Call Me A Cab

Posted on Thu Oct 28th, 2010 @ 2:31am by Captain Benjamin Byrne & Lieutenant Lianna Vanders

Mission: Bug-Eyed Bogies
Location: Communication Centre, Planet's Surface / Bridge, USS Endeavour
Timeline: MD03 2255

"Captain Byrne?"

Benjamin looked up from the dinner the away team had had prepared for them at the voice. Wiping his mouth and standing from the cushion they'd been given to sit on to eat from the low table in a style that strongly reminded him of the time he stayed in Tokyo on Earth for a few weeks, he said, "Yes? What can I help you with?"

"I'm sorry to disturb your meal, but you have a call from your ship. I thought you would like to take it in the communications centre, where you may converse with your crew in privacy," responded the man. The away team had come to know a few names since they had arrived, but this man wasn't one of the ones they had seen much - most likely he worked as a clerk for the planet's diplomatic corps.

"Thank you," Benjamin said, following the man through to a room which consisted of a large, semi-circular table with chairs around one side, facing three large screens. As he was left alone in the room, he took a seat right opposite the viewscreens, and waited for his call to be connected via the large antennae that connected this room with the surface, where the signal could reach without distortion.

Lianna's image appeared on the monitor when she was in mid-conversation. "Well try to raise them again, dammit, there's a ship out there trying to get a signal to us, and I want something to tell the Captain when he...." She noticed the captain and cleared her voice and managed to get herself in a semi-pleasant mood. "Oh... Captain, this is Vanders. We just picked up some kind of distress call."

"What kind of distress call?" Benjamin asked, his tone serious. He instantly forgot about where he was and the diplomatic visit he was on, and his focus was solely on the fact that there may be a ship or colony in the vicinity that needed their aid.

"We didn't get a clear read on it. It was garbled to hell. But I could read the sound of their voices. There's some serious hell going on where they're at." She piped the recording of the garbled transmission through. The tones of their voices said everything.

Benjamin listened in on the transmission, and spent a few moments mulling over the implications of such a message. Whoever had sent it sounded like they were being attacked, but not how one would expect - there were no sounds of explosions, and it sounded as if the attacker was in the ship with them.

Lianna spoke, "Captain, I think we can get to the freighter at high-warp if we leave now. Problem is, you're needed down there for that peace conference thing, and there's that signal to respond to." She noted.

Benjamin was suddenly brought back to the surroundings and situation he was in, and remembered that he had responsibilities to stay here, and keep up good relations with this planet. "Right. Take the ship and see what the distress call is all about," he said, though inside he was pained to tell his Security Chief to lead the mission, rather than leading it himself. "Take it easy - I don't want you just barging in there until you know what's happening, but make sure to get the desireable outcome of the situation swiftly, and dealt with."

Li responded, "Understood Sir, we'll be in touch. I'll have Collins take the yacht down to your location, and we'll send coordinates for the rendevous. Endeavour out." The Captain's face disappeared from the view screen. "Go easy on the crew, he says. Cut them a little slack, he says. Right..." She muttered to herself. "Ensign, set course for the source of that signal. Warp Eight."

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Captain Benjamin J. Byrne
Commanding Officer

&

Lieutenant Lianna Vanders
Chief Tactical/Security Officer
USS Endeavour