Episode 09 New Civilizations

*"It's not your fault; sensors don't do dick!"*
—**EXEO**

## **Plot Synopsis**

### **Brief Overview**

The USS Ross leaves Narendra Station, headed towards a particle fountain. Theq and Lakat build and launch a probe at the fountain, which discovers an object of unknown construction orbiting just outside the danger zone. It's closer than any known Starfleet vessel has ever been to a particle fountain.

They're too far away to detect life forms, so Captain Sull sends an away team in a shuttle piloted by Vrenn to get closer. On the way, Olyn detects some life, but when Prahl tries to hail the object, no one answers. The shuttle lands on what turns out to be a science station, and the team discovers unfamiliar aliens asleep in stasis pods. They also discover Gorn raiders.

The away team battles the Gorn on the station which the USS Ross discovers and disables the Gorn vessel nearby. It turns out the Gorn know of Captain Sul, and refer to them as 'the Orion traitor'. The Ross rescues the science station from a decaying orbit and beam the stasis pods into sickbay. The aliens introduce themselves as the J'Shashia, from the planet Jateran. The USS Ross sets off to return the alien scientists to their homeworld.

### **Pre-Break**

The episode opens as USS Ross gets ready to depart Narendra Station. The crew learns that the Vor'cha class ship which decloaked outside the station was IKS Qu'Vat, captained by CAPT Tagal. ADM Hebert informs CAPT Sull that USS Ross is still ordered to leave the station for the Jotaym system and the particle fountain, a dangerous and mysterious phenomenon.

A few days into the journey to the Jotaym system, the crew reflects on the electromagnetic and gravimetric eddies known to occur in the Shackleton Expanse. Dr. Yata had previously informed Sull that the eddies are difficult to scan or predict. LT Vrenn is increasingly frustrated that he has to be careful when flying the ship.

Vrenn announces the ship is within visual range of the particle fountain. LTJG Lakat scans the fountain, but the ship is still too far away to determine anything new. MCPO Theq asks Lakat about the risk to the shields. Theq and Lakat build a probe together to scan the fountain and determine the appropriate safe distance for the ship. They name the probe "Honk" and launch it. The probe identifies tetryon particles, chroniton particles, and verteron particles, as well as other exotic forms of radiation. The scans also discover an object, just on the edge of the area of lethal radiation around the fountain. The object is not moving. LTCDR Prahl hails it, but gets no response. AMB Olyn suggests that if the ship moves closer, they could use their telepathy to search for signs of life. Theq suggests using a shuttle once the ship gets close enough. Once in visual range, Lakat scans the object again. It is a roughly diamond shaped observation platform, of a completely unknown construction.

Sull calls a meeting. Olyn can feel rage building inside Prahl in response to the increasingly informal banter between Lakat and Theq. In the meeting, the crew observes that the technology of the station is completely unfamiliar. Vrenn points out that no starfleet vessel has ever been as close to a particle fountain as the station is, but that he is confidant he can safely pilot a shuttle to it. Sull suggests an away team of the full bridge crew, but Theq requests permission to remain aboard USS Ross. Sull gets a notion from Theq that he is nervous about going, but honestly believes the best course of action is for him to stay. Sull orders ENS Dari to go in his place.

Sull, Theq, and the away team (LTCDR M'Qrell, Olyn, Prahl, LTCDR EXEO, Lakat, Vrenn, and Dari) all head to the shuttle bay. EXEO asks Theq if the fountain poses a danger to her ring. Sull suggests a special shield, and Theq builds a shield emitter for the ring; it has the appearance of a corsage. Sull puts it on EXEO's hand, and the two have a moment. The away team piles into the runabout (USS San Antonio) and they fly close to the station. Lakat scans the station, and determines that it has a docking port, but it appears both too small and too archaic to use. Their scans also reveal that it appears to be a science station. It has minimal life support, some indistinct life signs, no defensive systems, and lost of sensor arrays. Olyn can feel some life on the station, but nothing specific. Lakat requests permission to hail the station, which EXEO approves. Prahl hails the station, but gets no reply. Lakat suggests they go aboard, and EXEO orders everyone to put on exosuits. Prahl briefs the three security officers he brought with them, LT Nadra Badim, LT R'Hain, and ENS Alex Nozumi. He orders Badim and Nozumi to stay with the shuttle, and R'Hain to accompany them to the station.

On the station, Dari begins setting up a pattern enhancer, so that transporting off of the station will be easier. Olyn reaches out with their telepathy again. They feel a presence on the station, but cannot identify it. Lakat scans the station and finds lots of life sign patterns, but there is too much interference to be precise. The crew look at the consoles and screens on the station. The language is completely alien to starfleet. M'Qrell suggests she remove her helmet to use her Caitian sense of smell and hearing to investigate, but R'Hain stops her and does it himself. He gets no specific information. EXEO randomly selects a direction to explore.

