| SUBMITTED: Stardate 96051.5 | FILED BY: CAPT A. Derenzis | SECURITY: Level 3 - Restricted |
LOCATION: Oribot structure, Kelterre II, Kelterre System, Kelterre Sector
MISSION: Exploration of structure constructed by the alien 'oribots' on the ocean surface of Kelterre II.
OUTCOME: Qualified success. Several structures on smaller habitat island and larger "spaceport" island have been examined and scanned. Possible Prime Directive Violation due to unauthorized release of captive oribot into the oceans of Kelterre II by LCDR H'ajah.
KEY PERSONNEL:
CMDR S. al Firawn
CAPT A. Derenzis
CAPT T. Nimitz,
LCDR K. Sedai,
LCDR H'ajah,
SUBLT Shiarrael t'Lhoell
CAPT A. Derenzis
CAPT T. Nimitz,
LCDR K. Sedai,
LCDR H'ajah,
SUBLT Shiarrael t'Lhoell
NARRATIVE: As authorized by 38th Command, the above listed officers gathered to conduct a surface survey of the structures constructed by the alien origami robots (herein referred to as 'oribots') on the surface of Kelterre II. Under CAPT al Firawn's direction, the following steps were taken to minimize contamination of the site:
- All away team members were to wear environmental suits. The suits and the shuttle to be used for transport were to be sterilized to prevent microbal contamination.
- The away team would be beamed to a shuttle, which would then make the descent to Kelterre II.
- All away team members were instructed to avoid touching any alien objects, or if they must, to return them to the same position and orientation that they found them.
CMDR al Firawn reiterated that last point on our descent to the structure. All away team members had been issued phasers as a defense against as-yet-unobserved security countermeasures, but we were advised against damaging the structure more than was absolutely necessary.
The shuttle brought us down first to the habitation 'island' east of the main structure, and the team debarked the shuttle on the roof of one of the habitat units. The structure was a two-story building, with stairs leading from the sunroof area down to the second floor, and a second set of stairs leading down to the 'ground' floor. An exit on the second floor, covered by a mesh, led to other structures, while the ground floor had an opening in the floor which allowed access to the ocean below. At no time did the structure move or sway, despite not having any known anchor or more solid connection to the ocean floor. While the rest of the team explored and scanned this structure, CMDR al Firawn used the second-floor exit to move to an adjacent structure. According to him, the second structure lacked a floor opening on the ground floor, but possessed a pedestal with some form of data interface. CMDR al Firawn would later report being unable to access whatever network this pedestal was designed for.
At this point, this officer should note that LCDR H'ajah had been somewhat distracted and unfocused throughout the mission thus far. When we were examining the "pool", LCDR H'ajah then removed what we had believed to be an auxiliary tank from her EV suit, and released an oribot into the water - this oribot had been secured for study in an earlier mission, and had spent some time on DS13 during the course of the study. The oribot was quickly reabsorbed into the larger oribot population. When this officer questioned LCDR H'ajah, she responded only by saying she was returning the oribot to where it belonged. Now concerned about possible biological and information contamination, this officer summoned CMDR al Firawn at once.
Questioning of LCDR H'ajah revealed that she had indeed taken some precautions to secure against biological contamination, sterilizing the oribot and insuring the liquid in the tank used to hold it was sufficiently similar to the composition of Kelterre II's ocean. No officer - including this officer - had considered examining the tank prior to beginning the mission. This left whatever information the oribot had accumulated during its stay on DS13 and which was now being shared amongst the oribot population. CMDR al Firawn then ordered the U.S.S. al-Haytham, currently in orbit, to commence detailed scans of the oribots from orbit and inform him at once if there is a change in their behavior. SUBLT Shiarrael had begun scanning the oribots from the moment of the release and reported no local changes in behavior.
According to LCDR H'ajah's admission she did not consult with anyone prior to releasing the oribot. An attempt to retrieve the oribot was ruled out as it was observed already linking up with others before vanishing into the general population. It is at this point the possibility of a Prime Directive violation was voiced by CAPT T. Nimitz. CMDR al Firawn then ordered this officer to pair with LCDR H'ajah and for the survey to resume; further discussions on the consequences of LCDR H'ajah's actions would wait until we had returned to the U.S.S. al-Haytham, and pending on any changes in oribot activity.
While CMDR al Firawn resumed his study of the alien pedestal, this officer led the others to a region of the habitation island that had fewer buildings than the rest. Along the way we had found a building with a much larger, almost cavernous, space inside, and possessing another of the pedestals. The open area itself held a much larger pool, which while exposed to the ocean, had a mesh net set up, isolating the space . What power sources could be detected were underwater. Given that the marine animals on Kelterre II were too large for the pool itself, LCDR Sedai speculated the mesh might be used to keep something inside. Speculation from the assembled officers suggested the pool could be a nursery, a school, a playground, or a prison.
CMDR al Firawn had returned to the shuttle and brought it to our location; we boarded and proceeded to the central island. On approach, the away team observed the large open area in the center of this structure, which LCDR Sedai suggested might be designed to hold a ship. Surrounding buildings were large and empty structures, and several more pedestals were found, at a higher density than on the habitation island. Once our scans were complete, we returned to the U.S.S. al-Haytham.
RECOMMENDATION: We now have a much better understanding of the alien structure, and believe the central island is intended to be a spaceport, while the eastern island will serve as the main habitat for what we are now certain is a colony. Further observations of the orbital structure, now believed to be a gateway of some sort, should be continued.
It is this officer's considered opinion that LCDR H'ajah should be removed from further oribot research and her actions on Kelterre II investigated. We need to determine exactly what information the oribot she released had access to, and hence how much information contamination has been spread to the oribot network and ultimately to the builders if and when they arrive. We must also determine LCDR H'ajah's reasons for returning the oribot to the larger network and her reasons for not consulting with her superiors or fellow officers beforehand. Further rulings must wait until Command has had a chance to assess the facts and determine if the Prime Directive has indeed been violated by LCDR H'ajah's actions.
This officer also accepts responsibility for not realizing or intercepting LCDR H'ajah's intent and actions before the contamination occurred. Had this officer moved more quiclkly, the oribot might not have been released and the contamination might not have happened. This officer places herself at the disposal of Command to answer any questions they may have, and submits herself to whatever disciplinary action Command deems fit.
OOC: AAR for the Kelterre II surface mission. Any errors or omissions present, please let me know and I'll make the appropriate corrections.
Special thanks to Katriel for running the event; it was a blast from start to finish. Thanks to Sophist for surprise Prime Directive Drama. Looking forward to what comes next!