Sheridan Mission 21: "Symbiotic Disaster"

The Silen system is a Class O planet in an, until now, uncharted system, and the Sheridan is on standard patrol. The crew encounters a planet that has developed a relationship with a large, unknown alien being they call The Babla. The species on the planet, the Eklata, use the Babla specifically as an enzymatic contributor in their reproductive process and is basically a womb for all developing Eklata. Since the arrival of the Babla, the Eklata have been dependent on the being for their procreation for nearly two-hundred years. The Babla has been incorporated in to nearly every aspect of their culture.

The Eklata are a humanoid species with thin ears that web out slightly. They also possess webbed fingers and toes for their environment, even though they ave no trouble breathing air or taking in oxygen through the waters around them. They are a warp-capable species that has led their lives around the Babla. They generally do not venture far from Silen despite being warp-capable due to this reverence and dependence. They are ruled by a Planetary Minister, known as the Shri’lek, and a Religious head known as the Abalon.

The Babla is a space-faring creating that is sentient. It communicates through song that the Eklata have not been able to translate. They are sure the song assists their young mature. The creature refers to itself as the Babla, as it has been in the system for the majority of its adult life. It finds its old identity tedious and unnecessary.

More to come here...

Captain's Logs

Cdr Griffin Wright

Stardate 21610.23

Captain's log - Stardate 21610.23
Commander Wright, USS Sheridan

We are headed home, and not under the best of circumstances. Our away team is back safely which was my top priority, but we did not succeed in the way we were hoping. We were on patrol in an uncharted system and encountered a planet, Silen, home to the Eklata. A strange yet relatable population, they are humanoid and warp capable, but do not venture from their planet or engage in many 1st contact situations, apparently.

We discovered, after an unfortunate decision that I am sure I will rue for the rest of my days, a strange being called the Babla which the inhabitants referred to as their 'Mother' who seemed to have a unique relationship with them. She seemed to protect them (in many ways, including a planet-wide shield) and was somehow involved with their reproductive processes, but we were not able to get more information on that topic before we had to leave.

This unfortunate decision of mine was related to how we made contact. In an effort to introduce ourselves and show our culture and intelligent, I broadcast a piece of classical music... This had the effect of a war declaration in the eyes of the Eklata, and I put the entire away team, as well as the Sheridan, in Jeopardy for that. I imagine I will face a formal reprimand for this, and am frustrated that my first Command had to begin like this.

However, there were some positive notes to our experiences here. We were reunited with Lieutenant Sharpe and while both he and Commander Sothrick faced some trying situations, they both grew with the crew and have embraced their pasts to excel in their current positions. Commander Sothrick provided good feedback to me in his role as Acting First Officer while Commander Boislevesque led the away team, and Lieutenant Powell also had sage advice - both of these men voiced opposition to my decision to broadcast music, for example, and I should have listened. Commander Boislevesque led the away team with courage in an unknown situation, being completely cutoff from us, and he is to be commended. Everyone found opportunities to grow and learn, and I am proud of my crew.

I am recovering from a nasty replicator explosion that I hope the personnel on Alpha can root-cause once we're docked. Then I need some R&R back home, if I am permitted liberty. We'll see what Admiral Wueste has to say about that.

Midshipman MacClare has earned a promotion to Ensign and shows great promise, and Lieutenant JG Sharpe will shortly be promoted to full Lieutenant.

I will file this mission under a 'lessons learned' category and work on having the foresight and command prescence to be stronger and more intuitive as I lead my team on our next adventure.

End log.

Crew Logs

First Officer

Cdr Harrison Boislevesque

Stardate 21611.04

First Officer’s Log
StarDate 21611.04

First Officer Commander Harrison Boislevesque reporting.

I know that command will definitely be moaning at me because I'm not doing more official reports, but it's hard what write or say when your in a stressful or nervous situation and that is where I have been.

Thankfully the mission to Silen is complete and the away team is back on-board the Sheridan safe and sound, however the mission didn't turn out the way that we had hoped.

Following on from my last report, the Eklata were defiantly frightened of the transmission that had been sent by the ship and I had the feeling that they really didn't know what to do with us, so they took us to see and I believe be judged by an entity which they call their mother.

It seems however and by a means which we are still not sure of the entity knew that things weren't as bad as the Eklata through and the entity even knew that the orders came from Captain Wright.

I would like to put on this record that even thought the no harm came to the away team on this mission the action of Commander Wright to allow a music transmission to be sent to a planet where a First Contact situation was being done was dangerous and misguided.

I was able to smooth things over to a degree where the entity allowed for us to return to the ship, however it was indicated that due to the incident mentioned above she wouldn't be allowing the Federation to have access to the planet and the inhabitants at this time, fingers crossed that next time contact with these people will end better and it would enhance our influence in the galaxy.

