The Voyages of the USS Aubrey

Game Master joerice

As the doors hissed open, Heraclio smiled. "Morning, Captain. Shall we traverse the unknown?"

The Captain, hearing Heraclio's familiar dulcet tones, looked up from underneath the console where he was working. Dismissing with a quick nod the Engineer's Mate that was assisting him, he stood slowly, and grunted, "Mister Koike. Guten Morgen. Please call the Bridge crew to station. I think the Aubrey is ready to leave port."

The empty bridge was darker than usual, running on the low power of a docked ship. Von Sturm adjusted his uniform as he moved to his center station, and reviewed his initial mission orders, waiting for him in a docket on the cushion of the captain's chair. He had served aboard the USS HELIOS for several years with Heraclio, but the rest of the crew was new to him. It was time to meet them, and set off into the universe...

"Attention, USS Aubrey, this is Her--this is Koike. Bridge crew, please report to stations. We're about to do that thing we do." He turned to smile at the Captain. "I heard we got a sweet little Vulcan at the helm. I can't wait to verify some theories I've been working on ..."

"Stay sharp, Leiutenant. Have the deck crew ready their stations. We launch in 20. You know, when we thought the Aubrey was going to the scrap-heap, I let things get a little casual. A little sloppy. This is a new lease on life for this old girl, and a new chance for us to prove ourselves as officers."

Von Sturm moved quickly to the turbolift. As the doors swished open, he turned back to his communications officer. "That is to say, maybe don't attempt to seduce a Vulcan, right away. Do remember what happened on Science Outpost 47."

And with a wink, the Captain shouted "Engineering!" to the turbolift controls, and vanished.

Seeing a yeoman staring at him, Lt. Koike smiled. "How could I forget?"

Lt. Cmdr Callahan, sounds nice, thought Randy Callahan as he inspected his new home. Small but clean, should be fine, I wonder what the crew will be like?

The first words T'neth heard on materializing on the Aubrey's teleporter pad were an announcement over the ship's intercom. "Bridge crew, please report to stations. We're about to do that thing we do." Do that thing we do? After years of living among humans, T'neth felt she was not getting any closer to understanding how they thought. But she knew that despite its flippancy, the announcement contained an imperative that applied to her.

"Please have those things stowed in my quarters, Chief," T'neth looked at the two bags next to her on the pad. "I'd handle it myself, but I've been called to the bridge."

A quick tubolift ride later, the tall Vulcan woman was on the bridge of her new ship. With a glance she saw the ranking officer was standing at the Comm Station. She snapped to attention and addressed the officer, "Ensign T'neth reporting for duty, sir. With your permission, I'll take the helm, sir." T'neth turned on her heels before the officer could respond and started bringing the helm online for departure.

"Permission gladly granted, Ensign. I'm Lieutenant Koike. Heraclio Koike, Comm officer. The Captain is with his real lover, the engine."

"An honor to meet you Lieutenant," T'neth says without looking up from her console. "Helm reports nominal. Navigation and maneuver sensors nominal and calibrated with the Starbase's benchmark. Photon torpedo launchers and phaser banks ready to go online when we've cleared spacedock." T'neth pauses to confirm that all of the helm's indicators are glowing in the proper colors.

She then looks at Koike, "You called us to our stations, Lieutenant. If I may be allowed a question: What exactly is 'that thing we do'?"

Heraclio smiles expansively. "My dear Mr. T'neth, we that which no one else could or would do. We go further, into the great unknown, the glorious question marks of the universe, out where the difference between life and death is every decision you could possibly make. We seek knowledge, mystery ...adventure. And we do it with style."

The engines were not new, and they were not fast. But they would hold, and that's what mattered.

"We'll start to feel it shake by warp 4", the Captain thought. "But these nacelles are built to last."

He ran a hand along an insulated conduit, bringing back fingers dirty with sealant and grime. Most engine rooms were clean like a hospital, but Von Sturm had added enough rigging of his own that keeping regulation order down here was almost impossible.

The dilithium chamber hummed. Someone was at the helm.

Turning on one foot, the Captain headed for sickbay, the next stop on a quick and cursory final inspection....

"Seeking adventure with style," T'neth considers Koike's statement. "Fascinating. Oh, Engineering is responding to the helm. All stations ready for departure at the captain's convenience."

