Science!

Posted on Sat Aug 29th, 2026 @ 3:10pm by Captain Taliserra Tigran & Ensign Bracca & Ensign Daniel Franklin & Lieutenant Commander Jack Slattery & Lieutenant Margarar & Lieutenant Brendan Dernah & Lieutenant Anthony Edwards Ph. D & Lieutenant JG Ash Rowe & Lieutenant JG Summer Wyse & Ensign Auren & Lieutenant Magnus Volsung & Lieutenant JG Evelyn Kees & Lieutenant JG Asher Kane & Cadet First Class Rusty Oaks & Ensign Nicola Cross

3,501 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Crisis at Zeta-294
Location: Various
Timeline: an hour after 'at the border'

ON:

For everyone other than the science department an hour could feel like several more when all you had to do was sit and wait for the results of scans and the subsequent analysis of those results. Ensign Nicola Cross had come up to the bridge at her bosses request, though with a lot of insistence from herself, an early mineralogical data burst from the probe had caught her attention and she'd wanted to see as much of the information as she could the moment it came in, so now she stood beside Lieutenant Edwards at the main science station. "See that layer of mineral deposits there, Dibronium, I'd say almost pure by these readings, wonder how that managed to form in her."

"It's of course your area of expertise, Ensign Cross; it is something I am sure the Captain will want to know before we're finished here." More scan information came in, and as it did, he said it, and he pointed out some of it, then asked Nicola, Dibronium, would that and some of these other compounds and metals that we are seeing here confuse the scanners and hide the asteroid as it flew through space?"

"I doubt, Dibronium shines like a christmas tree on a science sensor even when it's not very pure." Nicola replied. "Unless it's mixed in with a bunch of different compounds, I'm not seeing any of them here. I don't think there's anything in the geology that would explain it changing course like you mentioned."

"Well, there has to be a reason for it, because I can't see Admiral Neyeva, Starfleet Chief Science Officer, being happy with a ship's science team saying the Starfleet Science Department didn't see it because their sensors need an update. I mean it would be a fairly small dot on the sensors, but as you say, it would be lit up like Sirius." This confused Anthony, but he knew enough about geology to trust what his geologist was saying.

Nicola chuckled slightly. "This asteroid certainly has some interesting geology but the explanation you're looking for isn't in it. We'll just have to keep looking."

"It seems so!" Anthony said, with a smile that changed to a frown as the next flush came through, and added, a little louder than he wanted to, "Oh, that makes everything harder." He works the station like a scientist on a mission. "Let's try and find a way around and through that radiation that just started showing up.

"There's some pretty extensive patches there, doesn't look like anything our Eva suits can't stop though." Nicola moved to the next science station along and reconfigured one of the sensors to try and map the radiation clusters.

"Yeah, but it will stop the transporters from working to place us on that rock if we can't find a way through it." Anthony said, looking over it; it just kept looking bleak for using transporters no matter how he worked it.

In the center chair Taliserra idly watched the asteroid slowly tumbling through space, the lively discussion between the science officers made up most of the noise on the bridge, the rest taken up with the routine work that went on, reports from different departments, recommendations about different ways to do tasks, minor course corrections to keep pace with the asteroid. "Anything from the Cardassians?" She asked aloud.

Summer was in her seat smiling to herself at the conversation the science dept people were having. “They’re still out there” Summer smiled as she turned to Taliserra. “That much I can sense.”

Taliserra quickly added a follow up question. "Still following our course on their side of the border?"

"Aye, Captain," Ash confirmed, watching on with a small smile of amusement at their efforts not to mirror them. "Despite their best efforts to 'act natural'."

Now sitting at the science console rather than stood over her bosses shoulder Nicola poured over the data then something very interesting caught her eye. "Wow." She exclaimed.

"What is Ensign?" Anthony asked as the information also came through on his station, he hoped it was something that might be useful with transporting. "Expertise isn't as useful if you stay quiet about it."

"We have an unknown." Nicola announced, the federation scientific database was extremely extensive but there was still the possibility of something new and exciting every so often. "There's a material down there not in the database, sending it to your station."

"Ah, a Nicolaonium, then!" Anthony was half joking with the name because, as the first discoverer, it was up to Nicola to name. "It will at least give us something to follow up when we get over there, and a reason to make our best attempt to get there."

