The Humans Are Going To Dalacar!

Posted on Wed Apr 24th, 2019 @ 3:59pm by Lieutenant Commander Shaille Levine & Captain Michelle Bartlett & Commander Rostra Tang & Major Hailey Weston & Ensign Laro Adel & Lieutenant JG Sandra Garcia

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Bridge

Captain's Log, August 11, 2399. Following the cleanup from our incursion with the Shalti and their hopeful vanquishing from both the alternate and our own timeline, We've been approved for shore leave with a bit of a different twist. This time, we're going to Dalacari territory after some discussion with their leaders."

Ensign Laro was sitting at the helm making sure the ship stayed... well, the right way upward she proposed. She almost wished that Lieutenant Gervais was the pilot. He seemed much better at flying this enormous beast of a ship the couple times he had to.

"We're approaching Dalacari space, Captain." Laro replied.

"Any speed limits we have to observe?" Michelle asked jokingly to Rostra.

The resident Dalacari gave a giggle, "Keep it under fifty." she responded, staying consistent with the source of the joke. "Dalacari space is mostly monitored by drone fighters. Simple and easy to replace and..."

"... the lost of one essentially acts as an early warning sign." she continued, "They'd scan us on a cursory frequency, anywhere from thirty seven sixty to forty one ninety..."

"... just to be on the lookout. The Wellington's registry would already be added to the guest list, so we shouldn't have anything to worry about." she paused, "At least not until we reach the planet."

"Sounds painless." Michelle replied. She was rather anxious to see this world. She'd heard so much about it over the years out here and never got to see it. At first it was due to the Federation being the "New Kid", and otherwise it just never came up. Even during her tenure in the diplomatic service, a visit just never seemed to happen. "Continue on course. What's our ETA once we drop out of warp?"

"Approximately 90 minutes, ma'am." The Bajoran pilot replied.

"Take us out of warp, full impulse." Michelle ordered. "Commodore Myers is absolutely thrilled to finally get the chance."

"Do you know how thrilled I am to actually share my home with my friends?" Rostra asked with a smile that threatened to wrap around her head. She almost had trouble holding back a full, honest, happy smile. Only because such a smile might threaten to show teeth.

Oh what the hell. And then then gates were thrown loose as she smiled fully. Full and unrestrained, those were the teeth of a creature that evolved from predatory stock, thousands of years of dominance over the local food chain. Though it was a smile filled with more joy and friendship than any grin or smirk that came before it.

Shaille smiled at Rostra's response. Clearly the First Officer was enjoying this prospect very much.

"Captain. We're picking up an object approaching us at warp velocity. Roughly two cubic meters in volume." and coming out of warp was indeed the most curious sight to those not used to it. A craft, too small to house any crew, came out from warp some distance from the Wellington. The design was beautiful in its simplicity. It was built around a basic ring design, with maneuvering thrusters and small weapon systems built around a central ring structure, which presumably housed the impulse thrusters along with the warp systems an a simple reactor system.

"That's a Dalacari scout fighter." Rostra advised. "Right now, it's scanning us and seeing if we're supposed to be here. Then it will..."

"Captain, sensors picking up two ships approaching our location." the operations officer commented. "Time to intercept, fifty seven seconds."

"That's likely our escort." Rostra cautioned. Not even a minute later and two ships appeared in local space: One of them was sleek and colorful. A tapered hull design with nacelles built within the primary hull rather than left outside to chance. Dashing and bold, the design spoke of an understanding of aerodynamics and astrodynamics. The other was more intimidating in design, and favored darker colors in blue or purple or grey. The nacelles for this design were external, like most, though they were on extended pylons that withdrew closer to the ship to make for a smaller profile. The first ship was an explorer, a curious ship that wanted to see the next horizon... this second ship was the guardian. A military design designed to make sure that wherever the explorer went, it returned alive.

"We're being hailed."

"Is this how every vessel that comes is greeted?" Shaille asked curiously before the communication channel was opened.

