Lt Imril - Plan For The Worst, THEN Hope For The Best
Chris Taylor
((Tertiary Conference Room - Operations Center, Deck 5, USS Artemis-A ))
K’Wara: So now we’ve found out where and how the eight Da’al went. We need names, profiles, motivations. We’ve found out a lot of the hows, but we’re still missing several vital components to this mystery.
Bergmen: Names and profiles are in the database. Let me find them and upload to your console, Commander. On the topic of motivation, I can review their CV, medical history, etc., and prepare their psychological profile for you.
However, Jaran was still mulling the previous topic.
Jaran: I'll admit, professionally, I'm far more interested in this transporter technology, if that's what it is. There's also one major unanswered question: who's the Romulan in this pattern?
K'Wara: And how did they first get into contact with Havun, and why? Vitor’s team is dealing with some pretty interesting technology right now, which is presumably what the infiltrator wanted. But how did they convince Havun to play ball?
Ollie found no obvious answer in the personal files.
Bergmen: There are just a few main rationalizations: ego, coercion, ideology, or personal gain… pick your poison. But with an additional eight souls in the mix, ego or ideology sounds more plausible, as with personal gain and coercion: the bigger the group, the greater the chance someone will talk to authorities and blow your op.
Imril: Conversely, it’s easier for the majority to pressure the minority out of blabbing or quitting. And for everyone to keep watch on everyone else.
Jaran: No, I don't think it could be a Da'al, even with that marker. Quite frankly, editing someone's pattern finely enough to alter someone on the DNA level with any reliability is beyond us. It may be possible that something could alter enough to fool, say, biometric scanners, though.
K'Wara: And yet it wasn’t. The only reason we caught this in the first place was because they had to hijack Alvaine’s biometric to pass through the checkpoint, and even that wasn’t foolproof.
Ollie kept an ear to the larger discussion, but both eyes on his data files.
Imril returned to their own screen, looking for an answer to one of K’Wara’s previous requests. That of how to safely disable the ship.
Jaran: Right. I'm certain we're looking at something that is purely cosmetic. Even that's tricky enough, and, if I'm being honest, could explain a transporter accident that killed eight people as much as them hiding somewhere. But if the Da'al were working with the Romulans, why would a Romulan need to hide? And where are they now? Presumably on the Afalqi.
K'Wara: We need to know who else would be on that Ship. If the Romulan is still disguised, it may be possible that even the Afalqi’s crew isn’t aware they’re there. Ollie, do you have any of the names of those missing Da’al yet?
He had just set down the last PADD when he heard his name and looked up.
Bergmen: Yea…es, sir. On your consoles. ::press send:: Now. Altogether with everything on them I was able to find in the Da’al database.
As new text spooled on Imril’s screen, they addressed Jaran’s question.
Imril: Assuming Havun and his co-conspirators even knew they’ve been working with a Romulan, they might have thought they were doing so remotely. Communicating across channels rigged to create the appearance of interstellar distance, when really the Romulan was orchestrating their end of things locally. Where they’d need to be to deal with any last minute problems, or betrayals.
Jaran: Response
K’Wara: This is our focus now. Use whatever sensor data we got from Launch Control. We need to know how many people are likely to be on board that Ship, who was involved with the construction who’s since gone missing.
Ollie nodded.
Bergmen: Aye, sir.
In that matter, Imril had nothing to contribute. So back to working out one of several problems. They started up another simulation. Another virtual Afalqi, this time with the anticipated plasma accelerators placed squarely in the forward gap. And with them, expected failsafes and other infrastructures, filling spaces left in the walls. Including the radiation shield generators suggested by the good Doctor. Then they filled the remaining space with the latest Romulan plasma weaponry (as understood by Starfleet Intelligence). Cannons and torpedo launchers both. They connected this imaginary conglomeration of tech back to the warp core, via the established EPS routes.
They let the calculations run as the other continued talking.
Jaran: Response
K’Wara: Thanks to Ollie and the others, we have Havun’s personal communications. Odds are, some of those names will match the missing ones. ::searches through the files:: The first one’s obvious: Havun’s wife, Falon. She wasn’t one of the missing Da’al from the transporter accident, but she’s definitely on the Afalqi with him. According to Jetripar, she’d been home sick for the past several days.
A hologram of Falon’s face appeared in the air next to the helices. A middle-aged Da’al woman with deep dark eyes and wispy hair, her face wrinkled in a way that suggested her happier days were behind her.
Bergmen: Do we know how Havun got her on board?
Imril: If the roof-jumper was able to take advantage of knowing where the security cameras were, so could anyone else. And we already have proof that someone was manipulating the schedules of Security personnel in and around the hangar to reduce the number of Da’als on watch at certain points at certain times.
Jaran: Response
Ollie stared at the hologram on the table. Silent. Questioning.
Bergmen: She was obviously quite important for Havun as he didn’t leave her behind. That points he does not plan return back. So whatever motivated him, it’s a one-way ticket. This is concerning regarding what they do once we find them. And this comes to those eight. If they are on board, they literally died for them to get off their planet. The more I think about it, the more I start to worry about what will happen once we catch up with them.
Imril: Whatever they left for, they’re not going to give it up easily. They’ve already given up so much for it.
The sunk-cost fallacy at its worst.
Jaran/K’Wara: Response
Yet again, Ollie appeared reluctant to bring something to the team. As many mistakes as Imril had already made this mission, they felt for his wariness.
Bergmen: I believe there is an option where this does not need to end in a shootout. But it will be unpopular with Da’al. A lot.
Ollie paused, looking into Commander K'Wara's eyes. His smile was gone. In its place, the determination of an officer obliged to speak truth to authority.
Bergmen: Commander, I believe you should recommend to the Captain to give Havun and his co-conspirators a way out. Grant them Federation asylum for their full surrender.
Imril’s eyes went wide with surprise, but they found themselves open to the idea. If nothing else, it could keep the (potential) plasma weaponry from coming into play against the Artemis. Or other, yet undiscovered, targets.
Imril: That would currently be one way to ruin a Romulan provocateur's day.
Jaran/K’Wara: Response
Imril: But since we already know the Romulan is on the ship, and that Havun and his people might not be aware of that fact, they might complicate any peaceful resolution. Make it impossible, even. ::Looking to their console:: But I think I have something, now, if this turns violent.
Jaran/K’Wara/Bergmen: Response
Imril tapped their screen, their share of the holo-space now filled with an exterior view of the Da’al vessel. Certain areas highlight in green or red, alongside estimated weapon energy yields.
Imril: If the forward space is dedicated to plasma acceleration, this is my best guess at where to target, where not to and at what maximum power to disable the ship safely. I can also estimate the punch of their plasma cannons and/or torpedoes, if any, based on the estimated energy output of the engines. ::Typing:: And here's another damage assessment calculated from ten percent higher engine capacity, in case the official schematics are flat out lying.
Imril started working on defensive calculations. How might the accelerators be used jury-rigged to boost the shields, for instance?
Jaran/K’Wara/Bergmen: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant Imril
Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240110I12