Surefoot 78: Bleeding Edge

Nam-Seon had started to rise, but then settled down again... next to Zir, who had chosen not to leave, until Hrelle prompted, "Lieutenant, would you ensure that Lt Cmdr Hrelle receives all updated intelligence on the Kzinti and their technology, to assist in the Katana's mission?"

"Of course, Commodore." Zir nodded and lifted up her PADD, without moving.

"Perhaps you could get that done in your office?" he clarified gently.

She looked up again, her skin darkening as she glanced at Nam-Seon and understood. "Ah, of course, Sir." She rose and departed with everyone else.

When they were alone, Hrelle looked back to Nam-Seon. "Would you care for some tea, Commissioner? It'll help that tickle you seem to have in your throat."

"No thank you, Commodore." She shifted in her seat. "Commodore, I apologise for my numerous, needless disruptions to your Briefing. I must look like some sort of idiot to you and your Captains."

"No, Commissioner," he assured her, seeing and believing her contrition. "Just someone eager to make a mark and prove herself in a new role with some heavy responsibilities; we've all been there... though I'm glad you stopped before you started criticising the décor or the scent of my fur shampoo.

But I didn't ask you to remain behind to scold you. For one thing, as the Federation's senior representative in the sector, technically we all work for you."

She smiled, the tension easing a little from her face. "Still, I must seem like some upstart opinionated child to all of you, sitting in on the grown-up's table acting like she belongs there."

"Not really," he promised, with genuine concern, "Nor will anyone hold your age and lack of experience against you. As a matter of fact, I could use your assistance, regarding Zorin Interstellar."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "Starfleet's access to private records is limited; as the Federation rep, you have pull we lack. I want to know more about why they chose Ucarro Major II. There's plenty of worlds closer to the hub of the Federation that could be used; why did they come out here?"

She looked up again and rose. "I'll find out what I can for you, Commodore. Thank you for your patience. And I hope you won't take it personally if I don't sit in on any more of your Squadron Briefings. I have a great deal of work ahead of me."

He rose as well, offering a paw. "I understand; you and I will of course have our own private briefings." He smiled. "I might even get a whole paragraph in without interruption."

*

"USS Surefoot, Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 54199.76, Captain T'Varik, Recording: we are proceeding to the Ucarro Major System as per Commodore Hrelle's orders. Our new Chief of Engineering, Lieutenant James Madison, appears to be fitting in well with the rest of the crew, or so I have been informed by my First Officer. I will accept their word on this, being focused on another new arrival to my life..."

*

T'Varik stepped out onto the Bridge and adopted a relaxed stance... and noted how the shorter, younger Vulcan male at her side copied her pose, intentionally or not. "This is the Bridge, designated in the technical specifications as Section Deck 2-Fore-1. The design of the Sabre-class vessel is atypical for Starfleet vessels, in that there is an elevated section in the rear, which contains support facilities such as the Atmospheric Control Room, Deuterium Injection Engineer Bay, Waste Recovery Control Bays and others, that serves as Deck 1."

Her nephew Srithik nodded sagely, studying the layout and the crew. "I have noted this in my studies of Starfleet, Aunt. Is there a logic behind placing such a vital part of a starship on the outer edge, rather than in a more secure location deep within the vessel?"

T'Varik noted the amused reaction from some present to the use of the term 'Aunt', and ignored it to reply, "That has been suggested, and it is recognised at least partially as a psychological holdover from the design of nautical vessels, where the command centre needed to be elevated for visual navigation purposes.

However, the present location of a starship Bridge has its advantages, in that Bridge Modules can be easily removed and replaced or upgraded, and offers easier evacuation by lifepod for vital personnel when required."

He nodded again. "I understand. Thank you for this opportunity, I will repair to my quarters and not disrupt your life any further."

From her place at Tactical, Lt C'Rash Shall turned, the coal-furred Caitian female glancing at the boy, and then her spouse T'Varik with a familiar smirk. It was one T'Varik had seen numerous times, since Srithik arrived from Vulcan to live with them instead of his mother, and the young man kept promising to be as invisible and inconsequential as possible.

T'Varik faced him again, folding her hands behind her. "Nephew, allow me to clarify our domestic situation: your presence does not disrupt my life. It completes it."

Srithik breathed in, allowing the level of emotion one would expect from a Vulcan his age to show on his face. "You honour me."

