#y'rehl

"On screen," Captain Sampson said, rising, straightening her uniform jacket in an unconscious, long practiced movement.

"It is audio only, sir. The signal is badly degraded."

At another gesture from the captain, the audio was patched through.

"---wounded---require assistance.  I repe-----eration ship Bounty-------systems have f--------"

The transmission cut off abruptly, and there was a brief flurry of noises from the computer as comms tried to persuade it to retrieve and refine the transmission.

"...That’s all." He said at last.

"The Bounty?" First Officer Telan said, squinting a little at the viewscreen, despite the fact that it showed nothing more than the usual sweeping vista of stars.  "There's no commissioned ship under that name, not now. There hasn't been for at least fifty years."

"It's in visual range, captain."  The ensign punched a few keys, and a battered, war-scarred ship appeared on the viewscreen.

"That's not just old," Telan said, rising to stand next to his captain.  "That's a relic."

"The original Bounty, I'll bet." Sampson said, staring out at the ship with a troubled expression.  

"That’s a Ceres Class ship. They haven't been in service since the Federation-Romulan war."

The bridge was still for a long, startled moment as they stared out at the two-hundred year old vessel. The silence was shattered by another crackle of ear-splitting feedback, and the distress call again came through the comm.

"Please---beg of you. ------pport systems failing.  Hull br---- ------- ------ounded on board. --------level three----"

Again the transmission was silenced.

"Two life forms detected." The voice of the officer at ops was quiet.  "Romulan, sir. One reading faint."

The eyes of the entire bridge were on Sampson, and only those who knew her best would have seen the brief moment of hesitation on her composed face.

"Bridge to sickbay--incoming wounded. Establish a level four quarantine containment field, just as a precaution.  Security team to sickbay, on the double. Transporter room--emergency energise to Sickbay now."