You are the Captain 04

[Jedi Marso]

Haven't seen a new one in a while, so here you go:

You are the captain of an early UESPA exploration ship, pre-Federation. You've had encounters with the Orions previously, where they have attempted piracy and hijinks against you and your crew.

Your standing orders are to NEVER initiate hostilities with foreign powers, although you are allowed the right of self-defense.

You discover an alien starship orbiting the moon of a gas giant. The crew has been in suspended animation for 20,000 years as they attempt to terraform the moon by stages so that they can eventually emerge from their long sleep and settle it. Your intent is to make a passive study of the aliens and their vessel, and then depart and leave them in peace to continue their project, which will extended millenia into the future.

An Orion privateer that was shadowing you has now discovered the alien vessel due, indirectly, to your investigation. They are interested in the cryogenic suspension technology the aliens have, which is very advanced. It is clear that as soon as you depart, they will scavenge the alien ship for the tech, probably killing the crew in the process, or perhaps trying to revive them and sell them either as livestock or into slavery.

Your conundrum as captain: Walk away, or engage and destroy the Orions (against your standing orders) in order to preserve the aliens which you have unwittingly led the Orions to? You've already tried to talk them into leaving, and failed.

Side note: This is based on one of my fan-fics, The Long Sleep, available in that forum.

 

[FredH]

Don’t walk away. Stay as long as necessary; engage and destroy if the Orions attack. If possible, convince someone (UESPA? The Vulcans?) to leave a permanent defense buoy/garrison/something here. I recognize this will certainly cost my career.

 

[NCC-73515]

Stay between them, then defend if they attack

 

[somebuddyX]

Do I have a tractor beam? Can I just grab the alien ship and warp away with it? Take it back to Earth and let UESPA deal with it.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Do I have a tractor beam? Can I just grab the alien ship and warp away with it? Take it back to Earth and let UESPA deal with it.

No. You have the choice presented in the OP. For the sake of argument, the alien vessel is far too large for you to sustain a warp field around it.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Stay between them, then defend if they attack

Yes, but how many years can you stay? What's to stop the Orions from coming back in six months?

 

[Hawku]

Offer a trade of cryogenic data with a side of tritriticale for their promise to leave them alone.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

* Scare the Orions away by broadcasting a false signal suggesting UESPA reinforcements are on their way.
* Ask the quartermaster for an inventory of all goods we could spare to try and trade with the Orions.
* Create false scans to fool the Orions into thinking there's nothing of value aboard the cryoship, or if they already know there is, pretend it's been destroyed, via a phony accidentally tripped self-destruct setting.

 

[somebuddyX]

I think I'd blow up the alien ship, so no one gets it. Then I'd leave, giving the Orions the finger out the window.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I've found the weakness of this game. Almost nobody answers the question as its posted; they pose alternative solutions instead. Cest La Vie. No mas.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

'Fraid you've stumbled into a nest of Kirks.

Okay, so if given those two choices alone, innocent sleeping people win out over known ruthless criminals. Engage.

 

[FredH]

Yes, but how many years can you stay? What's to stop the Orions from coming back in six months?

Though also: if you destroy this Orion ship, what’s to stop another one to come try the same thing?

 

[FredH]

I've found the weakness of this game. Almost nobody answers the question as it’s posted; they pose alternative solutions instead. Cest La Vie. No mas.

Stands to reason: the better captains don’t believe in the no-win scenario.

 

[somebuddyX]

My duty is to my crew. If some aliens want to park themselves for 20000 years in orbit of some planet and have a nap they kinda bear the responsibility of their actions.

 

[DonIago]

Kirk would broadcast on an open channel that, per UESPA regulations, he'd planted a corbomite bomb aboard the alien ship that would detonate if it detected a non-UESPA signal.

 

[NCC-73515]

Yes, but how many years can you stay? What's to stop the Orions from coming back in six months?

Until I hear from SF, who I've notified of the situation

 

[Nyotarules]

Wake up the sleeping crew and warn them they're about to be someone's dinner or someone's slave.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I would definitely engage the Orions.

If you have the right to self defense, you have the right to defend others. It’s the same thing.

 

[Oddish]

If i have no alternative, I give the Orions fair warning, then blast them. My career is shot, and maybe I spend some time in New Zealand... but I can sleep at night.

 

[FederationHistorian]

An easy one. Engage and destroy the Orion vessel if necessary. As the Orions are as they said privateers and not the official government. That gives leeway to open fire and protect the aliens in stasis, especially if the Orions fire first.