[sb118-artemis] [End Act Two] Ensign Tho’Bi - Really Good Noodles

[Tobi]

((Holodeck 2, Deck 2, USS Artemis))

The Andorian felt the damp, heavy particles of mist drift across his face, neck, and hands. Where the particles met the scars on his cheek and palm, they became hung up and lingered. If the evidence of his own eyes were not already enough, his antennae told him, of course, there was no mist; yet still he felt it.

Tho’Bi: ::softly spoken:: Assuming the countdown time is correct (beat) the drone in the forest was always going to blow (beat) no matter what we did (beat) ::heavy breath:: either we were the target (beat) or the forest was.

The Edo Lieutenant Commander was different from the other officers the young Andorian had encountered on the Artemis, there seemed an innate kindness, a basic compassion, perhaps born of the natural curiosity required of a scientist. 

Jovenan: ::softly:: It’s okay, Ensign. Sometimes we have to do things that are beyond our ability to do, no matter how hard we try. It’s never your fault if you fail in face of an impossible task, you just have to keep trying. Can you tell what the countdown was for? Is there a relation to the signal?

At first the Andorian Engineer was a little thrown by the question; but he then realised he was doing what Engineers are inclined to do, assume everyone already knew what he knew.

Tho’Bi: What it was for? ::blanks for a moment:: oh ::beat:: Sorry, Lieutenant Commander. ::beat:: the drone's solid state power supply went critical ::beat:: it wiped out the forest ::head tilts to one side:: and nearly us too.

The Andorian’s dark blue eyes became unfocused, his cheeks lifeless. The cool, damp cling of the mist washed over him. He wanted so much to sleep. And yet in the gathering darkness, he felt Lieutenant Vailani's footsteps behind him, punching into and pushing off the mud and moss of the forest floor, driving him onwards to the smoke and flames of the township.

Tho’Bi: The countdown triggered the critical overload ::beat:: independently of the signal.

Jovenan: Thank you, Ensign. This is all…

The Andorian felt himself lean back against the smooth, cold edge of the workbench, and attempted to listen to the Lieutenant Commander's summary, through the deadening veil of mist.

Jovenan: So. Both the Kobyar and the Grunden have been in possession of outside technology. On both sides, the outside technology is identical and built from materials that are nominally easy to get hands on and therefore doesn’t reveal much of the constructor. Much of this technology sends a signal to something or someone who has a receiver in the system. This outside party is apparently capable of tracking said technology, and with the telescope, monitoring the system. They are either unaware or uncaring about the effects the technology may have on the soldiers in the field. And… just when a ceasefire is declared for the duration of our visit, the drones – which use said technology – attack locations in the Grunden side and near our locations, and another drone explodes near us, causing the war to resume.

Bancroft: Commander, I think we may need to consider the possibility that this conflict between the Grunden and Kobyar is being managed – maybe even cultivated. Maybe war isn’t the side effect – maybe it’s the whole point.

The voices kept arriving, distant and dislocated, murmurs adrift in featureless haze of absence. 

Imril: ::Nodding:: It would explain why the same evidence is showing up on both sides of the war. A single source distributing the goods where they can do the most harm. And if the Kobyar are adapting frontline gear for civilian use all on their own like I think they are, then they’re sowing the seeds of their own sensory blindness. The Grunden choppers had to get past a lot of surveillance drones and city defenses to start their attack where they did.

By the time the Lieutenant Commander spoke again, the Andorian had slipped down into a swirling vortex of grey. The Edo scientist's voice was no more than a flat amble of dulled out vowels.

Jovenan: Regardless of the intention, there’s clearly a single group behind the interference with the societies here. They might be hiding their identities, but they might have made a mistake somewhere. Dirt on components, techniques used only by a single faction, DNA… ::pause:: We have to figure out who they are.

He could no longer be sure if he were standing or sitting. In truth, the young Andorian could no longer be sure if he was even there. 

Imril: Has anyone else noticed that the Atlas is headed for the moon?

The dense layers of mist began to bubble up around him and lift upwards, carried by a biting, freezing wind that stung at the scars on his cheek and palm.  

Tho’Bi: oO Thalun Oo

((OOC: ‘Thalun’ is the old Graalen/Andorian, meaning ‘The moon’. I extrapolated this from the SB118Wiki Andorian Language Page))

Bancroft: Commander, Imril, Tho’Bi… I might have something. A thread for us to pull on. 

Imril: ::intrigued:: Let’s have it.

