Tales From The Shuttle [Part 2]

Posted on Sat May 31st, 2025 @ 12:21pm by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Commander Jennifer Daxer & Commander Chisato Nishikigi & Major Chiyo Shimada & Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek & Lieutenant Dr. Eli Ellis M.D. & Lieutenant Nezuko
Edited on on Sat May 31st, 2025 @ 12:32pm

1,631 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Andromeda
Location: Indeterminate Structure
Timeline: Approximately 10 minutes after Part 1

The huge 'landing bay' was bigger than the away team had thought. Their shuttle was miniscule compared to the bay. The Tokyo itself could easily fit inside the bay. The curved roof spanned upwards and large circular doors led to circular snaking corridors beyond. Each door was easily six to seven meters in diameter and opened when the team approached, slotting into the wall like slices of pizza. One of them even seemed to be jammed open, most likely broken eons ago.

"Well, it sure was nice of them to leave the front door open for us," Chisato quipped as she pulled out her tricorder and began to analyze the network of conduits lining the perimeter.

"Now, for the question of all questions... where do you lead..."

"I suppose there's only one way to find out..." Chiyo remarked, activating the flashlight on her phaser rifle.

Jen pulled one of her pistols, activating the small flashlight attachment. "I advise extreme caution, Major." Jen said as she held her tricorder with her other hand. "My scans aren't picking up anything recognized as dangerous, but if I were in possession of the most powerful artifact known to exist, I'd find a way to keep it protected... From everyone."

"Thanks, Commander Obvious." Chiyo responded. "Any other brilliant suggestions?"

Without warning several hatches in the roof slid open. Descending out of them emerged strange looking drones, three in total. They were white with purple lighting. They were curved and resembled a spearhead on its side. In the very center on the front was some sort of fish-eye lense. One of them lowered down and a red scanning beam swept the team.

After a second or two it retracted and the 'lenses' turned red. Then all three of them began to fire red anti-proton energy beams at the away team. The first volley missed and they began to circle readying up for another shot.

"Welp, looks as if that hunch turned out to be true..." Chisato surmised.

"Light 'em up!" Chiyo barked as she began to return fire.

Nezuko ducked back, returning fire with her sidearm as she found cover clear of the door. She holstered her weapon so she could use both hands on her tricorder, trying her best to interface with the drones.

Lieutenant Yuvek dove to the ground as he saw the red beam beginning to open fire on the team. He managed to low crawl to a nearby pylon that served as a door frame.

He withdrew his phaser and fired several shots at the 3 drones attempting to drive them off. He quickly holstered his weapon and withdrew his padd as he began to access the tactical sensors on the Runabout.

Ordinarily, any shuttle used by the Away Team would be inside of a docking bay of the vessel and separated from the team. However, this large cavernous landing bay was so massive that the Runabout was still within visual distance of the team. Thus, it could still help save them from this automated attack.

"EVERYONE, STAND CLEAR! THE RUNABOUT IS TARGETING THE DRONES!" Lt. Yuvek shouted as he used Padd's remote interface to utilize the Runabout's sensors to acquire targets on the drones and fire disruptors from where it was berthed within the massive bay.

"LIEUTENANT, LOOK OUT!" Chisato shouted, quickly pulling Nezuko aside as one of the drones crashed down where the two of them had been standing only seconds before.

Nezuko breathed a bit more heavily as she caught her bearings in the place that Chisato had pulled her to. She gave the senior officer's arm a squeeze of thanks. The tricorder would be of no use in this fight, she decided, and put it away to re-draw her sidearm. Maybe she would be able to access the drone systems, but not while under fire.

Daxer had been bood, deciding to keep on the move instead of taking cover. Finally getting a steady aim, she fired three shots at one of the remaining drones. Two of the explosive rounds ate through it's shield, while the third caused it to explode in the air.

"'Assume the environment isn't hostile' she said..." the Vulcan woman muttered as she continued to move. "Screw that!"

Lt. Yuvek continued to grip the side of the wall as the phaser ended its short, but targeted burst. It was one thing to watch a starship fire its disruptors while you sat in the structured confines of a vessel. But it was a completely different experience to actually see it up close and *feel* the intense heat as the charged ions were unleased on a target just several meters away.

