“The ocean is a reflection of our society – if we want to save the ocean, we need to save ourselves.”

Sylvia Earle. 2025

With a searching blast the vengeful maelstrom yowled its vociferous exhortation, that nearly threatened to tear Captain Monique McDowell from the rain – slick deck plating of the storm – scoured platform and pluck her bodily into the salt – contested air, to plunge into the crushing momentum of the pounding iron – grey surf below.

Instinctively the Captain of the USS Astute sought the relative safety afforded by the lee of the shuttle, whose hull was still radiating a suffusing warmth left over from the passage of atmospheric re – entry, causing the striking rain to plink and transform to tiny motes of steam as they struck the craft like some magician’s sideshow conjuring trick made multiple in miniature.

As Monique shuddered involuntarily and clasped the collar of her away – team jacket higher, cinching the garment to shield against the worst persistence of the truly testing weather, a near – jovial voice sounded behind her as her Chief Engineer exited the Type – 10 Shuttlecraft and took his place on deck, seemingly oblivious to the miserable conditions that persisted throughout.

“Well, well, it’s a real nice day, fer sure. Aye, I’m feelin’ a bit homesick, I am!” grinned Lieutenant Commander Bob Aldridge, drawling in his habitual Mainer – creole.

Monique tried to scowl in the general direction of Chief Aldridge and considered fomenting a scathing rejoinder that was unlikely to register above the clamor of the storm that raged planetwide across Encedis-#5, but was ultimately upstaged by a stupendous detonation of blinding light that froze the entire platform in a monochromatic staccato for a split- second and then the platform was plunged once more in the resumption of darkness and chaos.

The landing – platform perched precariously above a turbulent sea that the eternal storm overhead had transformed into a listless and unwelcoming dun – colored vista that stretched from horizon to horizon.

The platform itself was founded and stubbornly clung, limpet – like, upon one of the minuscule – few protrusions of solid – rock that dared to penetrate the surface of a planet that was ostensibly an ocean – world, with less than three – percent of its entire volume given over to land – mass.

Dr Jin Motonobu, Lieutenant & the Astute’s Chief Science Officer peered wanly out at the relative protection of the shuttle’s interior, with a face that suggested that the scientist with an eternal passion for exploration had maybe lost his habitual relish to explore in this instance.

Unperturbed, Chief Aldridge strode out confidently from the shuttle – unheeding the cruel lash of rain and seemingly wholly immune to the tearing insistence of the imploring wind and pointed out at a distant figure that was starkly illuminated by the proceeding stab of retina – searing lightning.

“See Cap’n? Dere’s our host now, I’d wager?”

Bob smiled back at Monique, his broad face slick with rain and his impressive moustache becoming decidedly less impressive with each passing second it was exposed to the deluge.

Sure enough, proceeding towards the group with some obvious difficulty, came a lone figure almost entirely engulfed and enshrouded in protective wet weather gear, hood jammed firmly down in defiance of the storm and dangling safety lights careering wildly in the slipstream of foul weather as they approached the rapidly – cooling shuttle.

Unable to decide whether the storm itself or her Chief Engineer’s cheerful immunity to its effects annoyed her more at that present moment, Captain Monique McDowell relented and (against her better judgement), she struck out to rendezvous with the struggling figure as the sky above was wrent with a colossal expression of thunder that seemed to roll across half the world (and in – reality did just that).

“Captain McDowell?” The figure, a woman, shouted hoarsely and extended a wet hand to shake in greeting.

“I’m afraid so!” Monique shouted back, bellowing to be heard as rain trickled unwelcomingly down her back, making her shiver involuntarily.

“Welcome to First Landing!” The woman persisted wetly. “I’m Jenna Delain, Director of Operations here for Genodyne!”

Monique gratefully took Director Delain’s hand (if only for something more reassuring to hang on to, despite the storm) and struggled to reply.

“Thank you, Director! Is there anywhere less lively that we can carry this on?!”

“Yes, yes! Of course, Captain!” Jenna Delain nodded apologetically, as if the storm was somehow directly her fault, and gestured to the other side of the platform where stood a turbolift terminal that the Director had used to reach the surface. “If you and your team would follow me?”

Monique turned back to the shuttle in time to see Lieutenant Søgaard shut down the small craft’s systems and exit the interior, locking the hatch against the violent protestations of the storm. The CO gestured to the Chief of Security and together the group of senior officers from the Echelon – class starship made their careful way in the van of the Genodyne executive across the sleeting deck toward the lift.

Eventually they made the protection of the turbolift car and were roundly relieved as the doors cycled closed and the worse insinuations of the weather abated.

The group were left dripping in the confines of the lift – car as it began its downward progress through the waves and Director Delain drew back her sodden – hood to reveal the face of a Caucasian Terran – woman in her mid – 40’s. A carelined face, just starting to reveal the faint crows – feet of age around her eyes, but a handsome woman, nevertheless.

When she spoke, her voice was warm and sonorous, in contrast to the clamorous cold welcome outside on the surface.

“As I said.” Delain repeated somewhat dryly, “Welcome to First Landing, the central base of operations for Genodyne Systems here on Encedis-#5. I’d apologize for the appalling state of the weather, but of course – that is why you’re all here after all isn’t it?” She remarked with a small laugh.

As part of the Astute Light Cruiser Division, hurriedly formed in the aftermath of the disastrous Vaadwaur Invasion of the Alpha & Beta Quadrants, Monique and her crew had been tasked by Task Force 72 with aiding with the disaster – relief and reconstruction efforts by Starfleet to reconnect and reunite hundreds of Federation and non – aligned worlds that had been isolated by the Blackout and suffered at the hands of the Vaadwaur Supremacy.