"Not his convenience. His order. Once these stripes start showing up, convenience is a thing of the past."

"Aye, sir. It would be illogical to use a ship as unique as the Aubrey for convenient missions."

The captain entered sickbay quietly, and saw a figure in shadows, ahead, doing his own inspection of the medilab equipment.

"Dr. Callahan, I presume? Is everything in order?"

Shortly after Captain Von Sturm departed in the turbo lift, the doors open again and Lieutenant junior grade Ojo walks out. An Andorian, he resembles a human, except that he has the blue skin, white hair, and antennae that protrude from the top of his head. Silently perched on his right shoulder is a small, heavily furred creature gripping Ojo's uniform with all four of its three-toed appendages. It's giant eyes blink placidly and shift towards its carrier's face.

Lt. Ojo tilts his head slightly forward to better take in the bridge with his antennae as well as his eyes. Wordlessly, he heads to a series of panels on the wall behind the command chairs where he finds the Aubrey's security and tactical stations. He begins running diagnostics and familiarizing himself with his new station.

After a moment, the creature on his shoulder chatters softly, which apparently motivates him to salute without looking up. After a moment, he speaks.

"Good morning, Captain," he says with a salute that keeps his eyes downcast.

"Apologies," he adds after finally glancing up. "Lieutenant. Ensign."

T'neth turns from the helm to see the Andorian at the security station and asks "Why are you apologizing, Lieutenant? Did the creature relieve itself on the bridge?"

"The apology was for referring to one of you as 'Captain.'"

"Mr. ...Ojo, I believe? Welcome. I'm Lietenant Heraclio Koike, Officer in charge of talking. This is Ensign T'neth. The Captain will be here shortly."

"I'm in charge of taking care of things when talking causes trouble," Ojo says lightly, continuing his diagnostics. He looks up and adds an uncomfortable smile as an afterthought.

A beacon rang out across the bridge.

On the Communication console,a light flashed, noting Priority One transmission.

Star fleet Command was contacting the Aubrey, hailing on scrambled frequencies...

The captain entered sickbay quietly, and saw a figure in shadows, ahead, doing his own inspection of the medilab equipment.

"Dr. Callahan, I presume? Is everything in order?"

"Captain! Ouch!" Randy's head thunked the bottom of the diagnostic bed he was checking when the captain entered the sickbay. Scrambling to his feet, he turned to face the captain. "Yes, yes, everything's fine, just checking some settings," said the doctor, putting out his hand to shake the captain's hand. Suddenly remembering where he was, he started to salute, then realized that wasn't right either, finally just standing there. Smooth, Butcher, real smooth.

The Captain stepped forward, and grabbed the Doctor's hand, forcing him into an awkward shake.

"At ease, Doctor. I don't stand on ceremony with my executive staff. My name is Kaspar Von Sturm. The sickbay has been reduced drastically from standard to make room for engine cooling conduits. I hope you can make do."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir, I had noticed. It should be fine. How large a crew does the Aubrey carry, sir, if I may ask?"

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir, I had noticed. It should be fine. How large a crew does the Aubrey carry, sir, if I may ask?"

"250 crewmen, 30 officers. A skeleton crew for a vessel this size, but for some reason, Starfleet had a difficult time fulfilling assignments."

The Captain chuckled, and remarked jovially, "Perhaps word got around that most of my last crew was slaughtered by space-vikings in a horrific bloodbath. Or maybe the fact that this ship was due for the scrap-heap before I redesigned it for traversing extremely dangerous and hostile conditions."

With that, The Captain knocked against the curved walls with his knuckles, and stared at the conduit rigging overhead wistfully.

"I'll need you on the bridge as soon as possible, Doctor. We are scheduled for early departure, and I'd like my division chiefs 'on deck' as we leave port. Forward ho, jawohl?"

Smiling wildly, Von Sturm vanished into the turbolift.

Callahan takes one last trip around sickbay to make sure everything's shipshape, then lets his Betazoid nurse know he's headed to the bridge for departure.

T'neth carefully considers Ojo's statement before responding. "Talking or taking care of trouble, my task is getting the Aubrey there and back again. I anticipate..." Whatever T'neth was anticipating, her remarks are cut short by the alert on the bridge.

"Oho!" Lt. Koike beams. "This is how it starts." He turns on his heels and slides into his station. Earpiece now in, he begins descrambling the transmission.

