Lt. Robin Hopper: Stay With Me
Robin Hopper
((Idrustix – “Mid-Islands Region”, Island 4, Valley))
S'Raga: It's not a failure on our end. Whatever cut the signal came from an outside source. If I had to guess, I'd say our alien friends in orbit caught on to us.
Robin looked over the shoulder of the Caitian Ensign, brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to interpret the data she was being given. Serving as a Science Officer often meant working in an absence of solid information – deducing conclusions from a sea of data. Knowing what was worth looking at often came down to a combination of expertise and intuition.
Lekasa: So you meant it was intentional interference.
Ukinix(H): ::Exasperated sign:: Bastards.
Hopper: ::Frustrated:: What the hell do they want?!
Robin paused, surprised at her own outburst. The back of her head was now throbbing with a growing ache. Even though she had only shed a few exhausted tears at the sounds of the other teams over the comms, the crying had not helped.
Hopper: Sorry, everyone… The exhaustion and radiation is getting to me. ::A certain look towards Ukinix:: I’m fine, though…
Daughter Vananth-Polgonz spoke up, her own frustration with the situation clearly reaching a boiling point as well.
Lohani: You’re just saying what we’re all thinking. What in the name of the Four are these people trying to do – kill us all? And if so, why hasn’t your Captain Rahman taken more decisive action? ::An uncertain look towards Ukinix:: I thought you were close with her.
Commander Ukinix snapped back.
Ukinix(H): Captain Rahman is one of the best captains in the entire &*^%$^&* fleet. I have no doubt Captain Rahman is doing all she can to get us out, or disable or destroy those satellites. You have a problem with her? You can tell it to her face when she get us out of here. And if you do, I wish you good *^%&^* luck with that.
Robin felt a lump in her throat. That brief glimmer of hope, snuffed in an instant by their captors, had clearly thrown them all through a loop. The group’s cohesion was quickly falling apart. Tani Lekasa, professional mediator for Betazed’s nobles, stepped between them.
Lekasa: Commander...
Ukinix shook his head in frustration before turning away. Robin watched Lohani as she stood, still as a rock, arms crossed. Robin suspected it was not the first time she’d had someone yelling in her face over unfavorable representation. But she knew the Betazoid noble was on the edge of feeling overwhelmed – heck, they all were.
Ukinix for his part, collected himself and addressed their Security Officer.
Ukinix(H): Lieutenant Grurg, anything on our proximity sensors.
Grurg: Nothing, Commander. It seems the species are not coming back to the planet. That is concerning, and raises questions to their motive for keeping us in and cut off from the Kitty Hawk.
S’Raga: And cut off from each other. They don't want us working together to find a way out of this.
Robin nodded. Grurg and S’Raga were right. Their intent was clearly dangerous – if not deliberately hostile.
Hopper: Okay, well, whatever their reason, they don’t want us communicating. But we don’t have to play by their rules…
Ukinix(H): What are you thinking.
S’Raga: Go on the offensive?
Robin nodded with a nervous excitement, an idea forming in her mind.
Hopper: If they can jam us through the field, there must be a way to route signals through the satellites. That means, if we can crack their security protocols, we might be able to forward our own signals through the satellite network… Turn their tech against them.
Ukinix(H): ::Nodding to Grurg:: Get onto it.
Grurg: Aye.
S’Raga: ::Nodding:: Our tetryon device is still working, so we definitely still have a chance at making this work.
Hopper: I doubt we’d be able to get a signal out the other end, to the Kitty Hawk, but the only way they’d be able to stop us from bouncing signals to each other down here would be to deactivate their own satellite net. Either way, it’s a win for us, right?
Grurg: Unless we find a way to destroy one of the satellites. It may break the net.
Ukinix(H): Explain.
Grurg: It may be that the Kitty Hawk is unable to find a way to destroy the satellite, without causing significant damage. But from the surface we may have more luck in disabling or destroying one of the satellites.
Ukinix(H): Alright. Grurg, keep working on their security protocols. S’Raga, try and regain a comms link to the other teams. Robin, see if you can find a weakness in their satellites. Any small interference might do the trick, see what else you can find out about them.
S’Raga: Aye Commander!
Robin nodded in the affirmative – happy to have a plan of action. Three plans actually. The group had gone from about to fall apart to working together again… save one sticky wheel. The team was only going to be as strong as its weakest link.
