Lt. Robin Hopper: "I am not a computer nerd. I prefer to be called a hacker."
Robin Hopper
((OOC – Continuing the scene per the 48/72 Hr Rule... Had some work to do cobbling together the tags in this one. Nobody was really at fault this time -- just Google shenanigans. Anyways, I’ve done my best to incorporate everyone’s tags and I think they all work just fine. Enjoy!))
((Type 10 Shuttle “Gatineau”, Control Node’s Star System – Mirrorverse))
A beeping alert began sounding from her terminal – and Hopper’s eyes darted to find the source. The control hub was there alright, and it did not like what was happening to it, though it seemed confused about exactly what it was they were trying to do. Everyone began frantically working at their stations to determine what the threat was.
Hopper: What’s the status of the hub?
Carter: Not picking up a weapons lock...
Esma/M-Wil: Response?
Wong: Well, how would you define “angry” for a hub? Because I would define it as that. There’s something building up over the surface of it!
Reade: It's doing something, though I am not sure on what is trying to do, actually.
Robin groaned. The hub was rerouting power – but for what, Robin couldn’t yet be sure. Self-destruction? Sending an alert directly to the Mother Eternal and her fleet? The list of possibilities was too long for the limited amount of time they most likely had.
Hopper: I’m detecting an energy build-up – like a small antimatter reactor charging up. Do we raise shields? ::Over her shoulder, to M-Tri’lea:: Do you know what it’s doing?
M-Tri’lea: ::Shrugging:: No… Let me take a look.
Polgonz moved over to the console, standing beside Robin, who froze for a moment – unsure what she should do. She glanced to John, but saw that he was preoccupied with Reade, Esma, and Wong preparing for all possibilities. It was her judgment call.
A moment later, she nodded to Polgonz, and turned aside, letting the Betazoid rebel access her terminal. Polgonz stood, looking at it carefully for a moment, before she started chuckling to herself.
M-Tri’lea: It’s a bluff. If you run now, or raise your shields, they’ll know you aren’t familiar with their protocol. They’re testing your loyalty.
Hopper: Loyalty to what?
M-Tri’lea: The Mother Eternal’s will.
oO By trying to kill us?! Oo
Carter: A dead mans' switch…
Wong: Sounds ah… lovely
Esma/M-Wil: Response
Reade: A bluff; this looks like it will take half the sector with it if it goes critical. I do not think that is a bluff.
Robin re-checked her sensors, confident that a power surge was happening. The question was whether the power signature being emitted was accurate. Was it an imminent reactor explosion, or a weapons system charging up? The energy was going to have to go somewhere.
Hopper: That thing is going to go critical – at this range, we’ll be vaporized in an antimatter explosion.
M-Tri’lea: Don’t flinch. Only the unfaithful flinch. ::To Carter:: If you die, we die. You’re going to have to trust me.
Esma/M-Wil: Response
Wong: Carter, I trust her.
Robin watched the tension between the Betazoid and Carter, as the Commander chewed over the decision for a moment.
Carter: Allright...so, how do we get past this without getting killed then?
M-Tri’lea: ::To Carter:: Getting killed? By what? ::Pointing to the screen:: Nothing will happen. This count will run down and the hub will deactivate.
Robin bit the inside of her cheek nervously as she glanced back to the readout. It didn’t look like nothing was going to happen. Was the Betazoid Empire really this fanatical?
Reade: You people are totally interesting.:: To Starfleet Crew:: We may be able to jam the blocking signal.
M-Wil: Response
Carter: This thing has to have an access code to disarm it.::to Starfleet crew:: work on blocking the signal.:: To M-Wil, M- Tri'lea:: Any bright ideas will be accepted...
Wong: In my opinion, the wisest move is none at all. Or, more accurately, we stay put.
Polgonz seemed to be in agreement, offering nothing but a casual shrug as she leaned back against the wall of the shuttle. She offered no helpful pointers beyond that. While Robin agreed with Ikaia that they were now ‘locked in’ to their present circumstances, there was no reason to simply accept their fate on blind faith as the “Mother Eternal” would have them do.
Hopper: Assuming that attempting to ‘disarm’ whatever ‘it’ is doesn’t set ‘it’ off…. then I think it might be worth exploring our options – other than running, that is. If we can access the hub’s processor remotely, maybe we determine whether the threat is real or not – ::to Scotty:: While you try to block its triggering mechanism?
Esma: Response
Reade: Yes. An RFID signal most likely controls the node; if we jam that signal or become that signal, we can block the data.
