Philadelphia Mission 04: "Is Anybody Out There?"

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Mission Summary

The Nova was sent along with a flotilla of other ships to investigate a star system that had appeared from the alternate universe. Unlike the other systems that appeared during that incident, this one had not yet reverted. A space-faring civilization had been detected, and they were sent to make First Contact.

While enroute, they stopped at Carraya to attend a Star Fleet Command briefing where it was revealed that Romulus would be razed by a nearby star going supernova. Because of this, Rear Admiral Derrick Grant was reassigned from commanding officer of the Nova to the Eisn system. Rear Admiral Thomas Grayson was put in command.

Once they arrived at the mission location, they met the Jorpyin, one of the ships commanded by the space-faring species. They called themselves the Gondwanans, and were arthropodian life-forms that looked like a cross between a lobster and a spider. They were huge beings, but also seemed very peaceful and were willing to arrange a First Contact meeting.

Before official First Contact happened between the Gondwanan government and the Star Fleet crew, another ship arrived to be added to the flotilla. It was the USS Philadelphia, FF-6053, and it was running on a skeleton crew. Captain Aloysia Yvette was put in command and other crew from the Nova transferred over.

Rear Admiral Grayson decided to go to the Gondwanan planet to initiate First Contact himself. While the Admiral was on planet with an away team, a faction of Gondwanans known as the ‘Neos’ launched a probe-like vessel from the planet that attached to one of the Gondwanan research stations. It turned out that the station was emitting an energy field onto one of the planet’s islands that housed the Neos that had been segregated from society. The probe twisted the research station out of position, causing the energy beam to strike the Nova. It instantly wiped out all the Nova’s electronic systems.

The huge ship had to be evacuated, and the away team was recalled from the planet to help. The Gondwanans also helped house some of the refugees on one of their stations. The bulk of the Nova senior crew went to the USS Pegasus, CL-2500, where Nicholas Ristone was given command of the flotilla ship.

Information came out from the Gondwanan government that the Neos actually had some kind of genetic disease that was changing their appearance and abilities. The Star Fleet crews were asked to help investigate the disease and perhaps find a cure. It was decided that the Philadelphia would land on the island that housed the infected Neos, and that they would send a research team over consisting of both Pegasus and Philadelphia team members.

The ship landed with only minor difficulties, including a damaged landing strut that was quickly repaired. An away team was sent to the facility, but problems with the Gondwanans in orbit and on the Pegasus caused them to quickly get recalled after finding out very little. The Philadelphia was forced to return to orbit only a few hours after it had landed.

In the end, it turned out that the Gondwanans did not have a disease at all, but instead the Neos had been changed deliberately sometime in the past, and the genetics had been passed down through the generations. Unfortunately, the Star Fleet crews could do nothing about it because they were asked to leave Gondwanan space and return only when asked by the Gondwanan government. What’s more, the planetary system ended up reverting back to its original space, leaving behind as system with a primitive species similar to the Gondwanans in nature.

Captain's Logs

Capt Aloysia Yvette

Stardate 21007.10

The following was recorded on the Nova, but transferred to the Philadelphia as part of standard Captain’s Logs.

[Personal Log, Stardate 21007.10. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording,

Well, it is certainly going to take some time to get used to saying that considering I’ve been a Commander for so long.

Anyway, the First Contact with the Gondwanans went very well. We met over dinner, and discussed a few things about our organizations. Most notably, I told them about the Federation and that they could be suitable for membership eventually. I think I was misinterpreted as coming on too strong with that, but I just felt like they should keep it in mind.

We didn’t get to discuss much more than that as they seemed reluctant to share information. There was also some kind of altercation between two of the Gondwanan delegates that didn’t make much sense, and caused them to leave early. I don’t think we caused the altercation at all; it has to have been an internal matter. In any case, I was reluctant to see them go. I hope they share more information with us via communications as they said they would.

One of the delegate remained behind, their equivalent to a Chief Medical Officer, Repair Master Ysselai. She had accompanied Laura to Sickbay so hopefully they will get to engage in some information exchange.

After we saw the other two delegates off, I was informed that the Philadelphia had already arrived. It was quite a shock as I didn’t expect them on the same day as I was informed of my new command position. I expected to have more time to prepare. I did manage to get some information from Admiral Grayson, including the fact that I was able to select my own First Officer.

I chose Commander William Hudson, or “Bear” as we call him. He was definitely the best candidate on the Nova, and I want someone whom I know and trust. Bear is a natural leader with a huge concern for individuals as well as teams, and I think that is essential on a ship as small as the Philadelphia. I also think that he will be a good balance to my command style.

We transport over within the next hour and a half. Right now I’m helping Support to prepare my things to leave. Already I feel a bit of regret over leaving the Nova. The ship itself hasn’t been my home for long, but I’m leaving the crew that I’ve been with for a long time. I’m also leaving Nick, and though I don’t think that reality has fully set in, I fear how it will affect both of us emotionally. I know we’ll get through it, but it’s going to be difficult, especially after Eleanor arrives.

I’m also nervous to meet my new crew. They have been together for some weeks now, and we’ll be shaking things up by giving them a command crew that doesn’t know them. I’m going to try to review as much of the crew roster as possible before we leave, but I’m going there with a lot less knowledge than I usually have about a new crew. I hope it doesn’t show through as a lack of confidence.

End log.]

Stardate 21007.25

[Commanding Officer’s Log, Stardate 21007.25. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

Well, not too much has happened since my arrival on the Philadelphia. Just before I left the Nova, there was an incident there with Lieutenant Losada. I believe she passed away. In any case, it was found that there was some kind of sabotage or a computer malfunction on the Nova, and it caused a very odd reaction in Losada that looked like some kind of contagion. The flotilla was put on Yellow Alert and we prepared for a possible evacuation of the Nova. I was still enroute to the Philadelphia at that point, and by the time I arrived, the alert was cancelled.

Once that situation calmed down, we had a small official change of command ceremony on the Bridge of my new ship. Rear Admiral Grayson performed it via comm. from the Nova. It was less grandiose than I usually like, but with the situation with the Gondwanans, I asked that it be kept that way for now.

I decided to have a Department Head meeting soon after this so I can start getting to know my senior crew and the ship’s status right away. Later, when I have time, I hope to go over drill reports, assuming they have run drills while they were enroute to the Nova. I really want to get a feel for this crew so I know where they need improvement. I’m guessing one of the key areas will be the same as every other ship I’ve served on: communication.

I think Bear will be eager to help out as well. Speaking of Bear, Star Fleet has found it logical to experiment with the Philadelphia. Since a frigate is so small, they have decided to try out having the First Officer also fulfill the role of the Chief Tactical Officer. Thank goodness Bear is a former CTO! I think he will rise to the challenge and we’ll prove it can be done. It does seem like a very good idea.

As for the Gondwanan mission, Grayson was asked to send a team to the surface to meet the monarch. Right away, Nick made it clear that he didn’t want me to go by suggesting that he and Bear make the trip instead. The problem is that I really want to go, and it also has been my job this mission to interact with these people. I know that there is some risk because of Eleanor, but I think it is negligible. I will wear a breathing apparatus and the gravity difference is not high. The Philly can monitor me from the Bridge. I will leave the decision up to Grayson, however.

End log.]

Stardate 21008.08

[Captain’s Log, Stardate 21008.08. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

Well, it has been decided. I will not be going on any away teams in the near future. Grayson is leading the away team to the planet, and he used the excuse that he needs me up here in case something happens so I can take over the Nova. However, he used the same excuse for Nick in saying that he was to take over the Philadelphia if something happens. How it makes sense for me to take what should be Nick’s position and him to take mine, I’m not sure, though I think it has to do with experience and seniority. In any case, I’m not terribly happy with the position and I wonder if it has something to do with my pregnancy as well. But whatever the real reason, I’ll abide by it.

Lieutenants sh’Thane and Macleod from the Philadelphia will be joining the Nova team. Though I am confused by this as well, I’m glad that my crew will be represented. In the meantime, the rest of the Philadelphia and the Nova will be participating in a crew exchange with the Jorpyin.

I plan to send Hudson as team leader to the Gondwanan ship, if the Nova agrees, of course. I think it will be a good experience for him, and I want a Command officer to lead them. I would go myself, but I think that will probably violate Grayson’s ‘I need you for the Nova’ excuse. In any case, there will be Gondwanans here for me to interact with and supervise.

I am sending Codey with Hudson, and he will probably choose to take Lunanova as well, at Gagarin’s suggestion. I am keeping the remaining three department heads on board the Philadelphia for both security and in case something happens to me. I left the remainder of the Jorpyin away team up to Hudson’s discretion.

I am unsure how many Gondwanan crew members we’ll be able to host. I do not think we can accommodate more than three aboard, and that limits us greatly. Hopefully we can work something out with the Jorpyin so that they send smaller crew members or we’ll have real problems.

End log.]

Stardate 21009.05

[Captain’s Log, Stardate 21009.05, Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

It seems that events are finally moving along! An advanced Security team was sent to New Gondwana last night to check out the situation there and ensure it will be safe for the Admiral’s diplomatic team that will be launching later today. From their reports so far, it seems that the Gondwanans are what they seem, though I hope that the away team will still exercise caution.

Within the hour, Commander Hudson’s away team will be leaving the ship to board the Jorpyin. He is taking Lieutenant Codey and Ensign Lunanova with him as well as a few crewmen from the Nova. At the same time, two teams from the Jorpyin will be boarding the Nova and Philadelphia.

As I requested, Ship Commander Thegdu is only sending three of his crew to my ship. The Jorpyin sent over a list of names and positions, and it looks like we will have the following people joining us: Second Leader Iciu, who is equivalent to a Tactical officer Master Lysar, a Medical officer And Slayer Ymaso, a Security officer.

