Season 17: Episode 1: Step Into My Parlor

[Buck McNair]

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 - Bridge]

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]
"I see it too, not sure what this is."
Webbing, why did that make his spine feel like ice? What was webbing doing in space? How did it relate to the gash in the ship.
There were plenty of crystalline materials that could be formed by the mixture of gases and minerals mixing when the ship were to be impacted by a body moving through interstellar space. Usually these formations would be larger and more chaotic in strucure, form spikes and dislocated nexuses. A web might hint at a simultanous release of energy from the grid. Closer analysis might uncover the structures to match the with the powergrid of the ship underneath.
"Aye Sir!"
"Ensign Dupont, Lieutenant M'Nia, Officer T'Rea, please report to the Shuttle Bay." 

"Lieutenants Soreka, Michael, Lorut, please join me too, " turning around he saw Lieutenant McNair just enter the Bridge, "Perfect timing, Lieutenant McNair, please take over the Ops Station."
Having called for his team, he went for the Turbolift. The Shuttlebay his destination.

Vila nodded. "Yes, sir. McNair, call down to the office. Put petty officer Childers on the switches. I want those done TODAY. Before today," she said. They would know by now that Vila meant now-but there shouldn't be MUCH to do, honestly. They ran a check on the switches regularly, and she was on top of it at all times. Anything short of perfect was unacceptable to her.

Buck, by now, had arrived at the bridge. "I have control. Good luck, Away Team." Buck said as he approached the station, logging in with his username and keypass. He looked over at Lorut, nodding, "Already done. Wouldn't dare leave the switches unmanned for too long." She ran a tight ops station, though granted they were of the same rank - they clearly had different approaches to their leadership.

He allowed for the data to run, and continue running as he got himself up to speed with the Momunentary's status. Buck would also make sure that a ping was sent to the ship at a set interval, making his and the crew's lives easier in case there was someone out there that was requiring urgent assistance. He could hold out help, he had to at the very least for the potential survivors of the ship.

"Ops to science, how's the readings looking so far? Any changes?"

[Zuriel Soreka]

"Lieutenants Soreka, Michael, Lorut, please join me too, " turning around he saw Lieutenant McNair just enter the Bridge, "Perfect timing, Lieutenant McNair, please take over the Ops Station."
Having called for his team, he went for the Turbolift. The Shuttlebay his destination.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]
Looking as his team assembling around him, his mind was spinning. The mystery of what happened to the Momentary still everpresent in his thoughts.
"Glad to see you all assembled here so quickly. We are on a mission to find out what has happened to our fellow Star Fleet Colleagues. We don't know what has happened to their ship but we found it in pretty bad shape. Most of you have probably already seen the images by now. Given we don't know what caused this damage and the ship's atmosphere and life support systems are unstable, please all suit up in environmental suits, also keep your phasers ready, in case we find out these damages were more artificial in nature."
"And if any of you have any theories as to what might have caused this, feel free to share them, same if you spot anything suspicious."

The webbing on the ship was an odd factor in the investigation, that seemed to point to a non-natural occurrence but he was not the  scientist. Zuriel's Job was to advise on safety concerns regarding the ship and crew. "Aye sir, heading to prep now." Zuriel nodded as she left his station and walked into the turbo lift. This would not be Zurial's first EV walk, but he would have liked to have more information on the possible threats they might be facing. Loading up a cart with type 2 phasers for the group and a type 3 phaser for himself Zutrial continued to the shuttle bay.

The XO had already started the mission briefing and the others were ordered to put on their suits. "Odd, that webbing could be a disabling trap of some kind, there are so much easier ways to destroy a ship it would seem the prime goal was to immobilize," Zuriel commented as he stepped into his suit and began to check the seals on his boots and wrists. Once his suit was prepared Zuriel took a few moments to secure the mission weaponry, and then to sync the transponder signals of the others in the away team to the local system of the shuttle which should provide a faster and more accurate idea of each members' location instead of having to be relayed and dispersed directly from the Discovery. "Weapons and locators are green Sir, we are good to go." Zuriel stated as he leaned out of the back of the shuttle.

[Kalem Michael]

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]

Looking as his team assembling around him, his mind was spinning. The mystery of what happened to the Momentary still everpresent in his thoughts.

"Glad to see you all assembled here so quickly. We are on a mission to find out what has happened to our fellow Star Fleet Colleagues. We don't know what has happened to their ship but we found it in pretty bad shape. Most of you have probably already seen the images by now. Given we don't know what caused this damage and the ship's atmosphere and life support systems are unstable, please all suit up in environmental suits, also keep your phasers ready, in case we find out these damages were more artificial in nature."

"And if any of you have any theories as to what might have caused this, feel free to share them, same if you spot anything suspicious."

