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Star Trek Enterprise
Here We Stand
Chapter 08
A bump in the road
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Commanders Star log Entry 02: May 04-05 2151.
The journey to the Klingon Homeworld was a bit more difficult than we thought. Within a day of leaving the Cabal in ruins, we came across an unidentified ship. Of course, despite the mission's crucial nature, the Captain decided that we should investigate against my better wishes and against the Recommendation of Sub-Commander T'Pol.
What we found was something not for the faint of heart. The species we would later find out was known as the Axanar. They're an androgynous species and very long-lived and frequent this region of space. An unknown race of marauders had attacked the ship; they had disabled the ship using some kind of ion weapon.
They were bordered and fought a deck by deck defence of there ship, the energy traces were everywhere there was almost no part of the ship that didn't have some type of plasma scarring, but the attackers were not taking any prisoners, well not in the usual way.
They had taken the crew into there own cargo hold and did unspeakable things to them. Things that will follow me to the day die. They had harvested them, but not like a pure organ harvesting. They had implanted technology that kept them alive to produce their natural bodily hormones as well as keeping the organs fresh.
Dr Flox said that several hormones they naturally produce could be used to create drugs and medicines. I read something similar to this happening on Earth to the Mutants in the post-atomic horror. Greens disciples survived after the man was put down and like, the witchfinder generals of old, they hunted for what they perceived as the unclean.
People would then harvest them to strengthen themselves, it was completely placebo, but it kept happening for decades until the last of those Greens were lynched in the food riots.
Klang had told us that the raiders had tried something similar to the Klingons once, but after they tracked down their base of operations and slaughtered everyone there doing things just as bad if not worse to them, they got the idea. They even visited the homeworld of one of the species and glassed the largest continent to get the point across.
T'Pol said something similar, the Vulcans had responded with overwhelming force once, and hand had to teach that lesson again.
[Classified] I have recommended that Admiral Forest consider similar actions with the Orion and Nausicaan pirates that have begun to harass and attack the Boomer fleets. [Classified.]
We activated the ships distress beacon and waited for one of there ships to arrive. They would have attacked us if we hadn't used Klang as an intermediary. Once the translator was up and running, we set a joint trap for the marauders.
It took a day to for them to come back, we had hidden in the nearby asteroid belt. We had powered down our ship to minimum function. It was the most nerve-racking fishing trip I had ever been on. One the ship began to dock we pounced; the Phase cannons burned threw their ship's shields in three shots.
I recommend Malcolm for a commendation for his aim.
We disabled the ship but didn't destroy it. We used the stash of stun grenades we had to disable the crew then bordered. We faced intermediate resistance when we got to their engine room and bridge, but once we had taken the ship, we handed them over to the Axanar for trial.
[Classified] we did take the time to access their main computer system and handed over the data for their local bases. We got our hands on the complete location of almost the entire network at there own level, the preferred hunting grounds and their tactics.
I made sure that the data got sent to the Vulcan high command and Star Fleet security with a recommendation for immediate action to be taken. [Classified]
Whether or not my recommendation is taken is another matter altogether.
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Commanders Star log Entry 03: May 08 2151.
Entering into Klingon space had been surprisingly easy. There were no patrols, no hint of listing stations and no security to speak of. This was apparently because of the rise in tensions that the Empire was under they were so concerned about each other that they had neglected the security of their borders.
There wasn't even a defensive fleet around Kronos, but that was probably for the best. We had to wait about an hour to get permission to go down to the planet even with Klang using the High Councils access codes. That was because they were expecting a corpse and not a live warrior.
I had made sure that everyone in the away team was armed not just as a precaution but as to show the Klingons we respect their traditions and culture. Dragomirov and Lynch had accompanied us down I had to override Archers insistence that we go down with only Hoshi and T'Pol.
The High council room was nothing like anything I had ever seen on earth, a much more rugged brutalist mindset in the empire had allowed only one chair in the room. It was on an elevated platform three steps higher than the floor.
There had been a corpse dragged out of the room when we had arrived whatever crime or issue, they had been a part of had apparently been settled as they were waiting for us when we arrived. They pulled a spinal serrated dagger and sliced his palm.
[Classified]Vulcan Intelligence was indeed correct about many of the aspects of their society but one. There are several more houses than their own intelligence had given to believe. The High Council had nine, not four grate houses. The listening device I had been ordered to close in the council room had been successfully lost near the high chancellor's chair.
