Mission Log 6 - Ended Stardate 21503.01 "The Wandering Wander"

Mission Logs for Avenger, “The Wandering Wander”.

Mission Summary

Mission dates: 21406.01 through 21503.01

Avenger

While en-route to pick up a team of scientists, the Commanding Officer of the USS Avenger was nearly killed in an assassination attempt. In the wake of her removal to Starbase Delta for medical treatment, the Avenger detects a distress signal from a planet thought to be uninhabited and moves in to assist. They find a planet full of death with logs suggesting the work of a microbe, but soon some of their own begin to exhibit symptoms.

While attempting to uncover answers, an unknown being makes its presence known and claims it wants to help, though it hardly seems coincidental.

Logs

Captain's Logs

Captain Tyra Crawford

201407.01

Captain's Log

Captain Tyra Crawford

Star Date 21407.01

It's official. I think I'm suppose to be happy right now but really, I'm just... everything feels like it is shifting.

I guess I'm not wrong. Tam is gone, transferred to the second fleet. Thomas has done his best to replace her with a young woman named Sophia Rush -- she's an unusual choice with a background in support, cross trained in both medical and security, but maybe my husband knows me better than I expected... I do gravitate towards the unusual choices.

For instance, I not only forced Jenny to stay but I made her acting Chief Tactical officer. Admittedly, it was my plan before I heard her half-brained plan to run off and waste her potential without even telling me, but one doesn't normally thrust the people that disappoint you into a position to disappoint you even more.

I also made Ethan acting-CE and he'll do well, especially if he grows a backbone. That one is a little less unorthodox, though I know Schwartz is less than happy. Maybe, if he acted like a mature man capable of being an officer in a senior leadership role, he might get considered as well. Oh, and if he'd hit on girls his own age, or maybe even ones that are younger but legal... but at least, not hit on teenage girls related to me.

As of now, Starfleet has us making a milk run. I'd normally bemoan the boring nature of such a mission but after the Krynar, this has been well deserved. However, without a distraction, I might make myself insane... more insane.

Personal Log, Supplemental

Not even a day out of dock and I'm already worrying myself to death, second guessing my decision to wait to finalize everything until we get back to Delta.

Part of me hates not telling Thomas but part of me doesn't want to get his hopes up if I'm wrong. We both want this... and I think it would feel like something was stolen from us if my gut is wrong. Then again, when was the last time my gut was wrong?

Some ship wide drills would take my mind off this... it'd distract everyone else to... yep, Sophia might hate it but it'll be good for her as well. She needs the experience.

End Log.

Crew Logs

Lieutenant (JG) Jennifer Braggins

21501.14

Chief Tactical Officer's Log

Stardate 21501.15(ish)

Lieutenant Jennifer Braggins recording

Where to begin?

This was meant to be a milk run. Pick up some snobby scientist, carry him half way across the sector and dump him somewhere else. Fate had other plans, of course... Captain Crawford was horrifically injured in an explosion, I found her all busted up in her Ready Room moments after her Replicator exploded. The bastard who did this is rotting in a cell in the Brig right now, but if I ever get my hands on him I'll...

Our mission was diverted to a planet named 'Aoin' following the receipt of a distress call. We mounted a mission to Aoin's surface, but revealed little regarding the plight of the natives. It was, quite frankly, a bust - none of the data we collected seemed to point to any reason why the natives simply laid down and died. When we returned to the Voltaire, we were contacted by a floating ball of energy calling himself 'Wayfarer', who claimed to be some form of explorer. I say claimed, because he only seems interested in communicating with telepaths...

Wayfarer is currently running amok on the Avenger, and while the science nerds and engineers attempt to find a way to contain him, I have to deal with our new temporary CO... I don't see this going well at all...

End Log

Supplementary (personal): Zephyr displayed an emotion other than 'bubbly'! She's progressed into 'pissed off beyond all belief'! I'm so proud!

21503.08

Chief Tactical Officer's Log

Stardate 21503.08

Jennifer Braggins recording

He killed them...

He killed all of them...

That rat bastard ball of energy Wanderer killed the entire Aoin race!