On screen, there was a Dalacari captain. Male, brown fur with hints of blue here and there, and a uniform designed in simple red and gold trim. When the channel was opened, the pair of them smiled. "Captain. This is Captain Noro Molog of the RSC Observance Seven. On behalf of the Dalacari Republic, I welcome you to our little sector of space. On our escort is... "

"... the ISC Cascade Nova, captained by Shipmaster Hsin Gogal. We've just concluded a sweep of the local region not twenty of your minutes ago, to make sure your ..."

"...arrival in our space was clean and nontraumatic." he offered. Apparently the focal shift of Dalacari was a universal constant. Behind the Captain was the inner sanctum of the bridge on the Dalacari vessel. Two-being seats and accommodations were visible, with drones walking from place to place. An obvious security force on idle patrol.

"The Republic has been looking forward to hosting guests of the Federation for some time. We'll be pleased to escort you the rest of the way." Captain Noro mentioned with a nod from each form before he turned to his helm officer to have them input a course to their destination.

"We are incredibly delighted to have the chance to see your Republic." Michelle said. "And we appreciate the courtesy of your escort." she added as the channel closed. "Ensign, match our escort's speed and velocity and lay in the same coordinates."

"Aye, ma'am." Adel replied. "Speed and velocity matched... Set to follow our target."

"Those ships... I've never seen anything like them in my life."

Rostra couldn't help but smile at their wonder. "Dalacari craft are built with the notion of motion. Seemless transition from atmosphere to space, maneuverable, and fast. Ts'usugi ships, on the other hand..."

"... are built to fight. Show up, intimidate, and then pick up the pieces." she paused, just to let that settle. "They use retracting pylons to keep their nacelles safe and..."

"... closer to the ship during sublight. Dalacari designs internalize the nacelles to keep them from being easily damaged. We offered some similar designed to the ..."

"... Ts'usugi but with the way their engines and power core work, they politely refused."

"Maybe we could learn a couple things." Michelle added with a smirk. "You look kind of enthralled yourself, Lieutenant." she added as she turned to Shaille's console.

[90 Minutes Later]

The escorts arrived at a lovely little world, full of blues and greens with a moon high in its orbital and a second further out. Also in orbit was a space station, which looked like something of a crescent moon with a ring set about it just off middle. Various unmanned craft zipped about to and fro. Some stayed in orbit, while others made the trek into the atmosphere towards destinations on the surface. Structures and cityscapes could be seen on the surface.

(Sensor Readings: Standard M-Class world. Gravity at 1.33g with pockets of 1.0g. Planetary population of 4.8 billion with about half that many autonomous drones detected as well. Incoming Hail from the station)

Rather than the immediate visual of the station administrator, the first thing to greet the travelers to the sector was a pleasant three-tone musical cue. Followed by the appearance of the station administrator, a white-and-blue furred Dalacari female and an attendant drone, who had a decidedly military edge to its design.

"I'm Administrator Neema Goto, and I welcome you travelers to Ibrix station, jewel of the Dalacari Republic. We've done everything we can to ensure comfort for your..."

"... stay, and on behalf of all I hope you enjoy your stay. I'll arrange for Tee Eee Thirteen to send over an infopacket about the region you'll be staying in." there was a nod to someone off screen.

"You'll be welcomed at the Shoreline Talia villa, sitting on the coast. It should have most if not all of the ammenities for relaxation, and we've adjusted the local..."

"... gravity in a thirty mile radius of the villa to a more comfortable Earth standard for your stay. Areas outside this radius will, of course, be clearly marked for your..."

"... safety. As for the Wellington itself, you're cleared to dock at port thirty seven. There will be a drone sent to escort you presently."

"I appreciate your hospitality, Administrator. We'll meet you shortly."

"I look forward to meeting you. Station out." and the screen returned to the breathtaking view of Dalacar, and Ibrix station. Pound for pound, Ibrix station was slightly larger than most Starfleet starbases, but then again, it was full of Dalacari. Each one needing twice the space of any Starfleet officer. Sleek Dalacari craft docked around the ring, while some of the smaller ones were docked within the structure. Zipping about were hundreds of drone craft, either checking security or aiding in external maintenance and repairs. Everything was clockwork.

"Captain, we've been granted clearance to dock." Laro replied from the helm.

