We had been on board the Doomsday machine for some time now, and so we organised a short shift change with M7 returning to the Arizona and Lieutenant Commander Ana Vex (acting Chief Science Officer) and Lieutenant Mabrin Roh (Medical Officer) coming to take his place.
Vex and Roh immediately got to work on reviving the three Vulcanoids that were in hibernation. As the fluid drained from the cylinders, the people inside began to undergo a rapid mutation with tentacles sprouting from their faces.
Thavliss leapt into action shooting one of the creatures. Although it appeared harmed, its wounds immediately closed up and were healed. The crew hit upon the idea of impaling one of the creatures upon the neutronium fragment that they found. The effect was instant, with the creature turning to a brittle skeleton. We repeated this on the remaining creatures and we were spared any harm.
We decided to collect some of the neutronium in case it became useful later on.
As the Doomsday Machine was at 80% power and we had only one final power terminal to repair, we discussed our options. We discussed attempting to keep the planet killer, but we felt that it was simply too risky. We could not be sure that it would obey our commands and we were concerned that it may begin to consume planets again.
We decided on a belt and braces approach. We placed tri-cobalt bombs around the vessel and agreed that when the power was restored that we would set its course for the sun on this solar system.
Thankfully, the skeletal androids ignored Calan as he worked to restored the final power terminal. As he completed his task, the machine began to hum a little more loudly. Back on the "bridge", Ruk requested a course heading to be laid in.
We were concerned about requesting a suicide course directly from Ruk and so Vek programmed the course directly into the Conn. We set the speed so that the bombs would go off just before the Doomsday Machine hit the sun.
We rapidly vacated the Doomsday Machine and returned to the Arizona. From the bridge we watched as the Doomsday Machine was consumed by the sun at the centre of the solar system.
We set course back to Federation territory taking Subcommander Rekar and the unconscious Lieutenant Callus with us. The journey was uneventful and an opportunity to recover from our ordeal.
We were ordered to report to Admiral Janeway, head of Starfleet Intelligence. She gave us orders to investigate the threat that these Marauders may pose to the Federation. She said that Starfleet Intelligence had managed to decode the first location from the hologram on S2379 as being around Caranam on Romulus.
Our orders were to investigate with specific Directives to be discrete and not to be discovered by the Romulans. The Subcommander agreed to come with us and assist, but asserted that she would not betray her people. M7 has been assigned to other duties for Starfleet Intelligence. Admiral Janeway did not elaborate on what these duties may be. The Admiral also informed us that there was a Starfleet Intelligence informant at Caranam called Q'Taral. Q'Taral had not reported in for a couple of months and so her status remained unknown.
We all reported for cosmetic surgery and we began to plan our mission.
And the adventure continues...