Lower Decks: An Aquatic Second Contact

[USS Fardell]

Star Trek: Lower Decks: An Aquatic Second Contact - Part 1
USS Cerritos NCC 75567
“Captain’s Log Stardate 59063.3. The Cerritos has completed repairs after the Battle against Buenamigo’s Folly. We’re now on route to the Theta Aquarii System, home to a recently first contacted species, close to Klingon Space. We hope to get back into a routine of professionalism.”

Captain Carol Freeman reflected that she and her crew were lucky to have got out of the situation with the Aledo with the Cerritos more or less intact. She emerged onto the Bridge. “Time to system?” she asked.

“Two hours, 47 minutes,” Commander Ransom reported.


T’Lyn entered the conference room and saw that she was the first there. That was good. It meant that she had time to look over her notes again, and ensure that they were clear and concise. “Personal Log. Cerritos has entered the Theta Aquarii System, containing an M-Class Planet that may be considered the opposite of Vulcan as it’s surface is almost entirely covered in Ocean. The humanoids are…” She was interrupted as the door opened, admitting her colleague, D’Vana Tendi.

“T’Lyn!” Tendi called out. “This is exciting!” she added while throwing her hands about.

“That isn’t a word I would use,” T’Lyn retorted. “’Intriguing’ would be more appropriate.”

“I suppose you could say that. But I would say interesting and another Vulcan would say ‘fascinating’…”

T’Lyn rolled her eyes. Tendi’s rambling was, distracting, at the best of times. “You interrupted my log entry.”

“Oh, sorry. You can continue.”

She pressed resume on the PADD. “The humanoids are aquatic, resembling the Merfolk of ancient Human myths and legends. They live mostly in the water, with the various islands given over to what industry cannot be conducted under the waves. Upon arrival Cerritos will conduct the usual Second Contact procedures, while Ensign Tendi and I will assist with the addition of their biological knowledge of their planet, along with their astronomical knowledge of their system, to that of the Federation, as a basis point for future dual surveys.” She paused.
“Log complete.”

“That’s not all we’ll be doing,” Tendi said.

“Certainly not.”


D’Vana Tendi looked out of the window of the conference room and saw that Cerritos had dropped out of warp and was approaching Theta Aquarii II. She supposed that she needed to find out the most common local name for it, before anything else. She was certain she would learn it before too long.


“We’re being hailed by at least three different stations, Captain,” Lieutenant Shax reported.

“Find the one the Rhea contacted,” Captain Freeman ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Shax said. “Wait, there’s a Klingon Bird of Prey entering the system!”

“What!”

“They’re hailing,” Shax said.

“On Screen!” the captain ordered.

“This is Captain Ma’ah of the Klingon Ship Che’Ta, to the Federation Starship in this system. I request permission to come alongside.”

“This is Captain Carol Freeman, of the USS Cerritos, Permission granted.”

“Acknowledged, Che’Ta out.”

“Something’s certainly happening,” Commander Jack Ransom commented.

“I agree.” Freeman said.

“I have found the station, Captain,” Shax said.

“Good,” the Captain said. “Ensign Boimler! Prepare for docking.”

“Aye, Captain,” Ensign Bradward Boimler said.


IKS Che’Ta
Captain Ma’ah brought up the information on the planet on his PADD. It was certainly interesting that there was an almost entirely aquatic civilisation.

“The Cerritos has docked,” his first officer reported.

“Request docking clearance at the same station.”

“Yes, Captain.”


USS Cerritos
“The Che’ta has also docked,” Ensign Barnes reported.

“Inform Captain Ma’ah that I’ll meet him on the station.”


Ensign Beckett Mariner looked over the information on the PADD. The planet was certainly interesting, its history especially, but she was more concerned with the current situation, as she usually was during a second contact mission. Suddenly, as she turned a corner, she ran into someone. “Oh! Sorry,” she said.

“You!” It was Jennifer sh’Rayan, her ex-girlfriend. She was looking at her with hatred.

