USS Penumbra - sim-summaries

USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202105.07 Introduction: . The Penumbra had fled from the unstable star near the hodge-podge station that was apparently some kind of space station for pirates, smugglers, and traders. An Away Team that had gone to the station to determine if the kidnapped Gorn Ambassador named Ssissthiss was there or had been there, but they too had fled aboard the Canteen of Sparkles after several solar flares had made the station unsafe, and they'd witnessed a Nausicaan fleeing the bar under suspicious circumstances. . Also, AEGIS, the AI of Col. Travis Patterson's Cerberus had launched the tiny ship on its own with CfWrnt. Sandy Sandoval in the cockpit, presumably to provide Patterson and his team the opportunity for emergency transport, but once there, Patterson had instructed AEGIS to follow the Nausicaan who had fled the bar and launched a small ship. . Now, the Penumbra was having warp field alignment issues caused by the unstable star's fluctuating gravitational field and couldn't plot a reliable course to rendezvous with the Canteen. Also, the Penumbra's MIRAGE system that provided them near invisibility, had suffered even more damage from the unstable star's solar flares and had gone offline. Fortunately, once the system was rebooted, they regained their 60-70% reliability of the patched-together system. They'd need some time parked to install more emitters to get the system any better than that, since it would require technicians working on the outer hull. . But, while the Penumbra was recalibrating their warp field generator, the Canteen was trying to also follow the Nausicaan (unable to see the cloaked Cerberus who was already following him). Bridge, Sickbay, & Main Engineering: Getting Straight

. Cdre. Zak Taylor was in the Command Seat. He spun the chair around and asked, "Den, Kat, can either of you get a signal from our Away Team? Where the hell are they?" He spun back to the front and added, "Carter, you and Bevin get our keel straightened out, will ya?" . "I've got it," LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke, at the Tactical Console, said. "That idea I had is working with the hull signature. Can you confirm that, Kat?" . SgtMaj. Derek Hines sat at the main Reconnaissance Station. He chimed in, "I've no idea where the Cerberus went, sir ... but the Canteen, I think went off after a Nausicaan vessel." . LtCmdr. Jason Carter, at the Helm, responded to the Commodore, "Warp field generator's out of alignment, Commodore ... wouldn't suggest we go to warp without it. I can manage it, but ... it's gonna put some harm on our systems to do so." . Down in Main Engineering, LtCmdr. Bevin MacArdry was furiously multi-tasking between rebooting the MIRAGE system, building the replacement emitters to bring it back up to specs, and trying to recalibrate the warp field generators that the crazy star had thrown out of alignment. . In Sickbay, Dr. Shadow K'Trevala was making sure Sickbay was ready for any possible injuries or illness caused by either the bumpy ride or the star's intense radiation. . Back on the Bridge, LtJG. Jackson Carshel was at the Primary Science Station, scanning the area for any possible threats, and also for any sign of the Away Team. . Cmdr. Relok, the Vulcan Chief of Sciences who was the Acting XO while Patterson was on the Away Team, commented, "In theory, we could probably still generate a warp bubble, correct? We just wouldn't necessarily move the direction we wanted to go, right, Carter?" . The Commodore gave Relok a frustrated look. "I know a little about warp field theory, Commander. I graduated the Academy on the Engineering track, you know."

