- , Mission #

"Underpowered"

Mission Summary

Sigma Rho Station, Mission #7

There's still no sign of Lieutenant Animim, and while the hours have gone by with just a faint tricorder reading on his position the device remains distressingly static. Research and hard work are starting to pay off, and more understanding of the device is becoming clear, and the time is coming to perhaps put some of this into action.

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<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::steps off the lift and strides towards the main science lab::

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Continues pouring over data at his console in the science lab::

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Taps communicator:: *CO* Ensign Jensen reporting for duty. Sorry about the delay. Don't eat the rare Khoplesh, it doesn't agree with human digestion.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> *ENG*: Duly noted. Where are you now? ::enters the lab::

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Notices the CO entering the lab and stands, his arms locked behind him.:: CO: Lieutenant Commander.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> *CO* Sick bay, getting treatment. Where do you need me?

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> ::Walks into the science lab towards Sutak's console:: CSO: Found anything interesting yet Lieutenant?

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> CSO: The guys in Engineering are starting to talk. I think the rumors are that I've turned scientist. ::studies the recorded data from when the device was activated since it's completely dormant now::

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> TAC: I have several working theories.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::waves at Sutak to be at ease:: *ENG*: When you've stopped leaking, we need all the help we can get figuring out this device. We're in the main lab on level 6.

<Nurse_Sl'lal> ::smiles slowly, her reptilian tongue flashing across her lips as she presses the hypo to Jensen's neck:: ENG: That ssssshould keep you going, Enssssign.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> *CO* On my way. ::Heads toward lift...and level 6::

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> ::Her tricorder bleeps in her hand:: CSO: It appears to be picking up something...out there...

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ALL: After examining all of the data we've been able to get from the artifact, I believe there are several possible scenarios we should investigate... ::He pauses...::

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::nods:: CSO: What are the most likely?

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::He motions toward the device:: ALL: It is entirely possible that this artifact was an early attempt at more advanced technology... A cloaking device, a Transporter, or something else entirely... Either way, I believe it has either "cloaked" the Security Chief, or has pushed him out of phase with normal space.

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> ::Tries to balance looking at the movement on the tricorder and listening to Lieutenant Sutak::

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Enters main lab:: All: What did I miss? What the hell is that?

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::He looks to his notes for a moment:: CO: Lieutenant Commander, there is one other possibility I wanted to share with you, however unlikely it may be...

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::shakes his head:: ENG: Everything Ensign, everything. But you're just in time for a patented Vulcan exposition explaining the unknown!

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> CSO: I have some additional information for you, but go ahead.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> CO: By my readings, during the last "wave" before Animim's disappearance, I detected a brief quantum subspace fissure. This may be "where" he was pulled... And I cannot say with any certainty what else... or who else, might be in there... Time may not function normally in this "pocket." Or, even if time is linear in this version of space we're trying to dig into, I am not certain that

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> the Security Chief's molecular structure will be the same as it was when he entered.

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CSO: Erm, Lieutenant...he's in the corridor...

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::nods slightly in thought:: CSO: We'll worry about that if and when we come to it. First priority is to get Mr. Animim back. I've been going over the research notes; this device was found with a tablet that describes an attempt to develop far-reaching transporter technology. There was an accident, and a ship was stranded on the planet the Serene investigated. This device was an attempt to return them home.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> TAC: Entirely possible, he may be able to pass through the walls - or alternatively, he may be tied to a completely different of basic physics... ::He looks to the CO:: CO: As I suspected. Then our efforts should be to recreate the rift, and use the station's transporter to target and remove any humanoids within the subspace rift... ::He looks to the Engineer:: CEO: Though you'll have

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> to make the adjustments to the Transporter that I've been asking for. ::The Vulcan seems to be quite smug, at the moment.::

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CSO: Actually he, er, walked through the open door...

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::looks to Calverian:: TAC: Is he moving?

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Looks from Sutak to Tegan:: CSO: That shouldn't be a problem. CEO: Should it, sir?

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CO: He appears to be stood still at the moment.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Well, it's risky as all get-out, but mostly for Animim...it's doable.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> TAC: I feel like I should wave at him...

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::looks out into the empty corridor, then back to Sutak:: CSO: Are there any risks to the station?