Kalem slipped quickly into his suit. It was one thing that he had learned while being a fighter pilot to do at a fast pace. He also pulled out his phaser and made sure that it was set to stun.

Probably not going to need it. but better to make sure I'm not going to accidentally kill someone because I didn't check it.

He sat down at the flight controls and started his preflight. A few moments later after everyone had boarded the shuttle he activated the coms

"Discovery control, this is Tereshkova. Ready to leave the barn"

Kalem waited for the authorization to leave and head out to the derelict ship.

[M'Nia]

M'nia was finally finished. It never failed. as soon as she was ready to leave , something happened that demanded her attention. Always something that had to be handled right away. She was all set now.  She had her engineering kit ready and was almost to the shuttle bay. An away team was always interesting.  Finally the doors opened to the shuttle bay. She breathed a sigh of relief. Finally she was there. Bring on the away mission.

[T'Rea]

A sensor beep went off before he could speak, and as it gave its message, the ship had listed enough for the Captain and the rest of the bridge to see what it was pointing out. A gash in the ventral hull, it looked like it was large enough for a couple of decks and several sections.

"A possible explosion? But that shouldn't completely kill the ship.  It shouldn't even completely kill the deck. Wait... computer.  Enhance section 16-Kilo and magnify." he ordered, and a section of the saucer was highlighted and zoomed in. There was light glinting off it from the star, and there he could see why it looked aged.

"Ramort, do you see that?  There is some sort of netting material all over the hull." he stated grimly, shaking his head.

"Assume the worst; Number One, get an away team suited up and take a shuttle over.  Investigate the ship and see if you can enter.  We don't know if that material will hamper transporters and I do not want to find out the hard way."

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]
"I see it too, not sure what this is."

Webbing, why did that make his spine feel like ice? What was webbing doing in space? How did it relate to the gash in the ship.

There were plenty of crystalline materials that could be formed by the mixture of gases and minerals mixing when the ship were to be impacted by a body moving through interstellar space. Usually these formations would be larger and more chaotic in strucure, form spikes and dislocated nexuses. A web might hint at a simultanous release of energy from the grid. Closer analysis might uncover the structures to match the with the powergrid of the ship underneath.

"Aye Sir!"

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]
"I'm not reading any breathable atmosphere in the ship," T'Rea reported to the bridge with a quietness to her tone that managed to convey her solemnity even as her expression stayed carefully composed. She was sparking with curiosity to understand what had occurred here, but she took a moment to let the gravity of the situation sink in. The Momentary's records showed a crew compliment of nearly a thousand souls. Each of them was a whole person with family, friends---now all lost. The death of her own youngest child had driven her here: to deep space, to the Discovery, and if there was one thing she had learned from Yiluv's passing, it was the grief was better faced in the moment then pushed aside to be dealt with at some undefined 'later'.

Ensign Kedan's mouth was set in a thin line. "There's no power left either--not even emergency power." He too understood the ramifications for the other ship's crew, but quickly moved on, magnifying the view of the ship on his screen "I'm having a hard time making out the composition of that... net." He didn't have a better word for it at the moment--and while he was young, he was experienced enough to know when to ask for support.

"Ensign Kedan to Lieutenant Hayes, I'm sending you some images of of some kind of webbing that seems to be on the Momentary's hull. I haven't been able to get anything meaningful on the scanners yet. Can you have the team down there look into it?" he requested to the Science department's defacto head.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Science Lab 3]
Lt. Emily Hayes had spent much of the last few hours managing the anxious uncertainty of the Science Department's less experienced members, and now she was ready to put them to work. "Ensign Ch'Rehllan, come have a look at this," she called over to the newly arrived Andorian with a gesture at her terminal, now displaying several images of the listing Momentary and it's strange formations on the hull. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

"Ensign Dupont, Lieutenant M'Nia, Officer T'Rea, please report to the Shuttle Bay." 

"Lieutenants Soreka, Michael, Lorut, please join me too, " turning around he saw Lieutenant McNair just enter the Bridge, "Perfect timing, Lieutenant McNair, please take over the Ops Station."

Having called for his team, he went for the Turbolift. The Shuttlebay his destination.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]
Looking as his team assembling around him, his mind was spinning. The mystery of what happened to the Momentary still everpresent in his thoughts.

"Glad to see you all assembled here so quickly. We are on a mission to find out what has happened to our fellow Star Fleet Colleagues. We don't know what has happened to their ship but we found it in pretty bad shape. Most of you have probably already seen the images by now. Given we don't know what caused this damage and the ship's atmosphere and life support systems are unstable, please all suit up in environmental suits, also keep your phasers ready, in case we find out these damages were more artificial in nature."

"And if any of you have any theories as to what might have caused this, feel free to share them, same if you spot anything suspicious."

