Aesop's Stepchildren

The planet Favos IV faces imminent global catastrophe. A rogue asteroid, measuring 11.47 km wide, is on a collision course with the planet. Favos IV has only one week before all life on it's surface becomes extinct. Fortunately, the Favosians were well-prepared for this event. With the help of the Federation, they have managed to evacuate their civilization in an attempt to re-colonize elsewhere. This has been the largest and most successful mass-exodus in Federation history.

The USS Bretagne has been sent to rendezvous with the departing USS Ganymede for an updated briefing, then observe the final moments of Favos IV. While there, they are to rescue any Favosian holdouts and deter looters, if necessary.

Story By Paul Jacoby

GM Narration By Paul Jacoby

Stardate: 3523.6 (2268)

Summary

Teaser

The episode opens with a montage of scenes depicting life aboard the USS Bretagne. Commander Max Harper is sparring with Security Chief Ch'od. The much larger and physically adept sauridian shows little sign of exertion while Harper is quite winded.

Meanwhile, in the rec center lounge, several members of the crew are relaxing off shift. Yeoman Hepzibah is singing "It's Oh So Quiet" while the informal gathering looks on. Ensign Ketcher Block gapes, his sole attention on her sultry performance. At one table Lieutenant "Deano" Bianchi and Ensigns Caesar Velez and Jefferson West are sharing anecdotes. Velez and Bianchi tell West a story of Ensign William Paxton attempting to play Edosian Ping-Pong against Dr. Warrix.

"So he’s just standing there with both paddles out, like he’s trying to fly, or land a shuttle...and he doesn’t even notice the ball bounce off the center of his forehead...one of the doctor’s signals that you’re way out of your league. The third time it happens, Paxton is all, 'Hey man, you could poke an eye out doing that, what about your "hypocritic[sic]" oath?' Heh heh, and the doctor doesn’t miss a beat. He gives him a vocabulary lesson while balls are flying all over the place."

Harper, shirt off and towel around his shoulders, enters to join in the relaxed atmosphere of the rec room. He sits at the table with Velez, West and Bianchi (some of whom he attended Starfleet Academy with) to swap tales.

On the Bridge, the Bretagne drops out of warp as it enters the Favos system. The bridge crew quickly determines the Ganymede does not appear to be in the system to meet them as planned. However, just beyond the asteroid belt, navigational sensors detect a Merchantman class vessel floating dead in space.

On sensors, Lieutenant Commander T'Val notes the ship is uncharacteristically large for a standard Merchantman. It is severely damaged, systems are neutralized, and its original Federation registry is missing; quite possibly stolen. Its outer hull has been heavily modified for assault. The ship's designation is The Somali Princess. There are several dead life forms, but not nearly enough to make up a crew. No escape pods have been jettisoned. Cargo holds are completely empty.

Senior officers are called to the Bridge. As the Bretagne sets a course to pull alongside the derelict vessel, the Ganymede is detected. It was running silent from behind a moon. As soon as it is detected, the Ganymede powers up to warp out of the system. While escaping, the ship jettisons two objects.

Seeing what little can be done for the Princess, Harper orders Lieutenant Peterson to set an intercept course. As they near the jettisoned items, T'Val reports that sensors have identified the first as a gravitic mine, the second is a large cargo container with faint life signs emanating from it!

Reluctantly, Commander Harper calls off the pursuit and orders an emergency transporter lock on the life signs in the container. Once they are safely aboard, the gravitic mine is detonated from a safe distance with phasers.

Unfortunately, due to this delay, the Ganymede is gone.

In sickbay, Dr. Warrix is working to stabilize the twelve Ganymede crew members that had been found in the cargo container. Two of them die from their injuries. Chief Ch'od questions the survivors and is able to piece together the take over of the Ganymede (see attached security report).

Act I

Meanwhile, the Bretagne continues on their mission to Favos IV, establishing a standard orbit. Somewhat shaken after the theft of the Ganymede, Commander Harper signals the crew to begin work. T'Val scans the surface for humanoid life signs and, indeed, there are a handful in the capital city.

Not sure if they are Favosian holdouts or looters, Harper prepares a landing party, assigning T'Val, Peterson, Lieutenant Van Tassel, Ensign Velez from Security and a recent transfer from the USS Entente, Nurse Colleen McMurphy, to accompany him to the surface.

Beaming down to the capital city of the planet, the landing party is struck by the eerie quietness of the abandoned planet. Wheeled land vehicles line the streets, many with their doors wide open. Harper pauses to admire the engineering (land vehicles being a sport/hobby of his) and notes personal possessions and children's toys strewn throughout the interior, mute witness to the hurried evacuation.

T'Val scans the area for humanoid life signs and finds four registering in the vicinity. A fifth one registers briefly and is gone, possibly an anomalous reading. She points out their direction and the landing party begins threading it's way through the empty capital city.

Scanning as they go, T'Val soon notes an independently guided power source approaching their position, possibly a drone of some sort. The power source turns out to be a Holographic Tour Guide programmed to help off-worlders find points of interest. The landing party tolerates her presence as they continue their mission.