USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202211.25
The Penumbra was deep in Kinshayan space, on a secret Reconnaissance mission. They had put themselves in the tail of a comet hoping to use the comet's debris as camouflage to avoid being detected, but a large chunk of ice and rock had broken off the comet and was quickly headed towards the Penumbra!
They had come up with a plan to use a combination of repulsing Tractor Beams (their dual-beams deemed "Grabby Hands" set to push instead of pull), along with some strategically placed torpedoes (without the normal explosive payloads), and a newly-developed prototype of a "Gravitational Air Cannon" (deemed GAC by the Chief of Operations, LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris, that fired a focused stream of graviton particles from the main deflector dish like paper wads out of a straw), and some skillful flying by their Chief of Flight Operations, LtCmdr. Jason Carter.
And they had to do all that while a Kinshayan "Ball-Ship" (the Kinshayans revered the circle and the sphere and so designed their ships to be spherical) flew alongside the comet scanning the area for whatever had been causing a series of "unusual phenomena" they'd been detecting.
Cdre. Zak Taylor was sitting in the Command Seat, gripping the arms of his chair and tensely watching the huge chunk of ice and rock that was hurtling towards them.
Carter was at the Helm, doing his best to maintain the course and speed of the comet while waiting for a hole wide enough to manuever through. He watched their progress with the ice chunk and said, "Tabby? I'm gonna need another ... 20 meters."
"Understood," Tabby grunted as he continued manipulating the Grabby Hands. "Let me see if I can give you those 20 meters."
Behind them at the Tactical Station, LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke was adapting to the newest weapon in his arsenal. "This GAC does what now?"
Tabby answered without turning his head, "Straw and piece of paper. You blow hard enough and the paper comes out. Simple enough."
Zak glanced from the back of Tabby's head to Den, then back to Tabby. He asked, "Just what paper are we shooting through the straw? You call this some kind of 'gravitational air cannon'? Are we shooting .... gravitons? Can we do that?"
"Exactly!" Tabby said. "The paper ball is the comet. We're essentially blowing it out of our way using sheer force. Gravity. It's invisible and cannot be tracked."
Den checked his sensors and reported, "Oh, and the Ball is actually mimicking the comet's course. Just about side-by-side with it. It doesn't seem to be noticing us yet." He looked back up at Tabby, continuing their conversation, "So ... a more funneled version, and focused, of the navigational deflector's job?" He gave a short nod and added, "More exactly. All of the debris off of it that could do damage to the ship, even the smallest piece of space sand could tear the hull apart if we didn't have the deflector doing that. The GAC, if I'm still getting it right, is much more focused and we can direct it instead of just around the front of the ship."
Carter continued fidgeting with the manual flight sticks and shifted his weight slightly in his seat. He said, "Twelve meters and I'll have a big enough gap ... if we're not too worried about the new paint."
Zak gave a curt nod. "All right then. Let's do it. That chunk of ice and rock is getting too close for comfort. We just got this ship fixed, let's not crush it again, shall we?"
Tabby answered, "Aye, that I can agree with, Keptin." He paused, reflecting on how much of a Scottish brogue had crept into his voice just then. He muttered in surprise, "Since when do I say 'Captain' with a 'K'?" Some of his recently departed wife, LtCmdr. Bevin MacArdry-Tibris, must have rubbed off on him!
Den just smirked and said, "Maybe we should try to break the ship more on purpose, then it will happen less?"
On the port-side bulkhead of the Bridge, at the primary Reconnaissance Station sat SgtMaj. Derek Hines, the senior non-commissioned officer of the Marine detachment of the Penumbra. Behind him stood the Executive Officer, Marine Col. Travis Patterson. They were trying to decipher the communication signals they were picking up in the planetary system, but all they had so far was some kind of "Looney-Tunes-like" entertainment programs.
Suddenly Patterson stiffened. "Did you hear that?" he asked Hines.
Hines turned slightly and gave a nod. "Something about ... a religious event?" The comm signal they'd picked up mentioned the centennial passage of Urgulmar's Comet. Apparently it was some kind of holiday.
At the Tactical Console, Den's board gave a warning beep. He glanced down and said, "Hmm ... the MIRAGE is not working fully. It looks like we're creating a small type of wake. If they look too damn hard, we might be noticed, or at least, pique some curiosity."
Tabby groaned, "Why the hell is my MIRAGE not freaking working yet again? Ugh, I'm going to have to look into that aren't I."
