Fuel To A New Fire
Posted on Sat Jul 30th, 2016 @ 5:30pm by 2nd Lieutenant Jordan Holbridge
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: "THE NEST" DORMEIL PRIME, ALPHA QUADRANT
With Sam elliott and Amanda Fulton and the rest of NGSC's team securing the Nest and grounds, JD decided to do a visual recon of the facility. As he walked through the hallways of the former palace, JD was struck by the neglect he saw. Uncle Dave's folks usually took good care of all their homes, Which JD knew of firsthand when he visited this very building as a boy. "Eddie, why is this castle in such poor shape?"
=/\=When your father leased it from the Dormeil government, he insisted on maintaining the grounds himself and had employed the former workers utilized by Governor Lorenz. When this facility was abandoned, the workforce was terminated from employment, allowing the facility to fall into it's current condition.=/\=
"So you are saying my father has not been here for nearly three years?"
=/\=Correct, sir. Your father was scheduled to arrive here two weeks ago, but failed to arrive, thus initiating a 'Zephyr' alert by myself.=/\= Eddie's voice replied. "Eddie" was the informal nickname given to Holbridge Industries' artificial intelligence matrix.
"Eddie, recognize user JD Holbridge, access level 1-Bravo, authorizathion: Holbridge: alpha-bravo-alpha-one-one-three."
=/\=User recognized, but I accepted your presence and authorizations on arrival, sir. You have unrestricted access to this facility.=/\=
JD nodded and hurried down a flight of stairs leading towards the study. The massive, wood doors opened and JD saw a maze of Fleet monitors, data banks, and workstations. This was the nerve center of the Nebula Gold Security Group. Every piece of data generated or received by Holbridge Industries and its subsidiaries ended up here, along with Eddie's primary operating core.
JD entered the room and sat down at a workstation. "Display last BVR log, USS Washita, time reference minus two weeks."
=/\=There are three log entries, one is a visual log. Running now.=/\=
" ...Intelligence log....just escaped from Cardassia Prime after being kidnapped along with Max Kamarov and i am enroute to 'The Nest' in the Washita. I reactivated my reserve commission temporarily, and then I ordered the rescue team back to Starbase 900. I also am initiating a 'Zephyr' alert. My plan is to have my daughter brought to me; my son is a Marine aviator and from what Dave tells me he is almost as capable as me. As of this moment I am uncertain if the team returned."
JD watched as his father's image took a breath, then continued. "The Cardassian abduction was no accident, I was a definite target. I am uncertain as to the kidnapper's motives, but I can be sure that if I was a target, then my family may also be in their cross-hairs. I have left a coded data dump in the Washita's main computer that must reach Commander Nalas or Captain Hawke. JD, Dave, or any member of NGSC, if you get this, it is imperitive that the data be given to Captain Hawke, or if she is still in mourning, give it to Commander Dae Nalas. A new Cardassian Obsidian Order is not something the galaxy needs..... the video stopped abruptly.
"Is that all there is, Eddie?"
=/\=I am afraid so, sir.=/\=
JD closed the file. "Send a message to Major Lorenz; I am proceeding to track my father down using the information in this BVL as a reference and starting point..."
"Eddie, cancel that message." Sam Elliott said from the entrance. "Sorry, kid, but I can't let you do what you're thinking of doing."
"Aw, cut the shit, Sam..." JD began
"Dammit, boy don't you take that tone with me!" Sam cut him off sharply. "I helped set this damned mausoleum up and ran more missions out of here than you have hairs on your ass! Your dad is my friend and i want to find him, too; but that is not the mission here! My jo is to keep you and your sister safe on this planet, and that's what I', doing!"
JD hung his head at the rebuke. "Sorry, Uncle Sam,"
Elliott softened his voice and put a hand on JD's shoulder. "It's okay, kid. we're in our headquarters, so let's see what we can figure out."
THREE HOURS LATER
JD smoothly lifted off in the gunabout Sioux with Sam seated at Ops. the Sioux was an experiemntal gunabout that Jim had designed for Team One's use. It was lager than an Arrow-class gunabout, more heavily armored, and packed a larger weapons complement. JD marveled at the handling of the big transport. "So smooth."
"Yep, we used this bitch to search for your Uncle Wyatt after the Lady Luck took a shit on us. this crate's tangled with Cardassian, Romulan, and Dominion warships and survived."
JD nodded, keeping a close eye on the navigational computer. The ship's sensors were scanning for duranium hull traces as well as recent warp signatures and decayed tachyon particles associated with recent warp flight. JD knew that a fresh trail was not possible, but he was hoping Matt Collins, NGSC's engineer had been able to modify the sensors enough to detect residual traces.
"JD, bear to starboard zero-one-six, mark three-five-five. Got something. Eddie, identify anomalous detection."
=/\=Sensors indicate a residual ion trail of a drone transport to an agricultural transcendentalist colony five light years from our current position. There are also traces of microscopic duranium alloy present in the flight path of the transport.=/\=
JD brought the gunabout out of warp and quickly slowed the craft. Sam began scanning for more duranium traces. "Up ahead, twenty-five thousand kilometers. Putting it on screen."
The viewer image showed a small chunck of duranium metal painted red, with traces of black paint along it's jagged upper edge. "Eddie, identify," Sam ordered.
"Debris is from a Starfleet-type transport, possibly the Washita. The molecular pattern of the debris is 98% matched to Mr. Holbridge's ship.=/\=
JD's jaw tightened. "Scan the area for any traces of durnaium matching the molecular profile."
After several moments Eddie replied. =/\=No duranium detected. =/\=
"Scan for human lifesigns."
=/\=there are 350 life-signs on the planet, none matching your father's bio-readings=/\= Eddie reported.
JD hung his head in defeat, allowing a tear to roll down his cheek. "We need to go to that planet and see if he crashed there."
Sam knew it was pointless to argue with a determined Holbridge, so he simply laid in a course for the world. A short time later, they were in geo-sync orbit above what appeared to be a duranium plle. "There is sufficient mass there to have come from a ship the size and configuration of the Washita." Sam reported, some hope in his voice.
"Let's beam down." JD said rising form his seat.
By now, Sam himself was intrigued enough that he wanted to investigate the presence of duranium on an agri-colony himself. "Okay, get your gear and prepare to beam down."
JD looked Sam and grinned. "It's hunting season!"
Lt JD Holbridge
Huntin Holbridge's
Sam Elliott
Reluctant Beater
