Stardate 0309.21 USS Guadalcanal at Oshionian Six

Our investigation of Romulan activity on Oshionian Six has yet to reveal much to solve the mystery of these artificial planets. The Romulans were successful in removing some of the biotechnology that we chose to leave alone on Jibalia Three, but all that they removed was incorporated into their people, and any places where the Romulans damaged the surface of the planet to take the biotech has apparently repaired itself. Since the Decius slipped out of orbit twelve hours ago, we are at least free to bring their victims aboard and see what we can learn from them. On the subject of the Decius, I have to say that I'm troubled by the fact that it is headed towards the last known position of the Exeter, I can't continually stop them. If I spent all of my time chasing them I'd never get anything done. I have advised Captain Farrell of their course, and I'm confident that she can handle them should she need to.



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Stardate 0309.14 USS Guadalcanal Oshionian Six

The problem presented by the crew of the RIS Decuis has been solved to a degree. The absence of any kind of permanent Federation or Romulan authority in the Delta Quadrant means that we'll have to make decisions as best we can and hope they work until a better solution can be found. Since the wormhole is, for the moment, one-way, and there are no Starbases to take the Romulan crew to, I ordered engineering teams, backed up by Hazard Teams A and B, to board the Romulan vessel and remove its weapons and cloaking system. We also installed field constrictors on their warp nacelles that will limit them to warp one. That should keep them from bothering anyone and keep them from running too far away. It's nowhere near a perfect solution, and the Romulan Commander was spitting mad, but short of marooning them on a planet and destroying their ship, I don't see an alternative that isn't cold-blooded murder. This does very effectively point out the need to establish a bureaucratic authority in this quadrant, and I intend to forward that advice to Starfleet Command as soon as possible.

Once the Decius was completely secured, we scanned the surface of Oshionian Six and found ten Romulan power signatures. Closer examination showed them to be campsites. After determining that there were no Romulans left on the surface, I ordered full survey teams sent to each site.

We found tragedy at each site, as well as another mystery. The Romulan corpses found at each site were mutilated. More precisely, we discovered that the Romulans had incorporated some of the alien biocircuitry (of the same type lining the interior of Jabalia III) into members of their crew. Biocomponents from the alien technology attacked the Romulan cell structure and killed them almost instantly. Closer examination of the campsite logs as well as a thorough examination of the Decius's computer core download revealed that the Romulans were indeed trying to intentionally incorporate the biocircuitry into their soldiers, with the goal of creating genetically engineered cyborgs. Sort of like a home-grown Borg. The Decius's computer made reference to ten other warbirds assigned to the Delta Quadrant on similar missions, and some still in the Alpha Quadrant on related assignments.

Not only are the Romulans launching a major covert operation that stretches from places back home where they're not allowed to the Delta Quadrant. And I'd say they've been here longer than we have. But somehow that isn't the worrying part. How many of these hollow artificial computer-component planets have been scattered across space from Earth to the Delta Quadrant? Despite all that we've explored, there's so much more that we haven't.

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Captain's Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 1008.24

Captain's Log
USS Guadalcanal
Stardate 1008.24

We arrived at the Ocampan homeworld to find a massive Kazon warship in orbit, peacefully, with the USS Exeter alongside. Without standing down from red alert, we contacted the Exeter. According to Captain Reggie Farrell, Ambassador Khan was on the surface meeting with the Kazon Ogla First Maje Jabin. Negotiations had reached a turning point, as the ambassador had reported. Apparently, a primary dispute that the Kazon had maintained with Captain Janeway on the Voyager was the unwillingness the captain had shown to share even the most rudimentary technology in exchange for local assistance. The Kazon regarded this as unfair and insulting, and made any hope for peace between them impossible. They were just as willing to discuss a non-aggression agreement when Ambassador Khan mentioned the possibility of sharing rudimentary protein resequencer technology. The fact that the Exeter does not have a protein resequencer, nor the capability to fabricate one is the reason that the Guadalcanal was summoned. We use a resequencer in our advanced xenobiology labs. With this resequencer, the Kazon will be able to convert base matter to edible food and potable water without being able to easily adapt the technology into transporter technology. In the judgement of the Federation Council, that represents humanitarian aid without an unacceptable risk of cultural contamination.

