Lieutenant JG Kaito Moore - Trial By Phaser Fire

[Lieutenant j.g. Kaito Moore]

( Engineering R&D Department, Amity Outpost )

Bec nodded, and raised a hand.

Iko: What if, say, Dave dropped his phaser in a struggle and now has Claudia’s? Can he use hers?

Moore: Assuming Claudia is a part of the away team, the Mantis will work. These phasers are programmed pre-mission with the biometrics of each away team member, but can be expanded out to include non-away team members too.

He glanced back at Saavei, figuring he would toss over the next technical part to Saavei; overall he was feeling confident in their design.

Saavei: The phaser can be attuned to away teams through a variety of means. The easiest is when they beam down together. Otherwise linking them is accomplished with a PADD or tricorder, in the event of a shuttle or other ingress. Between biometrics and combadges, there are fail-safes built in to make sure it is useable as needed. As Lieutenant Moore stated, non-away team members can also be added later via a PADD or tricorder.

Moore: Between the two-factor authentication needed for programming, and the fact that the Mantis continues to check the biometrics during use, the possibility of a restricted user using this weapon is nearly none.

Hopper:  I guess there’s no accounting for ‘clones’ or ‘duplicates’ of some sort, assuming they have the same biometric data… Still, that’s hardly an every-mission concern and we can’t account for every single possible variable.  ::Chuckling::  And it’s not like we want to have to enter a passcode every time we go to use it.

Hopper turned to Wil and Bec, then back to Moore and Saavei.

Saavei: While clones and doppelgangers did not enter our initial design idea, the possibility is sufficiently remote that compensating for it would add unnecessary development strain to a device capable of only 'stun' settings. It is an idea which could be added into subsequent models, but would require additional research.

Ukinix/Iko: Response

Moore: Tampering with the phaser, be it trying to access software, or trying to open up the phaser without authentication, triggers the self-destruct. On top of that, we can also program a panic code that will also trigger self-destruct. So even if captured, an away team member can still disable the phaser.

Hopper: A ‘panic code’? How would that work, practically?

Saavei: Tricorder, PADD, or vessel communication. It uses a 32-byte encryption frequency, making the odds of an accidental deactivation negligible. For instance, if an away team realized they lost a phaser planet-side, any device or vessel capable of transmitting could send the destruction code for the weapon. In tandem with an unauthorized user also tripping the self-destruct, the odds of the phaser being utilized by an unauthorized individual are slim.

Robin pursed her lips and nodded

Ukinix/Iko: Response

Moore: Truthfully we could put this biometric technology, and self-destruct protocols, to a wide range of tools; Tricorders for example.

Saavei: With proper research and redesigns, indeed.

Moore: The fact is, should anyone unauthorized get ahold of this phaser, be them Hirogen Weapon Master, or pre-warp society at a stone age level, once tampered with, and the protocol activated, all they are left with is a lump of warped metal too useless to be used for anything more than a decoration.

He smiled and looked between them.

Moore: Would you like to see a demonstration? 

Hopper: You betcha.  ::Eying Wil::  Skipper, you want to be the dummy target?

Kaito chuckled a little bit and shook his head. They wouldn’t be stunning Captain Ukinix… Yet. Instead, he typed away on the LCARS panel attached to the table, bringing up a holographic target further into the room.

Ukinix/Iko: Response

Hopper: Okay, Kaito, let’s see what this thing can do.  ::Encouraging smile::  I’m ready to be wowed.

Saavei: Lieutenant. ::To Moore, as she used her PADD to attune Mantis 'A' to his biometrics and combadge:: The device is now synced.

Kaito nodded and powered up the phaser, charging it up to full power. The hologram in the middle of the table also provided a graphic of the phaser activating.

Moore: The Mantis is now ready to fire, as it stands, it is only attuned to me. Should anyone else try to use it, after a few unauthorized attempts, the phaser would melt down, but in my case.

He aimed and fired the phaser. It struck the holographic target, which started blinking red. He then fired three more times in rapid succession.

