Lethe in Hindsight

Posted on Sun Feb 2nd, 2025 @ 10:15pm by Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida

730 words; about a 4 minute read

Second Officer’s Log, Stardate 78081.9

The USS Copernicus has returned to Starbase 21 following our mission to the Lethe system. The ship sustained heavy damage. Some of the crew lost their lives, others were wounded. The Briar Patch hides more dangers than at first anticipated.

I find myself reflecting on the nature of what we encountered. Given the unusual circumstances surrounding this mission, I expect that my log will be reviewed by command, so I will try to be as clear and thorough as possible.

Our objective was straightforward: survey Lethe’s surface and assess the planet’s suitability for further study. What we found was something else entirely. We encountered a lifeform, or an entity, that identified itself as Euryale. The nature of this being remains ambiguous, but its capabilities and methods suggested a level of intelligence and predatory instinct beyond what we initially understood.

At first, Euryale engaged in psychological manipulation. Crewmembers with the ability of telepathy started with reporting sensing unease. It got worse the closer we got to Lethe. It was, simply, a telepathic assault that eroded the sense of security of those affected. At some point it was Lieutenant Alessa who said she was hearing whispers, voices, sounds of a battle and the accompanying cries of wounded. She couldn’t tell what battle specifically, only that it took place a long time ago. I cannot yet determine whether these events were the result of advanced technology used by Euryale or that she herself was able to contact the crewmembers via telepathy.

Once we realized we were being hunted, the mission shifted from scientific inquiry to survival. We were able to beam back the Away Team from Lethe at the last moment, just before Euryale was about to capture them. After that we had to get away from Lethe as quickly as possible as Euryale used her ship to pursue us into the Briar Patch. Our only goal from there on was to get back alive to Starbase 21 without giving Euryale the opportunity to discover its location.

Obviously, the Copernicus is not a combat vessel, and our tactical options were limited. Euryale demonstrated an ability to track us through Lethe’s atmosphere and the Briar Patch, utilizing the environment to her advantage. Despite our best evasive efforts, she maintained pursuit, forcing us into direct confrontation.

Ultimately, we were able to turn the situation against her. The metreon clouds within the Briar Patch, though hazardous, provided us with an opportunity to obscure our position. Using precise maneuvering and sensor countermeasures, we lured Euryale into a position where she was vulnerable. We used Bussard Ramscoops of the Copernicus to collect as much of the metreon gas as the ship allowed for. We released all of it once we exited one of the dense metreon clouds and dived under Euryale’s ship. After we managed to put enough distance between her ship and ours Lieutenant Abrasax ignited the gas with a precise Phaser burst. Sensor logs show that the explosion that followed was enough to at least overload a few of her shield generators, but it was the far larger explosion that followed from the nearby dense metreon cloud that destroyed her ship. The tactic we used was not new. It had been used before by the crew of the USS Enterprise-E long ago. Still, it proved to be effective once more and Lieutenant Abrasax executed it perfectly.

Mission reports will state that Euryale was neutralized. And yet, I am not entirely certain. Perhaps it is a byproduct of the psychological strain this mission placed on all of us, but there is a lingering sense of unease.

I submit this log for review not as a recommendation for immediate action, but as a record of my observations. If any further anomalies are reported in or around Lethe, I urge command to approach them with caution.

This mission to Lethe cost the lives of several officers and crewmen, our colleagues and friends, and even more wounded. I can only imagine the difficult task Doctor Lyras faced in Sickbay during our fight with Euryale.

For now, the Copernicus will undergo repairs, and the crew will take time to recover. I commend them all for their composure and dedication under extreme circumstances. Whatever else can be said about this mission, we returned home. That is not something I take for granted.

End log.

 

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