| SUBMITTED: Stardate 96427.1 | FILED BY: Subcommander Tylen tr’Valex | SECURITY: Security Level 1 - Open |
LOCATION: Tren’do Station, Aldebaran Sector, Beta Quadrant
MISSION: Determine the value of technology and strategic positioning of Tren’do Station
OUTCOME: Tren’do automated and power systems shut down, station abandoned.
KEY PERSONNEL:
SCDR Tylen, R.R.W. Laehval
CENT Endain (NPC), R.R.W. Laehval
ENS Hetil (NPC, Deceased), R.R.W. Laehval
CENT Retat (NPC, Deceased), R.R.W. D’Ishae
CMDR O’Dara | Acting Captain, U.S.S. Asimov
CMDR Mandra, U.S.S. Asimov
LCDR R’Rurra, U.S.S. Asimov
LT T’Lal, U.S.S. Asimov
CRW Lauren (NPC), U.S.S. Asimov
NARRATIVE:
This mission was meant to be a joint initiative between the Republic and the Federation. As such, two ships were deployed. I commanded the R.R.W. Laehval, leading the Republic side and Commander O’Dara was the officer in charge of the U.S.S. Asimov, the Federation’s medium-range research vessel, with crew assigned as needed. We arrived at the facility together, however because of the Laehval’s size and the ionizing radiation field around the facility, shuttlecraft were not an option. The Republic’s exploration team, myself included, beamed over to the Asimov before the ship docked within Tren’do Station itself.
Our collective team was able to easily navigate a central hub of the station where the previous team was able to tap into computer systems through a recreational terminal. Centurion Endain and his team began to scan the area while I and Commanders O’Dara accompanied Crewman Lauren to said terminal. At the same time, Lieutenant Commander R’Rurra and Lieutenant T’Lal began to explore other areas of the hub. Upon reaching the terminal, we discovered it was no longer functional. I recalled my engineering team to assist Crewman Lauren with diagnosing the console. Once opened, it became apparent the circuitry had been cleanly and entirely stripped from the console. Scans indicated this had occurred approximately nine hours before we had arrived. Upon learning this information, I had the Laehval conduct what scans it was able to of the station and surrounding areas. My Executive Officer reported no traces of additional ships in or around the system during said time frame. Commander O’Dara and I decided it was worth the risk to send the engineering team in hazard gear to the station’s ops center in an attempt to reactivate systems. Crewman Lauren accompanied Centurion Endain and his team to this purpose.
As we were overseeing the terminal diagnostics, Commander Mandra was able to find a second, working interface. From her console, the Commander pulled docking logs for the station, however they revealed only the two Federation ships that had visited and the Klingon vessel discovered during the previous excursion. With a bit of extra effort, the Commander was able to unlock the datafiles of all ships and their manifests that had previously docked at the Station. The information was downloaded for further study and analyses.
We received a comm from Lieutenant T’Lal regarding a small robot they had discovered, whose purpose seemed to be hospitality and minor station maintenance. However, before they could gather any information about this robot, it departed the area through a small access hatch. Very shortly after, an announcement system was activated, replaying a message: "TREN’DO STATION REMINDS ALL VISITORS TO REMAIN IN DESIGNATED VISITOR AREAS AT ALL TIMES. VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED." This and other messages were able to give us some information about the station, such as its name.
As we waited on the status of the Engineering team, the robot returned to Lieutenant Commander R’Rurra and Lieutenant T’Lal. Apparently between the two of them speaking, the robot was able to grasp enough of our languages to communicate back. It identified itself as A81766-991C and accompanied the team back to our main group. It was there we learned the Operations area was considered ‘off limits’ to all ‘visitors’ and it seemed the robot was unable to grasp the concept of the station being entirely abandoned by the Imperium that formerly occupied it. As it also had no ability to translate the passage of time, it was also impossible to calculate how long their units of measurements, cycles, lasted. While I tried to determine how the station’s security measures operated, the Federation team attempted to gather more information on the structure and functioning of the station, including it’s no longer existent hierarchy.
It was at this point we received a comm from the Engineering team. More of the station’s robots had swarmed them and stolen their equipment. Given non-essential parts of the station were being cannibalized in order to repair others, it is likely the stolen equipment would be stripped for parts and utilized in repair. Without equipment, the team was unlikely to be able to conduct any more repairs so Commander O’Dara gave the order for them to regroup with the main team. However, as they began to return, another station announcement informed us primary power maintenance would begin shortly. This caused several problems at once: Lights dimmed, airflow ceased, and the lift the Engineering team occupied stopped moving.
Unsurprisingly, A81766-991C continued to be unhelpful in determining the length of power maintenance or any information on the station. More often than not, it directed us to the defunct console in the station’s central hub. However, it did indicate our engineering team had entered a restricted area. It was at this time we received a comm transmission from the team, indicating the lift they were on had fallen. It is unclear at this point in time if the station’s automated systems or the team’s attempts to get the lift moving again caused the fall. To my great regret, we later discovered Ensigns Hetil and Retat had perished in the fall.
