Challenger Mission 01: "Portent"

The USS Challenger was dispatched to investigate unusual conditions on the third planet in the Orais system. Orais three had been experiencing odd geological activity accompanied with an usual amount of warming near its polar ice caps. The team of the Challenger was assigned to evaluate the issues on the planet and assess the likelyhood that the problems on the planet were associated with a marked ruin on the planet surface. The ruins had been chronologically characterized as being of the same time period as the T'Kon empire. The Challenger was dispatched to evaluate this scientific inquiry and take all necessary precautions to ensure that technology of the ruin—if activated did not fall into enemy hands.

Captain's Logs

Capt Kiron Hunter

Stardate 21010.14

I still cannot get used to the title—Captain Hunter. I sound like my father. Nevertheless—here I am—in the flesh and in command of a starship.

God help the Federation.

The Vice Admiral saw fit to change my assignment for reasons unknown to me, and even though I question his motives as I always have. I can feel nothing if not gratitude for the man who, since I came back into the fold has trusted and helped me so much. If not for him, I would still be a Lieutenant Commander resting in a small little cubicle.

That is not the case though, and the USS Challenger is my latest project. The Challenger—at least the personnel office says, fits my proclivity for trouble, aptitude for dealing with the aggrieved, and personality. I assume that means being a self-absorbed •••••••? Either way, it works out, I guess.

As for my First Officer but not First Officer—Commander Elizabeth Jones. The woman could have less respect for her uniform—but she doesn’t ever bother to wear it. Apparently she thinks I’m odd for having served in the fleet—however, where she sees that as a disadvantage, I do not. After all—I served with some of the best officers. Eaglestone, Arking, who I’ve recently been told is now a First Officer… I will have to look her up sometime, Grant… Derrick Grant… I still can’t figure out if he is a caring father figure or one of those crazy uncles we keep locked up in the closet until we have to let him out.

As for my other experiences—I don’t believe I can talk about those—under Grant’s expert vision though. I grew immensely.

Again—Commander Jones—apparently, with the title comes the innate ability to get off track without even trying? I will have to talk to the Admiral about that.

Damnit!

The Commander has decided to incorporate monkeys on to my ship…. Now, she claims they are Chimpanzees—however, I am not sold. If they can pass a test I administer we will see… In the meantime though—I’m not buying it.

For now—I am off to recruit the best tactician in the sector… God knows we’ll need him, even if he is a head case.

End log.

Stardate 21106.22

As it turns out, we were played. At least, it really seems that way. Every step of the way on that godforsaken planet we were followed. The transaction seemed to go off without a hitch, however, with the amount of security floating around on that little globule of a world, it would be amazing if the… whatever it is doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

Our little expedition was not without fruition though, thanks to Michael. He seems to have contacts everywhere, which was precisely one of the reasons why we didn’t keep him locked in the high security vault we had him stashed before. I don’t know if I can really trust him yet… but certainly you could have a lot worse friend than him. He’s intuitive, quick thinking, and honestly pretty much every quality SFIC… would probably look for in an agent.

Apart from my rambling about Michael, I need to make a note to look into more depth about a contact named Sarta , his connections to Winchester, and the nature of his business and trade. Perhaps some of this will become more apparent when I talk with Winchester, but until I have time for debrief—well I’m left in limbo.

We’re currently on our way back to rendezvous with the Challenger. I have the feeling that my absence won’t be reflected upon kindly by the Vice Admiral, but if that dolt I left in command can just keep the ship together, I might be able to keep my rank for more than a solid month. Of course, there is something liberating about consistently being promoted and demoted, but I’ve put so much time, at this point it would be a shame to see her command transferred after this mission.

The rest of our observe and report mission went as scheduled. Our long range probes didn’t pick anything up out of the unusual, and as I suspected there was really no reason to send a ship to the area. After all, Fleming has only slightly more effective sensors than a probe. Now, give me a month with them and they’ll be singing like no other, and who knows we may even have reunion with an old friend, but I’m not an engineer anymore.

[Beep… Captain Hunter report to the bridge. We are within 10 minutes of USS Challenger]

That’s my cue.

End log.

Crew Logs

Lt JG Michael Winchester

Stardate 21010.23

So many years had passed by since I resigned my commission as a Starfleet officer, only to be reactivated again, but this time as an Intelligence officer. I didn't really have much of a choice in the matter, but I had made a promise to myself to try and make the best of my stay here. Captain Hunter seems to think that my skills and experience may be of some use to him on this mission, but I disagree. From what I heard so far, the USS Challenger is nothing but a glorified civilian cruise ship.

What can I say? I am going to be stuck on board that bucket of bolts for a while and my job will be to try to keep everyone from getting themselves foolishly killed somehow. On the up side, the Challenger has a state of the art science facilities, and I'll get a chance to work on some of the projects being developed here. So that is one thing that I am looking forward to doing.

For now, I must go and get the second part of my physical done. The alien nurse here was rather too friendly the first round, and I hope she (I think that was a she) will be just as friendly the second time around...

End Log.