Where, oh Where, Did the Merchant Ship Go? - Part II
Posted on Tue Aug 25th, 2026 @ 5:52am by Commander Alora Knight & Commander Joren Tal & Commander Alexander 'Alex' Knight & Lieutenant Aenar Torek & Lieutenant JG Vincent Shaw & Ensign Chevy Tuff
Edited on on Tue Aug 25th, 2026 @ 5:56am
1,431 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission: Lost Horizons
[PREVIOUSLY]
Continuing to work his station diligently, Sulack ran additional scans to better prepare the Away Team. The Vulcan was, of course, ready to accept a trip to the planetoid below, but he wondered if it was logical with the Chief also off-ship.
[CONTINUED]
Much as Joren preferred to be the boots on the ground and protecting his crew, he couldn't leave the ship alone with the Commodore off-ship. His console blipped, notifying him that the shuttle was ready. "Prepare diligently, Lieutenant Shaw. Your shuttle is ready in the bay." He then faced the rest of the bridge crew. "I need you all to be on guard. We'll have 2 away teams down, and I want us to be their liaison in the sky and ensure they have what they need. So any blips, any questions, anything that might endanger our away teams - speak up."
"Thank you, sir." Vincent responded, moving from his station to the turbolift. "And I most definitely will need someone with science skills."
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Shuttle Bay
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Vincent had his gear ready for the rest of his away team, he hoped that things would go well.
Standing a few steps away from Vincent, Sulack was kneeling on the ground, inspecting his field kit. Though he probably only needed his tricorder and EV suit, the Vulcan supposed that it would be sensible for him to be prepared for as many eventualities as he could think of.
Straightening, he gave a nod in Vincent's direction. 'I hope this excursion is incident free, Lieutenant.
Vincent, turned towards Sulack.
"I too sir, hope nothing happens." Though Vincent was also thinking that he'd just be prepared on some form just in case.
Chevy arrived in the shuttlebay with a tricorder, but the moment he saw others, he paused, lost in apparent thought.
Alora walked into the shuttle bay, a small cross-pack draped across her shoulder. "Ready," she said to the others.
Alex came in behind Alora. No longer in his black and silver Intelligence Uniform, but now in a standard Security one. It had been a long time since he put on the Security black and gold. Not since the days when he was Chief Security and Tactical on the Tokyo. However, unlike back then, he had his trusted Phaser Lance holstered to his right thigh. It had gone through some upgrades since the boys introduced the only two prototypes to Alora and Alex, but both weapons came in handy in tight situations. Alex wasn't sure he would need it for this mission, but he would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
"Great. I have just two questions," Alora said. "Who's in charge, and when do we leave?"
Chevy looked at Alora. After humming audibly he said, "The second question would be determined by the first. As to the first, all I can say that it is not I."
Alora just looked at Chevy, one eyebrow raised. That had not been a consideration. She sighed.
"Since you put out the call, I guess it's you," Alora said to Vincent. "So, shall we board the shuttle and be on our way?"
"The craft seems to have been in its position for some time now. Haste due to that is not a prudent step," Sulack observed. "However, it is entirely possible that there are ships masked or cloaked from the Calypso's sensors. If whoever did this is lying in wait, we should proceed with due haste to minimise our time here."
Hearing the questions that were asked,
"Yes I am the one who has been put in the lead position for the away mission. I'm Lieutenant Shaw, of which I'm thinking you may already know."
"Lieutenant Shaw," the voice of Joren came over the intercom. "What is your status?"
"We're almost ready, just need Lieutenant Venchi unless he's already inside the shuttle." Vincent looking towards the shuttle itself.
Turning to the others, "Let's proceed onto the shuttle and we can be on our way." Vincent looking at the others.
As if walking in a haze, Chevy drifted over to the shuttle without comment and found himself a seat. As usual, the Betelgeusian was likely lost in a tangle of his own thoughts.
Settling in to the shuttle seat, Sulack wrapped the safety harness around himself as instructions indicated. It would no doubt be a smooth ride to the surface of the planetoid, but the Vulcan would take no chances with this. 'I am ready to depart,' he stated to the shuttle at large.
With a nod, Alora took her seat and settled in for the trip to the planet.
Alex sat by his wife, leaning back in his chair a bit, before placing a hand on her thigh. He gave her a slight pat, before crossing his arms over his chest, as he smiled to her. "So... Miss Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer? Anything we should be looking out for on the planet that might help with the mission?"
"Signs that a ship landed--or crashed. Or signs that people were here," she replied. "Or anything out of the ordinary."
Once everyone settled, the shuttle undocked and picked its way to the surface of the moon. As the shuttle aimed itself at the landing site, the viewscreen showed the point of interest: mangled metal. Some areas looking like parts of a crashed ship, others little more than dust.
The shuttle ride was quick and uneventful, and before long the crew felt the slight bump of the shuttle landing on the intended landing spot.
Chevy waited. He had not been given an order and he did not wish to seem presumptuous. What if the shuttle encountered something and they had to leave immediately? What if there was a hull breach? So many scenarios ran through the bird brain's head that he just sat there impassively while the others took action.
Alora had her cross pack and was about to leave the shuttle when she noticed Chevy. "Ensign? Time to go."
"Hey... Big Guy. You alright?" Alex said as he approached Alora's side, looking over to Chevy with a concerned look.
Chevy tilted his head at a nearly 180 degree angle as he looked at Alex. "I am well. Why do you ask?"
"For starters, you seem hesitate to move. Everyone is preparing to leave and you look like you're wrestling with something. I don't know what it is. If you feel the need to share, by all means, but it’s not a prerequisite. Second, and most importantly, I trust her instincts." He said as he pointed to his wife. "If she seems concerned, because I can tell by the look on her face, that means I'm concerned. So, I felt the need to ask in case there was something I could do to help."
Chevy looked at Alex. "We have not been told what to do, so moving seemed like a violation of an order.. The Betelgeusian rotated his head slightly and lifted his head up slyly. "However, as you have indicated that it is time to go, I shall prepare to do so." Methodically, he started to unbuckle and get his equipment from storage.
"I don't think going out to investigate is a violation of orders. In fact, Ensign, I think it's part of the idea. This is a landing area without anything in it. From the looks of things, it's not old or run down. It's maintained, which means it’s in use. Add the fact that there is a missing ship, it just adds to the mystery." Alex gave a little shrug before adding. "We're here to check things out and getting off the shuttle to get a better look will give us a better perspective. Big guy, like you, might come in handy. You could catch something we don't. So, as far as I'm concerned, getting off and getting a better look isn't just a suggestion... it’s necessary to solve the mystery at hand." He gave Chevy a little smile before saying. "Don't be afraid to step outside your orders every once and a while if your gut tells you it might lead to something helpful. Orders are okay to bend as long as they aren't broken."
(To be continued...)
Ensign Sulack
Science Officer
USS Calypso
Commander Joren Tal
Executive Officer
USS Calypso
Lieutenant JG Vincent Shaw
Chief Operations Officer
USS Calypso
Ensign Chevy Tuff
Engineering Officer
USS Calypso
Lieutenant Commander Alora Knight
Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Calypso
Lieutenant Commander Alexander Knight
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Calypso
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