I’m not sure what to think about Ymaso’s title. I hope they don’t actually ‘slay’ unless it is in a forced battle situation. I’m sure that Lieutenant Pierce and the other security officers will keep an eye on him or her.

I hope to send each of the Gondwanans to their equivalent department for information exchange and possibly some immersion in our ship procedures and culture. I am going to discuss it with them first, of course, to ensure that is what they want as well. I am not sure how long they will be aboard, but that can be discussed with Thegdu after they have spent some time here.

End log.]

Stardate 21009.26

[Captain’s Log, Stardate 21009.26. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

Well, the officer exchange was going well until an incident happened with the Gondwanans. A missile was fired from their planet to one of their space stations. A device attached to the station and swung it out of orbit, causing an energy beam to hit the Nova and fry all of its systems. We are still trying to ascertain if the hit on the Nova was deliberate but right now the evidence says it was not.

The Nova was not only fried, but the warp and fusion cores also began to leak radiation. They had to be ejected. The entire ship is now uninhabitable and we had to evacuate it. We’re waiting for back up from Star Fleet now in order to accommodate all the displaced people.

I’ll record more details later when this all blows over. It suffices to say that this had been quite the disaster, but we’re handling it.

End log.]

Stardate 21010.10

[Captain’s Log Stardate 21010.10. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

The Nova had been fully evacuated and from what we can tell there have only been minor injuries. We were able to get everyone to safety after we had to request help from the Gondwanans. They were kind enough to offer a good space on one of their orbital stations to accommodate the crew that couldn’t be held on the flotilla ships. Unfortunately, that was a great number of the Nova crew since it was by far the largest ship in the group.

I was uncomfortable asking the Gondwanans to help considering what they want from us. It seems there is some kind of conflict going on between the main Gondwanan government and a group of beings that call themselves “Neo-Gondwanans”. We haven’t been able to find out too many details but it seems like there is some kind of disease that is causing the Gondwanans to evolve. These evolved beings are being treated like infectious organisms and quarantined to an island…the same island that was controlled by the beam that hit the Nova.

The Neo-Gondwanans have possibly taken over their prison and caused this incident with the missile. Now, the Gondwanan government wants our help controlling the situation. Thankfully Admiral Grayson did not agree, and now I think we are going to help out by investigating the disease itself before we agree to help control the situation. Hopefully the government doesn’t destroy the Neo-Gondwanans while they wait like they threatened to.

I am about to have a meeting with Admiral Grayson, and Commanders Ristone, Crawford and Hudson to discuss this matter. In the meantime, I’m trying to absorb the information that Nick has been given his own ship in the form of the Pegasus! I’m incredibly proud of him and happy for him, but at the same time I can’t help but feel a little incredulous. Nick has only been a First Officer for a few months whereas I was one for years before I was offered the Philadelphia. Not only that, but the Pegasus is a Light Cruiser. I don’t want to feel this way, but I can’t help but wonder why Star Fleet waited so long to promote me considering my experience and why they promoted Nick so quickly. There has got to be something going on.

No matter; there are bigger things to think about right now. End log.]

Stardate 21010.24

[Captain’s Log Stardate 21010.24. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

Well, I’m feeling very good after some much-needed rest time. Admiral Grayson ordered all of those who participated in the Nova evacuation to take 12 hours off, and so I got to spend time with Nick and catch up on sleep. Of course the time did not go uninterrupted and I am catching up on this log at the tail end of it, but it was nice none-the-less.

We decided that the Philadelphia is going to land on the surface of the Gondwanan planet in order to investigate this strange genetic disease. We’re not sure what to expect. Apparently this disease has been altering the Gondwanans to a less resilient and yet more violent species. Anyone who has been altered has been dubbed a “Neo-Gondwanan” and then isolated on an island in a prison-like matter. It is absolutely appalling. The ship is going to land on that island, a distance away of course.

The decision to land the ship came about for multiple reasons. First of all, we can’t transport into the Gondwanan facilities because the targeting sensors will cause their energy systems to go haywire in much the same way that the Nova was disabled. Second, it is more efficient than sending shuttles up and down continuously. Third, it will provide us with a base for both security operations and for the science and medical research. Finally, it will allow us to have a controlled environment for our away teams considering the Gondwanan environment is somewhat hostile.

I don’t think that Engineering is too happy with me for making this decision, but the Philadelphia was made to land. They should be able to figure it out. There are Security risks too, of course, but Commander Hudson has people working out an energy barrier we can use that will not affect Gondwanan systems.

End log.]

Stardate 21011.07

[Captain’s Log Stardate 21011.07. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

The Philadelphia landed successfully on the surface of New Gondwana! There were a few bumps as we descended because we had to go through a storm, but there were no serious injuries. The only problem we’ve had is a bent landing strut, and Engineering is working on getting that fixed right away. I don’t think we could have hoped for a better landing considering the circumstances; Ensign Garbo did a great job.

Before we descended, we received some officers from the Pegasus, most of which are former Nova crew. Lieutenant Scott arrived to help in Engineering. I got to experience him for a brief moment of time during our landing and he has quite a colorful mouth. If he was an officer on the Philadelphia he would get a serious talking to from me for his unprofessional behavior. As it is I will be mentioning something to Nick about him.

Lieutenant Commander Laura Macleod came over as well, and she visited me on the Bridge before meeting her colleagues in Sickbay. Of course, she had to try to convince me to stay on the ship while they investigate the Gondwanan illness. Unfortunately, I can’t do that. I am the specialist for diplomatic situations and I need to be there at least for the initial interactions with the Gondwanans in control of the facility. I did agree to be monitored, to request that they alter internal atmosphere for humanoids and to enter the facility via a shuttle airlock, but even all that is extreme, I think. Eleanor and I are perfectly stable and a few minutes with a breather in the Gondwanan atmosphere is not going to affect us. However, I’ll play nicely for my friend.

The others that came over are Commanders Tucker and Crawford, and Lieutenants Sothrick and Meels. I think we’re going to have a very strong research team, and I’m trusting them to get make preparations on their own. They are moving slower than I would like, but I guess that’s what happens when you suddenly combine two crews that are unknown to each other.

I’m heading down to Sickbay now to check in on the research team. Hopefully we can expect to leave within the hour.

End log.]

Stardate 21012.06

[Captains Log Stardate 21012.06. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

A team consisting of doctors, scientists and security personnel was formed in order to answer the Gondwanans call for help. The team is a lot larger than I expected or would have liked, but part of being a CO is learning to trust your junior officers. I did have to negotiate with Lieutenant Regan a bit to get him to minimize his security team, but it worked out in the end. I just hope we aren’t overwhelming the Gondwanans with too many Star Fleet officers to deal with.

The away team successfully made it to the Gondwanan facility and we met with one of their leaders, Tasnus. She led us on a tour of the facility before we made arrangements for setting up the research. It took some negotiations because we found out that if any one of their people becomes violent, they simply kill them with a neutralizing gas.

While this is appalling to me and doesn’t make sense I am not here to sit in judgment of a species’ practices. However, I suspect that the reason they haven’t been able to control this disease is because they are killing their patients when they display a new symptom.

Of course, I couldn’t allow my own people to be killed by this neutralizing gas and luckily Laura spoke up to try to get them away from that. The Gondwanans are going to allow our Security personnel to help monitor and advise the Gondwanans on the situation in the research areas, and Tasnus agreed to have her people use a gas that simply knocks the patients out rather than killing them. I suggested to those present that keeping them alive will help our researchers study them, but it went largely ignored.

Laura still wants to use environmental suits in the research areas in case they do release the neutralizing gas. I can certainly understand her concern and they will definitely get whatever protection they want. I just hope that they figure out what is going on here soon because I have the feeling that with the Neos uprising things are going to come to a head very quickly.

I’m also looking forward to being done with this mission. At any other time I would have been excited to continue with getting to know this species, but my pregnancy is becoming exhausting. I can’t wait to have time to relax; hopefully I will get at least a few weeks of that before Ellie is born.

End log.]

Stardate 21012.21

[Captain’s Log Stardate 21012.21. Captain Aloysia Yvette recording:

Well, things have certainly happened fast in the past hour or so! I’m going to try to sort it all out in this log, but it may not be easy. I would refer anyone reading this to the Bridge logs of the time, though they may be classified depending on how this mission ends.

After I left the away team to their research, I returned to the Bridge to find that we had lost communication with the Pegasus. My crew found out that it was only radio frequencies that were blocked and so we tried a subspace channel. We got through the Pegasus Bridge to find out that the Gondwanan government had activated a scattering field in response to events happening in orbit.

Apparently a small ship had launched from the Gondwanan island where the Philadelphia had landed carrying a Neo Gondwanan family. They requested asylum on the Pegasus, and Nick granted them such. This caused the Jorpyin to assume erroneously that the Pegasus had taken the family as hostages, and they threatened action against Nick’s ship. However, they apparently were only following orders because shortly afterward the Jorpyin declared itself independent from the Gondwanan government. I guess they disagreed with the orders they were given.

Of course, the Gondwanan government reacted badly and continued to accuse the Pegasus of kidnapping the Neos. They launched a nuclear warhead at the ship. It was very primitive and the Pegasus was able to shoot it down with no damage. However, the threat was clear and Rear Admiral Grayson reacted very badly to it. He threatened to fire upon the Gondwanan scattering field generators, specifically the one on the island where the Philadelphia was.

Thankfully, before he could do that we got in contact with him and I was able to talk him down from such hasty action after Hudson suggested that they could take out the scattering field with an EM pulse. But because of the threats happening in orbit, we all decided it would be best to recall the away team and return to orbit ourselves. It was time to withdraw from these people and their internal conflict, as is Star Fleet policy.