We are now heading back to Alpha where the crew will be allowed to have some rest and relaxation time before we are given our mission orders again.

End Log.

Stardate 21607.27

First Officer’s Log
StarDate: 21607.27

First Officer Commander Harrison Boislevesque reporting.

The mission we were sent on was supposed to be a standard exploration mission to an area which the Federation had known about but hadn't explored yet, it did seem odd to me that they hadn't, but at least it gives the ship and crew something to do and a way of bonding together.

We arrived at the co-ordinate which command had ordered to go to and came across an M class inhabited planet and after initial communication we were allowed to beam down an away team, initially I think that Captain Wright wanted to lead the team but I vetoed that idea being that he wasn't allowed on away team until the area had been deemed safe and secure.

So I lead the away team down to the beam in site which the Eklata indicated and we were meet by a small party of their leaders 2 males and 2 females, they seemed genuinely happy to be talking to us and we're interested in finding out more about us, like we are about there culture, religion and beliefs.

We had just managed to negotiate on leaving the room which were beamed into to have a look around the city, so that we could get a better understanding of their buildings, construction techniques, infrastructure ect and it would also get us into the fresh air and see natural sunlight.

Then we were informed that the Sheridan had transmitted music to the entire planet and they seem to have reacted negatively towards whatever the music was, I'm trying to get a chance for us to hear what the music was, so that we can try and get the negotiations back on track as for the moment they have stalled and we are being held prisoner.

I do hope for our sacks that we can get thing sorted out and fast.

End log.

Tactical

Ens Samuel Sakan

Stardate 21607.27

Tactical Officer's Log
Stardate 21607.27

I guess I don't really know what I expected for my first extrasolar mission in Starfleet, but this wasn't it.

First of all, all this camaraderie and unity amongst a starship crew everyone kept going on about at the Academy appears to be a bit overblown. While I don't have any reason to doubt my new crewmates' abilities to perform their duties, they don't exactly seem to be working like a well-lubricated machine. There appears to be a fair bit of tension between my CO and my department head. My department head seems to be a bit petulant, to be honest, but I suppose I shouldn't judge without knowing the whole story. It's definitely striking how much more complex it is to get such a crew to gel than just three of us on a freighter vessel out in the fringes. Even when I got annoyed at mom and dad it didn't really matter, given their inability to get emotional.

Then, of course, we have the actual mission. A planet that has somehow gone unexplored despite being a rather short trip from Earth at warp. It's not like we discovered new things a lot, but we were running a business, not actively exploring the way Starfleet does. A world that knows of other spacefaring species but is otherwise isolationist, if cordial. Presumably defended by some sort of super-entity? And also respond poorly to music. I wish there was more I could do, but for now I just have to make sure we can take evasive action if need be and hope the rest of the crew can pull together.

And what have they done with the Away Team...? How can we communicate with it? It would be exciting if there weren't such lives at stake.

End Log.

Security

COS LCdr Tourock Sothrick

Stardate 21610.12

Chief Security Officer's Log
StarDate: 21610.12

Lieutenant Commander Sothrick reporting.

The Sheridan is on its return trip after a failed meeting with the Eklata of Silen. The intention of the trip was a first contact meeting in hopes to help the Eklata join the ranks of the Federation.

The beginning of the mission went typically. Upon arriving in orbit we noticed surrounding satellites determined as entertainment purposed satellite and per SOP began utilizing the monitored frequencies for a better understanding of the planets inhabitants.

It was not long before it was realized that we had been observed as well and the people of Silen reached out to us. It was agreed that we would meet and the Captain arranged for an away team to transport to the requested coordinates.

However upon sending the crew, and after reading all reports I believe this is where the mission went wrong. After sending the crew an idea was brought up to transmit towards the planet, a selection of ... music. The selection was wholly human in nature, and meant, if not foolishly, meant to show the human culture as it were.

As this caused a breakdown in communication it did alert us to something that may have not been revealed to us otherwise.

In reaction to this assault of music, as the Eklata saw it, a new creature was shown to us. It shares the similarities if it is not as the Babla, referenced in Vulcan Data Base.

The Babla has become the Eklata's self proclaimed protector even being called "Mommy or Mother" by the people of Silen. Our research revealed that this creature even aids in the reproductivity of the people.

This creature reacted to its, children's plead, by making itself a shield that somehow enveloped the planet in its entirety.

Out attempts to contact not only our away team but any of the people of Silen were cut off because of this, shield found later to be the Babla itself.

During the debate on what action to take for some reason there was a power overload in the ships replicator in the Captains Ready Room that exploded and injured and incapacitated the Captain. This left myself in charge.