We have returned the bodies of the Aoin dead to their homeworld, I think they'd have appreciated that. Zephyr seems to be in some kind of shock after the revelation of what Wanderer had done, I hope she snaps out of it soon... She seems to have just withdrawn into herself...

We're on our way back to Starbase Delta now, the crew are going to need a long holiday after this mess... I know I will...

I just hope more bad news isn't waiting for us when we get there...

End log and save.

Lieutenant (JG) Ethan Harkness

21410.13

Acting Chief Engineer's Log

Stardate 21410.13

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Harkness recording.

• long pause, approximately 10-15 seconds*

I honestly don't now how to really start this log. I could talk about the ship's systems all operating nominally, the crew cohesion being at an all time high, and the general regard for me in this position has finally gotten to the point where I don't have two or three ballsy Lieutenants coming up to me and trying their luck to usurp my orders or my position.

This should be a very positive update on the Engineering conditions of the ship. I hear the Captain is beginning to recover from her injuries, which is always good news. Damnit, I can't do this right now.

End log and delete.

Supplemental

Acting Chief Engineer's Log, Supplemental:

We failed.

The people of Aion are completely gone it seems. Dead of some horrible disease we don't even know if we can find. They just...go to sleep and die. An entire planet.

I thought after the horrible things we did to the Krynar we could expect a respite from tragedy and monumental amounts of death.

• sigh*

This is one of those days you question what you're doing out here.

End log.

21503.10

Acting Chief Engineer's Log

Stardate 21503.09

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Ethan Harkness recording:

Our original mission was deterred from pending our response to a planetary distress signal. Upon arrival at said planet, the Avenger encountered radiation and interference of an unknown origin.

En route to the planet, later identified as Aion, disaster struck in the form of a terrorist attack on out Captain. It appeared a member of the Support team, aggravated in some way by the Captain, had acquired command override codes of Lt (JG) Jacob Schwartz. Using said codes, when the Captain attempted to replicate coffee, it replicated a bomb that did considerable damage to her Ready Room. Ensign MacDougan was able to identify Lieutenant Schwartz as the perpetrator, but further digging in to the logs showed that Mr. Schwartz was innocent.

Aion was suffering from some sort of pandemic event that was global in nature. The planet itself seemed to be either pre-warp or on the cusp of warp technology and the decision was made to evacuate the sick and send an Away Team to investigate the sickness.

Onboard, a transporter mishap sent infected patrons to the cargo bay instead of sickbay, causing a lock down of Deck 10 while decontamination teams swept the deck for possible precursors of infection. Finding none, the deck was quickly cleared. It seemed that the computer, upon not recognizing the inhabitants of Aion, identified the people as contaminants themselves.

With the return of the Away Team, they were accompanied by an energy being that identified itself as a Wanderer. The being seemed to be the source of the mysterious interference, the unknown radiation and the "disease" from which the people of Aion were succumbing. Wanderer had a thirst for knowledge as it violated our computer core and databanks, downloading and compiling information that made modern safeguards useless and modern technologies ancient-seeming. If it hadn't been so destructive, Wanderer might have been a powerful ally. Instead, it nearly overloaded the computer core and, once faced with its own pain, attempted to overload the nacelles with power, causing a near catastrophic ejection of the dual cores. The computer thankfully caught up and shut down the sequence before it could complete.

The entity was defeated by the usage of a subspace field by Lieutenant Schwartz and the knowledge acquired from communication with the being on board the Voltaire. The field disrupted quantum tunnels within the Wanderer's system, causing it to flee.

Damage across the vessel from the intrusion is unknown pending a full diagnostic of all systems. The nacelles did have significant damage from unprotected plasma usage throughout and I am recommending a complete rebuild of the nacelles based on the previous repairs done and the time we will be in dock. Further repairs to the Ready Room, the Computer Core, and the Voltaire are also being taken in to consideration. Estimated time to complete repairs: 1.5-2.5 months. As unfortunate as it is, we have the time to complete such repairs as our Captain recovers from grievous injury.

End Log

Supplemental

Personal Log, Supplemental:

I don't know what the hell happened on Aion, but every member of that Away Team refuses to really discuss it and their log entries are not helpful. Zephyr has lost all the spark in her eyes and I haven't seen her smile once since she returned. On top of that, she won't even talk to me. Usually, I am the first she comes to and we work through it together, as a team, ever since we started dating years ago in the Academy.

