LtJG Jovenan – Drilling through the Nebula
Jovenan
((Library, Deck 4, USS Artemis))
The Inferno? The Dream of the Fire? Cold Moon Over Blackwater? Dictates of Poetics? So many choices, so little time.
There was something soothing about traditional books. All these stories were available through every single computer interface on the ship, yet they still had a small library with good old physical copies of books onboard. Sure, she could replicate them in her quarters or on the replicator in the library as well, but she liked going through the shelfs looking for something new.
They had left Meranuge IV behind and were now warping across the Borderlands, she didn’t know where. The sensors were running, and research programs were underway, but for now, everything they were working on was routine stuff. For as long as the next mission wasn’t about to begin, she could enjoy short shifts and lots of free time. And what was better for free time than books.
MacKenzie: =/\= Senior staff, report to the briefing room. =/\=
Well, there goes the free time. Uncertain of what she ought to do with the pile of books she had gathered and wouldn’t be borrowing after all, she lowered them to a desk. She then exchanged awkward looks with the sour librarian.
Jovenan: ::loud whisper:: Sorry!
She felt the librarian’s judging stare bore into her occiput as she quickly vacated the library.
((Briefing Room, Deck 1, USS Artemis))
The briefing room had everything one would expect of a conference room: a long desk, chairs, a couple of computer interfaces… This was her first time in this room on this ship, yet she had little time to marvel it. The Captain was already sitting at the end of the table, along with Commander Yalu. Greeting them both, she counted which seat she could take in order to leave enough room for the more senior officers to sit by the Captain.
The other officers trickled in. The concept of “senior staff” made little sense to Jovenan. XO, department heads, sure. But why was she and Luxa included and not some other scientists? Why Hiro and not Doctor Morgan, the Assistant CMO? Shrugging mentally, she turned her attention to the Captain.
The Captain turned on a holoprojector, showing them a nebula. There are a multitude of nebulæ in the galaxy, yet Jovenan could recognize the Paulson Nebula rolling in front of them.
MacKenzie: Good morning. This beautiful and moderately hazardous nebula is likely familiar to some of you and is to be the setting for our next mission. The Paulson Nebula is made up of a series of gases, including chromium, dilithium, and magnesium, it’s filled with dust clouds and asteroid-like rocky bodies and has volatile plasma currents. ::pausing to look in the direction of the science team:: I’m sure Jovenan and Lorana are going to have a field day.
Jovenan: ::smiles:: You know us well, sir!
Lorana: Response
The Captain continued presenting the nebula to the senior staff.
MacKenzie: Paulson presents its own unique set of challenges: the unique combination of gases means that sensor use is difficult if not impossible, particularly in the densest parts of the nebula. Likewise, full impulse is impossible. Dare I say that anything over half-impulse power would be treacherous. For these reasons, we know very little about it… ::smirking:: But that’s what makes it the perfect setting for our mission.
The nebula could be a major study project. Who knew what laid within the dense clouds. However, something told her they weren’t there to study the nebula. There was more to come.
MacKenzie: Commander Adea and I have decided that it’s time to get to know this ship. By comparison, we’re all still new here, and we have no idea how the ship will respond when the going gets tough, so what better way than to test that in a controlled environment?
Paulson Nebula? Controlled environment? Uh…
Adea: Response
The Captain switched the holoprojection to show them a ship Jovenan didn’t recognize. It looked like a Miranda-class ship, but newer. She knew there was such a class of ships, yet the name escaped her memory.
MacKenzie: This is the USS Berlin – a Reliant-class cruiser on loan to us from Deep Space 224 for the purposes of helping us put the Artemis through her paces.
Oh right, the Berlin, one of the other ships patrolling the Borderlands. Their ways hadn’t crossed before during her stay here, but she had heard of it. But what was the Captain planning? A deep dive into the Nebula, with the Berlin following them in case they needed someone to pull them out?
MacKenzie: We’re going to engage in some friendly Opposing Force drills. Half of you will board the Berlin under the command of Commander Adea. Your goal is simple: try to destroy the Artemis. The other half of you will remain here with me and try to prevent that from happening. The goal is to see how the ship, and all of you, respond under adverse conditions, particularly when your enemy knows you as well as we know each other.
A drill? Not something she had expected, yet it made much sense; the Captain looked way too excited for a simple survey mission. The idea of trying to destroy the Artemis felt very wrong to her, but she understood the value of practise. Ship battles and emergencies had never been her stronger points, so every opportunity to gain experience counted, no matter how reluctant she was.
MacKenzie: On Commander Adea’s team will be Commander Dakora serving as his first officer, along with Lieutenant Osuna at security/tactical, Lieutenant Yellir at engineering, Lieutenant Jones at medical, and Ensign Lorana at science.
Adea/Dakora/Osuna/Yellir/Jones/Lorana: Responses
MacKenzie: On Team Artemis will be Commander Yalu as my first officer, along with Ensign Kader at the helm, Lieutenant Silveira at tactical, Ensign Savel at security, Ensign Vedic at engineering, and Lieutenant Jovenan at science.
She tried to figure out if either side had the advantage. Some officers were more experienced than others, so there was some unevenness in there, but overall neither side was stronger or weaker than the other. She didn’t know enough of the cruiser’s tactical abilities to evaluate the difference between the two ships.
Commanders Yalu and Dakora exchanged some intense stares. Had the psyops already began?
Silveira/Savel/Vedic/Kader: response
MacKenzie: Before we break into our teams to start our preparations, what questions do you have?
Yalu: Captain, just how “real” are these friendly drills going to get? Are we talking space combat? Fighting in the corridors? ::grins:: Dealer’s choice?
MacKenzie: response
Jovenan: Sir, how do we simulate weapon fire, damage to the ships, casualties? We won’t be using the real phasers and torpedoes, right?
MacKenzie: Response
Any: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Science officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11