MIND GAMES
By kellcat
Chapter 1- First Contact
Lt. Malcolm Reed sighed as he looked down at his tactical console. Deep space wasn't as exciting as he had once imagined it would be. It really shouldn't have surprised him, the universe being so vast and containing so relatively few galaxies, but he still hadn't imagined it would be so empty. He glanced around at the rest of the bridge crew and noticed that they all seemed a little bored at the moment too. Well, all except T'Pol. Can Vulcans get bored? His thought was interrupted by T'Pol.
"Captain, I have detected a star system nearby that has a Minshara-class planet." T'Pol said.
The rest of the bridge crew perked up when they heard her report and their new enthusiasm did not escape the Captain.
"Is that so, Sub-Commander?" Archer teased. He glanced around at the expectant faces surrounding him. "Maybe we should investigate. That is if you feel it won't take too much time from all of the other pressing matters we should be attending to."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow, "Sir, I am not aware of any pressing matters."
Hoshi smirked and quickly looked down to her console, hoping the Vulcan didn't see her reaction. She really did hate when people teased, but for some reason when it was directed at T'Pol she couldn't help but enjoy it. Just a little.
Ensign Mayweather couldn't contain his excitement. "Captain, set a course?"
The Captain smiled at his helmsman, remembering being that young and adventurous. Hell - he may not be that young anymore but he was still full of adventure. "Ensign, set a course. Let's do what we're being paid for - let's explore!"
The atmosphere on the bridge drastically changed: it came alive. Crewmen who had once stared dully at their monitors were now full of energy.
"Bring us into orbit, Ensign,"
The image of the planet filled the view screen, but it wasn't anything very impressive. It was dull-looking, with shades of brown and yellow. There was very little surface water and it lacked any real physical features. The entire planet appeared to be a large desert. Mayweather's enthusiasm dipped a little.
"Are you picking up any bio signs on the surface?" the Captain asked.
"No sir." T'Pol responded, "The planet seems to be uninhabited, although I am detecting a series of structures, both above and below the planet's surface."
The Captain looked over to his science officer, "Structures? Like what: complex buildings, or something more primitive?"
"There are ten structures on the surface of varying sizes, six smaller structures encircle a ring of 3 larger ones which in turn encircle one very large structure. They appear to be very complex and made out of an alloy that is not in our database. I am having difficulty getting any kind of detailed scan of the interiors" The Vulcan looked at the Captain, an eyebrow arched, "very intriguing." Archer had to agree with her, a new alloy, something not found in the Vulcan database; this is exactly why he was out here.
"What about the underground structures? Can we scan those?" T'Pol looked back to her station, "Yes, Captain we can. Apparently it is the alloy that is interrupting our ability to scan the surface buildings as there is none found in the underground structures." Archer raised his eyebrows, waiting for more. "There are three underground structures that are located in-between the three middle structures and connected to the center building by a series of tunnels. They appear to be empty and the entire complex appears to be abandoned." That disappointed Archer a bit. He turned to Hoshi and directed her to hail the surface. The Captain tapped the com on his chair, "Trip, why don't you come up to the bridge, we've come across something that you just might find interesting."
"Sir, I am able to read a power signature coming from the largest structure, although I'm unable to scan what is creating it," Reed reported. "I don't recognize the energy source. It's unlike anything we have ever encountered. Sir." Archer's grin spread at the thought of more new discoveries, "The lights are on but no one's home?" he quipped but he did notice the concerned looked etched into his Tactical Officer's face. The grin faded slightly, "Lieutenant, although I don't think we need to be polarizing the hull plating quite yet, keep an eye out."
"Sir, I'm not receiving any response to our hails." Hoshi interjected
The Vulcan raised her eyebrow, "That does not mean that there is no one down there Captain, some species."
"I know," Archer rolled his eyes, "some species don't want visitors." He finished for her. The Captain looked around the bridge and caught Reed's expectant eye. "You ready to check out this mystery, Lieutenant?"
"Of course Sir," Malcolm's reply was characteristically calm and formal. "But might I suggest we run a few more detailed scans before sending an away team down? After all, there certainly could be someone home in those structures."
The Captain took Malcolm's suggestion under consideration, though he knew his Tactical Officer was notoriously overcautious. Before he could respond, Trip came barreling out of the Turbolift. "What's so fascinatin'?" he asked as he approached the Captain. At almost that exact moment, a pulse of light passed through the ship.
"What the hell was that?" Tucker exclaimed as he quickly moved to the Engineering console on the bridge.
Malcolm Reed looked up from his station, "Captain, there are reports coming in from all over the ship. Whatever that was, it wasn't localized."
The Captain moved over to the monitor that T'Pol was looking at, hoping she would have some answers. "T'Pol?"
"It appears that we have just been scanned." She answered without any further explanations. Archer hated when she did that. He didn't feel like playing twenty questions with his Science Officer.
"From where? Is there another ship?"
"Sir, there isn't another ship within 100 parsecs from here." Reed answered for T'Pol.