The micro launcher built into my swagger stick had accomplished the task while they were analysing the information that had been stamped into Klang's very blood in his DNA, ingenious. [Classified]
The whole affair was pretty anticlimactic though we almost started a fight with half the council when they pulled the knife on the Captain. Hoshi managed to smooth things over she is a real asset to the mission.
In a few more years when she gets some more experience, I can see a future Captain Sato being one of the best Captains the service will ever have. I have High hopes for her. I just hope I get to live long enough to see her meet my expectations and completely surpass them.
[Classified] We spent a few hours at Kronos as per sealed orders from Star Fleet intelligence I have left several worms in the Klingons communications systems for analysis. The Vulcan devices appear to be working, and with the Klingons focus on their warrior ethos, it will take some time for them to discover them. [Classified]
We bid farewell to the Klingon Empire, hopefully for the last time. I hope we never reencounter them, but if we do, I believe that we can with our ability to Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome should the time come if we must fight them, I have total faith that we can win.
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Commanders Star log Entry 05: May 15 2151.
We have found an M-Class planet not listed on the Vulcan database and are moving to investigate.
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Horatio was sitting in the Captain's chair studying a pad his swagger stick across his knees. He made sure that the was glancing at the readouts on the arms or the chair every now and again. Horatio had told Malcolm to keep a weather eye open as he didn't want to be ambushed here.
"Ensign Moore." The young junior officer or Irish-American descent in question turned to face Horatio. He looked a bit nervous. Not surprising as he had been chastised in space dock for doing barrel rolls and other tricks that he was showing off to a woman. He had his hand wash every shuttle and inspection pod in the station and on Enterprise.
"Yes, Sir."
"you need to re-up your weapons qualifications this week." The young man nodded. "if you need any help or advice, talk to either Lieutenant Reed or me." He said the man relaxed a bit and nodded. "you also have full access to the training simulators. I suggest that you use it."
"yes, Sir, I will." He said, turning back to the screen. "what do you think they'll find down their sir?" he asked in his thick Bostonian accent.
"more than likely trouble." He replied as he finished the pad. "the Vulcans have a system for these kinds of things for a reason." He continued handing the Pad back to the waiting ensign who had handed it to him.
"You think we should follow the Vulcan method?" Hoshi asked
"to a certain extent, yes." He replied. "what the Captain has done here can be potentially dangerous. We should have sent down at least one probe to test the air thoroughly before we went down just in case."
"you think the Captain may be in trouble." Asked Reed, he was also of the opinion that caution should be the better part of valour when scouting new planets.
"the Captain is very energetic and eager to do things; it's our job to mitigate the dangers of such enthusiasm." He said, "that's why we wear the red Malcolm we bleed they lead."
After an hour only one of the Shuttles came back, this immediately put Horatio on alert.
"open channel to the shuttle Ensign Sato." She nodded, and the dull bleep of the open channel sounded.
"Shuttle pod One this is Enterprise Commander Smith, is there an issue?"
"Enterprise, Shuttle pod one this is Captain Archer, no issues here." He frowned as he hadn't used any of the agreed coercion phrases.
"where is shuttle pod two?"
"Commander Tucker wanted to spend the night under the stars as the survey team wanted to conduct some more thorough tests." Horatio pinched the Bridge of his nose "is that wise sir, we have yet to conduct a full sweep of the planet, and we don't know if there are any contaminants down there." He could feel Malcolm smile on his right and Hoshi stifle a giggle.
"We were down there for some time and were fine. But if your really worried I have T'Pol down there."
"I'll beam down some of the filter masks we have in storage Sir."
"I don't think that's necessary; we'll keep an eye on them should anything happen."
"yes sir."
"we'll be back on Enterprise in a few minutes."
"I'll have the Chef prepare your coffee, sir." He said rolling his eyes
"wonderful Shuttle pod one out." Horatio banged his head against the headrest of the chair, looking up at the sky in a pleading manner.
"keep geosynchronous orbit above the survey team and keep a lock on there bio signs if anything happens, I want to know about it." He said taking a look at the planet he then turned to the Science officer Mauser. "Keep an eye on the weather if we need to get them out in a hurry, I don't want to be facing bad weather and getting them out in the face of a hurricane."
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Commanders Star log Entry 05: May 15 2151. (Continued)
Against my recommendations, the survey team remains on the planet. The Captain assures me that there is no need for the concern, I, however, remain sceptical.
