08-15-2026, 02:14 AM
Jez felt a familiar feeling wash over her, one she hadn’t experienced since she had been with her parents on an archaeological dig. Because her parents were archaeologists, she knew all too well about hidden booby traps and the dangers that could be waiting beneath an apparently harmless surface. Jez sat down and reviewed all the information they currently had.
Jez looked at Cologero. The Commander Velaul hologram had placed Jez and Cologero in charge. She looked at him and said, “Cologero, this is what I think our course of action should be. What do you think?”
“We need to proceed carefully,” Jez said. “First, establish a safety perimeter around the cave entrance. No one goes inside, and we keep all unnecessary vehicles and shuttle traffic away from the mountain until we understand what we’re dealing with.”
She paused, considering the information on the display.
“Contact the Prometheus and have them send us everything they have—geological scans, archaeological records, sensor data, and communications logs. I want a complete analysis of the shuttle’s flight recorder as well. We need to know why it abandoned its original flight plan, why it made three passes over the cave, and what triggered those unexplained transmission bursts.”
Jez pointed toward the images of the tire tracks.
“We also need to determine who made those tracks. Use remote sensors to follow them and map the cave system without putting anyone underground. At the same time, identify the source of those power emissions and determine whether the ancient systems are actually stabilizing the mountain.”
She looked around the room.
“Until we know exactly what those systems are doing, nobody touches them. If they’re holding this mountain together, the last thing we want to do is shut them down.”
Her expression hardened.
“Once we’ve established that the area is safe, we’ll search for the missing occupants and determine what happened to them. Until then, we observe, we analyze, and we proceed with caution.”
She glanced once more at the dark entrance on the display.
“Whatever is down there has been operating for a very long time. We can afford to take a little time to understand it before we go walking into it.”
Jez was nervous. This was her first mission as Acting Chief of Security. Yes, she knew it was a holographic simulation, but she still wanted to do a good job.
Jez leaned over and whispered to Mike, “Did I make the right call? What should I do?”
==Commander Michael Denton, Chief of Security (Retired), Temp NRC ==
Mike looked at Jez. He was proud of her.
“Jez, I can’t help you with this. I’m not a member of the Aquila’s crew. This is an official evaluation of you and Cologero as Department Heads. It wouldn’t be fair or ethical if I advised you.”
There was a hint of hurt in Mike’s voice. He really wanted to advise her, to tell her that she was making the right choices.
Mike let out a sigh.
“Jez, you have to make the hard decisions if you want to be Chief of Security. Besides, I don’t think Commander Velaul likes me very much. She’d probably throw me out the nearest airlock if she found out I was helping you,” Mike added.
Mike could tell by the look on Jez’s face that she was unsure whether she was making the right calls. But he knew this was an official evaluation. Commander Velaul needed to know whether these young Department Heads had what it took to lead their respective departments.
Tactical and Security were difficult positions. The Captain and First Officer had to be certain they had the right people in the right places. If things went badly and Velaul and Brooks were incapacitated, taken hostage, or worse, killed, they would need someone who could step up and take command.
Mike knew Jez was nervous, but he also knew she needed to make these decisions on her own.
This was her opportunity to prove that she belonged in the position.
== Tag Coppola. ==
Jez looked at Cologero. The Commander Velaul hologram had placed Jez and Cologero in charge. She looked at him and said, “Cologero, this is what I think our course of action should be. What do you think?”
“We need to proceed carefully,” Jez said. “First, establish a safety perimeter around the cave entrance. No one goes inside, and we keep all unnecessary vehicles and shuttle traffic away from the mountain until we understand what we’re dealing with.”
She paused, considering the information on the display.
“Contact the Prometheus and have them send us everything they have—geological scans, archaeological records, sensor data, and communications logs. I want a complete analysis of the shuttle’s flight recorder as well. We need to know why it abandoned its original flight plan, why it made three passes over the cave, and what triggered those unexplained transmission bursts.”
Jez pointed toward the images of the tire tracks.
“We also need to determine who made those tracks. Use remote sensors to follow them and map the cave system without putting anyone underground. At the same time, identify the source of those power emissions and determine whether the ancient systems are actually stabilizing the mountain.”
She looked around the room.
“Until we know exactly what those systems are doing, nobody touches them. If they’re holding this mountain together, the last thing we want to do is shut them down.”
Her expression hardened.
“Once we’ve established that the area is safe, we’ll search for the missing occupants and determine what happened to them. Until then, we observe, we analyze, and we proceed with caution.”
She glanced once more at the dark entrance on the display.
“Whatever is down there has been operating for a very long time. We can afford to take a little time to understand it before we go walking into it.”
Jez was nervous. This was her first mission as Acting Chief of Security. Yes, she knew it was a holographic simulation, but she still wanted to do a good job.
Jez leaned over and whispered to Mike, “Did I make the right call? What should I do?”
==Commander Michael Denton, Chief of Security (Retired), Temp NRC ==
Mike looked at Jez. He was proud of her.
“Jez, I can’t help you with this. I’m not a member of the Aquila’s crew. This is an official evaluation of you and Cologero as Department Heads. It wouldn’t be fair or ethical if I advised you.”
There was a hint of hurt in Mike’s voice. He really wanted to advise her, to tell her that she was making the right choices.
Mike let out a sigh.
“Jez, you have to make the hard decisions if you want to be Chief of Security. Besides, I don’t think Commander Velaul likes me very much. She’d probably throw me out the nearest airlock if she found out I was helping you,” Mike added.
Mike could tell by the look on Jez’s face that she was unsure whether she was making the right calls. But he knew this was an official evaluation. Commander Velaul needed to know whether these young Department Heads had what it took to lead their respective departments.
Tactical and Security were difficult positions. The Captain and First Officer had to be certain they had the right people in the right places. If things went badly and Velaul and Brooks were incapacitated, taken hostage, or worse, killed, they would need someone who could step up and take command.
Mike knew Jez was nervous, but he also knew she needed to make these decisions on her own.
This was her opportunity to prove that she belonged in the position.
== Tag Coppola. ==