STARBASE ONE
"Sounds from the Deep"
Prologue
First Officer's Starlog - February 13th, 2161.
Captain Eric Thorpe recording.
A few weeks ago, a survey team discovered an almost one-hundred-year-old spacecraft of unknown origins at the bottom of the ocean. Since then, we have been modifying a shuttlepod for deep-sea travel, so that we can take a boarding party to investigate this wreck.
With the "aqua-pod" now ready, I will be leading the mission to the sunken ship. Our primary objectives will be to learn about whoever made this vessel and how it came to Berengaria.
The boarding party consists of:
-Myself, as team leader and shuttlepod pilot.
-Lt. Sylor, Chief Comm Officer, to decipher the language of the ship's builders.
-Lt. Cmdr. Eoin Boyle (M.D.), Assistant Medical Officer, to study the remains, if any, of the original crew.
-Lt. Cmdr. Scott Jameson, Astrophysicist, to determine the vessel's point of origin.
-Lt. Karolina Żak, Engineer, to examine the ship's power systems.
-Lt. Camryn Ridley, Anthropologist, to study the alien crew's culture.
-Guardsman Threv and Pvt. Yanet Varona, MACOs, for security.
Unfortunately the interior of the aqua-pod was not much changed from its original design, so the eight-person team, encumbered by bulky EV suits, were packed in tight. Thorpe sat up front in the pilot's seat, with Sylor and Żak over each shoulder. The others jostled for space on the benches in the rear compartment. Their suit helmets were all off while in the safety of the 'pod, but this did little to alleviate the cramped conditions.
Neither did the fact that the floor was cluttered with three large portable power generators, brought along in case the ship's core could not be reactivated, along with various other pieces of equipment.
"Everybody snug back there?" Thorpe said with a cruel chuckle.
"Are we there yet?" the youthful Ridley said drily.
"Not long now til we're in position, I promise," Thorpe said.
They were still flying over the Ryūjin Sea, where the mysterious vessel had been found. They would need to enter the water at an angle, instead of diving straight down, in order to reduce the stress on the 'pod. Shuttlepods were designed to operate in both the vacuum of space and most planetary atmospheres, so it had taken a lot of reinforcement to ensure it would survive the greater pressures of the deep ocean, but they'd still need to go easy on her.
Jameson, the wiry astrophysicist, was going over the images a probe had taken of the unknown ship on a padd. "Looks pretty intact. Must have withstood a helluva crash."
Thorpe noted that Jameson had, once again, deliberately avoided his attempts to create a friendly air. They had attended the University of Alpha Centauri around the same time, and Jameson had made it very clear that he was one of the people who believed that Thorpe benefited from favouritism by way of his politician father. While Thorpe couldn't deny that he may have unwillingly received such treatment on occasion, he had gotten the impression that Jameson was one to blame most of his own setbacks on others.
"Perhaps the ship is made of strong materials," said the stocky engineer Żak. "The probe telemetry was not very precise."
"Or they didn't crash at all," Ridley added, with exaggerated ominousness.
Thorpe smirked. "How about you, Doctor? Any thoughts or hopes on what we might find?"
Dr. Boyle - a round-faced, middle-aged expert in exobiological medicine - looked up with a bland expression.
"No, not really," was all he said in a soft lilt.
Although Thorpe didn't like to stereotype, he couldn't help thinking that Boyle was frustratingly quiet compared to most Irishmen, especially considering that he had been brought along on Dr. T'Ling's recommendation. One would think he'd be excited at the prospect of examining a hitherto undiscovered alien lifeform.
The Blarney Stone must have had a cold sore when Boyle kissed it, Thorpe thought as he busied himself with the controls, bringing them to a halt over the sea when they reached their position. Even Sylor talks more than this guy.
As if prompted, Sylor spoke up. "Commlink established with Ops, sir."
Thorpe nodded. "Ops, this is Aqua-pod One. We are in position."
The steely voice of Commodore North filled the small vessel. "Acknowledged Aqua-pod One. You have permission to dive. And, Captain?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Bon voyage."
There were chuckles from all save Sylor, Boyle and Threv - the last of whom most likely just didn't understand the nautical reference.
"Thank you, sir," said Thorpe. "We'll keep you updated as we go." He closed the channel, but left the link open, and grinned.
"Okay, everybody… hold your breath."
He plunged the 'pod into the depths.