The Silence of Space

Posted on Thu Mar 10th, 2022 @ 4:31am by Captain Michael Murphy & Captain Jackson Adams & Lieutenant Niles McCulloch Lt. & Lieutenant T'Ponga Shemara & Lieutenant Peter Ramsey & Ensign Trevor Andrews Ensign & Lieutenant JG Ethan Sanguina Dr.

Mission: The Sound of Thunder
Location: USS Montana

ON:

It had been three days since the ship hit whatever it was that brought them to a stop. Parts of the ship were still cut off from the rest of the ship; and repair crews were working three shifts a day to try and get everything up and running. Even worse, long range communications were still down and the ship was close to Klingon space.

While the KDF fleet might help the ship, and they were the closest port of call by far, the uneasy alliance that Jim Kirk and his crew had been apart of was still being finalized. No one knew what a Klingon port of call would be like, or even if the ship could get there.

Lieutenant Commander Murphy was on the bridge. He had hardly left since this began, except to sleep. He had taken to scarf down a meal quickly after sleeping so that he could get back to the bridge.

The Captain came into the bridge, his uniform still dirty from the repairs he had been assisting with. Looking at Murphy, the Captain said, "Commander one of us needs to get some sleep."

"Aye, Captain," Murphy replied with a chuckle. If he and Captain Adams were to have a contest about who was going to be more dedicated to the ship, Murphy believed it would be a tie if he wasn't so gracious that he would concede to the Captain anyway.

A very unsteady Chief Engineering officer walked onto the bridge. "Captain, we need to find a port of call to effect repairs. I can't do it out here. There is way to much that needs to be done. We need new constrictors, ODN conduit optic cables, new...hell there is a lot we need," T'Ponga said, sitting heavily in her engineering seat. Clearly, just having been released from sickbay, her stubbornness to do her job took over her injuries.

Murphy smiled, "It's good to see you up and about, Lieutenant Shemara."

"Thank you Cmdr. Murphy. My engineering teams are doing their best with what we have to get communications to the rest of the ship and long range communications as well. However, we still need a port of call asap. If it would help I might be able to get us the Klingons to help us get to a port of call to fix our ship," T'Ponga said, slightly wincing. Her ribs still smart although they were healed in sickbay.

The Portside four deck Rupture has been "patched" and buttressed by the Ship's Integrity Sheilding. Internal Structural repairs are continuing slow with the walking wounded and occasionally some of the repair crews taking the injured, to Sickbay as they be found.

In Sickbay Assist CMO, Lt.jg, Dr. Ethan Sanguina and the Medical staff are holding their own, although barely.

The Impulse Engines are operational at present. It took longer than the estimated time CEO T'Ponga Shemara had projected before being beamed to Sickbay.

Among the Many problems Assistant Chief Engineering Officers: Lt. Aaron Mitchell and Lt. Niles McCulloch along with Sci/Eng
Officer Ensign Trevor Andrews and the members of the Engineering Team still ambulatory have is baby-sitting the Impulse Engines.

Hoping The said Impulse Engines hold Together when CO. Capt. Adams and/or XO Murphy finally decide to make the Ship move. Whether It is to a Friendly and/or Federation port of call or Taking a chance with Klingons.

Lt. Mitchell Reports to CEO Shemara to basically Forget the Warp Drive until we get to a Space Dock. But, that the Impulse Engines Gods Willing will get us to where we "need to go" for NOW. That is as soon as someone decides where we are headed.

"One thing that is good news is we do have impulse but don't over tax them. They will hold until we get to a Klingon or Federation port. One thing I know is we need to go now sir," T'Ponga added, telling Cmdr. Murphy.

“We’ll keep that in mind, thank you,” Murphy replied, glancing at Captain Adams to make sure he had been listening.


__----------------
Assist. CSO Lt. Wallace Wilson by Directly Comm.ing ENS Andrews Occasionally, for help, have through periodic Examinations of samples of the ridiculously fast "Natural Object", that impacted the Ship shows:
1) The USS Montana NCC 1889, has the dubious honor of being the First to encounter IT.
2) It's Zeptosecond speed may be due to being shot out of an unstable small worm hole that was reported actually by the Klingons That periodically 'appears' roughly in the 'area' where It has the highest probably of coming from.
3) It has very, very, resilient and almost unbelievable elastic properties.
But, (4) No-one has yet had time to figure out what It's made of yet.
-----Bridge----------------------------------------------------------

Having taken in all the reports he could, the Captain decided that the ship could no longer float in space like a sitting duck. There was a Klingon repair depot just over their boarder. At the current speed the ship could make it there in just over a week.

Turing around in his command chair, his uniform still torn and dirty, he looked over the helm officer, Stuart Mann.

"Helm, take us out over the Klingon Border towards 341 Mark 792, best possible speed. We need help and they are our best option right now."

Looking over at the XO, Adams continued, "Commander Murphy, make sure the ship is somewhat ready to respond if the Klingons decide we are a good target. The uneasy alliance we have with now may help us--or it may not. They might send us packing and, if they do, we need another option. Please be prepared for that. I will be in my quarters taking a shower, assuming they are working. Have all hands, including yourself, get some rest over the next couple of days. It might get ugly once we get to our destination."

"Aye, Captain," Murphy replied. It felt good to start moving somewhere, anywhere. "I already have several backup plans prepared, but the Klingon repair facility we are headed to is definitely our highest chance of survival. I'll work out some new evasive maneuvers with Lieutenant Dubois, and I'll work with Engineering and see if we can't make our weapons punch a little harder."

With that the Captain left the bridge, leaving the XO in command.

Murphy felt the Captain was making the right decision. They had to be careful with their decisions, or they would end up being in the kind of report Starfleet Admirals got that ended with "and the ship was lost with all hands". Obviously the Klingons weren't his first choice to go to for help, but if they were serious about being allies with the Federation this was a chance to prove it. At least they weren't at war anymore, so it was unlikely that they'd end up in a detention center. Murphy figured the worst case scenario would be that the Klingons either turn them away, or hold them at the repair facility until they could be picked up by a functioning Federation starship.

"Lieutenant Tiller, make sure a communications buoy is prepared before we cross the border. In case we don't make it back, I want Starfleet to know what happened and where we went," Murphy ordered.

Tiller gave an acknowledgement.

More than anything, Murphy knew that the Klingons respected signs of strength. He would have to work that into his usual diplomacy if it came down to it.

Seventy Two hours later, the ship crossed over into Klingon Space and into whatever lay ahead.

OFF:

Captain Jackson Adams,
Commanding Officer--USS Montana

Lieutenant Commander Michael Murphy
Executive Officer and Chief of Security, USS Montana

Lieutenant T’Ponga Shemara
Chief Engineering Officer, USS Montana

Lieutenant Niles McCulloch
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer, USS Montana

Ensign Trevor Andrews
Engineering Officer and Science Officer, USS Montana