Stardate: 70320:1800
Title: Swallowed
Author: Chief of Operations Autumn Falls
Time: Current
Scene: USS Horizon


Autumn was aware that a silence had descended on the bridge. She was also aware that they had just been swallowed, with the aid of a tractor beam, by a giant sphere they had been observing. What her brain couldn’t quite compute was the sight of the inside of the sphere and the planet that was hanging in the centre.

Leaning forward on her console one of the buttons bleeped and bought her back to some sort of awareness.

"Captain," she said in an almost whisper, so not to disturb the silence.

It took a couple of seconds for him to turn from the view in front to look at his COO.

"I have a transporter lock on the away team," Autumn said with some relief. "Orders, Sir?" He looked back to the view, obviously contemplating his options.

"Keep the lock on them but don’t engage - try opening a channel with the away team."

After several seconds of confusing static conversation, the Captain tapped a button on his centre console.

"Remmick, can you do anything to improve our link with the away team?"

The away team channel buzzed and crackled as they waited for the engineer’s reply.

[Should come through better now, Sir,] said Remmick.

Scott spoke once again to the away team.

[Sir, we may have a problem.] Lt. Kehn began without any preamble. [Whilst trying to release you from the tractor beam we have activated something asking for an authorisation code.]

"Captain, the doors are closing behind us," Peter said from the helm.

The huge structure was an efficient machine and the Horizon was completely sealed in within a few seconds, giving them no time to get out.

"As I see it, we need to move quickly. Remmick, meet with the away team and see if you and Farris can bypass the system and get as much information on the structure as possible. Dathan, perform a tactical analysis from the control centre."

"Autumn, I want you to beam down to that planet. Take Adder and Smith and send back as much data as possible. I want you stay within comm and beam-out range."

All too willing to go on an adventure, Autumn left the bridge and headed for the transporter room. Emma and Adder arrived seconds after, followed closely by Tammin, who had been sent along on the mission at the request of Ted. The COO wasn’t going to complain - it was always handy to have a medical officer nearby.


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Lieutenant Autumn Falls
Chief of Operations
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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