Who goes there?

[thespaceopera]

[After weeks of relative silence, our intrepid passengers finally travel within visual range of a blue planet. Marsiva's slow-and-steady course makes it clear that this is the Drift Fleet's next destination--but just as your ships come within scanning range and your computers begin to gather data, a fleet of quick little watchdog ships zip out of the planet's atmosphere, heading straight for you!

They do not swoop in for an attack, but hold their positions between you and the planet. They look close enough to cause some trouble, and any working Communications Officer can tell you that they have weapons locked on the Fleet in warning.

The tell-tale sound of an incoming hailing frequency chimes over your ship's alert system. Someone would like you to pick up the phone. Thanks to their augment, all passengers instinctively know that they'll be looking for the Captain or the Communications Officer of the ship--but no one says someone else can't pick it up first.

On the bridge, the hailing frequency can be viewed on screen, along with the attached subject: "Identify yourselves." The notification chime goes off every seven seconds. These ships don't look like they're going anywhere, but they don't want to be kept waiting, either.

What do you do? Will you accept the frequency?]


ooc → see the July Star System post for details about this event! there is no real rush in this post (we won't even be around to begin responding to it until Sunday afternoon), so take your time, feel free to tag each other in this post (maybe try to get your Comms officers off their asses), and there is no time too late to tag into this post. the element of urgency is all IC, and there is no OOC pressure at all.

Comments

[thespaceopera]

[the watchdog ship waits until the matter on the other end of the line is settled, but he sounds no more endeared to them for it. his already-short patience is being tried.]

Apologies appreciated, Doctor, but please explain your purpose here.

In detail.

[stigmaofsuccess]

As I say, our ship is preset on a course we cannot alter. Our presence here is entirely at the discretion of the being in control of our ship, something called Atroma.

We have no purpose. Our travels are outside of our control. We have been brought to this area of space and we have no way of knowing why. We're hostages to Atroma.

[thespaceopera]

Hostages.

[he could not sound more skeptical if he tried.]

And I suppose the Nunnilis ship is being held hostage as well?

[stigmaofsuccess]

HOstages. We're free to move anywhere inside an area designated by our captors, measured outwards from the prime ship, the Marsiva. The largest vessel.

[Julian persists, because he's used to trying to explain stupid and irrational things.

He also immediately realises what Nunnilis is.]

We found the ship adrift. It's been infected by a parasitic fungal infection which has killed a large number of the crew and seized primary neural control of those left. We've towed the ship with us in the hope of finding her people. You're familiar with the species. We need to maintain quarantine, spores may still be present.

[thespaceopera]

--It's infected? Keep it away from our airspace!

[honestly, it's blurted rather unprofessionally. and then this is immediately followed by another startled voice in the background, just out of intelligible range. a moment later, the signal temporarily cuts out.

and a handful of long seconds tick by before someone finally returns, if only briefly.]

...Please stand by.

[stigmaofsuccess]

There's been an infection. We've clear it as best we can, but we can't send it away until the fleet moves on again,

[He gives the comms officer an apologetic look. He's not trying to make it worse. Honest.]

[cpt_ressentiment]

[ Yosuke just shakes his head, a sheepish little smile of his own in place. ]

Man... I'm starting to think there's not a single good answer we could give them.

[stigmaofsuccess]

There isn't.

[Julian's pretty sure of that.]

The truth is usually best.

[thespaceopera]

[when the opposing fleet finally reestablishes contact, a new voice is on the line. the person taking over sounds like a middle-aged woman, and she seems no more pleased than the previous speaker, but mercifully more level-headed.]

Starstruck-- first of all, I must ask if you have documented proof substantiating your claim.

[stigmaofsuccess]

[Julian waits, patient, startling slightly from whatever thoughts he was having at the new voice.]

I'm relatively new, and the engineer, but I'm somewhat doubtful that they've given us documentation of our situation... I'm sure our comms officer will know if we have anything saved in the databanks.

[Do we? Please?]

You may be able to detect something from the Marsiva, she can override any of the smaller craft as I understand.

[thespaceopera]

[the woman responds quickly and seriously. most ships should have at least basic data they could learn from, and that's what she's looking for.]

Send us whatever you have, particularly in relation to the Nunnilis ship.

[stigmaofsuccess]

I'll send everything we have on the ship, but also the infection and current workable treatments.

[Because they need to share that information as much as possible.]

[thespaceopera]

Thank you, Doctor. We are receiving reports from the other ships in your fleet as well.

[the line will stay open, this time, for any and all data being sent in the direction of the opposing fleet...]