Hopper: Daughter Vananth-Polgonz – can I recruit your assistance? Your knowledge of physical communications networks could be very useful.
The Betazoid noble seemed surprised, but relieved, to have a job to do. The truth was, Robin wasn’t sure if Lohani’s knowledge or skills aligned with their current predicament – but she needed to keep Lohani’s mind on something concrete, rather than on worrying over worst case scenarios.
The pair walked over towards the nearest comms array. While S’Raga worked on reestablishing contact with the other groups, Robin knelt by one of their connected PADDs and held it aloft for Lohani to see.
Hopper: This is what our tricorder scanners have managed to put together from down here. It’s not perfect, but you can get a sense of the basic layout of components – if not their details… They don’t appear to be shielded – relying instead on our desire not to set off a subspace cascade event in-atmo by destroying them.
Lohani took the PADD from Robin’s hand and began looking it over, covering a yawn as she did. oO I guess even the nobility need their beauty rest. Oo
Ukinix(H): And at some stage we have to start thinking about sleep shifts for all of us, so we can at least function.
Ukinix(H): How are you feeling, Miss Lekasa.
Lekasa: If I could have a word, Commander?
Ukinix(H): Response
Lohani: ::To Hopper:: This is an alien design. I’m not familiar with most of these structures – but if they’re not shielded, could they be bombarded with junk data? Maybe throw off their telemetry.
Hopper: Hmm… You’re thinking that might disrupt the stability of their net grid. Maybe give us a ‘hole’ to send a message through?
Lohani: ::Smirking:: Or transport out a noble… Yes, something like that.
((Aside))
((OOC – This conversation happens aside from the main group and wouldn’t be audible. I’m keeping the tags in for Ukinix’s simmer’s convenience))
Lekasa: I understand this is a stressful situation... and I will have a word with Daughter Vananth-Polgonz... but please remember we *need* all three houses on board for this.
Ukinix(H): Response
Lekasa: I get that, I do... and you and your officers certainly have our... ::She looked down for a moment and then reached out to hold his hand, looking up.:: ...gratitude. I suppose I'm just asking please have a little patience is all. I know these nobles can be a bit much. Believe me, why do you think I'm in support of getting rid of the whole thing.
She offered a small smile.
Ukinix(H): Response
Lekasa: I think what would be good is if we can make Daughter Vananth-Polgonz feel useful... I must admit, even I am getting a bit... restless with nerves having to stand by feeling helpless. What can she--and I--do to help?
Ukinix(H): Response
((OOC – Backsim here as you see fit!))
((Back with the others))
Robin turned as she heard a chirp from the console S’Raga was working on behind them – something wasn’t quite right. She left the PADD with Lohani, moving to take a glance at the HCO’s work.
Hopper: That’s a jumping off point, Daughter Vananth-Polgonz. Keep taking a look and I’ll be back in a second.
S'Raga: ::Sarcastically:: Ah, great. ::To Hopper:: Lieutenant, do you know where the coil spanner went? I need to re-fasten one of the boosters.
Robin put her hands on her hips and leaned her head back, trying to think. She was typically fairly fastidious in keeping things organized – but they had all been in a bleary-eyed panic mode for the past few hours.
Hopper: It’s most likely next to one of the other boosters. Not the perimeter ones, though, since we set those up first. Try the ones behind the pods.
S'Raga: Thanks! I'll be right back.
As S’Raga walked off, Robin turned back to Lohani, ready to return to her work. She smiled, a small tired smile, seeing that the noble seemed to be focused intently on the PADD she’d been given. She looked over to Grurg, who seemed equally engaged in her work. Next her eyes followed S’Raga as he moved over to the pods, slipping between them and shuffling through the tools.
Then something caught her eye. For a moment, she almost didn’t process it – thinking it was one of the many brightly-coloured birdlike creatures they’d seen flying between the tall grasses and trees all day – but it wasn’t moving right. It was hovering.
oO What… is that? Oo
Before she could even verbalize her concerns, the object rushed forward towards S’Raga. As it left the edge of the treeline, Hopper could see clearly that it was some sort of metallic sphere. It moved at a shocking rate – closing the distance to within ten or so meters – before a contiguous beam of green energy shot out from it, enveloping S’Raga in some sort of field.