. Carter responded, "Not so much, Relok. I can get us aligned in the right direction, but I won't be able to predict the drift if our warp bubble isn't aligned properly." Send a Probe . Near Carshel, Lt. Katarina Hawke, the Assistant Chief Medical Officer and Head Nurse, paced in front of the Auxiliary Medical Station. There wasn't much for her to do other than keep an eye on the bio-signs of the Away Team. When she heard the Commodore's order she flinched, "Huh? What? Oh! Um, yes, sir. " Then she heard her brother, Den, say he thought he'd picked up the Canteen and wanted her to confirm. She checked her readings and said, "Yeah, around 306 mark 60." . Zak tapped his commbadge. "Bridge to Engineering. I know we've got alignment issues, but can we get any kind of warp speed while we adjust it? I hate just sitting here." . Bevin's strong Scottish Brogue came back, "Aye, sair. I thaink I kin gait ye wairp fair punt naine fer naw, an I'm werkin an gaittin ait baick tae nairmil ain caise o aimairjincies." . Zak replied, having deciphered the thick accent, "Thanks, Bev. We'll keep it below Warp 4 to give you breathing room. Carter, do your best to rendezvous with the Canteen, Warp 4." . She answered, "Nae priblim, sair." . Zak spun his chair again, "Den, keep an eye on the Canteen. Hopefully we won't lose her off our long-range sensors before we can start following!" . Den suggested, "I could throw a probe out in that direction, sir." . Zak nodded. "Send a probe, Commander. We have to be able to follow them." . Den nodded. "It'll take a few minutes to configure." . Relok pointed out, "Sir, a probe will reveal the presence of a Federation ship in the vicinity." . Zak looked over at the Vulcan, then said, "But not where we are, right, Den? Launch a probe, then ... Carter, maneuvering thrusters to change our position."

. Den responded to Relok, "Not if it's made out to look like an asteroid. They fly around all the time." He started working on the configurations. . With her report on the Away Team's whereabouts given, Kat had resumed her nervous pacing in front of her station, chewing on her bottom lip. Blind Slipstream Jump . Down in Sickbay, Shadow, concerned for the people they'd left behind on that rough-shod station near the unstable star, sent a mental warning to anyone on the station that could pick up his telepathic call. Strangely, the only response he received was from a Klingon! The frustrated Klingon sent back, ~Huh? What's that? Get out of my head!~ . With a smile, Shadow sent back to him, ~Just a friendly warning about that unstable star. Take care!~ . Carter spun his chair to address the Commodore, "We have impulse, but there's not a lot we can hide behind, especially with the MIRAGE down, sir." He turned his chair back to the front and saw the "warp ready" signal on his panel. He gave a short nod and said, "Alright, we're going to manual. MAX, I need preliminary alignment displayed on the forward viewer, and any field adjustments sent to my console as soon as able. Tabby, keep an eye on the power levels for the warp field generators. If they get over 1.8 C, let me know." . The half-Klingon, half-Romulan, LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris, at the Operations console beside Carter nodded, "Got it. Understood, Carter." . Carter turned the chair again to address Zak, "How much do you trust me, Captain?" . Zak just said, "Don't fly us into a star, Commander," and gave a curt nod. . Den announced, "The probe is ready." . Suddenly, Hines called out, "Got 'em! Canteen just opened her broadcasts. She's at 118 mark 41 ... and quite a ways off at Warp 4." . "Excellent, Hines!" Zak responded. "Carter, there's your course. And see if you can keep the bow aligned with our course, will you? Those stars going sideways make me space-sick."

. Since the Commodore had already given the order to launch the probe, Den didn't wait for an acknowledgement. He launched the probe before they started moving, in a potentially uncontrolled and unexpected direction. "Probe away," he reported. . Carter studied his nav sensors, his eyes lighting up as he got an idea. He tapped his commbadge, "Bevin ... can we get the slipstream for 3 seconds?" . Hines spun his chair around to face Carter. "Wait, that's a blind jump without the alignment processors, Carter!" . Bevin's voice came back, "I'd nae raikkamaind ait, sair! Nae fer inithir tain mainits. Bit iffin ye fail ye naid tae, gae ahaid, an I'll dail wi wha haippins fra thair." She'd said that she wouldn't recommend a blind slipstream jump, not for ten minutes at least. But that if Carter felt he needed it, she'd deal with whatever happened when it happened. . Carter gave a nod and responded to Bevin, "Give me everything she's got, Bevin. Carter out." . Bevin answered, "Ye gat ait, sair, gae fer ait!" Brace for Rough Maneuvers! . Carter turned to Tabby. "Bring the slipstream systems online." . Tabby nodded. "Alright, I'll bring it on. Let's do this! Slow and steady, all right?" . MAX, the Artificial Intelligence from the old Darmok, manifested his face in a small corner of the main viewer. "Final alignment on the forward display," he said as the course overlaid on the screen. . Tabby announced, "Turning on slipstream in three ...," . Hines stared at them open-mouthed a minute, then addressed the Commodore. "Sir?" . Zak hit the All Hands comm, "All hands, brace for rough maneuvers!" . Den muttered, "If the computer says 'Slipstream in five, four, three, two, one, then craps out, and just pops up on the screen 'Good morning, Captain.' I think I will lose it." . "Two ...," Tabby continued counting. . Everyone around the Bridge quickly engaged their seatbelts. Zak muttered, "Carter ... no stars, right?"

