End Transmission

Posted on Sunday, 16 August 2020 - 9:51am by Captain Barret Stillwater & Commander DeVala Victrix Ph.D & Lieutenant Aristede Hobbes & Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant Raith Kolani & Lieutenant Talarn Zilth

Mission: Operation: Jabberwocky
Location: Beta Quadrant | Federation Automated Communications Relay Station 59 - Serling
Timeline: MD 6

As the Diligent class starship Monarch neared Automated Communications Relay Station 59, known colloquially as Serling, there appeared to be no outward tampering. No real cosmetic damage to the relay's exterior. Commander Stillwater had the Monarch do a quick inspection by weaving around the relay station from various angles. Everything looked intact for a comm relay of Serling's age. The communications relay was of standard Federation design circa 2350s or 2360s, dated nonetheless. Stations such as ol' 59-Serling were built to be mostly autonomous though in the earlier years of its use a crew of Starfleet Officers, usually two sometimes four depending on the station's demands were often posted on year-round assignments to provide upkeep and maintenance of the station.

Even the 'garage' of a shuttlebay looked to be in near perfect condition. Of course, it was empty. The one shuttle and repair bee that used to be housed in the relay station's shuttlebay was removed when stations such as the Serling were changed to being completely automated. It did not look like anyone or anything blasted their way in or prayed the bay doors open. It was becoming evident that whatever tampering had been done with the relay station had either been done remotely (which did not seem very plausible) or whoever had been responsible was able to lower the station's shielding without damage and use transporters to get inside. The only way to do that would be to disable the shields with some sort of device or pass through them by manipulating the shield harmonics.

Lieutenant Commander Victrix had an override code supplied by Starfleet Command that when transmitted overrode the automated shielding, disabling it for an away team to board the communications relay station. It was a rather simple away team selection: Lieutenants Kolani and Hobbes due to their technical prowess were ideal for this away team, and exactly why they had been recruited for the mission. Talarn Zilth was a multi-faceted individual with a background as a career tactical officer, but a special knack for coding and encryption. The fact that he was also Cardassian and an Ex-Borg certainly provided some additional skillsets. The three under Lieutenant Commander Victrix's leadership would be transported aboard the relay station to 'poke around a bit' as Stillwater described it.

The four had stepped onto the transporter pad aboard the Monarch and soon found themselves in an entirely different setting. The technology was a tad more dated, but not terribly obsolete. There was no bio-neural circuitry on the relay station, just the good old isolinear chips. The station's main room was not normally acquainted with life. "Computer, increase illumination to Starfleet standards," she said and soon every part of the station's interior became more illuminated. The lack of illumination was not uncommon for an automated station. It could operate just fine in the dark. "Alright, gentlemen... fan out and get to work. I want that damned transmission severed and you find a way to do it. If it is possible, I want it traced back to the original source of transmission, I have a feeling they are just using our relay stations to piggyback it."

"Aye, Captain," Raith said as he made his way towards one of the small consoles in the main room and pulled out a tricorder. He placed the tricorder on the console and started looking at the computer directory and main operating systems to see if there was any clue about where the signal was located. He opened up the tricorder and started running a search program from it that also offered a shield link, just in case the transmission was to try and hop to another device.

"Right, let's see what you have here then," he said as he worked away, searching in a methodical pattern as he eliminated one path after another in his search.

After consulting the specifications for the station, Hobbes located and walked over to the console used by maintenance staff. A lot could be learned by reviewing maintenance logs and the data compiled by the automated diagnostics routines. His hand stretched out over the console and poised, hovering for a moment, before retreating. He hunched over, bringing his gaze level with a spray of rusty-red droplets along one edge. Blood, he thought. Blood? Possible someone could have been hurt. Possible. But didn't I read somewhere that when the drops aren't forming a pool, but more of a spray, that indicates movement? I'm no security officer and maybe not suspicious. We'll all have a good laugh at my expense but still, worth mentioning. At the very least, the maintenance guy should know to clean up after himself, the berk. "Commander," he called out, "might be nothing but there's something on the console here."

