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current_story:whispers_in_the_void_part_2 [2023/09/18 04:35] – cromwellcurrent_story:whispers_in_the_void_part_2 [2023/11/05 16:34] (current) – cromwell
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 Without pretext, the stillness of the ancient chamber was broken as a small monitor at the rear communications station came to life.  Blocky amber text crawled into place as ancient transtator circuits came to life, and indiscrete words formed only fragments of computerized readback commands as the ship's latent mainframe awakened from its slumber. Without pretext, the stillness of the ancient chamber was broken as a small monitor at the rear communications station came to life.  Blocky amber text crawled into place as ancient transtator circuits came to life, and indiscrete words formed only fragments of computerized readback commands as the ship's latent mainframe awakened from its slumber.
  
-"ECH OVERRIDE TRANSMISSION RECEIVED" it read, followed by "NX12.11-BETA ACTIVATION SEQUENCE ENGAGED" and "NCC-1371 FLEET COMMAND FUNCTIONS TRANSFERRED TO LTCR V. X. VIRTUS".+"ECH OVERRIDE TRANSMISSION RECEIVED" it read, followed by "NX12-11-BETA ACTIVATION SEQUENCE ENGAGED" and "NCC-1371 FLEET COMMAND FUNCTIONS TRANSFERRED TO LTCR V X VIRTUS".
  
-A blinking line of code preceded what happened next: "ECH OPTICAL PROGRAM LT V. KOSTYA INITIATED".+A blinking line of code preceded what happened next: "ECH OPTICAL PROGRAM LT V KOSTYA INITIATED".
  
 With a wash of photons, an animated hologram faded into existence in the center of the bridge.  It was a young, twenty-something human male with black hair, pale skin, and penetrating blue eyes.  He wore an old-style maroon Starfleet uniform jacket with cadet departmental colors and lieutenant's rank, and bore a serious, almost deadpan scowl on his face while he scanned the stillness of the chamber.  Finding no other occupants, he strode up to the engineering console and proceeded to enter a number of commands.  As with the previous monitor at the communication station, another oval monitor came to life as the hologram called up command functions from the interface, as it too displayed a series of readback commands while being beckoned out of its long slumber. With a wash of photons, an animated hologram faded into existence in the center of the bridge.  It was a young, twenty-something human male with black hair, pale skin, and penetrating blue eyes.  He wore an old-style maroon Starfleet uniform jacket with cadet departmental colors and lieutenant's rank, and bore a serious, almost deadpan scowl on his face while he scanned the stillness of the chamber.  Finding no other occupants, he strode up to the engineering console and proceeded to enter a number of commands.  As with the previous monitor at the communication station, another oval monitor came to life as the hologram called up command functions from the interface, as it too displayed a series of readback commands while being beckoned out of its long slumber.
  
-"ECH MULTI-EMULATION PROGRAM ACTIVATED" the system acknowledged visually to its new holographic operator, followed by a growing list of names underneath the first line that read "CADET N. SATIE, CADET B. MAXWELL, CADET M. JAMESON, CADET E. PRESSMAN".+"ECH MULTI-EMULATION PROGRAM ACTIVATED" the system acknowledged visually to its new holographic operator, followed by a growing list of names underneath the first line that read "CADET N SATIE - CADET B MAXWELL - CADET M JAMESON - CADET E PRESSMAN".
  
 With each display of a new name, an additional hologram would fade into existence.  Each wore the same old-style maroon uniform jacket, complete with black boots and trousers, which included a black belt with circular gold buckle made into the familiar Starfleet delta logo.  All were electronic facsimiles of human beings in their late teens and early twenties.  Five in all, with four male and one female, they each gave one another silent nods and took seats around the bridge as consoles powered up and overhead lights activated.  The whine of machinery spinning up concurrently with the intermittent chirping of computers and sensor systems coming to life signified the vessel's transition to an operational state.  As it did so, the initial hologram of Vladimir Kostya took his seat in the command chair, giving his first verbal order.  With each display of a new name, an additional hologram would fade into existence.  Each wore the same old-style maroon uniform jacket, complete with black boots and trousers, which included a black belt with circular gold buckle made into the familiar Starfleet delta logo.  All were electronic facsimiles of human beings in their late teens and early twenties.  Five in all, with four male and one female, they each gave one another silent nods and took seats around the bridge as consoles powered up and overhead lights activated.  The whine of machinery spinning up concurrently with the intermittent chirping of computers and sensor systems coming to life signified the vessel's transition to an operational state.  As it did so, the initial hologram of Vladimir Kostya took his seat in the command chair, giving his first verbal order. 
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 Lagging behind, the child playing on the outer perimeter railing overlooking the observation platform ceased his antics and was about to join the others when something caught his eye.  The nearby Constitution-refit starship that hovered about a kilometer away in the space outside the expansive viewport began to stir; first with the activation of running lights just below the bridge, then the windows and portholes flickering on one-by-one across the surface, followed by the blinking red and green navigational strobes. Lagging behind, the child playing on the outer perimeter railing overlooking the observation platform ceased his antics and was about to join the others when something caught his eye.  The nearby Constitution-refit starship that hovered about a kilometer away in the space outside the expansive viewport began to stir; first with the activation of running lights just below the bridge, then the windows and portholes flickering on one-by-one across the surface, followed by the blinking red and green navigational strobes.
  