[USS Discovery| Deck 10 |Shuttle Bay]
The only sign of surprise T'Rea had displayed at Commander Ramort's request to report to the shuttle bay was a blink, and she made quick work of handing off her portion of the station to Kedan. He had momentarily put a hand on her shoulder in a gestures she interpreted as encouraging, and then she had followed the rest of the XO's chosen group into the lift.

It was strange to turn left towards the shuttle bay instead of right to the labs when they exited on Deck 10, but such thoughts were quickly brushed aside by Ramort's welcome speech. Environmental suits were familiar--she'd used them often in the course of post-doctoral research, where she'd established and maintained harsh environments setups for the study of plant ecology. Phasers were decidedly less familiar, and she strapped it on somewhat awkwardly when it was distributed to her by Lt. Soreka.

[Lucien Dupont]

[USS Discovery | Deck 11 | Main Engineering]

The images flooding into Engineering of the Momentary caused a buzz, practically an uproar of ideas and theories.

"Was all the power just...drained at once?" Lt Flanagan ponders, while an entire gaggle of yellow shirts are crowded around Lt Giancarlo near a readout of sensor scans trying to guess as to what this net that has been found could be made of. Tholians? Maybe it's Q? Maybe it's some sort of ancient technology?

"What's it made of, energy?" Lucien asks aloud before the call comes in - he's being brought onto the shuttle to investigate! Lucien freezes up in shock momentarily before quickly rushing over to grab his kit. ODN Recoupler? Check. Flux Coupler. Check. Hyperspanner...Hyperspanner? Where's the Hyperspanner?! Lucien looks around in a panic before finding it nesting peacefully on the floor.

"Whoops...guess I knocked it over." He chuckles to himself before darting towards Main Shuttlebay.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]

Lucien burst onto the scene, carrying his kit in his right hand. Thank God - some action! Engineering was becoming a tad boring during this crisis, constant diagnostics and maintenance checks to make sure the Discovery doesn't fall victim to whatever took out the Momentary.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]

Looking as his team assembling around him, his mind was spinning. The mystery of what happened to the Momentary still everpresent in his thoughts.

"Glad to see you all assembled here so quickly. We are on a mission to find out what has happened to our fellow Star Fleet Colleagues. We don't know what has happened to their ship but we found it in pretty bad shape. Most of you have probably already seen the images by now. Given we don't know what caused this damage and the ship's atmosphere and life support systems are unstable, please all suit up in environmental suits, also keep your phasers ready, in case we find out these damages were more artificial in nature."

"And if any of you have any theories as to what might have caused this, feel free to share them, same if you spot anything suspicious."

Lucien gasps slightly in shock. Phasers?! This might be more dangerous than he thought. Sure he re-certified in the Type 2 regularly like anyone else, but being trained didn't make the thought of danger any less comforting.

"Have we picked up any signs of life at all?" He asks, cocking his head slightly - he figured the answer was no, but thought it was worth asking anyway.

[TrikNarChRehllan]

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Science Lab 3]
Trix strode briskly into Science Lab 3, his mind still half on his recent visit to sickbay. The triage readiness alert had yanked him out of his thoughts, and now here he was, standing amidst a whirl of activity as lab technicians and officers buzzed around workstations. The inconclusive readings from the Momentary had just been transmitted, and the air felt charged—part anticipation, part dread.

Trix took in the scene quickly. Science Lab 3 was a cross-disciplinary hub for behavioral science and chemistry, but today it felt like it was at the epicenter of a brewing storm. Banks of consoles blinked with streams of data, most of it incomprehensible at a glance but suggestive of the complex mystery that had just been dumped in their laps. In the middle of it all, by one of the central stations, stood Lieutenant Emily Hayes, one of the few other non-STEM scientists aboard the Discovery. She caught his eye and beckoned him over.

"Ensign Ch'Rehllan, come have a look at this," she called over to the newly arrived Andorian with a gesture at her terminal, now displaying several images of the listing Momentary and it's strange formations on the hull. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

Trix leaned over the console she was gesturing to, scanning the preliminary data. His antennae curled slightly as he processed the readings. Decades of accelerated aging, the peculiar net-like structure encasing the Momentary, and...nothing. No survivors. No discernible energy signatures. It all looked more like a scenario plucked from the imagination of a first-year cadet—a concoction of unlikely elements strung together for a training exercise—than something that should actually exist.

"Honestly, Lieutenant," Trix said, straightening up, "This feels like the setup for a case study on what to do when confronted with implausible nonsense. Except it's real, so that's...less amusing."

Hayes gave him a faint smile. "Improbable nonsense or not, we've got to make sense of it."