[Classified] I have had contact from Admiral Forest, the United Earth council in a closed session had a vote on the use of geosynchronous orbital defence satellites and in a vote of 98 to 95 with 2 abstaining votes. The motion was rejected to say I am disappointed would be an understatement, but my hands are tied. I can only hope that the weapons systems and ships I helped design are enough for the security of the Sol System. [Classified]
I have begun designing a new version of body armour that I hope will replace the current generation of security armour that the Security branch is using. With Malcolm's help, I hope to have a design finished in the next few days.
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At 20:30 pm, Horatio was called to the Captain's ready room.
"Reporting as ordered." Horatio stood at attention for a moment
"there has been an issue on the planet." He said as he read from a Pad, "a high windstorm has forced the survey team into some caves, I'm going down to get them." He handed the pad to Horatio.
"is it wise for you to go down, sir?"
"what do you mean?" he asked.
"if something happens to the shuttle and you crash" he paused for a moment to better articulate his point, "the majority of the command crew are on the planet if you crash then it would seriously hamper the ability of the crew to perform rescue operations."
"what do you suggest."
"I suggest we reconfigure twelve torpedoes so we can disperse the storm enough to land."
"We can do that?"
"yes, we can do that, it's a less complex version of the verteron array used for asteroid defence, we modify the warheads so that the energy generated from the explosions creates a verteron wave to disperse the storm it will take a few hours, but it can be done."
"that'll be plan B.," he said, "I still want to try and fetch them now."
"Aye, sir should I inform the shuttle bay?"
"Malcolm has already done so; Hopefully, I will be back with the full team if not, then we'll go with your plan.
"aye, sir."
Again, Horatio sat in the Captain's chair watching as the Commanding officer, and his Armoury officer made there way down to the planet in Shuttle pod one.
"keep a lock on the shuttle." He ordered Dragomirov was sitting in the Tactical chair "I want the Grappler prepared just as a precaution."
"aye, sir."
"Hoshi, keep the channel open."
"aye, sir."
The shuttle came back a few minutes later with heavy lightning scarring docked with the ship.
"Dragomirov, you have the Con." He said as he rushed to the Turbo lift.
As he got to the medical-bay, he saw Dr Flox running a battery of tests to crewman Novakovich. Archer looked very concerned, and Reed just looked perturbed.
"Sir." He called as he entered.
"Commander Smith." He acknowledged the man before turning back to Dr Flox.
"it's a psychotropic compound." He said, showing the machine's readouts. "known for its hallucinogenic effects."
"so, the survey team are high?" asked Horatio as he looked at the data presented on the bio-bed.
"Indeed, his bloodstream is flooded with it."
"How did the sensors miss it," asked the Captain
"Perhaps it wasn't there until the storm started." Said Lieutenant Reed, "the amount of wind down there probably kicked up all the compound rich pollen and spread it as part of the life cycle of several plants, sir."
"so, every breath they take is getting them higher." Reasoned the Captain
"did you do a sub-molecular scan," Horatio asked as he tapped the screens buttons to get a better look at the data.
"why would I run that type of scan." He asked bemused. "there is no reason to do such as scan."
"I want you to be as thorough as possible no surprises Doctor. We don't know if this compound has any poisonous toxins in it." The Captain and the Doctor looked shocked that he would suggest such a thing. "we have four more down crewmen there; I would prefer to know whether or not they will be dead before the storm passes." A look of dread flashed across his face before he turned to the physician.
"Doctor, run every test. This is an unknown world check everything."
"Understood, Captain." Said the Doctor. "I'll have news in three or four hours." He estimated quickly.
"How will that affect a Vulcan?" asked Malcolm "she could be the most present threat should she have succumbed to this hallucinogenic."
"Truthfully I don't know." Doctor Flox said honestly, as he picked up the small medical scanner and began to run his first test. "it could affect her heavily or not at all without being down on the planet I couldn't say for sure."
"Perhaps we should try and contact her?" said Malcolm, Archer nodded he pressed the communications button then a second pone for external communications.
"Archer to T'Pol?"
"T'Pol here." Her voice was garbled, but the signal was coming through.7
"We have Novakovich." He started to explain but was then cut off by T'Pol
"and I have a Phase Pistol pointed at my head."
"you what." Said Horatio as he rounded on the device
"My suspicions were right on the nose Captain; our little Vulcan here is not what she appears to be and never was." It was Commander Tucker he was raving like a lunatic.
"what are you talking about?" asked Archer, Horatio shook his head in exasperation, Malcolm pinched the bridge of his nose.
