First Contact

Posted on Sun Jul 15th, 2012 @ 12:42pm by Captain Vorn Krace & Lieutenant Allison Cathcart & Lieutenant JG Nicholas Tenebroso

Mission: Heart of an Explorer
Location: Maltorra - Warp Craft Launch Centre
Timeline: MD40 2007hrs (ship time) 0900 (local time)

As the blue glow of the transporter died away, the away team materialised; each clad in the white suits that were standard use in Starfleet EVA activities in vacuum or hazardous environments. Even Arjin had been kitted out with one, to prevent their so far healthy contact in the Maltorrans from becoming infected upon his return to the planet.

The away team - consisting of the Captain and First Officer, medical staff, one security officer and Science Officer Hamson - had beamed onto the site that had been designated as the landing zone should any of the launched warp craft be able to return with help. The Captain had decided to beam down to save the work crews the additional time it would take to sterilise a shuttle after a trip into a potentially infectious atmosphere. They had chosen the designated landing site so as to avoid too much panic surrounding their arrival.

As Arjin led them towards a group of buildings at the end of a long pathway leading off the side of the tarmac, it took quite a while before any of the buildings occupants began to come out and see their visitors.

"Greetings!" Krace said, his voice filtered through the environment suit. "I am Captain Vorn Krace, of the starship Iapetus, representing the United Federation of Planets."

"I- I am Marjòrin, the duty officer here," the lead man of the three who came out to greet them said.

"I apologise for the suits," the captain said. "But Arjin told us of the infection that is affecting your planet."

The man nodded. "Have you come to help?"

"If we can, we will. Allow me to introduce my other officers," Krace responded. "This is my First Officer, Commander Walex. My Science Officer, Lieutenant Hamson; Doctor Tenebroso and Counsellor Tyo, and one of my security officers, Lieutenant Cathcart."

Cathcart remained perfectly silent, watching the peripheries of the room. There seemed to be a few silent, conscientious engineers working on something or other but there weren't any immediate threats to the well-being of the away team.

There was something eerily sedate about the pace at which work was being carried out. Allison wasn't overly familiar with the emotional reaction to massive pandemics but she had expected something more fevered; perhaps an air of desperation.

"Marjòrin," Arjin spoke up, after the introductions had been finished. "We need to call the Prefect."

"Oh? Oh, yes yes!" The duty officer seemed to snap out of a reverie, almost as if waking from a dream at the fellow Maltorran's words. "Please, come with me."

Allison followed the group, her eyes constantly darting around. The Academy had taught her to look in every possible direction as often as she could. That was fine if you were a Cariin with your eyes out on stalks but she just had to rely on the speed of her neck muscles.