The team was recalled, but before we could even get them back on board more conversations happened between the Gondwanans and our ships. In the end, the Gondwanan government agreed to let all of our people, including the Nova refugees, leave safely, as long as we left and agreed not to come back unless the Gondwanan government requested it. I really don’t blame them for throwing us out since we seem to be the catalyst for their civil war. But at the same time I hope the Neos are successful in fighting for their rights.

I had an argument with Admiral Grayson in the middle of these discussions, but I don’t think it is worth detailing since everything worked out in the end. Right now we are waiting for the away team and our shuttle to be securely aboard, and then we’ll head to orbit.

The Nova will need to be towed out of the system, and the Pegasus is working on figuring out that Engineering problem. The cruise ship that will take on the Nova refugees is due to arrive in a few hours, and then we’ll all need to get out of the system. In the meantime, the Philadelphia will be investigating a phenomenon happening around the Gondwanan star.

According to my Bridge science officer, the distortion appears to indicate that the Gondwanan system is about to revert back to its home universe. I must admit that I am quite afraid that we will be caught in that. I’ve been in to the alternate universe before and I do not want to return. We lost so many people there. Thankfully, we estimate that we will be long gone before the effect happens. We haven’t decided yet whether we should inform the Gondwanan people that this will happen or just let it go. I’m sure they’ll be happy to return to their universe, but I don’t want them purposely leave behind a ship or two here. Who knows what could happen if they do that.

There is still a lot of clean-up to do, but I think this mission is almost over. I guess our primary mission was a success: we made first contact. However, we were not successful in helping these people figure out their disease. At least, I haven’t received a report from our science teams yet; maybe they have found something.

End log.]

Crew Logs

First Officer

Cdr William Hudson

Stardate 21007.13

This log was recorded on the USS Nova, but transferred to the Philadelphia.

First Officer’s Log Stardate 21007.13 Commander William Hudson Recording:

Everything…. Everything has happened so quickly. One minute, I am still the dedicated Chief Tactical Officer in a fleet, then a minute later, my whole world seems to invert—I’m offered a promotion with one of the people I respect most in Star Fleet, and we are whisked away.

Captain Yvette, who was apparently offered her first command, decided to ask me, if I would be interested in becoming her first officer in the newest member of the Nova’s flotilla.

Normally, the answer would have taken me longer to find, but I knew that an opportunity to stay this close to the Nova where my staff… not my staff… are, and to be with one of the best officers in the Federation would not likely come again.

As such, I am now Commander Hudson, with a new title, and a new crew.

The goodbye is bittersweet though. Perhaps, this has always been one of my soft spots, but I have always had the personal touch to my departments and crew. My real family is dead, and those who are left have so alienated themselves to me, that I think no sort of redemption is at all possible. The converse though, is where my family has failed, Star Fleet has replaced.

I have two families now. The first is a Nova family, the original family. Now, with more responsibility, I enter into the Philadelphia family. Perhaps though, this family will be more suited to my style. Though I have always enjoyed my time aboard the large ships like the Gettysburg and Nova—my start—the first ship was no bigger than this frigate.

A sense of camaraderie is lost, to some extent on the city ships, instead forming sub-cities within the department.

Haha… you know, it’s hard to image, but the tactical department on the Nova is nearly as large as the entire crew of the Philadelphia. Funny isn’t it.

As bittersweet as my post has made this switch seem though—I have never been more excited to meet my new crew and serve under Captain Yvette.

End Log

Stardate 21010.09

First Officer’s Log Chief Tactical Officer’s Log Stardate 21010.09 Commander William Hudson recording:

The last time I posted here, I had never officially led an away mission before…. Now, well, that’s a different story. I was stationed to learn more about the Gondwanan culture. With me on the venture were, Codey, Lunanova, Sothrick, Meels, and a couple of other science officers who, as hard as I tried, I can never seem to remember their names.

That being said, the Gondwanan ship, the Jorypin, was an absolutely enthralling experience. Apart from seeing the immense size of their ship—a pure treat to anyone who is interested in ship dynamics in the slightest, the Jorypin functions as a housing center for multiple interesting and foreign looking races. Our journey started in the Quinn’s chamber—as best as I can relay, the Quinn look like Vulcans—or at least close enough for jazz.

During our time on the ship though, our visit was cut short. From the surface of the planet—as I learned later, a genetically modified race of the Gondwanans were behind the attack. I still would like to learn more about this race—perhaps have one of our doctors examine one of them and compare the anatomy and genomics to a Gondwanan sample—but to me, an outsider, the xeno-phobia is unwarranted and a purile attempt….

My log though is not to judge the policies of others, so I will leave my judgments in the ether. After the attack, all of us on the Jorypin realized that the Nova was hit with some kind of Gondwanan technology—exactly what it was, I’m not completely sure still, but the essence of it was that the Nova was completely evacuated.

While the evacuation was ongoing, my crew finished their tour on the ship and I was able to see some of their tactics centers. Even though they are vastly different, it is nearly amazing to see how similar everything was setup—apart from the vast size difference.

Perhaps I will elaborate on this later—but for now, I have a meeting to attend. End log.

Tactical

Lt JG Simon Thompson

Stardate 21005.20

Personal Log, Stardate 21005.20, Midshipman Simon Thompson recording:

Well here we have it, my first log onboard the USS Philadelphia. I have no idea if anyone other than myself will see this but never mind.

I am just guessing at this point the vast majority of the personnel onboard have family back home. Me, I never did find out what caused the explosion to the shuttle which my parents were travelling on. They were only going on a holiday to Risa.

Okay the Philly is a small ship with only seven decks and a maximum speed of warp five but I think I will like her. The one drawback is that I won't be able too keep to myself much.

Not had much desire to visit the mess hall yet but I don't think it will be too long before I do.

Out of the senior officers currently onboard the ship, the Security Chief is acting Captain until we reach the USS Nova with the CMO as acting FO. The Chief Engineer seems to be either slightly eccentric or just plain crazy.

Anyways I'm off to the holodeck for now.

End Log.

Stardate 21006.22

Personal Log, Stardate 21006.22, Midshipman Simon Thompson recording:

Why

Why did I have to be given quarters with a Ferengi. He is ok sometimes but my word Garby can be a right pain in the ear sometimes. Hmm maybe a stint in the holodeck with myself and a Klingon may quiet him down. Sounds rather promising.

Apparently he tried it on with a female officer during the party in the mess hall. I doubt whether she really broke his wrist. Thankfully I had remained on bridge duty at the time.

We have now arrived at the meeting point with the USS Nova and boy is she a big ship.

The Nova is currently in talks with a race which calls themselves the 'Gondwanan' so the Philly is keeping its distance for now. This just means we have a slight delay in meeting the new Captain and First Officer.

Gotta go.

End Log.

Stardate 21009.09

Personal Log Stardate 21009.09 Ensign Simon Thompson recording

It's been a while since I have made a log so there is some catching up to do.

Since my previous log I have received a promotion to Ensign and boy what a way to receive the new pips.

Although I had been requested by Commander Hudson to visit the Nova for a brief Tactical meeting I wasn't informed it was due.

Poor Garbo was still in the quarters after I had finished refreshing myself before having a break before I was due back on duty, anyways after I left the room Garbo called me back as a box had been beamed in from the Nova along with a note.

The box contained my Ehnsign pip.

The visit from the Gondwanans has so far been successful with nothing embarrassing happening just yet.

The holodeck adventure on which I had invited members of the crew went well. However I somehow think Garbo will be staying clear away from Tris lunanova after she floored him for calling her 'Loony'.

I believe I had better watch myself if I ever require assistance from Doctor Dunbar after what he had to experience with the Klingons.

Was good to see Commander Hudson join us too. Bear seemed right at home with the bat'leth.

Computer End Log

Stardate 21011.02

Personal Log 21011.02 Ensign Simon Thompson

Well it has been a while since I have made a Log entry so here goes.

We are still in the middle of our mission concerning the Gonwanans. The crew of the former Nova are now crew of a new ship which is called Pegasus.

We have a new Security chief although I haven't officially met him yet.

Thankfully the evacuation of the Nova went well although we had help from the Gondwanans. Just as well the Pegasus arrived when it did otherwise the current ships in the flotilla would of struggled.

Working at Ops has been non stop recently specially since Garbo landed the Philadelphia on the planets surface. Despite a big bump he did a darn good job of it in my opinion.

End Log

Ens Garbo

Stardate 21009.20

Personal Log Stardate 21009.20 Ensign Garbo recording

After arriving on the Philadelphia I met Simon Thompson whom I have become firm friends with.

Thankfully we haven't had any seious arguements nor fallouts yet. However I did have the misfortune to see him naked one day when he finished his shower just as I entered the room we share. Still I suppose he got me back when whilst still on the Nova at the time Commander Hudson sent over a box containing Simons Ensign pip along with a note. The box arrived just after Simon had left the room to go to the mess hall if I remember correctly.

I tried to flirt with that Jenny Grant female from Security during the party. Never again she almost broke my wrist although Doctor Dunbar claims it was nothing serious.

I am never taking part in one of Simons holodeck adventures again if there are Klingons involved. The amount of blood involved made me faint. Just hope I didn't embarrass myself in front of anyone.

These visitors calling themselves Gondwanans give me the creeps.

Computer End Log.

Engineering

CE Lt JG Brodie Codey

Stardate 21007.12

Brodie collapsed into the chair at his desk after a hard day's work. Punching the computer's log button he began to speak.

"G'day computer, Chief Engineer's Personal Log, Stardate 21007.12 - Lieutenant Brodie Codey reporting.