"There are things down here, life forms they hide in the rocks Travis and I have seen them." He raved. "Cutler saw two talking to T'Pol. They're up to something but of course she denies it."
"Listen to me." Archer commanded, "you're being affected by a psychotropic, its causing anxiety and hallucinations." He tried to reason with them "just calm down we can help you once the storm passes."
"Are you telling me those creatures aren't real!" he demanded
"We think it came down from the mountains in the windstorm. You need to go deeper into the caves that should make the symptoms abate for a while."
"We didn't imagine it, Captain."
"Come on Trip we trained for situations just like this, remember, we'll be down to get you as soon as the wind lets up."
"you're not here, Captain." He raved back at him, "you don't know what's going on."
"put the weapon down Trip that is an Order." Said the Captain "T'Pol?"
"he's lowered the phase pistol, sir." Said the Vulcan, everyone breathes a sigh of relief. No one wanted to explain why she had been killed or the circumstances for the death either.
"Have you been affected," Archer asked her.
"yes, but only slightly."
"try to hold on." He sighed "Archer out."
"Bridge, I want a weather report now." Said Horatio as he tapped the communicator on his chest.
"Wind is picking up, sir." Said Dragomirov "it shows no sign of abating yet though it is passing them, it's over five hundred Kilometres in size."
"Keep me informed."
"aye, sir."
The Captain moved to leave Horatio and Malcolm followed him, they caught him at the Turbo lift as the door opened, they entered the car.
"Captain," Horatio called just before the doors closed, the Captain reluctantly held them open for the two security men.
"I don't want any I told you so's Commander." He grumbled, he knew that Horatio had recommended a detailed probe scan before landing and had rebuffed him in the meeting. They had needed that scan, and he wasn't in the mood for hindsight retrospection.
"I don't do that kind of thing, Sir." He said as the Captain frowned. "I present the most cautious approach because it's my job to do so." The Captain reluctantly nodded there was no use crying over spilt milk. All they can do is learn from this experience and apply the lessons learned to the future.
"where are you headed?" he asked.
"The armoury." He replied, "Malcolm and I will be getting the torpedoes ready."
"you want a hand?"
"I would be honoured, Sir."
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Commanders Star log Entry 05: May 15 2151. (Continued)
We finished the work on the torpedoes quickly as the adjustment was only a small part of what we needed to do, the difficult part had been calculating the amount of power needed to disperse the storm and not create an even worse one. Still, with the help of Engineering Lieutenant Adams, we had everything prepared.
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"Are we ready to begin operations?" asked Archer he had been a great help but had to get back to the bridge to make sure the storm hadn't picked back up again. Horatio, Adams and Dragomirov nodded the armour had never been so busy but with the skills and technical know-how of the crewmen they had finished the upgrades in a fraction of the time that they thought they needed.
"the last of the modified torpedoes are in the magazine now ready to launch." Said Dragomirov, as the magazine closed, and the hatch sealed. They activated the tactical and targeting computers and started plotting the exact trike zones to dissipate the storm, but as they were about to start, they were interrupted.
"Flox to Captain Archer." The Doctor sounded just as tired as they felt, though given the number of tests he was performing on Crewman Novakovich Horatio understood the man's fatigue. The Captain got to the Wall communicator a bit stiffly as he had been sitting on the uncomfortable bench for just as long as we had.
He hit the response button with a closed fist, the deep beep of the communication station sounded, and he responded.
"Yes, Doctor." The Captain said, his fatigue had bled away from him quickly as he went into command mode.
"I need you to come to sickbay, it's urgent." We all dread to hear those words as a commanding officer because usually, it meant having to write letters to relatives.
"I'm on my way," Archer said he looked like he was mentally preparing to write the condolences letter. He adjusted his jumpsuit and made his way out.
"start the calculations" Ordered Horatio, as he made his way out as well. He hoped that he was overreacting at that crewman Novakovich would be fine, but his own pragmatic attitude wouldn't let him completely lie to himself in hutch away. Before he opened the door, he turned to the team and said, "we'll need to begin soon."
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As the door to the Turbo lift opened, Malcolm got out of his chair and stood, Horatio, acknowledged the man with a nod before he made his way to the Captain's Chair and sat.
"Moore, brake for high orbit." Ordered Horatio, the man turned in the chair and nodded before he followed the order.
"High Orbit Aye." The ship moved gracefully into a higher orbit, turning to the stars and then the planet filled the screen again as the ship moved into an attack posture.