I understand this, and I don't really have a problem helping the Kazon, especially if it opens diplomatic channels. It has often been the case that humanitarian aid (or a lack thereof) has often forged political alliances for good or evil. There have been numerous instances of hostile powers dispensing aid to poverty-stricken areas as a means of gaining control of the populace, and with the races of the alpha and beta quadrants moving into the delta quadrant, one of them is certain to begin to exploit the Kazon in this manner. We've just gotten to them first, and we'll take advantage of that to forge an alliance. The only disquiet I feel about the whole thing is that the Kazon are tough and innovative. Their ships are formidable without the benefit of our technology. So we will be aiding at least one sect of a fragmented society with a history of hostility and ruthlessness, for the simple reason that we want to beat everyone else to it. That's fine if it works out well, but potentially disastrous if it doesn't. In any case, I'll beam down with an engineering team and a dozen protein resequencers to show to the Kazon.


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Captain's Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 1008.17

Captain's Log
USS Guadalcanal
Stardate 1008.17

We were preparing to send a landing party down to investigate Oshionian 6, and the reasons for Romulan activity there when we received a stray transmission from the USS Exeter. It was not specifically a distress signal, but it did come from the direction of the Ocampa system, where the Exeter was supposed to be operating. And the transmission was specifically directed to us. It wasn't a voice transmission, but was encoded with our transponder registration. Unlike our registry, NCC-1945-C, the transponder registry is classified and available only available to command level personnel.

We know very little about the status of the Exeter and its mission. We understand that Federation Ambassador Endara Khan is making a diplomatic overture to the Kazon Ogla sect, and that she has reported some minimal success, or at least a reason for optimism. But the detailed logs transmitted by Captain Kathryn Janeway show that the Kazon can be very dangerous and extremely inventive. She reported that her many attempts to reach an understand with the Kazon were unsuccessful. I have to admit that I see little reason to expect that to change. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm preparing my crew for potential combat with the Kazon. At warp eight, it'll still take us almost three days to reach Ocampa, and I'm not inclined to push the engines any harder. If we do go into combat, I don't want a ship and crew pushed to the point of straining.



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Captain's Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 1008.01

Captain's Log
USS Guadalcanal
Stardate 1008.01
In orbit of Oshionion 6

We entered orbit of Oshionion 6, following sensor readings in pursuit of the Romulan Warbird Praex, which was responsible for the destruction of the USS Copernicus. Shortly after entering orbit, we used excess warp power to 'flash-detect' the cloaked warbird. While electronic countermeasures from the Praex negated our advantage, we still brought down half of the warbird's forward hull. The Praex continued around in an opposite direction, but we took down a large part of its aft shields. As we were coming back into range, however, the Praex had cloaked. On our last sensor pass, their plasma torpedo was half charged. We are maintaining sufficient speed to evade the plasma, and with luck we'll soon be in a position beam troops over. It's my hope that we can at least download her computer core before we're forced to destroy her.

(Moderator's note: Unusual as it would be for a Captain to record a log during a battle, I also wanted to show what can be done to combine heavy combat with the ongoing story. I don't know if the Guadalcanal will win, or if it will be able to download the Praex's computer core. The way I figure, the planet is a big one, and right now there is a few minutes break as they try to find the warbird. At that point the Captain might gather his thoughts. And the tactical insight could be useful later on.)

I have the combat logs so far. They are a bit involved, and while I like the notation... it is a logical method for tracking precise movement and position, especially in orbit and with sometimes changing targets. So here, have a look, and feel free to comment:

A=USS Guadalcanal
B=RIS Praex

A
Roll [8]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [000]
Init Bearing [180]
Init Range [4]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [000]
Proj Bearing [135]
Proj Range [5]
Proj Speed [2]
Defense/ECM [6(3)]
Offense []

B Position Seven
Roll [11]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [000]
Init Bearing [270]
Init Range [4]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [000]
Proj Bearing [315]
Proj Range [4]
Proj Speed [1]
Defense/ECM [cloaked/10(5)]
Offense []

Result: tie
Damage to A:
Damage to B:


A
Roll [8]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [000]
Init Bearing [135]
Init Range [5]
Init Speed [2]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [45]
Proj Bearing [90]
Proj Range [6]
Proj Speed [3]
Defense/ECM [initial 3/add8(4)]
Offense []

B
Roll [6]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [000]
Init Bearing [315]
Init Range [4]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [000]
Proj Bearing [000]
Proj Range [4]
Proj Speed [1]
Defense/ECM [cloaked/initial 5/add 6(3)]
Offense []

