in the past.”
“I thought you were turning over a new leaf?” Tendi asked.
“With the support of the Captain and Commander Ransom, rather than going behind their backs.”
“And that is what you did in the past?” T’Lyn asked.
“You have heard of my reputation, right?”
“I have, and I can see why someone would do that, given that I had done some similar things in the past,” T’Lyn admitted.
“Really?” Tendi asked.
T’Lyn nodded.
“The events of the past year have changed me. I’m no longer the headstrong and insubordinate officer I was.”
“That’s a long story,” Tendi said to T’Lyn’s look.
“Let’s get to work,” Mariner said as she put her PADD on the table.
“Of course,” Tendi said.
Eali Toromi Station
The twin assistants lead Freeman and Ransom to a meeting room. “The Klingon captain will be here soon,” they said, again in unison, as the door opened.
“Thanks,” Freeman said.
“You’re welcome,” the twins said before slipping entirely beneath the water and swimming away.
“A little creepy.” Ransom commented.
“Not really,” Freeman said. “Besides, it’s probably a cultural thing. Something we may need to find out about before we cause offense.”
“Of course, Captain,” Ransom said as he paddled the raft into the meeting room.
They didn’t have to wait long before Captain Ma’ah and the other assistant arrived. “A representative will be here shortly,” the latter said before leaving.
“We weren’t informed that a Klingon ship would be here,” Captain Freeman said, as the Klingon joined her and her first officer in the middle of the room.
“This was a last minute assignment,” Ma’ah explained. “By Chancellor Martok himself. Imperial Intelligence had informed him that a rogue house might attempt to annex this planet into the Empire before he could prevent them.”
“They can do that?” Ransom asked before the Captain answered.
“It has happened before. If a planet is already annexed then the High Council invariably votes overwhelmingly not to withdraw,” Ma’ah explained.
“A fait accompli,” Freeman commented. “Hence why your ship was sent. To act as a deterrent, whereas a California class ship wouldn’t.”
“That’s correct.”
USS Cerritos
“Captain Freeman to Cerritos.”
“Shax here, Captain.”
“I’ve been informed that a rogue Klingon ship may be arriving soon.”
“Understood, Captain, we’ll be ready for them.”
“Good, Freeman out.”
“Ensign Barnes, prepare to launch probes.”
“Sir?” Barnes asked.
“They would likely be arriving under cloak!” Shax explained.
“Of course, sir.”
“There are methods of detecting cloaked vessels,” Boimler said to Barnes.
“I know there are,” Barnes said. “Anti-protons and tetryons.”
Boimler nodded.
Eali Toromi Station
Ransom saw someone enter the meeting room. “Welcome to Eali Toromi Station, Offworlders,” he said. “I’m Alean E. Rasle, the representative of the Republican Alliance of Oarnva Meraess. I wasn’t informed that the Klingons would be sending a representative.”
Ma’ah took that as a prompt. “I was sent by my government to ensure that rogue elements would not attempt to annex your world.”
“I see,” Rasle responded. “You have proof of this?”
“Of course,” Ma’ah said. He placed PADD on the table and played the message Chancellor Martok had sent him.
Captain Freeman took in the message. It was reassuring that Martok and Ma’ah were on the same page, so to speak. But that doubled her resolve that the rogue House wouldn’t succeed.
USS Cerritos
“Probes are ready, sir,” Barnes reported.
“Then launch. Place them at intervals between the planet and the approach vectors into the system from the direction of Klingon Space,” Shax ordered.
“Aye, sir,” Barnes said.
It was boring, Mariner considered, but it would be worth it. Knowing the ecologies of the various settlements would help her know where the needs were. “So, these towns specialise in their equivalent of vegetables?” she asked.
“That’s right,” Tendi answered.
“Cool,” she commented.
“Captain Freeman to Ensign Mariner, please report to the meeting room one the station.”
Mariner tapped her commbadge. “On my way, Captain!”