Raith looked up as he heard Hobbes call out that he had found something on the console he was working at. As a matter of safety, Raith checked the console he was working at and couldn't see anything out of the expected norm, for such an old relay station, he was impressed that it was in a good condition, especially for one that was automated as well.

Talarn might not have been a scientist, but he did know a few things about detective work. He made his way over to Hobbes to look at the console. After only a brief glance, "Blood..." he informed the Lieutenant. "Possibly Human... Although, there are many other species that share the color red with Humans." He looked around for more blood anywhere, noting the arch of the substance. "This is cast off... potentially from an arterial spray. It's been dry for awhile... It's possible that there is a body somewhere, or they could have beamed away. Although, I don't think this station allows beaming..." He ran his hand, fingers outstretched, in the arching of the blood spray. "If we can get a sample we should try... see what it says."

Victrix came over to examine it. "Reddish brown substance," she said without jumping to any conclusions. "Though I'm going to say blood and agree with all of you. Kolani, go find the medical locker and get something to collect a sample," she directed.

"On it," Raith answered as he moved over to locate a schematic of the ship and then found his way to one of the nearby medical lockers. Once he got there, he opened the locker to find a medical kit and tricorder there. Despite being of an older model, the tricorder came to life once he activated it. Opening the kit to check its contents, once again, Raith was surprised to find the kit complete and also noticed that there were some empty vials that could of use.

Raith made his way back to the control area to the others. "One medical kit and some empty vials to gather evidence," he said as he placed the kit on a console and opened it up.

She flashed a look at Talarn and Hobbes. "We need to terminate that transmission. Hobbes, once Kolani gets back I want the two of you to climb your way up to the transceiver module and terminate it."

"Aye, ma'am," Hobbes answered. He started a query that would display all maintenance activity since the last scheduled visit and then headed for the ladder.

"Zilth, I don't know you that well, but your husband says you can hack, bypass, and trace just about anything. If there's a way to trace that transmission back to the source, it will likely be able to be done up there in the transceiver module," she added. It was a long climb, but all three men looked in good physical conditioning.

Talarn nodded. He was good at computer systems and couldn't disagree. He nodded. "No problem. I hope." He started to look around for access to the upper levels and the transceiver. It didn't take him long to find it and stare up the long ladder to the top portion of the ship. "Mmm..." he grunted, glad he was in great shape. "Should I start climbing, Commander? It's going to take a moment to get up there."

"Right, let's get suited up and start heading up to the transceiver module to see what was can do about terminating the signal," Raith said, looking at Hobbes after completing his task.

Years of high wire work meant that Hobbes had no fear whatsoever of heights and though it had been awhile since his performing days, he kept up with his training. For reasons he wasn't sure even he understood. So, climbing straight up presented no particular problem for him. He situated his kit, long strap cross-body from right shoulder to left hip and started up the ladder. He set a steady pace, pausing once or twice as they approached the top to indicate signs of damage. The passage of person or persons who weren't quite as concerned about the condition in which things were left. At the top, he climbed out onto the platform, stood to one side, and looked around. The damage was more evident here.

Raith slowly made his way up the module section, taking care as he climbed and making sure he used a steady pace to make his way up to the platform, finally joining Hobbes and seeing the various damage sections before them as he arrived.

"Damn, after seeing other areas of this installation looking so well kept, this is very out of the ordinary," Raith noted as he took stock of the damage sections before them. "I'd almost say it would be better to just shut down the antenna unit, instead of repairing any damage here, that way, whatever signal is transmitting will come to a halt."

"Agreed," Hobbes said. "I'll shut down the power going to outgoing transmissions." He moved to the nearest console and began working. It didn't take long to find what he needed and send the command that would terminate all transmissions. "Now," he said as he looked over to Kolani, "let's check to be sure that nothing is going out. It's not impossible to set up a secondary, independent power source. Unlikely... but not impossible."