. "One ...," Tabby continued. . Relok grumbled, "And no asteroids or planets, either, Commander." . Carshel deactivated his hearing aids in chase there was screeching or screaming involved in their maneuver. . Carter set the ship to the alignment MAX had indicated and gave a nod, "All right, everyone, hold onto something!" . Tabby finished his countdown, "Activating slipstream! Ready for the fun to begin, Captain?" . The ship lurched into the slipstream corridor. Hines grabbed a barf-bag from under his console and held it to his face for a moment. He groaned, "Uuurgh ... God!" . Carter held the slipstream burn for the three seconds, then completely disengaged all thrust, dropping out of slipstream and letting their momentum carry them along the trajectory. He said, "Canteen should be in visual range in thirty seconds." Deploy 'Flaps' . But as the Penumbra exited the slipstream corridor, it picked up a very slight rotation. The forward trajectory held true to its momentum and inertia, but the ship began to spin about 3 degrees per second towards the starboard dorsal. . Relok watched the slowly spinning starfield, tilting his head to follow the spin. . Carter glanced at Tabby, "Give me the drag flaps on the port ventral nacelle for five seconds." . "On it, giving you the flaps," Tabby pressed several buttons on his console. "Flaps are yours, Carter." . Down in Main Engineering, Bevin cursed as the alignment slipped again. She started fighting the settings once again to get them back where they're supposed to be. . Carter muttered to himself, "Not yet ... not yet ...." . Den reached up and scratched his head. "How do flaps work when there's no drag in space?" . Zak turned and looked over at Den, "It's an old naval and aerospace term that's lingered beyond its actual methodology. They're not actually 'flaps' but rather a system of subspace 'anchors' or density fields."

. Carter engaged the 'flaps' and fired thrusters for a split-second to counter the ship's spin. As he did, he also explained to Den, "Slight adjustments to the ship's center of mass. With the inertial dampeners off, it'll give us about a degree per second of rotation ... and it'll increase over time." . Relok raised an eyebrow and said, "Den, let's not get the Commodore and Commander Carter into a discussion of warp field dynamics, shall we?" . "I see," Den said, "so ... thrusters." He confirmed the telemetry from their previously launched probe. . Kat just quietly listened to the conversation. . Then the Commodore said, "Carter, that stunt of yours with the slipstream was supposed to put us near the Canteen, right? Den, are they out there?" FRAGO . Suddenly, Hines reported, "Sir, the Canteen is squawking a Starfleet Marine FRAGO code." He adjusted their own transponder signal to the 80808 code as well. . Zak turned towards the Marine, "A ... FRAGO ... code? English, please, Sergeant Major." . "It's a change of plan advisement, sir," Hines explained. "FRAGO is jargon to say the plan's changed, or to outright throw the plan out the window. Code 80808 ... basically means it's time to improvise." . A moment later, a call came over the commlinks. It was Patterson. "Patterson to Penumbra. Sandy's got my baby out chasing tail ... we can't keep up with him without burning out the Canteen, and that ship we were after certainly realized we were chasing him." . At this point, Carshel was looking around the Bridge confused, since he'd turned his hearing aids off and hadn't seen a signal to turn them back on yet. . With Patterson's voice coming over the speakers, Zak smirked up at Den and said, "Speak of the devil, huh?" . Den just nodded, "Two-nine three mark one-six-five should be the location."

