"Xenozoology"
Ships were ungainly things for Savant. Not that she found the sleek
lines of Charon's hull somehow ill-equipped for the stars, not at all.
Charon, and almost everything else that occupied the Bulk-world of the
organics, was ridiculously slow. Savant found that only certain things -
the nanoscale operations of chemistry and physics - operated at a speed
she generally found useful. Most things which the organics found
comfortable, the tractor beams, the pressors, the sensors - were
ridiculously slow. How could it be any other way? Their brains weren't
massive isolinear cores sheathed in faster-than-light shells. She could
scarcely imagine the glacial world in which they lived.
Savant did not fuss with the sensors of the ship for this reason. It
would take too long fore the reports to return; she had a wealth of data
as it was and was eager to begin. A new lifeform,and one of the rarest -
a vacuum-dweller! She could count in one register the number of hits
such an entity provided. It was almost maddening - Savant had to split
her attention between the exploding star and the mighty space dragon. A
thing of legend, that had fired the minds of Humans since they had
thought to make maps - Here There Be Dragons, where the pen ran out of
ink and land fell away to myth.
She let the sensors do their thing. Electromagnetic rays refracted at
odd angles from the creatures' glistening bulk as it slid through the
void. Subspace waves penetrated deeper, but were blocked in turn by an
internally-generated millicochrane field. Graviton projection was
fortunately optimal, and the weak results of neutrino interference were
likewise functioning as normal. Not an ideal situation, but was enough
to start grinding away at the data already collected. Data bases were
seeded, sprouted, bloomed full of fragrant new flowers of information.
The garden of knowledge was Savants' primary task, her innermost goal.
By Root, but this was what she was made for.
=/\=
USS CHARON
COMMAND BRIEFING PACKAGE
"Chrysopelea Megalastridae" (suggested taxonomic classification)
MORPHOLOGY
C. Megalastridae (Megalastridae) is an extraterrestrial megabiotic
lifeform. While it possesses squamilae features it does not appear
relative to any terrestrial serpent. Characteristic of the species are
the following features:
- A heavily armoured exoskeletal structure. These scales are highly
refractive, effective at scattering intense electromagnetic bursts. This
affords it significant protection from cosmic rays as well as
micrometeorite impacts.
- An internal ribbing of veterium cortenide and an axial plasma
distribution network. This generates subspace fields, allowing the
generation of shields and FTL fields of various structure. An internal
musculature is capable of changing the relative orientation of the
coils, modifying cochrane field manifolds.
- A power collection system. While the specifics of this system has not
yet been under display, based on sensor shadows in the lateral structure
of the creature, it can be speculated that broad solar collection fins
may be extended when the creature is in close range to a star. The
presence of a mouth also indicates a digestive system operating on
fusion or chemical means.
- An at least partially electricity-based nervous system, creating
emissions in the delta-theta cognitive bands. Sensor reports confirm
this, along with reports from several empathetic and telepathetic
crewmembers.
BEHAVIOR
Insufficient data have been collected at this time to make proper
conjecture. The creature may be bio-engineered as a spacecraft, or may
be a sentient and independent organism. Visible spectrum sensors
continue to monitor the creature for additional clues.
=/\=
USS CHARON
MARINE TRAINING REGIMEN
"Here There Be Dragons"
Lt. (Bvt) Warren;
Please find enclosed a suggested training regimen for your Marines. It
is based on a conjecture that the recently encountered Chrysopelea
Megalastridae is in fact a bio-ship carrying individuals hostile to the
United Federation of Planets.
OVERVIEW
The mission shall be conducted in three parts.
I. Operator Insertion - Successful insertion of combat forces aboard C.
Megalastridae.
II. Attainment of Control - Successfully seize control of C.
Megalastridae control mechanisms.
III. Containment - Successful containment of all hostiles aboard C.
Megalastridae.
Please be aware that C. Megalastridae is several kilometers in length
and could house hundreds or more combat troops within. I have created
four difficulty settings based on rough projections. Do not hesitate to
ask if you require further clarification.
[[Holodeck and Briefing Files Enclosed]]
=/\=
Savant