So this is the Philadelphia... It's name provokes an air of disbelief - can it really exist?

In the late twentieth century it was heavily rumoured, and subsequently heavily denied, by the United States Navy that they had managed to 'cloak' a vessel - the USS Eldridge - from human eyes in the Philadelphia shipyards; the very same shipyards that was on the receiving end of a nuclear warhead during the very short-lived Third World War.

Somehow, the myth of this very first 'cloaking' in human history has migrated to any vessel bearing the name Philadelphia. Our insignia is the Liberty Bell, again another myth that it was rung out days after American Independence to declare the nations independence from British Rule; I always remember Gran saying that bells had superstitions attached to them - the Bell, Book, and Candle, is well known, lets hope that with the ringing of this ship's bell, we are not now writing the chapters of the book only to be extinguished like a brief candle in the blackness of space so far from home...

I digress though.

The ship is one of Starfleet's smallest vessels - excluding Scout Craft, Runabouts, and Shuttlecraft; it is the smallest Starship. We are attached to the Nova Flotilla, the Nova dwarves the Philly by almost ten times! I wonder what our role is with this monster of a lead ship? We are but a frigate, only armed to escape conflict if it finds us, not to wage it in an effort to win.

The Engine Room is totally awesome - it is unique to the Berlin Class; again it is small due to the size of the vessel, but really well designed - they must have had a Feng Shui Master in to help I'm sure! As for being Chief Engineer, it is frightening sometimes - even though the ship is small, it can still feel like its the biggest in the fleet!

The crew are alright, some are definitely characters and are going to be incredible to get to know better. Life is always better when you move.

As I mentioned we have met up with the Nova, and its support craft, our new "Kapitan" as the SNCO Eng puts it, is due onboard in the next few hours with our new FO. It is odd that they are joining after the maiden voyage - I hope that this doesn't jinx the ship...!!!

Anyway, I feel I better sign off now as its getting late. I will finish with a quote from John Donne, 1624:

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

End log."

Stardate 21010.10

"Computer..."

Loud crashes could be heard and scuffling in the background.

"Begin Chief Engineer's Personal Log Stardate... Err 21010.10.

Apologies for the absence of logs recently it has been manic to say the least. Firstly, the Cap is pregnant! I couldn't help but feel that Starfleet had done its finest once more and given us a pregnant Captain, and therefore 'doorman duty' patrolling the borders of the mighty Federation, I was very wrong. Secondly, we are the smallest ship of the Fourth Battle Group! Again, I couldn't help but feel that we would most certainly become the 'mail ship' for the enormous Nova, I was again very wrong!

Being wrong on two accounts is not new for me having a wannabe Vulcan as a brother, but this has been one hell of a rollercoaster ride! It has been anything but boring, our first - first contact testifies to that.

The Gondawanan's are a curious species. I was lucky to be chosen as one ambassador for the Federation in our First Contact with the Gondwanan's, aboard their battleship - the Jorpyin. The sheer size of the vessel would make those nutcases at Starfleet shipyards puzzled. The power and propulsion systems had me going to say the least!

During the visit an incident occurred that revealed the Gondwanan's to have a dark side to them - a type of genetic cleansing - as one of their 'sub-species' launched an attack on the neighbouring space station. The space station rotated and hit the Nova with some type of energy beam. As a result of the attack the Nova had to be evacuated as the beam penetrated the battleship's shields and shut down then power - puzzling, and terrifying for the Federation if our enemies attempt to barter for the technology.

I have yet to meet up with the officer I left in charge of Engineering whilst I was away - Ensign Jemimah Barley, I shall head down after a shower just make sure everything is ok, and went ok.

Anyways, I better sign off now.

Yeah, err, signing off!"

Stardate 21011.09

Chief Engineer's Log, FF-6053 Stardate 21011.09

We have finally received our orders and made planetfall onto the mysterious Gondwanan homeworld. The ship behaved like a frolicking filly in a harvest time pasture as we went through the atmosphere, and although the shields took a hammering and the port aft landing stanchion buckled, we made it down safely.

After we landed, whilst I was securing the engine systems and making sure the ship was 'earthed', the visiting 'other chief' quickly reduced the weight on our broken leg by setting up a distortion field that is now propping us up. The prop for our broken leg is what is currently keeping Engineering busy at the moment; I would personally have no issue in leaving the distortion field in place so we can make repairs in the safety of orbit, but no-one is particularly sure about how long we are going to be down here, and whether that power is going to be needed elsewhere. Since the situation is unclear we are to fix the stanchion on the planet surface.

As with most problems given to us Starfleet Engineers, they are rarely simple! I have a hunch, and it is only that until we can get more accurate analysis, that the retracting mechanism for the stanchion will also have been damaged from the landing, and as such repairs will have be made not only to the strut itself but also to the mechanism inside the ship. The strut is the easy part of the problem, which myself and Douglas Scott will fix; the mechanism is tricky as several crew will have to be working suspended inside the housing due to the strut being extended - at present I have MCPO Kuznetsova organising a team for this very task.

Again I am plagued by the forces that those pesky scientists gave us names for - namely gravity. Although the gravity is less than it is on Earth, it is greater than it is in space - and we need to be sure that the strut can be retracted into the housing if we need to make a speedy getaway... If we fix the leg but it doesn't retract then upon accelerating away from the planet it could sheer off causing damage to the nacelles as it bounces back along the hull, or worse it could destabilise the warp field and cause the ship to tear itself apart! I have a good helping hand though, this Douglas Scott is awesome, and providing the neo-gondwanans dont get lairy, we should be just fine!

Anyways, now is the time to break this to Commander Hudson...

End Log.

Stardate 21012.30

The computer swung round to reveal the face of Lt [jg] Brodie Codey, the Chief Engineer of FF-6053 USS Philadelphia.

"Are we on...?" he asked to himself as he peered at the computer screen, "ah yes..."

"USS Philadelphia Chief Engineer's Log Stardate 21012.30, Brodie Codey recording," with that he leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head in what appeared to be the Chief Engineer's Office.

"Our recent mission had the Philly land on the planet surface and suffer some superficial damage to the port aft landing strut. My last entry was just before the meeting with Commander Hudson, and the deployment of the ground forces into the Gondwanan facility, I shall continue from there.

The meeting went well for me, but then Doug went up and caused a bit of a ruckus by throwing jelly babies and sugar everywhere... I don't think Commander Crawford - the Chief of Security aboard the Pegasus - was particularly amused but I think he got his point across! We managed to get the strut fixed, but also a shock absorber and power relay were damaged and had to be replaced - note to self: re-order when we arrive at Star Base Delta.

Shortly after the fix, the command came down that we were to leave immediately, a debriefing log has been forwarded by the Captain and in brief there was a diplomatic incident that could not be resolved. As a result the Philadelphia left the planet before it fell back into its own timeline...

Currently we are en route to Star Base Delta for some shore leave, and I have no doubt that mine will be cut short before our departure to oversee the maintenance by the stations eager engineers.

End Log"

Brodie then was seen to lean forwards and tap the console before the screen went blank.

Security

COS Lt JG Jack Regan

Stardate 21012.29

Personal Log, Stardate 21012.29, Chief of Security Lieutenant Jack Regan recording:

My first mission on the Philadelphia as COS was tense but ultimately uneventful from my point of view... which I'm thankful for. I arrived having hitched a lift with the USS Pegasus and just in time to help with the evacuation of the Nova - after it being scuppered by some weapon originating with these Neo-Gondwanans.

Well, it took me some time to work out what the situation was with these Gondwanans, a species apparently 'stranded' here from an alternate universe and with some kind of disease afflicting part of their population.

The Philly it seemed was committed to helping find the cause of this affliction. I suspected the situation was something akin to civil war between the Gondwanan government and what they called the 'Neos' - the latter the afflicted ones who were being imprisoned by their own people. As it turned out, a civil war is just what it degenerated into...

I must say I was concerned when the initial decision was made to land the Philly on the planet in order to send researchers there to help find the cause of the illness in the Neos. It especially didn't bode well when the pregnant Captain Yvette insisted on travelling to the Gondwanan research facility herself.

I naturally put together a large Security team despite the Captain's protests (though we came to some compromise over the numbers). We accompanied the researchers while the displaced COS of the Nova Commander Crawford remained to direct Security operations on the Philly.

What we found at the Gondwanan research facility didn't please me or a number of the other officers. It seemed the Neos were not being treated humanely but like some pariahs of society. In fact, the Gondwanans had no qualms about using lethal force against any aggression manifested by the Neos. The Gondwanans seemed genuinely fearful of the condition afflicting their population, so the behaviour was largely driven by this fear I suspect. Still, their ethics are light years away from ours.

Well, while we were investigating this, it turned out that events were getting prickly up top after the Pegasus gave sanctuary to some Neos who'd arrived in a ship from their planet. This was of course much to the annoyance of the Gondwanan government and in fact they erroneously believed the Pegasus had kidnapped them. After an apparent mutiny by one of the Gondwanan ships, several other of their vessels launched an attack on the Pegasus with primitive missiles which was easily repelled.

With the Philly caught on the planet during all this it was a potentially highly dangerous situation. I'm relieved to say we successfully extracted the team from the research facility and got the Philly off the planet - the Gondwanans decided to let us go unmolested. The Nova evacuees were safely stored aboard a cruise ship and we all got the hell out of Dodge. Not a moment too soon it seems, because after we left the space-time anomaly returned and that little pocket of space containing the Gondwanan homeworld reverted to its previous state - a mundane star system with an early industrial species somewhat like the Gondwanans but much less advanced.

For me this was a successful mission as nobody got hurt. It must be ultimately demoralising for the medics who were powerless to help the Neos though.

