Lt. Ceciri Ariadust - Stampede

[Koihime Nakamura]

((Science and Research Center - Holodeck Simulation Lab, Amity Outpost))

Iko: So you were able to read my sloppy handwriting?

Kivik: Well enough, I’d say.

Reade: You did pretty well, you will gain more knowledge as time goes on.

Ariadust: The writing wasn't too bad, compared to some I've seen..

Iko: alright, let's see how this goes. First off, a basic design for the droids, toys, things-

Kivik: Yes, I believe that is what the Lieutenants were working on.

Reade: Indeed, I think we are inputting the design now as we speak.

Ceciri nodded as she was working with it.

Iko: actually, How about first off, a name for what we are abt to make.

Kivik: ::Looking to the others, then back to Bec:: Let’s not get carried away with enthusiasm. Our priority is finding a solution that can distract the Angels - at least temporarily - from the mining equipment without harming them or causing the Hawlat any distress. A catchy name can wait. For now, let’s just call it… ::ne thought for a moment:: Project KIRA - an amalgam of our initials?

Reade: To be honest, Project KIRA does not sound bad at all. I think its pretty cool.

Bec smiled

Ariadust: Sounds good. ::She agreed with the ensign, now was not th

The group went to work, trying to piece together a little drone that could be used, after a few minutes the drone was ready.

Iko: That looks good, might need a lil bit of tweaking... perhaps a bit bigger? I don't want them to be able to hurt the... Angels whatsoever, so I'm kinda treating them as Human infants...

Reade: Indeed, we do not want to make it too close to resemble a human, but yes that could work. We might want to add a little plasma ventor to the drone, they seemed to be attracted to that.

Ariadust: A bit, yeah, but we need to be careful.

Kivik: Considering the Angels’ enjoy ramming themselves headfirst into our ships, I don’t think we need to treat them as particularly fragile. All the same, we don’t want any of their tendrils getting caught in the works - and we don’t want the drones to get broken by their play either, if it gets rough. We’ll need to consider some sort of armor - more energy-efficient than shielding - akin to what we see on our small craft.

Reade: We could do ablative armour, similar to what the Indy-B has. It should absorb the energy from the hits and dissipate it around the drone’s body.

Iko: Will that be enough shielding?

Ariadust: Should be. The armor is used on some of the more rugged drones that operate in denser asteroid belts.

Kivik: Yes, I almost forgot! Building on Lieutenant Ariadust’s suggestion of utilizing the Bussard Collectors, I’ve managed to program them to absorb and concentrate raw particles and plasmas, squeezing them into a sort of ‘primordial juice’ - just the kind of thing that ought to intrigue our space born creatures. In other words, wherever these drones go, they’ll leave behind a trail of ‘treats’ to lure the Angels. The question now is - how do we deploy these drones in such a way that they don’t interfere with the Angels too much. Thoughts?

Reade: I think that is a good idea to use, but its going to be hard to downscale that into small drone, but I am happy to troubleshoot.

Iko: ...I got nothin'... sorry folks...

Ariadust: No worries, just air any idea as it comes to you.

Kivik: Interesting - why don’t we run a simulation? I’ve got preliminary data regarding the Angels’ behaviour, collected by myself and Ensign Iko, programmed into the holodeck. ::To Ariadust:: Combined with your custom holodeck parameters and ::to Reade:: your assistance programming the device’s behavioural subroutines, I think we should be able to get a fairly accurate idea of how they’ll react to our ‘toys’.

Reade: Aye, let me program some of the behavioural subroutines. Give me a 10ish minutes….. And Done.

Iko: Now, what's gonna happen? ::smile::

Ceciri didn't say anything, just watching the simulation as it began and the group watched as their device set to work, humming (or, more accurately, vibrating the nebulous gasses surrounding it) and scooping up nebula particles, leaving behind a trail of concentrated plasma blobs. Before long, one of the virtual Angels took note and floated over to investigate. As it approached, it seemed to vibrate in harmony with the device, as if communing with it. It didn’t take long for the creature to ‘nibble’ one of the blobs, then another, and another…

Before long, the creature had caught up to the toy - only, rather than playfully bumping it, as it had the Yosemite Sam, the creature reached out with a tendril and grabbed onto it, pulling itself directly up to the plasma emitter and ‘drinking’ it like a smoothie through a straw.

Ceciri blinked. Well.. there are things you don't want to be proved right on.

Reade: Hmm, let's not get them high. Maybe we reduce the blob level of plasma.

Iko: Agreed... ::looking around:: I'll let you guys do that.

Ariadust: Do you have any ideas on what else to do, Ensign? ::Ceciri didn't want to put her on the spot, but any idea would be useful::

Kivik was about to respond when a hail came in over nir communicator, routed by Ops:

Thompkins: =/\= Poseidon Mining Rig to Amity Outpost, we have an emergency. One of the space bourne creatures has become trapped in our equipment. We require your assistance. =/\=

Kivik: =/\= This is Ensign Kivik aboard Amity Outpost. We hear you, Poseidon. What can we do to help? =/\=

Thompkins: =/\= Look, we don't have much time, Ensign. We don't have the facilities here or the vehicles to get that creature out. But I bet if you take some of those fancy runabouts you brought along with you, you've got a shot. =/\=

.oO Like you have? Oo.

