| Author |
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Kari
| | Posted on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 09:05 pm: | |
((This is in the same vein as what Daren just posted, though in relation to the immediate situation in Enigma and concatenated into tasty IC form.))
Senior Officers Intelligence Summary (SOIS) 993-7B, Enigma Engagement 3, Coronado Distribution, 240202.24
*Scope: This document is designed to quickly notify you of all factors you likely might encounter during your upcoming engagement. It is by no means a complete account of the included subjects, and as such all information should cross referenced with the computer or a member of the intelligence staff before major actions are taken.
**Enigma System, Astronomical Summary
The Enigma System (designated K042) consists of a single class M star orbiting 158 million kilometers away from a typical type G3 V star. Located in grid 002 sector 0011, it’s approximately 54 LY ‘west’ of the Gateway system.
This system’s name originated from Taer, who were also the ones who informed our forces of its presence. They found Enigma completely devoid of any type of meteor, dust, or other various other pieces of debris, very much unlike the rest of grid 002 which has relatively large amounts of such items.
It would later be found out that this was the direct result of the system being cleared by a Traxati worldlife, located on the single object in orbit of the star.
**Enigma I, Geological Summary
This blue-black class M planet was initially thought to be uninhabited, largely because of the inhospitable nature of its surface. Though the atmosphere consist of large amounts of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and liquid water, the average surface temperature is negative 60C, putting it on the very bottom end of the class M designation.
The surface is covered with large amounts of hydrocarbon snow, with scattered pockets of enzyme-laced liquid waters. These waters are used by the worldlife in the processing of acquired debris, while light from the system’s star powers its internal core.
It is suspected that the hydrocarbon snow is somehow also disrupting almost all our sensor capabilities. Currently, only very basic heat and EM scans of the planet have returned meaningful results.
**Traxati General Summary
A single Traxati life form is currently considered to consist of the planet they inhabit. They are thought to have a crystal memory core made of diamond which is about the size of the planet itself. It functions as their center of operations, resulting from an intelligence that is more closely related to machine than normal biological life. Communication with the specimen confirms these beliefs and is further supported by its distorted since of time, perceiving things from a much slower prospective than that of most species.
The Enigma system closely matches that of the Pandemonium system, which was the location of the first encounter with the Traxat. Not much was known about that system at the time because, as Task Group 5.4 approached, at was attacked by large numbers of unmanned probes. It was also during this encounter that the Traxati destroyed the home worlds of the Zadari and Moltarr, two sentient species in Federation space.
The Traxati use their probes for all of their interaction to the outside of their world. They can perform functions ranging from gathering materials and sensor data, for construction, fighting, and even setting up new, independent worldlives. A typical probe is cylindrical and ranges from 50-70 meters long, though no correlation has yet been made as to the effects of the different sizes.
In combat the probes have two primary offensive weapons. First, they can launch small neutronium needles which have the ability to pierce straight through their target. The effectiveness of these needles is most recently seen in the fight against the Pfhor at Xanadu, where they were a key element to turning the battle for the Defender forces. The probes also posses the ability to convert up to eight cubic meters of normal matter into antimatter, devastating anything that comes into contact with the destructive substance.
**Enigma Engagement 1 Summary
On SD240107.30 the Enigma system was discovered from sensor data provided by the Taer. It was marked as having the possibility of containing a Traxati presence and TG 5.4 admiralty decided to investigate further.
Because of past encounters with the Traxati, a battle group of eight ships was assembled 15 LY ‘north’ of Enigma for the operation.
The plan called for the Coronado, Renegade, and Douglas Macarthur to deploy a science team and marine cover on the surface of the planet and then drop back to assist the other five ships in keeping the probes at bay.
Upon entering the system, however, they discovered that the 200 probes launched were longer, flatter, with fewer rounded corners, and covered with data ports, overall giving the impression that they were a less advanced version then the ones encountered at Pandemonium.
At first, their only weapon was a type of high-energy plasma bolt, causing relatively little damage compared to the neutronium nettles. After a few minutes however, the probes began to group together, connecting at their data points. Once five probes were connected they could fire those deadly needles.
Before this was realized, however, two fighters were destroyed and the Renegade and Fearless were badly holed. Once the linking was determined as the cause of the needles linked probes became the prime target, allowing the marine transports to continue to the planet relatively unscathed.
Once the science and marine teams were deployed on the surface, however, a resurgence of probes from the surface forced a retreat.
In the middle of this retreat, however, the Traxati apparently opened a line of communication with the Coronado, using an escalating frequency of electromagnetic disruptions on the ship’s warp core. The probes were stopped and the evacuation was paused, with a large number of ground forces still deployed.
It was about this time that the Traxati used to the hydrocarbon snow on the planet’s surface to construct a giant holograph, visible to both the forces on the ground and in space. During the next 20 minutes, the Traxati used this holograph to visually display their history in the M64 galaxy.
This progressed from the first probes entering the galaxy, to the construction of the Enigma and Gateway systems, and then of the hypergate itself. It then showed its attempts to spread further, but was soon stopped by a dark red cloud which covered a large portion of the galaxy. We known know that this cloud is almost definitely representative of the Pfhor.
Of particular note, they also showed what was apparently a deliberate sabotage of the hypergate, crippling it in such a way as only to allow transit through a single direction. It is assumed now that this was to keep the Pfhor from spreading beyond M64.
The holographic display also indicated that if Coronado were to assist in pushing back the red cloud that the gate might be reconfigured to allow for two way travel. Now that the Pfhor threat has been assuaged it might be advisable to consult the Traxati on this.
After the show completed it was realized that the surface of Enigma I could be considered the ‘face’ of the creature and it was decided to pull back all forces on the ground. In response the Coronado was awarded a 20M communications probe which would later be used to summon the Traxati to defense of Xanadu.
After the away team had been retrieved members of Coronado’s Science and Intelligence teams took time to converse visually with the Traxati life form. The battle group had to be recalled soon, however, and the USS Odyssey was dispatched to conduct further scientific investigations.
**Recent Intelligence Summary, Enigma System
The findings of the Odyssey team were restricted and are unavailable for publication in this document. If you have a sufficient access code they can be found through use of LCARS.
Once the war with the Pfhor erupted that team had to be evacuated from the system, and no contact has been made with it since. Long range sensor logs from that time and analysis of gravity well departure and arrival points shows no direct transit of Pfhor vessels to or from Enigma, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate that no contact occurred.
More data will be available once the system comes into LORASON range.
-Compiled by Whitestone Intelligence
LCdr. K. Ma`Aru Presiding |
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