Trix nodded and turned back to the console. He began a search through the ship's databases, cross-referencing everything he could think of—civilian shipping logs, known salvage operations, cultural records that might hint at civilizations using similar nets. But the readings were...comically mundane. The data provided nothing definitive, no smoking phaser. Just traces of something that felt entirely ordinary but in the context of the Momentary's state, could not be.

It was Ensign T'lel, a Caitian astrophysicist, who broke the stalemate. "There's something odd about this. Trace amounts of tetryon radiation. It's faint, but it's there," she said, her tail flicking as she scrutinized a separate display.

Trix's antennae tapped against each other at the mention of tetryons, a subconscious flicker of recognition, his mind scrambling to place the term somewhere in the vast amount of knowledge he had studied during his Academy days... and forgotten again in the short while since. The term ringing a bell, albeit faintly, he input the information into his ongoing search. Moments later, a result flashed up on his screen that gave him pause.

"Tetryons...right... They've been weaponized before. The Hirogen used them—species native to the Delta Quadrant. Voyager encountered them. Their culture revolves around hunting sentient beings, so...if they were involved, the crew's absence would make sense."

He paused, his antennae angling downward as he frowned at the console. "But the delta quadrant...that's too far of a leap," the ever-present smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth deepening as he appreciated his own pun. "Then again, a hunting culture could find...macabre utility in using a net like that. Maybe not as traditional weapons, but for...containment? Immobilization? Capture?"

"The connection is threadbare, though. There's nothing in the records about the Hirogen deploying something like this on a naval scale. It neither fits their established methods, nor accounts for the ageing. It's...theoretical at best. This may well just be a coincidence, but one way or the other, we need to find more supporting data before we can reconstruct what happened."

T'lel's ears flicked as she considered his words. "Still, it's worth noting as a theory."

"Theory noted," Trix replied almost absentmindedly, already shifting gears and redirecting his search toward more grounded possibilities. There had to be something in the data that made sense—a thread of logic or a pattern that would unravel the enigma of the Momentary. All he had to do was find it.

[Tekin Nevir]

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]

"I see it too, not sure what this is."

Webbing, why did that make his spine feel like ice? What was webbing doing in space? How did it relate to the gash in the ship.

There were plenty of crystalline materials that could be formed by the mixture of gases and minerals mixing when the ship were to be impacted by a body moving through interstellar space. Usually these formations would be larger and more chaotic in strucure, form spikes and dislocated nexuses. A web might hint at a simultanous release of energy from the grid. Closer analysis might uncover the structures to match the with the powergrid of the ship underneath.

"Aye Sir!"

"Ensign Dupont, Lieutenant M'Nia, Officer T'Rea, please report to the Shuttle Bay." 

"Lieutenants Soreka, Michael, Lorut, please join me too, " turning around he saw Lieutenant McNair just enter the Bridge, "Perfect timing, Lieutenant McNair, please take over the Ops Station."

Having called for his team, he went for the Turbolift. The Shuttlebay his destination.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Shuttle Bay]

Looking as his team assembling around him, his mind was spinning. The mystery of what happened to the Momentary still everpresent in his thoughts.

"Glad to see you all assembled here so quickly. We are on a mission to find out what has happened to our fellow Star Fleet Colleagues. We don't know what has happened to their ship but we found it in pretty bad shape. Most of you have probably already seen the images by now. Given we don't know what caused this damage and the ship's atmosphere and life support systems are unstable, please all suit up in environmental suits, also keep your phasers ready, in case we find out these damages were more artificial in nature."

"And if any of you have any theories as to what might have caused this, feel free to share them, same if you spot anything suspicious."

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]
"I'm not reading any breathable atmosphere in the ship," T'Rea reported to the bridge with a quietness to her tone that managed to convey her solemnity even as her expression stayed carefully composed. She was sparking with curiosity to understand what had occurred here, but she took a moment to let the gravity of the situation sink in. The Momentary's records showed a crew compliment of nearly a thousand souls. Each of them was a whole person with family, friends---now all lost. The death of her own youngest child had driven her here: to deep space, to the Discovery, and if there was one thing she had learned from Yiluv's passing, it was the grief was better faced in the moment then pushed aside to be dealt with at some undefined 'later'.

Ensign Kedan's mouth was set in a thin line. "There's no power left either--not even emergency power." He too understood the ramifications for the other ship's crew, but quickly moved on, magnifying the view of the ship on his screen "I'm having a hard time making out the composition of that... net." He didn't have a better word for it at the moment--and while he was young, he was experienced enough to know when to ask for support.