Upon taking control of the ship I sent out a call on, ... all frequencies, assuring of our intentions and apologies of any misconceived transmissions until that point.

This action, luckily, worked and after some moments of silence we received word back that the crew was being judged as the shield retracted to all but one point where it was decided our crew was still held.

After a few moments later it was revealed some of the reasoning of the sudden shield and our people were returned to us but we were ushered on our way by the Babla who all described as having strong telepathic abilities. The Babla and her children would be open to talks in the future but I would suggest sending a more seasoned negotiators for the task.

On another note before undertaking the mission we have received several new crew. Of the Bridge and command crew it would seem oddly that I am the only original, at least to when I started, left. Mr. Sharpe would be the next that has been here the longest.

T'Kol has also moved and is no longer my assistant but become the new Chief of the Boat. I am not surprised how well she has acclimated to this new position.

On a more personal note, It would seem that I was the target of a homicide attempt. It would seem that an intruder masked himself while the Sheridan was docked. Reports I am seeing so far the man managed to bypass a few of my security protocols and sneak about the ship setting his plan into motion.

His plan was most ingenious as my abilities would have seen an attack come straight on I was lured into the Holodeck and attacked by an onslaught of holocharacters from several of my tactical and fighting programs. It is unclear how I managed to evade being slaughtered. Perhaps the program was interrupted as I remember fighting for what seemed like hours.

As it seems no doubt that I was the target I have stayed out of the investigation but I already have some possibilities in mind. I believe this was meant to kill me as some sort of retaliation to Cleo Banks. Because of evidence so far collected I believe this was a member of a rival clan making their move against her. I have sent word to her to be aware and she assures me she had already found the person with another attempt and, dealt , with him.

On that even more personal note outside of that conversation and her apologies I have not conversed with Banks in several months. While I understand her logic and reasons for her choices I can not, rationalize or, ..... forgive her actions of making them. Her unwillingness to continue to talk has left me with no choice but to attempt to sever our link.

She too has been consciously attempting to block and sever our link despite my warnings to her that it would not be easy. Each day I have been meditating and working to break those bonds we created. With her and ... her child.

I believe it is time for me to Meditate Now.

End Log.

Engineering

CE Lt Dick Powell

Stardate 21610.31

Official Log, R. S. Powell
Chief Engineer, USS Sheridan, DD-4086
Stardate 21610.31

Another mission completed. Not too successfully, but it didn't entail blowing up a Federation ship, unlike my last assignment. We managed to permanently scar the population of a planet with a protector-god-creature, their "mother", by broadcasting a fantastic symphony, Strauss' 2nd, over their own telecommunications infrastructure---and nearly at their request!

Midway through first contact, a replicator detonated, injuring the captain. That is currently my project---it needs replaced, and the captain would like to know why it detonated. I've coupled that with a security audit and some maintenance of all other replicators. Atop those, I would like to modify the transporters to function through the biological shield that the "mother" of this planet was. I've been studying the sensor logs to look for weaknesses. I plan to forward them to some professors at the academy, to see if they have any suggestions, or would like to take a crack at the problem. I'm also studying the teleportation technology the shield provided.

It seems that our captain still has some things to learn---like myself, he is impulsive at the worst of times, and a little careless and aggressive at the best. Sothrick was a rock on the bridge. He kept cool, and provided sanity checks for every action we took. He wasn't perfect---even a Vulcan couldn't be, but he did try. This crew still has some work to do, to pull together and act like one.

End Log.

Science

CSO Lt Feta

Stardate 21610.23

CSO Feta's Personal Log
Star Date 21610.23

Okay, wow. The planet, home to the Eklata, turned out to conform to a number of both our hopes and fears. There was almost a loss of life due to misunderstanding, but other than that it went well. Well... except for the fact that the Eklata, or perhaps just the "Mother", have decided to remain isolated for now.

The Mother was interesting, confirming theories of an unnatural origin. It's self-insertion into the Eklata is much to far in the past for us to feel any obligation to prevent it from interfering further with the Eklata's development. I am not sure we could stop it if we tried in any case. I suspect this will be a topic of debate among Federation scientists, politicians, and anyone interested in ethics. Depending on how public our mission becomes, that is. We have not been ordered to keep quite, for now.

I was probably not the best choice of Scientist for the Away Team, but I can see how sending one of the more specialized members of the crew would not be ideal in First Contact. I am going to have to smooth things over with the people I had assured would be able to visit the planet in person in the future. At least we have countless hours of Eklata broadcasts for them to pour over, I guess. What we had learned of the language can be used to make the UT algorithm better in the future.

The novel biology, culture and alien "Mother" of the Eklata will be of great interest across the Federation.

Overall, today was a great boon for Science!

End Log.