Communication Problems

Posted on Mon Nov 23, 2020 @ 4:38pm by Commander Ajani Carter & Ensign Remmy Halstein & Lieutenant Commander Tevek
Edited on on Mon Nov 23, 2020 @ 4:49pm

Mission: Episode 1: On Stranger Tides
Location: USS Tesla - Teveks Quarters
Timeline: Current/Meanwhile
2786 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Teveks quarters were a picture of calm. A holographic projection of a starry nebula filled the room and the sounds of panpipes gently echoed off the bukheads.

Dressed in a comfortable robe he sat crossed legged on the floor, a woven rug embroidered with traditional Vulcan art was the only thing between him and the cold hard deck plating.

He looked intensely into the small and delicate flame of a wooden Vulcan prayer lamp. It wasn't an original, just a hastily replicated one he made when he came aboard the Tesla. When he took command he knew he would need a few things before he could send for his personal effects and a rug and prayer lamp were top of his list.

But something didn't feel right and he couldn't tell if it was the current situation on the ship or the fact that he was using replicated meditation aids. Whatever the distraction was it was keeping him from concentrating on his meditation and that in itself made him feel as unsettled as a Vulcan ever could.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but try as he might Tevek couldn't shake the strange and unsettled feeling that had made its home in the pit of his stomach. Arching his spine slightly he pressed his fingers together in a delta shape and closed his eyes again but within moments his music was cut off by the kurt electronic beep of the computer.

"Hey Commander Pointy, you've got a call!" The electronic monotone of the computer practically yelled at him.

Teveks eyes sprung open and his left eyebrow raised partly out of frustration and partly out of curiosity as to why the ship's computer had suddenly developed a personality.

He reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out his comm badge. Pressing it between his fingers it let out a shrill beep. "Tevek to the bridge, can you confirm I have an incoming transmission?" He asked plainly. There was a moment of 'bridge noises' and then came Symmons deep booming voice. "Yes Commander, from the USS Eagle their Commanding Officer has been trying to reach you for the past hour!"

Again Tevek's eyebrow quirked. "Strange, you may patch them through Chief." Tevek ordered bluntly. "Also it appears that our computer has developed an adolescent character, please have your team investigate." He added. 'I will not be called Commander pointy!' He huffed internally.

On the bridge Symmons nodded and flicked his claw like hands over the controls to start diagnostics. "Aye sir, we've had a bit of childish name calling up here too. I'll try and have it fixed by morning." He replied.

"See that you do, Tevek out." He ordered bluntly before letting out a long sigh. It seemed their problems were getting worse rather than better. But Tevek didn't have time to worry about that as the sound of his music came to a gentle end and the nebula hologram faded away. It was replaced by the image of a Human female in a command red uniform, she was of pale complexion and had long coppery hair, she was pretty without being overstated.

Teveks eyebrows raised in surprise. "Miss Carter it is agreeable to see you again." He said warmly extending his hand in the traditional Vulcan greeting. "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" He asked politely. Tevek hadn't seen Ajani since he served as Executive Officer on the USS Hood and he was unsure why she would need to call him now.

Commander Carter had put through the call a while back and had busied herself with arranging her ready room. She had asked her science chief to source a number of books for her, which she added to her small but growing library. With the Eagle leaving so soon she wanted to make sure that everything was in order, Parts of the ship were still being built in somewhat of a rush by the dock crews while other parts were being put through high stress simulations. But she wanted to make sure she had a chance to make this call.

"Captain" a communication from the bridge "The Tesla is responding"

She found herslef smiling a little, "Patch me through please"

Ajani returned the gesture with an equally warm smile "The Eagle is leaving dock soon, venturing into Cardassian space to quell Pirates" Carter had only taken command of the Eagle a few days before, beating her old friend by about 3 hours. "I just got word you have gotten the Tesla and wanted to congratulate you, it is a well earned promotion Tevek"

"Unexpected rather than well earned." Tevek commented. He leaned forwards picked up the prayer lamp from the deck. Cradling it in both hands, sensing this was going to be a longer conversation he gently blew out the flame and placed it down on a nearby coffee table. "I believe it is you that should be congratulated, the command track appears to be treating you well." He remarked as he crawled backwards off the rug and rolled it into a neat cylinder.