Raith started running a scan with his tricorder to see if there were any other types of transmissions going out form the transmitter tower. He made sure to do a thorough and deep scan of the module as well as visually inspecting it with his own eyes. He wanted to make sure that nothing was left unchecked. Once the tricorder completed its programmed scan, he checked the details that were reported back.

"That seems to have done the trick. There are no other secondary signals being sent out from the transmitter module, I'd say that our handy work had solved that issue," he said, before returning to Hobbes. "Shall we make our way down?" he asked.

Lieutenant Commander Victrix remained in the Ops area for a bit before she started to explore further. The others had begun climbing upwards towards the transceiver module. She made her way into the habitat module, the living area for any personnel stationed on the relay station. At one point, the habitat module was used yearly, but that had not been the case for some time. What she found was more perplexing than the blood that had already been found. She was walking about the common room when she was drawn to a bulkhead that had blood on in it as well. Whatever happened... some of it occurred here, she thought as she also noticed a sofa had been flipped over onto its back.

Victrix approached a nearby maintenance chute, and typed in the access codes she was provided. The hatch opened up, revealing more than a simple empty chute. Stuffed in the maintenance chute were the remains of a body. She was quick to inform the trio of her findings. She tapped her comm badge and knew the three were traveling together. They'd all be able to hear the report.

"You boys be careful going up there and let me know if you come across anything. Hey, Talarn...found that body you mentioned" she said teasingly. The Lieutenant Commander dragged it out of the shoot, it was wearing some sort of jumpsuit and had a helmet on. She could see puncture wounds and tears in the suit, exposed yellowish-green skin. "He or she has some sort of suit on and a helmet...I'm going to try to remove it."

"Commander," Hobbes said, after tapping his combadge. "Transmission is terminated. With your permission, I'm going to start investigating the source."

"Proceed," replied Victrix.

A few moments later, she was able to remove the helmet from the individual's torso, but the cold dead face that her eyes were upon was not exactly what she was expecting. The skin color had caused her to suspect an Orion, but this was no Orion. A chiseled looking face with almost reptilian features, strong bone structure by the looks of him. A bit of reddish-brown hair as well.

Victrix dragged the body out of the chute and placed it on the floor. "Now, aren't you something," she said not having recognized the corpse as being any species she was familiar with. There was something very militant about the general appearance. She suspected had he been alive, he would have attacked her, but that was purely speculation on her part. Victrix made her way over to the kitchenette and accessed the replicator. She ordered herself a coffee and walked back over to the body, standing over it and sipping her coffee.

Tapping her comm badge she sought to contact the Monarch. "Victrix to Monarch," she said immediately. "We made it here safely, Commander, but what we have found so far is evidence that a few someones have been here. Some items are out of order, things in a bit of a disarray, there was some blood collected, and Doctor Rose may be more interested in this one, I just pulled a body out of a maintenance chute and have no idea what species this fellow belongs to."

A small grumble and grunt was the immediate response from Stillwater. "I have Doctor Rose and Lieutenant Vali on the Bridge with me," he added. "Take some scans of the body, and give us some coordinates or something we can lock onto," Stillwater instructed. He looked at Doctor Rose. "You and Vali may need to receive the body in Sickbay and shed some light on its identity."

On the bridge of the Monarch, Ryan nodded to Stillwater. "I'll get the OR ready for an autopsy."

Lieutenant Commander Victrix could hear the chatter over the open comm. "Doctor, your 'patient' isn't the most handsome corpse I've seen, but fortunately being in the chute and the conditions... he's pretty well preserved, and I think relatively fresh," she noted. "Scrub up and I will send over whatever information I can get from a basic tricorder reading."

T’Lanna looked at Ryan. “Let’s get down to Sickbay, I’ll do what I can to assist you.”

"Thank you." Ryan headed off the bridge with T'Lanna.