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CEO: You never know, he could be able to see us

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: With all do respect, sir. We can't just leave the poor bugger floating around in quantum space.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ALL: So long as he is on the station, it is irrelevant where he is, we can target him with the transporter... ::Grabs a PADD off of his console and makes a few taps:: CEO: These are the adjustments I have been recommending since I came on board. They will improve transporter buffer efficiency by 60%. ::He looks to the CO:: CO: None, whatsoever. Aside from the distinct possibility that

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> someone else gets trapped in the rift, however, any new targets that appear once we reopen the rift, we can immediately target and transport back. I'm relatively certain this is a worthwhile experiment. ::His word choice may not have been the best::

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::looks to the PADD, then to Tegan:: CEO: Your thoughts, Mr. Tegan?

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> CSO: Never say Engineering didn't do anything for you. Just have to disappear a crew member in order to get your trouble ticket resolved. ::takes the PADD and looks over the details::

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Reaches for the pad:: CEO: Should I head over to the transporter bay and begin making the adjustments?

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> CO: Well, I think it's going to take a bit more than just these improvements Captain. We're going to be pulling someone from one pocket of subspace to ... well essentially to another, it just happens to be our pocket. There are going to need to be some adjustments to the phase alignment and buffering protocols, and then the pattern lock...

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> CEO: All of which can be handled from this lab. ::He looks to the CO for approval::

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> CO: I don't think the station's transporters can handle it. They're too old. We might be able to make these modifications on the Xiphos though.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::looks to Sutak:: CSO: Can this be done with the Xiphos?

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: Have a little faith, sir. I think we can make the necessary improvements.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> CSO: The basic improvements you've got here are definitely worth looking at for the station, but getting us to cross that subspace barrier is not something our aging systems can handle.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> CO: I have no objection to handling the transport from the Xiphos, however I insist that you make these modifications to the station's transporters at some point, Mr. Tegan, it is illogical to leave them untuned.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Faith doesn't make decades old technology compatible with Vulcan-level theoretical science Ensign. But take note of these efficiency improvements. I think Mr. Sutak has given us work for when this is all over.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::nods:: ALL: Then it's settled; we get Mr. Animim back, then we fix our favorite relic of a station.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::flashes a brief grin::

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Ok Jensen, let's get over to the Xiphos and see what we can do. We've got miracles to pull off.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> CO: If I may, the Tactical team should try and find Animim, as well as run recursive hand-held scans throughout the ship for anyone else who might get pulled into the rift. We can add additional targets at the moment of transport if need be.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> CSO: You think it's possible there are others trapped with him?

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: Yes, sir.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::He pauses a moment and raises an eyebrow:: CO: I have a theory... It is not well refined... But yes, there could be others trapped in this rift. If it is localized to the proximity of the artifact, they may have been dragged through space. The rift acting as our transporter buffers do.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> CSO: Alright... ::looks to Calverian:: TAC: Ensign, you can identify Mr. Animim's signature?

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::leaves the Science lab and heads for the turbolift en route to the docked USS Xiphos::

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CO: Yes Commander, he's about 50 metres down the hallway. He appears to be moving through the bulkheads.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Follows Tegan, somewhat reluctantly::

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::nods some:: TAC: Good. Get up to OPS; run an internal scan of the station, and see if you can find any other similar readings. That might tell us if there are others trapped with Mr. Animim.

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CO: Right away Commander. ::Leaves the lab and heads to OPs::

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Has Sutak really submitted 150 maintenance and upgrade requests in the past month?

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Quietly:: CO: Lieutenant Commander, we have no way of knowing how long these others may have been trapped, and whether or not they will be sane or... hostile...

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: Probably, I've ignored most of them. He's a good egg, but somewhat picky.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> CSO: It's possible. We can have a security team standing by when we, er... retrieve them. Can you think of any possible ways we might communicate with them?

