"Doctor Hampton had a vision for this place. One for which Captain Munro laid the groundwork and Commander Chaplain attempted to bring to life. I may not be Munro, Hampton or Chaplain. But it is my duty and privilege to continue the work that they started. As such, for as long as I am in the Director's office, Pioneer Station will serve as the shelter that those people need. Pioneer Station will serve as the sanctuary that those people need."
Pioneer turned up the heat on what started out as a relaxing change of pace down on the Promenade and in Gaila's new-but-not-so-new establishment. With the Hobus supernova contained, the station was slowly welcoming back it's civilian population and additional Starfleet resources which were evacuated when the first disturbances were reported earlier in the year. While most of the senior staff took some well deserved downtime in the bar, Captain Mason was preparing to deliver an address to their new arrivals. One which would be altered significantly as the night went on.
As Mason alluded to requiring Jemma Etis to see something in her quarters (beyond the new headband), Engineering sporadically reported increases in the station's ambient temperature. It continued to rise steadily, alerting the officers above. McClintock, Costello and Barnes found themselves in Main Engineering as the computer tricked itself in to believing that a fusion core overload was imminent. The area was sealed and the temperature continued to rise inexplicitly.
While the Engineering team worked to resolve their lock-down and rising temperatures, Mason and Etis were witness to an approaching fleet of ships. After receiving orders which were accepted in private, Mason instructed Etis to work from Engineering while she attended to other matters. During this time, Mason made contact with surrounding Starfleet ships and the primary Klingon mining platform in the asteroid field.
McClintock and his makeshift engineers performed a computer reboot and process transfer in order to restore control to environmental systems. The crew both in and out of Engineering were treated for their discomfort during the heat wave - before making their way to the Promenade for Mason's highly edited address. The Captain also requested that Etis join her in her quarters after the event.
Mason openly revealed that she had been instructed to form a blockade - preventing the refugee fleet access to the Accobar System. However, citing her predecessors and the concerns that she was just there to act out her mother's wishes, Mason announced her intention for Pioneer to become a safe haven for all that desire it. Two of the Klingon mining platforms are in the process of being converted in to refugee centres while Pioneer will provide as much shelter and supplies as she can manage. The surrounding Starfleet Captains are presumably on side to disavow the orders coming from SB215.
Following the address, Etis journeyed to Mason's quarters - where the Captain revealed the presence of Walter Peirce's briefcase. Despite protest and concerns over curiosity, Mason left Etis alone to open the case and recover the files on her family. As Etis looked over the documents within, Mason was contacted by an external force who claimed responsibility for Etis discovering it's contents...
- Mason referred Doctor Hampton when briefly speaking with the external force.
- Hampton was also contacted remotely by the same unidentified figure in Season One's 'Where There is Discord' ( Episode Thread (http://www.last-outpost.net/forum/index.php/topic,5050.0.html) || Discussion Thread (http://www.last-outpost.net/forum/index.php/topic,5088.0.html) ) Did you think I had forgotten him?
- The refugee fleet approaching Pioneer was foreshadowed by Roxanne Swan and Daniel Thrace in Season Two's 'Prohibitum Scientia' ( Episode Thread (http://www.last-outpost.net/forum/index.php/topic,6307.0.html) )
- The joint Federation-Romulan construction of Pioneer was mentioned for the first time since the first season.
- Asteroid Base: Alpha's destruction was discussed (and toasted) amongst the bar crawlers.
- Sophia has begun wearing the headband gifted by Jemma. There was no further reference to their shuttle-bound conversation in the previous episode.
- Costello kept away from the bar, for fear of murdering Gaila. Horribly.
I was weary of the attendance at the start of the episode, but members started to drift in and I know we had one or two problems. So thank you all for coming! Pioneer has a new purpose and who know how many secrets are about to be uncovered from the contents of
that briefcase.
Rate and discuss, above and below!
Any feedback is appreciated for refining different types of stories in the future :)
Well, I enjoyed the episode. Just one request: next time the bar explodes, please let Gaila be inside.