==Station Ops==

Lieutenant Commander Victrix had watched as the body faded away, swept up in a transporter beam. Upon the body vanishing, she made her way back the nerve center of the station and approached a console in Ops where she stumbled across something out of place. The override code she was provided accessed the console but would not grant her access to the file that appeared to be recently viewed.

She tapped her commbadge, "Victrix to Zilth, Talarn, I may have something down here in Ops that requires your 'delicate' touch," commented Victrix. "Would you come down here and join me?"

Talarn frowned up at the long climb, glad he didn't have to make it after all. He tapped his commbadge in reply. "Of course, Commander. I will be there shortly." He turned away from the long climb and made his way down towards Ops. It wasn't hard to get there, but he did have to do some climbing down. The stiffness of some of his Borg components made it difficult sometimes to climb, but he made it down to the appropriate level with very few problems. He entered Ops and found the Commander quickly. "Ah, Commander. What can I do for you?" His eyes were already on the consoles behind her.

Lieutenant Commander Victrix backed away from the console she was at and gestured to the console. "There's something on it that was accessed recently, I am thinking by someone who was here when the body I found was stuffed into that maintenance chute if he wasn't the one who accessed it. I know he did not kill himself and place his corpse into that chute. Whatever it is, it is not Federation and the override codes Starfleet Command supplied do not access the file. I need you to crack it... decrypt it by any means necessary."

Talarn gave her a crooked smile. "So... you have two options. The way Starfleet wants me to do things and the easy way." He put out his left hand and flexed it a bit, the Borg components making a very soft tightening noise as he did, almost like the stretching of leather. "The Borg way is much faster, easier and more complete... of course we'll have to take the information back out of my memory banks once we get back to a better location. The files can be downloaded the same way they're uploaded... so keep that in mind." He was trying to subtly tell her that if he used the tubules here where no one could see, but her, he would have to use them again back on the station, perhaps in front of people that might not be so happy to see his methods of information gathering.

Lieutenant Commander Victrix took a sip of coffee and then gestured again to the console. "Last time I checked, you did not wear a uniform nor carry a rank anymore. So, as far as I am concerned... Borg yourself with joy. I need whatever is on there accessed and decoded. The sooner the better, and I do not care one iota how you get that done. Once upon a time not too long ago, Talarn, I would have done anything and everything by the book. I've lost too many friends trying to get to this relay station. I won't let their deaths be in vain. Assimilate that console or whatever your Borg way of doing this is," she added.

Talarn stepped forward and extended his closed fist toward the console, close to the surface as to not be so dramatic. It had been a long time since he had had any reason to use the tubules. "It's not exactly like assimilation, Commander. It's more like a probe, seeking and gathering information and returning to the host. A record of everything located inside, no matter what language it's in. The problem is... and what makes it "dangerous" is that the nanites ignore most lock out codes. Allowing me to... hack the system... so to speak. They argued about removing them. I finally signed a waver, swearing to never use them against anyone or for any sort of gain or nefarious activity." He snorted and pulled his hand back, the small tubes extracting themselves from the consoles' ports. "Anything else we should download?"

"I'm glad that I brought you along for nefarious reasons," replied Victrix with a smirk. "That's the only thing that did not look like it belonged. Once you have it, we can clear out of this place. Transmission is severed. It's a small dent in this illegal operation, but at least now we have regained control over our property."

"I have what I believe you require, Commander, along with most of the computer logs. Maybe they will shed some light on what happened to this crew as well. There are several encrypted files that might take me a moment to decipher. Might take a couple of hours," Talarn replied. "I hope that's acceptable. It might be less time. Some codes are easier to crack."

"You can crack it on the Monarch," Victrix replied. She then tapped her comm badge "Victrix to Kolani and Hobbes. Pack up gentlemen, we can call this a day. Return to Ops and we may return to the Monarch" added Victrix.

She took one final sip of coffee. Too many people had died in recent days. It was nice to have a mission where her away team would come back in one cohesive unit.