Result: tie
Damage to A:
Damage to B:


A
Roll [15]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [000]
Init Bearing [90]
Init Range [6]
Init Speed [3]
Proj Target [Planet]
Proj Course [315]
Proj Bearing [45]
Proj Range [6]
Proj Speed [3]
Defense/ECM [10 pts sensors flash detect Praex at bearing 315 range 8/initial 4]
Offense [4pts phaser/1pt photon rolled 2(X2)]

B
Roll [8]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [90]
Init Bearing [000]
Init Range [4]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [135]
Proj Bearing [45]
Proj Range [4]
Proj Speed [1]
Defense/ECM [begin decloak/initial 3/add 6(3)]
Offense [1/4 charge plasma]

Result:
Damage to A: none
Damage to B: 2/4 damage to Praex fore hull


A
Roll [14]
Init Target [Praex]
Init Course [315]
Init Bearing [315]
Init Range [8]
Init Speed [3]
Proj Target [Praex]
Proj Course [270]
Proj Bearing [225]
Proj Range [9]
Proj Speed [4]
Defense/ECM [6(3)ECM]
Offense [8pts phaser to Praex Port Shield]

B
Roll [11]
Init Target [GUAD]
Init Course [135]
Init Bearing [225]
Init Range [8]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [GUAD]
Proj Course [180]
Proj Bearing [180]
Proj Range [9]
Proj Speed [1]
Defense/ECM [Complete decloak/initial 3/10(5)ECM]
Offense [2/4 charge plasma]

Result: tie
Damage to A:
Damage to B:


A
Roll [15]
Init Target [Praex]
Init Course [270]
Init Bearing [225]
Init Range [9]
Init Speed [4]
Proj Target [Praex]
Proj Course [225]
Proj Bearing [180]
Proj Range [10]
Proj Speed [4]
Defense/ECM [3(retained)]
Offense [15 pts phaser to Praex aft shields]

B
Roll [10]
Init Target [GUAD]
Init Course [180]
Init Bearing [180]
Init Range [9]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [GUAD]
Proj Course [225]
Proj Bearing [135]
Proj Range [10]
Proj Speed [1]
Defense/ECM [10(5)ECM]
Offense []

Result:
Damage to A: none
Damage to B: 5/17 pts damage Praex aft shields


A
Roll [9]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [225]
Init Bearing [315]
Init Range [6]
Init Speed [4]
Proj Target [Planet]
Proj Course [180]
Proj Bearing [270]
Proj Range [6]
Proj Speed [4]
Defense/ECM []
Offense []

B
Roll [11]
Init Target [GUAD]
Init Course [225]
Init Bearing [135]
Init Range [4]
Init Speed [1]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [180]
Proj Bearing [90]
Proj Range [4]
Proj Speed [1]
Defense/ECM [begin cloak/8(4)ECM]
Offense [3/4 charge plasma]

Result:tie
Damage to A:
Damage to B:


A
Roll [9]
Init Target [planet]
Init Course [180]
Init Bearing [270]
Init Range [6]
Init Speed [4]
Proj Target [planet]
Proj Course [135]
Proj Bearing [225]
Proj Range [6]
Proj Speed [4]
Defense/ECM []
Offense []

At this point, the Praex might just turn around and surprise the Guadalcanal. One plasma shot will seriously hurt the Guadalcanal, while one more serious heavy shot could break the Praex's glass jaw and open it up for internal damage and boarding parties. And of course the Guadalcanal has the 'experienced' rating advantage that Captain Murphy will use to full advantage.


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Captain's Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 0908.26

Captain's Log
USS Guadalcanal
Stardate 0908.26

Our investigation of the black box has moved forward, but in a direction that makes me long for a problem as simple as as a Korgath cruiser. The black box comes from the missing science ship USS Copernicus (which, coincidentally, had been assigned to investigate the mystery of Jibalia III), and there is evidence in its data core implicating the Romulans in its destruction. Lieutenant Barrow, who was a science officer on the Copernicus, has recovered from minor injuries. He told me that the Copernicus had detected a stream of elevated nuetrinos slowly dispersing along a warp trail that led from Jibalia III to the Keloda system. That was where they were ambushed by a cloaked Romulan warbird. Before they were destroyed, Captain Brown of the Copernicus sent Barrow down to the planet with the black box to make sure that word got out no matter what happened. Barrow found the same levels and equipment that we discovered. We were about to return to the surface when we detected another nuetrino stream leading toward the Oshionian system. It's pretty obvious what we're going to find when we get there.

