From bberg@discover-net.net Sun Jun 7 11:27:38 1998 Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 00:00:42 -0600 From: Bruce Berg To: areich1@juno.com, jyoung@jc.net, bullseye@earthlink.net, mwolfe@phoenix.isn.net, jhill@banda.ntu.edu.au, vicden@mis.net, vicden1@yahoo.com, sagatech@one.net.au, thompson@usna2001.com, jeffj@Princeton.EDU, jdt7@cornell.edu, george@vegasnet.net, alton.reich@snet.net Subject: USS YAMATO: A Nebulous Discovery. Stardate:100403.1800 MD:5.0830 Stephens was on the bridge at the Science station. The last few days had been nerve racking with the false alarms, and no evidence of the Dalriada. Now the YAMATO was heading for the Tabillin system, where perhaps the crew would find something more substantial. There was of course no gurantee that this wasn't another false alarm, but at least there was the chance that it might be something more. As Stephens monitored her station the Captain made the bridge rounds. >"Tactical system status, LT Trisx?" Stern asked. >"Shields and weapon systems are on stand-by. LT Bal's point defense >system is ready should we need it, Sir," she replied crisply. >Isaac nodded, considering, "Raise shields. I know it will degrade our >sensor performance, but I don't want to be caught with our shields down." >"Aye, CAPT, raising shields. Should I initiate red alert?" >Isaac nodded, "Yes, initiate red alert, LT." On a ship the size of the >YAMATO it was difficult to keep secrets, and he expected the crew was at >battle stations already, but it might as well be official. >He walked to starboard and stopped at the science station. "LT >Stephens, what can you tell me about the nebula?" >"It's fairly dense as nebulae go, Sir. There's a high concentration of >dust as well with a fairly high proportion of heavy metals even for a >class 4 navigation hazard." >"How will that affect sensor performance?" Stephens inwardly sighed and couldn't help but think, *Such a dense nebula, with who knows what or where something is. Sorta like searching for a tiny speck in a bowl of clam chowder.* >"It will severly limit sensor range." >"What about the Dalriada?" Isaac asked. >"I'm not sure," Cassandra replied, "Based on what we know, it seems as >if their sensors and ours work on the same principals, and therefore >will be affected in a similar way, but I can't guarantee that." >"So sneaking in through the nebula isn't a very good idea, LT?" >"It would be a gamble. If their sensors are affected as our are, then >they wouldn't see us coming. If not, we'd be an easy target." *Yep, just like some prey animal waiting to be pounced upon by a predator.* Cassandra shook her head to banished that thought, *Gee the tension must be getting to me.* >Isaac nodded and made his way down the starboard side of the bridge. MD:0900 As the YAMATO drew closer to the nebula Stephens couldn't help but think again of a large mass of clam chowder as she looked at her sensors and at the visual of the the vast dense nebulae on screen. Then again, maybe it wasn't the appearance of the nebulae the brought about her analogy, maybe it was because she had had barely anything to eat today. As the YAMATO passed into the nebulae Stephens was glad of one thing, she wasn't navigating. The fact that this was a class 4 navigational could make it tricky to navigate. There was of course some data in the computer on what was where, and what to avoid, but Stephens always was one who believed in the expect the unexpected concept. Such a concept soon came into play a short time later. After Stephens sensors went off, for she couldn't recall how many times, she got a reading. It was attention getting for Stephens, for based on the data the computer had on this section of the nebulae it wasn't suppose to be there. But before she could get specifics the sensors went erratic again. Stephens cussed quietly to herself and spoke. "Captain the sensors caught something just now, but then they went off again. I didn't get many specifics-small in size, and irregular shape. There were some metal readings but the sensors went then. Such metal could be the content of the item, but then those could be readings coming from the nebula. I checked for data on this section of the nebulae and nothing is suppose to be there. It could be a ghost reading from elsewhere, it could be a recent natural occuring addition, or it could be debris." Stephens voiced dropped on her last word not feeling she needed to elaborate on what kind of debris. Stephens then added,"Whatever it is, we will be in visual range soon." Stern told Stephens to continue monitoring, Connor called out about boosting sensors, and Stephens thought the tension on the Bridge rose a notch. As Stephens returned to her still erratic sensors she couldn't help but think,*What if this sensor data turns out to be debris from a Starfleet vessel. There was no proof yet that the Dalriada could be behind it-maybe it could be some other unlucky vessel set on by pirates, maybe it wasn't even a ship, just another false alarm.* Stephens took a breath, waited for this whatever it was to come into visual, and for the sensors to kick in again. NRPG: ******************** All: Not much. I threw in the unknown item, keeping it open for the possibility of it being ship debris(which I was thinking it to be). I didn't mention the wormhole because I wasn't sure how close this debris (Alton mentioned something about a Frigate) might be to it. It could just be a piece thrown off a good deal away, then again it could be no ship debris at all. We can go with it or it can be another false alarm. Anyways all: I was thinking that after this post would be a good time for that little device Karen wrote about to go off. Just think, everyone is focused, tense, thinking about this mysterious item and then *Bam* alarms go off and everyone is wondering what the heck is going on. What does anyone think? I'll let someone else write that post. It is just a suggestion-the device can go off next or later. Alton: BTW, You mentioned going to warp once we see the Dalriada. I was curious to know, can we go to warp inside the nebulae, or near the wormhole? It probably sounds like an odd question, but I was just wondering. Dang it I'm a writer not a physicist. Respectfully, Kristine Berg Lt jg Cassandra Stephens Chief Science Officer USS YAMATO