Captains Log: 03/01/2402

I’m still having problems getting my head around the implications of Doctor Sunny’s findings.  Even some of his colleagues which he’d liaised with after the autopsies had been left speechless.  The mere thought of what the doctor has suggested has been confounding.  Someone is doing their best to cover things up, and had hoped the bodies would have been destroyed before anyone could examine them.  Armed with the information we now have; we are currently heading for Tartarus II, in the hope of uncovering the truth.

<End Log>

Commander Anacostia-Bolling, turned the Padd idly in her hand.  She’d read the report soon after Doctor Sunny had compiled it, read it again almost immediately and probably a dozen times since then.  She’d worked with him for several years, so knew he was not a man for embellishment or fanciful thinking.  He relied on facts and it was facts that were pointing towards something bizarre and frankly unnerving.

Each of the bodies recovered from the USS Stavanger showed signs of having been fitted with positronic implants; which had clearly been removed by a skilled surgeon, the evidence was microscopic, but it was still there, if you looked close enough.  They all displayed various levels of organ damage or complete failure; and if that wasn’t weird enough, their blood had been replaced by an artificial created substitute.  Everyone was at a loss as to why this had happened to them.

There were other subtle clues; that once all added together had brought them to this place.  At least two of them had been miners, both of them along with several of the others had been inoculated for the same disease within the past year, and one individual had spores from a rare plant lodged in her nasal cavity.  Together those pieces of information, pointed to Tartarus II.

The com-system whistled. “Bridge to Captain.”

“Go ahead Number One.” The Commander replied.

“We are now approaching Tartarus II.” The Trill First Officer announced.

“Ok, I’m on my way.” Anacostia-Bolling , placed the Padd down on her desk and headed for the bridge.

Everyone seemed to calmly go about their duties, the Commander having swiftly done away with the formalities of announcing her arrival.  To Mary it just sounded so pompous and unnecessary, it also seem to act as much as a distraction as it was a warning to ‘look sharp, the boss is here!’

Lieutenant-Commander Alara Ley, vacated the Captains seat and gave a brief run-down of the situation.  The most disturbing of which was that the closest of the planetary defense satellites was now currently targeting them.

“Are we in range of that things weapons?” The Commander asked.

“Negative Captain.” Her Tactical Officer replied.  “Another five minutes at our current speed and heading.”

“Helm, bring use to a stop.”  Anacostia-Bolling requested.  “And comms, see if you can raise someone on the surface.  I don’t like having guns pointed at my head.”

She did a quick calculate, using the computer interface linked into her seats right armrest.  As suspected the satellite was keeping them just outside transporter range.  It seemed an age before the face of a middle aged man with short jet black hair, noticeable stubble and tired heavy set eyes; dressed in grubby pale blue overalls appeared on the screen.

“Maintenance Technician Kilcannon.”  The man droned in a thick Irish accent.  “How can I help?”

“You can help by pointing those defence satellites in the other direction.”  The Commander answered firmly.

“Do you have an appointment?” The man enquired; not seeming to notice or possibly care, who it was he was addressing.

Anacostia-Bolling took a deep breath. “What the heck would I need with an appointment?”

“Standard Company procedures miss.” Kilcannon replied.  “Strict security of this facility needs to maintained at all times.”

That sounded like a man reading from the company’s manual; and it was interesting to note, that they thought of this place as a facility and not a planet with living breathing humans on it.  She also considered the idea that if they’d thought more about security in the first place; many lives could have been saved.  “Who’s in charge down there?”

“That would be myself.”

“Then why don’t you disengage your weapons and allow us to get within transporter range?”  The Commander felt it rather odd that a technician would have been left in charge of the place.

“I’ll need to clear that with Head Office first.  I’m not authorised to do that.”

The Commander closed her eyes for a brief moment, contemplating how big an incident it would create if she ordered her crew to open fire and destroy the nearest satellite, but instead reluctantly agreed to hold position and wait.  When the image of the Maintenance Technician disappeared from the main view screen to be replaced by a view of the planet, she leaned back in her chair.  “And you can stop smiling.” The Commander lightheartedly chastised her XO; who from experience she knew was at the back of the bridge, enjoying how frustrated her Captain was getting.

Diplomacy wasn’t one of Anacostia-Bolling’s strong points, she knew that, and she’d picked up a lot of bad habits from her own Captain; whilst she’d been an XO.  Robert Eglin had been a man of few words and charged phaser banks.  It was no wonder then, that he’d spent the majority of his career chasing after criminals and pirates; rather than shaking hands with planetary dignitaries.  No, she may be in command of her own ship now, but Mary had as much to unlearn as she needed to learn, and probably not all that much time to do it in.  Regardless, having to wait was still annoying.

The Trill First Officer carried on her work with a smile. “Our friend down there appears to be the only humanoid life sign I’m registering.”

The Commander turned as far as she could in her chair, looking over the backrest.  “What about the workforce and the civilian population?”

“As far as I’m able to tell.” The Lieutenant-Commander replied.  “Other than a few examples of wildlife, there is no one.”

“Funny they never mentioned that everyone had left when we made enquires.”  The Commander pondered.  “Or that we’d need to jump through hoops just to get down there.”

“What puzzles me.” The XO continued.  “Is the indications of recent activity.”

This was enough to get Anacostia-Bolling out of her chair; and heading over to the Science Station, were her friend and First Officer currently sat.  Leaning on the back of the Trills chair she read through the data presented to her on the screen.

Before they’d arrived in system, things had been happening down on that planet.  Dissipating heat signatures indicated much of the mines surface equipment and machinery had been in operation, up until that point.  Far more than one lone individual could operate, even with a high level of automation.  Now everything was silent and still.  Someone was playing games, and Anacostia-Bolling didn’t like games.