-"Mom..." the child called out to his parent further down the deck, not taking his eyes off the starship while a blue iridescent light swelled forth from the warp engines and navigational array.  By the time several others in the tour group turned around to look at the child, he was standing dumbfounded with his mouth hanging open.  Republic's RTS thrusters had activated, and was maneuvering the ship away from it's parking orbit as well as the museum complex.+"Mom..." the child called out to his parent further down the deck, not taking his eyes off the starship while a blue iridescent light swelled forth from the warp engines and navigational array.  By the time several others in the tour group turned around to look at the child, he was standing dumbfounded with his mouth hanging open.  Republic's RCS thrusters had activated, and was maneuvering the ship away from it's parking orbit as well as the museum complex.
  
 As for the tour guide, he was the last to turn his attention away from the nearby Excelsior exhibit, his practiced speech trailing off as he watched helplessly while Republic activated it's warp engines and disappeared in a kaleidoscope of stretched warp plasma that faded away in seconds. As for the tour guide, he was the last to turn his attention away from the nearby Excelsior exhibit, his practiced speech trailing off as he watched helplessly while Republic activated it's warp engines and disappeared in a kaleidoscope of stretched warp plasma that faded away in seconds.
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 "Looks like it..." his Tellarite companion similarly gawked. "Looks like it..." his Tellarite companion similarly gawked.
  
-"Did the main gangway ramp just fall away from my ship??" the captain repeated his question in disbelief as the incredulity rose rapidly from his gut.  "Did you leave the autonomous guidance system on??" he accused his flight officer.+"Did the main gangway ramp just fall away from my ship??" the captain repeated his question in disbelief as the incredulity rose rapidly from his gut.
  
-"I haven't turned that thing on for months!" the short pig-like humanoid grunted. +"The ship broke herself free from the gravitational umbilicals!  She's pulling away under her own power!" 
 + 
 +"Did you leave the autonomous guidance system on??" the captain accused his flight officer. 
 + 
 +"No!" the short pig-like humanoid grunted. "I haven't turned that thing on in months!"
  
 "Um..." the arriving customs official followed the men's gaze as the freighter inexplicably departed the vicinity of the docking platform.  "Having trouble with your ship?" "Um..." the arriving customs official followed the men's gaze as the freighter inexplicably departed the vicinity of the docking platform.  "Having trouble with your ship?"
  
-The captain turned to the man with an expression that was a mix of both subterfuge and barely contained indignation.  "Not at all.  No problem here.  Why?" he said with faux calmness before exploding into a diatribe of consternation.  "My ship just left the docking bay BY ITSELF!  Of COURSE there's a problem you IDIOT!"+The captain turned to the man with an expression that was a mix of both subterfuge and barely contained indignation.  "Not at all.  No problem here.  Why?" he said with faux calmness before exploding into a diatribe of consternation.  "My ship just left the docking bay BY ITSELF!" he bellowed.  "Of COURSE there's a problem you IDIOT!"
  
 For his part, the customs official retorted with his own stress-filled response.  "What do you want us to do??  Call in a space-tug to get her back?" For his part, the customs official retorted with his own stress-filled response.  "What do you want us to do??  Call in a space-tug to get her back?"
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 "I'm telling you, Libo," the tower supervisor conversed with his pilot from the back seat.  "These old Starfleet repair drones are becoming more trouble than they're worth.  I mean, the computers still work most of the time, and their AI's are easy to get along with, but I have to overhaul their engines almost three times a year now.  I'm thinking I need to talk to the station commander and scrap these buggers altogether." "I'm telling you, Libo," the tower supervisor conversed with his pilot from the back seat.  "These old Starfleet repair drones are becoming more trouble than they're worth.  I mean, the computers still work most of the time, and their AI's are easy to get along with, but I have to overhaul their engines almost three times a year now.  I'm thinking I need to talk to the station commander and scrap these buggers altogether."
  
