" Gathering "
(Previous Post was Mark's "Welcome To Hell")
==========
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 13, Corridor
Stardate: 60325.1015
The young woman made her way down the corridor as her mind raced a
million times faster than her feet in 2 opposite directions… one 1 hand
reviewing the events that had come to pass… while on the other exploring the
unknown possibilities that laid ahead.
"Captain… is everything alright?" Ens. Mei, the ANUBIS' Cns inquired as she slide next to the redheaded woman. Although a relatively new member of the crew, the Hudson Valley born woman had quickly proven her worth and had made it a point to be able to pick up on their CO's mood. Susan had not been sure *what* had been troubling the captain, but she knew that there was something and that the best she could do was to offer a caring presence.
"Everything is… fine." The young woman replied with far more hesitation than the CO had cared to offer and even more than the Cns had been ready to hear. Still not knowing what had been troubling the CO, Ens. Mei now knew beyond a doubt that whatever had been at the heart of this was big… really big.
"Are we heading to the bridge?" Susan inquired, not at all sure as to the way she would need to proceed in order to make the CO more comfortable in discussing whatever had been on her mind. Given the situation that they would soon find themselves in the middle of, the Cns thought it best if the captain cleared her mind of any and all matter not pertaining to the SURIAL III, the MERCURYand most important the rescue of its crew.
"Actually… no we are not." The redheaded woman replied as a faint grin appeared on her pink lips which of course made Susan even more curious and concerned about the ANUBIS' CO.
"Would you mind if I asked *where* we are going then?" The Ensign asked as she silently wondered to herself if following the CO at this very moment had been such a good idea.
"Right here." Rikar replied as she pointed to the large door that displayed on bold letters the identification 'Stellar Cartography.'
==========
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 13, Stellar Cartography
Stardate: 60325.1018
"Alright Maya… what have you found?" The young woman inquired as she
stepped into the room, obviously not at all surprised to see the CSciO where
she was but looking rather unexpectedly at the Marine 1st Lieutenant standing
almost directly behind the Shillian.
"Captain… what brings you here? I mean your question to me made that clear, but why are you here instead of on the bridge? I would have thought that you would have gone there first and after having noticed that I had not been at my station inquired of the computer as to my location unless you have already done so and chose to come down instead of using the communications channel. Although a less efficient method I am actually happy that you have come down as this will permit me to show you what I have been able to discover on the SURIAL System using our long-range sensors and a wide variety of other data." The CSciO offered making the CO question for a moment the actual reasoning of her having come to Stellar Cartography instead of contacting the Shillian from the bridge… at least there the redheaded woman could have muted the conversation while Maya carried on about nothing and everything.
"Lets just say that this was the most logical place to find you. I have come to know you well enough to know that you would come here as soon as you had the chance. That said, please skip the long-winded explanation and just tell me what you have found." The CO demanded as she moved a little closer followed by Ens. Mei who had not let the redheaded woman out of her sight still trying to ascertain what it was that had been weighing on the captain's mind.
"It looks like the SURIAL System is unprotected." The Marine explained with the efficiency and directness that officers of his position were renowned for, having learned long ago that wasting time was never a good thing.
"Unprotected? That doesn't sound right." The redheaded woman stated as she leaned over the shoulder of the sitting CSciO to verify the information displayed on her console before shifting her attention upward to the massive spherical screen that stretched 5 decks high.
"That is what Lt. Pravat kept saying… but all data gathered thus far seem to point to that conclusion… there are no signs of ships anywhere in orbit of SURIAL III or anywhere else in the system. The only possibility is that there might be 1 or at most 2 cloaked ships hiding behind any of the moons or planets, but the problem is that if they are actually there, how have they been able to remain hidden without knowing about our exact approach vector. Even if the Cardassian had warned them of our arrival, there would have been no way for them to know exactly what path we would have taken to reach the system and given that we did not take the most direct root, it is even more inconceivable that they were able to *guess* with this level of accuracy our course and heading." The Shillian explained at a rate of speed that would have made any Binar proud based the amount information given against the time used to do it.
"So either we have a traitor onboard who relayed our exact course to the waiting ships allowing them to hide behind a moon or a planet… or the Cardassians never expected anyone to make it this far." Ens. Doratheva, the ANUBIS' Chief of Security announced as she joined the CO and Cns, the ship's newest member having obviously followed the same logic the captain had leading her onto this deck and into this room.
"So you have not detected any sort of energy or gravitational distortion that could indicate that there are any cloaked ships in the vicinity of SURIAL III?" The CO inquired, actually finding the possibility of the planet not having been under heavy guard to be a most welcomed news.
"Actually… we found these." Pravat offered as she enlarged the view of the planet to maximum magnification displaying a multitude of very faint distortion which seemed to be orbiting the planet in a very erratic pattern.
"Disturbances in the planet's magnetosphere?" Ens. Mei suggested, calling upon all that she had been able to remember from her time in the planetary science classes offered at Starfleet Academy.
"That is what Lt. Cmdr. Maya also said, but the problem is that we are unable to detect any sort of magnetic shift anywhere in the planet's atmosphere that could remotely account for these sort of things." Pravat jumped in with thinking it best that he give the explanation instead of the CSciO… if only for time's sake.
"If those are not caused by shifts in the planet's magnetosphere… then what is causing them?" The redheaded woman inquired, following the chaotic pattern of these strange things with great interest wondering if maybe they had found something new to be added to the databanks of Starfleet Interstellar Research.
"Those are cloaked orbital defence platforms." The ANUBIS' ILO offered in her customary tone, the woman having appeared right next to the CO and Cns as if the Intel Operative had been there all along.
"Cloaked orbital defence platforms? You are kidding right? There has to be over a hundred of them around that planet." Eva gasped, not at all liking what the ILO had just said and what it meant for the crew of the ANUBIS.
"That would certainly explain why the system appeared unprotected from afar." The Marine 1st Lieutenant sighed as he scratched the back of his head. Obviously their reaching the surface of the planet would not be has uneventful as the CSciO and himself had hoped.
"Thanks… you may just have saved us from making a very costly error." The young woman offered to the ILO as she turned to face the blonde haired woman and genuinely smiled for the first time since Susan had joined the CO. Although not entirely certain, the Cns could guess that either Enaii had been the cause of the captain's trouble, or at best the cure for it… or at worst both.
========== 2005 post #334
Sabrina Jones {sabrina_sweet@hotmail.com}
Captain Sabrina Rikar
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
