The Third Law

To Boldly Go

The Darson Deep Space Array

After conducting a series of critical repairs following the conflict with the Borg on Dovek II, the USS Rosenante and the USS Boudicca finally part ways.

The Rosenante, is tasked with the a true exploration and survey mission, reminiscent of the original five year missions carried out by the Constitution Class starships of the 22nd century.

Salid, excited about the prospect of such a mission is pleased to find his enthusiasm shared by the crew, as morale seems to be at an all-time high with the announcement of the mission.

Their official Orders are to explore and survey Sector 6309 a massive uncharted are of space which is known to border upon the United Federation of Planets, the Romulan Star Empire and the Cardassian Union. The majority of this sector lies within the confines of the Beta Quadrant, and technically contains the Dovek System.

With the aid of the Darson Deep Space Array Captain Salid has decided to begin their investigation by charting and surveying a Rogue Planet named Solyon in the Asrai language. This world was originally named Rogue One, until it was discovered that the Asrai had already named it.

After some surveys on the planet's surface it was discovered that the rogue planet was on a path that would disrupt the orbital path of the planet Asrai Prime.

The Away Teams

Three away teams were assembled for the purpose of conducting scientific surveys on the rogue planet. The teams were assigned by Commander T'Larah Sullivan

Alpha Team

A Mission Crawler in Transport configuration

• Commander T'Larah Sullivan
• Lieutenant Eian O'Neill
• Ensign Jessica Signos
• Ensign David Spenser
• Crewman Andrew Maddox

Bravo Team

• Commander Jennifer Caskie
• Lieutenant Ben Soma
• Lieutenant David Tamblyn
• Lieutenant Chance Raschen
• Ensign Emma Leep

Delta Team

• Commander Steven Matrix
• Lieutenant Sanok
• Lieutenant Viskhard
• Ensign Pembrook Carter
• Master Chief Petty Officer Nathan Allen Fuller

Alpha Site

A volcanic vent on the Rogue Planet

Alpha team determined a survey site that offered a glimpse at the potential volcanism and the proliferation of life on the Rogue Planet. The site was roughly a 20-kilometer area dominated by large ash spewing volcanic plumes. Around these plumes the temperature was more tolerable than in other locations, and a variety of life forms had developed.

The life forms included bacteria, protozoas, nematodes, insect-like analogs, algae analogs, crustaceans, and aerial jellyfish analogs. All of these life forms flourished within a few hundred meters of the smoke plumes and seemed bound to the immediate area as some of them did not seem well adapted for the colder climes that dominated the remainder of the world.

Ensign Spenser took several samples of the small semi-liquid pools in the area, as well as some of the insects and algae. While this was being undertaken, Maddox had reprogrammed some of the specialist nanites that he had brought and decided to deploy them into one of the Volcanic vents.

The plumes proved to be very carbon rich, and filled with basic amino acid chains.There were high concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and o-zone. This was unusual because Ozone wasn't normally found in volcanic venting. in addition there was very little few sulfates and nitrates other than nitric oxides present in the plume's exhaust. Spenser theorized that there was a lightning storm taking place underground.

Maddox's nanites were able to collect data gave gave a strong indication that an artificial electrical discharge was ongoing deep below ground and that was in fact part of a Terraforming effort on the rogue planet.

The discovery by Lieutenant Eian O'Neill of an unidentified humanoid bone, immediately opened questions of the possibility of current or prior inhabitation by a sentient species. With the aid of Ensign Jessica Signos they secured the specimen and transported it back to the Medical Labs aboard the USS Rosenante.

Bravo Site

A glacial valley on the Rogue Planet

Bravo Team, commanded by Commander Jennifer Caskie selected a site that was dominated by a glacial boxed valley, and flanked on either side by steep sides. On one side of the valley the walls were capped in steep cliff faces and a small plateau.

Ensign Emma Leep, the teams primary geologist, went about collecting rock samples and performing chemical analysis of the site. The purpose was to determine general planetary composition, magnetic field variations and formative/destructive forces.

During these studies, while performing a tricorder scan, Leep detected an unexplained Gravimetric pulse that corresponded with a small ground tremor. As the planet had no tectonic plates or movement, it was quickly deduced that this pulse was responsible for keeping the molten iron core motive and at high temperature.

As gravimetric pulses can not exist as natural phenomenon, it was very apparent that this was an artificial means of maintaining a magnetosphere capable of fending off cosmic radiation.

Delta Site

A frozen sea on the Rogue Planet

Delta team's survey site was located on a frozen small ice covered sea. The team used a Crawler taken from the exploratory stores kept aboard the Rosenante. They also took a mobile ice core rig, and several emergency shelters.

Of all the teams, the Delta team, had the most distance to cover, as they were taking ice core samples over an area of several square kilometers. As a result they were also the most heavily equipped and carried the most survival equipment.

In addition to the ice core collection tasks, the teams also established mobile weather relay stations, and conducted sea floor soundings. It was during one of these soundings that the team discovered a refined alloyed object, constructed of tritanium. The object proved to e a heated liquid flow valve, and was seen to be refining water into life-sustaining ph levels and toxicity levels. This was the third indication that the Rogue Planet was being actively Terraformed.

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MORE COMING SOON!

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