. Zak opened the commlink and replied to Patterson, "Good to hear from you, Colonel. We should be able to rendezvous with you shortly ... if Carter can remember how to steer ... Wait! You said Sandy has the Cerberus? You let someone else fly her?" He looked over at Carter, "He won't even let ME fly it! Or you, huh?" . Carter shrugged, "Sandy's a Marine, and as good a pilot as I am in small craft." . Relok remarked, "I can begin the funeral arrangements for Mr. Sandoval. Surely it is one of those things where the Colonel said 'I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you,' right?" . Patterson had heard the chatter since the commline was still open. He gave a slight chuckle, "We'll discuss that later, Commodore. I think we could use a tow. You guys should be coming up from our starboard ventral side ... looks like you'll be on us in about 15 seconds ... not gonna ask how you're moving so quick." . Zak said, "Um ... Carter, might want to bring us to a stop." . Carter nodded, "MAX, full stabilizers and inertial dampeners ... and full reverse." . MAX answered, "Acknowledged. All stabilizers are deployed. Inertial dampeners online and at 100%." . Zak said, "Carter, invite Miss Mane back aboard." . "Aye," Carter said. He opened the commlink and said, "Canteen, you're cleared for your approach. We're coming to a full stop in a couple seconds." . Misty seemed surprised as she stammered over the commlink, "Tha- thank you!" . Zak turned slightly and said, "Hines, we need to figure out a way where we can track the Cerberus even when nobody else can. Get with the Colonel and come up with something. I don't like losing that little ship when Pat or whoever, now, take off on some loose cannon mission." . Hines nodded, "Yeah ... I get that. We may need to get some sort of tracker in that bird when we get the chance."

. Carshel was still glancing around the Bridge, waiting for someone to give him the all-clear signal. Relok finally noticed Carshel staring at him and said, "What? Oh? Yes, turn your ears on, Lieutenant." He gave him a hand sign to make sure he understood. Carshel smiled and turned his hearing aids back on. Canteen of Sparkles and Cerberus: Cut Pursuit . Col. Travis Patterson, LtCmdr. T'Lin, SSgt. Will Davies, and a couple of Marines were with Misty Mane on the Canteen of Sparkles, her freighter, pushing the old ship to keep up with a Nausicaan ship that had left the rough station under suspicious circumstances. . Patterson was gripping the back of Misty's seat, holding on tight as the ship rattled and jimmied. Misty was holding the sticks and bouncing in her seat. She said over her shoulder, "Sorry about the rough ride, but this old girl is trying!" . Behind them, Davies was actually snoozing in spite of the bumping around, his head lolling occasionally. T'Lin just sat grim-faced and said nothing. . Patterson shook his head and gingerly made his way over to an auxiliary station. "How much longer can you hold her at this warp, Misty?" . Misty didn't even glance at a display, she just answered from her gut, "Ummm ... eight-and-a-half minutes ... I think." She paused, then added, "That's without damage. If I risk damage, I can double that." . Patterson knew he'd instructed the Cerberus to follow the Nausicaan as well, but there was no way to find the cloaked recon vessel, especially not on an older-model freighter like the Canteen. He shook his head. "That's not gonna cut it." Then he added, "And I don't want to put us at unnecessary risk." He scratched his chin then said, "We don't even know where the Penumbra went when she jumped."