"Begin docking procedure." Michelle replied, taking in the scene... "Proceed carefully."

"Aye, ma'am."

The entire docking process ran smoothly, much smoother than Shaille would have anticipated. Once the ship was securely docked, there was little else left to do except wait until they were able to depart to the station.

The docking access for the Dalacari station told the story of the difference in design aesthetic the moment the crew made the walk over. Rounded corners, wide open internal design, and a soft light green in hue along the walls. Somewhere between sea green and mint, really. Roaming around performing various tasks were a cadre of drones. Upright and bipedal in design, some where hauling cargo on repulsor sleds, while others were moping the floor. Some were in transit to other locations, while others were scanning the interior of the station for, well, who knows what their tasks were...

Meeting the crew of the Wellington at the docking access was a lone drone. Bipedal, with a white-and-gold chassis and a broad head with a singular optic that lit up and flickered as it spoke. "Greetings travelers. This platform is designate Ess Cee Thirty Eight Ninty Four Delta. Assigned the temporary designation of Delta Four. You are greeting in welcoming and friendship, and this platform is tasked to escort you to Administrator Neema presently. This platform can answer questions about the station and the world below to a limited degree on our way over. Are you prepared to be escorted now?" it asked. The voice was a rather advanced synthetic modulation of a voice, but was obviously artificial.

"You know, I'd heard that the Dalacari were pretty up there with their technology, but this is seriously impressive," Shaille murmured quietly to no one in particular.

"Isn't it?" Michelle asked... "I've never seen it up close... Last time we were at a Dalacari starbase, I didn't really get to go aboard."

The drone tilted its head gently, "That's unfortunate. Dalacari starbases are built for service and comfort, with the safety of the crew and their guests placed as an alpha priority. In preparation for your arrival, to ensure your safety and comfort, the rounds of the local security forces have been increased, and to aid in comfort, the local gravity for this portion of the station and for every portion of the station you are expected to interact with has been reduced to a setting more in line with your requirements and expectations. If you are ready, this platform will escort you to Administrator Neema." the drone toned out, its synthetic voice the poster child of patience.

"Thank you." Michelle replied. "We'd be delighted.

The drone's motions were smooth and frighteningly humanoid as it led the group through the halls of the Dalacari station. There were other drones about, some the same coloration as the guide who were undoubtedly on tasks while others had a darker matte coloration with less gold trim. Those drones were visibly armed, and were obviously on patrols. There were a few Dalacari on duty, who paid the group some mind as they passed by. Some even ventured to offer the sign of a universal greeting: A wave. The hallways were well illuminated, with rounded edges to all the corners and intersections. Bright green illuminated track lights were in the extreme edges of each hallway that the drone led them down, while side hallways had blue track lighting instead.

"One would never be lost here." Michelle added.

Hailey had kept her head on the swivel, looking at everything in her normal 'scout's' way of looking at things. "No, ma'am, it would be very difficult indeed." She murmured, not seeing a way to infiltrate the place, too many drones and guards around, not that she needed to or anything. Just habit.

The tour led to a set of double office doors, and the announcer chime sounded even before the tour guide drone had finished approaching. The doors irised open as the group approached, leading into a spacious office. Like most of the station, the color scheme was a soft white, with high curved ceilings and rounded edges to just about everything. The station administrator's desk, the chairs, even the table itself was rounded. The chairs were wide, designed to fit two by a race that always needed a little extra room, while the table itself was almost a piece of art itself. Round, shiny and chrome, with intricate designs and curves in the surface yet to the touch it would still feel perfectly flat.

"Welcome travelers." the administrator greeted as she rose from behind her desk. "As you no doubt have guessed, my name is Neema Goto, and I'm the administrator of this station." she greeted.

"On behalf of the Republic, and the spirit of peace, I welcome you all." she came from behind her desk, each half walking behind the other, and she stood before the group and offered a pleasant smile (no teeth), and offered one of her hands out to the group.

"A pleasure, administrator." Michelle replied, returning her own hand. "We are very much looking forward to seeing what you have to offer. It's as impressive as my First Officer warned me it would be."