"Ensign Kedan to Lieutenant Hayes, I'm sending you some images of of some kind of webbing that seems to be on the Momentary's hull. I haven't been able to get anything meaningful on the scanners yet. Can you have the team down there look into it?" he requested to the Science department's defacto head.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Science Lab 3]
Lt. Emily Hayes had spent much of the last few hours managing the anxious uncertainty of the Science Department's less experienced members, and now she was ready to put them to work. "Ensign Ch'Rehllan, come have a look at this," she called over to the newly arrived Andorian with a gesture at her terminal, now displaying several images of the listing Momentary and it's strange formations on the hull. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

[USS Discovery| Deck 10 |Shuttle Bay]
The only sign of surprise T'Rea had displayed at Commander Ramort's request to report to the shuttle bay was a blink, and she made quick work of handing off her portion of the station to Kedan. He had momentarily put a hand on her shoulder in a gestures she interpreted as encouraging, and then she had followed the rest of the XO's chosen group into the lift.

It was strange to turn left towards the shuttle bay instead of right to the labs when they exited on Deck 10, but such thoughts were quickly brushed aside by Ramort's welcome speech. Environmental suits were familiar--she'd used them often in the course of post-doctoral research, where she'd established and maintained harsh environments setups for the study of plant ecology. Phasers were decidedly less familiar, and she strapped it on somewhat awkwardly when it was distributed to her by Lt. Soreka.

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

He nodded as Ramort called for an away team and headed for the turbolift.  Nevir considered taking a seat, but instead opted to stand as the officers changed out around him to replace the called officers for the away team. He stood staring at the drifting husk of a ship he knew, and a Captain he feared was gone. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel the chill going down his own spine.

"Ops, cancel hailing frequencies... if there isn't even power in the reserves, even if they had comms it wouldn't be working. Keep long-range scans active and keep locks on the shuttle and away team when they leave. Send a message to Starfleet, let them know we've found the Momentary and are investigating.  Likely all hands lost due to an unknown incident."

Kalem slipped quickly into his suit. It was one thing that he had learned while being a fighter pilot to do at a fast pace. He also pulled out his phaser and made sure that it was set to stun.

Probably not going to need it. but better to make sure I'm not going to accidentally kill someone because I didn't check it.

He sat down at the flight controls and started his preflight. A few moments later after everyone had boarded the shuttle he activated the coms

"Discovery control, this is Tereshkova. Ready to leave the barn"

Kalem waited for the authorization to leave and head out to the derelict ship.

"You are clear to launch.  Good luck and don't take unnecessary risks.  Start with investigating the hull damage and unknown material."

"Helm, maintain position.  Extrapolate its course and see where it's drifting too."

[T'Rea]

Kalem slipped quickly into his suit. It was one thing that he had learned while being a fighter pilot to do at a fast pace. He also pulled out his phaser and made sure that it was set to stun.

Probably not going to need it. but better to make sure I'm not going to accidentally kill someone because I didn't check it.

He sat down at the flight controls and started his preflight. A few moments later after everyone had boarded the shuttle he activated the coms

"Discovery control, this is Tereshkova. Ready to leave the barn"

Kalem waited for the authorization to leave and head out to the derelict ship.

"You are clear to launch.  Good luck and don't take unnecessary risks.  Start with investigating the hull damage and unknown material."

Lucien gasped slightly in shock. Phasers?! This might be more dangerous than he thought. Sure he re-certified in the Type 2 regularly like anyone else, but being trained didn't make the thought of danger any less comforting.

"Have we picked up any signs of life at all?" He asked, cocking his head slightly - he figured the answer was no, but thought it was worth asking anyway.

[The Tereshkova]

T'Rea filed up the ramp of the shuttle along with the rest of the away team and took her seat. She heard Kalem's request for take off clearance and the captain's answer across the comm, but it was only when the shuttle lurched slightly as it became airborne that the reality of the situation really sunk in.

She had to resist the urge to check her comm and phaser setting (illogical, she had already checked them before coming on board) and found herself actually grateful for Ensign Dupont's question. "None." she confirmed quietly. Of course, that wasn't the same as a confirmation of life extinction, but at the moment, given the circumstances, that felt like a mere technicality. "And the last readings I took from the Science station before leaving the bridge showed that the ship is completely open to vacuum." The sentence carried an echo of how it had felt to slide closed the stone lid of Yiluv's coffin, and it wasn't lost on T'Rea that they were now in route to the lifeless Momentary, her cracked and marred hull little more than a coffin for her crew. She touched her hand to her chest to feel the the pendent she had given to Turak for their engagement many, many years ago press against her skin. It was a weakness to rely on such a thing to steady her control, but it was also highly effective.

T'Rea looked around the shuttle with new eyes, taking in who all was present. She recognized everyone's faces, of course, but aside from Ramort she hadn't had more than passing interactions with any of them. Apparently she needed to get out of the Science department more often. "What's the procedure when we arrive?" she asked the question to the shuttle at large, but her eyes were mostly on Soreka as the tactical officer and Ramort as the ranking officer.