“Um, It was an accident,” Beckett dissembled.

“That’s not my point.”

“I know that. Now’s not the time,” she didn’t want to be late!

“It’s never the time is it?”

Beckett wasn’t sure what she was talking about. But she had to go, so she ran off.


Jennifer turned away after Beckett ran off. She didn’t know why she had got involved with her. She stopped the line of thought before it went further. She had already spent a lot of time and mental energy on it.


Captain Freeman and Commander Ransom approached the airlock, where Cerritos was docked to the station. Ransom checked his PADD again. “It says nothing about needing environmental suits on the station.”

“Well, they do have lungs as well as gills, so there is free air on the station.”

“I guess that on a world where everything swims, I would have thought that nothing would have lungs.”

“A quirk I guess,” the Captain said as the airlock door opened.


They stepped through and saw that there was a raft next to the airlock. In the water were two assistants. “Welcome to Eali Toromi Station. Please follow us,” they said in unison.

“Thank you,” Captain Freeman responded as she and her first officer boarded the raft.


Eali Toromi Station
Captain Ma’ah emerged from Che’ta onto the station. He saw an assistant waiting next to a raft. “Welcome to Eali Toromi Station. Please follow me.”

“In the raft?” he asked.

“You can swim if you want, but otherwise you’d have to use the raft,” the assistant said nervously.

Ma’ah sighed inwardly. Most other races were intimidated by Klingons. These ‘Acquarii’, as the Starfleet crew had dubbed them, were no exception.

“I can use the raft,” he said.

“Thank you,” the assistant said with a bowing motion and a splash with her tail fluke.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

You've gotten into telling meatier stories recently - which is a nice addition to the madcap hijinks of this series. Very much liking the new tone.

Thanks!! rbs

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 2
USS Cerritos
Mariner entered the room to see Tendi and T’Lyn in the midst of a discussion.

“…I disagree that there isn’t any purely terrestrial life forms on any of the islands,” T’Lyn said.

“But I don’t think there would be any,” Tendi said. “Most of those islands are just atolls.”

“But those that aren’t atolls?” T’Lyn asked.

“Are rather small,” Tendi responded. “With an average size of two square kilometres.”

“You have a point there,” T’Lyn said. “But the largest island is approximately seven square kilometres. I would think that would be a sufficiently large surface area.”

“But that island is one of the most industrialised,” Tendi said.

“That’s true, but even extinct examples of purely terrestrial life would still count.”

Mariner cleared her throat.

“Hi Mariner,” Tendi said.

“Greetings,” T’Lyn added. Mariner could tell there was some annoyance at the interruption.

“That discussion was interesting, but we’re not here for a survey, just laying the groundwork for future surveys,” Mariner said.

“Not entirely true,” T’Lyn said. “We will be surveying some of the shallower seas around their main settlements.”

“That’s great!” Mariner said. “But you do know what I have done in the past.”

“I thought you were turning over a new leaf?” Tendi asked.

“With the support of the Captain and Commander Ransom, rather than going behind their backs.”

“And that is what you did in the past?” T’Lyn asked.

“You have heard of my reputation, right?”

“I have, and I can see why someone would do that, given that I had done some similar things in the past,” T’Lyn admitted.

“Really?” Tendi asked.

T’Lyn nodded.

“The events of the past year have changed me. I’m no longer the headstrong and insubordinate officer I was.”

“That’s a long story,” Tendi said to T’Lyn’s look.

“Let’s get to work,” Mariner said as she put her PADD on the table.

“Of course,” Tendi said.


Eali Toromi Station
The twin assistants lead Freeman and Ransom to a meeting room. “The Klingon captain will be here soon,” they said, again in unison, as the door opened.

“Thanks,” Freeman said.

“You’re welcome,” the twins said before slipping entirely beneath the water and swimming away.

“A little creepy.” Ransom commented.

“Not really,” Freeman said. “Besides, it’s probably a cultural thing. Something we may need to find out about before we cause offense.”

