Mayday! Juneday! Julyday!
Posted on Tue Oct 27th, 2026 @ 1:20am by Commodore Xavier Carey & Lieutenant Talsi Carey & Lieutenant Sherri Element (Carey) & Captain Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels & Lieutenant Commander Tony Johnson & Lieutenant Commander Melor Pallara (Stoffels) & Lieutenant Commander Etan tar-Lexros & Lieutenant Commander Sky Carey & Lieutenant Morgan Stone & 1st Lieutenant Kayleigh London
Mission:
The Next Watch
Location: USS Resolution, Bridge
Timeline: After "USS Meridian: Mayday"
“This is USS Meridian, NCC-74219. Mayday, mayday, mayday. We have encountered Dominion forces operating under sensor concealment near Federation supply route seven-four. Multiple Jem'Hadar vessels. Repeat, multiple Jem'Hadar vessels.”
“This is Lieutenant Commander Elias Venn, commanding officer of the Federation starship Meridian.”
“We have encountered a concealed Dominion force operating near Federation supply route seven-four. Our ship has sustained critical damage. We have multiple casualties and have lost propulsion.”
“Do not approach our coordinates without tactical support.”
“We are transmitting all available sensor and tactical information.”
“If anyone receives this transmission...”
“...we could use a little help.”
Etan had been working on the comms circuits all day, as he'd been picking up strange signals, ones that seemed anomalous. All of them were a little scrambled, as though there was a major subspace distortion and a massive packet of data carried on it. But all the other sensors on the ship said there was nothing, no ship, no distortion. It had to be the comms. So Etan was down here in Deflector Control, working on the main receiver directly, trying to figure out what was wrong.
As he was about to give up, something triggered and without him touching a button, the download started. The massive packet of information resolved suddenly into sensor scans, data from a Starfleet vessel, and more. Much more. That, along with a Priority One distress signal, meant he had to get to the Bridge immediately. A quick scan ensured that the Meridian hadn't tried anything truly lunatic like converting the crew into transport buffer patterns and sending themselves through subspace, or sending their EMH as an envoy. While the data downloaded safely into the processing buffer, Etan ran for the turbolift at full tilt, his feet pounding on the deckplates with an urgency rarely seen from the normally reserved, quiet Ops chief. For anyone who saw him charging through, they'd realize something big was afoot. He got into the turbolift and scanned his handprint. "Command Priority tar-Lexros Theta Eagle. Override all other cars and divert them to other paths! Bridge! High speed, no voice response!"
The silence was deafening as the turbolift whooshed its way up to the Bridge, but Etan could feel the seconds ticking away. He didn't bother straightening himself up, looking disheveled as he trotted to Ops II at the back of the bridge - there, on the Meridian's sensors, were the polaron scans - and there were distortions too. He couldn't tell if they were gravimetric or otherwise, but something was up. He turned and spoke clearly to Toni, Rutherford, and Xavier. "Sirs! Receiving a Priority One distress call and beacon packet from USS Meridian on supply route seven-four. They've been attacked by multiple Jem'Hadar vessels. I confirm 8 distinct polaron scan channel hits on their main hull from their beacon packet. There's also some kind of deliberate distortion. Initial theory is that it's gravimetric, but I'll defer to Science to confirm." He looked at them and spoke quietly. "I... believe that our duty to them is funerary, not rescue. I would very much like to be proven wrong."
Toni blinked a few times to get her own emotions in check. "I hope you are wrong as well commander." She turned to Xavier. "It could be a trap but our duty is to come to their rescue, do you agree sir?"
Xavier, sitting to the left of the Captains chair, "The USS Meridian, thats the missing ship, that was ironically, what we have been assigned to search for. I got the orders this morning, we are to find out what happened to the ship and crew. If possible bring them home." He remained quiet before turning to the Captain. "How we proceed Captain. Is your decision."
Sky looked at Toni, she knew they had little choice little choice but to answer a distress call, not that she’d advise otherwise even if it was a trap.
"We proceed with caution but at high speed in case there are still survivors. I need every department to focus at it's best." She looked around her bridge crew and locked eyes with all of them for a few seconds.
“Understood Captain” Sky nodded as she looked towards Toni.
Etan nodded, gesturing to Ensign Hardy, who was sat the Ops I station. He pointed the young man to the back of the Bridge while the chief took the main station. He immediately began checking diagnostics, and pressed the comm stud on the board, speaking softly. "Engineering, Ops here. Lieutenant Element, you are authorized for full engine power, the ship is responding to a priority one distress. Repeat, we're responding to priority one distress, engage maximum power when Helm calls for it." With that, he laid in the most direct course for the Meridian (following their transmission path) and sent it to Helm for execution on the Captain's command.