He slowly climbed to his feet and look at the area. He shifted his gaze to the general area where the drones were before, but now there just stood a large smoldering.

"Well..." Lt. Yuvek said, still trying to find his words. "They know we're here, but they also know that we're capable of defending ourselves." He reasoned.

"Wherever the hell that thing came from, there's likely more." Chiyo said. "Everyone, keep your guard up."

Once it had been ascertained that the threat was fully neutralized, Chisato cautiously approached the smoldering wreckage of the drone that had come within inches of crushing Nezuko. After determining for herself that there was no risk of it suddenly coming back online and attacking her, she stooped down and began to examine it up close. As she meticulously sifted through the jagged, metal-like debris for anything that could give her so much a possible clue to its origin, she caught a glimpse of what looked to be a manufacturer's stamp jutting out from the mangled outer housing. She carefully pried the housing aside to get a better look, but upon closer inspection, her eyes suddenly narrowed as she observed a distinct and familiar-looking symbol engraved upon the plate in question.

"Hey, guys!" she called out to her cohorts. "Come take a look at this!"

Chiyo stepped over and proceeded to fire a couple more shots from her phaser rifle into the drone. A double tap was never a bad thing, especially if there was some automated beacon still intact calling for reinforcements.

"Was that really necessary, Major?" Chisato sighed.

"Absolutely, it was." Chiyo responded. "You never know if there's some piece of hardware still intact and automatically contacting reinforcements."

"What is that symbol?" Jen asked as she approached, looking at the drone wreckage Chisato was checking out. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"Beats me." Replied Chiyo. "Maybe it has something to do with the 'certain kind of visitor' the Lieutenant mentioned the drone was meant to scan for?"

"It could also be from whoever manufactured the drone." Jen replied simply. "If they didn't know we were here before, they likely do now."

Lt. Yuvek cautiously walked over to the wreckage that Major Shimada was examining. He still wasn't certain that the threat had been completely put down, but for the moment he could breathe slightly easier.

"Any sign of whether those things are autonomous or if they're being controlled by some connection?" He asked.

"Given that the only living specimens that we've managed to find out here are of a plant-based nature, I'm inclined towards the former," Chisato speculated as she pulled the plate out and began to examine it in her hands. "Of course, that's not to rule out some kind of "man-behind-the-curtain" scenario, but this technology is- or, more accurately, was- so advanced compared to our own that we can only really make guesses as to what any of these greebly-doo-dads were even supposed to do."

"Before they opened fire, they scanned us." Lieutenant Yuvek responded. "Evidently, it's designed to distinguish one lifeform from one another. Whatever originally created them did not want them to open fire on a certain type of visitor." He speculated. "So that leads me to believe there is something here they don't want outsiders to see." He added.

"They might be completely different than us, but they wouldn't use deadly force to keep us from a simple waste extraction facility." He said as he examined the two slabs of metal.

"So, let's recap what we know so far," Chisato remarked as she stood back up. "We know that there's an Omega particle being kept here- and we know that whomever built this facility- whatever it's supposed to be- knew that the Omega particle was valuable enough to employ an automated self-defense system to ward off any intruders. Which isn't saying a lot, but it does make you wonder why they went to all the trouble that they did: Was it their main energy source at one point in time? Were they aware of the dangers that the Omega Particle posed, much like humans were with Nuclear Warheads? Were there various factions within this Dyson Sphere that may have been vying for control of the Omega Particle, thus necessitating the implementation of a defensive network?"

She turned her attention back to the group. "All of these factors, leading back to one question: what went wrong here?"

"I don't think we'll get any answers from these bots," Lt. Yuvek said, kicking the nearest scrap to him.

"For all know, they could have all died out centuries ago, but their automated systems still come online any time a sentient being comes onto this. . .station, base. . .or whatever the hell this is." He added

"Who's to say something actually happened?" Daxer asked in reply. "As large as it is, it's possible they're just somewhere else in the sphere. Either way, I think our best option is to keep going."

To be continued...

RSS Feed