If Tevek knew it was going to be a holographic transmission he would have asked for a moment fo organise this quarters or at the very least slip a uniform back on. He disliked even his friends seeing him at ease, especially in his private space. It was then Tevek noticed something strange. He could no longer feel the baggy sleevss of his robes rubbing against his arms. The silky feel of the fabric no longer touched his skin. He was definitely no longer in his quarters. A wave of embarasment hit him as he looked up at the neat row of books and the office environment of a starship ready room.

Reluctantly he shifted his gaze and looked up at Ajani. Without a word to anyone or a second thought he had been transported out of his quarters and his robes. Tevek was now half way across the quadrant, knelt in front of his former ship mate wearing only a pair of standard issue Starfleet trunks. He sighed heavily. "I am not on the Tesla am I?" He asked bluntly.

There was a barely counseled smirk on her face as she got up and replicated a a standard jogging suit, which of course would make this even funnier to her but she managed to keep her face neutral. However, she didn't remember ever seeing her old friend, and former commander this naked, so she didn't know how good he looked.

"Commander, i do believe you are indeed no longer on the Tesla" she handed him the neatly folded and freshly replicated jogging suit. "Maybe the better question is how did you arrive upon my vessel and is the Tesla coming to us or are we going to them?"


Tevek hastily grabbed the jogging suit and thrust his limbs into it. "Those are good questions, I regret I do not have the answer to either." He stated sharply. His cheeks felt warm from the rush of blood that had come to his face. If it was possible for Vulcans to turn red he woukd be the colour of a tomato by now.

He looked around for a computer terminal. "May I?" He asked politely gesturing to the monitor that stood on Ajanis desk.

Ajani nodded, she swiped her hand closing all the holo screens and collapsing the desktop interface. She tapped on the desk and a more traditional interface appeared which she spun around to face the visitor side of her desk and stepped back. "All yours Tevek" she said stepping away. "Carter to Bridge. Please run a full sensor sweep of my ready room, also check the logs for the last half hour. Send your findings to my readyroom."

Taking a few deep breathes in a vein attempt to improve his mood Tevek slumped himself into the chair before her desk and tapped at a few of the computer controls.

Meanwhile on the bridge of the Tesla Symmons was head first deep inside the starboard bank of consoles. He was trying his best to figure out why the computer was suddenly behaving like a spoilt Human teenager. But after removing and replacing half of the bridge processing units he was still none the wiser. He was just replacing the last circuit as the hale tone sounded from his console.

Rising up quickly he bumped the back of his head hard on the console. "Argh!" He exclaimed as he went to get up. Avoiding hitting his head a second time Symmons bowed out from under the console and rubbed his head with his large claw like hand. Hurridly he strode to his console and activated the main viewer, no sooner had the screen changed than his whole body felt cold with shock. "Captain!?" He exclaimed staring at the view screen. "But this transmission states its coming from the Eagle, is this another malfunction!?" He asked genuinely confused.

Tevek frowned and shook his head. "Unfortunately not!" He grumbled in a cold Vulcan monotone. "Alert Lieutenant Vigil that I may need a lift." He ordered bluntly. Symmons scratched his head. "Yes sir.....but how sir?" Came the Saurians deep booming reply. "Quickly, please! Tevek out." He grumbled unhappily as he deactivated the comm link. He turned in the chair to face Ajani. "I suggest we start an investigation into how I arrived on your vessel." He suggested in the hooe that getting down to work would distract from his unusual arrival.

"It has already started" she said "Nothing strange has happened here before your arrival, anything on the Tesla that could hint at something going on?"

Tevek sighed hard, since taking command of the Tesla strange occurences were common place. Objects had been appearing and disapeering, a few system errors that seemed to be what the crew called 'gremlins'. There had even been sightings of what the crew believed was a ghost. But nothing that could explaon a person moving through time and space. "Nothing that could explain my appearance here." He said with a shrug.

It was then out of the corner of his eye he saw something unusual. A reflection of a man in a command uniform at the window, only more solid. He looked hard at the man for a moment. Rising from the desk he took a step towards him.

As Tevek moved closer he could see it wasn't a reflection at all but an African/Caribean Human male with white hair and a neat cropped beard was outside floating in space. Hovering at the window he was watching Tevek and Ajani, his dark brown eyes were full of amusement as Tevek looked at him clearly perplexed. The man waved and smiled at the two officers and gave a playful wink to Tevek.