"Whatever it is there's a really big deposit of it right here." She highlighted a section of the scan data then excitedly turned towards the center of the bridge. "Captain we've got to go down there and get a sample of it...." She said before realising she'd overstepped the mark a little. ".... If Lieutenant Edwards approves." She quickly added.

Taliserra chuckled, the geologist was definitely excitable though she couldn't blame her, it wasn't every day you found something currently unknown to science. "What do you think Lieutenant, can we get a team down there?"

"Getting a team there isn't as much of an issue as how we get them there, Captain. The Environmental suits will hold up as long as the oxygen in the suit does, but there is only a small open patch that we can safely transport through the radiation. Said radiation will render transporters ineffective within a three-hour walk of that safe landing zone to the patch Ensign Cross wants to sample. As an unknown metallic compound, Starfleet Science director and directives need us to get samples. Unless we want a long walk there and back again, it will be up to a pilot and a shuttle to avoid the Cardassians taking it as an invasion in hiding." Lieutenant Edwards said with a smile in support of Ensign Cross.

"Bring the location up on the viewscreen." Taliserra asked, the viewscreen quickly changed to show a distanced shot of part of the asteroid. "Ash, think you can get one of the runabouts landed there?" She knew Anthony would want as many of his scientists as possible on the away team, a shuttle wouldn't hold as many as he'd want, especially with everyone onboard wearing Eva suits.

Ash brought up the data on her own screen, glancing between the viewscreen and her console for a moment. "We can do it. It'll be tight and might get a little rough, but we can do it, Captain."

Taliserra smiled slightly. She knew the former racing pilot would take the challenge even if it looked impossible 'a little rough' was nothing. "Pick your flight team."

"I'll take Auren, Captain," Ash decided quickly, trusting the adaptability of the young Ensign. And it would be good experience for him too.

"Commander, feel like a little asteroid hopping?" Taliserra turned to her Xo. "I'll handle these Cardassians, you figure out what lies down there."

"Yes Captain," Jack said and gave her a nod, a small smile coming to him. He suspected Rowe would fly rather spectacularly. Although it being a bumpy ride could mean a lot.

Finally, Taliserra turned to her chief science officer "Anthony, assemble your team."

Nicola immediately locked eyes with her boss. "I'll kill you if you don't take me." She told him with a voice that had a certain seriousness to it.

Anthony teased her for a few seconds but knew Nicola and her enlisted ranks geology team beneath her were the best Anthony had worked with. He was an amateur when it came to collecting Minerals. He knew what was in the rock out there mainly because Nicola had pointed it out to him; it was just numbers and amounts. "I'll take the whole geology team with me, and Ensign Franklin and his team, as they are good at digging for collections. With the Cardassians out there just ghosting us, might I suggest a few security guards?" Captain, he said.

"Whomever you need Anthony." Taliserra replied. "Lieutenant Dernah, alert the shuttlebay, have them prep the Fraser Eva suits and equipment for the whole group and whatever supplies the science department asks for."

"Assemble your team, Ensign Cross and let Ensign Franklin know he and his team are coming with us, and let them know arrival may be rough." Anthony said with a smile as he started on the equipment list for the shuttle bay.

Nicola practically sprinted to the turbolift tapping he combadge on the way =/\= Cross to Serro, get the whole geology team ready for a job.=/\=

"Shuttlebay, per the Captain, prepare Fraser EVA suits for the entire team and whatever equipment they may need. Can your people handle this, Lieutenant Mitchell?" Brendan asked. "Chief, ready an extra load of oxygen for our scientists, please."

"We'll handle it just fine Lieutenant." Came the response.

Jack rose from his chair as the bridge broke into motion around him, tugging his uniform jacket back into place. His eyes moved briefly to the viewscreen, where the asteroid continued its slow tumble with the Cardassians keeping pace beyond it. Taliserra had chosen the more difficult place to remain, as far as he was concerned. Down there, at least, the danger would be in front of them. "I'll keep you updated," he said to her, before glancing towards Rowe at the helm. "I'll meet you and Ensign Auren in the shuttlebay."

He headed for the turbolift, already mentally running through what he would need before departure. EVA suit first, then the shuttle, then whatever waited for them on the surface. "Deck Eight," Jack ordered as the doors closed.

As Anthony finished compiling a list of needs and collecting the asteroid samples, Brendan arrived to take over from him. He got up and left for the shuttlebay.

Margarar looked at the Captain and said, "Someone from engineering really needs to be there. If this is artificial, then science may not be enough. They may press the big red button without thinking. Someone needs to intuit how things work."

