Plan B

Posted on Wed Jan 19, 2022 @ 8:30am by Commander Ajani Carter & Lieutenant Commander Sunita Conlon & Lieutenant JG Karl Scheer

Mission: Episode 6: Discovery
Location: Various
Timeline: MD01
1290 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Karl sat back in his chair on the shuttle waiting for a response from Commander Conlon which had been abruptly cut off. After trying everything he could think of to reach the away team, and a rather long string of colorful language, he decided he would just fly over to the Aurora and help out any way he could. Engines powered up and course set, he began to make his way the relatively short, by aerial standards, distance to the downed Nova. Karl noticed the sensors were beginning to act as they had previously before his impromptu field repairs. A swift kick to the console, Karl was beginning to enjoy this a little too much, brought the sensors back into working order just in time to bring about bad news. Apparently the emissions from the shuttle had caused a near by flock of, 'Birds?' Karl thought, to think that the shuttle was in fact an intruder in their particular corner of air space and began to move in to attack.

Karl altered his course as best he could to avoid the in coming flock but the little buggers were skilled pilots. As the shuttle's very erratic approach to the Aurora came closer Karl could start to make out the events that lead to the current lack of communications between himself and the away team. The sensor beep brought Karl back into the situation at hand, forcing him to use even more intense evasive actions while trying to stay in relative proximity to the Aurora in case the away team needed to get out of the fray quickly, but even then Karl doubted he could keep these weird flying lizards away long enough to get everyone onboard and back to the Eagle.

Unfortunately, Karl had to make a hard choice. Either stay and try to get everyone out, or fall back to the Eagle and try to find a way to mask the shuttle's emissions from the native creatures. "Scheer to Conlon," Karl called out in a very sad tone, "I've got some bad news ma'am."

"Lieutenant," Sunny's voice came over the comms a little breathier than normal, "good to hear from you. Did those things come after you, too? Our way in was blocked off," the grinding of a jeffreys tube door being manually opened started, "I'm trying to make my way to the upper decks. Do you think you could land on the upper hull and maybe we'll cut our way out to you?" the channel then caught her mutter, "So many ladders..."

Karl looked over the readings once again, hoping against hope that there was enough time, "Sorry ma'am, I can't sit down for longer than thirty seconds before these things swarm all over me." Another quick reaction caused the shuttle to jolt to the right to avoid a collision. "I've got an idea but it will require me to head back to the Eagle to make some adjustments. With any luck I can get back down here and evac you guys as well as bring in some reinforcements."

The XO sighed, "Alright. Good luck to you. Let the CO know we found the ship, but we're currently hunkered down looking for the crew and trying not the get eaten by some very angry leathery birds."

Karl laughed into the comm, "No promises Commander!"

Carter was back on the Bridge, she had only managed a little time away before a problem arose. The Eagle was monitoring comms and when the shuttle had run into troubles she was been called back. For the moment she listened not wanting to interrupt.

Karl managed to pull the shuttle into a step climb and overclocked the engines in order to outrun these flying lizards. As soon as the sensors showed the creatures had broken off their pursuit of the shuttle he raised the comm, "Scheer to Eagle, we've got a problem."

Leaning forward a little the Captain looked at the holo image of the shuttle, which was outpacing, then climbing out the atmosphere. "well" she muttered, she had not expected anything to challenge a type 11. Carter nodded to the officer manning the Ops console.

"Karl?" she said after the ops officer had confirmed the channel was open. "Yeah, I can see that. Any idea what set them off?"

Karl had eased off the throttle after the shuttle broke atmosphere, 'no current need to blow out the engines' he thought to himself. "Only thing I can think of ma'am is that the emissions from the engines somehow made these flying lizard things think I was an intruder in there airspace." Karl had brought the shuttle around and began the docking procedures.

"Research has suggested that these creatures are were highly territorial on Earth." She paused "It is possible a mix of the engines and their very nature made them attack" Ajani mused "Either way we need to be more careful, enough of those creatures could kill a shuttle."

"Sunny?" she said over the open communications "Has the away team experienced any problems?"

"Quite a few, with sharp teeth. I had been hoping the shuttle could land on the upper hull and lift us out, but it sounds like that's not happening. We haven't seen any of the crew so far, I'm climbing up to the computer core with some people to see if I can get more information. The rest are on the armory and medical deck, so maybe they're finding people there."

The shuttle had just touched down in the docking bay when Karl responded, "I'll need some time to figure out what set those things off and make the modifications then I can head back down and get you guys out Commander."

"If I we can't find the crew on the ship here, especially with the sensor and communications problems, we may need to somehow figure out a ground search. Any news on other ships responding to the distress call?"

Ajani referred to a status update on her right. "They are still several days away. The USS Yorktown has been assigned to aid us, they have a slip drive but are currently engaged in a humanitarian mission. Anywhere from 3 to 6 days" she shock her head. "What if we brought the Eagle down?" She knew her ship could handle the passage and the Anti-Gravs would suspend them above the surface but.. there were problems.

Karl had just sprinted onto the bridge, quickly taking his seat at the con station. His fingers flew through the air running a quick simulation. "Technically it's doable, if you're up for some more fancy flying. The only issue is we'll need to make the modifications to the engines so we don't get swarmed by those things. They certainly tried to tear the shuttle apart, I'd hate to see what they'd do to the Eagle"

"We are a bigger target, the Type 11 is at least a similar size to other creatures down there." She shrugged "However i don't want them becoming bugs on the windshield either. Work with Ethan, see if you can work out what is the problem with the engines. Maybe a harmonic component that triggers them." Ajani remembered her lessons from the Academy "But" she suggested "It might be the magnetic fields our ships employ, either the anti-matter containment field or the war engines themselves. Remember our first day in flight training, being warned about the Gul's in and around the academy and how they used to be effected by magnetic fields?"

Karl chuckled, "Yes ma'am. My instructors hated when they found out I was the one behind the conn."

Carter smirked and gently slapped the pilot on the back before returning to her station. "Lets do this then" she said aloud to everyone!