The Captain was frustrated. Where the hell could the scan have come from? He thought. "Could there be a cloaked ship? Maybe the Suliban?"
T'Pol looked up from her console, "No, sir. It came from the surface." Before she could add anything else Hoshi addressed the Captain.
"Captain, something has gone through our databases." Hoshi said.
Archer glanced over at his Communications Officer but Trip interrupted him before he could get any more details.
"Cap'n" Trip said, "somethin's just read through everything we have on our engines - and I mean everything."
"It's also gone through every database we have, including personnel records, ships' inventories.as well as personal logs." Hoshi added, sounding uncomfortable.
Archer sat down in his chair.
"I'm afraid their examination of our weapons systems was equally as thorough." Malcolm said. "Polarize the hull now, Sir?" he added.
Archer furrowed his brow and looked up at his Tactical Officer, "Yes, Malcolm, I think that's a good idea." He turned to T'Pol, "Can you pinpoint where the scan originated?"
"Yes sir," T'Pol said, "from the largest structure - although I'm still not reading any life signs."
Archer thought through the situation, "It could just be an automated response to any ship in orbit. If the power generator is still functioning after the place was abandoned, it could just be part of a security program..."
"Sir, what if weapons are a part of that security program? We don't know what it would consider hostile." Reed added the rest to Archer's thoughts.
"This might also be a warning from whatever species is down there for you to stay away. They did not respond to your hail." T'Pol said.
Although Trip had just come onto the bridge, T'Pol's pessimism was already getting to him. "And maybe they couldn't understand our hail and this is their way of making first contact?" he snapped at her.
Archer looked over to Tucker but ignored his comment, "Trip, other then the scan of the engineering databases, have the engines been affected?"
Before Trip could answer, a blinding light filled the bridge, disappearing as quickly as it came.
"Jesus, I think I've been blinded!" Trip called out.
As the bridge crew's eyes slowly adjusted from the brilliant flash to the dimmer lighting of the ship, they heard Trip call out again.
"What the hell? My engines have all gone off line." Trip exclaimed looking down at his station, rapidly working the controls trying to get something to work right. "Cap'n, I can't get them back online," he blinked, trying to clear his eyes. There was no reply. "Jon?" he slowly looked up, bewildered.
It was T'Pol's calm voice that responded to the shaken Engineer. "Commander, it appears that the Captain is no longer on the bridge."
Mayweather glanced frantically around the bridge and then over to T'Pol. "Sub-Commander, he's not the only one gone, Hoshi and Lt. Reed are missing too!"
By kellcat
Chapter 1- First Contact
Lt. Malcolm Reed sighed as he looked down at his tactical console. Deep space wasn't as exciting as he had once imagined it would be. It really shouldn't have surprised him, the universe being so vast and containing so relatively few galaxies, but he still hadn't imagined it would be so empty. He glanced around at the rest of the bridge crew and noticed that they all seemed a little bored at the moment too. Well, all except T'Pol. Can Vulcans get bored? His thought was interrupted by T'Pol.
"Captain, I have detected a star system nearby that has a Minshara-class planet." T'Pol said.
The rest of the bridge crew perked up when they heard her report and their new enthusiasm did not escape the Captain.
"Is that so, Sub-Commander?" Archer teased. He glanced around at the expectant faces surrounding him. "Maybe we should investigate. That is if you feel it won't take too much time from all of the other pressing matters we should be attending to."
T'Pol raised an eyebrow, "Sir, I am not aware of any pressing matters."
Hoshi smirked and quickly looked down to her console, hoping the Vulcan didn't see her reaction. She really did hate when people teased, but for some reason when it was directed at T'Pol she couldn't help but enjoy it. Just a little.
Ensign Mayweather couldn't contain his excitement. "Captain, set a course?"
The Captain smiled at his helmsman, remembering being that young and adventurous. Hell - he may not be that young anymore but he was still full of adventure. "Ensign, set a course. Let's do what we're being paid for - let's explore!"
The atmosphere on the bridge drastically changed: it came alive. Crewmen who had once stared dully at their monitors were now full of energy.
"Bring us into orbit, Ensign,"
The image of the planet filled the view screen, but it wasn't anything very impressive. It was dull-looking, with shades of brown and yellow. There was very little surface water and it lacked any real physical features. The entire planet appeared to be a large desert. Mayweather's enthusiasm dipped a little.
"Are you picking up any bio signs on the surface?" the Captain asked.
"No sir." T'Pol responded, "The planet seems to be uninhabited, although I am detecting a series of structures, both above and below the planet's surface."
The Captain looked over to his science officer, "Structures? Like what: complex buildings, or something more primitive?"
"There are ten structures on the surface of varying sizes, six smaller structures encircle a ring of 3 larger ones which in turn encircle one very large structure. They appear to be very complex and made out of an alloy that is not in our database. I am having difficulty getting any kind of detailed scan of the interiors" The Vulcan looked at the Captain, an eyebrow arched, "very intriguing." Archer had to agree with her, a new alloy, something not found in the Vulcan database; this is exactly why he was out here.