"You just volunteered yourself Margarar," Taliserra said turning slightly to look at the Antican. "Assemble what equipment you'll need and join the away team."

"I trust myself, so I accept my own recommendation," the Antican replied with a grin. "I will get my tools and join the away team."



==== Main shuttlebay ====

Seated in the co-pilot's spot in the runabout Fraser, Auren quietly and steadily ran through his preflight checklist. His first preflight checklist on an official duty. The recent Academy graduate was so excited, though it was hard to see it. He looked peaceful up there, almost lazily tapping on systems to begin their warmups and bring things online, moving with a calm determination through his list:

Life support, green. Atmospheric seals, green. Thrusters, impulse, warp drive all came back ready, though he kept the latter two powered down for now along with the external sensors as per regulations. Shield emitters, intertial dampners, weapons systems, anti-grav lift, transporters, everything continued to come back clear on his readouts while a small smile lifted the corners of his lips.

Auren had left the starboard airlock open for people to board.

Daniel Franklin hated wearing Eva suits, even the latest version was still too bulky, heavy and stuffy and the gloves made it hard to grab anything but such were the sacrifices needed for science and exploration. He carried a small container along with him full of tools and sample containers ready for whatever mysteries lay on this asteroid.

"Hey Daniel." Nicola called out to her much taller companion. "Ready to uncover something unusual?"

"Definitely." Daniel replied.

As the last of his checklist was completed without a problem, Auren stood up from his chair and headed towards the back at his leisurely pace. "Anyone need any help getting gear on board?" he offered with a smile, half leaning out the airlock to the team assembling in the bay.

Dana Monroe had arrived in the shuttle bay as part of the science team, she was looking forward to getting stuck into the job at hand.

Arriving behind her Evelyn had her medical kit just incase of any emergencies whilst off ship. She was surprised she’d been chosen rather than someone higher up in medical.

Vanva walked into the bay, struggling a bit with a heavy sensor device in his arms. The Deltan's bald brow had a sheen of sweat as he walked carefully toward the runabout. "Should have...used an...antigrav...lift."

Auren leapt to it, moving fast all of a sudden, to help take some of the weight and guide the way up into the craft. "There we go. Watch the corner here -- yes, that's right. We'll stow it in the back."

Drake just stood in the shuttlebay, watching the shuttle with the customary slight frown creasing his forehead. He held his helmet in his hand and his rifle on his back. EVA gloves were too clumsy for a type-2. He sighed as he contemplated the small craft, and what they'd be flying through. He had a feeling he was going to end up feeling pretty queasy. He clenched his jaw and headed up into the shuttle all the same.

"How we doing?" Ash Rowe asked as she moved through, slapping Auren's arm lightly on the way past to drop down into her seat, looking over the results. "We waiting on anyone else?"

"All green, Lieutenant Rowe," Auren confirmed, flashing her a big smile. The pilot and scientist had finished securing the heavy sensor pod, and Vanva went to get suited up. Auren was excited to already be a part of a mission, though he didn't seem nervous nor did he bounce around with too much eagerness. "She's ready to go when you are. I think we're just missing a couple by last head-count."

Jack entered the runabout already wearing his EVA suit, although he carried the helmet beneath one arm. He had stopped briefly to check that Security and Medical had everything they needed, trusting Edwards to know far better than he did what equipment the science teams required. The inside of the Fraser was rapidly filling with people, cases and enough specialised equipment to make Jack wonder how much of the asteroid Anthony intended to bring home with them. His eyes moved over the assembled team, checking faces almost automatically, before they settled briefly on the cockpit.

Ash looked entirely at home in the pilot's seat. Auren beside her appeared calm, despite this being his first official flight assignment. Jack felt the familiar pull at the sight of the controls, but it came without resentment. He had meant what he had told Ash. The runabout was hers, and he trusted her with it. "Looks like everyone's finding somewhere to put themselves," he said as he moved further inside, giving Ash a small smile. "I'll even resist offering helpful advice from behind you, if you ask nicely..."

A few minutes after he left the bridge, Anthony arrived at the shuttle bay. As soon as he arrived, he put on an EVA Suit in preparation for the journey, holding the helmet in readiness. "Well then, Nicola is everything that you expected here and ready to get loaded if it hasn't been already?" As he was talking, he recognised the anxiety in Daniel; he decided to say something about it to help calm him down. "I know it is too bulky for your normal work, Daniel, but we needed a few more people who knew about digging for samples professionally. You know, with me being a language specialist, I think between you and the geology team, the eight of you could do a lot more collecting without me. I expect my main talent to be in cataloguing your finds."