Commander O’Dara was intent on performing a search and rescue mission right then and there, despite a lack of power and airflow in the facility. She directed Lieutenant Commander R’Rurra and Lieutenant T’Lal to force open the lift door. Once the lift door had been opened, A81766-991C attempted to navigate into a second lift but got itself stuck. It was determined best to leave the robot stuck for the moment, to ensure the lift would not come crashing down on the engineering team, were they still alive. Lieutenant T’Lal was unsuccessful in forcing the lift’s emergency hatch open and suggested cutting it open with a phaser. Despite A81766-991C noting Station Security forbid weapon’s discharge, the officers decided to utilize the cutting phaser anyway.
Predictably, we received another announcement regarding the use of energy discharges on the station, as well as the activation of autonomous security being deployed. A81766-991C dislodged itself from the lift, which began moving again. I determined it would be best to not remain and face whatever security the station had and moved onto the lift. After some hesitation, Commander O’Dara decided to follow.
The lift led us to what appeared to be a central control area in a section designated as -36. At this point, I went with Commander Mandra to investigate the consoles, to ensure she would not be swarmed by the various robots attending to the area. It was at that point we received a disjoined transmission from the engineering team from five sections below us. Crewman Lauren informed us she and Centurion Endain survived, however the rest of the engineering team died in the fall. They were able to successfully recover the two deceased Ensigns and began to navigate to our location.
Commander Mandra was able to determine we were in the area housing the main power source for the station, however it appeared to be leaking ionizing radiation. Fortunately, Lieutenant Commander R’Rurra came prepared with hypos of hyronalin to help ward off the effects of the radiation. While Lieutenant T’Lal administered the hyronalin, the engineering team returned. Centurion Endain and Crewman Lauren had their injuries attended to while Commander Mandra accessed a console on the main power source. She was able to formulate a plan involving the use of smaller battery packs to power lifts and doors on a pathway back to the Asimov after cutting the main power to the station. She theorized the deactivation of the reactor would dissipate the ionizing radiation field surrounding the station as well.
I left the Commander with instructions to wait for my signal to cut main power before returning to the main group, ensuring Centurion Endain and Crewman Lauren were able to move. Commander R’Rurra and I collected the bodies of the deceased Ensigns and I gave the order to deactivate main power. We were able to successfully return to the Asimov without incident before myself and my team were beamed back to the Laehval.
RECOMMENDATION:
As mentioned in the opening of my narrative, this was an operation involving both the Republic and the Federation. However, there was conflict involving the operational command decisions for our team.
I feel I must call out Commander O’Dara specifically. She was in charge of the Federation side of this operation and seemed to believe she was in charge of the entire operation. While submitting inquiries to the A81766-991C robot, she constantly talked over me and asked it questions before it had the chance to answer my questions, leading to my queries going unanswered on multiple occasions. I would submit having a better knowledge of the security systems in place on the station would likely have prevented the punitive measures resulting from the attempts to cut open the lift hatch with phasers. When the engineering team’s lift dropped, the Commander immediately succumbed entirely to her emotions. Her only concern was to find the team immediately, without taking time to evaluate our options or make plans. She repeatedly ignored my suggestions and accused me of being callous and cowardly when I inquired about any options not involving the immediate rescue attempt of the engineering team who, at the time, we had no idea if they were dead or alive. This reckless and impulsive behavior is what led to the activation of the autonomous security systems. Originally, the Commander wished to fight the security and hold the lift until the team could be rescued. It was not until I made the decision to follow Lieutenant Commander R’Rurra and Lieutenant T’Lal into the descending lift and leave her on her own that she finally followed. From then on, I decided to simply exert my authority and take command of the mission. By that point, the Commander appeared meek and defeated, despite the dangers still present in the station.
It is clear to me despite my original evaluations, Commander O’Dara is not fit to lead an away team during a time of crisis. She reacts without thinking, does not consider the larger implications of her actions, and would willingly sacrifice an entire away team to rescue a few members without stopping to evaluate more than a singular course of action. She lacks the ability to cooperate with other Officers sharing the same or equivalent rank with her and I would not be surprised if her pre-established opinions of me played into how I was treated during this mission. I recommend a reprimand be placed in Commander O’Dara’s file for the reckless and impulsive behavior that put the lives of the entire away team at risk as well as potentially losing the opportunity to fully investigate this station.
The station itself, as we departed, had lost main power entirely. Perhaps with enough engineers and enough time, we would be able to repair it. However, with the autonomous systems and robots dedicated to the operations of the station, it would be wise to evaluate if the time, resources, and effort would be worth the potential gains. I am uncertain if it would be.
Commander Mandra was able to retrieve some data from the station. This data should be analysed to determine if anything of value can be learned about the station or the species which once inhabited it. In an act of good faith, the Commander offered to share this data with the JSI with no conditions attached. I would commend her for her cooperation.
OOC: If I missed anything in this report, do feel free to contact me for corrections! Thanks to Zaliel for DMing this event for us! ...I'm so sorry, O'Dara!
