the way home

Posted on Sat Nov 6th, 2021 @ 12:51pm by Lieutenant Commander William Rogers & Commander Ichiko Gail & Lieutenant Commander Calvin Morgan

Mission: Double Bind
Location: Shuttlecraft Vesta

The moon loomed larger on the viewscreen as the Vesta made the journey back to the Astraea. Buck moved through the stream of data from the helm, making small adjustments to their heading and double checking the docking assignment which flight control had sent him.

"Copy that, Lavorre: Docking bay 2." Buck tapped his communicator ending the transmission and turned slightly. "We're about 15 minutes out." He started tapping out a tune on the edge of this console: It's The End Of The World As We Know It. R.E.M. "How're our guests doing?"

"A little culture shock, I'd say, but other then that I think they're doing well. It isn't everyday you learn you're not alone in the universe. I guess the most fitting day to find out is doomsday." Ichiko commented, "They'll never forget this day, but if we pull this off, I wonder if anyone will believe them?"

"My people don't have a reputation for charity around here, nevermind to a species that never had contact."

“I believe we can give them the proper sustenance and care for their malnutrition. Get them back on their feet so they can feel more like themselves,” Calvin added, finishing some scans. “Also doesn’t look like any issues with bio field. Not picking up anything from us either. Should be good on that front as well,” He stated to Ichiko and Buck.

"That's good to hear. Getting confined so soon after the rescued leaves a bad impression, believe me." Buck frowned. The drumming stopped and puzzled he turned towards the first officer. "Hold up, what do you mean 'if anyone will believe them'? Isn't one of the reasons we rescued them so we'd have an idea who we need to coordinate with?"

Ichiko turned back to Buck, "How many people did you expect us to appear before?" she asked, "I was hoping to make our presence as minimal as possible. If the means and the methods are known to only a select few, then our presence is a rumor at best."

"We've already violated protocol, I'd rather contain the damage."

"'Contain the damage'?" Buck scoffed, incredulous. "To what? Caetovian culture or your career? What I was expecting was that we'd be working with their government and emergency services to help save lives."

Ichiko fixed Buck with a glance. "I'd *prefer* to limit our presence so that we don't waste time talking with every single Caetovian. I'd *prefer* to talk to our new guests to find out who the proper person to speak to about their procedures are. I'd *prefer* if we help them without obliterating any concept of their own cultural identity... Or have you forgotten their first words they spoke when we arrived?"

"Because I sure as hell never will. 'Please don't kill us.'." she reminded. "They viewed us as invaders. We fly down their, flags flapping in the hurricane breeze, and save them from themselves, and we haven't saved a species but rather impressed servants. I would prefer not."

"At the end of this, I want their leader to know we helped them. I want these astronauts to know we helped them. I want those people to know they were saved by their own leaders, their own methods, and then they pick up the pieces and get on with their lives none the wiser." she paused, to catch her breath and reel herself back into her seat. She took a breath and took the moment to make herself more presentable to her own conscious. "What would you prefer, Mister Rogers?"

"So we are planning on talking to their government?" Tension slipped from Buck's shoulders a little. "That whole leaving the scientists behind and 'if anyone believes them' stuff made it sound like the plan was to hide everything we did from the natives."

"Most. Not all. This ambition is impossible without involving them, but to the most minimal degree possible. That's my preference. Minimal contact, minimal involvement, minimal contamination." she continued, relaxing herself as well, "I want this society to exist come next month, but I want them to be their own society. Not a society that now is fully aware of the absolute of interstellar life. Of the absolute that we are here, watching always, and ever capable to interfere. I want them to evolve as close to their natural progression as possible."

"If that involves limiting our exposure to just ten people within their planetary population, so much the better. If the exposure is small enough, then their world as a whole can doubt their stories and continue on with their life. As that number grows, the notion of being able to move on as they were gets risky. Tainted."

"Do you understand my perspective, even if from the seems of it, you don't agree with it?"

"Do no harm," Calvin said, not really agreeing with either side. "Or I guess as minimal as possible to create the best possible good."

"I can see your perspective Commander, but no, I don't agree with it." Buck shook his head. Something caught his eye and he glanced down at the console. He tapped the sensor display and shrugged. "Huh. That was weird."

Weird good? Or, weird.... bad?" Calvin responded.

Ichiko gave a smirk, actually thankful for whatever it was that broke the tension. "I do so enjoy suspense." she offered with her smirk becoming more of a soft smile. "What did you see?"

"Energy spike in the outer K-Band." Buck explained. He peered out of the viewscreen as if his eyes could have picked up something the sensors could not. "If it were natural we'd have seen it on the flight over too."

"K-Band?" Ichiko requested, and then relaxed at the confirmation. "It's nothing to be concerned about. K-Band spikes are a sign of a Ts'usugi craft in the region. The fact we didn't see it coming over, like you said, means it's not anything natural."

"So, good or bad?" Calvin asked again, not knowing the political implications of the Ts'usugi joining the show would be.

"The short answer is, it's good." Ichiko started. "If they're not revealing themselves, they're just here to observe, in a sense. The full details I don't know if I'm at liberty to give, but to answer your question good doctor, it's a good sign. Whatever is going to happen will happen later, and if it turns bad it will probably just turn bad for me."

She paused, "And if it looks like it's going to turn bad for anyone else, I'll make sure it only turns bad for me. Just, if anyone asks, you took a guess that the spike was the sign of a Ts'usugi Dark Ship in the region."