A stern and hardened face appears on the view screen, fading in quickly from static. Admiral Mifune's grim visage becomes clear, and his gruff voice barks out over the intercom.

"USS AUBREY. Today you launch, returning a ship that should have been decommissioned, back into the cosmos. There are some that disagree with this course of action. I put it to you to prove them wrong.

You will be traveling to the Ziegler Nebula. It has been uncharted to date to to the excessive waves of lethal ultra-sigma radiation that flood the region at unpredictable intervals. But as of 0900 hours today, a UFP standard distress signal has been heard by the USS Intrepid. The source of the beacon is deep within the Nebula.

Yours is a rescue mission, Aubrey. Your Captain has details, but I wanted to let you know personally how vital this is. All of Starfleet will be watching. Good luck."

TRANSMISSION ENDS

Immediately after Admiral Mifune's voice ends, a light starts flashing on the security panel in front of Ojo. Pressing the light causes a series of text and numbers to flash across one of the screens.

After reading the information found there, Ojo does not hesitate in relaying commands to his crew to head to their designated weapons station, discreetly arm themselves, and wait there for further orders. He's already inspected his crew and the security facilities, and even though he knows that they should be capable of this, he plans to review how well they have been drilled after the order is given to stand down.

Not wanting to leave the bridge to obtain a rifle for himself, Ojo notes that his own phaser is at his belt.

The turbo lift doors have barely opened as Captain Von Sturm jogs out, moving briskly to his chair.

"Koike! Status report!"

LT ROLAND GORCHNIK

Without fuss, an older officer shambles in the background. Picking up a tricorder, he peers out at the brdge crew, suspiciously, pretending to inspect data on the device's small screen.

LT SOKAL

Shortly behind the Captain, the turbolift hisses open again. Emerging deliberately. but with a measured pace, is a tall, lanky, green-hued vulcan. Clearly from the southernmost pole of the planet, his skin-tone is jarring to those who are only aware of the human-complexioned, pinker skinned, northern breeds of Vulcan.

Sitting at the Navigation console, he turns to T'Neth, and softly says, in Vulcan, "I am Sokal. I expect our shared training in the ways of reason will be fortuitous in the expedition of our duties."

With that, he nods his head reverentially.

As soon as T'neth hears Admiral Mifune state the Aubrey is being dispatched on a rescue mission to the Ziegler Nebula, she readies the helm's controls for rapid departure from the stardock. The circumstance of Intrepid receiving a distress call from a locale that only the recently retrofitted Aubrey can reach safely is a tremendous coincidence. Like any Vulcan, T'neth does not put much stock in coincidence.

T'neth looks up as the captain strides to the command chair. As she looks away from the captain to Koike, she notices a Science officer skulking about the bridge. "Pardon me, Lieutenant," she calls out to the man. "Do you need assistance with your tricorder? Perhaps you should try using the sensor readings from your action station."

Ojo checks the roster to see who is scheduled to be on the bridge, right now, and what the Lieutenant's authorization level is.

There is not much more T'neth feels she can do about the suspicious lieutenant. If he had business on the bridge, he'd be attending to it not messing about with a tricorder. However, suspicion is not proof. For now T'neth will observe the lieutenant, but if she catches him touching her helm, she'll confront him even if she has no proof.

While T'neth is considering the skulking lieutenant, the navigator takes the station next to hers and addresses her in Vulcan. "I am T'neth," she replies in Vulcan. "I hope we may perform our duties in a way that reflects well on our training." T'neth returns Sokal's slight bow.

"For now," she says switching to English. "Our most expeditious action would be laying in a course for the Ziegler Nebula. You may want to carefully verify your navigation readouts. There's a chance they have shifted from standard parameters."

Ojo checks the roster to see who is scheduled to be on the bridge, right now, and what the Lieutenant's authorization level is.

The bridge roster spins fast on the small screen, landing on the requested name: LT ROLAND GORCHNIK --- CLEARANCE LEVEL 1A ---- REFERENCE MIFUNE A A ALPHA ONE

Aside from the note that Gorchnik is a Geologist and planetary anomalies specialist, nothing else is In his file.

