James smiled. "I think that would be a good idea. We can let the probe gather some initial info for us.""

Parker

You sift through the subspace channels, but find no telltale signs of known alien signals.  According to your console and your aural sensitivity, the Vigilant is the only ship in the system.

However, you are picking up some odd activity in normal space.  You cannot tell if it is random garbling or a pattern.  All you do know is that it is something you have never heard before, and it is coming from the very same spot Sorvok indicated.

Bridge

"Getting closer would probably help our sensor scans," Tabin says, "but Ms. T'Enya has a point.  If whatever is causing it is alive, it could see our approach as aggressive.  A probe would be a good alternative because it allows us to keep our distance, but it also might also seem like an attack."

She frowns as she considers the problem.

"Any recommendations?"

Spid'Dar Nevi

Ensign Iluya hands you a pad.

"Modifications to the engines are up and running, sir.  Here are the specifications."

Dan Carson and Ally Zephyr

While you are discussing, Dr. Zephyr's communicator beeps.

"Ishikawa to Dr. Zephyr.  Doctor, permission to sedate Crewman Goruj while he recovers from his concussion?  He claims he is the reincarnation of the Tellarite god Rotavaugh and is refusing to stay in his bed."

OOC:
Feel free to vote on a course of action.  Also, Spid'Dar, I forgot to ask which engines you are boosting.  Are you boosting warp engines or impulse?

"I'm detecting an odd signal from the site that Lt. Sorvok identified," said Parker, never one to beat around the bush.  "It might just be a result of whatever is happening there, but it does sound like maybe there's something more to it."

James thought for a moment and a wild idea hit him.

"What about putting one of the probe-torps in a shuttle and letting the shuttle fly in for a closer look? A Transporter lock could be maintained on the pilot, and the shuttle systems could relay the probe information back to us."

"I have to admit, I'm not one for stellar phenomena either. I believe Ensign Maryan stopped by for a refill on a prescription, but--"

The communication from Sick Bay interrupted her before she could say anymore.

When she heard what was happening, the doctor frowned. Delusions were rather atypical in a concussion, and very concerning. "Yes. 25 ccs of melorazine. Once that's taken effect, I'd like you to start a brain scan." She shook her head and looked at Carson. "You may be losing Goruj for a little longer than the one day observation period. I'm going to need to head back to Sick Bay."

Carson winced sympathetically at the news. "Of course I understand... though I admit having an actual god on the team would have been useful. Thanks Doc and I'll make sure to have my men go a little easier on each other in future - and on me."

"Maybe you should try to recruit G and L if we see them again-- they could probably get around head injuries. Until then, restraint would be very much appreciated, Mr Carson," said Doctor Zephyr with a laugh. "Another time," she said, nodding her farewell, then headed to Sick Bay to look at Goruj's brain scans.

With Lt. Parker's explanation, T'Enya had an idea. She stood from her station, speaking while she did.

"One moment, please Captain. With you permission, I would like to attempt to apply code and cipher cracking techniques to Lt. Parker's signal. It may yet be possible to communicate with it. I also suggest an Engineering and Medical analysis, to see if the signal has an Engineering or Biological source rather than a Communications source."

[OOC: If given permission, T'Enya will go to Lt. Parker's station and work with her.]

Nevi takes the pad from Ensign Iluya and goes over it quickly, "Thank you Ensign.  I see your team has been thorough.  Please direct a portion of your efforts to our probe technology.  It would seem that we require a bit of innovation to our systems.  I would expect that it have our thorough nature but also be unassuming and unobtrusive."

He turned to the console and hit the comm button, "Captain.  I would say that a probe wouldn't be seen as an attack if it was kept at a respectful distance and also proceeded at a very low impulse speed."

(OOC: Nevi is working on the warp drives right now but will get to the impulse engines shortly.  Rome, and its Andorian equivalent, was not built in a day after all.)

Parker and T'Enya

Tabin gives the word, and Lt. T'Enya comes to take a look at the frequency on Parker's console.  She compares the frequency to all sorts of known and theoretical encryption.  After exhausting all those keys, the pattern does not seem to be a code.  Instead, it almost seems like an abnormal resonance---there seems to be a regular rotation with a few inconsistencies scattered into it.

Bridge

"That's a possibility," Tabin says in response to Black's suggestion.  "Are you volunteering to fly the shuttlecraft, Mr. Black?"

Tabin leans over on the command chair and presses the ship's intercom button.

"Tabin to Nevi and Zephyr.  We've picked up an anomalous signal and would prefer your input on them.  Please report to a station where you can review the signal."

Nevi speaks into the comm, "Yes Captain."  He turned to Ensign Iluya, "I am needed on the Bridge.  You and Ensign S'tal keep things moving down here."

Moving quickly, Nevi made his way to the Bridge and without addressing anyone moved to an open console.  One screen was set to monitor Engineering while the other two started flashing scanning data on the signal.  Nevi began to compare the signal to all known communication signals and then started to break it down by running comparisons on engine resonance and naturual phenomenon.  He was appreciating the speed of the computer and made a mental note to tell Ensign Skeyul that his modifications to the matrix were somewhat sufficient.