I know that there's a great deal of political turmoil on Romulus right now, considering that the Senate has been assassinated and Shinzon is dead. I also know that there is an opportunity for war or peace with the Romulans that we  haven't known since the twenty-second century. But I'm not about to let them get away with murder. Nobody really has a claim to this part of space, but that doesn't make it okay to destroy innocent science vessels. I'm also concerned that there really is no way to bring these people to justice, and we can't really throw a shipfull of Romulans into our brig. Just like the Earth-Romulan war of the twenty-two fifties, this situation allows for very little quarter. I've never intentionally set out to hunt out and destroy a ship before. There has always been at least the hope of forcing a surrender and bringing them to some kind of justice. This is like something out of the ancient west of my ancestors, with pioneers sometimes forced to mete out some rough justice. This is a good ship and an experienced crew. I don't doubt that we can take the Romulans. It's just an ugly business that I'm not looking forward to.



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Captain's Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 0908.18

Captain's Log
Captain Mike Murphy
USS Guadalcanal
Stardate 0908.18

A Starfleet 'Black Box" was detected in the (binary) Keloda system, approximately 50 lightyears from the Jibalia system. We proceeded at maximum warp, and detected a series of five levels underneath the surface of an otherwise arid, uninhabited planet. Sensor scans were difficult to obtain. We could not get a transporter lock on the black box. We were able to determine, however, that the black box was on the bottom level. Landing party consisted of:

Captain Mike Murphy
Science Officer T'Par
Chief of Security T'Char
CMO Susan Whittaker
Comm Officer Mark Valoran

Each level had an unstable entrance, and despite scans by the science officer, members of the landing party sustained minor injuries. Each level also had a jamming device that our science officer defeated easily.

On the first level, we detected a life reading that turned out to be a mostly incoherent Starfleet officer. The only report we received from him at that time was that no other Starfleet personnel were present. CMO returned to ship with patient. An energy reading we had previously detected was a piece of unknown alien equipment. Our attempt to utilize the device was unsuccessful. Unidentifiable debris found on the level was mildly radioactive. Minimal damage to all members of landing party. We proceeded to the next level.

An EMP device of unknown origin on the second level was easily defused. Communication with ship was lost, but we proceeded without incident to the third level.

On the third level, we discovered a powered transporter pad. Scans attempting to ascertain its origin or any programmed destination were inconclusive. Experimentation (over the objection of science officer) failed to produce results. A uniform of unknown origin was found and retained for further study. We proceeded to the fourth level.

While on the fourth level, we received a transmission from a Klingon claiming to be of pirate Korgath alliegance warning us off. Despite our concerns for the ship in orbit, we chose to ignore the warning and push on. Shortly thereafter, moderate seismic activity resulted in slight injury to the security officer, but we proceeded to what we were certain was the final level.

On the fifth level, we detected traces of unidentifiable DNA. It was scanned and stored for further analysis. Despite a power outtage of unknown origin that disabled all of our equipment and literally plunged the expedition into pitch blackness, the black box was located. Fortunately, the box's internal power supply was still functioning. An emergency homing signal activated, and the landing party beamed back to ship. Analysis of the uniform and DNA, as well as questioning of the starfleet officer will hopefully add to the story that the black box tells us. The Korgath transmission remains a mystery, as there were no other ships in the area, and First Officer Lukara reports that the transmission was not received by the Guadalcanal.

MIssion Summary USS Guadalcanal at Jibalia III

USS Guadalcanal NCC 55726
Captain Michael Murphy Commanding
Survey Jibalia III

Mission start :0708.16
Mission complete: 0808.03

C Class planet Jibalia III discovered to be artificial construct, covered by unknown metal alloy shell. Specific composition unknown Origin unknown. Interior surface of shell covered with biocircuitry of unknown origin or purpose. Representative portion of circuitry replicated for further study. During course of mission, crew witnessed evidence of powerful illusions created by unknown source. Planet Jibalia III hereby restricted to authorized visit. Survey vessel to be assigned.

USS Guadalcanal NCC 55726 completes first of five missions towards Experienced rating.



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Captain's Personal Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 0808.03

Stardate 0808.03
USS Guadalcanal
Captain Murphy
In orbit of Jibalia III

Following the events of my log entry stardated 0708.31, I have decided that despite the obvious danger of a species capable of creating illusions on a par with the Talosians, we need to get some answers before Starfleet starts sending more ships through the wormhole. What kind of enemy are we facing? What's inside the planet?

