240011.05.1100

USS Nile Oasis

“Arriving at the asteroid ma’am. Holding position at 20,000 kilometers above the asteroid belt centered around the target.” he reached up and rubbed his temples “odd, the safety zone is 10,000 kilometers but I feel a very slight buzzing going on at this distance. I’m going to take us 30,000 kilometers away, ma’am.” as he tapped on the controls and the view from the main panel started to show them backing away from the field.

The Lieutenant looked at her console screen that she was using to monitor the Ensigns device. “That’s interesting Ensign, I’m recording the readings for the Doc to look over. As far as I know, you’re the first Vulcan to feel something. So either you have a higher level of your Vulcan abilities than most or we are looking at one hell of a chunk of this Dilithium.”

Ensign Rockhold turned to face the Lieutenant. “According to these scans ma’am, I think it’s the second option of the two. It seems like we may be over the epicenter of the belts’ fields. Reading higher than normal concentrations of Blood Dilithium in the area.”

Chief Mason looked at his console then at the main view screen, shook his head, then looked at his console again. “T’shimtisho, can you come to look at this..sir” Ensign Ngin stood and walked over from his console to the chiefs.

“What’s up, chief?” he stood beside the chief with one hand on the back of his chair and the other on the edge of the console.

“This” as he pulls up what his scans are showing on the view screen above his console. Ensign Ngin looked up at the screen and let out a low whistle. “Well, that could explain it. Ma’am, I think we have figured out why they lost communications with their site.” he used his chin to point at the view screen.

Lieutenant Talibah stood from her position and walked over to the chief, taking a spot on the other side from the Ensign. “What are we looking at chief?” she studied the picture on the view screen for a minute then looked at the readings from the scans on the Chief’s console. “Damn, that’s going to be an issue for them.” She reached over and opened a communications channel with the Osiris.

“Lieutenant Tazzeth, Lieutenant Talibah. I believe we have figured out why the mining corporation lost contact with their site on the asteroid. Chief Mason is sending you data from our scans over the asteroid.” 

“Roger ma’am, I’m getting the data as we speak. Hmmmm yaaaa,  that would explain things. I’ll pass the report to the Captain.”

“Thank you Tazzeth.  I’ll send another report as we look around the asteroid belt some more. We are seeing some data that is raising some more questions about Blood Dilithium.”

“Ensign Rockhold, have we seen anything on the growth of Blood Dilithium after an anomaly? Because I’m pretty sure that they did not build their dome out of Blood Dilithium. So how or what caused the Dilithium to grow?”

“Ma’am, according to the reports this field was about two to three square kilometers in size, most of which was underground. Above ground, the crystal structures were located above those cracks and fissures.”

Lt. Talibah walked over and looked over Ensign Rockhold’s shoulder. “As far as we know, it only grows after an event.”

“Such as a subspace anomaly, yes ma’am. Though this rift closed two to three days before the dome was built and mining operation started.”

The chief turned towards them in his chair. “The report also stated that this was the smallest of the three fields. Each one of the fields belongs to a different company, and those companies are the three smallest of the Chaerunt E’blaier cities mining organizations.”

“Hold that thought Chief, let’s compile what we are thinking and send it and the data back to the Osiris. We have two more sites to look at and maybe just maybe we can find some answers at them or worst case we end up with more questions.”

“Ensign Naes, take us back to the fifth planet. We have a site there to look at I do believe. Then the third planet. Make sure we stay a safe distance out.”

“Yes ma’am. Location is locked in and the course is  plotted.”

240011.05.1300

USS Osiris

Kr’Antren sat behind the desk in his ready room, he looked over the reports from Lieutenant Talibah and her team. He tapped his combadge as he looked out the panel behind him.

“Lieutenants Tazzeth and Shrybaas, join me in my ready room, please.”

“On my way, sir”

“Roger, sir”

A minute later the door chimes as the two officers arrived. “Enter”

As they entered. “Gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable. Have you two had a chance to look over the latest report from the Nile Oasis? Seems like they have found an oddity with the Blood Dilithium. However, I’m also interested in your thoughts on Rharpaz and his business. From what I have read so far it would not be too far out of character for a Ferengi to try and diversify the businesses.”

“From an operational standpoint, I can’t see much difference in what I would do if I was in his shoes. It’s the other side of things that make Ferengi operations different.”

Kr’Antren got up from his chair and walked over to the replicator. “Coffee, black, honey, large” after taking the cup from the replicator he went back and took his seat behind his desk. 

“Tazzeth, have we seen or heard anything about Blood Dilithium growing after an anomaly had closed, better yet almost a week after in this case.”

“No, sir. Nothing in any reports that I have seen. I have sent a copy of the Nile’s report to Task Force 17’s deployed headquarters, to see if anything has been reported that we did not get or get reported in the future.”

