That's No Wishing Well

Posted on Sat Mar 8th, 2025 @ 9:31pm by Lieutenant Fang Lee & Lieutenant Commander Kelly Kerrigan & Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD & Lieutenant Commander Dr. Henry McEntyre, Ph.D & Lieutenant K’Var & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander & Ensign Karri
Edited on on Mon Mar 10th, 2025 @ 5:44pm

1,068 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Deck 2 | Conference Room

The conference room was packed full of several of Kerrigan's best minds seated around the table, each having their own unique skillsets and with them, their individual mindsets as Lieutenant Commander Kerrigan looked around the table. "Well people...." he said with a pause as he broke the silence that had been hanging in the room.

The breadcrumbs had lead them to a debris field of cargo. Cargo that had been confirmed to belong to one of the missing convoys albeit the ships themselves were nowhere to be seen. Heard, however, was a different story all together.

Kelly toggled with some controls as the screen in the room displayed what McEntyre's probe caught before it's transmission ended. It was a swirling cloud of amber with debris being pulled into a pith, the eye. Whatever it was, it had a gravitational pull that took their probe.

"Professor McEntyre's probe was only to get us this before it stopped transmitting. Presumably, our probe didn't survive" stated Kelly. "It did detect a Federation transponder signal that Lieutenant Baciami had been able to verify is indeed Federation, but it's an automated ship in distress signal. Not strong enough to get past the dead zone we are in and we can't find it among the debris." This was causing Kelly to suspect the answer was wherever the pit lead to.

"The object you see on screen is a Subspace Sinkhole. It's a very rare, but naturally occurring phenomenon similar to a black hole, though this is one of the first I've seen outside of computer modeling. I would theorize that the ship may have...sunk into it, judging from the patterns of the debris. " The professor chimed in.

Interesting thought Kelly. "If one ship made it through..." He looked at a list of ships that made up the recent convoys. "There may be more, but in what condition are the ships and where does this thing go? Intact enough to transmit a signal, but unable to escape it?" It clearly had similarities and differences from a black hole. Time did not seem to be affected according to the probe when it reached the equivalent of this thing's event horizon.

"Perhaps. It's the first of it's kind I've seen up close. I'll need some time to analyze the data from the probe. I can only make a guess that they could be somewhere either near the event horizon of the sinkhole or on the other side. Either is possible." Henry leans back in his chair a bit.

“Has to be assumed that even if the ships survived whatever it is, there will be casualties,” McDonald added.

"I know," Kelly said acknowledging the Chief Medical Officer. "Doctor, our priority will be any survivors."

"Although everyone on board should know how to make a distress call, we should also be listening out for the makeshift kind. Desperation and survival instincts will have taken over by now," Adrianna commented.

"Indeed," McDonald agreed. "And perhaps they simply are unable to send such a call by conventional means. Although I doubt that would stop anyone from trying, if physically able."

"As the old saying goes. It's the size of our fight in us, not the size of us in the fight" Karrri said

Kelly turned to the ship's psychologist. Her species known for their peculiar abilities. A gift or a curse, Kerrigan was uncertain how he'd feel with her abilities. "Lieutenant Alexander?" he wanted to know if she could sense anything out there.

Lanna was sitting her focus changing between the room and what her senses were picking up outside. It took her a moment to realise she’d been addressed. “Sorry Commander, I was... trying to get a sense from out there.” She paused. “It’s difficult to put into words but I’ll try.” She paused. “I feel that there’s possibly something, but the sense is, for want of a better word, distorted...disjointed.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry I can’t be any clearer than that.”

"Sir, it's faint," Adrianna said cautiously, "sir, we may have a signal. I can confirm that Alexander may be right."

Lanna offered Adrianna a smile. “Sir if we were closer I might be able to get a better sense, but it’s not an exact science.”

"Of course I have to advise that we take every precaution if we move closer" the tactical officer advised the room of officers.

Fang had been silent thinking up until then. "Cargo bays..." He said. "We need to get the cargo bays ready if there are casualties and survivors Gods know how many ships are there and how many people. We need to get all staff with any medic training ready too."

"Sir, if you need a translator, let me know, but I would be better suited here to try and scan for more signs," Adrianna stated, listening back in to the incoming channels.

"I'll also have security at the ready to assist however we can" K'Var chimed in.

Fang turned to the Scientist. Dr. McEntyre... a question if I may. You said that this was a sinkhole in space."

"In basically terms, yes." The Doctor confirmed.

"If a ship went in...theoretically could it get back out? If so how?" Fang asked.

"I would have to study the anomaly to get more accurate data. I wouldn't risk a shuttle. Perhaps a Tractor Beam attuned to the right frequency can break through and grab the ship."

"Makes sense to me " Karri said. "Bear in mind I'm just a supply officer. But if the ship got in there it stands to reason it would come back out I'm not an engineer, but I'm sure there's records onboard as to how "

Is it all the stress I'm under? pondered Commander Kelly Kerrigan as he felt a throbbing around his eyes. He had a headache, not something he was used to experiencing but they did still exist, a centuries old problem. "Doc, I'll be swinging by sickbay after. I'm not...just don't feel myself right now. Fang, you have the bridge for now. Everyone else, get to work. Find answers. We need those. Dismissed."

Kelly had made his way over to the synthesizer and was going to order himself a hot tea when something... malfunctioned. Several sparks and he stumbled backwards into the table and slumped to the deck.

 

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