[Backsim] Ensign Ollie Bergmen - Pam Pam Pam
CPT Arianus
((OOC: As technically this mini-mission is happening before ceremony I kept Ollie’s rank Ensign in header/subject))
(( Near the Western Wing, Klingon Prison Ruins, Wallace Forest ))
Bergmen: Yes, YES! Doctor! I found underground space under this ruin! It’s probably a corridor going that way!
With the report displayed on his tricorder, Bergmen's voice brimmed with excitement.
oO C’mon, c’mon, yes. YES! Oo
Ensign turned to his colleagues and gestured toward a nearby building. As he captured their attention and shifted their focus to this discovery, he started to monitor the tricorder dataset more closely, increasing his pace step by step.
Sadar: Good job, Ensign. Keep those readings handy. We don’t want to get lost underground. ::to Imril:: Ensign Imril, how is the structural integrity of this area? Would it be safe to go inside?
Ollie suddenly stopped during his advance when he heard the lieutenant's voice. He turned to Lieutenant Sadar and Ensign Imril, anticipating their assessment.
Imril: I’d say it’s sound, yes. If you’re looking for a second opinion, the walls here match the ones out there with nests on them. I’d expect the birds know where’s safe to build. But we’ll want to take plenty of scans along the way going in. And I’d suggest marking the doorways we pass, so we can leave in a hurry without needing to look at our tricorders. I took the liberty of replicating some chalk, if anyone wants some.
Bergmen: Good thinking, Imril!
Bergmen’s gaze was locked on their commanding officer. He expected to notice a different reaction on Sadar's face, but her expression of excitement, similar to Ollie's, was equally gratifying.
Sadar: Sounds good. Let’s head in. Make sure to have your tricorders scanning for signs of wildlife. We don’t want to be cornered by any scorpionmoles down there.
Bergmen took a piece of charcoal from Imril and nodded as he moved forward.
(( Western Watch Ruins - Klingon Prison Ruins, Wallace Forest ))
The initial challenge they faced turned out to be less daunting than Ollie anticipated. The entrance, much like its surroundings, had deteriorated significantly, making it nearly easy to breach into the building. Light streaming through the entrance, along with rays filtering through the wall cracks, offered them a fleeting view of the room that lay between them and the underground.
Sadar: Remember, we still need to scan this building to establish a likely function. Be thorough while we search for a way to access the underground corridor.
Ensign Bergmen nodded and set the tricorder to standby mode to complete the entrance scan as quickly as possible. Lieutenant Sadar and Ensign Imril were the first to enter, quickly realizing that expectations fell short of reality. All remnants from when this building was operational have been removed long ago. The process was deliberate, aimed at abandoning this facility. Despite Lieutenant Sadar's expedition searching for anything, they found nothing valuable here.
But there was no reason to lose hope. They just needed to keep going. Surely, sooner or later, they would come across something worthy of archaeological significance.
Sadar: ::loud:: I found a hatch.
Ollie turned toward the lieutenant's voice and followed her as she led the building reconnaissance. Imril moved in closer, carefully examining the floor to verify what Sadar had discovered.
Imril: I see it too. I’m not detecting any evidence of a computerized mechanism. ::more scanning, tweaking of the EM band sensitivities:: It’s a magnetic lock, solenoid based. Some corrosion of the magnetic coils. Huh, there’s that word again. I’m not detecting anything that could have been a key. Not even any piles of conductive dust that would have once been a power cell. The hatch is stuck in the locked position at present.
Bergmen shrugged.
Bergmen: It’s possible the lock is remote controlled by a device that is not around anymore. If this is the First Empire compound, the thing could been even powered dependently on the central power distribution.
Sadar: If possible, I’d like to preserve the hatch in as pristine a condition as is serviceable. While rudimentary, it is still an intact piece of First Empire technology, even if it is primarily a roadblock. ::to Imril:: Is that an option?
Ensign Bergmen moved closer to conduct his scan. What he saw didn't make much sense to him... after all, he wasn't an expert in ancient Klingon technology, so he attempted to conceal his lack of knowledge with a thoughtful expression.
Imril: I can crack the lock. It’s an outdated design. Just a matter of feeding it the correct energies with the gear from my kit. But… Well, by ‘crack’ the lock, I mean blow it out. Klingon tech is pretty hardy, and the lock has been protected from the elements, or we’d be dealing with a dead-bolt. But, Like I said, the magnetic coils have corroded. There’s still enough conductive metal that I can force the solenoids open, but it’ll be hard and fast and dirty. Could be loud, too. I expect these walls can take any shaking, but we may not want to be in the room when -- if -- I pull the trigger. Just in case.
Ollie lost track during roughly a third of Imril's explanation and ended up nodding slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
oO If it succeeds, great; if not, Imril will be to blame. Oo
The Lieutenant seemed to grasp Imril's explanation more clearly, though her expression suggested she wasn't particularly pleased with it.
Lyara: =/\= Doctor Sadar, we’re detecting disturbances underground near your position. We believe it to be the scorpionmoles moving =/\=
Considering the announcement, the rusty, locked hatch appeared more suitable for their predicament. Ollie took a step back. That sounded like ‘Pam Pam’ time.
Sadar: That makes this easy.
Ollie agreed. Keeping the hatch closed sounds great.
Sadar: =/\= Understood. Keep me posted, but please continue with your scans. It would be preferable to have a full map of the facility’s underground before we return for the day. =/\=
Lyara: =/\= Alright sir, we’ll keep an eye on their movement from up here. If anything happens, hail us. =/\=
That didn’t sound like Doctor Sadar wanted to retreat. Bergmen bit his lip nervously.
Imril: So unlocking that hatch might make enough noise to attract their attention, then? Lovely.
Bergmen: Better safe than sorry, Imril.
Ensign Bergmen gazed at Lieutenant if she agreed.
Sadar: Make sure to mark this structure on our scans so we know to come back here once the scorpionmoles calm down. For now, we’ll keep combing through the surface part of the wing. ::looks to the Ensigns:: This time, we stay together. We don’t want to risk any of us getting cornered, since we don’t know how far up the scorpionmoles are going to wander.
Ollie acknowledged with a firm nod.
Bergmen: We should look for and mark scorpomoles burrows and potential nesting sites, if we detect them, Doctor. For future excavation expeditions.
Imril: Response
Sadar: If that happens, we’ll request the Klingons’ assistance with getting the passage excavated later. For now, let’s focus on what we can safely accomplish until everything calms down underground.
Sadar looked at her tricorder and nodded in affirmation to herself.
Sadar: We still have a couple of hours before our scheduled pick-up. Let’s proceed at a reasonable pace.
Bergmen: Understood, Doctor.
Imril: Response
Ollie snapped his tricorder shut and headed for the exit. There, he would feel better, safer in the open air... or so he hoped.
END for Ollie
–
Lieutenant JG Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1