[BACKSIM] Ensign Alix Harford- Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign.
Meri
((Runabout Daugava))
Alentonis: Radiation levels rising. Still within normal ranges.
Dr. Harford grumbled under her breath about the dangers of radiation exposure. Tapping at the console in front of her, Alix pulled up the radiation readings so she could assess the situation.
Tam: Do you think the radiation will be an issue before we hit the other side?
oO Do I? Hmm… Reaching the other side of the cloud is the only way to resolve the radiation issue, whether it becomes threatening or not. Oo
Harford: ::after taking a moment to assess:: No, levels took a bit of a jump after the asteroid exploded. Likely some radiation shed, but they seem to have stabilized.
oO Besides, if the radiation reaches dangerous levels, I’ll be the one running around with lots to do. Oo
Alentonis: Earlier scans didn’t penetrate this deep into the cloud. I am picking up some probe telemetry from the Borealis sensors. I just need a minute to translate.
Just as she’d cleared her head from her grumblings and returned to focusing on Navigation, the Runabout flung itself to one side without warning and her stomach lurched. Nearly as quickly, it righted itself which, while relieving, was no less disorienting. Pale faced and shaky, Harford glared daggers at the back of Caldwell’s head. Happy that he was too busy to turn around and witness her ire.
oO A little warning would've been nice. Oo
Caldwell: Ok I think we're through the worst of it, unless there happen to me any more city sized asteroids loitering out here.
Beyett: It's getting quite bright out there with the lightning... my sensors are picking up some odd reading again, only for a mere second.
Caldwell: ::Dryly:: Is it a city sized asteroid?
Alentonis: My earlier scans are picking up a few more of the Borealis' probes, and some dead ones. The lightning strikes are growing more frequent the deeper we get.
Beyett: Are you implying the lightning 'killed' the probes?
Tam: Lightning is concentrated enough to take out most things without shields. The Borealis would have launched their probes from outside the anomaly so wouldn't have known they needed to be reinforced.
Not sure why they were concerned with the probes at this point, Alix once again adjusted the navigational sensors so that their Helmsman had the most accurate information to fly by. Afterall, she didn’t want to stick around in this storm long enough to find out how many strikes it took before the Daugava went the way of those disabled probes.
Alentonis: Response
Beyett: Well, that's not ideal for us. I'll try to reconfigure our shields slightly to see if that would help us not get fried up here.. Lieutenant Tam, can you help me keep an eye out for any more asteroids in our way? We'll need to be ready to blast another before this lightning gets to us first.
Tam: The lightning strikes have not doubled in frequency yet, but they will get to that percentage soon enough. Let me see if I can do anything about visibility? There will be more asteroids, and we can't route power back to weapons. We need to keep as much power on the shields as possible.
Harford: If it comes to it, draining some power from life support to give us weapons might be a possibility. So far, they are the one system holding strong.
Beyett: If I've been keeping an eye on the clock correctly, we just need to survive this for another minute or so and we'll be through the cloud. Is there anything else we can do to protect ourselves before we reach the other side?
Dr. Harford chose to draw reassurance from Beyett’s assertion that they wouldn’t need to tap into her systems to get safely to the other side. In fact, through all of this, Beyett seemed to be in tune with her thinking and supportive of her worries when he could be. Perhaps they merely shared the same concerns, but she’d make note to take an opportunity to thank him nonetheless; when cocky ears weren’t around to overhear.
Caldwell: That sounds about right.
Tam: Alentonis, can you pull any data from the Borealis' probes. We aren't in a position to pick them up, but they could have valuable information.
Alentonis: Response
Tam: I have an idea.
There was a quiet pause as Lt. Tam, rather than sharing her idea, simply put it into practice. Harford admired the woman’s penchant for action, even if she was still a bit intimidated from their first encounter on the ship.
Tam: Alright, that should be better. Give it another shot.
Alentonis: Response
Tam: Beyett, how are the shields holding up?
Beyett: Response
Tam: Nav readings are picking up rocks a bit further out. Harford, can you let Caldwell know when a big one is coming up, and on which side. For instance, a medium sized boulder is 4 seconds out on the left.
Hartford: Of course. ::touch of sarcasm:: Anything to help our gallant pilot.
Caldwell: You're too kind. We should be out soon.