I just don't know what to do.

My department is on edge, they look at me like my time has past half the time, and my girlfriend left on an Away Mission and never came back. It throws my entire plan up in smoke for this shoreleave, my plan for us. I know I sound selfish, but Zephyr looks sad and depleted and checked out half the time. When she was in Sickbay, Ohmsford wouldn't let me in, I threatened him with a spanner but the man wouldn't budge. I guess I have to give him credit, I was ready to ruin a good spanner.

• sigh*

Nothing is the same anymore.

End log.

Lieutenant (JG) Jake Schwartz

21503.09

Personal Log, Stardate 21503.09

Lieutenant Junior Grade Jake Schwartz

Well, that mission was a total charlie-fox.

Nice, easy courier run, they said. For one, since when do they allocate a heavy cruiser for a courier run. Of course, it went sideways. Starting before anything else even got going, some jackwagon in Support tried to murder the Captain. Rigged her replicator to give her a bomb instead of her morning coffee. Oh, but that's not the best part. Somehow that asshat got his paws on my authorization code and tried to frame me for killing the Captain. No idea why he thought I'd have motive for it, but there it is. Only real beef I have with her is that evidently its my fault when her kid sisters sneak into a bar underage and start hitting on me.

Thankfully, that was cleared up before anyone got out the leg irons or phasers. They were able to back-trace him quick. Another frickin' mark against me that isn't my fault with the Captain; what fun... if she makes it. sighs She deserves better than that.

Either way, after that, we went to investigate a distress call. That was a hot mess... an entire system covered with some weird kind of radiation. We took the Voltaire out for a closer look at the planet. Kudos to me for getting into an escort without it getting a bad case of explosions for once, but that away mission was... awful. Really, really awful. We found nothing but a whole lot of folks dying slowly and horribly from radiation poisoning. If I never have to see something like that it'll be too soon.

We got back to the Voltaire after poking around the entire planet and finding nothing. We were greeted by an energy... being thing that was gleefully poking around our databases. I'm not great with computers, but I don't think that the best scientists in the Federation could've stopped him. All I could do was try to stop him and try to figure out how to stop it. Thankfully, I managed at least that much - it didn't like subspace fields, and warp engines make just great big, powerful subspace fields.

About then we got beamed back to Avenger without ceremony or warning. I slid right onto the Bridge with Jenny and Zephyr, as the thing - which called itself the Wanderer, apparently, had come aboard Avenger. I quickly started modding the engines to give us something to respond with if it became necessary. It was necessary, and I was on the nacelle controls with Senior when it went active. The bloody thing managed to override all orders queues though. Almost dumped the core, and did dump full cruise power loads into idle coils without getting the usual containment fields up first... so while everyone else aboard is away to play once we limp back to Delta, Engineering will be busy replacing at least half of the warp coils. If I can get them to replace them all, I will, because this wasn't kind, but still...

I dunno. I was kinda hoping to find some time with Jenny this port call instead of spending the whole of our 'down time' crawling around the nacelles riding herd on yardbirds. We'll see what happens, but I'm not gonna hold my breath...

End log

Lieutenant Commander Judith Tucker

21503.15

[Chief Science Officer’s Log

Stardate 21503.15

Judith Tucker recording.

This past mission put us investigating a planet, later found to be called Aoin. The situation that found us sending an away team was sad as the planet’s inhabitants were seemingly being wiped out by an unknown cause. I made the determination to send one of the newer officers to me with the away team, Lieutenant Zephyr Praise. Although she is new to me, her work on the previous mission, lab experiments, and reports filed have been exceptional and I saw no reason she shouldn’t be involved.

This may sound like the beginning of a straightforward mission, however, it was difficult from even before the away team was sent. As we neared the Aoinian system, Captain Crawford had an accident in her ready room. As I found out later, this accident was being investigated as an attack on the captain. Her condition was serious and she remained in sickbay under the watchful eye of Doctor Ristone for the remainder. It was determined to continue with the mission, and thus the away team was sent to the planet in the USS Voltaire.