While I understand that no member of this crew, or even the ship for that matter, is indespensable, I also refuse to risk my crew unecessarily. So I turned T'Par's creative scientific energies to the problem.

Her solution borrowed from an experiment conducted by Commander Geordie Laforge on the USS Enterprise. What Laforge did was use an interface probe, connected to his V.I.S.O.R. (An acronym for Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement) via remote telepresence technology to explore a starship that was otherwise unreachable. T'Par interfaced that probe with the holodeck, which would allow us to explore the interior of the planet (in a necessarily limited fashion) from the safety of the ship. The first step was to transport the interface probe through the hole we'd previously drilled in the metal alloy shell of the planet.

Once that was done, T'Par, Lukara and I entered the main holodeck and waited for the probe's sensors to transmit data from the interior of the planet to the holomatrix. What we saw appeared to be thousands of kilometers of computer circuits. According to the probe's long-range sensors, the circuitry is all interconnected and interdependent, and extends throughout the entire interior. Indeed, there is nothing else either on the shell or within the space inside the shell. So the planet is essentially a single, huge computer component. Of course, T'Par pointed out that since it does not appear to serve any obvious function in and of itself, it is most likely a single component of a larger network. The purpose of that network is impossible to determine at this point, but judging by the size of this component, we are assuming the purpose is of similar proportion.

As to the circuitry itself, we determined that it was unwise to attempt to remove any. Simply put, if we break their computer, they'll probably get mad and come after us. I'm not quite ready to confront them on that level. We were able, however, to use the probe's sensors to replicate a portion of the circuitry for analysis. The first thing we determined was that it is biomechanical in nature, not unlike the bioneural gelpaks used in modern Federation starships, but of a different nature altogether. It is, fortunately, not Borg circuitry. That we know without a doubt. But we also know that the organic circuitry we've found here is as much beyond anything we have as our technology is beyond stone knives and bear skins. The probe operated for thirty-five minutes before an electrical discharge from the alien circuitry completely disrupted it. Fortunately we saved all of the data to a portable memory device (completely disconnected from the ship's main computer as a precaution), so we can continue to analyze the data. At that point, we departed Jibalia III at high warp. Our investigation will continue, even as we begin to prepare this part of the Delta Quadrant for a full-time Federation presence.


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Captain's Personal Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 0708.31

Stardate 0708.31
USS Guadalcanal
Captain Murphy
In orbit of Jibalia III

Away team personnel:
Captain Mike Murphy
Science Officer Commander T'Par
Senior Helm Officer Lt Gallo
Chief Geologist Lt Cmdr Carstairs
Security Specialist Seward


The last twenty-four hours have been unforgettable. As soon as the Klingons appeared on the surface of Jibalia III, they opened fire on the landing party. We immediately dropped to the ground, but with almost no covering terrain, and bulky environmental suits to move in, we were hard pressed to match the Klingons' offensive. We managed to return fire and held our own for a short time, but eventually were overcome. I remember distinctly watching the other members of the away team fall under enemy fire, and finally, I felt a strange tingling sensation as my environmental suit was compromised, and the disruptor hit my skin. Then I woke up on board the Guadalcanal, along with the others, completely unharmed.

At the same instant that the Klingons appeared on the surface, a Vorcha' Class heavy cruiser appeared in orbit and opened fire. The Guadalcanal attempted to make contact even as they defended themselves. The Klingon ship did not respond to hails. After a short exchange of weapons, the Klingon shields collapsed, and the ship was destroyed. It was at that point that the landing party reappeared on the ship.

Logs and sensor readings show that no damage was ever inflicted on the ship or the landing party. Moreover, there is no evidence that any of our phasers were ever fired. Essentially, there is no evidence that the Klingons were ever there, or that combat ever took place. There is one intriguing footnote to this mystery. The hole that we managed to drill in the metal alloy shell of the planet is still there. The thought of scanning through there is tempting. T'Par, however, has suggested that the appearance of the apparently imaginary Klingons could represent a kind of burglar alarm, and any race capable of creating such powerful illusions (much like the Talosians) is best left alone. That makes obvious sense, but I also think that we would be setting a very dangerous precedent for the Federation's involvement in the Delta Quadrant (and we are commiting ourselves to that more and more every day) by hanging a 'do not disturb' sign on the first planet we investigate. If there is a race as powerful as the Talosians here, we learn everything we can about them, and quickly.

