"Corrosive Mentality"

[Jehamy Jex]

Mission Title: Corrosive Mentality
Synopsis: SHIP as Starfleet has lost contact with a brand new research outpost in the Bentarus Cloud- an anomalous cloud of space gas that has formed in a particular region of space.  Upon arriving at the Cloud, SHIP finds that the station has been destroyed.  At the same time, micro-fractures begin to spread through SHIP'S hull - the gas may somehow be responsible.  This damage progresses so quickly that SHIP can not risk going to warp to exit the area, but at impulse SHIP will be destroyed before they can escape.   But this strange corrosive effect is no ordinary phenomenon, and the crew soon learn that there is a life-form living in the cloud...

Starting Point: Arriving at Bentarus IV
End Goal: To establish a 'reserve' for the cloud lifeform and
Story points that must be passed?:

- To receive orders from Starfleet to proceed to Bentarus IV
- To set course while continuously attempting to establish contact
- To arrive at, and enter, Bentarus Cloud (on Yellow Alert)
- To detect no signs of outpost (life nor material)
- To deploy probes for a wider search in dense environment
- To lose contact with probes
- Engineering to detect microfracture on hull (not expected to be related to outpost)
- To send out crewmember in EVA to inspect external fracture
- To lose crewmember to suddenly corrosive conditions
- To detect microfracture in nacelle(s), deflector dish and impulse drive
- For a psychic crewmember (PC or NPC) to feel the presence of a lifeform
- To realise the SHIP is being consumed
- To realise SHIP cannot escape at warp, and at impulse would take too long before destruction;
- To work with urgency to understand life-form
- To detect 'swarms' of smaller corrosive cloud pockets that dart amongst larger cloud
- To realise these smaller swarms are 'offspring' and that the large system-cloud is the parent, destroying outpost - and SHIP - as a mother would protect cubs
- To use probes to 'feed' swarms
- Large cloud recognises that SHIP is harmless to offspring
- Cloud reduces corrosive conditions and leaves SHIP alone
- SHIP slowly departs system and informs StarFleet that Benatarus Cloud is sentient and not to be the location of an outpost

Departments: (To make sure everyone has something to do.)
- Flight: To work with Engineering in repairing warp and impulse
- Engineering: To attempt to keep on top of microfracture damage while Medical/Sciences try to formulate a solution
- Operations: To work with Engineering in keeping emergency forcefields going
- Security and tactical: To develop a 'Plan B' tactic in case life form cannot be communicated with
- Medical: To Work with Sciences to understand lifeform
- Science: To work with Medical to understand lifeform