Although the invaders had been ultimately defeated and pushed back through the Multicursal Labyrinth, the widespread damage they had wrought would take years, if not decades, of concerted reconstruction and relief to restore the lives of countless millions to a semblance of that which they had enjoyed up until a few short disastrous months ago.

Monique McDowell nodded as she frisked the worse of the wet from her abundant Afro – hair.

“That’s the idea Director.” Monique smiled and indicated to her crew.

“May I introduce Lieutenant Commander Robert Aldridge, of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers and my Chief Engineer aboard the USS Astute.” The Captain nodded at Bob’s big, broad smiling face.

“Pleezed t’ meet ya.” Bob nodded, reassuringly avuncular as ever.

“His teams are tasked with assisting your technicians with the restoration of the damaged portions of your orbital weather – control satellites that were lost to enemy aggression. From what I have seen so far, I’d say that’s a pretty pressing priority?” Monique observed evenly.

Jenna Delain nodded in the affirmative.

“When my ancestors settled here in the first wave of colonization over two hundred years ago Captain, the surface of the planet was much as you see it today.” The Director noted with evident regret and sadness.

“Over the proceeding years we dedicated ourselves to terraforming the planet and taming the natural Ion – storms with our weather control network until conditions on the surface were suitable for inhabitation and created the marine – processing operation that provides the raw – organic proteins through Genodyne that provides the system with half of their daily basic food requirements.” Delain explained as the turbolift ushered them from the surface, ever downward through the vast deep.

“Or at least, we did until the Vaadwaur destroyed the network and set us back hundreds of years, developmentally and commercially.” Delain looked genuinely aggrieved at this realization. “The most galling thing is that they didn’t even bother to invade. They just destroyed the network and moved on deeper into the system.”

“A strategic move.” Lieutenant Natalie Søgaard confirmed ruefully. “Sadly, we saw it a lot during the conflict.” The striking young Security Chief’s lips were an impassionate line. “The Vaadwaur, lacking the bulk of forces needed for blanket occupation, negated your capacity to support neighboring communities with essential – supply and then moved on to the next easy target.”

Director Delain shook her head.

“I wish it were just as simple as that Lieutenant.” Jenna explained. “When the Vaadwaur killed the weather control network, they didn’t just destroy our ability to harness the weather, they sounded a death – nell for our means of production.”

Dr Jin Motonobu nodded and explained for the benefit of his crewmates.

“What the Director is basically saying, is that when they ‘killed the sky’, that they set in motion an inevitable chain of events that, if left unchecked, will also kill the sea and all life in it.”

The compact Nipponese scientist rubbed the last of the rain from his bald – shaved head and his warm brown eyes twinkled as he got the opportunity to get his science – on and explain complex concepts to the uninitiated.

His favorite pastime.

“Encedis-#5 is naturally home to planet wide storm – cell activity of a particularly impressive magnitude thanks to a perpetual ionization of its atmosphere, due to its proximity to the systems’ main – sequence star. Ionizing radiation that was restrained artificially for the most part by the weather control network, has to dissipate somewhere and it dumps itself onto the surface in the form of an Ion Storm.”

“An ionospheric storm is defined as a phenomenon characterized by large daytime increases in peak plasma density or total electron content over a period of at least 2–3 hours, caused by vertically convected plasma drift in the presence of a strong east-west electric field of magnetospheric origin.”

Jin looked around at the interested, but slightly lost looks on his comrades faces, so decided to shift it down a gear.

“Basically put, there are lots of energized electrons that need to release and go somewhere, and the biggest attractor is the sea that covers around 97% of the planet.” Dr Motonobu summarized reasonably.

“Apart from some quite breathtaking Aurora – activity at the poles, one of the more unfortunate side – effects of this discharge are that of acid ionization of ammonium ions naturally present in salts in most seawater.”

Director Delain nodded, warming to the subject and also to the perceptive Starfleet scientist, who had a solid grip on the wider problem facing her people.

“The free base (NH3) has a relatively high lipid solubility because it carries no charge and is therefore able to diffuse quite readily across cell membranes – in this case the marine organisms genetically cultivated & farmed here by Genodyne Systems.” She expounded. “With each passing hour that the storm rages, our ocean is slowly becoming more acidic and presenting a medium that can no longer sustain the phytoplankton that the Krill we farm depend upon for life.”

Captain McDowell nodded, the implications of the disastrous chain of causality broken by the Vaadwaur was painfully clear.

“So, if we don’t fix the weather control network, the food – chain will be destroyed and resultantly the planets in this system that rely upon Genodyne to provide for their sustainable – nutrient supply will ultimately fail.” The Captain looked suitably grave at the chilling prospect of millions of people starving to death.

“What is the worst-case projection in the eventuality of total eco-collapse & failure of operations?”” Monique persisted.

Director Delain looked equally uncomfortable as she replied.

“I don’t like to speak decisively without the actual figures Captain, but if the rate of ammonium – hydrolysis remains a constant at the current rate, I would expect a total collapse of the food – chain and production in somewhere between seven to fourteen days, it’s hard to be precise with so many variable factors at play I’m afraid.”

This morbid prediction hung heavily upon all assembled, as the Turbolift came to a gentle stop and its doors hissed unobtrusively back into their recesses.

“Then we certainly have our work cut out for us.” Monique concluded in a serious tone.

“That we have, Captain.” Jenna Delain agreed sadly as she led the group out into a vast cavernous undersea space that was mantled by an over-arching faceted, geodesic dome of breathtaking proportions.

“But at least we don’t have to worry about the weather as we work.” The Director added as she gestured to the fabulous undersea habitat.

“Welcome to the city of Mariner’s Deep!”