Alix silently rolled her eyes and then affixed them to the Nav console to do as Lt. Tam had bid her. She might think Caldwell was a big-headed hotshot, but she did have a vested interest in not experiencing any more collisions.
Tam: Good work, Diego.
Beyett: Response
Tam: Any luck connecting to the probes.
Alentonis: Response
Caldwell: Worst case if there's any we can get in touch with, Astraeus might have better luck on its trip through.
Alentonis: Response
Caldwell: Can anyone see that?
The question caught Harford’s attention and she looked up, a knot of tension forming in her stomach.
oO What now? What more could this anomaly possibly throw at us? Oo
Harford: See what?
Tam: Response
Caldwell: I think I can see something, might be a star or a distant planet. ::Keeping his eyes locked in place but turning his head slightly to the right towards Harford:: What are sensors showing?
Refocusing on the console in front of her, Alix tapped at the screen doing her best to make sense of these new readings. It took her a moment to realize that the reason things looked different was because they were returning to normal. The sensors weren’t struggling and in need of constant microadjustments.
Harford: The particle interference is clearing up. Navigational sensors are picking up a planetary mass ahead in that direction. I’m fairly certain we’re spotting the outermost planet in the system, Sir.
Following her words, there was a perceptible break in the tension that had filled the cabin of the Daugava. Shoulders relaxed. Audible sighs were let out. Everyone seemed to be settling into the realization that the other side was coming into view.
Caldwell: ::putting on a voice to mimic a low quality comm line:: This is your Captain speaking, apologies for the turbulence as a result of bad weather, but you'll be happy to hear that we're through the worst of it and will be arriving at our final destination more or less on schedule. In a moment we'll lift the seating restrictions and you'll be able to move freely around the cabin and within the next few minutes Doctor Harford will begin serving the in-flight meal.
oO Doctor Harford will what?! Oo
Harford: ::incredulous:: Doctor Harford will do no such thing!
Caldwell: Sorry Doctor, cost of having the least pips.
Harford: Pips or not, Lieutenant, I did not attend Medical School and the Academy to serve lunch.
Caldwell: I don't make the rules... well I mean, I do, but I didn't make that one, I am simply enforcing it.
As Alix opened her mouth to tell Chirstoper Caldwell exactly where she thought his pips might feel at home, he had the audacity to hold his hand up to silence her seemingly unphased by the steam that must be billowing from her ears by this point.
Caldwell: ::Again putting on his voice:: We also have in-flight entertainment available from the crew module, including the 2394 remake of the classic Vulcan Love Slave, Part II: The Revenge, viewer discretion is advised. ::Turning to Alix, speaking quietly:: You're not involved in that one.
oO Dead. He’s dead. I’ll take the court martial. Is he unaware of just how many ways to kill a man a Trauma Specialist would know? Oo
Any: Responses
Over the next few minutes the cloud began to thin and visibility was returning. Dr Harford, however, was still seeing red. She’d spent that time arms crossed and mouth shut tightly in an effort to restrain herself. Caldwell might think he’s funny but Alix certainly did not.
Caldwell: Ok we're through the worst of it, good job everyone. Harford, could you please head back to the lounge module and rustle up everyone some food and drink? ::He shot her a look:: Everyone might like a moment to relax back there.
Not trusting her words, Alix narrowed her eyes at him. After a moment’s resistance she stood up and stormed out of the cabin of the Runabout and into the lounge module. After all, he may have said please, but it was very clearly a thinly veiled order.
((OOC: Harford is out of ear shot for the rest of the conversation but I’ve left it in to make it easier for everyone else.))
Caldwell: Lieutenant Tam, please signal the Astraeus, make sure they're aware of our current status and have all the data our sensors recorded.
Tam: Response
Caldwell: Lieutenant Beyett, please check for any damage we've sustained and get me repair estimates.
Beyett: Response
Caldwell: Lieutenant Commander Alentonis, at full impulse it will still take us a good hour or so to reach our planet but you should be able to start getting some uninhibited scans and we'll be able to deploy probes, fill your boots.
Alentonis: Response
Caldwell: As for me, if one of you fine folks can take the helm for a moment, I'm going to go and check what the Doctor is rustling up from the replicator.
Any: Response
He got up and out of his chair, waited to make sure the helm controls were under a sentient operator then headed in pursuit of Alix Harford.
[END for Harford]