Anyway, I have learned quite a bit about my new department. The Security team is a small one but already I can see the staff are able and made of the right stuff. Young Xan Macleod in particular has got his head screwed on the right way. I think I'm going to be able to work with them all just fine.

End log.

Lt Xan Macleod

Stardate 21007.21

Personal Log Stardate 21007.21 Lieutenant Xan Macleod Recording:

Proportionally speaking, for a little ship, the Philadelphia has a large security department.

With Lieutenant Pierce as acting captain until we rendezvous with the Nova, everyone seems to be coming to me... not that I mind, Blazedell often left me in charge but I don't know these people as well as I knew the Jordan's crew.

Not yet anyway.

That's definitely an advantage of being on a smaller ship, of course it's pure hell when you start counting a death toll... How's that for motivation?

I still haven't told Annie about my new posting, she has always thought it was a bad idea for us to be stationed together unless it was a quiet backwater somewhere. She worries I guess... but she got used to having Charlie there so she can adapt to having me around too.

End Log

Stardate 21008.14

Personal Log Stardate 21008.14 Lieutenant Xan Macleod Recording:

Well the rumours were true.

We joined the Nova's flotilla and Captain Yvette and Commander Hudson arrived to take up their new positions as captain and first officer... In the middle of some kind of alert that no one has bothered to explain, but couldn't have been that serious in the end.

Except that something did happen in the Nova's sickbay... Now I know why Annie didn't want me here, I may actually have to start blocking her or it could be seriously distracting... I called the Nova without even thinking about it, fortunately that was before our command staff arrived and sh'Thane let it go. She's nice... I may have to visit Sickbay more often.

Not now though, I've just been assigned to the advanced security detail. Oh it seems we have a new star system, something to do with that spatial disturbance we had when the Getty returned.

Should be interesting, I just hope I can find a way to talk to my sister before she finds out for herself that I'm on her ship!

End Log

Stardate 21012.30

Personal Log Stardate 21012.30 Lieutenant Xan Macleod Recording:

That has to be the craziest few days, even for Star Fleet.

What started out as a nice first contact nearly turned into the start of a new war. At first it all went well, the advanced security detail didn’t find anything amiss and even when I went back on the return visit with the Admiral, the Monarch and his people were nothing but friendly and hospitable.

Then a renegade group calling themselves ‘Neo’s’ launched an attack on one of their own space stations. Unfortunately their systems have a weird dampening effect on ours or something, they completely disabled the Nova and we had to evacuate her.

Annie and the other senior staff were re-assigned to the Pegasus temporarily, though now I gather it’s permanent and… oh frak! I forgot to pick up Annie’s cat from the baby sitter woman! She took me being out here really well too, better than I expected in fact… oh well, maybe Emmy can get her for me.

Where was I? Oh yeah… so anyway, it turns out these Neo's have some kind of disease and naturally we offered to help out.

A joint away team of Philadelphia and Pegasus crew were selected to help the Gondwanan’s find a cure for the disease. Annie was heading up the research group and I was assigned to the security detail under my new boss… I never did find out why Pierce was reassigned but I’ve already had more interaction with Regan and I have to say I approve. He’s very down to earth and I like that, I think we’ll work well together… we have so far.

It turned out that what was wrong with the Gondwanan’s wasn’t a disease at all but some kind of self-made evolutionary mutation. Fortunately, since we’d landed the Philly right in the middle of it, we didn’t have to tell them that before we left the planet.

The Gondwanan in charge of the research facility was so callous about killing their patients that it sent chills through me, they have a totally different outlook to us and, from what I can gather, other members of their race. I sincerely hope there’s enough beings on that planet that do care about the innocent lives they’re wasting to make a difference before the Neo’s are destroyed.

I still have reports to read up on but I gather that the conflict escalated and our ships were caught in the middle of it. The Monarch asked us to leave and it’s lucky in a way because a relatively short time later the whole system was swapped back into their own universe and a more primitive version of the Gondwanan’s were left in its place, presumably the original inhabitants of our universe.

I think we’re all looking forward to shoreleave which I’m reliably informed will be in the region of Starbase Delta. Codey has invited a bunch of us to go adventuring with him and I’m hoping to persuade Emmy to go along.

End Log.

Science

Ens Trisandra Lunanova

Stardate 21007.10

Computer begin Personal Log, Please.

[Personal Log, Stardate 21007.10, Midshipman Trisandra Lunanova recording onboard the USS Philadelphia :

Well I have finally arrived on the 'Philly' as she is affectionately called. I don’t doubt that this will be a different experience from the Nova. The ships are different in many ways, of course most obvious is the size. I don't think I will have to worry about getting lost on this ship.

Science is of course smaller than the Nova, and lacks a Stellar Cartography Lab. While my hopes and dreams are crushed, well not really, I like the little Science unit. The DH is an interesting person and I think we might have a lot of fun. We are going to be looking into the power source for the Gondwanas and that is just down right thrilling.

I haven't had a chance to meet much of the crew, basically just met one engineer and a few support staff here and there. The engineer is a Lieutenant JG Brodie Codey. The fact that his name is sing-songy makes it so much fun to say. He has a strange accent that I am unfamiliar with. I shall have to ask him about it one day when we aren't on duty.

We'll I hope to settle in nicely.

Until next time, ta'ta for now.]

Computer end Log, Please.

Thanks.

Stardate 21009.08

Computer begin Personal Log, Please.

[Personal Log, Stardate 21009.08, Ensign Trisandra Lunanova recording onboard the USS Philadelphia :

Well the Philly is different than the Nova, that is definite. But I like this little ship, I feel like this is becoming home so much faster than the Nova could have ever been. I have met most of the crew and so far enjoy their company.

There is so much going on in this small sector of space, we are meeting a whole new species! And yet it seems I am constantly bored. I think it has to do with my somewhat spoiled upbringing. I have gotten used to being in the middle of events, being there as they occur, rather than hearing about them later. I hope I can find something to occupy my time until the Away Mission.

But isn't that EXCITING!!! It will be my first true away mission since the Academy. And more than that it will be an away mission to encourage and continue FIRST CONTACT!! If that doesn't keep me busy then nothing in this universe will. I am near to bursting with the excitement and cannot wait until I am transported to the Gondwanan ship. In my excitement I think I can even accept the fact that these creatures look like giant lobsters, though I may not enjoy looking at them for too long.

All in all I am enjoying my new post. I think it is going to work out quite well.]

Computer End Log, Thanks.

Stardate 21009.20

Computer begin Personal Log, Please.

[Personal Log, Stardate 21009.20, Ensign Trisandra Lunanova recording onboard the USS Philadelphia :

There has been so much going on lately. I've been busy getting used to the ship and the idea of having giant crayfish as crew mates. But also I've been busy getting to know the crew. The holodeck adventure with some of them was wonderful, even if it was a bit bloody. The crew delt with it well, even the ones who were nervous. Well not all of them. There is this one ferengi, Garbo, he passed out. Completely and utterly fainted. I'm nor sure he is the best to have on an away mission. But I will admit, thoes ears of his might come in handy.

While things are going well I must confess. Last night I had the most bizzare dream. I was being taunted by some bizzare demonic monkey thing. It was rather unpleasant. Luckily none of my roommates were present so I did not embarass myself. I think tonight I might take something to help me sleep, just in case.

I hope I am not picking up some odd emotional resedue from the Gondwana's this could be long mission if that's true. I think before bed I will practice some more mental exercises to block out my limited powers. Better to be prepared than caught in a weakened position.

Night]

Computer End Log, Thanks.

Stardate 21010.07

Computer, begin Personal Log.

[Personal Log, Stardate 21010.07, Ensign Trisandra Lunanova recording onboard the USS Philadelphia:

Alright so there has been a lot going on in the last few hours. And not all of it good.]

Ofh! Came the muffled curse as Tris fought to free herself from the bonds of her uniform at the same time as she was recording her log.

[Gosh darn these stupid things…no movement. Anyways where was I, oh yes. Terrible events have unfolded that make me nervous about dealing with our new…friends…the Gondwanans. I don’t mistrust them, but I think I will take their actions and intentions with…a grain of salt…is, I believe, the saying…OUCH! stupid pins!]

In the background of the recording there was various sounds of thumps and rustling of cloth as the Ensign continued to change and record at the same time. There was also a sudden THunK! As if something hit the floor hard.

[OW! That is so inelegant of me. Anyways Computer there was this missile launched, apparently with a pilot, from the surface of the planet. It then attached to a orbital station and swung the station toward the Nova. Fortunately the station didn’t hit the Nova, it wasn’t like that. But the beam they had aimed at the surface did hit the flagship, and shut down all her systems. So needless to say we had to evacuate the FLAGSHIP! How awful, the poor girl was just floating there in space like a piece of lifeless junk. So sad.]

After a pause there were sounds like someone hopping on one foot and attempting to place a shoe or sock on the other.

[I do have to say the Gondwanans are seriously into Science and their ship was fantabulous! I would love to have another tour with time to look at their experiments and all that, but it will have to wait.

On the other hand, Computer there was this very interesting Vulcan on the away mission from the Nova. I hope I get to meet him again, he is not like any other Vulcan I’ve met. We were in the Academy together, so it might be something to do with that.

There, oh I do love this color on me! Time to go Computer…I need a drink.

Computer End Log.]

Thanks, don’t wait up.

Mid Savar Feyil

Stardate 21010.19

Personal Log Midshipman Savar Feyil Stardate 21010.19

Well I have finally made it over to the Philadelphia. I was onboard the USS Pegasus with a few other crew that were bound for the Philly. I thought it would be a nice leisurely trip and wouldn't see any action. I was wrong.

