LT Gila Sadar - Don't Harm The Messenger
LT Gila Sadar
(( Computer Programming Lab - Operations Workshop, Deck 5, USS Artemis-A ))
Bergmen: Doctor Nesin, Engineer Griil, welcome to the Artemis programmers' playground.
Gila hadn’t been in the Operations Center very many times during her time on the Artemis. She tended to steer away from the central hubs that weren’t in her direct purview, but compared to the other areas of the Ship, the Operations Center seemed to have changed slightly since her last visit... Though that could just be Gila’s imagination. The reason the Operations Center seemed more welcoming, more brightly lit, was likely just because it now held the connotation of it being Vai-net’s home, rather than that of her surly Tellarite predecessor.
Lieutenant Bergmen’s first order of business was to replicate two visitor combadges for the two scientists, and as the familiar blue shimmer manifested two Starfleet deltas in burnished gold, Gila saw the utter shock and surprise on the two aliens’ expressions.
Bergmen: These will help you understand the UI and mainframe and enable you access to work with… ::gestures towards the computers and devices behind him:: …everything you need. Would you like something to drink or a quick snack before we start?
There was a pause with Doctor Nesin and Engineer Griil evidently still trying to reconcile what they’d just witnessed.
Vailani: It's a matter-energy conversion device. It can produce food and materials that we need. We have larger ones that can replicate ships parts and vehicles.
Sadar: It’s, uhh... I-It’s not unlike the transporter that brought you aboard.
That seemed to put things slightly into perspective for the two scientists, even if they had both been fairly unaware when the transporter had locked onto them. After all, Gila hadn’t exactly had the time to give them a warning on her plans prior to basically abducting them off of the surface of their homeworld.
She had to remember to apologize for that, eventually.
Nesin: Ah, such a device must use a lot of energy? No?
Griil: A ship such as this - the energy generation must be strong enough to power the entirety of Kydon. It's a marvel :: sadness :: Our people would only make weapons from such a thing.
Silveira: Our own people would at a different time, but we managed to surpass our differences.
oO Maybe HUMANS would. Oo
But then, it wasn’t like Mizarians had invented the necessary technology to even conceptualize replicators yet...
Bergmen: So, let's get started. Doctor Nesin, you mentioned that the information you obtained should be stored in… “trees”. Where should it be?
A surface map of the Grunden homeland was pulled up on the holographic display in front of them, miles and miles of wartorn plains condensed to a simple topographic map. Doctor Nesin pointed to a slightly more wooded area nearer to New Kehixa.
Nesin: There. There was my lab. ::points at map::
Lieutenant Bergmen assisted so far as to let the display zoom in on the relevant area, but that was when Vai-net’s ability to ignore breaches in protocol started to be overtaxed.
Vailani: Doctor Nesin and Engineer Griil, we cannot help you any further other than to provide instructions on how to use our technology. We have tacit permission for the purpose of our investigation but I doubt that extends to restricted areas.
Nesin: It's okay :: hits a few instructions::
Gila watched as Engineer Griil and Doctor Nesin started cautiously, and then with growing confidence, interacting with the Artemis’ computer systems. The Universal Translator, aided by their combadges, of course made the UI as user-friendly as possible to the two of them, but there was something to be said for their experience working with ground-breaking technology. They were two of the brightest minds on Galaris IV, responsible for developing systems and programming that no one on their planetoid had ever dreamed of. She supposed it wasn’t too surprising that they’d take to alien technology as fish to slightly strange waters.
Griil: Would be nice to see High Chief Kraton’s face when he realises it was us.
Bergmen: Response
Nesin: Here it is. Your ship really is powerful.
This was when Xandeus Filistrien, a crewman Gila had worked with once during the Starfleet-Klingon Excavation on Kahines II, walked up to them. After the downscaling of their Intelligence Department, essentially running a skeleton crew due to a restructuring within Starfleet Intelligence, a number of former blackshirts had received new assignments. Some had transferred off of the Artemis, reassigned to the fewer Intelligence hubs that littered the quadrant, or they’d been assigned to departments where their skills could be put to use in a more general sense.
Xandeus was one of the latter, as he approached the group of senior officers now clad in a golden uniform. It felt both familiar and strange, being back in his former role of Communications Specialist. He saluted the Chief upon approach, and she offered introductions on his behalf.
Vailani: Petty Officer Filistrien is one of our Communications Specialists.
Filistrien: Welcome back, Chief. ::nods to the others:: Sirs. ::looks to Vailani once more:: My assistance was required?
Bergmen: Response
Vailani: Petty Officer Filistrien can provide us and the Captain with an update once you have this? We'll leave you with him as we search for the signal.
Xandeus nodded in understanding and as the five senior officers left the Operations Center once more, he was left alone with the two aliens.
Filistrien: It’s nice to meet you both. Now, tell me, how are we hacking into a tree today?
(( Cockpit of the USS Atlas - Main Shuttlebay, Deck 11, USS Artemis-A ))
((( Some time later )))
Vailani: Do we have any readings on the signal?
Gila moved uneasily in the passenger’s seat of the Atlas. An Argo class runabout didn’t need much crew to run - few runabouts did - and given the skillsets of the others, she’d been rendered perfectly superfluous. A state of being that was simultaneously welcome and deeply unnerving. Story of her life.