A face materialized on several of the displays and pedestals around the Bridge, the holographic projection of the Artificial Intelligence known as MAX. He spoke, "I would advise against prolonged use of MIRAGE, Grabby Hands, and the Gravitational Air Cannon. We are already pushing the Warp Core beyond safe parameters."
Tabby grumbled, "You could have freaking said something earlier, MAX!"
MAX looked at him and responded, "I was not aware that I was filling in for Operations."
Tabby snapped back, "You're not filling in MAX! I've been busy here and would have liked notice earlier instead of having to figure things out under extreme pressure!"
Patterson snapped, "MAX, shut up. Tabby, rip that damn rock in half. We're out of time."
"I'm trying goddamnit!" Tabby barked back.
Finally, the combined effects of the Repulsor Grabby Hands, the GAC, the torpedo casings (and their small impact charges), broke apart the huge hunk of ice and the two pieces split apart ... barely wide enough for the Penumbra to pass between them. Carter rolled the ship onto her side and announced, "Two meters ... one meter ...."
Zak scooted forward on his chair, as far as the restraints would allow, and said, "Carter, that's pretty tight!"
"Yeah, yeah," Carter said, "I got it." He eased the throttle a little then said, "Computer, silence proximity alerts."
Zak began contorting his body as if the shape of his body would affect how the ship fit through the gap.
Tabby muttered, "Carter, please, let's not crash again. Granted, us crashing wasn't your fault, but ... let's not." He chuckled nervously. He caught the Commodore's movement out of the corner of his eye, then turned to look more clearly. "Captain, I don't think getting smaller in your seat would matter much in the outcome."
Suddenly, MAX announced, "The saucer is clear of the large mass ... and the nacelles will clear by 3 meters."
From the Recon Station, Hines sputtered, "Whoa! Comm traffic just exploded! Urgulmar ... Iscar ... Sundered?"
Patterson glanced at Hines, then speculated. "The Comet. Urgulmar is the comet we've been trailing. Iscar ... maybe that's the large mass that broke off?"
Tabby overheard and turned to Patterson and said, "I have no idea but that sounds like they are in shock or something."
Hines repeated a line from the comm traffic, "Urgulmar has begot Iscar as foretold."
Zak glanced over. "What are you two mumbling about?"
But Tabby perked up, "A prophecy?"
Den said, "Uh-oh. I'd say maybe it's the chunk that came off, but ... if that were the case, they wouldn't just go to a dead stop." He was talking about how the Ball-Ship had just come to a dead stop. "Sensors are slightly muddled until we're clear."
Patterson shook his head. "The comet was a religious event to the Kinshayans here. They predicted it would lose part of itself, but ... our presence has affected the predictions they've had."
Tabby said, "Iscar ... to me that sounds like a person, like Adon, a ... uh ... magic man or perhaps a god they believe in, maybe?"
The Commodore looked profoundly confused. "Say what? Religious event, sure, but ... our presence effected it? What do ... oh, crap!"
"Yeah," Tabby groaned, "that's what I was thinking, Captain."
Den said, "What if it was supposed to happen? If they predicted it would love part of itself ... if we hadn't been here to do it then ...," he trailed off.
A comm signal cut through with the voice of Cmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa, the Medicine Man who was both Chief Medical Officer and Chief Counselor, calling from the Wellness Center (what he called the Sickbay), "Adon to Bridge. Relok is seeing some kind of vision. Some kind of end of the world cataclysm? He mentioned 'Iscar' ...," he trailed off.
Zak tapped his commbadge, "Adon, what? A 'vision'? Explain, Commander!"
Then they noticed that one of the pieces of the broken chunk of ice had become a small comet on its own ... and it looked like it might be headed toward the planet!
Den heard a warning buzz on his console. He checked and then said, "Nope, well, maybe, but ... nope. I think we just made it worse. I can't get an exact trajectory, but one part is heading for the planet. May or may not barely miss."
"Can we stop it?" Tabby asked.
Zak deactivated the restraints on his chair and stood. "We caused it, Tabby, we'd better stop it. I didn't come here to destroy a planet!"
Patterson moved from the Recon area to the Master Systems Display on the rear wall of the Bridge and pulled up the trajectory analysis of the smaller comet. "MAX?" he called.