Moore: It works with a push of a button, the firing trigger acting as the biometric scanner, scanning my thumb as I press down.

Ukinix/Iko: Response

Hopper: Well, it looks as though it works. That’s a good start.  ::Chuckle::  Can you demonstrate the self-destruct feature? Sorry to make you ruin one of your demo devices.

Kaito looked over at Saavei as she nodded at him. She then touched her PADD and activated Mantis 'B' but didn't link it to the biometrics or combadge of anyone in the room. It was 'on' but undesignated. Carefully, she set her PADD down and reached her hand into the case. Saavei held it near the beam projector, which wasn't in the path of escaping gas. As she lifted Mantis 'B' from the case, the device gave an unpleasant-sounding trill before a high-pitched whine began to emit from it. Steam poured out of the sides as the internal components superheated themselves into oblivion. Saavei held the device in her bare fingers the entire time, feeling the warmth increase but not to a dangerous level, apart from keeping her hand free of the escaping gas. A metallic stink briefly filled the air.

Saavei: The reaction is entirely self-contained. ::She held the Mantis up so the commanding officers could see it:: It is probable an unauthorized user holding it would suffer minor burns from the escaping gases, as you witnessed, but such would be non-life threatening.

Moore: It also acts as a deterrence, the escaping gas making whoever is holding the phaser drop it. Also note, we can adjust the triggering threshold for the self-destruct, so you could set it to five or six unauthorized attempts to use it before it melts down; the phaser, of course, would not work with those attempts.

Ukinix/Iko: Response

Stepping forward, offering a gentle applause at the demonstration, Robin pointed at the remaining example devices in the case.

Hopper: May I? I’d like to give one a try. Have they been pre-programmed for our biometrics?

Saavei: One will be shortly. ::She retrieved her PADD, linked it to the remaining phasers, then programmed it with the command staff's information:: They are now programmed as if we were all on an away team together. Anyone in this room may freely manipulate it.

To demonstrate the point, she lifted Mantis 'C' from its case and offered it to Commander Hopper.

Moore: Please, take a phaser. ::looking towards Wil and Bec.:: I would like all of you to get a handle for the Mantis.

Ukinix/Iko: Response

Saavei used her PADD again like a little techie to conjure up a moving holographic target on the far side of the room. Kaito took a step back, grabbed his own PADD, and synced up the internal sensors to monitor the phasers.  

Saavei: The room is ready for test firing.

Hopper/Ukinix/Iko: Response 

Saavei stood back as any of the commanding officers who wished to got their chance for a 'hands-on' experience. She looked over to him and gave him a small nod, moving to within earshot.

Saavei: It appears your presentation has gone well?

Moore: ::Quietly to Saavei:: Our presentation, this is as much you, maybe even more than it is me. ::Glancing over and giving a smile:: But yes. I think it is going well.

He focused on watching the command trio try out their phasers, going through different settings, and shooting at the targets. This test was going much better than expected. The Mantis wasn’t perfect, prolonged use at higher settings could make the casing warm, but not even close to dangerous levels, and sure it had a smaller battery life than a standard phaser, but as far as Kaito was concerned. It met the requirements, and then some… He could only hope they saw the utility of the design.

Hopper/Ukinix/Iko: Response

She nodded.

Saavei: I also suspect, if they approve of the design, command and the FDC will wish us to begin modifying other equipment with similar precautions.

Moore: ::Quietly:: Honestly, that sounds like fun to me. The safety capabilities of the Mantis would be useful in nearly all away team tech we can fit it in.

Saavei/Hopper/Ukinix/Iko: Response

Moore: ::Quietly:: I think they are finishing up.

Saavei: Response

He took a few steps back towards the table.

Moore: ::He gave them a warm smile:: So, what do we think, and what other questions do you have?

Saavei/Hopper/Ukinix/Iko: Response

Lieutenant JG Kaito Moore

Tactical Officer

Amity Outpost

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