"And keeping Nicola from taking off her helmet to lick test the rocks." Daniel remarked with a laugh.

"Heyyyy, I only did that once."

"And had hallucinations for 2 days straight where you thought you were a lizardman."

Anthony chuckled under his breath. Nicola and Daniel were always entertaining when working together. "Once too often, Miss Cross, especially when instant hypoxia is a thing; I mean, it was bad enough watching you crawl around trying to bite everyone's ankle, and that was after a slightly toxic atmosphere. No atmosphere would be a very bad place to repeat the act." He took one last look over the equipment loaded into lockers in the cargo container, making sure everything there was locked away for a bumpy ride. As he came out, he looked at Lieutenant Commander Slattery and said, "All square, Commander, and ready for launch."

Jack gave Anthony a nod, his eyes moving over the equipment secured around the runabout before returning to him. "Good. Find yourself a seat, Lieutenant. We'll be underway as soon as everyone is aboard."

The last of the science team clambered into the rear section of the Runabout. "All set here Sir." Came a shout to the cockpit section.

As the science team called that, Anthony got in and took up the final seat in the front section, and said, "Seems we're all ready then."

"Rowe to Bridge, Fraser is ready to depart," Ash called through on the comm, dutifully running through her own checks as part of the doubling up safety protocol.

"Fly safely Lieutenant and good luck." Taliserra's voice came back over the channel.


==== Bridge ====


A few moments after Ash left the bridge to go to the shuttle bay Ensign Bracca stepped out of the turbolift to take up the station, Taliserra saw the Bolian heading for the console and she thought for a moment before getting his attention. "Ensign Bracca, take the mission ops station."

Part way between the command and forward sections of the bridge Bracca turned towards the Captain not expecting to be given that order. "Aye Sir." He turned back towards the middle section of the bridge. "Cadet Oaks, man the helm."

"On it," Oaks replied with a smile. His freckled face was beaming with excitement. It was always an honor to get the man any of the bridge stations as a cadet. One day, he would earn his commission after graduating. He only hoped that when that day came that Captain Tigran would snag him for the USS Wolff. He was comfortable here, and he was starting to really settle in.

As Rusty slid into the chair at the helm station, he checked the readouts on the flight controls console. He was ready.

The turbolift doors opened again a short time later, allowing Asher Kane and Magnus Volsung onto the bridge. Asher's eyes went almost immediately towards the empty science station, and he took a breath before crossing towards it. General science still wasn't where he felt most at home, but Lieutenant Edwards was currently aboard the Fraser and someone had to keep an eye on everything they were leaving behind. He slipped into the chair and brought the active sensor feeds back up, familiarising himself with what Edwards had been monitoring.

Magnus moved in the opposite direction, taking the tactical station without ceremony. His eyes flicked briefly towards the viewscreen and the distant Cardassian vessel before dropping to the console. They had behaved themselves so far. He saw no reason to assume that meant they would continue doing so.

Taliserra watched the viewscreen as the Fraser flew out ahead of them on course for the asteroid. "Keep us in a position above their landing location on the asteroid, if they need to come back in a hurry I don't want them to have to go far."

Cadet Oaks adjusted their positioning. "Keeping us steady above their landing location, Captain."

"Bracca, keep an eye on the away team as best you can."

"Aye Captain." Bracca reported, he watched the mission ops console but kept an eye towards the cadet manning the helm.

Magnus kept most of his attention on the tactical display, tracking the Cardassian vessel as it continued alongside them. The change in its course was small at first, enough that he leaned a little closer to the console, fingers moving across the controls as he checked the trajectory before the faint frown already sitting on his features deepened. It wasn't staying on its side anymore. "Captain," he said, looking towards Taliserra. "The Cardassian ship has altered course. They're crossing the border."


Captain Taliserra Tigran
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Command Jack Slattery
Executive Officer

Lieutenant Anthony Edwards
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Margarar
Engineer

Lieutenant Brendan Dernah
Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant Jg Summer Wyse
Chief Counsellor

Ensign Auren
Flight Control Officer
& as
Crewman Vanva Rel
Science Specialist

Lieutenant JG Ash Rowe
Chief of Helm

Cadet Rusty Oaks
Officer in Training

Ensign's Cross, Franklin and Bracca
Npc's Taliserra

 

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