Space Hulk

[KejalBuris]

I wish I had a better title for this mission, but frankly, it's basically directly pulled from its original 'verse, Warhammer 40K. I've been looking over measurements of starbases in Trek, and from top to bottom, Starbase is about 8 miles long. That means I've got to scale things down, but, here we go.

Everyone in space knows somewhere inside them that above all else, they are not the first. We know of the First Federation and the Preservers. And we know that there must be more - there are enough hints. And from the unxplored edge of the Beta Quadrant comes one of those hints. Starbase 332 has registered on long-range sensors the single largest definitely artificial spaceborne object, ever. 40 miles across and about the same in height, it's an archaeologist's dream and nightmare in one. There is no way to name it except as a Space Hulk. It has been at continuous warp speed for the last month or so, and is coming towards Betelgeuse-β as only a superhuge vessel can do. It shows no sign of slowing.

Starfleet Intelligence has mostly ruled out the possibility of the object being Borg in origin, but to defend Betelgeuse-β, Starbase 332, the Ritorians and the Gorn, it has been ruled a necessity for a Pegasus Fleet Task Group to meet the thing head on and stop it. Once that is done, the Starfleet crews are to investigate the thing, and find out who, or what, launched it into this sector.

That's the beginning. From there, I see it as a TG-wide mission; the largest vessel deals with slowing it down and each crew investigates a separate section of the Hulk (Probably each one actually will take a different vessel that made up the whole), only to discover that there are "things" onboard. They are hostile, they know the territory better than the Federation crew, and frankly, I imagine them being highly dangerous without some real tactical smarts. This is a mission that could end up being a red-shirt meat grinder. As far as the environment itself, there is no power, life support is minimal at best, and only there due to being sealed. However, comms only work over a limited distance, tricorders can't scan more than about 40 feet ahead, and phasers will be drained with each successive shot. Exploration will reveal secrets based on what the COs and TGCO have agreed upon. It's one big, dangerous Away mission plot that involves quite a few potential enemies, and fighting against things that we're not aiming to make friends with.

It also provides a double-pronged threat, both to a crew who stays on the ship with tractor beams (try to slow it down without ripping it apart), and another who gets down and dirty to try and stop it from inside out.

Basically... I love Space Hulk. I want to see a Trek take on it. And I think that we can do quite a bit with it if we work together.

Questions, comments, suggestions, and criticisms are gratefully accepted.

[Confusedfire]

I don't know if this would work as a Story arc for a Task Group...It's a good idea though perhaps the Dauntless could run it and you could NPC some ships to go with you or find someone willing to Joint Mission or something?

[KejalBuris]

I think it would basically have be to either a TG story or at least multiple ships in coordination, given the sheer scale of it. We're talking something that's approximately 64,300 meters in every direction, which means a total volume of 2.65847707*10^14 m^3. The thing is as big as five or six Starbases put together - and that's a generous estimate. No single starship could manage to slow it down, let alone possibly redirect the course. It's too massive.

[Confusedfire]

I would be willing to do a JM with the Dauntless and whoever else would want to participate. I don't think it would be a good TG story because that would limit those who could participate.

[KejalBuris]

Sounds like a great plan for the not-too-distant future, hit me on my e-mail and CC your XO, I'll pull in my XO, and we can start planning this craziness out.