Gnai: There is no signal detected at this moment… but this presumes that if it were to come again, it would be received at the same location it was previously.
Filistrien: =/\= Filistrien to Atlas. Do you read me, Sirs? =/\=
oO I mean, yes, we haven’t even left the shuttlebay! Oo
Bergmen/Vailani: Response
Filistrien: =/\= It is proceeding, Sir, but our computers are having trouble linking up with the database at this distance. The biological components are causing our computers some trouble. However, if the Atlas could go into the atmosphere of Galaris IV, act as a signal booster at mid-range, that could make the difference. =/\=
Gila looked to Vai-net. Gila knew that her friend was a woman of morals, who followed the regulations and rules closely, and she knew that aiding the two scientists in hacking into government databases didn’t sit well with her, at all, even if the scientists seemed to have the moral high ground.
Sadar: I-If there’s no signal for us to chase right now, w-we may need to go to the facility in Breetia ourselves... T-Triangulate where the signal was coming from via that computer.
It wasn’t an excuse, per se, as they truly had limited options at their disposal if the signal wasn’t actively being transmitted at this time, and the fact that it would also accomplish what Doctor Nesin and Engineer Griil needed was but a beneficial side effect. Sil-net started the engines on the runabout, and Gila felt a familiar hum spread beneath the soles of her feet.
Silveira: Do we have clearance for take off?
Vailani/Bergmen: Response
Slowly and steadily Sil-net took the Atlas out through the open shuttlebay doors, turning the nose of the craft towards Galaris IV itself.
Silveira: OK people, buckle up.
Gnai: Aye, sir.
Vailani/Bergmen: Response
Sadar: Yes Vai-net, uploading the facility’s coordinates to the Atlas’ computers.
It was an easy task. The coordinates to the facility had been basically memorized at this point, given the riddle it had presented to her.
Silveira: I have the coordinates. Flightplan updated. I need someone to keep an eye for anti aircraft weapons once we reach the atmosphere.
Gnai: ::panicked, or as panicked as a robotic voice can sound:: Is this something to be worried about???
Sadar: I-I don’t want to think so. E-Even if fringe elements of the two governments are, uhh, ‘threatened’ by our presence, I-I don’t think they’d risk a war with the Federation by shooting down one of our shuttles...
oO I hope Oo
Vailani/Bergmen: Response
It was true that there was a lot at stake for all sides in this, and as such, Gila didn’t feel like she could ‘rest easy’, even if she was just a passenger at the moment. Even if her eyes couldn’t catch anything that the sensor array at the others’ consoles wouldn’t catch first, she still remained alert as she looked out the main viewscreen.
Gnai: ::looking at the data on its terminal:: Looks like there is a lull in activity over the destination, at least, as far as this can see from the ship’s sensors.
Sadar: B-Breetia was... Left in a bad state.
She found it hard to believe that there would be a buzz of activity in the area at this junction.
Vailani/Bergmen/Silveira: Response
Gnai: At the very least, the Grunden didn’t seem to be too well-versed in their technology. ::beat:: Perhaps their anti-aircraft defenses won’t be as much a danger as anticipated.
Sadar: If they had anti-aircraft defenses, s-surely Breetia would have been defended better from the drone attack?
Vailani/Bergmen/Silveira: Response
Gila was about to say something, the memories of the battle still haunting her mind - was there anything they could’ve done? Some warning they could have given? Some way they could have leveraged their identities to prevent the Kobyar drones’ attack? - but Lieutenant Gnai’s speakers, failing to translate the urgency that the rapidly shifting colorscape of Lieutenant Gnai’s tendrils evidenced, spoke up before she had the chance to.
Gnai: Sir, something’s coming!
Vailani/Bergmen/Silveira: Response
It was more of the drones from before - those semi-volatile sensor drones - accompanied by a small squadron of Grunden aircrafts. And they were hailing them?
Gnai/Bergmen/Silveira/Vailani: Response
The Grunden aircraft didn’t have viewscreen capability, but the voice transmitted through perfectly well, the gruff and rumbling sound of its pilot’s voice greeting them.
Grunden Pilot: =/\= Greetings Starfleet. You’re crossing into defended airspace. Is there anything we can help you with? =/\=
How kind of them to send a welcoming committee, and yet, Gila couldn’t help but feel slightly on edge. Though, that could just be a lingering effect of those drones. It hadn’t been more than five hours since one of those had been dangerously close to exploding a moving vehicle with her in it.
Gnai/Bergmen/Silveira/Vailani: Response
Grunden Pilot: =/\= I see... =/\= ::brief pause:: =/\= Thank you for the offer, but as I’m sure you can understand, tempers are flaring after the attack on Breetia. The breakdown of the ceasefire has the Circle of Chieftains unwilling to place your lives in further jeopardy. We’re sorry to seem ungracious hosts, but- =/\=
The Grunden pilot’s voice died, though it didn’t seem like a technical fault. Gila got the sense that they were hoping that their group would read between the lines and withdraw of their own volition, without the pilot needing to ask for it any more explicitly. A classic example of the ‘don’t blame the messenger’-sentiment.
Gnai/Bergmen/Silveira/Vailani: Response
TAG/TBC
LT Gila Sadar
Assistant Chief of Medical
USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1
featuring
PO3 Xandeus Filistrien
Communications Specialist
USS Artemis-A