Operator, Could You Help Me Place This Call?
Posted on Sat Oct 9th, 2021 @ 6:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai & Lieutenant JG Irynya & Captain Björn Kodak & Lieutenant Sharrina Blackstone & Maje Jaha Veeth & Lieutenant Chaali
Edited on on Mon Oct 11th, 2021 @ 3:17pm
Mission:
The Place of Skulls
Location: Bridge
Timeline: Mission Day 16 at 1255
[Bridge]
[MD 16: 1255 Hours]
The Captain kept his phaser drawn, looking around expecting more of the damned machines to appear out of nothingness. "Blackstone, good thinking on the shields," Kodak said, offering the woman a tight-lipped nod. "Could we use a similar technique with force fields around the Bridge? If the frequencies are constantly fluctuating, could that keep them out...at least, for a little while?"
Sharrina frowned in thought then nodded. "The theory is sound," she answered. "I can set the shields around the Bridge to rotate through a different set of frequencies than the outer shields too. That should at the least buy us some time if they do manage to pass the outer shields."
At that moment the disembodied voice of the Sojo's first officer echoed across the comm. "t'Nai to Kodak." Emni's familiar voice was steady. "We have the puzzle sphere and hypo."
There was a long pause then--whether to address the approach of yet another drone or to consider something was unclear. Finally, she continued, "We have injured down here. Chaali, can you lock on to Pell's signature and beam him directly to Sickbay?"
"Locking on," Chaali replied.
Emni's voice returned, "Understood, Lieutenant. I'll confirm with Dr. Ryan Walsh."
Meanwhile, Sharrina had not waited for a response to her suggestion. It was tactically sound, and so she had carried it out on her own initiative. First, she made sure that the outer shields were cycling correctly, noted their frequency range, and then moved on to the secondary shields around the Bridge. She set them on a different set of frequencies to cycle through randomly. The next part, though, she needed permission for. "Captain, it might be advisable to do the same for other sensitive areas of the ship," she recommended.
"Agreed Lieutenant," the Captain replied, nodding. He'd listened to the exchange regarding the sphere and the hypo -- details on whether that would work or not certainly would be forthcoming. But it was the mention of Pell and his injuries that concerned Kodak the most. He hoped the man would be alright but had to put those concerns on the back burner for the time being. There was still so much to be done. "Let's set up rotating field nutations around Sickbay and Debbie's. Both are large spaces where injured crew might try to congregate. We need to make sure biological lifeforms can still pass through, however. Don't want to trap anyone. Can you do that, Lieutenant?"
The silence from the away team was, at best, a minute long, but finally Emni's voice returned to the Bridge. "t'Nai to Chaali, we're ready when you are."
"Chaali to Away Team. Energizing." The Bolian stated calmly.
Kodak tuned then to Chaali. "We need intraship communications back. Can you ascertain the source of the problem from here? And is it something we can solve for remotely?" The Captain prepared himself for the potential need to send a team from the Bridge to affect repairs elsewhere on the ship. Irynya clearly couldn't go anywhere -- white-knuckled at the makeshift helm as she was -- but Chaali and T'Prynn could, perhaps, be spared if needed: one to fix the problem, another to keep the drones off her back.
Chaali shook her head, "The damage is extensive. It's impossible to tell where the comm system was damaged without time and engineers spanning out. It could be any number of relay points or a point of processor damage."
"There goes my dream of something going our way," Kodak said, a heh-like sound escaping him. He thought for several long moments before perking up again. "What about the Waverider? Could we send it out to act as an automated comm relay? It's much better protected than a normal shuttlecraft and with no one onboard, the drones might ignore it." Of course, if the craft were to be destroyed before Mr. Timmoz had the chance to return and pilot it, Kodak knew he'd never hear the end of it. But then again, he didn't really know if Timmoz would actually return.
The Bolian nodded immediately. "It's a good plan. Yes Captain. We'll reroute all comm traffic through the Waverider and use its ship to shore systems as an umbrella for intraship comm relay."
"Sounds like it'll do in a pinch," the Captain rasped excitedly. "Irynya is a little busy keeping those drones off our back -- literally. Chaali, would you be able to remote-pilot the Waverider from Ops? I realize piloting isn't your normal area of expertise but we don't need it to go far or perform specialized maneuvers."
The Bolian tilted her head with doubt. "It'll be a sitting target. But I can un-dock it from the Waverider Bay and raise it's shields. But those drones could make quick work of it if they attack it."
"If we want to talk to other parts of the ship," Kodak nodded grimly, "this is our best bet. Let's go ahead and set its shields to automatically rotate, then fly the Waverider halfway between us and the asteroid. Chaali," there was a sparkle in the Chameloid's eyes then, "please make sure we don't inadvertently leave it behind, hmm?" It was half a joke and half dead serious. With all the chaos happening around them, Kodak wanted to make sure they didn't forget about the little vessel.
Chaali breathed out with an unusual tension for the normally jovial Bolian. She eyed Irynya. "I wish I was you or Timmoz right now." Her console beeped and then emitted a rhythmic, repetitive bong as the Waverider detached from its bay under the saucer. "Thrusters are online... shields are up." The seconds were agonizing as the light, aerodynamic craft shifted into position. "Bringing the comm system online and setting it for relay mode..." Her console beeped to confirm. "We have communications."