The Philly was part of a fleet within the Gondwanan system. I am still not sure what the mission was for. All I know is that something happened on the planets surface or something and the USS Nova was hit with some sort of beam. The effect of which was to hit a great big off switch. All power to the Nova went out and left her drifting in space.

This meant that I ended up being activated earlier than I was expecting. I reported to the bridge and found I was the most senior scientist available. Taking position on the bridge I found myself assisting with the rescue of the Nova personnel.

The problem we had was that even at emergency capacity there was not enough space within the remaining ships to take the Nova's crew. Thankfully the Gondwanans offered help.

So a bit of excitement before I even started my proper posting. Well I am now on the Philly and have met a few of the crew.

One thing I do find my mind wandering back to was the incident at the Academy. I still cannot get the scenario out of my mind with the symbiote. I wasn't prepared for that to happen, I don't know what I was expecting but that was a curve ball that I didn't see coming.

Even though it was only a simulation it felt very real. I think I still stand by my decision. I have never wanted to be joined with a symbiote. No matter the benefits there is just something about the idea of sharing my body with a worm. That was why I had to say no, in fact in was one of the reasons I joined Starfleet.

End Log

Stardate 21010.26

Personal Log Midshipman Savar Feyil Stardate 21010.26

Currently waiting on the results of a scan I have initiated.

It appears that our mission will see the Philly land on the Gondawan surface. The plan as far as I can make out is that we will be using the Philly as a base of operations.

Myself and McPhee have been selected as part of the Science team. The rest of the crew including non-essential personnel have been re-assigned. Additionally we have been joined by Commnader Tucker of the Nova. They have both went off to discuss the mission with the Medical team.

I am currently running a scan on the planet to ascertain if we can actually land the ship on the surface. Or more accurately land the ship and not have her sink into the ground. I am no expert on geology so this will be a bit of a challenge.

On a more personal not I find myself sort of fitting in quite well on the Philadelphia. I think that I can look forward to some interesting times.

End Log.

Stardate 21012.30

Personal Log Midshipman Savar Feyil Stardate 21012.30

Well my first mission seems to have been cut short. I was part of the team that was sent to try and help the Gondwanans with the problem that they had with the Neos.

My own thoughts are that this disease or affliction is not natural. I cannot be sure but there are some indications that it could have arisen from genetic manipulation at some point in their history. Without further testing I cannot be certain of this.

We will never really find out the answer to this I don't think. We were suddenly all ordered to return to the ship. Soon after we had all returned the ship lifted off the planets surface. As far as I can make out we were asked to leave by the Gondwanans. The strangest thing is that the planet seems to have returned to wherever it had appeared from.

Currently we are heading to Starbase Delta and some shore leave. It feels funny that to be getting shore leave when I have only just got here.

End Log.

Medical

CMO Lt Tara sh'Thane

Stardate 21007.23

Chief Medical Officer's Log Stardate 21007.23 Lieutenant sh'Thane recording:

The Philadelphia has finally arrived in the same star system as the Nova and their flotilla and contact has been made with their lead ship. As Chief Medical Officer, I would like to say that our journey went without any incidents of a medical nature, but that had become impossible...

Crewman John O'Brien committed suicide by removing the safety controls on the transporter on Stardate 21006.12. His remains were impossible to retrieve due to the ship being at warp, causing a scattering effect of the molecules during the transport. This was a hard blow to most of the crew, especially considering how new everyone is to working together.

The news of the incident had a negative effect on morale shipwide, therefore an effort was made by the present senior staff to hold a social function in the Mess Hall before we arrived. I believe this was successful in raising crew morale and would like to pass on my thanks to the mess staff and the other Department Heads for agreeing to the idea.

The rest of our trip was rather uneventful. I spent the majority of my duty shifts on the Bridge with Commander Pierce in our roles as a temporary command staff, but the time I did get to work in Sickbay allowed me to meet a most remarkable doctor.

Ensign Fraser Dunbar is a studious hard worker and has a caring bedside manner, in addition to his excellent work history in a planetside hospital on Earth. He has also been a Spirit-sent for me. He's practically held Sickbay together while I've been on the Bridge filing reports and whatnot... And has made friends with a majority of the staff where I haven't as of yet.

I can't help but feel I lucked out on Fraser being assigned to the Philadelphia. Once he's of a ready rank, I would like to recommend him as Assistant Chief Medical Officer in a more official manner, though he practically has the job now.

Now that we've met up with the Nova, our real command staff has come on board. Commander Hudson has been passed the torch of the job I've held for a standard month, and it'd be a lie if I didn't say I was a little grateful for it. The little I've gotten to interact with Hudson so far has spoken that he is a natural leader and easy to relate to. Something I've learned is important for the job of First Officer.

Captain Yvette is equally qualified for her position as Captain, as her personal file can attest to. However, no one had informed us that she would be pregnant and close to giving birth by the time she took command of the Philadelphia. This is especially vexing for me considering it now falls to me to monitor her condition and I haven't the chance to prepare any sort of maternal care.

On the bright side of this, getting to be a part of, no matter how small it'll be, the beginning of a new life is always an exciting prospect to most doctors.

I've made a note to request the Captain to step into Sickbay for a more detailed examination, mostly for my benefit, along with a communication to the Nova's CMO for more information. It says here that Yvette is also a trained medical officer, however, and I'm sure it's well known what kind of patients a doctor makes...

End Log.

Stardate 21010.15

Chief Medical Officer's Log Stardate 21010.15 Lieutenant sh'Thane recording:

Well. What an eventful past few days...

A cross ship away team was organized to conduct an official meeting with the leader of the Gondwanan, Monarch Klotiu, and Admiral Grayson. Most of the team came from the Nova, but Lieutenant Macleod of Security and I were representatives from Philadelphia. The Nova crew were a fairly friendly group, and I'll eat my own ushaan if Grayson and his Chief of Security were not on more than friendly terms with one another. Medically, I'd chalk it up to his half Deltan heritage. Otherwise...

Er, perhaps I shouldn't discuss other's relationships when my own are...

Hm.

Right, the away team. New Gondwana, or at least the geographical area we visited, is extremely humid. Admiral Grayson made the suggestion that I use a modified rebreather to produce more tolerable air for my own use, and I readily accepted. Even with this allowance, the humidity would be practically intolerable for any cold natured species. I'm making the medical recommendations to other crews that any that are assigned have their exposure be extremely limited.

Personally, I'll be opting to stay on board and oversee lab work as much as possible. But that's getting ahead of myself...

The Gondwanans are a very considerate and seemingly peaceful people. They provided for all of our needs while there with water and shade from the sun. The Monarchical chambers were also very ornate; they seem to have a great artistic side as well.

Monarch Klotiu was also genial, and a very large member of his species which leads me to believe that size is a factor in their hierarchy and social order. The meeting did not get that far, however, when grave news reached Grayson and his crew...

A radical group of Gondwanan referred to as the 'Neo' fired upon a research station in high orbit of New Gondwana. The station was destroyed, and Nova was caught in the wake, knocking out their power sources and causing radiation to leak throughout the ship. An evac was called and Grayson ordered the away team to return to the Blackstone and back to the ships.

I understand the order, but this call was unfortunate, if not just a tad early, as Commander Tucker of the Nova and I were discussing a medical exchange. From what we learned the Neos are suffering from a genetic mutation that leads to extreme aggression and possible xenophobia, even towards unaffected Gondwanan. Most likely we'll still get this information, but sooner would always have been better...

The Nova evacuation went as smoothly as possible and there were no major injuries, casualties, or any fatalities at all. The biggest cases were some minor radiation poisoning, something we could all be thankful for in Medical.

The Commanding Officers have came together to decide our next course of action; after a twelve hour rest period we're landing the Philidelphia directly on New Gondwana.

I've never been through an actual Blue Alert before. Just another new experience on this cruise... I've assured Sickbay is well prepared for the landing, and we're expecting a soft landing. Hopefully.

Once we're back on solid ground a research team will be convened between Science and Medical. I'll be co-leading the Medical side with former Nova CMO Macleod, who from our brief exchanges I've found rather pleasant. Her brother is also the aforementioned Macleod of Security.

Also previously mentioned, I'd like to volunteer to stay on the Philadelphia and work through the laboratory, but this is something I want to discuss with Doctor Macleod and coordinate who we'll be sending on the actual away team.

Short list from Philadelphia are Dunbar, of course, Cyne, and our newest edition one Doctor Hauser, whom I haven't met in person but his record speaks for itself.

Let's just hope he can deal with the heat better than an Andorian...

End Log.

Lt Fraser Dunbar

Stardate 21007.12

Personal Log. Stardate 21007.12. Ensign Fraser Dunbar recording.

I continue to have no complaints about life on the Philadelphia. Ever since the moment I stepped aboard this ship, I've been feeling upbeat and positive. Nothing seems to bring me down. I'm realistic enough to understand that this feeling probably won't last forever, life has a way of throwing a curve ball when you least expect it. But my word, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. I feel fantastic and that just... feels... well, fantastic.

I've been a little neurotic today though, I must confess. I really want everything to run smoothly because today's the day we make contact with the USS Nova, officially join the flotilla and, most importantly, today's the day we receive our new Captain and First Officer. The computer informs me that we've arrived at our destination so they should be joining us any time now.

The whole ship is abuzz. You can feel the sense of anticipation in the air. This is the day the ship's new life really begins because her crew will be complete. We'll be writing our own history from here on out. It's a privilege to be here today, and so damned exciting.

I wish I could bottle this feeling, this sense that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Where I always should have been really. I look back at all those years I spent yearning to be here in this uniform, among the stars, letting myself be held back and it all seems so foolish. Why did I let so many years drift by? I could have been here so much sooner. Such wasted time.