MAX transferred his holographic face to the MSD and soon said, "The comet is on a direct course for the 4th planetary body in the system. Based on mass and speed, if it impacts ... the planet will suffer catastrophic disasters. Estimating 90% casualty ratings within the first 48 hours."
Zak grunted, "Extinction-level event."
Lt. Jackson Carshel, Science Officer (and the only one on the Bridge at the moment) chimed in, "Could we perhaps bring it in if it's small enough? Would be great to study."
Den suggested, "We have the tractor, or the Grabby Hands, or maybe the GAC can break it up enough. The pieces will just turn into meteors that burn up in the atmosphere."
Tabby agreed, "We do have the Grabby Hands. We should be able to grab and pull into the hanger bay then have the crew secure it."
Patterson shook his head, "If we try to grab it and secure it, we give away our position entirely."
Hines shook his head too. "Sir, with all due respect ... we've already given away our presence."
Carshel commented, "I don't think we've given ourselves away yet. If I had to guess, they think we are some kind of god. Kinda funny actually."
Zak muttered, "If it weren't for the fact these are Kinshayans and they're already warp capable, this would be a HUGE Prime Directive infraction!" He heaved a heavy sigh and made a command decision. "Den, Tabby, catch that damn comet fragment. Once we have it, Carter, get us the hell out of here, quick!"
Den said, "Monitoring." He gave a nod for Tabby to go.
Tabby nodded back, "On it ... Grabby in 3 ...," he trailed off his countdown.
Carter asked, "MAX how big is the chunk that broke off compared to the hanger bay length and width?"
MAX's face appeared on the console between Tabby and Carter, "The comet's dimensions will fit within the confines of the Hangar Bay ... barely."
"Good," Carshel said, "that's what I wanted to hear, MAX, great work."
Carter announced, "Pursuit course. Tabby, we're gonna need Slipstream ASAP."
"On it!" Tabby said as he began charging the power supply for the Slipstream.
Carter adjusted their course, turning the ship out of the comet's tail and directly in pursuit of the potential Armageddon they'd created.
But MAX reported, "We cannot use MIRAGE and Slipstream simultaneously. We will lose MIRAGE to charge the Slipstream."
Patterson turned to face the front, "Carter, how long does that thing take to charge up?"
Carter responded, "Thirty seconds, tops."
The Penumbra was still maintaining their MIRAGE, the highly-advanced holographic image camouflage developed specifically for the Reconnaissance Cruiser. Which meant they had not been directly observed leaving the main comet's tail, but ... a significant 'wake' of comet tail particles followed the ship for half a kilometer before evaporating in the solar wind.
Patterson walked over near the Commodore and gave him a look. Zak scowled back at him, "I know, I know. We're compromised big-time now."
As the ship gained on the comet fragment, Tabby reached out with the dual tractor beams called Grabby Hands and seized it, but the mass and speed of the thing caused a sudden extreme strain on the ship's power supply. Warning buzzers sounded and lights flashed all across the Operations Console. Tabby grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, power, I know, shut the hell up!" He began shutting off non-essential systems like recreational areas and living quarters.
Patterson grunted and took the XO seat as he called out, "Deactivate MIRAGE. Red Alert. Battlestations!!! Carter, charge the damn Slipstream!"
Den was watching Tabby's Grabby Hands work. He announced, "You've got it, Tabby! It's holding!" He cut the MIRAGE and signaled Red Alert, raising ships and powering weapons, just in case.
Tabby grunted back, "That's because I know what I'm doing and I do a damn good job! Now, c'mere you icy bastard!"
Zak barked out, "Get that thing in the hangar, ASAP, and get us the hell out of this neighborhood, Mr. Carter!"
"Bringing it in now!" Tabby called.
Carter said, "Slipstream countdown in 10 ...."
Patterson activated the All-Call, "All hands, brace for emergency Slipstream!"
"I got it!" Tabby called again, "It's in!"
Zak backed into the Command Seat and activated the restraints as he grumbled, "Some great start to our mission, huh?"
But Carshel pointed out, "At least we have something to study?"
Tabby agreed with the Commodore, grunting, "God DAMNIT! This sucks!"
Den activated his restraints as well as he said, "Anyone have an urge to play Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf?"
And the Penumbra jumped to Slipstream, cruising along for nearly a full minute before power dropped out and they were spewed out of the Slipstream Corridor in interstellar space.