“Of course, Captain,” Ransom said as he paddled the raft into the meeting room.


They didn’t have to wait long before Captain Ma’ah and the other assistant arrived. “A representative will be here shortly,” the latter said before leaving.

“We weren’t informed that a Klingon ship would be here,” Captain Freeman said, as the Klingon joined her and her first officer in the middle of the room.

“This was a last minute assignment,” Ma’ah explained. “By Chancellor Martok himself. Imperial Intelligence had informed him that a rogue house might attempt to annex this planet into the Empire before he could prevent them.”

“They can do that?” Ransom asked before the Captain answered.

“It has happened before. If a planet is already annexed then the High Council invariably votes overwhelmingly not to withdraw,” Ma’ah explained.

“A fait accompli,” Freeman commented. “Hence why your ship was sent. To act as a deterrent, whereas a California class ship wouldn’t.”

“That’s correct.”


USS Cerritos
“Captain Freeman to Cerritos.”

“Shax here, Captain.”

“I’ve been informed that a rogue Klingon ship may be arriving soon.”

“Understood, Captain, we’ll be ready for them.”

“Good, Freeman out.”

“Ensign Barnes, prepare to launch probes.”

“Sir?” Barnes asked.

“They would likely be arriving under cloak!” Shax explained.

“Of course, sir.”

“There are methods of detecting cloaked vessels,” Boimler said to Barnes.

“I know there are,” Barnes said. “Anti-protons and tetryons.”

Boimler nodded.


Eali Toromi Station
Ransom saw someone enter the meeting room. “Welcome to Eali Toromi Station, Offworlders,” he said. “I’m Alean E. Rasle, the representative of the Republican Alliance of Oarnva Meraess. I wasn’t informed that the Klingons would be sending a representative.”

Ma’ah took that as a prompt. “I was sent by my government to ensure that rogue elements would not attempt to annex your world.”

“I see,” Rasle responded. “You have proof of this?”

“Of course,” Ma’ah said. He placed PADD on the table and played the message Chancellor Martok had sent him.


Captain Freeman took in the message. Hearing it from Martok was different from hearing it from Ma’ah.


USS Cerritos
“Probes are ready, sir,” Barnes reported.

“Then launch. Place them at intervals between the planet and the approach vectors into the system from the direction of Klingon Space,” Shax ordered.

“Aye, sir,” Barnes said.


It was boring, Mariner considered, but it would be worth it. Knowing the ecologies of the various settlements would help her know where the needs were. “So, these towns specialise in their equivalent of vegetables?” she asked.

“That’s right,” Tendi answered.

“Cool,” she commented.

“Captain Freeman to Ensign Mariner, please report to the meeting room one the station.”

Mariner tapped her commbadge. “On my way, Captain!”

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Meatier still... I'm sure there's no end of mayhem awaiting (which I eagerly anticipate), but it looks like this story has some legs too.

I'm not a fan of Star Trek Lower Decks, but I'm definitely a fan of your STLD stories - Thanks!! rbs

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 3
T’Lyn watched Mariner leave. “She didn’t waste time.”

“So?” Tendi asked.

“She wanted to get out of here.”

“That’s true.”

T’Lyn turned back to the screen. “Now, these seas have been heavily settled for centuries…”


Boimler was curious about the planet, but he had to wait until the end of his shift. He was also concerned about the report of the rogue Klingons. “What do you think is going to happen?” he asked Barnes.

“I’m not sure. Hopefully they won’t want to fight with the Che’Ta here,” Barnes responded. She looked at her board. “The probes haven’t found anything yet, but most of them are still moving to their positions.”


Eali Toromi Station
Having changed into a wetsuit uniform, Mariner entered the station. She found an assistant and raft waiting.

“Please step onto the raft,” assistant said.

“Don’t worry. I can swim,” Mariner said as she took out a pair of goggles.

“You don’t need to,” the assistant objected.

“But I want to,” Mariner said as she put on the goggles. She then dived from the airlock into the water.