"Reed, use the telemetry from the armoury and prepare for three full spreads of Torpedoes." The man nodded tightly before verbally acknowledging the order.
"aye, sir." Reeds fingers nimbly dancing over the control console like a concert pianist, entering in all the data and combining it with the targeting computer.
"Bridge to Captain Archer."
"Archer here." He sounded a bit dejected, but Horatio was in full professional mode and ready to go.
"Sir, we are prepared to disperse the storm."
"Hold on I'm on my way up."
It didn't take long for the Captain to arrive, but when he did the ship was in attack position. Horatio stood as the Captain entered and made his way to the Ops position. He sat heavily in his chair, then spun it so that he was facing Horatio.
"it was a good call on Novakovich," said the Captain he looked a bit upset but still had that iron that made him a good command officer. "the Doctor found a toxin in the pollen, but he gave Novakovich an anti-toxin he should be fine in a three days a week maximum."
"Good news sir." He said
"yes, but we only have a few hours to get the survey team back to the ship." He said, turning back to face the viewscreen. "get a team together and get ready as soon as the storm is dispersed, you have to get them back."
"aye, sir!" Horatio got up and made his way to the Turbo lift.
"we're ready to begin sir just give the word." Said Malcolm as the Turbo Lift doors closed the Captain responded.
"let's get them home." He said, turning to Malcolm.
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Horatio had assembled a team of six to get the survey team back. They had all been outfitted with filter masks and a set of injections to give the survey team as soon as they meet them. It was a concoction that Doctor Flox cooked up to strengthen them so that they could then accept the anti-toxin.
The bay had been decompressed, and the door to the bay had been opened, they were just waiting on the word from the Captain. When it was given, they launched at speed down to the plant below. The shuttle was buffeted slightly as the last vestiges of the windstorm passed.
As they landed close to the survey teams landing zone and put the shuttle down next to the survey teams' shuttle. They could see the amber flashes of weapons fire in the distance.
"Bugger looks like someone's gone off the deep end." He said as they all secured their masks. "smash and grab boys, let's move." He said as the gull-wing doors opened, they charged out Horatio pointed using the sign language that they all learned at the academe, four down the cave two with him chasing the weapons fire.
As they approached, they saw T'Pol crouching behind a felled tree as commander Tucker foaming at the mouth babbling insanity was firing wildly in her direction.
"Cover her I'll get him." He said as the two with him got into cover and fired back purposefully missing the commander drawing his fire away from T'Pol. Using his skills at stealth, he managed to flank the Commander shooting him in the back with the weapon on light stun.
With his two security men helping T'Pol, he slung the commander over his shoulder like a sack of spuds and took him back to the waiting Shuttles. As they got back to the pods, the Security team had taken off and been about a mile up when they got there.
It had been agreed that they would get the team up using both shuttles as soon as possible. Because any delay could risk the lives of the survey team unnecessarily, they opened up the other shuttle and got T'Pol inside, as soon as they did, they gave the Commander and T'Pol their shots and took off making best speed to get to the ship.
Flox was waiting in the Decontamination chamber as they got T'Pol and Tucker inside. He gave them both a shot and had them taken to sickbay.
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Commanders Star log Entry 05: May 15 2151. (Continued)
According to the Doctor, it was a close-run thing. Had they spent any more time down on the planet they would have done Mayweather was less than an hour away from succumbing to the toxin.
I hope we learn from this event, and tale better precautions, the Vulcans have a set of rules and strict precautions for going down to a planet. I have recommended to Admiral Forest that Star Fleet could do well to take a few of those precautions and implement them in the future.
Everything had happened was preventable, had Archer taken more care or had not been so eager to set foot on a new planet the events here today may not have occurred. In future, I will insist on a more cautious approach while more frustrating would save lives.
Commander Tucker was very shaken by his actions and has become very apologetic to T'pol. I can understand her reticent to forgive him, as when I took the phase Pistol off him, it was on its maximum kill setting.
I have sent a detailed report to Command and made sure a marker boy was left behind, both confirming that United Earth had colonisation interest in the planet and also warning about the toxic pollen. One of the two would work to warn away any unwanted travellers or any particularly persistent explorer-like Jonathan I can only hope he takes the lessons here to hart and adapts his way of thinking.
We've had orders from The United Earth Senate to investigate the mystery of Terra Nova. We are a few days away from the planet, and I hope that it proves to be a less stressful experience than our last.
This is Commander Horatio Smith signing off.
End Log