T'Varik felt the subliminal purr from C'Rash, but chose to focus on her nephew. "Commander Haluk has told me about the level of interest you have shown in joining Starfleet. Do you believe you have a preferred specialisation?"

"Science."

She nodded, expecting that.

"Or Engineering," he added quickly, his olive skin flushing slightly. "Or possibly Flight Operations."

She raised an eyebrow. "You will have time to choose later; we will focus on your first choice for now. Lt Kitirik?"

From one side of the Bridge, a short, lime-green reptoid male in Sciences Blue rose from his station and approached. "Respected Captain?"

"Nephew, this is the Surefoot's Chief Science Officer, Lt Kitirik. Kit, I am aware that you are preparing your scans of Ucarro Major II, but would you be so kind as to seat Mr Srithik at the Auxiliary Science Station and familiarise him with the standard Starfleet layout and functions?"

"I would be most delighted, Respected Captain." He beckoned to the younger Vulcan with a webbed hand. "Come, Sir. Should you choose to focus on the Sciences, I would be happy to enlighten you further. I am considered most proficient at the various disciplines, especially Physics... though I do not want you to think I was fission for compliments."

At the Operations station beside Tactical, Second Officer Lt Giles Arrington groaned. "Kit, he's only just got here, give him some time before you hit him with your puns."

T'Varik approached C'Rash. "Tactical analysis of the system?"

The Caitian returned to business, leaning in, her tail curling around T'Varik's leg as she indicated the readouts. "Typical binary system: small Type 4 black star circling in an elliptical orbit around a Red Giant; the black star causes periodic subspace interference, and Zorin Interstellar have seeded a ring of perimeter satellites to compensate for it. Inside the system, just two planets and an asteroid belt. Nothing outstanding or suspicious."

T'Varik looked to Giles. "Hail the Zorin facility."

Seconds later, he frowned and shook his head. "No response."

She looked to the viewscreen, where the desolate-looking yellow-red planet, looking drier beneath the glare of the red giant sun, filled the screen. "Scan for possible malfunctions at their end."

"Scanning... thirty-six humanoid lifeforms detected within their main Command and Living Facility, some larger pressure domes, processing plants, cultivators, all automated-" They frowned, keying up an image. "Captain, near the planet's northern polar cap, some large refinery has been destroyed, some sort of explosion-"

"Yellow Alert."

As the appropriate colours appeared overhead, T'Varik stepped down to the centre of the Bridge, where her First Officer, Lt Cmdr Bellator, rose to their feet, the Nova Roman glancing in the direction of Srithik, "Should we escort your nephew to his quarters?"

"Negative. Lt Michel, maintain Defensive Pattern One."

"Scanning," C'Rash reported. "No ships in sight."

T'Varik nodded. "Lt Arrington, open a channel: Zorin Facility, this is the USS Surefoot. Respond immediately or we will beam down and assume control."

The seconds passed - allowing T'Varik to hear Srithik whisper to Kit, "Excuse me, Sir, is my aunt always this aggressive?"

"This is Standard Operating Procedure, Young Sir, under the circumstances," the reptoid informed him, in equally hushed tones. "For now, it is best to remain silent and not distract others."

"And we're finally getting a transmission from Ucarro Major II," Giles added. "Guess they were all at lunch."

"Onscreen."

Seconds later, the image of the planet was replaced by one of a generic control room, with people moving and talking behind an anxious-looking, middle-aged Bolian male in a utilitarian jumpsuit. "Starfleet vessel! Apologies! We've been having problems with our communications grid!"

"Crap," T'Varik heard C'Rash mutter under her breath.

"Understood," T'Varik assured him aloud, her memory recalling the personnel records listed by Zorin for this planet. "You are Dr Odas Rexxil, the Project Officer. Where is Mr Reiser?"

He swallowed. "He's at our Erenhow Station! He had assured Starfleet that you didn't have to come here! No one was expecting you to show up after that!"

"A mistaken assumption," T'Varik informed him coolly - noting a reaction from Lt Michel to the reply from the Bolian. "We are conducting a search for a missing vessel, the SS Whisper."

He reacted. "Them? You were told that they never showed up! Look, Captain, we're conducting highly classified experiments here, and with Mr Reiser off-site, I don't think I can authorise you coming here!"