As soon she had dived into the water, the HUD in the goggles activated, providing Mariner with the route information to the meeting room. Having memorised the information, she deactivated the HUD and started breaststroking through the water, taking breaths every twenty seconds.

It didn’t take long, but it allowed Mariner to take a closer look, so to speak, at the people. She saw that they moved their tail flukes up and down as Matt and Kimolu would and she accidentally got an eyeful of obviously mammalian anatomy as she almost crashed into a short-haired lady as they tried to round the same corner. “Sorry,” she said as they both surfaced.

“That’s OK,” the lady said. “To be expected with visitors. Besides I was preoccupied.”

“Oh?”

“None of your business!” the lady said before submerging and swimming off.

“Of course,” Mariner said. She continued on her way.


“Mariner!” Freeman exclaimed, exasperated at her daughter’s contrary nature, “you didn’t need to swim!”

“I wanted to,” Mariner explained as she clambered onto the platform between the Captain and Ma’ah. “Besides, neither you nor Ransom ordered me not to.”

“Obviously,” Freeman said with a sigh. “In any case I asked you to come here because of what Captain Ma’ah has informed us of.”

“And what is that?” Mariner asked Ma’ah.


Mariner watched the video of Martok’s information twice. That a rogue house would do such a thing didn’t surprise her. But they weren’t going to it now. Not on her watch! “That won’t happen!” she declared.

“Good to hear,” Ma’ah said. “But how could you help?”

“Maybe some sort of strategy that you could come up with?” Ma’ah asked.

“Possibly,” Mariner responded. She would have to give it thought.


USS Cerritos
After Mariner had left, Tendi and T’Lyn had continued to go through the available data on the planet.

“In many cultures in the Meraessani Shallows, twins used to be treated as one person,” Tendi read.

“Now, that is intriguing,” T’Lyn responded. “But what does it say about the current situation.”

“Because of that cultural heritage, many pairs of twins still do ‘everything as one’ out of choice.”

“But does it say anything about parental expectations?”

“It doesn’t, but I can certainly imagine that would play a huge role,” Tendi said in slightly nervous tone.

‘There is something there,’ T’Lyn thought. It would probably related to Tendi’s nature as an Orion. She knew one thing, that it wasn’t for her to bring it up. She remembered the disappointment that her parents had shown (briefly) when she had told them that she had been reassigned to Starfleet.



Sh’vhal (Two months earlier)
“Due to my perceived emotional state, I have been reassigned to Starfleet,” she said.

Both her parents showed disappointment before they reasserted their control over their emotions.

“How many times have I said that you need to perfect your control?” her mother asked.

“I have lost count,” T’Lyn said with sarcasm and slight annoyance.

“Like just now?” Her father asked.

“Yes. The whole crew was chastising me.”

“Really?” her mother asked.

“Yes.”


USS Cerritos
“T’Lyn?” Tendi asked.

“A reminiscence,” T’Lyn stated. “Now, is there incidence of the ‘twins as one’ trait elsewhere?”

Tendi looked at her PADD again. “Yes, but the Meraessani Shallows seem to have been a centre of imperialism, and thus may have spread the trait around that way.”

“We will definitely need to look closer,” T’Lyn said.


On the Bridge, it was still quiet, but Boimler was on edge. He was anticipating an alert and an announcement that the rogue Klingons were approaching. He tensed as Barnes noted an alert.

“They could be here,” she said.

“Where?” Shax asked.

“At the L4 point of the next planet out,” Barnes reported.

“Launch another probe,” Shax ordered.

“Aye.”


Eali Toromi Station
Mariner had watched the video from Martok a second time when Shax’s report came in.

“Cerritos to Captain Freeman. A blip that may be the rogue ship has been detected at the L4 point of the next planet out.”

“Understood, keep alert,” Freeman ordered. She looked to Ma’ah and he nodded.


“Share the data with the Che’Ta, Freeman out.”

“Acknowledged, Cerritos out.”