(Moderator's note: I've used this incident to do a quick test of simple ground combat rules that I'll show in a separate post)



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Captain's Personal Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 0708.27

Stardate 0708.27
USS Guadalcanal
Captain Murphy
In orbit of Jibalia III

Cargo shuttle Bunker Hill.
Away team personnel:
Captain Mike Murphy
Science Officer Commander T'Par
Senior Helm Officer Lt Gallo
Chief Geologist Lt Cmdr Carstairs
Security Specialist Seward

The largest tool the ship carries for putting holes in planets (aside from its main phasers) is a Mark III drilling phaser, and that doesn't fit in a type-two shuttle. What you have to do is mount the drilling phaser (which is used for everything from dilithium mining to drilling holes so transporters can penetrate deeper than normal) onto the aft deck of the shuttle. Then you land the craft so that the drill is positioned where you need it. The aft panel of the shuttle lifts straight up, exposing the business end of the drill, and all you do is fire from there. Easy.

The journey through the planet's frozen atmosphere was understandably rougher. The Bunker Hill is considerably larger than the Stalingrad, and as such, as Mister Gallo pointed out several times before we landed, is less responsive and more subject to 'atmospheric irregularities'. Another irregularity is the fact that T'Par had great difficulty locating the artificial signal that brought us here in the first place. The fact that we couldn't find it didn't bother me as much as the simple fact that it indicated a change. Had someone or something detected us on the surface? T'Par felt it necessary to suggest that the change may have been a response to my use of the phaser rifle. I didn't answer her, choosing instead to help her tune and retune the sensors until we located the signal. It was possible, T'Par speculated, that the alloy shell just below the surface acts as an antenna, and our efforts might have thrown the transmission off.

We landed moments later, as Lt Gallo brought the shuttle down to the same site we'd left not long ago. As geologist Carstairs began to tune the drilling phaser appropriately, I raised the aft hatch. Jibalia III was no more inviting than it been the first time, but I also had the feeling that I was about to trip an alarm. T'Par would say 'I told you so', and Lukara would probably say I was being too timid. But we'd started this mission to get answers, and the only answers had to be below the surface.

As I was thinking about this, and seeing ghosts on the horizon where there were probably just rocks and swirls of dust, Carstairs warned us that he was about to drill.

We all jumped (aside from T'Par, naturally) despite the warning, as the bright red phaser beam shot into the level of dust that had settled over the exposed shell. T'Par scanned as Carstairs drilled, and a few minutes later, announced that sensors had penetrated a small gap drilled in the shell. Carstairs immediately cut power to the drill, and we stood around T'Par, trying to interpret the images scrolling across the screen on her tricorder.

The answer sounded flat, carried through the comm systems of our environmental suits. No lifeforms. I was just breathing a sigh of relief as five Klingons materialized a dozen meters away from us. So, we aren't the only ones who've moved into the Delta Quadrant.



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Captain's Personal Log USS Guadalcanal Stardate 0708.24

Stardate 0708.24
USS Guadalcanal
Captain Murphy
In orbit of Jibalia III

Type-two shuttlecraft Stalingrad.
Away team personnel:
Captain Mike Murphy
Science Officer Commander T'Par
Senior Helm Officer Lt Gallo
Chief Geologist Lt Cmdr Carstairs
Security Specialist Seward

I've never taken a shuttle through a frozen atmosphere before, but the Stalingrad made the trip well. Commander T'Par pinpointed the source of the artificial signal, and Lt Gallo managed to get us there without too many bumps and bruises. In minutes we dropped lightly to the surface and were scanning the immediate exterior of the craft. The extreme cold and lack of an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere made it necessary for us to wear environmental suits. No surprises there, and we were all outfitted appropriately. There was enough of a surprise waiting for us outside.

