In the morning, the crews are summoned to the briefing room off the Ops Centre. Lieutenant Atek, Lieutenant (junior grade) Hightopp and CPO Schmidt are seated by the podium. Atek rises and begins,
"Welcome to your first mission briefing here at Dyson Base. I am, as you know, the Outpost Commander, and though I am at the same rank level as Ms. Dul and Mr. Anderson, I am above both in the command hierarchy. My orders are just that—lawful orders under the Code of Starfleet Justice, and are to be obeyed as per regulations. I know you all have training in Starfleet Regulations, so ignorance is no excuse. Am I understood?" He pauses for effect.
"This is our Chief of Operations, Lieutenant Tarrant Hightopp. He is my Executive Officer and second in command of the Outpost. You all have met Chief Petty Officer Schmidt. He is a seasoned Starfleet security man with 30 years experience under his belt. Chief?" he steps aside.
The Security Chief steps up.
"I am aware that some of you have lingering doubts as to the situation vis a vis our late Romulan spy and her possible replacements. I am here to say that all Vulcan and Vulcanoid personnel have been extensively investigated and cleared. This includes new transfers like Lieutenant Kurasa. Ms. Kurasa is, as many of you know, the product of the union of Betazoid and Vulcan. Her bloodline is extensively documented. She is the daughter of Councillor Sormok of the Vulcan Science Council and a Betazoid woman. She was raised by the Kurasas, a Betazoid family and spent 17 years as a Rating in Starfleet, winding up on the USS Enterprise, where she was personally recommended by Lieutenant Worf for commissioning as an officer. Yes, that Worf—the current Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire and adoptive son of the current Chancellor. She is a decorated Dominion War hero who lost friends in the closing days of the War. She was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) for her efforts in saving other crew on the USS Haida and deserves you respect."
Atek resumes the podium.
"I hope that will clear up any lingering doubts. End of discussion." There is a steely ring to his voice and his face is grim.
"Now, to the mission at hand.Early last year, the USS Thames discovered a tower in an ice field which was designated Gamma One. It was a spindle rising out of the ice-pack some 150 metres with a platform on top and a series of a dozen globes spiraling down the central shaft. The technology level evident was slightly higher than ours, and there was a computer interface in the form of a metre-wide disc capable of showing a number of different species avatars, including this generic humanoid." He flicks an icon on the podium and an image appears on the screen.
"It spoke with a voice easily translatable by the universal translator circuits built into their commbadges and took voice commands, but required security codes to reveal much beyond the basics. Computer Sciences has not had much luck cracking their security. Mr Gazzo, that's where you'll come in. For the rest of you, though Mr. Gazzo comes from a relatively low-tech world, Sigma Iotia II, he took to computers like a fish to water, and is Dodge City's live-in Alien Tech Assessment specialist; which is why, Mr. Anderson, he was 'parachuted' into your team... In your briefing documents..." The PADDS on everyone's desks flicker into life.
"Gamma Two will be your destination. Since Gamma One nullified all power on the Thames causing it to crash-land on the ice-pack, it is suggested that you proceed in a pair of shuttlepods using inertial reckoning to approach the station. Mac, you will be senior officer, callsign Two-One. Cassy, you will be his backup, callsign Two-Two. The Type 15 Shuttlepods will fit on the landing elevators visible on the platform. You will enter through the doors into the habitable areas. On Gamma One, this was a lounge-reception area. We have no idea whether the same is true of Gamma Two, so you'll be on your own.
[OOC fixed image]
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:19, Thu 25 Aug 2016.