He looked up toward the others and spoke quietly. "Captain, recommend we go to Red Alert in preparation for arrival in a potential conflict zone. We know from the sensor packet that there were at least eight distinct polaron signatures." Since Dr. Milton was likely headed for Sickbay shortly and Johnson would have his hands full, the responsibility fell to him to advise. His hands were clearly shaking, but the clarity of their goal was helping to galvanize him for the moment. He closed his eyes for a moment, considering the situation, and the regulations. He felt as if he'd been drafted, pressed into war service he didn't sign up for and now had no choice but to fight in order to try and protect those around him. His voice started strong, but became quieter gradually. "Recommend a, um, full briefing and prep for the fighter wing as well. Lieutenant Troilin's wing could drop wild weasel devices to protect us. Science and Ops can maybe... fab neodymium casings for probes broadcasting our identification beam which would... attract polarons, while we cycle polarity and degauss the hull in cycles." The shaking hands had given way to a white-knuckle grip on the console as he fought his nerves. Everything they'd learned about the Jem'hadar weapons through his testing with Talsi and Kay had to be brought to bear. Every system on the ship that could protect them or the Meridian had to come online. It was a sensory overload for a man who'd joined the Fleet as a tinkerer, and now found himself elevated in the chain of command of a ship about to be thrust into combat. He was fighting the need to shut down, to run and hide. He closed his eyes and sat with that white-knuckle grip. "And, Captain, a personal request... access to your ready room replicator before we call the Alert. I didn't replicate a dose of my emergency medicine when I came on duty. I'd... very much like to now, if you'll permit me."
"Of course." Toni said to Etan smiling at him. He was so brilliant, if only he would start believing that himself. "Anything you need, commander. Go to red alert!"
Sky turned to look hearing the request, with everyone getting busy for whatever was to come she took it upon herself to answer. “I can replicate them for you if it’ll help Commander?”
Etan looked over at Sky and nodded quickly, the nerves keeping his muscles taught. The counselor didn't need to say that the place of the acting XO and chief of Ops was here on the Bridge, not hiding - he knew. He swallowed hard after a pause that might have looked deliberate to everyone but those who knew him. Unfortunately, most everyone here knew him and attempts at masking were bound to fail. "Yes, please. Thank you, Commander. And, also, um, some water." He turned back to the panel, still gripping it with white knuckles.
"Engineering is at one hundred percent commander." Element replied from engineering. "All systems are at peak efficiency."
Tal still getting accustomed to her sitting position from helm, the console had been changed to an adjustable, as was the seat to accommodate thats to both the commander and Lt Element. "Helm is responding to all commands. Everything is set, oncourse for the location provided."
Morgan stood at the tactical console. His eyes sweeping the board. "Tactical is in the green. All systems online." He stated simply before lapsing back into silence. He was th new kid onboard and he was observing the interaction of the rest of the bridge crew.
Xavier remained quiet. His urge to take over was mounting. But this wasn't the time. Instead, he turned to the Captain. "I will be in the ready room making a few calls. Notify me when we are close."
Toni nodded understanding his need to not be on the bridge right now. And it was uncomfortable for her as well, as she could almost feel his desire to take over.
Sky was sensing the emotional urge coming from her husband, she could only imagine how hard it must be for him not to have command of the ship anymore. She gave him a glance, but said nothing they could always talk at home if he felt the need.
Etan didn't look up as he acknowledged the various reports, pushing them to the Captain's display for Toni. "Mirroring Stellar Cartography display to the Ready Room desk on an inset window, Commodore. Alarm set for visual range of reported coordinates of the missing vessel." Insurance against his possible inability to speak from the stress, even once Sky got him the pills, was always good. It was the kind of thinking ahead that he was used to. It felt like flailing to him, but looked like decisive command decisions to everyone else. "Course laid in, all departments green, all sections reporting general quarters, Captain. Ready on your mark."
He looked over at Talsi, seeing how uncomfortable she looked in the chair, and looked at Sky. "Um, Commander Carey, when you get the water and the medicine, can you also replicate a seat cushion Theta-6-H and bring it to, um..." he gestured. "Lieutenant Carey..." He blinked, trying to figure out if he sounded ridiculous. "It should, uh, reduce undue stress due to the chair not being reset on her assignment to the Helm. I didn't... have time to assign the ticket. I was going to assign the task during Beta shift today." He looked at Talsi with a look of mild embarrassment. "...Sorry."
Sky nodded giving Etan and Talsi a smile, then headed to the Ready Room to replicate what Etan needed, she didn’t take long before she returned with his medication, a glass of cold water and the seat cushion. “There you go Commander.” She offered a warm smile as she left him to it. “Here’s yours as well Lieutenant.” She handed Talsi the seat cushion hoping it would make her more comfortable.
Tony Johnson had been at the XO's position, observing everything that took place. His mind was going a thousand miles an hour with all the possible threats that would possibly be awaiting them. "Captain that mayday is very close to where the supply route indictated in the transmission." The security chief pulled up the path of the supply line and mayday. "There's a strong possibility that the Resolution could be flying right into a trap if those Dominion ships are still there hiding. Believing that they took out the Meridian before getting the transmission out."
Going over the sensors of where the distress call came from. "I can navigate around, a safer route. It will delay our arrival by a few minutes. But the meridian may not have that long."
Now Toni was the one who felt nervous as hell. Lives depended on her, those on the Meridian but she also had a responsibility to her own crew and that had to come first. "Take the safe route, Commander." She said outwardly calm. "Try to get us there as fast as you possible can."
"Aye sir," Tal replied as she inputted the course change. "ETA, 2 hours at warp 7."