Carter: Scotty, keep on it. Esma, Wong, Hopper see if you can access this thing's computer.
Robin nodded, happy to have something concrete to do.
Hopper: Welcome aboard, by the way, Ensign… ::Hoping the Vulcan-looking woman would understand her sarcasm:: Hope you’re having a relaxing first day. ::To Esma and Wong:: Assuming these Betazoids use the same base computer systems the ones back home do, I may know a ‘back door’ into the hub’s OS…
As a junior officer on a deep space science vessel, Robin had found herself with plenty of time. Time spent in the company of a Betazoid Operations Officer named Egan Retel. He’d always been rather reserved – until the two of them had started talking legacy computer systems from their respective homeworlds… that’s when the floodgates had opened. Among the myriad nerdy subjects they had connected over, one had been hacking older operating systems – a skill that Robin had also employed to get the disparate components of the Targhee working with each other.
She tapped at her console with remarkable speed, recalling the procedure for gaining entry via diagnostic.
Hopper: Alright, I’ve gained us limited access – we don’t have authorization to make any changes, but the three of us can at least poke around, try to see what’s going on under the hood.
Hopper, Esma, and Wong began observing the hub’s systems, trying to determine what it was really up to – and how real the threat to the Gatineau was.
Esma: Response
Hopper: I see that too… Ikaia? What do you think?
Wong: Commander, this is your call.
The three hub-snoopers turned to Carter once again. As he mulled it over, he turned to the Betazoids.
Carter: This thing have a countdown clock? Failsafes?
M-Wil: Response
M-Tri’lea: The resistance hasn’t survived this long by attacking the Outpost outright… We’ve never tried this. If there are failsafes, we’ll find out at the same time as you.
That wasn’t a particularly reassuring answer.
Carter: Robin...does that thing have an atmosphere?
Hopper: An… Atmosphere, Sir?
She glanced at her scans to confirm what she’d seen before.
Hopper: Yes – and there’s enough space onboard for a small team, I assume for maintenance work. ::Gritting her teeth:: You’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking, are you?
M-Tri’lea: ::Indignant:: You want to transport yourselves onto that thing?
M-Wil: Response
Carter: We're not crazy. Just not interested in dying…
Reade: I agree. I do think my backup option can work as well if needed, sir.
Hopper: If we beam in, an internal scan of the device should confirm our hunch, Commander. If it’s really not rigged to explode, we could still deactivate it safely enough from within using your RFID blocker, Scotty.
Wong/Carter/Esma: Response
M-Wil: Response?
Reade: What happens if it was a bluff?
Robin shook her head slightly.
Hopper: Then I’ve soaked my overalls with sweat for nothing. Let’s call that the “best case scenario”. ::A nod to Carter:: Who’s beaming over, John?
Carter: Response
((OOC – To help move the scene along, I have confirmed the assignment with Ken / Carter OOC.))
oO Ahhhh #$%&... Oo
Hopper: Somehow I knew you were going to say that… ::Pointing:: Scotty, you’re with me. ::A nod to the unfamiliar “Wil” from another reality:: You too. If you’re anything like our Wil, we could use your help. Let’s hope your girlfriend’s right.
M-Tri’lea: ::Pointedly:: I am right.
M-Wil/Reade: Response
Carter/Wong/Esma: Response
There wasn’t much time, nor necessity for extensive preparation. More than any tools, they were going to need their minds on the other side. Robin ensured the others were ready, then looked to the young Engineer – the closest person remaining on the Gatineau to a transporter chief.
Hopper: Ensign, would you do the honours?
Esma: Response
((OOC Wong/Carter/Esma/M-Tri'lea can continue their scene here. Hopper/Reade/M-Wil are transporting to the hub.))
((A moment later – Inside the Control Hub))
Robin rematerialized and immediately took a testing breath. It was air, alright. So that much had been right about their scans. It was dark though. Very dark. She held her hand in front of her face and couldn’t see it. Reaching for her tricorder, she unclipped it from its holster on her belt and activated the built-in light.
The diffused light wasn’t very powerful, but it was enough to navigate around in the small maintenance space within the hub.
Hopper: Scotty – start preparing your signal blocker. Wil, any chance you can attempt to break into the computer via an access terminal?
Reade: Response
M-Wil: Response
Robin began running scans on her tricorder.
Hopper: I’m going to try and locate the source of that power signature…
Reade/M-Wil: Response
TBC