When their new Chief Medical Officer (and Chief Counselor), Cmdr. Adonudo T'lanuwa, came aboard, one of the first things he did was change the name of "Sickbay" to "Wellness Center". He had always argued that "Sickbay" described an area enclosed on three sides where one held those who where sick, whereas "Wellness Center" was a centralized location one went to get well.
And in this Wellness Center were the two senior Science Officers, both Vulcans, Cmdr. Relok and LtCmdr. T'Lin, who had begun suffering some strange mental or psychic illness shortly after their psionic probing of the nearby Kinshayan Ball-Ship.
Relok was suffering the worse. T'Lin had the advantage of her "second soul", the katra of an ancient Vulcan D'Vir guide affectionately known as "Mama". The elder soul was stronger than either Relok or T'Lin and was able to better resist whatever was happening to them. But even her strength was not infinite. She had entered a 'meditative trance' to help stabilize her mental walls. Relok, on the other hand, remained conscious and was actively cooperating with Adon in trying to find out what was wrong with the two Vulcans.
Adon was first and foremost a Native American Medicine Man, from the colony of Dorvan V. His practice of medicine was focused on a more spiritual side that most Starfleet Medical Officers. He was placing magnetic stones on a Medicine Wheel hanging on one of the walls of the Wellness Center, praying for guidance in treating his Vulcan patients. He turned as the doors slid open and the Assistant Chief Medical Officer, LtCmdr. Katarina Hawke, entered.
Kat was eager to assist Adon, glad to have something to do to take her mind off her troubles with SgtMaj. Derek Hines. Adon spoke to her, "Ah, Kat, we've got a situation developing ...," he trailed off.
Kat approached Adon and asked, "Can I help?" She glanced over at Relok and gave a worried frown.
The elder Vulcan Chief of Sciences was stoically resisting groaning as he sat up on one of the biobeds. He said, "My head spins every time I move."
Adon addressed Kat, "I need to do some detailed brain maps of Relok's brain. I didn't want to try T'Lin's. I've heard she's got ... well, more than one soul or something! That could get overly complicated!"
Kat gave a nod. "Yes, she has a symbiote or something." She was familiar with Trill, who carried an actual slug-like symbiotic creature inside their bodies, and not so much with Vulcan D'Vir who only had the mind and spirit of an ancient guide inside their heads.
Relok nodded weakly, "It's true. T'Lin carries her own katra, plus the one of her ancient D'Vir guide, affectionately known as 'Mama'. My brain would paint a clearer picture ... I hope."
"So," Adon turned to Kat, "let's get one of those cortical imager thingies on his head. We'll need to do some calibration for the Vulcan mind, and then ...," he trailed off.
Kat nodded, "Yes, doctor." She collected a cortical imager and carefully attached it to Relok's temple. Relok's forehead was surprisingly cool to Kat's touch, the opposite of feverish.
Kat looked up to Adon and reported, "Doctor, he doesn't feel feverish to me, he feels cold." The imager took only a few seconds to calibrate and then began displaying the map of his brain activity on the monitor over the bed.
Adon studied the display and said, "We're getting a detailed scan. Kat, pull up the most recent archival scan of Relok in the database, assuming there is one. We need a comparison."
"Aye, doctor," she said, accessing the medical database and finding the most recent archival scan of Relok's brain.
After a few minutes of collecting the brain scan, and comparing the new scan to the archive, Adon said, "There!" He pointed at a portion of the scan and continued, "Look, Kat, that area is showing heightened activity, and there, it's depressed. So, obviously something isn't quite right. Now ... what do those areas represent? And what could cause it?"
Suddenly, Relok stiffened and called out, "Iscar sundered! No! Doom comes!"
Adon turned to Kat. With a raised eyebrow he asked, "Iscar? What's that about?"
Kat had no answers for the Doctor and looked a little helpless. Adon turned back to Relok, "What was that, Commander?"
Relok grew increasingly agitated. "Doom! Destruction! Iscar brings the wrath of Urgulmar! The end of the world is at hand!"
Being a mystic himself, Adon recognized a "vision" when he saw one. He tapped his commbadge, "Adon to Bridge. Relok is seeing some kind of vision. Some kind of end of the world cataclysm? He mentioned 'Iscar' ...," he trailed off.
After a moment, the Commodore's voice came back, "Adon, what? A 'vision'? Explain, Commander!"
But Adon didn't get the opportunity to explain. The comm system whistled an alert and the Colonel's voice came over the line, "All hands, brace for emergency Slipstream!"
And then they jumped. And a minute later, they lost all power.