That brought a smile to each of Neema's faces. "I'm very much delighted to hear it. So, to keep you here as short a time as possible, I've prepared a Datatab with all the usual information. Tourist traps, relaxation centers..."

"... rules and regulations, standard warnings." one continued while the other handed Michelle the Dalacari equivalent to a PaDD. It was slightly thicker than a Federation PaDD, but the entirety of it was a touchscreen. Context sensitive motions and menus appeared with each screen. "I've loaded a map of the designated visitor region, along with popular attractions and local events."

"Just a word of caution. Dalacar has a gravity slightly higher than what Federation standard views as, well, standard." she informed. "We've adjusted the local gravity in the..."

"... region and informed the residents and shops in that area of the shift. They've had plenty of time to adjust so there should be no discomfort for any party..."

"... involved. A long stretch of shoreline has been included in the visitor area but be advised, shore diving may be difficult due to the differences in specific densities." she paused, and gave a smirk each, "In other words, you'll float. Easily."

"If there are no further questions, we can transmat you to the visitor's center immediately and you can begin your vacation." she seemed very pleased that, of all the worlds in the Delta quadrant, Dalacar was chosen.

They shifted the gravity for them? 'Impressive.' Michelle thought to herself. It was rare to see all the stops pulled out like this... If their missions went like this, life would be a lot easier for everyone...

"Whenever you're ready." Michelle said, reviewing the information. "I wish my superiors had reports this detailed." she added with a bit of a grin.

Another piece of praise like this, and Neema would probably burst. "In that case... System." and a soft voice echoed from the ceiling, reminiscent of the computer voice aboard the Wellington. Indeed, aboard any Federation ship.

:: Awaiting ::

"Please transmat our guests from the Wellington to Visitor's Center Twelve." Neema requested, and the voice returned.

:: Acknowledged ::

And with that, the crew of the Wellington were bathed in twists of light. When the light faded, they were no longer on the station. Soft sun, actual wind, brick stonework roads, quaint buildings no larger than two stories. The scent of food, the sound of actual people, even the subtle whir of drone actuators.

That first breath of air of an alien world. The scents, the sounds, the sights... They were on Dalacar. More specifically, Visitor Center 12. An open roof structure with wide archways and a small fountain in the center plaza. Various native Dalacari roamed the open plaza, and as the Wellington crew appeared, they stopped and watched. And as they finished their digital trip, they smiled and waved. Some spoke a greeting that didn't translate from the native Dalacarin. Others spoke a modrim of Federation standard, and greeted them appropriate.

"Greetings." called over one of the natives who was present in the visitor center, wearing a uniform on both of his forms. "And welcome to Dalacar. My name is Gora, I'm one of the greeters here on staff. There's just one final piece of business to attend to, and then you can begin to explore and enjoy..."

"... our wonderful world." one of Gora's forms held out a case of some form, and opened it to reveal what looked like white bracelets. Thin, flexible strips of some form of metal. "Dalacar's currency is electronic. This will help with any transactions, as well as storing medical information scanned on your transmat down..."

"... to the surface. The information is encrypted with a cypher that changes hourly, so it's quite secure." he assured.

Taking her bracelet in turn, Shaille turned away from Gora and cast a glance around, taking in the amazing scene surrounding them. It really was unlike anything she had ever seen before, and all the smells... it was bordering on sensory overload. The food, the plants, the fresh, non recycled inside a starship air, the feel of the breeze against her face.

With a laugh, Shaille looked back at the Captain. "I vote we disable the ships sensors and tracking systems so we can't be found and just stay here forever."

"I'd be down with that." Garcia replied. "Captain?"

Michelle chuckled. God, it would be nice wouldn't it? "I mean we have a Commodore to help us cover it up..."

Rostra gave a pair of smiles, "To be fair, I'd rather not have Dalacar's record with the Federation be smeared with the memory of 'Hey, remember that time the Wellington was put under a giant..."

"... tarp on that one planet?" she said, amused.

"In that case," Shaille turned back with an easy smile, facing the command staff. "I suggest a water landing. Much easier to hide than a giant tarp."

Michelle chuckled at the memory of that... "You heard her Ensign... if we fall out of orbit, put us in the lake!"


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