In the instant the man winked there was a blinding flash of light and Tevek was stood in his quarters completely confused. Back in his meditation robes he was stood in the middle of the deck with Ajani back in her holographic form. "Miss Carter, please confirm I'm not on your vessel anymore?" He asked, still sounding a little perplexed.

Ajani frowned, she had seen the flash as well. Looking around she asked the computer to give the location of Commander Tevek. "The Computer does seem to think you are no longer on the Eagle." she paused "My old friend, there can only be one reason that explains this" She wondered if he had heard the rumors, She was too young to have seen any of the first hand reports regarding the Q.

Truth be told Tevek had seen multiple reports about the Q species during his time at Starfleet Intelligence. Most of them seemed to focus around the Enterprise and Jean Luc Picard, but there were sporadic reports from other Captains. His eyebrow quirked in curiosity. "If a Q entity has taken an interest in the Tesla and her crew then their antics thus far have been benign." He remarked. "None the less, this last episode would suggest an escelation in their behaviour. We will look into it our end if you could do the same?" He asked, remembering that Ajani was now equally in rank to her and he couldn't just issue orders like he used to on the Hood.

“I’ll order a full set of scans and send you the reports. I am sure my Chief of Sciences will get a kick out of this. Although given your wording am I to assume that the Q you saw isn’t not the one who visited Picard, Janeway and Sisco?”

Tevek nodded in acknowledgement and gratitude. "They certainly did not." He stated plainly as he paced to his desk. Sitting promptly in his seat he began to tap lightly at the LCARS controls bringing up a holoscreen with reports on the Q Continuum. "But we can not assume they are not one in the same. Reports suggest they can change appearance." He stated as his eyes skimmed the most recent reports on Q's encounter with the USS Voyager.

“Interesting” she said, “I am sure that Command will want to know about this latest visitation. It could be the build up to something else.” She looked off to her right, she nodded and then turned back “We have a problem of our own I need to attend to” she said with a smile “I’d like to know how this continues if you would be so kind?”

"Of course, for all we know this entity maybe attached to your vessel." Tevek suggested leaning back a little. He was joking, the evidence pointed to the Tesla being the target of his amusement. But he knew full well that an entity such as this could change his focus at any time without warning. "But it seems unlikely." He commented back acknowledging that this was rapidly becoming his problem.

Ajani nodded, she did that a lot, “Take care Commander, lets not wait so long for the next call. We can catch up fully next time, you know what a Q isn’t playing games!” With that she vocalised a command to end the communication and her holographic avatar disappeared, for her the Commanders quarters dissolved to be replaced with her readyroom.

Tevek gave the traditional Vulcan farewell as Ajanis image disapeered and turned his attention back to the reports on his screen.

He sighed a little and reached for his comm badge. He was pleased to find it too had been returned to him and was in the folds of his robe. "Commander Tevek to the bridge." He stated bluntly as he squeezed it in his hand. "It appears I have been returned to the ship. But we have a situation." He stated.

"Thats good to hear Captain" Remmy said, he had been a little surpised by his disappearance, and he was also rather pissed off that something had happened for which he still did not have an answer. "What happened Captain? I got those same readings and then you were gone."

"Ensign, I believe we have a nefarious entity on the loose. Please prepare a full security sweep and place extra guards at key areas." He ordered plainly.

"Yes Captain" he said starting work "May i ask which entity you are speaking of?" He was assigned guards to key locations of the ship as well as well as roaming patrols. "Sir, I am limited to what i can do with the numbers i have. I am unsure how much of a defense i can muster with most of my officer spread out"

"Captain Shon, has started bringing his Marine contingent aboard. You may work with them to boost your numbers.

Remmy tilted his head a little at this. "I will speak with the Captain and see where they can help" He was a little unsure of what to think of the marines. They were not trained the same way, in a fight he was glad they were there but in terms of an investigation... well that is a different matter.

Tevek felt a little better knowing security would soon have key areas under guard. But he knew if a Q was on the loose they would have little effect and other preparations were needed. He squeezed his comm badge again. "Tevek to Lieutenant Vigil, meet me in the science lab there is something we need to discuss." He ordered trying to sound polite after the awkward start to their relationship.

Rising from his chair Tevek went to find a uniform and a Raktajino. He knew the crew of the Tesla were going to be in for a long night.