The Voyage Begins

Captain’s Log, Stardate: 80012.7
We received a disturbing communication from the science outpost on Nautilus IX, reporting the disappearance of numerous scientists. The head scientist, Commander Julius Nemo, has requested our assistance in solving this troubling mystery. We have arrived and are preparing to beam down.

Captain K'ehloq stood up from her desk and gazed out at the stars. She never imagined her first mission as commanding officer of the USS Moonbeam would bring her to a planet as remote as Nautilus IX. The world was covered in snow and ice, a far cry from what she was used to on Qo’nos and Earth. Her mind wandered to memories of her years on Earth at the Academy, and her childhood on the Klingon homeworld. Her thoughts were interrupted by a chiming sound.

“You may enter,” she said.

Her first officer, Commander Mahak, entered. She was bald, preferring to keep her head shaven, unlike most Vulcans.

“Captain, we’re ready to beam down.”

“Excellent, I’ll be joining you.”

“Captain, are you sure that’s-”

K’ehloq held up her hand to signal to Mahak it was not a matter that was up for debate. Mahak knew better than to argue with the captain on this matter. They walked onto the bridge. K’ehloq informed the second officer that he had the bridge as she and Mahak entered the turbolift. K’ehloq pushed the button that would take them to the deck where the transporter room was.

“Have you heard from home? From Vulcan?” K’ehloq asked as they stood in the turbolift

“No. Not for years.”

“It must be difficult for you. Choosing not to suppress your emotions is quite radical for a Vulcan.”

“And it has cost me a lot, Captain. But it is worth it.”

K’ehloq looked at the Vulcan, who stood still and looked straight ahead. She could see tears forming in Mahak’s eyes.

“Emotion is important to a warrior. The fire in your veins and in your heart is what you draw on in battle- and in life, and being vulnerable enough to share your emotions is a true sign of strength. I believe you are strong, Mahak.”

“Thank you, K’ehl- thank you Captain.”

K'ehloq smiled at Mahak as the turbolift doors opened. They made the short walk to the transporter room in silence. K’ehloq nodded in acknowledgment at the young Lieutenant working the transporter as she and Mahak stepped up onto the pad, joining three other members of the away team that were already waiting. Mahak gave the Lieutenant the order to energize. A few seconds later the away team materialized inside the main room of the outpost. An old man wearing a blue Starfleet uniform was there to greet them. His hair and beard were as white as the snow just outside the window. His skin was dark brown and covered in wrinkles. He smiled and extended his hand to K’ehloq, who shook it with a firm grip.

“My name is Julius Nemo, I’m the Commander of this outpost.”

“And I am K’ehloq, Captain of the starship Moonbeam, we received your distress call.”

“I am so glad that you’re here. We cannot figure out what could possibly cause our scientists to just… disappear.”

“Have you considered a predatory life form?” Mahak suggested. Commander Nemo turned his attention to her.

“You must be the first officer, Commander…?”

“Mahak.”

“It’s good to meet you, Mahak. As to your theory I had considered it but our research has not revealed any life aside from the vast marine ecosystems that exist in the water beneath the ice, we’re certainly not aware of any life besides ourselves that can survive on land. Furthermore there's been no signs of struggle with any of the scientists that have disappeared.”

“So the scientists just wander off in the dead of night?”

“That's correct. We can’t figure out why, and that's the disturbing part of all of this, that some of our best scientists, who are fully aware that they cannot survive outside of this outpost for very long without protective equipment, just wander off with no protection against the elements.”

K’ehloq gazed out of the window into the snow covered wasteland outside, wondering where the missing scientists could have possibly gone, and what they had hoped to accomplish.

“Mahak, lock all exits using your security code. Nobody gets in or out.”

“Aye, Captain.”

“How many scientists have disappeared altogether?” K’ehloq asked Commander Nemo.

“Five. Sporadically over the past two weeks.”

“When was the last disappearance?” Mahak inquired.

“Three days ago. We’re expecting the next one any day now.”

“Mahak and I will be staying overnight. The rest of our away team will beam back to the Moonbeam.”

After the away team had beamed back and the doors and transporter had been secured, Julius showed K’ehloq and Mahak to their bunks, which had previously belonged to two of the missing scientists.

“I am… troubled by what is happening here,” Mahak said as she sat down on the bed, “I have no more of an idea about what's going on here than Commander Nemo does.”

“We just got here, number one. This is just the first of probably many mysteries we’ll encounter on our voyage. I’m sure we’ll figure out what happened to the scientists- and prevent it from happening again.”

“None of it makes sense, Captain.”

“There's a piece of the puzzle we’re missing, and I figure by the end of the night- we’ll have it.”

Later that night, as they were sleeping, a loud metallic clang rang out the outpost. The clanging continued, jarring everyone from their sleep. Nemo, K’ehloq, and Mahak ran into the main research area where the noise was coming from. A younger scientist, an ensign, was banging his fists against the locked exit.

“I… have… to follow… the singing!!” he gasped as the banging turned to scratching and clawing. He sounded as if he was on the verge of tears.

“Hey, hey, Emerson, it’s me, it’s Julius,” Commander Nemo said as he placed his hand on the Ensign’s shoulder. Emerson turned around as tears filled his eyes.

“Please… Commander… Please let me go, I need to find the source of that singing!”

K’ehloq stepped up and gently grabbed the Ensign’s hand.

“You need to go back to sleep Ensign. Mahak, can you watch him?”

“Aye, Captain.”

Julius and K’ehloq traded a concerned look.

“I think that singing Ensign Emerson mentioned might be the key to solving the disappearances,” Nemo said.

“Agreed.”