Commander Rush had been thrown into command of our ship after Captain Crawford was injured. It is not my intent to judge her performance, although I feel it was fine at the beginning. However, for some reason, she was unable to keep... in control? cool? ...her emotions from getting the best of her and shut down. I began assisting in more ways than maybe I should have, giving orders during the commander’s silence.

While the away team was down on the planet, the Avenger had some of it’s own issues to investigate. A small vessel was found orbiting the Aoin planet. I admit my interest in meeting the individuals of this vessel took over the concern for my captain and friend and I began issuing orders to get near the Aoin vessel and even attempt to contact it. We were also faced with the unknown energy in the system, one we are still unsure exactly what it was.

Our away team had communicated they were having no luck with not only finding the cause of the virus, but the planet’s inhabitants had been eliminated due to the virus, and were on their way back when they faced an unknown emergency. We later discovered what this emergency was, due to it appearing on the bridge of the Avenger.

In the middle of trying to assist the away team with their emergency as well as dealing with the Aoinian vessel, we were confronted with a Medical Star Fleet vessel traveling nearby. Their captain was swift in reassigning his first officer, Commander Montgomery, to the Avenger, replacing Commander Rush as Acting Captain. Not sure I ever want to see her again. I’m sure she’s still annoyed with my decisions. They also transferred Captain Crawford with Doctor Ristone and proceeded to Delta. Commander Montgomery assessed the information of the ongoing mission, Aoin vessel, as well as the new threat that had appeared on our ship. The being from the USS Voltaire now appeared on the bridge of the Avenger. It was oddly made from some type of energy and seemed to communicate with only those with telepathic abilities. It was our luck to have our away team back soon after, as Lieutenant Praise could be beneficial in communicating with it.

As this instance had begun, we had found reports from sick bay, regarding several crew coming down with an unknown virus, possibly the same that eliminated those on the Aoin planet. Commander Montgomery assigned me to sick bay, to investigate the further occurrences of the virus from the Aoinian planet. For some reason, as I began to investigate the problem, the being showed up in sick bay. I still am unsure if there was a connection.

Lieutenant Praise and Commander Montgomery followed the being to sick bay, with Lieutenant Praise communicating with the being. I continued investigating the virus as well as attempting to discover more about the being, but had little luck. The data received however, will make for interesting research at the science institute.

Finally the being seemed to tire of us and just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. It and the away mission took its toll on Lieutenant Praise. Her performance was exceptional, despite the mission’s results. In the face of the being, or wanderer as it was referred to by many, and the sadness from so many lost on the planet, the lieutenant continued to to work for a solution without any self-regard, communicating telepathically with the unknown being.

End Recording.]

Supplemental

[Judith Tucker’s Personal Log

Stardate 21503.15

So much data to comb through… sigh And yet not all the data we should have. This past mission has been difficult, not to mention long. After taking some time getting to the new system, we were confronted with many problems. None of them more important than the other… except our captain’s life. Our captain was the unfortunate victim of a supposed attack in her ready room. And we continued on with what we had started.

While this bothers me, I also have to believe Tyra would have wanted us to continue. I think? I did learn a lot about the crew, especially my own officers, during this mission, not to mention getting so much data it will take some time to investigate it fully. I suppose it wasn’t a total loss, despite the vast amounts of life on the Aoin planet gone. I am sure this, coupled with attempting to negotiate and learn from the entity on our ship, has caused one of my officers, Lieutenant Praise, more harm than I would wish on anyone. She so willingly tried to work with the being, without any care to herself, makes me so very proud to serve with her. Her work has prompted me to promote the lieutenant to being Deputy Chief Science Officer.

My role during this past mission wasn’t the best. I am not sure if I attributed to Commander Rush’s shutdown, issuing orders before her. I also am not sure we should have continued on our mission after the attack on Tyra. Perhaps things should have stopped so we could get the care she needed. And there’s CJ. I don’t think it’s my gut talking to me anymore. I think he is communicating telepathically with me like his father. I should have learned more about shielding from Laura. I will have to work this out. I can’t have CJ in my head. It hurts when he does so. I want to improve my abilities while on the bridge. I’m not sure others have much confidence in my skills, let alone myself. Sigh Looks like I have a busy shore leave coming.

End log.]