-"You're being too judgmental," the pilot known as "Libo" in the front seat exclaimed over the whine of the engines.  "These little guys have a lot of history to them."+"You're being too judgmental," the pilot known as "Libo" exclaimed from the front seat over the whine of the engines.  "These little guys have a lot of history to them."
  
 "A lot of good THAT does when they go off on their own without permission.  Why should I keep drones around when they don't follow orders?" "A lot of good THAT does when they go off on their own without permission.  Why should I keep drones around when they don't follow orders?"
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 "I see them," he responded dryly, listing off their serial numbers verbally to no one in particular. "3P9, 4Q-zero, 4Q1..." "I see them," he responded dryly, listing off their serial numbers verbally to no one in particular. "3P9, 4Q-zero, 4Q1..."
  
-"Right... let's use their REAL names, shall we?"  The pilot complained.  "There's Constitution, next to it is Enterprise, then Potemkin... "+"Right... let's use their REAL names, shall we?" the pilot complained.  "There's Constitution, next to it is Enterprise, then Potemkin... "
  
 "Wait..." the back seat supervisor ordered with confusion in his voice.  "Go back..." "Wait..." the back seat supervisor ordered with confusion in his voice.  "Go back..."
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 The hum of activity in the operations center of Deep Space Nine was a constant pace as merchant and passenger ships alike were cleared for docking or departure, cargo manifests reviewed and approved, or guest quarters assigned and reassigned as newcomers and repeat visitors continued to make the famous space station the center of their personal and professional lives.  Notably absent were Starfleet vessels of any kind, and with the exception of the permanently-assigned uniformed personnel, no other Starfleet presence could be discerned aboard the station.  Ever since the USS Honshu and USS Longstreet abandoned their Bajoran patrol routes, leaving the system without so much as a "goodbye", Deep Space Nine was left to fend for itself with regard to defense and the rule of Federation law.  The hum of activity in the operations center of Deep Space Nine was a constant pace as merchant and passenger ships alike were cleared for docking or departure, cargo manifests reviewed and approved, or guest quarters assigned and reassigned as newcomers and repeat visitors continued to make the famous space station the center of their personal and professional lives.  Notably absent were Starfleet vessels of any kind, and with the exception of the permanently-assigned uniformed personnel, no other Starfleet presence could be discerned aboard the station.  Ever since the USS Honshu and USS Longstreet abandoned their Bajoran patrol routes, leaving the system without so much as a "goodbye", Deep Space Nine was left to fend for itself with regard to defense and the rule of Federation law. 
  
-As for Captain Kira, she remained undeterred.  Although she had merchant ships requesting Starfleet back-up through contested territory, the Defiant was still under her command, albeit it's demand for escort duty was stretched way too thin in these dire times.  Starfleet was at war once again, and it was Doctor Bashir who related their current predicament to fifth-century Earth, where the Roman Emperor Honorius told the remaining British civilians to "look to their own defence" as Rome fell before Gaul and the Visigoths.  Kira's message to Proconsul Neral of the Romulan Empire had yet to receive a reply, so it was of great interest that the station received word of incoming fleet traffic, mysterious as it was.+As for Captain Kira, she remained undeterred.  Although she had merchant ships requesting Starfleet back-up through contested territory, the Defiant was still under her command, albeit it's demand for escort duty was stretched way too thin in these dire times.  Starfleet was at war once again, and it was Doctor Bashir who related their current predicament to the Roman Province of Britannia on fifth-century Earth, where Emperor Honorius told civilians to "look to their own defence" as the distant capital city of Rome fell before Gaul and the Visigoths.  Kira's message to Proconsul Neral of the Romulan Empire had yet to receive a reply, so it was of great interest that the station received word of incoming fleet traffic, mysterious as it was.
  
 "What have you got for me?" Kira asked as she emerged from her office on the second level platform. "What have you got for me?" Kira asked as she emerged from her office on the second level platform.
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 "Of COURSE they don't," she responded harshly.  "They're too busy fighting a damned war that the president started.  What's their ETA?" "Of COURSE they don't," she responded harshly.  "They're too busy fighting a damned war that the president started.  What's their ETA?"
  
-"According to subspace navigational buoys, the first one is due to arrive in less than two hours."+"According to subspace navigational buoys, the first one is due to arrive in less than two days."
  
 "Can you identify them?" "Can you identify them?"
current_story/whispers_in_the_void_part_2.1695011702.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/09/18 04:35 by cromwell

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