Moving around on the surface was easier than I thought. I'd expected buffeting winds, but in fact it seemed very calm. Still, we wasted little time sight-seeing. After ordering Lt Seward to scout the general area, the rest of us followed T'Par's tricorder to a small patch of ground a short distance from the Stalingrad. Then we got our surprise. Lt Commander Carstairs' geological tricorder detected what appeared to be a single, continuous shell, constructed of an indeterminate alloy less than a meter under the surface. I decided it was worth returning to the shuttle for a phaser rifle. I could seeT'Par's raised eyebrow through her environmental suit's faceplate as I pointed it at the ground, and part of me took secret joy in blasting away at the ground. The phaser beam tore through the ground very quickly until it hit the shell that Carstairs detected. The beam bounced off of that. Even on maximum power, the phaser beam didn't heat up the alloy. Oh well. I contacted the ship and told them we'd be coming back for some heavier equipment. I know it would have been quicker and easier to have Commander Lukara send another shuttle down, but for some reason I didn't want any more people coming down than was absolutely necessary. Just the kind of human intuition that T'Par would turn her pretty nose up at. So we all climbed aboard the Stalingrad and headed back to the ship.

Captain's Log USS Guadalcanal Through Durandal Wormhole Stardate 0708.16

(Moderator's note: This marks the Guadalcanal's entry into the Delta Quadrant. It adds a bit of open-ended surprise, and the first random planetary adventure. The idea here is to  explore the straight story-telling aspect of the game. Not to say that the Guadalcanal won't see combat in the Delta Quadrant. It will. But this will show the possibilities of straight story-telling and exploration. In this case, the adventure is based on two random factors. One is a 4d6 roll for the type of planet. The other is a 3d6 for the type of mission. In this case, I ended up with a Class C planet, much like Pluto, or Psi 2000 from TOS "The Naked Time". The mission was simply this: "upon beaming down to the planet's surface, your landing party vanishes". The way I addressed it was, I thought, unique)

Stardate 0708.16
USS Guadalcanal
Captain Murphy

We found ourselves deposited in an unexpected location in the Delta Quadrant. Rather than the Nasari system, where we were due to rendezvous with the USS Voyager, we find ourselves close the Ocampa homeworld in the Jibalia sector. That actually puts us more than 2,000 lightyears distant from Voyager, and essentially out of range. We will remain in the neighborhood, taking care to avoid contact with the Kazon Ogla sect and awaiting the arrival of a construction team from the Alpha Quadrant that will construct Starbase Lighthouse Delta. While Starfleet is determined to establish a presence in the Delta Quadrant, there was no intention of establishing that presence in the heart of unfriendly territory. But we are here, and for the moment, the door is still one-way. Besides, we don't run just when it gets interesting.

Our first day of exploration began with an investigation of the third planet in the Jibalia system. It is a Class C planet. Geoinactive, with a frozen atmosphere and a surface temperature far below humanoid tolerance. Geological scans show it is approximately two billion years old, which is relatively young for this class of planet.

That was to be the end of our survey of Jibalia III until we detected what seemed to be an artificial signal emanating from the planet. It didn't match any known frequencies, and resisted our every attempt to decipher it. I led an away team that also included the science officer, senior geologist, and two security officers. After a full twenty minutes spent suiting up for duty on a Class C planet, we transported... and seconds later appeared on the bridge. A few choice words later, we moved back to the transporter room, and tried again. After the third attempt we took off our suits. Tonight the science lab is running a detailed scan of the planet, and tomorrow we'll take a shuttle down to have a closer look at things.

USS Guadalcanal Stardate unknown. Time index 0508.23

USS Guadalcanal. Captain Murphy recording. Thanks to timely assistance from
Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Voyager, some of our questions have
been answered. The communication we received from Voyager contained location
coding that placed it in the Delta Quadrant, and travelled through
Federation relay stations that my comm officer tells me bear carrier wave
encoding that places us in the general direction of Tholian space. That is
cause for concern. We also discovered that AEGIS is, according to some
unconfirmed reports within the Federation data banks, the advanced
civilization/organization that Gary Seven worked for during the latter half
of the twentieth century, with the stated purpose of helping Earth to
survive turbulent times in our history. Further digging revealed that AEGIS
had, according to the logs of Captain Kirk, of the Constitution class
Enterprise, a transporter that could have reached across time and space. If
whatever happened to us has anything to do with AEGIS, the Tholians are the
least of our problems. While we are technically at peace with Tholia,
they'll never allow an unauthorized alien starship to cross their space.
With that in mind, I've ordered a course that will carefully and
unmistakably skirt Tholian territory.

Captain's Log Stardate 0108.27 USS Guadalcanal, Gamma Serpentis Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 0108.27. Captain Murphy recording. Gamma Serpentis
system. We managed to make up a bit more time today, and in fact managed to
bring up a long range sensor image of the Xena planetoid that kept Sargon
busy. We're also expecting a science data packet soon, consisting of a
preliminary analysis of the initial survey we conducted of Xena when we
first encountered it.

