[DCE] NGC 4402 System Survey

[Planet of Hats]

SUBMITTED: Stardate: 98459

FILED BY: CAPT Jadrys Itana

SECURITY: Level 1 - Open

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LOCATION: NGC 4402 System
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MISSION: Deep Centaurus Expedition ongoing progress report
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OUTCOME: The Copernicus retrieved an alien database from a crashed passenger ship inhabited by a hostile pseudopodal lifeform. Futher information emerged concerning the inhabitants of a planet flagged as Tel Ustav.
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KEY PERSONNEL:

CAPT Jadrys Itana
CMDR Yulia Zvizdaryk
LCDR Rena Fox
LT Cassiopeia Huynh
LTJG Avery Tatler
PO3C Tharsh zh'Illias

​NARRATIVE: Our continuing survey of the Deep Centaurus exploratory region brought the Copernicus to the NGC 4402 system.

This star system has been flagged by observations from Lyonesse Observatory for some time: It is a binary system consisting of an M3-type red dwarf (NGC 4402 A) and a T7-type brown dwarf companion (NGC 4402 B), with five confirmed planets, including two (NGC 4402 II and III) in the habitable zone. However, both are tidally locked and lack both liquid water and atmosphere, and our surveys confirmed that neither harbour life.

Our survey of the largest plannet in the system - NGC 4402 IV, a long-period planet comparable to Sol VIII - confirmed the presence of four moons, but uncovered an anomaly: The largest moon, NGC 4402 IV-a, while covered in a thick sheet of water ice, experiences sufficient tidal warming from its orbital characteristics to sustain a subsurface ocean. This came to our attention primarily due to a stream of particles visible in planetary orbit, originating from a substantial breach in the planetary ice sheet. Our survey of the impact site revealed the source of this breach was not natural: upon deployment of a Type VII planetary probe, we discovered the remains of a spacecraft of approximately 450 metres in length. The craft appeared to have made an uncontrolled descent and penetrated the ice sheet, leaving only part of its stern jutting out of the planetoid.

At the recommendation of LCDR Fox, an away team was organized to investigate the ship, equipped with environmental suits appropriate for submersible operation. LT Huynh headed up the team. Investigation revealed that the ship shared no common design characteristics with the various constructs and satellites we have encountered in previous formerly-inhabited systems. Further, the team encountered the skeletal remains of several unknown aliens. A supplemental bioscience team under LTJG Tatler was dispatched to analyze the remains in situ.

During the course of this investigation, members of the away team began to report a feeling of unease, with some reporting seeing movement out of the corners of their eyes. At the recommendation of LT Liell, I authorized a security detail to be dispatched to the ship and ordered that members of the away team remain vigilant and never travel alone.

This caution proved warranted: Within 15 minutes of the arrival of the security team, PO3C zh'Illias of the engineering team was suddenly grabbed by some manner of pseudopod, which attempted to drag the crewman into a conduit. LT Liell was on scene and successfully struck the pseudopod with a phaser burst, causing it to release PO3C zh'Illias and withdraw.

Injuries to zh'Illias were not serious, but biomedical analysis revealed traces of surface toxins left behind on the skin. The crewman was returned to the Copernicus for treatment, where Dr. Zvizdaryk was able to identify the toxins as a form of neural paralytic, which she neutralized. Review by the away team of some of the dead aboard the ship revealed traces of the paralytic in their systems. Further, cross-referencing of the estimated date of the ship's impact (approx. seven years ago) coupled with the estimated age of the bodies led to a conclusion: The crew of the vessel had been killed before the collision, largely by paralysis. The bodies were additionally found to be absent of crucial internal nutrients, displaying puncture wounds to various parts of the skin, as though substances had been sucked out of them.

Upon this understanding, I ordered the away teams to return to the Copernicus. However, LT Huynh recommended she remain behind long enough to download the alien ship's database in the hopes of discovering more about the space ahead. I agreed, on the condition that LT Liell remain with her and that a transporter lock be maintained on both officers.

During the download process, the unknown attacker emerged from a conduit and revealed itself as a large and amorphous parasitic creature consisting of numerous amorphous pseudopods. The creature attempted to grab LT Huynh, but missed when LT Liell struck it with a phaser blast on heavy stun, which did not substantially immobilize it but caused it to shift focus and attempt to engulf LT Liell. The two officers successfully retreated into a corridor, attempting to distract the creature while the download continued. A brief cat-and-mouse ensued until the officers were able to circle around and retrieve the tricorder, beaming back up to the Copernicus before the creature could assault them again.

As a precautionary measure, I ordered a warning buoy to be placed at the crash site, cautioning any passing ships of the presence of a dangerous creature aboard the wreck.

We then turned our attention to the recovered records. While these were highly fragmented, we were able to pull partial data from the database that identified the vessel as a passenger liner named the Quallum out of a port on a planet named Inli, bound for a planet named Tel Ustav. Partial coordinates list Inli as lying somewhat to the galactic "east" of the Jadriithi Authority, well outside the survey area of the Deep Copernicus Expedition; recommend that SB91 investigate these coordinates further. Partial coordinates for Tel Ustav indicate this planet is within the DCE survey area, and we have prioritized them down to a general sectorial block and flagged this area as a key survey target.

In view of these findings, the satellite data we recovered from NGC 3782 was reassessed. While little new information was gained, the term "Tel Ustav" was isolated within what appeared to be a listing of production data, suggesting that the political entity originating in Tel Ustav may be related to the operators of the mining operation that oversaw the extermination of that system's indigenous civilization. I have elected to proceed into the space ahead with caution in view of this.
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RECOMMENDATION: Starbase 91, CAPT Hrebenyk: Flag the coordinates of planet Inli as a site for future contact, possibly by the mission team assigned to the Jadriithi Authority.
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