Page 46 - Deck Three, The Bridge

Posted on Sun Mar 8th, 2020 @ 10:53am by Captain Abigail Laurens & Lieutenant Alexis Aenera & Lieutenant Commander Calvin Morgan & Commander Ichiko Gail

Mission: Dead Moon
Location: Alien Vessel

Gaining access to the hatch had been the easy part. Even the climb upward had proved easier than she anticipated. The crawl space was surprisingly spacious and the ladder proved much easier to navigate than most. "I don't think it's all that much further," Cam called down to the rest of her small group. "I think we're passing deck four now... maybe... I hope..."

Through crawlspaces and access ladders, the away team made their way up to Deck Three. Flickering illumination was their only real companion through the trip, which did nothing to improve the atmosphere of the situation. Flickers caused shadows to pop up and vanish, joined with the eerie and chilling silence that followed them as they ventured onward. Once they stood on the deck, finding the region marked as the bridge wasn't hard: It was the biggest door.

Another panel marked with the same symbol that had been agreed on as 'manual access' was on each side of the door.

Having been scanning this entire time, Calvin looked around the corridor they currently occupied, which was nearly pristine. "I'm not getting any biological signatures. We haven't seen a single body since the moment we stepped on this vessel. Nothing has even seemed disturbed or out of place. Can we agree this vessel is odd?"

"I'm not even getting anything that could be considered abnormal myself." Alexis remarked, "Some minor radiation that's just the aftereffects from the region, but otherwise it's basically sterile. The systems are emitting signatures of standby power only." She looked to Cam, "It's almost like someone set the ship to 'automatic' and left it to drift."

"It really doesn't make sense," Cam said softly, phaser held at the ready as they moved quietly along the corridor toward the next set of doors. "It's not Romulan, I can tell you that much, but that could explain why they're hell bent for leather, they want this tech as much as Starfleet does. Maybe the other team in Engineering can work out what's so special about this ship." She paused, checking her tricorder and nodding at the set of doors in front of them. "I think this is how we get to the bridge."

Calvin instinctively checked for the phaser that was still slung in its holster on his hip seeing the phaser in Cam's hand. He continued his scanning, giving everything another look around. "Most likely it seems, the set up of the vessel isn't that abnormal, suggesting possible similarities between ourselves and whoever built this vessel." He glanced up at the door. "I'm ready whenever you guys are."

The access panels for the door to the bridge were a bit tricky, but eventually the hatch gave way and opened up. Beyond, was the bridge. Wide and sweeping with a design similar to the bridge of most Federation ships, except for the position of the captain's chair. Federation ships put the captain in center stage, but on the lower level. Things happened above them. Behind them. Here, it was the opposite. There was a singular chair for the captain, and from here every panel and station was visible. Presuming placements similar to the Astrae, whoever sat in that chair would be able to turn and directly address tactical, engineering, science, medical, helm control.... everything. Plus the seat was slightly elevated in regards to the others, putting the captain literally on a higher position.

Helm control's chairs looked odd, in that they were sunken into the floor, and were more like very comfortable looking reclining chairs rather than simple Fleet-Standard chairs. What purpose such a posture could serve, was unknown. The chair form suggested a biology similar to most that the Federation would be used to encountering: Bipedal, with two arms.

For a brief second, the bridge flared to life. Panels and consoles came to life, displaying startup diagnostic data, and then were silenced and dark again. Another power flicker.

"While I'm all for new adventures, these power flickers are concerning. Makes me think something is either going to turn off," Calvin paused for a moment, "or turn on which is going to make this much less fun." He walked to the back panels to scan them, hoping to find information on life support and other medically oriented information.

"I wonder if they have a ready room or something like that?" Cam asked, moving toward the bulkhead behind them before she started pacing the perimeter and examining the bulkheads. "Maybe there could be something in there that would give us an idea of what this ship is about?"

The bridge had few access ports off to the sides. Prying one of the doors opened lead into a personal office of sorts. Perhaps a parallel to a ready room. There was a desk and chairs, a few view ports along the walls. Though oddly the ports were currently closed and sealed, offering no view outside whatsoever. A wall mounted receptacle was present, though currently non-operational in the low power setting. It seemed to be some form of replicator. The walls of the office were oddly barren. Whoever it was that used this office didn't personalize it very much. There were candles, crystal formations on stands, and very little else. Aside from the few pictures that were on the walls and on the deck. Pictures of landscapes and views of the night sky, pictures of moons and the world behind them.

Utterly devoid of stars. A night sky completely barren.

"Look at this..." Cam said softly as she looked at the pictures that were scattered around. "Have you ever seen a night sky without stars? It's odd isn't it?"

There was another quick series of power fluctuations, before the lights came back on. Dim illumination, but easy enough to see by. The bridge consoles started to go through their start-up phases, though all in a script that wasn't recognized by the universal translators.

The desk console, wall mounted receptacle, and the lights in what was believed to be the Ready Room came to life as well. The lights were on, but still, nobody was home.

Cam was about to speak again when the sound of the Captain's voice came over their commbadges. "Astraea to the away team. Prepare for immediate transport."

She cast a curious glance to Calvin, one eyebrow raised slightly. "That was sudden."