Hopper’s eyes went wide, her pulse quickened. S’Raga began to scream. The orb moved closer. Without a second thought, Robin unslung the phaser rifle from her back and, flicking the setting to maximum, fired a burst at the attacker. The orb jittered in the air as the phaser pulse struck it, though it did not disintegrate. It must have been using some sort of polarized plating to protect against phaser damage.
Hopper: Cover!
Ukinix(H)/Grurg/Lekasa: Response
She ducked behind a crate as the green energy flashed towards her. Peeking around, she tried to ascertain if the others had taken defensive positions as well. A second and then a third beam of orange phaser fire lit up the orb. Robin fired a second time. The confluence of fire seemed to be enough to overwhelm its plating and the orb dropped from the air, slamming into the ground below with a deep earthy thud.
Hopper: God, this is not what I expected from today…
oO What had she told S’Raga earlier in the turbolift? “Basically a destination resort”... Oo
How the orb had gotten past their proximity sensors, Robin didn’t know. But if there was one, there could be more. Her attention, however, had to be on S’Raga. He was lying on the ground, his muscles twitching. The orb was only a few meters away this point – though it seemed to be inactive.
Ukinix(H)/Grurg/Lekasa: Response
Hopper: I’m going to check on him. Cover me.
Ukinix(H)/Grurg/Lekasa: Response
She strode quickly across the campsite, through the pods, unslinging her phaser rifle from her shoulder as she did. While she wasn’t prepared to go unarmed, it was going to get in her way. Her eyes scanned the treeline, darting from one source of movement to another. She removed her tricorder from her hip and, as she neared the downed Ensign, she dropped her phaser rifle on the ground beside him – courching and removing the detachable medical scanner from the tricorder, scanning his vitals.
Hopper: Ensign S’Raga – can you hear me? S’Raga?!
The Caitian’s eyes fluttered, but did not open.
S'Raga: R...Robin?..
Hopper: Yes. Yes, it’s me. You’ve been hit by fire, but you’re going to be okay. I’m assessing your injuries now so that I can stabilize y–
As she said that, he slumped. A glance at her tricorder told her that he was unconscious. Not comatose… more like sedated. She shook her head, trying to make sense of it. Robin wished Ikaia was here – or Alieth. They’d know what to do.
Robin did her best to recall the CRITICAL steps of Starfleet Combat Medicine. In her two years aboard the Wall Street, nothing like this had ever happened. She worried that her skills were rusty, untested… She was just going to have to do her best. While the others secured the area, she focused on identifying S’Raga’s injuries and how to treat them.
Ukinix(H)/Lekasa/Grurg: Responses
Hopper: I’m trying to figure it out, but I’m a physicist, not a doctor. His vitals are going crazy.
Thankfully, the orbs weren’t firing tetryon emissions, the injuries from which could be quite serious. All the same, things weren’t looking good. The Caitian had sustained superficial first degree burns where he had been struck, the front of his uniform and underlying fur singed and blackened.
Lohani: By the Four… Is he going to live?
Hopper: Yes… oO I $@#%ing hope so. Oo We should get him to cover as soon as I determine if he can be moved. ::To Lekasa:: Tani – I need an accommodation pod ready to go, okay? ::To Lohani:: If you want to help, bring me the case of hyposprays. He’s going to need an injection.
Vananth-Polgonz nodded, moving back into the campsite.
S’Raga: Response?
Ukinix(H)/Lekasa/Grurg: Responses
More puzzling than the superficial burns he’d sustained was S’Raga’s elevated white blood cell count, hystamine and tryptase levels, and plummeting blood pressure – it was as if the energy being emitted from the orb device had triggered some sort of hyper immune response. oO But why??! Oo If that was the case… She ran the medical scanner over his trachea. His airways were closing up.
Hopper: I think he’s going into anaphylaxis… ::Shouting for Lohani:: I need those hypos. Now!
Lohani: Here, here…
The Betazoid noble rushed back over, passing Robin the case of hyposprays. Hopper opened it and grabbed one of the devices, calibrating it quickly to administer Adrenaline – a standard treatment carried on all away missions. Without wasting a second, she pressed to his neck and pressed the button. A small hiss indicated it had been administered.
Hopper: ::Taking a deep breath:: That should stabilize him – at least for now. ::Pulling the tricorder back out to monitor:: …Now, I need someone to help me move him.
S’Raga: Response?
Ukinix(H)/Lekasa/Grurg: Responses
TBC