Nozumi beams over to the station to guard Dari and the pattern enhancer. EXEO does an assessment of the technology of the station, and determines it's from a post-warp society, but barely. The station is in good repair, and does not appear old. The crew explore. They find small living spaces, complete with personal items. They find physical picture of (presumably) family members of the station's crew. The aliens in the images appear humanoid, with orange-yellow skin, glossy black eyes, and shiny black stones embedded in their faces. The homeworld appears to be a rocky desert, with a purple sky and purple plant-life. The living spaces appear to have been ransacked.

Lakat scans again, and finds life-signs, but they barely register as alive. The crew turn a corner, and they see 12 fully occupied stasis pods. The pods appear fully functional. Olyn gets no emotional reads from the pods, but is still sensing someone else on the station. Lakat scans the pods, and the occupants appear alive and healthy; they have been in stasis for months. EXEO informs the captain of the crews findings. Just then, Prahl begins to shout a warning as the crew hear the sound of disruptor fire.

### **Post-Break**

Prahl and R'Hain raise their phasers as the disruptor blast goes off, and they see a Gorn. Prhal takes the blast in the shoulder. As he goes down, he returns fire and strikes the Gorn in the chest, stunning him instantly. Sull hears the entire encounter over the communicator. Lakat and EXEO go to the stunned Gorn. When they get to the body, they can see two more Gorn. The Gorn fire at them, but their shots are wide. Olyn begins using their telepathic power to take away Prahl's pain. M'Qrell hands Olyn a hypospray for Prahl; she runs off after Lakat and EXEO. Olyn gives Prahl the hypospray, and he stands up. EXEO and Lakat see the Gorn take cover at the end of the corridor.

On the bridge of USS Ross, ENS Lucien Messier reports that there is a vessel emerging from around the opposite side of the station. Messier scans it; it is a Vishap class Gorn raider, and it appears to be a pirate vessel. The ship's shields are up and their weapons are active. Sull orders red alert, and to close the distance. The Gorn ship turns and begins to flee. Theq reroutes power to the engines.

On the station, the Gorn demand a return of their comrade. EXEO successfully intimidates them, and they flee down the corridor. EXEO and Lakat run after them. Prahl orders R'Hain to catch up with them, while M'Qrell loots the stunned Gorn. EXEO and Lakat reach a doorway slightly after the Gorn enter it. EXEO and Lakat hold up at the doorway, and she orders everyone to prioritize evacuating the stasis pods.

On the bridge, the Gorn ship attempts to go to warp, but its engines fail due to interference from the particle fountain. USS Ross fires phasers, but interference from the fountain throws off the targeting scanners, and the shot misses. Sull orders another shot, which hits; the shot breaches the Gorn ship's structure and communication array. Theq fights through the interference and gets in contact with the Gorn ship. Sull advises them to surrender, which they do. On the station, the remaining Gorn surrender as well.

USS Ross uses it's tractor beam to move the station away from the particle fountain. The crew discovers that the station had been in a decaying orbit, and was close to being destroyed. As the ship leaves the effect of the particle fountain, Olyn discovers they can now sense the Gorn. Sull goes to the brig to interrogate the Gorn captain. Sull mentions that starfleet imprisons helpful pirates. The Gorn captain recognizes Sull as "the Orion traitor". He says that the syndicate informed him that Sull was on their way to the Shackleton Expanse. Sull asks for his syndicate contact, but he refuses. He says the syndicate has something on him. Sull asks one of the other Gorn to reveal the information instead. The Gorn captain says they won't get the information out of a mere underling. Sull and the other Gorn leave.

EXEO goes to sickbay to open the pods. The aliens are very excited to meet everyone. EXEO introduces them to starfleet. The lead alien is named Dr. Yugoss. He introduces their species as the J'Shashia. They had a team of twelve scientists on the station. When the stations orbit began to decay, they sent a distress call to their planet and went into stasis. Their planet is nearby, and called Jateran. USS Ross leaves the Jotaym system and heads for Jateran.

As alpha shift in sickbay ends, Prahl walks in to speak to M'Qrell. He asks "why did you leave me?", referring to when M'Qrell left him with Olyn on the station. M'Qrell replies that it was because she knew he was going to be fine. Prahl walks out, and M'Qrell can sense that his anger is not only directed at her.

## **Cast**

* Eric Campbell - Game Master
* Revati Dhomse - Jane Lakat
* Gina De Vivo - EXEO
* Sam de Leve - Azeri Sull
* Aki - Olyn Madzhin-Nil
* Xander Jeanneret - Theq Lynadas
* Bonnie Gordon - M'Qrell

## **Non-Player Characters**

* April Hebert
* Yata
* Zhyliss Vrenn
* Yeri Prahl
* Aulyn Dari
* Nadra Badim
* R'Hain
* Alex Nozumi
* Lucien Messier
* Yugoss
* Gorn Captain

## **Locations**

* Jotaym System
* Space Ring Observer

## **Ships**

* IKS Qu'Vat
* Gorn Raider

 Notable Lines

*"It's not your fault; sensors don't do dick!"*
—**EXEO**

*"'Dick' is a technical term."*
—**EXEO**

*"The best I can tell from here is that something is there, and I think we know that already."*
—**Jane Lakat**

*"Shuttles are what I do."*
—**Zhylliss Vrenn**