T'Varik raised her chin. "Your authorisation is not required, Doctor Rexxil; Starfleet has a legal and moral imperative in these situations. Speaking of which, we have noticed the damaged polar facility. Do you require medical or engineering assistance?"

Rexxil looked nervously off-camera, before replying, "No, no! We just want you to go and let us clean up here!" He ended the transmission.

T'Varik pursed her lips. "Lt Michel, initiate Orbit Pattern Beta. Mr Kitirik, begin your scans. Lt Arrington, send a message to Salem One and update them as to our present location. Lt Shall... watch our backs." She turned to Bellator, noting the pensive expression on their face. "Lieutenant Commander?"

They ran a hand through their shock of purple hair, before reaching down and retrieving the PADD at the side of their seat, tapping on it. "While you were engaged with Dr Rexxil, I was reading the lips of the personnel behind him."

T'Varik raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware of your skills in that field."

Bellator was replaying the transmission on their PADD, focused on the recording as they replied, almost absently, "As a child I contracted Ototoxic Encephalitis and lost my hearing for a number of weeks; I hated not knowing what people were saying around me." Their frown deepened. "They're angry at being left to deal with us while Reiser is 'just out of sight'. But I thought they said he was at another station?"

The Vulcan turned back to the helm. "Lieutenant Michel, do you have anything to add to what you have observed?"

Now Astrid Michel turned in her seat at the Helm station before them, the young coffee-skinned human female breathing in. "Yes, Captain: when many Terran corporate executives want to stay out of reach, their people will tell others that they're at the 'Erenhow Offices' or they're speaking with 'Mr Erenhow'. 'Erenhow' is an anagram of 'Nowhere'."

"How do you know so much about corporate executive slang, Astrid?" asked Crewman Osgood, one of the newer arrivals on the Surefoot, from his Auxiliary Engineering station.

T'Varik saw the subtle reaction on Michel's face, knowing of the human's childhood believing herself to be the daughter of the Terran industrialist Charles Michel, of Michel Shipping... and of the unfortunate events which followed the revelation that she wasn't.

The young woman's subsequent Counselor reports indicated she had worked through many of the psychological repercussions of that trauma, but it was obviously still a proverbial sore point with her. "It is immaterial, Mr Osgood; please stay focused on your duties. Thank you, Astrid."

"Respected Captain," Kit spoke up from his station. "You need to see this."

The Vulcan drew up, along with Bellator and C'Rash, as the reptoid called up images and maps on the screens above him and continued. "Respected Colleagues, Ucarro Major II is registered as a Class-K planetoid, adaptable for humanoid use with pressure domes and life support systems. Its rotation is too slow and its orbit is too close to the sun to naturally develop a Class-M biosphere, or to be a viable candidate for terraforming."

T'Varik leaned in, studying the maps more closely. "And yet, there are large pockets of plant and animal life, along with networks of shallow pools of plankton producing an oxygenated atmosphere, at least within sheltered areas."

"Yes, Respected Captain. The various biospheres are definitely artificial in origin, with mixtures of lifeforms of Terran and other origins - microbes, insects, fish, reptiles, birds, small and large mammals - and all appear to be less than a year old. Perhaps much less."

"That's not possible," Bellator declared. "The fastest terraforming program known to seed a planet to such a level would take a minimum of thirty years."

"The fastest legal terraforming program," T'Varik clarified, turning to Kit, her voice tightening. "Scan the planet, and the Zorin installations, for evidence of protomatter... and Genesis Wave energy. Focus on that destroyed processing plant; if protomatter had been employed as part of a Genesis-type transformation, there may be traces there."

"It doesn't make sense," C'Rash growled at her spouse, as Kit complied. "Every Federation industry this century knows they can't get away with breaking the Protocols."

"That is assuming this has occurred." She stared at the screens again, frowning now. "Whatever was done here... this planetoid was never designed to sustain a Class-M biosphere for an extended period of time."

"You are correct, Respected Captain." Kit continued his work, even as he confirmed her suspicions. "Its size, orbit, rotational speed, none of these are compatible. The biosphere has been collapsing for the last two weeks: the atmosphere and moisture is either burning or bleeding away into space, and all of the flora and fauna is slowly dying. But why would they attempt to terraform it?"