"What about the underground structures? Can we scan those?" T'Pol looked back to her station, "Yes, Captain we can. Apparently it is the alloy that is interrupting our ability to scan the surface buildings as there is none found in the underground structures." Archer raised his eyebrows, waiting for more. "There are three underground structures that are located in-between the three middle structures and connected to the center building by a series of tunnels. They appear to be empty and the entire complex appears to be abandoned." That disappointed Archer a bit. He turned to Hoshi and directed her to hail the surface. The Captain tapped the com on his chair, "Trip, why don't you come up to the bridge, we've come across something that you just might find interesting."
"Sir, I am able to read a power signature coming from the largest structure, although I'm unable to scan what is creating it," Reed reported. "I don't recognize the energy source. It's unlike anything we have ever encountered. Sir." Archer's grin spread at the thought of more new discoveries, "The lights are on but no one's home?" he quipped but he did notice the concerned looked etched into his Tactical Officer's face. The grin faded slightly, "Lieutenant, although I don't think we need to be polarizing the hull plating quite yet, keep an eye out."
"Sir, I'm not receiving any response to our hails." Hoshi interjected
The Vulcan raised her eyebrow, "That does not mean that there is no one down there Captain, some species."
"I know," Archer rolled his eyes, "some species don't want visitors." He finished for her. The Captain looked around the bridge and caught Reed's expectant eye. "You ready to check out this mystery, Lieutenant?"
"Of course Sir," Malcolm's reply was characteristically calm and formal. "But might I suggest we run a few more detailed scans before sending an away team down? After all, there certainly could be someone home in those structures."
The Captain took Malcolm's suggestion under consideration, though he knew his Tactical Officer was notoriously overcautious. Before he could respond, Trip came barreling out of the Turbolift. "What's so fascinatin'?" he asked as he approached the Captain. At almost that exact moment, a pulse of light passed through the ship.
"What the hell was that?" Tucker exclaimed as he quickly moved to the Engineering console on the bridge.
Malcolm Reed looked up from his station, "Captain, there are reports coming in from all over the ship. Whatever that was, it wasn't localized."
The Captain moved over to the monitor that T'Pol was looking at, hoping she would have some answers. "T'Pol?"
"It appears that we have just been scanned." She answered without any further explanations. Archer hated when she did that. He didn't feel like playing twenty questions with his Science Officer.
"From where? Is there another ship?"
"Sir, there isn't another ship within 100 parsecs from here." Reed answered for T'Pol.
The Captain was frustrated. Where the hell could the scan have come from? He thought. "Could there be a cloaked ship? Maybe the Suliban?"
T'Pol looked up from her console, "No, sir. It came from the surface." Before she could add anything else Hoshi addressed the Captain.
"Captain, something has gone through our databases." Hoshi said.
Archer glanced over at his Communications Officer but Trip interrupted him before he could get any more details.
"Cap'n" Trip said, "somethin's just read through everything we have on our engines - and I mean everything."
"It's also gone through every database we have, including personnel records, ships' inventories.as well as personal logs." Hoshi added, sounding uncomfortable.
Archer sat down in his chair.
"I'm afraid their examination of our weapons systems was equally as thorough." Malcolm said. "Polarize the hull now, Sir?" he added.
Archer furrowed his brow and looked up at his Tactical Officer, "Yes, Malcolm, I think that's a good idea." He turned to T'Pol, "Can you pinpoint where the scan originated?"
"Yes sir," T'Pol said, "from the largest structure - although I'm still not reading any life signs."
Archer thought through the situation, "It could just be an automated response to any ship in orbit. If the power generator is still functioning after the place was abandoned, it could just be part of a security program..."
"Sir, what if weapons are a part of that security program? We don't know what it would consider hostile." Reed added the rest to Archer's thoughts.
"This might also be a warning from whatever species is down there for you to stay away. They did not respond to your hail." T'Pol said.
Although Trip had just come onto the bridge, T'Pol's pessimism was already getting to him. "And maybe they couldn't understand our hail and this is their way of making first contact?" he snapped at her.
Archer looked over to Tucker but ignored his comment, "Trip, other then the scan of the engineering databases, have the engines been affected?"
Before Trip could answer, a blinding light filled the bridge, disappearing as quickly as it came.
"Jesus, I think I've been blinded!" Trip called out.
As the bridge crew's eyes slowly adjusted from the brilliant flash to the dimmer lighting of the ship, they heard Trip call out again.
"What the hell? My engines have all gone off line." Trip exclaimed looking down at his station, rapidly working the controls trying to get something to work right. "Cap'n, I can't get them back online," he blinked, trying to clear his eyes. There was no reply. "Jon?" he slowly looked up, bewildered.
It was T'Pol's calm voice that responded to the shaken Engineer. "Commander, it appears that the Captain is no longer on the bridge."
Mayweather glanced frantically around the bridge and then over to T'Pol. "Sub-Commander, he's not the only one gone, Hoshi and Lt. Reed are missing too!"