“Makes me wonder what else we will turn up when those other two sites are looked at”

“That’s the question of the day, sir. Though if they find the same thing at the other two sites then we may have a problem. Though I doubt they will.”

Kr’Antren picked up his PADD read something, put it down, and then sat back in his chair. “Not trying to change the subject, however, I think I’m starting to see how Rharpaz got himself on the governor’s council. I’m willing to bet that the asteroid site is the outlier, I’m betting the other two sites will have similarities in their issues.”

Lt. Shrybaas sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers, and closed his eyes for a few seconds. “Makes sense sir, make it so companies can not fulfill their contracts. Then he swoops in and takes over typical Ferengi tactic.”

Kr’Antren knocked on his desk. “Guess this one will have to wait till we have more information from the Nile Oasis.”

The two lieutenants looked at each other and nodded. 

“Ok then, till we have more information let’s keep our eyes on the Blood Dilithium mysteries.” The captain’s combadge beeped, he reached up and tapped it. 

“Sir, thought you would like to know that we have arrived at the destination.”

“Thank you Lt. Darame. On our way.”

“Gentleman, as you heard we have arrived at our destination. Shall we go see what this planet has to show us?” He stood,  straightened his tunic, and made his way to the bridge. The two lieutenants followed after him.

“Captains on the bridge”

“I have the conn. Darame, keep us at a safe distance. Chief, let me know if you start to feel anything.”

He took his seat and looked at the looming planet that technically sat above them but looked like they were facing. “Science, she’s all yours. Let’s see what you can find, shall we.”

“Yes, sir. Starting scans now.”

Kr’Antren tapped the comms button on his seat arm. “Doc, can you join Skagath and me in the Cairo briefing room? I want to see where we are on getting everything set up for helping the telepath site.”

“I’m just finishing up with a patient, I’ll be up in about five minutes sir. “

“That’ll work doc, see you in five minutes.”

“Skagath, the doc is on her way up. Meet us in the briefing room in five minutes. Let’s put the offer of assistance together so we can send it to the governor’s council. Time for us to see what is going on that planet.”

“Five minutes, briefing room. Got it, sir. I’m just going through my team recommendations as we speak.”

“Tazzeth you have the don’t while we are discussing the plan.”

Cairo Briefing Room.

Skagath and Kr’Antren are already seated when Doc M’Gok enters the briefing room. “Afternoon Lieutenant Skagath, Captain. Sir,  I believe Skagath and myself have put together a good plan to help the governors finish setting up the sir.”

I was just reading through the plan, Doc. I think it will help them get the site up and running sooner than they had thought. I see you discussed engineering teams to help in the construction and seup, have you asked Chief Mathison?”

“Yes, sir. He just sent me a message that he can have two teams ready to go whenever we need them.”

“Good, good… I’m sure the governors will be happy to have the help. So let’s discuss how we handle the second part of this plan, finding out who these people in the forest are, what are they doing there? And most importantly how the hell do we stop them? “

“Sir, if ok with you I think the first thing we have to do is make sure the security team are not “security teams”” Skagath used the air quotes signal as he said that part “We need this to look like a pure medical and engineering group sent to help the planet set this site up. We font want to scare them off if anything we want them to feel like this gives them a chance to do whatever they are doing sooner.”

“I agree with Skagath sir, the only way this works is if they think they are getting away with it and that all is going as they hoped. By now they know how it’s handled by the folks already there so we can’t change that, gotta make it look like we are just there to help. That’s why you’ll see we rotated the hours and folks working. Make it look like we are just sending teams down randomly as we can to help out.”

“Ayee, my guys will keep track of the information passed to them or overheard. We need to find one of these groups and follow them or sit and watch, figure out where they are coming from. Then we can plan how to react after that.”

Kr’Antren puts his PADD and looked at his LCARS on the briefing table. “Reading the plan I can see that you two have been thinking on this for a bit and worked well together to compile everything into this report.”

“Thank You sir”  is heard from both sides of the table. 

“I’m going to add Number one to this mission when she returns from her current one. Nothing against Skagath and his security teams but she does have experience in this sort of thing. Maybe she’ll see something that others miss or look into something that others did not think of.”

“Yes sir, the more help we have the better.”

“Agreed, and I’m ok with the security teams wearing other hats, so to speak, so figure out how you two want to split them up and make sure they know something about their new field. Don’t want them sticking out, now do we?”

“No, no we don’t sir.” Skagath pulls up something on his LCARS and starts reading through it.

“Ok then, I’m going to read through the report one more time, add some thoughts from my perspective as the captain and then send it to the governor’s council. So be ready for us to have a meeting with them.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kr’Antren runs a hand through his beard and then knocks on the table. “Ok then, lets get back to it then.”