Take it
Posted on Wed Mar 6th, 2024 @ 4:48am by Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale
Mission:
Thunderdome
Location: Starbase 364
Timeline: Present
on:
{Mira’s Quarters, Starbase 364}
After her arm was healed, she went to dress in her uniform. She came out and smiled up at Kevin.
“Alright, let’s see what the Admiral has up his sleeve. It’s a little odd that he isn’t calling the captain in for this mission of his.”
She patted Vaytoc’s head. “Calm down, I’ll be with Kevin.” She told him. Vaytoc huffed when went to settle on the couch. Mira rolled her eyes
“I have no idea,” Kevin replied to Mira’s question, “Perhaps the Captain is already in the Admiral’s office.”
He fell in besides Mira on her left as they walked to the turbolift. “I’ve given it some thought,” he said, “Given the layer of furs that you needed in Greenland, I am thinking tropical.”
Mira was confused for a moment when he gave an answer out of the blue like that, but she remembered she had asked him out to the holodeck when they were on the ship. She smiled. “Sounds fun.”
“Deck 1” Mira told the computer. “I know this Admiral Proll. He is friends with my ……..” she was at a loss for words “Well, he is friends with Ambassador M’Niras. You might as well know I turned down a meeting with Ambassador M’Niras earlier today. It wasn’t on a Starfleet matter, but some whim of his that I wasn’t willing to deal with. Perhaps Admiral Proll is just going to yell at me for that. Even if Commander Crirr called it a mission.”
The doors open to a male sitting at a desk.
Mira stepped out. “We are here to see Admiral Proll.”
The man seemed bored but nodded. “Go right in. He is expecting you, Commander Rodale.” Mira would have preferred jumping off a cliff then walking in, but she kept walking.
She gave a nod as she entered the huge office “Sir, I was told you wanted to see me? This is Lt. Commander Kevin Lance the Chuck Norris 02.”
Aside from the Admiral, the only other occupant in the office was a female Andorian Lieutenant sitting in a chair against one wall.
The Caitian came around the next to shake Kevin’s hand. “Finally, we meet in person.” Then, without saying a word to Mira, she was handed a PADD. Looking it over, Mira was still a bit confused, so she handed the PADD to Kevin.
Kevin read the PADD and raised an eyebrow. “Pick up and escort a civilian science team?” He questioned, “Don’t they have their own ship?”
“The situation is much more complex than the mission statement would indicate,” the Andorian replied.
“This is Lieutenant Th’aqaor,” the Admiral introduced the Andorian, “our Strategic Operations Officer.”
“The team was on a deep immersion mission to study the society on Paarth Elion Three,” she continued, “The team has missed its last three check-ins.”
“Communications failure?” Kevin asked, starting with the most logical explanation.”
“That is for you to determine, Commander Lance,” the Admiral looked past Mira to address Kevin directly. Kevin shifted his weight from one foot to the other. What is going on here, he thought, Mira said she knew the Admiral but he is treating her like she doesn’t exist.
“So more of a search and rescue mission,” he shrugged, “Sounds easy enough.”
“Except that Paarth Elion Three is a pre-warp society that is under Prime Directive restrictions,” Lieutenant Th’aqaor countered.
“I’m confused,” Kevin confessed, “If it was off-limits, what was a science team doing on the planet?”
“Paarth Elion Three experienced a catastrophic environmental disaster twenty-three years ago,” Th’aqaor continued, “The society on the planet has been devolving to barbarism ever since. It presented a unique opportunity to study the breakdown so an exception was granted.”
“And the fact that the mission leader has connections higher up in the Federation government had absolutely nothing to do with the granting of the exception,” the Admiral added dismissively.
As the Admiral took a seat, his eyes watched Mira carefully to see any reaction. She had gotten really good at hiding her reactions over years. “Interesting, no reaction to me overlooking you?”
Mira frowned. “Honesty, I was amusing myself with how many ways I could kill you and which ones I could get away with.”
Admiral Proll laughed “Good, keep that sense of humor. You’re going to need it on this mission. Men rule on this planet you’re going to.”
Mira nodded, slowly. She hadn’t been kidding, but whatever. “So I make sure it looks like Kevin is leading the team. What else?”
“Prior to the disaster, the planet had achieved a technology equivalent to Earth in the mid to late twentieth century,” Th’aqaor explained, “The exception granted prohibited any advanced technology. The rescue mission will be under a similar restriction.”
“So no phasers, tricorders, or communicators,” Kevin acknowledged he significance of the restriction.
“And limited use of transporters,” the Admiral interjected, “We can’t have you suddenly disappearing too often.”
“If we can’t use communicators, how are we suppose to connect the ship, and how will they track us if things go south?” Mira asked . “Also I assume your providing clothing?”
"You won't be able to communicate directly with your ship," the Admiral stated matter-of-factly, "You'll need to return to your initial beam in point once you have recovered the science team. Coordinate with your ship to scan for your presence daily and beam you out when you return. As for running into trouble, I can't imagine the woman who survived four years alone on a planet so charmingly named 'Hell' would have any problems keeping herself and her crew alive."
Mira laughed, "I wasn't worried about surviving. Since I have been surviving on my own since I was 15 and taught survival skills since I was 7. Yes, I can be dropped on any planet and survive. I only asked because our captain doesn't like us to be out of contact."
The admiral frowned. "M'Niras was harder on you than he should have been, but you turned out fine." he told her. Mira was not at all happy he was justifying how she was treated by M'Niras and his people.
Kevin saw the effect that the Admiral's comment had on Mira and he thought that he detected an uneasiness in the Andorian before she added, "The science team has gathered a large database on information on clothing and customs that should permit you to blend in. Your physical appearance is another matter."
"How so," Kevin asked
"Refer to appendix d in the orders," she indicated the PADD in Kevin's hand.
He opened the appropriate section in the orders. It contained an analysis of the sentient species on Paarth Elion Three. One race was humanoid with orange skin and jet black hair. Cranial ridges ran vertically up their temples rather like Cardassians and their irises dominated their eyes to the point that they appeared almost black. The male of the species seems emaciated to the point of appearing to be nothing but muscle and bone. The females had a softer, more voluptuous look.
There was a second, less dominate species that stood nine feet tall with four arms, green skin, and mandibles that protruded from an oblong skull. Kevin couldn't tell the different between the males and females.
"There is no way that you will be able to pass as natives in your current states," the Admiral explained, "So you will need to go through gene therapy to change your appearances."
Mira turned to the PADD Kevin was holding."Orange skin, black hair and eyes? Interesting, how long will it take gene therapy to change our appearances?"
"Three days of treatments to alter the expression of your DNA on the molecular level," Th’aqaor explained, "Another four days post treatment for the alterations to be fully visible."
The admiral frowned. "M'Niras was harder on you than he should have been, but you turned out fine." he told her.
"Now long before we head out, Admiral?" Mira asked.
"You can depart once your team has completed gene therapy," the Admiral replied. He stood and approached Mira to shake her hand. "Good luck, Commander," he said with a tinge of what might have been regret.
Mira shook his hand then walked out.
:off
Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Chuck Norris
and
Commander Mira Rodale
XO
USS Chuck Norris