"They might not have meant to," Bellator reminded him. "It could have been accidental; the dangerous instability of the process is one of the reasons for the Genesis Protocols... again, assuming they've used Genesis here."

Kit nodded - and then turned. "Respected Captain, the Zorin facilities are now generating shielding that is blocking scans and transporter beams!"

T'Varik stepped back to the centre of the Bridge. "Lt Cmdr Bellator, run a check on any Starfleet Intelligence reports involving thefts or purchasing of contraband protomatter or Genesis-related technology. Lt Shall, devise protocols for safely bringing down their shields without harming anyone planetside. Lt Arrington, ready Security and Engineering Away teams to prepare to beam down for inspection purposes, and update Salem One as to the situation."

"Respected Captain," Kit interrupted. "Request permission to beam down to the planet. I have identified activity from Zorin aerial surveillance drones in one of these habitable zones, and evidence of higher lifeforms. I believe it warrants closer investigation."

"Is it safe, Kit?" C'Rash asked. "You said yourself that everything was dying down there."

"Yes, Respected Colleague, but I believe I can survive there long enough to obtain potentially vital evidence as to the situation here."

T'Varik nodded. "Agreed, but you will not beam down alone; Ensign Thykrill and Crewman O'Reilly will offer Security support. Will you require more assistance?"

Before he could reply, Srithik turned in his chair and rose. "I would be willing to accompany Lt Kitirik to the planet, Aunt. I have been studying the data as well and-"

"No," she interjected. "You will remain here."

He nodded and sat down again. "Of course. It would be more logical if I stay and act as your Assistant Science Officer-"

"It would be more logical if you continue to watch, listen and learn," she corrected gently. "I have qualified crewmembers to do the rest... but know I appreciate your offer to assist. Mr Kitirik, proceed." She turned as Kit rose and departed, as an alert came from Ops. "Mr Arrington?"

"The Zorin facility is hailing us again, Captain."

"Onscreen."

The Zorin control room filled the viewscreen once more, but this time Dr Rexxil had been replaced by a Zakdorn male in a civilian suit, the jowly, hangdog expression on his oatmeal-coloured face a stern mask. "You are Captain T'Varik of the Starfleet vessel Surefoot?"

"I am. Please identify yourself."

"I am Simrash Vada, from Zorin Interstellar's Legal Division; Mr Reiser remains unavailable, but I will be speaking on his behalf. With immediate effect, you will cease and desist any further activity involving this planet, our installations, equipment, personnel and activities here, or you and your crew may face criminal prosecution."

She remained unmoved. "Prosecution? On what charges?"

"Captain, you must be aware that many private corporations within the Federation cooperate with Starfleet Security and Starfleet intelligence on some highly sensitive, highly classified projects."

"I am. Are you stating that you are cooperating with Starfleet in such a manner here?"

Vada seemed to straighten up further, accentuating his considerable height. "I am not prepared to either confirm or deny that. But I will state categorically that it would be in everyone's best interests if you depart... now. If you do, I believe we would be prepared to forget that you were here, and not get Starfleet Security involved."

T'Varik nodded at that. "A most generous offer, Mr Vada. If you will supply us with the Project Reference Code confirming Zorin Interstellar's involvement with Starfleet in a classified operation, as per Federation Security Directive Book 19, Section 433, Paragraph 47.8, we will verify your status here, and be on our way."

The Zakdorn reacted slightly at her quick - and correct - quotation to the appropriate regulations, but otherwise said nothing.

"You have no Project Reference Code," T'Varik finally concluded. "You have attempted to deceive us."

"That is a slanderous allegation, Captain!" Vada snapped. "If you review your logs, you will find that at no point did I make any false statement, whatsoever; I cannot be held responsible for how you interpret my words."

"You appear to be a proficient legal representative for Zorin," she noted dryly. "Mr Vada, under Starfleet Directive 11361, we are authorised to conduct a full inspection of your facilities, as you are currently suspected of employing technology and materials in violation of the Genesis Protocols. You will lower your shields with immediate effect and allow us access, or you and everyone else present will be placed under arrest."

Vada began to respond, but then a deeper, smoother masculine voice spoke up first. "Now, now, Captain, ease up on the threats." A gaunt, middle-aged human male with curly black hair stepped into view, dressed like Vada in civilian clothes, and smiling affably as he held out his open hands. "We're all on the same side here."