No, I shouldn't say that. That's not fair. Those years weren't wasted. I was happy. A lot of the time, I was happy. Just... a different kind of happy, I suppose. I don't know.

Anyway, like I said, things are going well here. In terms of patients, Sickbay has been very quiet so we've been able to stay on top of everything without any problems. Which is excellent because I'd absolutely hate it if anything went wrong today. I want it all to be perfect for Lieutenant sh'Thane. I haven't been able to spend too much time with her yet but she's an impressive woman and she's done an excellent job as Acting First Officer. I want her to know that she can rely on us.

And so far, fingers crossed, I think we're doing a good job. Midshipman Cyne seems prone to the occasional hiccup but I'll keep my eye on her. I'm writing up a proposal for Lieutenant sh'Thane suggesting a mentoring program for Sickbay. That'd give me an opportunity to take Midshipman Cyne under my wing and give her some pointers.

That aside though, I couldn't be happier with this crew. I've really landed on my feet here. These are good days.

End log.

Stardate 21008.01

Personal Log. Stardate 21008.01. Ensign Fraser Dunbar recording.

We've had some excitement on the Philadelphia today, though not the kind of excitement we were expecting.

I still don't know the cause behind it but we were suddenly put on Yellow Alert and told to prepare for an evacuation of the USS Nova. I'd just organised emergency medical teams and started clearing out space in Sickbay in case we needed to house refugees, when the alert was cancelled. Whatever happened, it seems it was dealt with swiftly. There was no evacuation in the end and, as far as I know, the Nova is in one piece and her crew are fine.

This is the problem with being a junior officer. Sometimes things happen and you get a sense of the gravity and importance of it all, but none of the details to fill in the blanks. Still, nobody's hurt and that's what matters. As much as I'd like to know what happened, I don't actually need to know so that's good enough for me.

Actually, I was a little annoyed over the whole thing. Communication wasn't as efficient as it should have been. When Yellow Alert was cancelled, nobody informed Sickbay about what was happening, so I didn't know whether or not to continue preparing for an evacuation. I had to contact the Bridge myself to find out. It isn't a big deal, in this case it made no difference, but it bothers me a little. Next time, in a different situation, any breakdown of communication, no matter how brief, could cost lives. Plus, I didn't find out until afterwards that there was some kind of quarantine involved, that bugged me too.

Anyway, I'm not going to whine about that anymore. It really isn't fair. This is a new crew and as much as we all expect the best from each other, realistically the ball's going to get dropped now and again. Obviously, a crisis of some kind occurred today and whoever was handling internal comms on the Bridge had a lot to deal with. The creases will get ironed out, I've no doubt.

Other than that, we've had no problems in Sickbay today. Very happy to be able to say that. I've just been talking to Nurse Emilia Cirrus from the Nova's Sickbay, she sent us the medical files for the crewmembers transferring to the Philadelphia, and I did the same in return for her. I think I'm going to like being part of a flotilla. It's good to know there are a handful of other Sickbays around us. I've always liked being part of a community.

Our new Command staff are now on board. We were all able to watch the ceremony on the monitors, it was quite something. Seeing Captain Yvette and Commander Hudson take their places on the Bridge gave everybody a real boost. We were all cheering. I was hoping their arrival would make our new makeshift family feel complete and it really does.

This also means Lieutenant sh'Thane should be able to join us down in Sickbay more regularly now. That'll do everybody good, no doubt about it. I hope she's happy with the state of the department. Really don't want to let her down.

End log.

Stardate 21008.28

Personal Log. Stardate 21008.28. Ensign Fraser Dunbar recording.

Potentially, I have a busy day ahead so I thought I'd fit in a personal log now while I have the chance.

Things are still going well in Sickbay. At least, I've not been made aware of any problems. Yesterday, Lieutenant sh'Thane gave me the opportunity to assist her in taking some prenatal scans of Captain Yvette. I'll be honest, I was delighted about that. Knowing the Lieutenant trusted me to be at her side in such a delicate situation was a real boost for me. Plus, I'm a junior officer, I don't get to spend time in the company of Captains too often. And if my first impressions are anything to go by, Captain Yvette is an impressive woman.

Hers is an unusual case, as it turns out. She's Halanan, while the baby's father is Human. That's a mix I've never encountered before and it means the pregnancy may not proceed in a manner which is normal for either species. As I understand it, a doctor aboard the Nova has developed a drug to help the Captain but still, I'm worried. I always worry about pregnancies so that's nothing new, and Captain Yvette has the Medical departments of two starships looking after her and the baby so I know it'll all be fine. We'll make certain that it'll all be fine. As things stand, there doesn't seem to be any reason to be concerned. That won't stop me though.

We've started cycling through the physicals for the new crew members who have transferred to the Philadelphia from the Nova. I handled one of them myself yesterday, for Ensign Lunanova from the Science department. In truth, she really didn't need a physical, she'd only just had one on the Nova. Nurse Shah being a little over-efficient. Again. Anyway, it was done in a jiffy since there was little in her file that needed to be updated. Ensign Lunanova, or Tris as she told me to call her, seemed a little nervous at first but once we were done, she brightened up. She struck me as a vibrant soul. I like that in a person.

After we tended to the Captain, Lieutenant sh'Thane briefed us on our current mission, and it's a particularly exciting one. Apparently, we joined the Nova in the middle of a first contact situation with an insectoid species who call themselves Gondwanans.

First contact! How many years, decades did I spend pining for the stars, to get out here and see new sights, make new discoveries, be at the cutting edge of exploration, and now that I'm finally on a starship I find myself in a first contact situation straight away. It's incredible. It's as if I've been storing up all my good luck and I'm spending it all at once. I'm struggling to keep the smile off my face while I'm trying to at least appear to be a professional.

So yes, the Gondwanans. We've received a certain amount of data on them from the Nova and I've been busy analysing that. I'm trying to cover the basics as quickly as possible. In the meantime, Petty Officer Kalolo Iupeli has been doing an excellent job of gathering data on other insectoid species known to the Federation. It's our hope that we'll be able to find commonalities between these species that may also apply to the Gondwanans. Obviously, it's dangerous to work on assumptions, especially in the medical field, but it doesn't hurt to make a few hypotheses. Maybe this will give us a headstart in coming to understand this species a little better.

Today, a crew exchange is happening. I imagine the Gondwanan delegation has probably arrived by now, actually. Lieutenant sh'Thane will be joining the away team, so I'm working hard to make sure Sickbay is ready should the Gondwanans request a tour. I've got to be honest, I desperately hope they do. Just being here during first contact is thrilling, but to actually meet a member of this species face-to-face... ahh, I shouldn't get ahead of myself. I'll only end up disappointed if they don't stop by Sickbay. But still, I have butterflies.

Oh, these are happy days. You know, there's a voice in the back of my head that keeps reminding me that happy days never last. The higher you fly, the further there is to fall. But I don't care what that voice says. It can whine all it likes. Maybe I won't feel this good forever but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it while it lasts.

End log.

Stardate 21010.06

Personal Log. Stardate 21010.06. Ensign Fraser Dunbar recording.

The Gondwanan crew members arrived on the ship and, just as I'd been hoping for, they did indeed come to Sickbay. Even better, Captain Yvette left their medical representative in my hands. Such an honour, and an incredible opportunity.

Master Lysar is her name. I wonder if 'Master' is a professional title or a reference to some other kind of societal position? I haven't had a chance to ask. There are a lot of things I haven't had a chance to ask but I'll come to the reasons for that shortly.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Gondwanans but it turns out that Master Lysar is lovely. Very sweet, very smart. It's been a pleasure to spend time with her and I'm only sorry that our time is so short. Still, if she's a fair representation of her people then the Gondwanans seem like a wonderful species. With any luck, that might mean the Federation continue to build a strong friendship with these people. I hope so. Time will tell.

I started by giving Master Lysar a tour of Sickbay. We'd only made it to the Medical Lab when something... odd happened. Nurse Plova was putting some equipment away while we were in there. She opened up a closet and... uh, Doctor Hauser fell out of it. He seemed very disoriented. He claimed he was doing an inventory and then accidentally locked himself in there, but then he fainted and mumbled something about Master Lysar eating him.

I had to leave him in Doctor Cyne's care so I'm not entirely clear on exactly what was wrong with him but my best guess is an extreme phobia of insects. It's my fault, really. I should've thought to check that none of the crew had a phobia like that before the Gondwanans boarded. Something to remember for next time. Anyway, it was all very surreal. Plova and Teyzia are the only other people who knew about it so, for Hauser's sake, I hope they're both discrete. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't want the rest of the department knowing I'd been hiding in a cupboard.

Poor guy. I shouldn't laugh.

The reason I didn't get to treat Doctor Hauser myself was that we felt the ship lurch while we were in the lab, so I felt I should try to find out what was going on for Master Lysar's sake. As it turned out, a missile had been fired at a Gondwanan science station from the surface of the planet and the resulting shockwave was coming our way, so we had to move to avoid it. At least, I think that's what happened, I haven't had time to be properly briefed yet. It was something along those lines, anyway.

The Nova wasn't as lucky as us. They were hit by the shockwave and it disabled their ship. It's still there now, lifeless. It's difficult to truly grasp. Just a few hours ago it was a fully functioning home for over 8,000 people, one of the most impressive ships in the fleet. Now it's just a husk. It's a tragedy, really.

Obviously, with the Nova powerless, the crew had to evacuate. Some of them came to us and other ships in the flotilla, and the Gondwanans stepped in to accomodate the rest on one of their stations. We were so lucky that they were there to help. The flotilla only had the capacity to take a couple of thousand people from the Nova, I don't know what we would have done if the Gondwanans weren't there to step in. Doesn't bear thinking about.