"Good job, Chaali," the Captain nodded to the cerulean-skinned woman. With the small craft in place -- and the drones leaving it be for the time being -- it was now possible to establish communications with other parts of the Sojourner. "Lieutenant, please get me Engineering," Kodak politely asked. As communications were established, the Captain could hear the uncertainty in the voice of the engineer who replied to the hail.
"Uh...Captain? This is Ensign Mulhern. It's a relief to hear from you, though I'm not exactly sure how you're doing it..." The tone of uncertainty mixed with the smokiness of the woman's voice which, at the moment, also sounded more than a little overwhelmed.
"Long story, Ensign. Fill you in later," Kodak replied, having taken his chair once again. It felt good to have communications control back again, even if only in a roundabout way. "What's your status down there?"
"There's only a couple of us here, sir," Mulhern reported. "Parsons was working on repairs in the science lab. Not sure what happened to him but...he hasn't come back, sir. Two others left for Sickbay a few minutes ago -- bad burns, but I think they can make it. But with everyone gone, it's just me in a charge for the time being. Is Ellison still up there?"
Kodak's eyes flicked to the engineer who'd been working the Bridge's Engineering console. The man was dazed, eyes unfocused after having been dosed so heavily with painkillers. "He's here. Hurt, but he'll be alright." The Captain did his best not to think about Parsons, who he decided must be with Andrew down in the lab. He didn't have time to let himself worry too much at the moment. "Tell me about the ship, Mulhern."
"Right, sir. Sorry," the woman lamented. "We've got damage all over the ship. Nothing centralized. These damn drones have been taking potshots at people and hitting any- and everything in the process. In addition to shipboard communications, the main computer is down -- we're running off the backup for now but in limited fashion. Impulse and warp engines are still functional but we've got some blown plasma relays and a few damaged ODN conduits on multiple decks. I just don't have the people right now to see to everything."
"Understood, Ensign. You're doing fine," Kodak did his best to sound reassuring. "We're using the Waverider as a comm relay. Keep doing what you're doing and if you need to report in, direct your comm signal back along the relay. We'll stand by."
"Aye, sir," came Mulhern's reply, her voice filled with more than a little relief before the channel clicked off.
"Sickbay next," Kodak ordered, nodding once the channel was connected. "Sickbay, this is Captain Kodak. Long story but we've got comms back...sort of. What's your status?"
"Main Sickbay is secure... we have some pretty badly injured casualties... the majority of them are going but I will need to setup an additional triage as its getting crowded here... we need additional power as we have one that will require stasis until we reach a starbase or make a medical rendezvous with another starship... I estimate we have at least twelve percent of the crew in Sickbay right now. We are running out of room and could use additional people down here with any medical training if we have anymore incoming casualties," Kennedy reported.
Kodak weighed this new information carefully. Twelve percent may not sound like much but in a confined space like Sickbay, the Captain knew space must be at a premium. "We've setup force fields with rotating frequency nutation around Sickbay. They'll allow people in and out but should help keep the drones at bay. We should," he directed a look towards Blackstone, "be able to set up something similar around the science lab across the hall. Somehow I don't think Mr. Pell will mind moving desks and equipment around to make room for the injured."
"Doctor, I know things are crazy but..." Kodak trailed off, summoning his courage in front of Chaali, Irynya, and Blackstone, "but could you see if Andrew Munro is alright? He was in that science lab with Mr. Parsons, I believe. I want to make sure both of them are OK." While it was true that he worried for Parsons as well, it would surprise no one that Kodak wanted -- needed -- to make sure his partner was alright.
"Doctor Munro is fine, he's been treated for his injuries, he's been sedated, might be slightly drowsy but he will be okay. Sheldon is well... he's still Sheldon but he's okay too. I've put Sheldon onto the task of trying to get the stasis fields working without any ramifications on our end.. We'll just have to.. make sure we have the power necessary to keep Mr. Pell and anyone else in stasis. Anything else, Captain?"
Injuries? The word send Kodak's mind reeling but Ryan Walsh was kind enough to immediately follow up with an assurance that the biologist would be alright. The same relief crossed his mind where Sheldon was concerned as well. "I'm glad they're both OK, Doctor. Thank you for the update. It sounds like you're doing all you can. What we can do up here on the Bridge is limited," the Captain sounded frustrated at this, "but if you need something, let us know. For now, Bridge out," Kodak said, motioning for the channel to be closed.
He'd been about to order another call -- this one to Debbie's, another likely point for injured crew to gather -- when the doors to the Ready Room hissed open. A sparkling field of sprites flashed as several drones attempted to fly through the open doorway but were halted by Blackstone's force field. The drones would not be denied, it seemed. They kept pressing against the field and changing their own shield frequencies until one of them finally slipped through, a few more attempting the same trick.
"Phasers!" Kodak called out, taking cover to the side of his chair. Here we go again, he thought to himself.
=/\= A joint-post by... =/\=
Captain Björn Kodak
Commanding Officer
and
Lieutenant Emni t'Nai
Acting First Officer
and
Lieutenant JG Chaali
Chief Operations Officer
and
Lieutenant JG Irynya
Acting Chief Flight Control Officer
and
Lieutenant Sharrina Blackstone
Assistant Chief Tactical and Security
and
Lieutenant T'Prynn
Science Officer