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> ::She enters OPs and sits down at the console and begins the scan of the station::

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Shakes his head, gently:: CO: Not until the rift has been reopened.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::arrives at the docking port of the Xiphos:: ENG: Prepare to drool, Ensign. Utopia Planitia did some pretty awesome work on this ship.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::nods:: CSO: I'll get a team ready. Keep up the good work, Mr. Sutak.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Looks around, touches the docking portal reverently:: CEO: This is cutting edge.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::shakes his head:: ENG: Yeah, I can tell we'll get along just fine. ::keys the docking port open and steps onto the Xiphos, heading to the transporter room::

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Follows Tegan...much less reluctantly, now that he's seen the Xiphos::

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::passes Jensen the PADD with modifications on it:: ENG: So most of this is straightforward, but to be honest, I have no idea how we're going to align the pattern buffers with the subspace Animim is in and then re-align it with ours without messing up the data stored in them.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Returns his attention to the device, he hasn't laid eyes on anything but his monitor for the last few hours::

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: I should clarify that...I have an idea of how we'd do it, but it's not like we have something non-living and unimportant to practice on and I have no proof that it'll work.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::heads out of the lab and to the turbolift:: TL: Promenade.

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> ::She goes through all of the scan frequencies then notices it's picking up multiple signatures all over the deck, each with a separate quantum resonance. In total there are 112, including Animim. Her jaw drops:: *CO*: Commander I think you're going to want to see this...

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> TL: Cancel. OPS. ::taps her combadge:: *TAC*: On my way.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: Sir, I'm sure you didn't get to be Lieutenant Commander without taking a few risks.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::arrives at the Xiphos transporter room:: Self: Right then, miracle time.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::steps into OPS and heads for Calverian's station:: TAC: What have you got?

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Usually it was with billion-credit equipment though, not lives.

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CO: The system has picked up 112 different signatures from the deck. They all have a separate quantum resonance. Animim is one of them.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::After looking over the requirements on the pad, I set it down and crawl under the main transporter console:: CEO: This is going to take some direct rewiring. These aren't simple adjustments.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: They came from Sutak. I expect half of them to not be possible for at least another 20 years. ::opens an access panel in the wall and begins returning some of the circuits::

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> ::widens her eyes for a moment at the number:: TAC: That's a lot of invisible people. Anything odd about them? Beyond the whole subspace pocket thing, I mean.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Notices Ensign Calverian's addition of 112 new signatures to the datastream:: Aloud: Fascinating. ::His eyebrow does that thing::

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CO: I can't tell, I'm afraid I only have the signatures.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Opens access panel in main console:: CEO: This circuitry is newer than what we had at the academy? ::Stares in wonderment::

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Hey, if I'm going to bring you guys new toys they're going to be the latest and greatest.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> TAC: Looks like we'll be doing this in waves. Get a small security team together; I want them in the Xiphos' transporter room in case they're, uh... unfriendly.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Begins making Sutak's adjustments::

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> *CO*: Lieutenant Commander, based on Ensign Calverian's findings, I believe I can use this data to develop a proper containment field to hold the... "refugees."

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> CO: Understood Commander. *SEC*: This is Ensign Calverian requesting a few security operatives to come to the Xiphos' transporter room as soon as possible, thank you::

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> *CO*:...and prevent them from being pulled back into the rift.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ::closes the panel he's working on and pulls off another wall access:: ENG: Utopia was kind enough to have my final project with them be the upgrade of the Xiphos, so I've seen just about every inch of this beauty.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> *CSO*: Good. I want to secure Mr. Animim first; then we can start transporting the others.

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> ::Hands a PADD off to his science crew, as they implement the new data into the forcefields around the artifact::

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: Looks like we're going to have to rig up some kind of adaptor to accept the plasma flow from the relays in order to get this resonance filter to work.

<TAC_Ens_Calverian> Self: Huh... CO: Mr Animim's signature is mingling in amongst 12 others. Could be a coincidence, could be he isn't on his own after all...

<CSO_LtJG_Sutak> *CO*: The rift was only open for a few seconds last time - I do not know how long you will have to space out the transports.

<CO_LtCmdr_Sumner> *CSO*: If they're hostile, I want to make sure Animim's safe. We're going to have to get them in waves, anyway.

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> CEO: You got a tech kit handy?

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: That's something Rho might be able to help with better than Xiphos actually. Once you get the design together the industrial replicators can make it quicker than anything on board.

<CEO_LtCmdr_Tegan> ENG: Cabinet by the door. ::head still buried in the wall::

<ENG_Ens_Jensen> ::Moves to the cabinet, grabs up the pad. See's what's available in the kit and begins designing the adaptor:: CEO: I'll take this over to the Rho, and get started.

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