[Buck McNair]

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

He nodded as Ramort called for an away team and headed for the turbolift.  Nevir considered taking a seat, but instead opted to stand as the officers changed out around him to replace the called officers for the away team. He stood staring at the drifting husk of a ship he knew, and a Captain he feared was gone. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel the chill going down his own spine.

"Ops, cancel hailing frequencies... if there isn't even power in the reserves, even if they had comms it wouldn't be working. Keep long-range scans active and keep locks on the shuttle and away team when they leave. Send a message to Starfleet, let them know we've found the Momentary and are investigating.  Likely all hands lost due to an unknown incident."

[USS Discovery | Bridge]

Buck's lips pressed together, he didn't like the idea that was forming into a more likely scenario that pertained to the ship floating seemingly dead in space. Of course, they were having an away team reacting and soon would find themselves either nearby or on board to see what truly was happening. Then it was also a big thing to message back to Starfleet, the message that they would see first would be his - USS Discovery's - stating that they had found a lost-in-space ship.

"Aye sir." The words slipped out as he focused on what needed to be done, cancelling the hailing frequencies, watching it for a moment before rerouting to prepare once the Away Team had deployed on the shuttle.

He checked that the long range scans were still functioning and active, in case there was still a threat out there. For Buck, there were already too many unknowns. "LRS active and functioning, scans ready to lock onto the Away Team once deployed. Message being transmitted back to Starfleet now, standby for their response." It was eerie, to know how close they had come to this sitation, the weight of fallen comrades resting on their shoulders. Buck would hold out a sliver of hope that there were survivors, at least for now.

[Zuriel Soreka]

T'Rea looked around the shuttle with new eyes, taking in who all was present. She recognized everyone's faces, of course, but aside from Ramort she hadn't had more than passing interactions with any of them. Apparently she needed to get out of the Science department more often. "What's the procedure when we arrive?" she asked the question to the shuttle at large, but her eyes were mostly on Soreka as the tactical officer and Ramort as the ranking officer.

"Captain has ordered us to check the hull first, hopefully, we will get a better idea of what happened and what we are dealing with once we get you all closer," Zuriel commented as he made some last-minute adjustments to his type three phaser. The term no life signs meant little to Zuriel he had been exploring the galaxy long enough to know that statement was solely based on what Starfleet knew at the time and was an ever-changing metric. "Once we are inside, we should not wander too far from each other until we know what we are dealing with. we can use the proximity tethers routed through the Tereshkova since the Momentary currently has no power." Zuriel tapped the screen on his suit to show her where and how to turn it on. "I'd say we should all keep within a couple of dozen feet to be safe, even if the ship is empty there could be compartments that have not yet decompressed, there is no way for us to tell until power is restored so it's a minefield until we know otherwise."

"But it's your call sir, you give us the plan and I will try and keep it as safe as possible." Zuriel looked over to Ramort and nodded. Zuriel had not been on the ship long but it seemed that most of the senior crew had a good head for safe exploration, he had never gotten the full story but he was sure that had to do with the supposed 'ghosts' he had been hearing whispers of for the past few weeks. Trama for better or worse tended to breed competency in space.

[T'Rea]

[USS Discovery | Deck 1 - Bridge]

Buck, by now, had arrived at the bridge. "I have control. Good luck, Away Team." Buck said as he approached the station, logging in with his username and keypass. He looked over at Lorut, nodding, "Already done. Wouldn't dare leave the switches unmanned for too long." She ran a tight ops station, though granted they were of the same rank - they clearly had different approaches to their leadership.

He allowed for the data to run, and continue running as he got himself up to speed with the Momunentary's status. Buck would also make sure that a ping was sent to the ship at a set interval, making his and the crew's lives easier in case there was someone out there that was requiring urgent assistance. He could hold out help, he had to at the very least for the potential survivors of the ship.

"Ops to science, how's the readings looking so far? Any changes?"

[USS Discovery - Deck 1 - Main Bridge]

He nodded as Ramort called for an away team and headed for the turbolift.  Nevir considered taking a seat, but instead opted to stand as the officers changed out around him to replace the called officers for the away team. He stood staring at the drifting husk of a ship he knew, and a Captain he feared was gone. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel the chill going down his own spine.

"Ops, cancel hailing frequencies... if there isn't even power in the reserves, even if they had comms it wouldn't be working. Keep long-range scans active and keep locks on the shuttle and away team when they leave. Send a message to Starfleet, let them know we've found the Momentary and are investigating.  Likely all hands lost due to an unknown incident."

"You are clear to launch.  Good luck and don't take unnecessary risks.  Start with investigating the hull damage and unknown material."

"Helm, maintain position.  Extrapolate its course and see where it's drifting too."