Kivik: =/\= Understood. We’ll see what we can do and get back to you with a plan of action as soon as we can.. ::Thinking for a moment, Kivik added:: ..In the meantime, I recommend activating some nearby equipment - anything that’ll vibrate without harming the creature. It may serve to calm it down a little. =/\=

Thompkins: Response

Kivik: Options?

Reade: We need to get over their ASAP, if the equipment is not turned off we lose the risk of saving the animal. :: To Kivik:: Can you get me the status of the animals? I can make something as we fly over in a runabout.

Iko: this is going to be like finding a cloaked ship in a heavily sensor interfering nebula...

Ariadust: I.. feel that finding it will be relatively easy, it's getting it out without damaing the miners rig that will be the challenge.

Kivik: Response

Reade: Shall we go to the Shuttlebay?

Iko: We don't have any time to waste.

Ceciri nodded, already in the process of saving and ending the program.

Kivik: Response

((Shuttbay - Section Alpha, Amity Outpost))

As the group ran towards the shuttlebay, Scotty tapped his combadge, and chripped a message out to the rig to gather more info.

Reade: =/\= This is Lt. JG Scotty Reade, to Poseidon Mining Rig, can you please provide me with the status of the animal stuck? =/\= I need to get a baseline so I can get the correct equipment.

Thompkins: =/\= Response =/\=

Reade: Ok, the animals are stable. That is good, we need to figure out a way to stop the machines.

Iko: emergency shut off?

Kivik: Response

Ceciri remained silent, but largely she was composing a mental report. Besides, she was trying to think of the unobvious, which was.. always a challenge

Reade: =/\= Scotty, to Poseidon Mining Rig, please ensure that all equipment is shut down. This should give the animal some time, while we make our way over=/\=

Iko: What shuttle should we take?

Ariadust: Yosemite is on-ready status, we should take that one.

Kivik/Iko: Response

Reade: =/\= Scotty, to Ikaia, one of the animals has been stuck in the mining equipment, requesting that you come with us, just in case you need to stabilize the animal? =/\=

Wong: =/\= Response =/\=

Reade: =/\= Acknowledged, please meet me in the Shuttlebay, Section Alpha. =/\=

Reade: Ok. I've asked Lt. Wong to come with us. Any ideas on how to stabilize? I have one but I am open to more ideas?

Iko: We might need a sedative for the creature, as a last resort. Hopefully Lieutenant Wong will be able to provide us with one that will possibly work. It would be easier to beam the creature away too, but considering they are hard to pick up on the ship's sensors and blend in with the nebula, it will be hard to get a lock. We will need likely need to create a pattern buffer.

Ariadust: I'm a pilot, not a doctor, I'm afraid.

Ceciri was not at all a biologist, let alone a exoxenobiologist.

Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

Iko: Stellae? is that what we are calling them now?

Ariadust: Makes sense, probably a scientific name.

Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

Iko: ::Climbing into the pilot's seat of the Yosemite:: We are wasting time people...

Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response 

Ariadust: Are we? The wind leads into a ravine, as they say.

Iko: ::nervously, ducking to the back:: I-I'm sorry. Ariadust, I believe you should pilot the shuttle.

Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

Iko: ::Mildly startled:: Oh, I'm fine. Just got a little... uhh... impulsive, that's all.

Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

Ceciri could taste the spicy burn of stress and the tang of feeling overwhelmed, and .. well, she just gave the ensign a very knowing look. She didn't say anything. After all, she realized it on her own, and she had no desire to embaress her in public. Praise in public, discipline in private.

As they neared the rig, she saw an oddity on the sensors, and frowned.

Iko: I'll explain later. right now we need to take care of... ::getting sidetracked:: Kivik, is it just me or is that Stellae... a child?

Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

Ariadust: It certainly looks it. Hm. ::Ceciri thought through it.:: I've seen that pattern before, in the magnetic readings. It was where the Stellae were playing. ::taps some controls to forward it to Kivik:: Ensign Kivik, could you compare that to previous readings? Al-::A proximity alarm went off, and Ceciri moved to look at it, then .. groaned.:: There's a herd of Stellae coming in. Probably to 'rescue' their child. This could complicate matters.

Iko/Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

Lt. Ceciri Ariadust

HCO Officer

Amity Outpost

C239112CA0

[Koihime Nakamura]

Thompkins: =/\= Well, it's definitely still alive and kicking... It looks like it got past one of the processing holds and couldn't find its way back out. Unfortunately, it's damaged one of the internal gates within the conduit, so it's not going to get out now without help. =/\=

Reade: Ok, the animals are stable. That is good, we need to figure out a way to stop the machines.

Iko: emergency shut off?

Kivik: Response

Ceciri remained silent, but largely she was composing a mental report. Besides, she was trying to think of the unobvious, which was.. always a challenge

Reade: =/\= Scotty, to Poseidon Mining Rig, please ensure that all equipment is shut down. This should give the animal some time, while we make our way over=/\=

Thompkins: =/\= Already done, Lieutenant. We'll stand by for your arrival. Be aware if you're planning to send someone in, it can be a bit of a maze in there. =/\=

Before the others could speak up..

When the shuttle from Amity arrived near the rig, Henry opened a channel.

Thompkins: =/\= Welcome back, friends! All right, what's the plan? =/\=

Shuttlecraft from Amity: =/\= Response =/\=

Iko/Wong/Kivik/Reade: Response

TBC/TAG