"On my way, Captain." Dr Zephyr said, then changed her destination from deck 5 to the Bridge.

When she got there, she found a station and looked at the data carefully to see if there was anything familiar, or unfamiliar in the sort of way that would imply any kind of biological or biochemical processes. She also set the computer to run the signal against the medical databases.

OOC:

@ Spid'Dar and Ally:  Go ahead and give me a Knowledge Roll for your respective roles/stations.  ^_^

Parker continued to perform as the comm officer.  She listened intently to the signals in the system, which right now seemed to just be that garbled possibly-a-pattern that the other crewmembers were analyzing using their special skills.

After Dr. Zephyr departed Carson wound down the practice and sent those of his department that could still stand for some much needed R&R.

As the others left he stopped by Ensign Maryan and gave the Orion woman a respectful smile. "You were very good Ensign and I wanted to say I'm glad your aboard. I hope there are no hard feelings over our first meeting... I'd like us to be friends at least."

Nevi digs deeper into the scans and strives to squeeze all the data he can from the minimal amount available.  His hands are a flurry of button pushing and typing as he jumps from one idea to another...

Although Carlos' spirits dim somewhat at the apparent rejection of his idea of bringing the ship closer, they perk back up at the mention of possibly sending a shuttlecraft.

He sighed a bit, but only inwardly.  The two most hated phrases for any Helmsman were "Steady as she goes," and "Maintain standard orbit."

Daniel Carson

Ensign Maryan flashes you a wide smile at the compliment.  Unlike the rest of the security roster, she is the only one who does not seem to be dripping with sweat.  She merely glistens, along with what Carson can only guess is a healthy glow for an Orion.  She grabs a towel and lightly pats her face, drying off the thin sheen of perspiration on her.

"Of course, sir.  No hard feelings.  I'm just glad to be on the best ship in the fleet while serving an an important mission.

"As for being friends," she says, trailing off.  She walks towards the doors exiting towards the women's locker room.  A little bit of her confident swagger seeps into her step.  She looks back at you from over her shoulder, a grin tugging at the edge of her lips.

"I'd like that, too."

Once she leaves, Carson's communicator beeps.

"Tabin to Carson.  Please report to the bridge.  I'd like your opinion on putting together a potential shuttle team."

Spid'Dar Nevi

The foundation of any form of technology is consistency.  A machine should operate consistently so that the engineer or operator can predict how it will respond to different situations.  The signal lacks any kind of rhyme or reason necessary for advanced engineering, especially for a device that would be capable of affecting an entire star.

Bridge

"This is damned pecular," Captain Tabin murmurs as she looks over the information from the different consoles.

"I'm calling Security Chief Carson up here as well to ask his opinion.  If it is a ship and someone goes out on a shuttle, it might be good to have a security detail just in case whatever is over there turns out to be hostile."

OOC:
@ Nevi:  Yup, that was the right add total.
@ Zephyr:  Still waiting on the doctor's roll
@ All:  Decided to bring the party together on the bridge.  It's always good to have everyone there for a pow-wow.  So far, you have determined that the signal is not an encoded or uncoded message, or generated from a machine...

Dan reluctantly turned from certain thoughts of a certain Orion security officer and replied to his summons. "I'll be right up Captain."

A few moments later he was stepping out of the turbolift onto the bridge. He walked over to Tabin. "What do we know or suspect M'am?"

Nevi turns his head towards the Captain, "Captain.  My preliminary scan of the anomaly affecting the star indicates it is not technological in nature.  At least not any technology Starfleet is familiar with.  With more data I am hopeful that we can isolate what it is and not just what it is not."

He turned back to his console and began initiating another analysis...

Parker nodded her head to Tabin's wisdom.  That's right, a good old supportive nod of her head.  That was worth at least 2 cents back when the Federation used money.

Now maybe it was worth 2 energy credits on some colony worlds that don't have a post-scarcity economy.

Zephyr looked more closely at the data.

OOC: Sorry, doctor Zephyr actually rolled yesterday, and then I had to go drive 7 hours to pick up my parents, so I forgot to write a reply...

Ally Zephyr

As you look at the pattern, you have have seen an abnormal resonance pattern like that before.  It looks more like something biological, where the pattern is has a general regularity with small permutations.  It almost resembles some type of respiratory or digestive pattern such as laughing, choking, crying, sputtering, hiccuping, or devouring.

OOC:
@ Zephyr:  Oops, just saw it in the dice roller log.  No worries, and sorry to hear about the drive.  That's rough.  x_x
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:57, Tue 24 Sept 2013.

"This looks alive..." said the doctor. "Respiration, maybe? Possibly feeding." She looked over at the view screen with a bit of wonder in her eyes. Perhaps stellar phenomena could be more interesting than she'd thought. "This could be a whole new form of life," she said, paused, then shook her head. "That is. Captain, I think this is a signal from a living creature."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:36, Tue 24 Sept 2013.

Nevi stopped his work for a moment and turned towards Zephyr, "Do you believe it to actually be a signal or do you think it could just be an effect of its... metabolism or respiration?  What I mean is that do you believe it is trying to make contact?"