As soon as T'neth hears Admiral Mifune state the Aubrey is being dispatched on a rescue mission to the Ziegler Nebula, she readies the helm's controls for rapid departure from the stardock. The circumstance of Intrepid receiving a distress call from a locale that only the recently retrofitted Aubrey can reach safely is a tremendous coincidence. Like any Vulcan, T'neth does not put much stock in coincidence.

T'neth looks up as the captain strides to the command chair. As she looks away from the captain to Koike, she notices a Science officer skulking about the bridge. "Pardon me, Lieutenant," she calls out to the man. "Do you need assistance with your tricorder? Perhaps you should try using the sensor readings from your action station."

Gorchnik ignores the helm, snorting as he turns to his duty station. H sits and swivel his chair away from the crew.

"Lieutenant, did... did you just snort? At a fellow officer on the bridge?

"Captain, with all due respect, I had heard that your last assignment had grown somewhat... casual, but I highly recommend that some discipline and professionalism be instilled until the crew is more familiar with their new roles.

"In this situation, I recommend--" Ojo's words end abruptly as the creature on his shoulder stiffens and sits up slightly. Ojo nods at the Captain or whomever is looking his way and returns to his station.

"Mr. Ojo," T'neth says quietly. "I believe it is properly my place to say if the lieutenant's non-verbal expression was offensive. Remember that I am a Vulcan and do not offend so easily. Furthermore, I should apologize to the lieutenant for whatever offense I unintentionally conveyed through my offer of assistance. I'll strive to remember that most of my crew mates are not Vulcans."

"Captain," Koike states, "rescue mission. Zieger Nebula. Spurts of lethal radiation, they think we can handle it. Also ...apparently I'm to only take messages from Starfleet, and coded Priority One messages at that. That's ...new."

The turbolift opens and Dr. Callahan enters the bridge in time to hear Lt. Koike's words.

"Radiation, you say, Lt.? That may explain something that was bothering me, Captain. My nurse, Ensign Annella Roen, tells me that there are a variety of untested radiation treatments in the sickbay. Does Starfleet expect me to run experiments on the crew of the Intrepid to see what works and what doesn't?"

"Set a course for the Zeigler Nebula, Mister Sokal. Helm, take us out."

"Captain," Koike states, "rescue mission. Zieger Nebula. Spurts of lethal radiation, they think we can handle it. Also ...apparently I'm to only take messages from Starfleet, and coded Priority One messages at that. That's ...new."

"Well... There it is. As soon as we are out of space dock, let's discuss this. Privately."

"Aye, Captain. Departing stardock. Running lights activated. All hatches secured. Connecting accessways cleared. Disengage magnetic mooring grapples. Engines astern one eighth impulse." T'neth calmly recites the departure checklist as her fingers flit across the helm. As the Aubrey majestically backs out of the stardock, T'neth barely touches the maneuver thrusters yet keeps the starship centered on its designated flightpath.

"Aubrey has cleared stardock. Coming about nine zero mark two zero. Engines ahead one half impulse. We are leaving orbit. The helm is ready for our new course, Mr. Sokol."

The Vulcan navigators finhers flitted swiftly across the blocky buttons and knobs, as they lit up with primary reds and greens.

"Course set."

The Captain leaned forward, and responded with a curt, "So. There it is. Alert me when we are in approach."

Standing quickly, he trotted to the turbolift. "Mister Koike, my conference room as you are able. Bring all info you have on this mission for debriefing. You as well, Mister Ojo. And the Doctor. Mister T'neth, the conn is yours."

From the back of the bridge, Lt. Gorchnik is focused fully on large readouts of the Zeigler nebula.

The turbolift opens and Dr. Callahan enters the bridge in time to hear Lt. Koike's words.

"Radiation, you say, Lt.? That may explain something that was bothering me, Captain. My nurse, Ensign Annella Roen, tells me that there are a variety of untested radiation treatments in the sickbay. Does Starfleet expect me to run experiments on the crew of the Intrepid to see what works and what doesn't?"

"As soon as you have a chance, do a closer investigation on that inventory Doctor. But first, let's all compare notes..."

Ojo heads into the conference room.

"Try not to crash her, Mr. T'neth," Koike says as he follows the captain out.

Callahan follows the captain into the conference room. {b]"Captain, what's going on? Why the all the cloak and dagger stuff? My nurse says she never even saw how those treatments showed up in sickbay. They were just on the shelves when she came in one morning."[/b]