[Ensign Kedan]
[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]

Kedan had glanced to McNair at his question, but couldn't immediately provide an answer. He felt like he was all but wrestling with the science station console. Most of the scans he tried to run to evaluate the strange netting/webbing on the Momentary's hull were coming back inexplicably inconclusive (he started a sensor self-calibration on the back up system, just to rule out some kind of internal failure in the Discovery as the root cause). He could only get a clear answer on the most basic and simple of scans. "The scanners are having a hard time with this netting, but I can say that it seems to be composed of organic material, Captain."

Even just that information felt slightly chilling--statistically speaking, the presence of organic material on the external hull increased the likelihood of this being caused by some kind of encounter with hostile, sentient life and decreased the of being cause by an interaction with some rare or dangerous astrophysical phenomenon or internal systems failure. Though neither were impossible. And as a warpfield specialist he was naturally drawn towards trying to understand what could have caused a warp core failure severe enough to spread deuterium across half the solar system. He spent the time waiting for the scanners calibration cycle to finish by studying the details of the the deuterium reading in open space immediately surrounding the Discovery and the Momentary.

He forwarded the meager information about the organic nature of the webbing along with the garbled raw data down to Lt. Hayes in the labs.

[TrikNarChRehllan]

[Ensign Kedan]
[USS Discovery | Deck 1 | Bridge]

Kedan had glanced to McNair at his question, but couldn't immediately provide an answer. He felt like he was all but wrestling with the science station console. Most of the scans he tried to run to evaluate the strange netting/webbing on the Momentary's hull were coming back inexplicably inconclusive (he started a sensor self-calibration on the back up system, just to rule out some kind of internal failure in the Discovery as the root cause). He could only get a clear answer on the most basic and simple of scans. "The scanners are having a hard time with this netting, but I can say that it seems to be composed of organic material, Captain."

Even just that information felt slightly chilling--statistically speaking, the presence of organic material on the external hull increased the likelihood of this being caused by some kind of encounter with hostile, sentient life and decreased the of being cause by an interaction with some rare or dangerous astrophysical phenomenon or internal systems failure. Though neither were impossible. And as a warpfield specialist he was naturally drawn towards trying to understand what could have caused a warp core failure severe enough to spread deuterium across half the solar system. He spent the time waiting for the scanners calibration cycle to finish by studying the details of the the deuterium reading in open space immediately surrounding the Discovery and the Momentary.

He forwarded the meager information about the organic nature of the webbing along with the garbled raw data down to Lt. Hayes in the labs.

[USS Discovery | Deck 10 | Science Lab 3]

Trix was still immersed in his research, scrolling through the cultural databases with a focused determination, when Lieutenant Hayes' voice pulled his attention back to the present.

Hayes turned to Trix, her expression tight with focus."Ensign Ch'Rehllan, we've just received additional data from the bridge." She gestured to her console, leaning slightly toward him as if to emphasize the urgency. "The webbing on the Momentary's hull is organic in nature. The raw data's a mess, but it's been forwarded to us for analysis."

Trix's antennae angled forward as he quickly navigated to the file Hayes had just shared. His sharp blue eyes scanned the preliminary findings. Organic material. That was a significant clue, though it raised as many questions as it answered. Refining his search with the new information, Trix found himself disliking the implications of what he uncovered. The database seemed to confirm some unsettling connections, and his antennae curled up response to the unease creeping into his thoughts. He leaned back in for a moment, looking at the ceiling while turning the information over in his mind.

"Organic," he muttered, almost to himself. "That opens up some...interesting possibilities." He tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of his console, then straightened out again. "Lieutenant, two potential culprits come to mind."

Hayes arched an eyebrow. "Go on."

"First theory: the Breen," Trix began, bringing up a relevant section of the database on his screen. "Their use of organic ships is well-documented, and they're notoriously hostile and reclusive. They've clashed with Starfleet before, often targeting Federation colonies and vessels in contested territories. Their energy-draining weapons—which could explain the complete power loss on the Momentary—are infamous, and their practice of enslaving other species adds a deeply unsettling layer to their potential involvement. If the crew was taken, they might still be alive, though under horrifying conditions. However, the Breen are based in the Alpha Quadrant, far from this system, and there's no record of them using anything resembling this organic netting. It's possible, but it feels like a stretch."

Hayes nodded, her expression thoughtful. "And the second theory?"