Captain's Log Stardate 0108.23 USS Guadalcanal, Dener Kaitos Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 0108.23. Captain Murphy recording. Sigma Draconis
system. We picked up a distress signal from a Vulcan civilian craft.
According to the owner, Solok, problems developed in the warp core that
added unsustainable stress to the space frame. We were in a position of
having to rescue the ship, the Gol, while not losing too much time on our
mission to catch the rogue planet Xena. After matching velocity and pulling
up alongside the Gol, Chief Engineer Goddard was able to wrap our warp
bubble around the other craft. At that point we were able to effect repairs
to the Gol's warp core and space frame. After he moved out on his own steam,
Solok expressed his gratitude and promised to return home for more thorough
checks and repairs. We managed to make up the very short time that we'd lost
in helping out Solok.

Captain's Log Stardate 0108.20 USS Guadalcanal, Mizar Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 0108.20. Captain Murphy recording. One of the more
frustrating aspects of the space/time compression is the fact that according
to the ship's chronometer, we've just spent the last eleven days crossing a
sector that we should have done in two. There is no other measurable side
effect, and Starbase 621 advises that Starfleet monitoring stations show
that we haven't lost any time in our pursuit of the rogue planet designated
Xena.

Sargon showed his face as we passed through the Mizar system, which boasts
five stars. We launched a long term observation probe to monitor the unique
properties of that system. I wouldn't mind having the opportunity to stick
around and do a full scientific survey. Maybe next time. After all, the
mission we're on came about because we happened upon Xena during the search
for the missing convoy. Who knows what we'll find if we get a chance to come
back to Mizar.

Captain's Log Stardate 0108.11 USS Guadalcanal, Bajor Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 0108.11. Captain Murphy recording. We passed through
the Kalandra system at maximum warp, just slowing long enough to note a
space/time compression 'ripple' passing through the Draygo system. The
android Sargon is spending every minute of the trip in the cargo bay
examining the equipment for the Magellan outpost.

The Klingon/Federation task force searching for the DuranQo passed us in the
Kalandra system as well, heading towards Tzenkethi space. That is the
general direction that the unidentified craft that attacked DS9 came from,
as well as, possibly, the space/time compression. Captain Korvus would
probably rather be in StoVoKor than at the middle of a mystery. We can only
hope that both don't apply. If it is determined, or even strongly believed
that a Klingon ship was destroyed while deep within Federation space, things
could get extremely tense.

Captain's Log Stardate 0108.07 USS Guadalcanal, Bajor Sector

Captain's Log, Stardate 0108.07. Captain Murphy recording. We have spent the
last several days searching in vain for the IKS DuranQo, which vanished
while departing the Bajor system. A fleet of Klingon ships is enroute, along
with a Federation escort, to conduct a more extensive search. In the
meantime, we've beamed up a modular science outpost for the android Sargon
and his Magellan Project on the rogue planet Xena. Aside from a great deal
of monitoring equipment, he's got a small matter/antimatter reactor, an
industrial replicator capable of creating thousands of simple data
communication relays, and a type 2 shuttlepod. We hope to intercept the Xena
planetoid in the Omega Sagittarii system. That is time critical, because
after that, Xena begins a turn that will bring it into Romulan Space. And
while the Romulans haven't objected to Sargon's presence on Xena as it
passes through their space, they won't agree to a Galaxy Class ship doing
the same thing.

Captain's Personal Log Stardate 1207.28 Captain Murphy, USS Guadalcanal

On board the Runabout Rio Grande, along with Deep Space Nine station
Commander Colonel Kira Nerys. We followed the erratic warp trail for almost
a full day, discovering very little solid evidence. All we really found was
an indication that the ship seemed to have passed through a thermobaric
cloud layer on its way here. And 'on its.way here' equals from the general
direction of the Gamma Quadrant. And judging from the decay rate (accounting
for the unpredictable nature of the decay), it could have come from outside
of the galaxy. According to the science officer on DS9, the space/time
disturbance is being called 'Spatial/Temporal Compression'. A fancy name for
saying that things are going to get more interesting. And I've been told
that the DuranQo is a week ahead of schedule, and its Captain is impatient
to transfer its passenger to the Guadalcanal. I'm starting to think we
should have taken that shore leave.