Blast From The Past

Posted on Jul 18, 2014 @ 1:10pm by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Edited on on Jul 18, 2014 @ 1:53pm

Mission: http://thefrpg.com/sim/missions/id/9
Location: USS DISCOVERY

"BLAST FROM THE PAST"

(Continued from "14-7")

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Captain's Log, Supplemental - The Century is now underway and making for Federation space. I am pleased to report that our cloaking device has been successfully engaged and all other systems are holding steady. It is my hope that we can make it all the way back to Earth undetected...

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Location: USS Century
Stardate: [2.14]0712.0800
Scene: Bridge


Michael Turlogh Kane looked around as his officers as they worked their stations. All of them were pictures of professional concentration, poring over external data streams and internal system reports that kept the Century in good working order. Nobody had said anything for almost a quarter of an hour, and Kane felt a measure of pride as he watched them. They had already sacrificed enough on this mission, but it was going to be necessary to give a little more. If Edgerton or any Neo-Essentialists became aware that the Century had been salvaged and was on its way back from the Beta Quadrant, they would move heaven and earth to make sure it never reached its destination.

It was Russ BaShen who finally broke the silence. "Coming up on Federation space. Several marker buoys on sensors, one class four automated sensor drone."

"Status of the cloak?"

{{The cloaking device is functioning normally,}} reported Byte.

Kane nodded. "Steady as she goes." The Century's cloaking device had been installed before Kane's time. He tried to remember where and when it had been acquired, but time's grey veil had been drawn across that scene. As far as he knew, it was the only Federation starship equipped with one.

"Now entering Federation space," reported Russ.

"Welcome home," murmured Kass from Tactical.

A series of warning chimes sounded from Byte's console. The android frowned. {{Captain, the sensor drone is tracking us.}}

Kane leaned forward in his seat. "How is that possible?"

Byte shook its head. Its creators had made it well, Kane mused, going by how it imitated human characteristics. {{The drone is emitting a series of neutrino pulses in our direction. It is not specifically targetting the ship, but it is blanketing this area of space with high-intensity neutrino particles.}}

"How the hell can it see us?" mused Russ.

{{There may be a malfunction in the cloaking device that I cannot detect,}} said Byte. {{But that is unlikely. It is probable that standard Federation sensor drones have been equipped to detect cloaking technology of our level.}}

"I guess we are ten years out of date," said Kass.

"Has the drone pinpointed our location?" asked Kane.

{{No, sir. I would surmise that the drone cannot directly locate us - rather, it has detected an unusual subspace feature that may indicate the passing of a cloaked ship and is responding automatically.}}

"If it can't see us, then let's keep going," said Kane. "But this is a worrying development. I had hoped to make it all the way back to Earth without being detected, but how are we going to break through something like the Mars defence perimeter with outdated technology?"

Nobody had an answer for him, and Kane sat down in the centre seat again. It was good to be back in Federation space again, nonetheless, even if the promise of safety seemed that bit further away.

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Scene: Engineering


Jake Crichton finally took a break. He had been working flat out now for hours, and at last it looked like they had solved the remaining power distribution problems. There were just over one hundred people aboard the Century, a starship built to hold over a thousand. There was an awful lot of empty space, with no need to supply energy to over half the decks and systems. Shunting all that excess power into holding ports was an effort and it meant some wastage, which Jake loathed, but everything looked good now.

"Be home in a few days," said Cindy. She looked up from her own display.

Jake nodded. "Yep."

"I am going to have a bath in rosewater while eating chocolate pizza naked," grinned Cindy. Her eyes glazed over languorously. "Then I am going to find a stunning view somewhere in the Massif Central and paint it. What about you?"

Jake shrugged. "Can't wait to see my wife and kids."

Cindy's smile vanished. "Your wife?"

"Yep. You okay, Specs?"

"Yes!" Cindy exclaimed. She was blushing like a beetroot. "I had just forgotten you had a wife is all. I bet she is more beautiful than me."

"Huh?"

"I mean, I bet she is beautiful!" said Cindy. "And your children, I bet they are all fat and happy with cute little pot bellies!"

"I haven't seen them in a while, so that's possible," said Jake. "Listen, do you think you could tie down things here for a while? I'm getting hungry."

"Of course!" said Cindy.

"Great! See you later," said Jake, clapping her on the shoulder and walking away, but never seeing her eyes boring like drill bits into his back.

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Scene: Bridge


The earlier incident had been mostly forgotten, but something was about to happen to change all that. Kane had gone back to analysing the sensor logs in the centre seat's arm display, and the bridge had gone back to being a quiet workplace.

Suddenly, the orange ropes of a dozen phaser lances filled up the main screen, cutting the view in half in a burst of colour.

"What the hell?" gasped Russ.

"Take us out of warp!" said Kane. "Arm the defensive systems!" What the hell just happened? he thought. Someone had fired a shot across their bows, but that meant - that meant they weren't as cloaked as they thought they were. As the Century dropped out of warp, the starfield solidified in the main viewer, but there was no sign of whoever had scorched their path.

Kass's console chimed. "Captain," she said. "We are being hailed. On audio only."

Kane stood up. He nodded to her. "Let's hear it."

[[Captain Kane! Right where you're supposed to be. Now don't go anywhere, will you? We have a lot to talk about.]]

"Who the hell is this?" said Kane angrily.

[[Don't tell me you don't recognise my voice. I know it's been a while, but I sure as hell remember you.]]

Kane racked his brains, but nothing popped up. "You musn't be the memorable type, friend."

[[We're not friends, Kane.]]

"Then what do you want?" Kane nodded to Byte. The android turned back to his display, activating a sensor scan.

[[To help you. You'll never make it back to Earth in that clapped-out hulk. Your cloaking device needs upgrading. Fortunately for you, I have a better cloak than you, and I'm going to give you the specs.]]

Kane raised a questioning eyebrow at Byte. The android shook his head. "And what have we done to deserve this?"

[[Are you going to stand there and question your good fortune all day long? I'm coming aboard your ship. Why don't you meet me at - oh, let's say Lucky Thirteen. I'll take a stroll down to meet your chief engineer. It's been a while since I saw the inside of the Century.]]

Kane nodded. "Alright. Give me a minute and I'll meet you there. Century out." When Kass broke the connection, he jerked a thumb at her. "Arm yourself, Major. You and I are going to go meet our mysterious guest. Mister BaShen, you have the bridge."

When Kass and Kane had left the bridge, Russ turned to Byte. "Guest? They're cloaked, we're cloaked, they know where we are, they know who we are, they're beaming through our shields?" He raised an eyebrow. "Don't sound too guest-like to me."

Byte raised a quizzical eyebrow too. {{I suppose Captain Kane is about to find out.}}

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NRPG: Diversion while we upgrade our cloak and take on board some new, unexpected guests. Taylor -tag!


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS CENTURY


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117

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