All the evacuees who came aboard needed to be scanned and treated for exposure to radiation. The majority of them were okay, thankfully. It could have been much worse. I was very impressed with the department's response too. Those drills were worth their weight in latinum.

For that reason, I haven't been able to exchange information with Master Lysar in the way we'd hoped. Obviously, my first priority was to the crew of the Nova but that did mean that I couldn't learn as much about the Gondwanans as I'd hoped. Master Lysar was able to observe me, at least. I hope that insight will be of some use to her.

I'm guessing she'll have to return to her own ship shortly. Given everything that's happened, they'll probably need her there. To be honest, I'll be very sad to see her go. So happy I got to meet her though. And you never know, maybe I'll get to meet her again sometime. If the Federation can establish friendly relations with the Gondwanans, there's no reason why not.

End log.

Stardate 21010.28

Personal Log. Stardate 21010.28. Ensign Fraser Dunbar recording.

Following the evacuation of the Nova, we were given twelve hours to catch up on some rest. I probably didn't put that time to the most productive use because I spent most of it asleep in bed but I suppose I must have needed the shuteye.

At the start of my next shift, Lieutenant sh'Thane called me to her office, along with Doctors Hauser and Cyne. There's to be an away mission on the surface of the Gondwanan planet and the three of us are being considered for it. I hope I get to go. I've never been on an away mission before so it'd be a great experience for me but more to the point, what's going on down there bothers me. I want to be out there so I can do something to help.

It turns out the missile that was fired from the surface at the Gondwanan science station was launched by a group of Gondwanans we're calling Neos. They're sufferers from a little-understood disease which reduces their armour and heightens their tendency towards aggression. The Gondwanan government's response to this was to gather these Neos together and deposit them on an isolated island. Essentially, they've been cast aside and left to get on with it. No help, no treatment, not even any care being provided. It turns my stomach, it really does.

I know I shouldn't judge the Gondwanans. They've had centuries of peace and probably didn't know how to deal with something like this, or at least didn't understand the consequences and humanitarian implications of their actions. But still, I can't help feeling angry over the treatment of the Neos.

The Philadelphia will be landing on the surface of the planet and the away team will be investigating this disease. As I understand it, teams will be formed from the Medical, Science and Security departments of both the Philadelphia and the Pegasus, where many of the Nova crew have ended up. It's a tall order. We're dealing with an anatomy we know next to nothing about and a disease that, as far as we can tell, the Gondwanans themselves have limited data on. But we'll do everything we can to help, I have no doubt about that.

We have another problem too. This one's a little closer to home. Doctor Hauser's arachnophobia. Sending him out onto an island filled with aggressive oversized spiders is clearly more than he'll be able to cope with. However, he refuses to confide in Lieutenant sh'Thane about his problem. He's worried about the affect that would have on his position. I don't think it would have any affect, not for a moment. It's a phobia, she won't think any less of him for it. But he doesn't see it that way and I can't force him to be honest with her.

So, that means he needed a way of controlling himself if he gets sent on the away team so, after some heated debate, we settled on giving him a small dose of Vistazine 50. I hate this idea. I hate it that we'll be keeping a secret like this from Lieutenant sh'Thane, and I hate it that this could affect the mission. I'm sure it won't, there's no reason this dosage of Vistazine 50 shouldn't do the job, but... but what if it does? It'll be my fault for allowing this, for going along with it.

But I didn't see another option. If I'd refused to give him the medication and told Lieutenant sh'Thane not to take Hauser on the away team, what kind of person would that have made me? I'd have been That Guy. The snake in the grass you can't trust, Mr. Rulebook. Nobody in the department would've trusted me again and maybe Hauser's right, maybe his career would have suffered. Perhaps refusing to go along with this would've made me a better officer, but it would also have made me an arsehole.

Whatever I'd have done, it would've been the wrong thing. He backed me into a corner and he had no right to do it. No right at all.

But... ah, I know he didn't mean to. He was frightened, panicked, probably not thinking straight because his phobia's playing with his head. I shouldn't feel too harshly about him. Right now, I can't help it but with time... well, hopefully this is something we'll be able to put behind us.

I just hope nothing goes wrong out there. I feel sick about the whole thing, I really do. Sick.

But I need to let it go for now. The work we'll be doing is too important, I can't be distracted. I've got to be sharp and focused, we all have. I'll be able to keep an eye on Hauser and if he shows signs of serious difficulty, I'll get him sent back to the ship. And that shouldn't happen anyway. He'll be fine once he's had the drug.

So, I'm going to finish preparing equipment for the away team while I wait for an announcement that we're about to land. We're at Blue Alert already so it shouldn't be long now. And I'm not going to think about this thing with Hauser anymore. I made my choice. That's that. The Neos are who I need to be thinking of now.

End log.

Stardate 21012.30

Personal Log. Stardate 21012.30. Ensign Fraser Dunbar recording.

Doctor Hauser and I ended up being the representatives of the Philadelphia's Medical department on the away team. Teyzia was ruled out because she hit her head during the ship's bumpy landing. She's fine, she just suffered a mild concussion so she had to stay behind. Douglas did take the Vistazine 50 in the end. It seemed to help. He was very chirpy for a while but once we were planetside, he was more jumpy. Still, he kept a lid on it for the most part. I was impressed with him, actually. He must have needed to draw on all his inner reserves of strength to get through it.

With Medical, Science and Security Officers from both the Philadelphia and the Pegasus, the away team was pretty unwieldy. I think our numbers came as something of a surprise to the Gondwanans but they were reasonably accomodating once we arrived. It was pretty clear that the head honcho of the research facility, Tasnus, wasn't thrilled to have us there but she didn't actually obstruct us.

I can't say I liked Tasnus, or the attitude the Gondwanans had towards the Neos. If I'm honest, they made my skin crawl. There seemed to be no compassion for the Neos, they were treated as an inconvenience at best, a threat at worst. It also transpired that the Gondwanans had a policy of terminating their patients. Horrifying. I came close to suggesting we walk away and I suspect I wasn't the only one, but ultimately we stayed. For a while, at least.

I didn't actually get to speak to any of the patients in the end. Lieutenant Commander Macleod did though. I was impressed with her. I seem to have a thing for Macleods because, though I didn't actually speak to her all that much, I liked her a lot. I'm not sure she was as impressed with me though. It was pretty clear that something was wrong with Douglas and that I was aware of it, and she spoke to me about it afterwards.

I hope I didn't lose too much of her respect. My guess is that our crews could be working together quite frequently and she's someone I feel I could learn a lot from. As a doctor, I'm more experienced than most of my colleagues and I feel confident in what I'm doing, but it's increasingly clear to me that I still need to truly learn what it means to be an officer. I didn't think about that much until I joined this crew. I guess I assumed being a Medical Officer would be no different to the role I occupied at the hospital back home. But it is different. Sometimes the role of a doctor and the role of an officer require different mindsets and I need to make sure I'm able to reconcile the two. Doctor Macleod seems to have mastered that so I hope I get to spend more time working with her. And I hope she doesn't think I'm an idiot.

Anyway, back to the mission. Douglas, Midshipman Feyil and myself spent some time with a Gondwanan named Trab, who showed us their data and answered some of our questions. I'd suspected that this 'disease' might be some kind of evolutionary jumpstart but it became clear that wasn't the case. The condition first manifested two years after the Gondwanans made first contact with an alien species and Trab seemed to think the Gondwanans had been deliberately poisoned by an external force.

We didn't have time to investigate further because the away team was abruptly recalled. It was hard to walk away from the Neos. It was really hard. I know that those patients will die without us to help them. The Gondwanans aren't close enough to figuring out how to deal with this condition, and they've made it clear that they aren't likely to treat the Neos well in the meantime.

It's not our fault. I know that. It's not my fault. There was nothing more we could have done and we can only hope that we said or did something in our brief time with the Gondwanans which will cause them to readdress their approach to this problem. It was nobody's fault. But still, I've felt sick about it ever since.

As far as I can tell, relations between the Gondwanans and the Neos deteriorated further while we were on the planet, and so the Gondwanans ordered us out of their system. That's why we were recalled. As it turned out, that was the best thing for us because their world was shifting back into its original reality. They're gone now.

We've been studying the data the Gondwanans gave us. We still need to do some more work to confirm our findings but it's looking like Trab was half right. This was an artificial disease and the Gondwanans were deliberately infected with it, but we believe the Gondwanans did it to themselves. Why they'd do that isn't clear to me. We're coming up with various theories right now but I guess we'll never be able to verify them.

More to the point, we have no way of telling the Gondwanans what we've learned. They're out of our reach now, forever. They'll have to figure this out for themselves and face the consequences alone.

This mission has been... oh, I don't know. I was so excited about it at first. First contact! But then it all seemed to slip away from us and now, I have to consider the mission a failure. We achieved absolutely nothing. We did make successful first contact, but that counts for little considering this species is no longer part of our reality. We learned a little about them and their disease but that knowledge feels hollow since it'll never make a difference to anyone now. We saved no lives. We did nothing of consequence, nothing of use.

I keep telling myself that sometimes the universe conspires against us, that sometimes the cookie just crumbles in a way you'd rather it didn't, but that's not good enough. We're supposed to make a difference. Mission failed. That's that.

I've felt pretty low since returning to the ship. I'm a bit depressed about it all, I suppose. We're heading to Star Base Delta for shore leave and Lieutenant Codey has kindly invited some of us to go adventuring with him. I don't feel like going but I will. I need to do something that'll cheer me up before we're given our next mission. Best to put all this behind me.

End log.