LtCmdr Jovenan – See, spewing technobabble all day is that difficult!
Jovenan
((Sensor pod, USS Artemis))
The new Chief of Ops cleared one target at a time with haste. Piloting the drone had not been a challenge to them at all, which was to be expected for someone with their training, but their past experiences proved to be invaluable also in determining which scans were needed. Just now, a memory of their old drill chief’s lessons had saved them from a failure.
Jovenan: Sounds like she taught you well. It spared you from a simulated diplomatic incident. In the Borderlands, we’re surrounded by fleets that regularly use cloaking technology, so it’s a lesson worth remembering. Which reminds me, Klingon or Romulan?
The distraction method of asking personal questions had been placed aside for a moment when the Lieutenant had to start and truly focus on their tasks. Jovenan wanted to see them succeed – or fail miserably, but that wasn’t going to be happening – so she restricted her inquiries to the times when the Lieutenant moved the drone between targets.
K’Wara: As in ‘which have you got more experience with’? Klingons. Romulans tend to stay on their own. Klingons make for great partygoers. What about you?
Jovenan: Believe it or not, I’ve needed to interact with Romulans more often than with Klingons, although they’re just behind the border. In fairness, that was decades ago and also never… What does the next target look like?
K’Wara: A target. ::smirks:: Lower subspace band reads clear of tetryon emissions - no cloaks this time, Sir? ::focuses:: Hm. Still, something odd’s there.
Indeed. Although the Lieutenant had with their earlier behaviour indicated that they wouldn’t be too easy to fall into the trap of letting the simulated pre-warp spacefarers know of their presence, there was always a chance for a false sense of security or being overwhelmed by the myriad of other things to consider. At least they had started with the subspace scans, something that wouldn’t show up to a civilisation at that level of advancement. However, just reporting “something odd’s there” to the bridge during a serious mission would get an irritated response.
Jovenan: Mm-hmm. Can you tell me anything further? Something about the configuration, perhaps?
K’Wara: ::mutters:: ... hydrazine, liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, nitrous oxide… Why does that sound familiar?
Jovenan: If you’ve done your homework diligently, they should sound familiar, yes.
The Lieutenant stopped to think. Jovenan waited patiently to see if they would realise what it was without help or if they would activate one of the active scanners – a sensible action in general if one wanted more data, but in this case doing so would have alarmed the other spacefarers.
K’Wara: Well, it’s unlikely for those elements to naturally appear in such concentrated quantities in such a narrow area of space- So what if it’s not natural? An explosion of some kind? ::looks over scans:: There’s no evidence of dangerous radiation, no warp emission trails, no- ::considers:: Either it’s a freak accident, or it’s the result of pre-warp technology of some kind.
Good. Very good. They knew their pre-warp crafts or history lessons. Some hesitation was understandable and forgivable, since they couldn’t make the conclusive determination on their own too easily. However, it was the final decision that counted as much as the process of finding it.
Jovenan: So, what would you do if you encountered something with those signs?
K’Wara: In order to be sure, I’d phone in a science officer’s opinion, since more invasive scans aren’t recommended for potential First Contact scenarios. ::smiles:: Unless this fancy POD has some more discreet scanning modes I've not found yet?
She chuckled.
Jovenan: No, there aren’t. A science officer has made a determination that the target is likely a pre-warp vessel, one that uses a primitive chemical propulsion system. You probably know what your next action should be?
K’Wara: Response
Jovenan: Good. Now, take the drone back to the position where we started. The computer guidance will take it in the rest of the way. I think we are ready. ::pause:: Final question: pass or fail?
K’Wara: Response
She stood up from her console and walked back to the Beholder’s control seat, where the Lieutenant was strapped to. Once the drone had reached the place where the computer took control, she placed her hands on the headpiece and gently lifted the visor from their eyes… and hoped that she didn’t need to rush out of the splash zone like with some of the more sensitive examinees.
Jovenan: Still feeling alright?
K’Wara: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11