A Multiplication Problem

[Solluk]

A Benzite freighter issues a distress call, to which the USS Yourship responds.  When Yourship arrives, it is too late.  Three alien drones have apparently destroyed the freighter, and are breaking it up into manage-ably sized segments, apparently intending to transport them.   When they detect Yourship, they stop their work and attack, using advanced pulsed neutron slicing beams.  Yourship is able to destroy the drones, but the mystery remains... what are these things?  Where did they come from?  And how do we stop them from becoming a problem in the future?

Starting Point: A Benzite freighter issues a distress call, to which the USS Yourship responds.

End Goal: Yourship awakens the Zhoratians from their stasis, and they stop their fleet of drones.

Story points that must be passed?:

I) A Benzite freighter issues a distress call, to which the USS Yourship responds.

II) When Yourship arrives, it is too late.  Three alien drones have apparently destroyed the freighter, and are breaking it up into manageably sized segments, apparently intending to transport them.   When they detect Yourship, they stop their work and attack, using advanced pulsed neutron slicing beams.  Yourship is able to destroy the drones.

III) Analysis of the drone remains indicate coordinates in its nav-computer that suggest an origin.  Yourship goes to investigate.

IV) After days of warp travel, Yourship arrives at the coordinates.  There, they find a fleet of millions of these drones, all working on a Dyson Sphere construction project.  Every planet in the system has already been cannibalized for resources to supply this project, except one small moon.  Drones are seen leaving the system and then returning with construction material.  This suggests they are branching out to carve up nearby planets and ships.  Worse, they are continuing to multiply.  Soon there will be trillions of drones.  Then trillions of trillions.  They will become an unstoppable force.

V) The Science, Tactical, Operations, and Engineering divisions collaborate on a way to evade notice by the drone's sensors.  This will allow the Yourship to penetrate the system and investigate the lone untouched moon.

VI) Using the stealth solution, the Yourship investigates the moon, where an away team finds a hundred million aliens in suspended animation (stasis.)  Defense robots attempt to protect the lunar facility, but Security teams overcome them.  Science teams will see that the computer is programmed to revive the aliens once the construction project is complete.  There are also password protected controls for the drone swarm, but the security systems are very complicated.  It should be easier to revive some of the aliens than shut down the drones.

VII) Some of the aliens are revived, and they are surprised and apologetic when they learn of the drone problem.  The aliens, called Zhoratians, intended their drones only to collect material from uninhabited systems.  It seems something has gone wrong with their programming.  The Zhoratians shut down the drone swarm, promising not to activate them again until they can fix the programming.  Meanwhile, the Zhoratians make an otherwise peaceful first-contact for the Yourship.

Departments: (To make sure everyone has something to do.)

- Flight: Thrilling combat flight against drones, followed by sneaky flight into the Zhoratian system.

- Engineering: The usual repairs, plus analyzing drone remains, plus Science, Tactical, Operations, and Engineering divisions collaborate on a way to evade notice by the drone's sensors.

- Operations: Power transfers during combat, plus Science, Tactical, Operations, and Engineering divisions collaborate on a way to evade notice by the drone's sensors.

- Security and tactical: Thrilling space combat against the drones, plus security teams must defeat Zhoratian defense droids.

- Medical: There will be some injuries, plus the medical teams will need to be involved in the safe revival of Zhoratians in stasis.

- Science: Science, Tactical, Operations, and Engineering divisions collaborate on a way to evade notice by the drone's sensors.