December 2004 - Post Selection (1)
ON : Collision course
Time: Day 3 12.25 hours Scene: The Bridge
A continuous and very long journey through the vast reaches of space, can be tedious to all but a few, and on one such occasion, Ensign Angus MacDuff, was starting to feel the onset of boredom creeping over him in his mind. He'd got his work schedule to keep him occupied for most of his shift, which at this moment was at the science station on the bridge. Never-the-less, just as all crew members are aware, he knew that when a ship travels at high warp, there is always the constant threat of physical danger, always ready to pounce on the unsuspecting traveller, ahead of a ship. That's why both the science station and the helm must stay vigilant and alert at all times. But as everyone knows, when a ship travels at high warp, there is really nothing to visually observe. It's rather down to the capability of the forward long range sensors, and those who are keeping their eyes on the data-stream coming in, to keep a wary eye open for the unexpected.
+"Lieutenant Vahl to ensign MacDuff"!+ The familiar but disembodied voice momentarily startled the scotsman.
+Tap+ "MacDuff, here lieutenant, sir" He spluttered, while quickly adjusting his position in his seat.
+"Your relief is on its way to you."+ Vahl replied before adding, +"Get yourself some rest. We're going to be busy later on, ensign. Vahl out!"+
"Aye, aye, sir!" +Tap+ He replied, and at the same time trying his best to fight off a yawn. It was true, he did need to get some rest, so, he was thankful he'd reached the end of what had been a very long double shift for him.
Without any warning whatsoever, the high pitched noise of red alert sprung into action. It also jolted Angus into an immediate response, just as the Commander called out.
Helm control was the first to respond.
"We have a course for collision!! A large object has suddenly appeared directly in front of us, sir!" Gradd(npc) quickly announced.
"Distance?!" Persson called out, his attention focussed on the forward viewscreen.
"Approximately one point two seven five million kilometres, and closing fast, sir!"
"Yon object appears ta be a type o' spatial rift, Commander." MacDuff said, looking at the spectroscopic data.
"Why wasn't it reported sooner?" He replied, feeling disappointed by their reaction times.
The entrance doors to the bridge opened and admitted Jacobs (npc), the ship's XO. He rushed to the science station and stood behind the scot.
"One minute there was'na anything at all, then suddenly it was right there in front o' us." MacDuff said politely, while checking his instrument readings again.
Persson shouted an order as he kept an eye on the proceedings.
"Evasive manoeuvres!"
"It's too late, Commander!" Jacobs called out...
The Dark Matter entered the rift before anyone could utter another word. And for what seemed to be a short passage of time to those on the bridge, matter momentarily appeared to stretch out in long thin streamers, and time itself, to stand still. Then everything went totally black.
The ship was now travelling at such a speed, that light itself could no longer be observed. After what felt like an eternity to the whole crew, there was a sudden popping sound, and normality quickly returned to the ship once again.
"What on earth happened?!" Demanded a very puzzled Commander.
Communications began coming in to the bridge from all sections throughout the ship, and Lomax(npc) had announced that although there had been no critical damage, some of the crew suffered minor cuts and abrasions.
Jacobs glanced down at MacDuff's console.
"According to the data here," Jacobs began. "We entered the rift and have now passed through it completely. Apparently, we've dropped out of warp and are now proceeding at full impulse, sir."
MacDuff checked and rechecked the sensor logs. Something had definitely happened to the ship. None of the stars corresponded to the locations shown the last time he observed their positions. He glanced at the chrono, the time showed that only a few minutes had passed by, since just before they entered the rift. Yet to the scot, something was radically wrong.
"Commander, sir!" He said, sounding a little bit worried. "We're nae longer at oo'r expected location fer the speed we werr' travelling at afor, sir.
Gradd spoke up to offer an answer to his dilemma.
"According to my instruments," He turned to face Persson. "We've travelled a distance of two hundred and twelve point four light years from our previous logged position, sir!!?" He was clearly shocked by this revelation, and it showed in his voice.
"This data is indeed correct!!" MacDuff announced as he glanced towards Gradd's position, he then added, "I'll have oo'r precise position in just a wee while, sir." His fingers danced over the instrumentation, then he said, "It would appear that we're nae more than three light years awa fro the USS Archimedes last recorded position, sir."
The bridge crew all looked at each other in total disbelief...