Lieutenant (JG) Zephyr Praise

21503.10

Lieutenant Junior Grade Zephyr Praise.

Stardate 21503.10

• sigh*

I don't want to talk about this.

I don't have a choice.

I was picked for my first away mission. It was exciting. Jenny picked me and Jake. Ohmsford and a new guy went with us. It was intense. The scenery down there was.. indescribable. I tried to get as many samples as I could.

Everyone was dead.

Bodies.. just.. everywhere. The closer we got to the hospital... the more...

• voice cracks*

Anyway, we realized that the whole being down on the planet thing wasn't getting us anywhere. Jenny had us go back to the Voltaire. She vaporized all my samples. So I have nothing. We did nothing, I have nothing.

It was a mission, of nothing.

A mission of death.

Back up on the shuttle we ran into this.. being. He manifested on our Bridge and called himself the Wanderer. For some reason he would only speak to me. I tried to figure out what he wanted. Just knowledge he said. He kept going into our computers to get information. He gave us no solid answers.

I asked for a demonstration on how he moved and he invited himself to the Avenger. Was all ready on the Bridge when we docked. Again, it was me that was the liason.

I guess it's the Betazed thing...

He went to Sickbay. We asked for his help. I tried. *whispers* I tried so hard to get answers. *normal voice* I tried to get his help. Only to find out he seemed the cause of the disease himself. Only for him to mention that once he finished feasting on our computers he was going to consume anyone on the crew that was not telepathically inclined.

I told .. I told her. Commander Montgomery.

It wasn't easy .. and he was so mad. The anger. It burned.... I was outside when they attacked him, in the hall. I was so exhausted my .. my shields didn't go up right and.. and it burned. I just felt hollow later.

I feel .. hollow.

Doctor Ohmsford has taken me temporarily off duty. My empathy is stunted. I don't feel right. I feel odd. Lost. Like my direction is just.. gone. My center was shaken. I have to rebuild....

End Log.

Supplemental

Personal Supplement

I've been working with Ohmsford. It will take time. But he and I believe with time I can rebuild my center. Ethan is.. mad. Or sad. Or.. I honestly don't know. I know he wants to help but this is something I can't talk about. Something I can't explain or describe and... how do you tell someone you love that you just need time. I don't like being this way anymore than he likes me this way.

• voice breaks* I'm trying.

End log.

Lieutenant Pheral Ohmsford

21409.29

Chief Medical Officer's log.

Stardate 21409.29

Lieutenant Pheral Ohmsford recording.

• sigh*

An entire species, the Aoin people, are dying. And I don't think there is anything we can do to help them. What truly is bothersome is how this...virus that has been killing them is acting and how quickly it had spread. It's almost like a sleeping sickness. In fact, that's exactly how the Aoin survivors had described it. Their brains would fall into a sleep pattern, then a coma, then cease. I just don't know enough about their species to even formulate a working hypothesis, let alone a treatment for them.

At least I have plenty of bodies to autopsy. Not that I am looking forward to it under these circumstances.

I seem to remember something from Earth history about a sleeping sickness similar to this, but the symptoms are quite different. Also it didn't decimate the entire planet like this one is doing. I am sure there is a precedent somewhere; I just have to find it.

But I fear it is already too late for these people.

End log and save.

21503.06

Stardate 21502.3

Lieutenant Pheral Ohmsford recording.

The Aoin people are dead. all of them. An entire species killed. Murdered.

I really wish it had been a virus, or radiation, well, technically it was radiation, but our new...enemy, the Wanderer as it wants to be called, was responsible for their death and the deaths of several crew members. Apparently it only sees telepathic species as sentient. All other life forms are simply sustenance. And it can manipulate the radiation at will, as it demonstrated on my crew.

I won't bore you with details of the events as my crew mates will undoubtedly write novellas about them, but suffice it to say, the Wanderer murdered an entire sentient species and members of my crew. I had wanted to study it of course; the scientist in me screamed to study it. But, as it so often turns out it seems, the universe had other plans.

At least I have a few Aoin to look at. Seems disrespectful somehow, but maybe I can find the radiation and prevent this from happening in the future.

I will send my report to the medical community as well as the acting captain and Captain Crawford. I'm sure she'd want to know what happened as well.

End log and save.