. Patterson looked over the sensor feed on his screen just as the Nausicaan ship slowed, then made a sudden change of direction before kicking it back to high warp. "We're gonna throw him off," he said, "if we keep pursuing. Let the Cerberus track him. If we keep on his tail, he's gonna try to shake us. We aren't capable of hiding." . "That a-hole Nausicaan," Misty grumbled. She slowed her ship, then turned her head and asked, "Okay, then what's the plan now? Shall we try to find the ... uh .. Pen ... Umbra? Pen ... Um ... Brah? How the heck to you say it? The giant behemoth of a ship that we came from ... that thing." Lap Dogs . On the Cerberus, CfWrnt. Sandy Sandoval saw the Nausicaan's move to shake a tail. As the Nausicaan changed direction and shot off again, he pushed the Cerberus to max speed and opened their secure commlink. "Canteen, he knows he's being followed, Pat. Trust me on this ... I'll keep up with him." . On the Canteen, Patterson touched the disguised amulet that served as his commbadge with a sigh, "He's all yours, Sandy ... just bring my baby back in one piece!" . He turned to Misty. "We don't know where she went. She'll find us before we find her ... just open all frequencies and broadcast our signal." . In the back, Davies grunted and woke up, wiping drool from his mouth with the back of his hand. "We're not there yet?" he asked. . Misty ignored Davies and nodded at Patterson, "Gotcha. Opening and broadcasting now." Then she muttered, "Please, nothing break." After a second she confirmed, "Alright, I'm open. Hopefully that behemoth of a ship will come for us." She turned her chair and asked, "In the meantime can I interest any of you in jazz music?" . Back on the Cerberus, Sandy picked up a transmission from the Nausicaan ship. The pilot said, "Hurgis, there was some Human asking about that Ssissthiss fellow. You gotta move him. There's a big bounty on his head or something."

. Another signal responded, "Grosh, relax, just because the Klingons got their lap-dog Humans to hunt for Ssissthiss doesn't mean anything. We've almost got the deal worked out, then we'll send him back home. Go back to the bar and have another drink!" . Sandy muttered to himself, "Interesting." . Meanwhile, on the Canteen, now parked waiting for the Penumbra, Misty asked, "Anybody wanna play cards while we wait?" Nobody took her up on the offer. . Instead, Davies got up from his seat and moved to get a look at the various screens. He looked at Patterson as he gestured at one of the screens, "Out of curiosity, what are we looking at right now?" . Patterson glanced over at what Davies was indicating. A blip had appeared out of nowhere. "What's that?" He studied it a moment then added, "Whatever it is, it's fairly large." . Misty turned back around to check her own screen, "Huh? I hope that's your friend ... I am NO fighter! And I'm no stealth ship either!" 80808 . Patterson looked closer, then said, "Misty, change the IFF transponder ... 80808." . Misty gave him a questioning look, but just said, "Changing now. It's set at 80808. Is there something special about that number or something? I never used it before." . A returning ping at the same signal came back. Patterson smirked. "That's the Penumbra. Hines got the code and answered." He tapped the amulet and called, . "Patterson to Penumbra. Sandy's got my baby out chasing tail ... we can't keep up with him without burning out the Canteen, and that ship we were after certainly realized we were chasing him." . The voice of Cdre. Zak Taylor came back over the commlink, "Good to hear from you, Colonel. We should be able to rendezvous with you shortly ... if Carter can remember how to steer ... Wait! You said Sandy has the Cerberus? You let someone else fly her?" . Misty rolled her eyes. "I suggest we focus on the task at hand? So, what's the plan?"

. Patterson gave a slight chuckle, "We'll discuss that later, Commodore. I think we could use a tow. You guys should be coming up from our starboard ventral side ... looks like you'll be on us in about 15 seconds ... not gonna ask how you're moving so quick." . Misty raised an eyebrow and said, "Whatever they've got, I would love to have it ... if my ship can handle it." She paused, then added, "And if I'm allowed to have it, that is. I know I haven't exactly been trustworthy, but ... have I proven something, at least?" . Then she realized what Patterson had said, "A tow? I can still fly; I just can't chase!" She pouted a moment then said, "Shouldn't we get to the hangar ... bay ... thingie?" . As she said this, the commlink chirped again as LtCmdr. Jason Carter called, "Canteen, you're cleared for your approach. We're coming to a full stop in a couple seconds." . Misty seemed surprised that she would be allowed back on board, and to fly her ship into dock. "Tha- thank you!" she stammered.