240011.5.0900

“Captain, first reports from the Nile Oasis have come in. Looks like they found us a good spot to park the Osiris within the system till they get the initial scans and investigations complete.” Chief Kaha said from her post. 

“Send the coordinates to the helm, chief”

“I got them, sir, plotting the course now. Should be there in about ninety minutes at warp eight.”

“Let’s roll, Darame.”

Kr’Antren sits back in the central chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and his PADD in the other. “Tazzeth, what do you make of Ensign Rockhold’s initial thoughts on her findings from the fifth planet.”

Tazzeth finished talking to one of the other two science personnel manning the science side of the bridge. “So far with a preliminary reading of the data, we would have to agree with her initial findings. Though I think that what she called a caldera is looking like it is actually an impact crater, a large one from the looks of it. Interesting finding frozen carbon dioxide in that one location on the land mass so far. Some further research on that location should be conducted in the future, that much dry ice in one location explains why the scans show nothing living on that land mass.”

Kr’Antren looked at the information on his PADD “Probably explains why Rharpaz hasn’t started on those fields yet, Though I would think it would be a perfect place for the Chaerunt E’blaier mining corporations, with their holographic workforce, to conduct operations.”

Counsellor Sia looked up from her PADD and sat forward in her seat as she faced the captain. “Unless there is something else going on behind closed doors. Pruzax and I was just discussing the addition of Rharpaz to the governor’s council, seems odd that he’s only been on the planet for what? Maybe two weeks and he’s already got a seat on the council.”

“Now that you mention it, counsellor. 

 “It does seem a bit fast even for a Ferengi. That, of course, is if we assume that he wasn’t already set up here. Which would beg the question: why would a Ferengi choose this location, this system to set up shop in?” he turned and looked towards his tactical/security chief “Skagath?”

“On it, lad. May take some time.”

The turbo lift doors swooshed open as the Doc took the XO’s chair. “Well captain, I’m starting to receive reports from around the fleet that it looks like the Imperium are testing out option two from our discussion yesterday. Which now makes me wonder why, if they are the ones behind the issues that they are seeing with the telepath safety site, this location is looking at option one.”

Skagath walked down into the lowered central section and stood against the front of his console.”Could we be looking at a split in the imperiums leadership and how they want to handle things? Or is one side looking into developing a weapon, using Blood Dilithium, that could be used offensively and the other is looking into how to use the Blood Dilithium as a way to deal with their other issue.”

Kr’Antren looked at the Doc and Skagath contemplating what they had just both said. “Looking at the big picture, and reading the reports coming in from around the fleet. I think Lieutenant Skagath may be onto something.”

“We need to get some answers, not only for Starfleet or us but for the people of the planet. “ he looked at the view screen, then at the three officers that were in the current conversation. “Ok, I think it’s time we make a leap of faith, as they used to say. Here’s the plan”

Over the next thirty to forty five minutes the four of them along with LT. Tazzeth discussed a new course of action for the Osiris and its crew.

Kr’Anyten looked at the chrono on his chair’s small console screen. “ Ok, thirty-five minutes till we reach the coordinates sent to us by number one and her team. I want to leave an hour after our arrival. Tazzeth, as we have discussed, will use that time to analyse the data from our scans of the 7th planet. Skagath will work with the Doc to set up a security and medical investigation team that will be offered to the governors to look into the issue around their telepathy site, they will also offer any help we can give them to help in its completion. We will have the Nile Oasis continue their mission to investigate the governor’s Dilithium mine situation.”

Chief Kaha turned from her console to face the group of the senior bridge crew that were around the captain’s chair. “Captain, we have the latest from the Nile Oasis. They report that the fifth planet has a large field of the Blood Dilithium on the land mass where the planet’s southern pole is located.”

Lt. Tazzeth looked up from his console. “This is the actual report of the data I was analyzing an hour ago sir. Hmmmm the idea of the pulsing energy coming from the rift is interesting, maybe something we could look into on some of the other planets, moons and asteroids. Could also explain how the formation of the Dilithium field on that land mass was formed, especially if we got some samples to look at, and see if there are definite layers within the structure of the Dilithium crystals.  I would concur with the Ensign’s initial recommendation of further investigation into this field.”

“I’ll take it under advisement. But our first objective will be looking into what is going on with the telepath site.”

“I concur, captain. Figuring that out and the lives it could save, if someone is using it as an experiment to look into weaponizing this Dilithium is more important. We could send our report to Task Force 17 and ask if they could send a ship more suited for scientific research to this system.”

Kr’Antren looked over at his science chief “Hold off on sending it for now, let’s see what the Doc and Skagath find first.”

“Yes, sir. I’m going to have a team start analysing the data. While the Dilithium is the focus for many, I for one am interested in why is it forming after these subspace rifts/anomalies open up. Figure that out and we may figure out why it is having the effect it is on telepathy.”

Kr’Antren nodded at this

240011.5.1030

USS Nile Oasis

“Ma’am, we have arrived at the asteroid belt. Holding at 50,000 kilometers above the belt.”

“Scans are showing most of the asteroids have a deposit of some sort of the Blood Dilithium. I’m also seeing readings for Tritanium, Latinum and various other minerals that hold some value. Lots of mining going on ma’am warp trails crossing all over the place both coming and going.”

The Chief started to pull up and look over several of the screens on his console. “Most of the ships that are going back and forth between the planet and the belt are not carrying the Dilithium. I’m showing holds filled with Tritanium, Baskonite, Benomite, and a few other minerals in lesser quantities.”

Lieutenant Talibah looked over at the chief. “Where’s the Dilithium going then?”

The view screen located above the chief console switched from showing the view outside of the ship to one showing a large ship, more accurately it looked like three ships that had been joined together. “There ma’am, Ferengi in origin from what I’m seeing on the scans. Looks like they have converted three cargo haulers into a Dilithium processing plant.” as they watched two smaller ships approached and were guided in via tractor beams to what looked like a converted cargo hold where they dumped their cargo. On the other end of the “ship” a larger transport was being loaded with cargo containers while it was also having, presumably empty, containers off loaded onto a conveyor-type system.

“Looks like a pretty ingenious setup there. Drop the raw ore off on one end, it get processed and the bad unwanted stuff is processed out while the Blood Dilithium ore is loaded into a transport ship on the other end.” 

Lt. Talibah stood and walked over to stand beside the chief watching the process. “I bet Rharpaz has all sorts of fees built into his contracts with the different mining businesses.” 

Ensign Ngin walked over and stood on the other side of the chief. “Typical Ferengi probably has a guidance fee, container movement fee, loading and off loading fee, disposal fee and who knows what else he could come up with to charge them.”

“Chief, send this feed to the Osiris along with your report and analysis of what is going on.”

“Ma’am, if Rharpaz has the typical Ferengi contract with these businesses, we may know why the governor is worried about those sites. Wouldn’t doubt if he had a missed drop off clause in there and a clause if they do not meet a quota of raw ore.”

“Damn it, I believe you’re right. I’m.going to send a separate report to the captain with our thoughts on the issue.Looks like we need to figure out what is going on with those three sites. Ensign Naes, plot a course for the nearest of the asteroid sites. Make sure we stay well out of the danger zone for the effects from the Blood Dilithium.”

“Yes, ma’am. Course plotted. Should be there in about 15 minutes.”