Trial and Error

Posted on Thu Feb 22nd, 2024 @ 12:13am by Lieutenant Tracey Walker Jr & Commander Kevin Lance

Mission: Visit to Eden
Location: Alien Ship
Timeline: Current

on:
{North Pole Control Center, Alien Ship}

Kevin and the two other officers descended into the control complex. He had his phaser drawn in case of trouble. The other two had out their tricorders, analyzing and recording the structure.

"The walls are an odd mixture of stone and circuitry," Ensign Thorne exclaimed.

Before he could replied, Kevin's comm badge came to life =/\= "If entry is gained be on alert if an alarm goes off" =/\=

It was Kronnelti followed immediately by Mira =/\="Kevin possible first contact. I have found foot prints that are two legged more then likely Lizards of some kind." =/\=

Kevin was about to reply but something was nagging him. "Computer," he asked, "How long between my last transmission and the most receive from Lieutenant Kronnelti?"

"Three hundred and forty-nine seconds."

Worked out to a little less than six minutes. "What could be causing a communications delay?"

"Might be a side-effect of the differing gravities across the ship," Ensign Thorne proposed.

Kevin nodded and replied on his comm badge, "Affirmative on the First Contact and we will be on alert. Be advised that the appears to be six minute delay on communications. Also, we determined that the are thirty different biomes each with its own local gravity and atmosphere." He didn't bother to wait for a response.

As Trace continued to descend, he unconsciously adopted his tomb raider gait, and this time it was Geneva who commented.

"Old habit." Lance said, without bothering to elaborate. Geneva shrugged but said nothing.

The stairs came to a landing that opened up into a large spherical room, the only light emanating from what appeared to be circuitry running through the walls. The officers weren't familiar with the design, and the tricorder readings were less than helpful.

"The energy readings are off the charts." Commented Geneva. "Probably best to avoid touching those, unless you want to be burned to a cinder." She siad, indicating the circuitry.

Trace found a console on the wall, and looked for a switch but after a few moments, he shrugged. "Well it'd be nice to have some light."

A low hum sounded, and the console lit up. After a few garbled statements, perhaps spoken in multiple languages in succession, it finally said. "Inquiry, is light required?"

Trace's eyebrows shut up. "Uh...yeah." he said, and the large spherical chamber was instantly illuminated, revealing what appeared to be a control center in the middle.

"Computer," Kevin asked out of habit, "which of these consoles controls navigation?"

"I am not programmed to answer that query."

Kevin approached the control center. There were no arrangements for seating so he surmised that the operators would stand. The console was lower than what would be comfortable for a human. That along with the height of the steps outside lead Kevin to think that the operators of the controls were long-limbed.

The first section of the control center that he approached immediately came to life. It displayed numerous colored buttons and controls labeled in an alien script that he did not recognize. Just above eye-level, a three dimensional sphere was displayed with lines demarcating trapezoidal areas. Kevin guess that this station controlled the different biomes on the ship.

He called on Ensign Thorne to further investigate the console and moved clockwise to the next section which also illuminated at his approach. The data displayed at just above eye-level, the 'monitor' Kevin assumed, showed visual sensor displays. He could pick out various star systems in the region and in a second display area, could also see the Norris as it kept to just inside of transporter range.

The third station displayed columns of meaningless alien script. He had no guess as to the station's purpose so he moved on.

The next section was more familiar to him. It displayed charts and plots in keeping with navigational controls. As he busied himself in deciphering what he could he called out to Trace, "Check the last two consoles. See if one of them corresponds to Engineering or Power Control."

"Aye sir." Trace responded automatically, and looked around for anything that looked familiar. He saw displays with varying levels colored depending on their capacity. "I'm guessing this is an Engineering console."


:off

Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Lieutenant Tracey "Trace" Walker
Chief Engineer
USS Chuck Norris