"Second - and wilder - theory: Species 8472," Trix said, his voice dropping slightly as if the words themselves carried weight. "Voyager's encounters with them were harrowing. Their ships are entirely organic, capable of withstanding firepower that would obliterate most conventional starships. Their bioelectric fields rendered most of our technology ineffective. And their soldiers..." He paused, his antennae stiffening. "They're genetically engineered for combat—stronger, faster, deadlier than any species we've ever encountered. Voyager barely survived their encounters, and that was with the help of the Borg. If this netting is theirs, it raises the stakes considerably. Species 8472 operates with complete hostility toward anything originating in our galaxy, seeing us as a threat to be eliminated outright. Genocidal doesn't even begin to cover it.  And with the rumored presence of a fluidic space borders near the Beta Quadrant, despite the highly anecdotal nature, their involvement can't be ruled out. A rumored border which is rumored to be patrolled by the Borg no less. We may well be looking at the aftermath of Species 8472's idea of field testing a new weapon.  However, if it's them, we may have an edge: They are susceptible to nanoprobe technology."

Hayes' brow furrowed. "Neither of these possibilities is comforting."

"Agreed," Trix said with a grim smile. "But they're the best leads we've got for now. Unless we are dealing with a completely unknown party."

At a nearby workstation, Ensign Rajagopalan, a xenobiologist, looked up from his own console. "Lieutenant, if the netting is organic, we could really do with a sample. Even a small piece would help us conduct a proper analysis. We might be able to determine its origin or at least identify unique properties that would help us to narrow down the possibilities."

"Good suggestion," Hayes said, her tone brisk. Eager to report the theories to the bridge, she tapped her communicator.  "Hayes to bridge. We've received the data on the organic webbing and have developed two working theories. The first points to the Breen, based on their history with organic ships and energy-draining weapons. The second...Species 8472, given their use of organic structures and the difficulty we're having scanning the material. I am sending you the cooroborating material. We recommend adjusting sensor parameters to detect Breen energy signatures as well as organic matter in the system - shuttle-sized and upwards. And keep an eye out for any signs of Borg presence on the long range scanners. Additionally, we request authorization to retrieve a physical sample of the net for further direct analysis - in at least a Class III stasis container."    Hayes hastily added the last part after Trix had pointed out to her the regenerative properties of species 8742's biotech on a console in the middle of her call to the bridge.

After closing the channel, Hayes glanced back at Trix and Rajagopalan. "Let's keep working. If we're right about either theory, we'll need every piece of information we can get. We also need to find a get me at least a potential source for those deuterium readings, they must come from somewhere, lead somewhere."

Trix nodded, already diving back into the database to do further digging - maybe there was another alternative he had missed? A third option? The enigma of the Momentary was far from solved, but at least now, they had some direction. What truly lurked in the back of Trix's mind, however, was the feeling that whatever did this to the Momentary was likely still out there. Watching? Waiting? He felt the uneasy feeling drag at him like an anchor that if they weren't careful, the Discovery might be next.

[Kalem Michael]

USS. Tereshlova - Enroute to Mpmentary

Kalem slowly maneuvered the shuttle to the derelict ship. The ship still had no lights, which was expected, as it had no power.

Kalem activated the sensors to find a decent docking location. However, without power, there was almost no way to get on board. He would have to dock somewhere, and they would more than likely have to rig an airlock to the shuttle or manually open the hatch.

"Commander I'm going to have to dock with the exterior hatch. I don't have access to the shuttle bay while the ship has no power. However, I don't know what this webbing that appears to be on the exterior will do. It could be some kind of dampening field that will drain the power from our shuttle and might interfere with our suits. I recommend getting detailed scans while on approach."

[T'Rea]

USS. Tereshlova - Enroute to Mpmentary

Kalem slowly maneuvered the shuttle to the derelict ship. The ship still had no lights, which was expected, as it had no power.

Kalem activated the sensors to find a decent docking location. However, without power, there was almost no way to get on board. He would have to dock somewhere, and they would more than likely have to rig an airlock to the shuttle or manually open the hatch.

"Commander I'm going to have to dock with the exterior hatch. I don't have access to the shuttle bay while the ship has no power. However, I don't know what this webbing that appears to be on the exterior will do. It could be some kind of dampening field that will drain the power from our shuttle and might interfere with our suits. I recommend getting detailed scans while on approach."

[The Tereshkova]

T'Rea had been adjusting the setting on her tricorder and reflecting on it's comparative uselessness in the circumstance of the current moment when she overheard Lt. Kalem's comments to Ramort in regards to detailed scans. Why had she not considered making use of the shuttle's sensor array? Rata. Tafar. Tapan.^T She recited the ancient mantra to herself, using it as a focusing technique to drive out the uncertainty and fear that she could now recognize had been distracted her from wholly rational thought and logical reasoning since before she stepped aboard the shuttle.

She settle the tricorder strap across her body and stood smoothly to move towards the panel at Ramort's right hand side. "I could help with the scans. Unless you prefer to conduct them yourself, Commander?" From this position she had a much better view out the shuttle's front viewport and she gazed up at the up close view of the damaged ship and the gaping maw of the nearby gash in the Momentary's ventral hull.

^T Concept. (Mental) Discipline. (Cerebral) Process.