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Looks like the beginnings of another unique STLD saga - a very creative one...

Thanks!! rbs

 

[USS Fardell]

Part 4

“I shall return to my ship,” Ma’ah announced.

“Understood,” Freeman said.

“Can I join him?” Mariner asked.

“Why?” Freeman asked.

“I would be able to advise him better than here on the station or on the Cerritos.”

“Good point,” Freeman responded. “Then you can. You are assigned to liaise with the Klingons on this mission. Obey Captain Ma’ah’s orders!”

“I will obey them as if they were from you, Captain,” Mariner said.

“Are you sure, Captain?” Ransom asked.

“Yes,” Freeman answered.

“Cool,” Mariner said.

“But first, get back to the Cerritos and change back to a usual uniform,” Freeman ordered.

“Of course, Captain,” Mariner said. “I’ll do it right away.”


USS Cerritos
Shax waited as the probe approached the place the other probe had detected a reading. The atmosphere on the Bridge was tense. Most of it radiated from Boimler, but he was sure he was coping.

“Ten seconds,” Barnes said.

“Acknowledged.”


“Scanning.”


IKS Taj
As the ship approached the planet under cloak, they not only detected the weak Federation ship, but also a Bird of Prey.

“Scan that Bird of Prey!” Captain Klara ordered.

“Che’Ta,” one of the officers reported.

“A Loyalist ship,” Klara growed. “Close to within two kellicams!”

“Aye Captain.”

Then there was an alert.

“What’s that?” the Captain asked.

“Antiproton scan, from a Federation probe!”

“Then they’ve detected us! Close in on that ship instead. Less than one kellicam!”

“Yes, Captain.”


IKS Che’Ta
Mariner found the Che’Ta to be almost identical to other Klingon ships she had been on board. What was different, was Ma’ah. He was, calmer, than a usual Klingon. She entered the Bridge behind him.

“Captain, Cerritos has shared the probe telemetry.”

“Very good,” Ma’ah said.

“Another detection. They are getting closer to the planet.”

“Prepare to undock.”


USS Cerritos
“Sir, the Che’Ta is undocking,” Barnes reported.

“Acknowledged,” Shax said.

“They must be chasing the blips!” Boimler said.

“I agree,” Shax said. “Keep alert!”


IKS Taj
“Che’Ta has undocked!”

The Captain sighed. “All stop!” Everything was going wrong.

“Aye Captain!”

“Wait for him to come to us! Then we’ll go after the Federation ship.”



IKS Che’Ta
“So, you have a strategy or…” Mariner asked.

“I can think of some off the top of my head,” Ma’ah answered. “But it would depend on their strategy.”

“Of course,” Mariner said. “But I wanted to be sure.”

Ma’ah nodded. “We are searching in a spiral pattern out from the planet towards the blip.”

“Very good. That’s the way I would do it.”

“Like there has been some exchange in ideas between the Defence Force and Starfleet over the past near century since the Khitomer Accords were signed.”

“Absolutely.”


USS Cerritos
Boimler and Barnes shift had ended and they joined each other in the turbolift as they left the Bridge.

“So, what do you think is going to happen with the Klingons?” Boimler asked.

“I’m not sure,” Barnes admitted. “It may be touch and go.”

“That was what I was afraid of.”

“You know that we have got out of a lot of scrapes.”

“But planets usually aren’t so lucky,” Boimler said. The Turbolift halted and they got out.

“Coming to the bar?” Barnes asked.

“I was going to go to my bunk and look at what we know about the planet,” Boimler said.

“Come on, you need to relax after that tense shift.”

Boimler thought for a moment. “Sure. Half an hour.”


“Done,” T’Lyn said. “We’ll be ready for the presentation tonight.” She saved the data to her PADD and the Main Computer.

“That’s great,” Tendi said.

“I’ll be in the corridor, meditating, if you need me.”

“Thanks.”

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

An unusually serious entry for STLD - which is totally fine by me. Thanks!! rbs