OFF :
Ensign Angus MacDuff
Science Officer
USS Dark Matter
Time: Day 3 12.25 hours Scene: The Bridge
A continuous and very long journey through the vast reaches of space, can be tedious to all but a few, and on one such occasion, Ensign Angus MacDuff, was starting to feel the onset of boredom creeping over him in his mind. He'd got his work schedule to keep him occupied for most of his shift, which at this moment was at the science station on the bridge. Never-the-less, just as all crew members are aware, he knew that when a ship travels at high warp, there is always the constant threat of physical danger, always ready to pounce on the unsuspecting traveller, ahead of a ship. That's why both the science station and the helm must stay vigilant and alert at all times. But as everyone knows, when a ship travels at high warp, there is really nothing to visually observe. It's rather down to the capability of the forward long range sensors, and those who are keeping their eyes on the data-stream coming in, to keep a wary eye open for the unexpected.
+"Lieutenant Vahl to ensign MacDuff"!+ The familiar but disembodied voice momentarily startled the scotsman.
+Tap+ "MacDuff, here lieutenant, sir" He spluttered, while quickly adjusting his position in his seat.
+"Your relief is on its way to you."+ Vahl replied before adding, +"Get yourself some rest. We're going to be busy later on, ensign. Vahl out!"+
"Aye, aye, sir!" +Tap+ He replied, and at the same time trying his best to fight off a yawn. It was true, he did need to get some rest, so, he was thankful he'd reached the end of what had been a very long double shift for him.
Without any warning whatsoever, the high pitched noise of red alert sprung into action. It also jolted Angus into an immediate response, just as the Commander called out.
Helm control was the first to respond.
"We have a course for collision!! A large object has suddenly appeared directly in front of us, sir!" Gradd(npc) quickly announced.
"Distance?!" Persson called out, his attention focussed on the forward viewscreen.
"Approximately one point two seven five million kilometres, and closing fast, sir!"
"Yon object appears ta be a type o' spatial rift, Commander." MacDuff said, looking at the spectroscopic data.
"Why wasn't it reported sooner?" He replied, feeling disappointed by their reaction times.
The entrance doors to the bridge opened and admitted Jacobs (npc), the ship's XO. He rushed to the science station and stood behind the scot.
"One minute there was'na anything at all, then suddenly it was right there in front o' us." MacDuff said politely, while checking his instrument readings again.
Persson shouted an order as he kept an eye on the proceedings.
"Evasive manoeuvres!"
"It's too late, Commander!" Jacobs called out...
The Dark Matter entered the rift before anyone could utter another word. And for what seemed to be a short passage of time to those on the bridge, matter momentarily appeared to stretch out in long thin streamers, and time itself, to stand still. Then everything went totally black.
The ship was now travelling at such a speed, that light itself could no longer be observed. After what felt like an eternity to the whole crew, there was a sudden popping sound, and normality quickly returned to the ship once again.
"What on earth happened?!" Demanded a very puzzled Commander.
Communications began coming in to the bridge from all sections throughout the ship, and Lomax(npc) had announced that although there had been no critical damage, some of the crew suffered minor cuts and abrasions.
Jacobs glanced down at MacDuff's console.
"According to the data here," Jacobs began. "We entered the rift and have now passed through it completely. Apparently, we've dropped out of warp and are now proceeding at full impulse, sir."
MacDuff checked and rechecked the sensor logs. Something had definitely happened to the ship. None of the stars corresponded to the locations shown the last time he observed their positions. He glanced at the chrono, the time showed that only a few minutes had passed by, since just before they entered the rift. Yet to the scot, something was radically wrong.
"Commander, sir!" He said, sounding a little bit worried. "We're nae longer at oo'r expected location fer the speed we werr' travelling at afor, sir.
Gradd spoke up to offer an answer to his dilemma.
"According to my instruments," He turned to face Persson. "We've travelled a distance of two hundred and twelve point four light years from our previous logged position, sir!!?" He was clearly shocked by this revelation, and it showed in his voice.
"This data is indeed correct!!" MacDuff announced as he glanced towards Gradd's position, he then added, "I'll have oo'r precise position in just a wee while, sir." His fingers danced over the instrumentation, then he said, "It would appear that we're nae more than three light years awa fro the USS Archimedes last recorded position, sir."
The bridge crew all looked at each other in total disbelief...
OFF :
Ensign Angus MacDuff
Science Officer
USS Dark Matter