Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen - Never look for what you don't want to find
CPT Arianus
(( Tertiary Conference Room - Operations Center, Deck 5, USS Artemis-A ))
Bergmen: Sir? …Commander? Do we… Do we know the weaponry standard and typology Da’al possesses?
The question left little room for interpretation in any direction other than the thoughts that flew through the head of JG Bergmen - despite the doubt written on his face.
K’Wara: Our computers should have all the publicly available information, plus the scan data the Artemis took when we encountered Colonel Evreste’s warship.
Imril: I certainly don’t remember seeing anything like this the last time I encountered Da’al.
It was Imril's answer that confirmed that assumption in young Gideon.
Imril: Simulated responses are consistent with the device being involved in regulating plasma acceleration. Tactical-grade plasma acceleration.
Ollie took a deep, loud breath, and his face showed disappointment. At the discovery, of himself, and at how it was all going.
Bergmen: That’s not good. (beat) I’m not sure about any Da'al weapon that would use that kind of technology. And the database returns similarly empty results…
K’Wara: Agreed, it doesn’t fit with any Da’al weapons systems we know of. ::to Imril:: Are there any other ways it could be used?
Imril: It could be a novel, if reckless, means of boosting power to some other system. Or just powering the unidentified tech.
JG Bergmen's gaze shifted from commander back to engineer, and he tilted his head, thoughtful, searching, as if trying to see the whole from a different angle.
Bergmen: You think it can be connected to something not connected to weaponry?
Imril: Whatever it’s powering, it’s definitely hungry and possibly very big. Based on the differential between plasma output from the engines and the amount being circulated around the rest of the ship, there should be more than one of these ‘accelerators’ sharing the load. I’d say at least four.
No matter how Ollie looked at it, there was no angle where what he saw would bring him any relief. Whatever was on the other end couldn't be good. And the very construction and technology, regardless of what they fed, were in themselves dangerous and volatile.
Suddenly and without warning, the object on the table transformed from a component into an amorphous blob that couldn't hold its own weight.
Jaran: Don't mind me. You can watch if you want. I just wanted a better view while I, you know, unlocked the secrets that no one is meant to know.
K’Wara chortled.
K’Wara: Jumpscares aside, I trust you to know what you’re doing, Doctor. ::looks to Imril and Ollie:: Is there a way for the Artemis to safely disable the Afalqi without risking destabilizing that plasma?
Ollie smiled apologetically.
Bergmen: My answer would be a cautious yes, sir. (beat) Especially if they decide to just surrender as soon as they see us instead of us having to perform heart surgery on their plasma conduits in the middle of a bar brawl between our phasers and their plasma accelerators - if that thing really powers the weapons.
Imril: Response
K’Wara: That’s the next step then.
The hologram on the table began to take on a basic humanoid shape.
Jaran: That's the most basic phenotype data. It's at the core of every transporter pattern of a living being.
K'Wara: Humanoids, at least.
oO Not unexpected. Oo
Bergmen: Input muscle variation based on the skeleton identifiers, Ensign.
Imril: Response
The shape now featured added musculature, yet it still remained little more than a basic imprint of whoever’s transporter signal had been used.
Jaran: Now, this portion is a little less clear. I'm still missing a few primary markers, but I have enough to make a good guess at some of the more notable internals. Nothing is interfering with our assumption of "Romulan" yet.
K'Wara: Nothing’s confirming it either.
Variations on corrupted data addition based on the database weren’t that helpful, as one might first think. Hologram flickered through the shapes of a Da’al woman, a Klingon Warrior, a Da’al security officer, and a Romulan.
Jaran: Commander, I... I don't have any explanation for... whatever it is we're seeing. Is that even possible?
K'Wara: ::hesitant pause:: Ollie, do we have any DNA markers?
The uncertain expression on K'Wara's face as they looked at Ollie could have inspired an entire novel. Possibly the entire book series about times no one would ever talk about willingly. No one who was there. No one who lived through that.
Bergmen glanced down at his display and nodded slowly.
Bergmen: All markers we identified, at least in the basic parameters. This one definitely matches as Romulan. Nine of ten markers match.
The answer was clear. To the point. Objective. Answering the unspoken question without mentioning the reasoning behind the untold question.
K’Wara: ::shaky breath:: Good. Good... ::shakes head slightly:: Evidence of Romulan involvement.
Bergmen: Weird thing is, sir… The system was able to identify all ten basic markers in that DNA chain… And the last one marker was definitely Da’al.
Jaran/Imril: Response
K’Wara: It’s likely either genetic engineering or some sort of specialized transporter technology that can alter your appearance to specifications, though I don’t know if we have a way to be certain which one.
Ollie nodded. It made sense.
Bergmen: Yes, that makes sense.
Jaran/Imril: Response
K’Wara: It would explain why no one seems to remember seeing a Romulan walking about the facility. But evidently, it doesn’t mask DNA, and that’s why the infiltrator needed Alvaine’s biometric ID to pass through security.
This explained why they needed someone responsible for checking people entering controlled areas.
Bergmen: Yeah, and there goes the puzzle piece about the receptionist, I guess.
Jaran/Imril: Response
One of Bergmen's PADDs on the table beeped, and the lieutenant pulled it out of the stack and looked at its screen. His face was puzzled, uncertain as he glanced back at the hologram and took a deep breath.
Bergmen: Sir, I was working on the DNA comparison against the Da’al database with the initial raw data…
Ollie pressed a button on the PADD, and a hologram showed eight DNA double helices, yet three were still incomplete.
Bergmen: ::points to helices:: Three data samples were too corrupted to be analyzed, but that’s not an issue. The computer was able to find a match for the rest, and I’m quite sure they are connected to the other five identified. I think those oldest transporter patterns in the communication belong to these eight Da'al engineers and scientists - all close coworkers or acquaintances of Doctor Havun in the past.
Ollie pressed another button on the PADD, and the DNA transformed into faces as holophotos.
Jaran/K’Wara/Imril: Response
The look on Ollie's face hadn't changed. It just added one more layer - the undertone of someone who would rather duck&cover tahn share the discovery.
Bergmen: There is just one issue… Two, technically, but one is more like headscratch…. (beat) All eight were flagged by Da’al Security for some reason. All eight died altogether in the transport accident according to Da'al records… A month ago.
Jaran/K’Wara/Imril: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1