Bancroft: This ::gesturing at the top display:: is an analysis of the particles found in the Grunden’s bloodstream. And this ::gesturing at the lower display:: is a neurochemical agent last seen in the Vale of Saoirse. ::a beat:: Used by the Orion Syndicate.

Growing up Deep Space 3, the Andorian had seen quite a bit of the Orion Syndicate, and heard more besides. He was pretty sure Zee had dealings with them. Not that he would ever tell Tho’Bi, Zee knew very well what Tho’Bi's reaction would be.

Jovenan: ::raises an eyebrow:: They look almost identical, but with the quality of data we have, we can’t get a one hundred percent perfect identification.

Bancroft: I thought it might just be a coincidence too, at first, but have a look at this…

Doctor Bancroft punched a series of commands into the Workstation in front of him.

Bancroft: See this? Trace amounts of Lepiridizone. It’s a stabilizer – used to keep narcotics viable in non-native bloodstream environments. Not Federation standard – illegal, in fact. But it’s essentially standard issue for Syndicate narcotics trafficking.

Imril: Yet another specialized component that’s easy to acquire and difficult to track back to a specific source.

Tho’Bi: ::quietly:: Orion Syndicate get around ::beat:: Explains the mismatched tech.

Bancroft: If I had to guess, they found this system a ripe peach for the picking. Two native powers, a war just advanced enough to be exploited – but not advanced enough to find out about it. Feed them black-market tech, fan the flames, and rake in the profits. Whatever the angle, it isn’t about who wins. It’s about making sure no one does.

Imril: No one, except whoever’s supplying these supplies. And the conflict itself. War on demand.

Jovenan: The Orion Syndicate would have the means and the motivation for such a project. It could indicate their interests in returning to their old playground in the Borderlands. ::pause:: Good find, Doctor! Let’s try and find even more evidence, for whichever party we can.

Imril: ::To the group:: We can add Nausicaan Scout Corps surplus to the list of generic contraband. Their energy cells are noted to be very powerful for their size, and tricky to insulate. Think of it like using a photon grenade to power a flashlight. It would certainly do the job for blasting a signal so far, and explain the overheating that Bancroft found.

Tho’Bi: ::to Computer:: Computer ::beat:: Confirm ::beat:: Nausicaans are known to work for the Orion Syndicate.

Computer: Confirmed ::beat:: In 2375, Chief Miles O'Brien was attacked on New Sidney by Nausicaans working for the Orion Syndicate. 

((OOC: Source SB118WIKI Nausicaan History and Memory Alpha Nausicaan)) 

Tho’Bi: ::to the room:: There's our connection between Orions and Nausicaan tech.

Bancroft: Response

Imril: Computer, remove all transmissions to and from Moric that lay outside of the … semi-Nausicaan… device’s frequency ranges. Do the same with the space telescope.

Communications lines faded away until only a few remained.

Tho’Bi: ::quiet almost to himself:: Thalun

Computer: =/\= All senior officers report to the Bridge =/\=

The Lieutenant Commander acknowledged the message. Her speaking voice remained even and measured, but her expression had tightened, she looked paler, and her eyes had become distant. She may have stayed in the room, physically, but much of her spirit was out there, arching across the darkness to the Atlas, to the moon, to ones she loved.

Bancroft: Response

A double blunt tone in rapid succession indicated a data upload to the mission mainframe; it was the latest telemetry, in-flight, and sensor logs from the Atlas.  

The dark blue of the Andorian’s eyes scanned the screen.  

Tho’Bi: oO Thermal Noise Floor Oo ::smiles and to himself:: really good noodles.

Jovenan: Final reports, please. Keep them brief.

Tho’Bi: ::to the room:: Sensors logs from Atlas ::beat:: Lieutenants Vailani and Bergman detected a signal riding the Thermal Noise Floor ::beat:: That's what led them to the moon ::beat:: If we're dealing with Orion Syndicate ::beat:: and they're moving all these tech ::beat:: they'll have a ship out there ::directly to Jovenan:: Lieutenant Commander ::beat:: We should use the Artemis's superior sensor range ::beat:: to scan CMBR across the system and beyond.

((OOC: References to CMBR scans, etc. are to be found in Liv's Sim ‘Lieutenant Vailani Zoyara - Chasing the White Rabbit’. ….nice Matrix reference 👌 What's that you say? Alice in Wonderland? Never heard of it, I say.))

Bancroft/Imril: Response

She nodded to each of them.

Jovenan: Tell me the details on the way to the bridge. We better get moving.

Tho’Bi: ::nods::

Bancroft/Imril: Response

TAG/End act 2 for Tho'Bi 

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11