Ensign Serala: Probing into the problem
Jim Davis
((Bridge, USS Atlantis, Tactical station))
:: As promised, Commander Tel-ar had scheduled her for a shift at tactical. Likely, nothing would happen except some systems checks and calibrations. Maybe, if she was lucky, a drill or two might get run. They were out of Caraadian space and in Free Worlds territory, so it was unlikely any threats would present themselves. Still… One never knew. As excited as she was to be standing duty on the bridge, she was just as excited about after shift. She was supposed to meet Lieutenant Danara. Perhaps she could find a friend there. Surely the Lieutenant must understand the challenges of being a Romulan while serving in Starfleet. As she was pondering these things…and keeping an eye on her status board...the Marine Lieutenant entered the bridge and headed toward her.::
Logan:: Nodding:: Ensign all's well I trust ?
Serala: Of course, sir. How may I assist you?
:: Just as he began to respond, she saw the Captain enter the bridge from his ready room. ::
Serala: Captain on the bridge.
Logan: Captain, sounds good ::Smiling::
Brell: How are you liking the new marine training area on deck 13 Lieutenant?
Logan: it's good sir thank you
Brell: I shall have to join you all for a session one of these days.
Logan::Holding his hands up:: you'll have to give me some more time to train up to your level sir.
Serala: That should be interesting to watch.
::The turbolift doors swooshed open and Counselor Jann stepped out.::
Brell: Good day Counselor.
::He motioned for the man to join him and take Commander Williams’ currently unoccupied chair.::
:: Serala took this as a cue to carry on and turned back to Lieutenant Logan. ::
Serala: :: softly, so as to not interrupt the Captain's conversation. :: You were saying, sir?
Jann: response
Logan: It's nothing important, I've been assigned to shadow you on Tactical this shift so consider me a helper ::Smiling broadly:: Have you talked to Lieutenant Danara yet ?
Brell: ... back in space, are you feeling settled in abroad?
Jann: response
Serala: As a matter of fact, I spoke to her yesterday about setting up a time to talk to her. We're supposed to get together later today.
Brell: ...s welcome here on the bridge as well.
Jann: response
::The Laudean at the helm turned to look at the rest of the bridge breaking the conversations going on around.::
Adetola: Sir, we have lost communications with the navigational buoy in our path ahead.
::The nav-buoys were necessary to ships in the Expanse as the stellar debris and dust was extreme compared to other areas in the beta quadrant. Though the Intrepid class starship had been in service for a few decades now, it was one of the first to employ a secondary deflector array. They should be able to endure most any unexpected shifts in the stellar weather that would come their way. Serala immediately turned to her console and confirmed the helmsman's report.::
Brell: Are we able to read any ships near it?
Serala: Negative, sir.
Brell: Keep our sensors focused ahead. We are due to rendezvous with the away team in four hours. Once they are docked we can set a course to buoy to investigate and repair it.
Adetola: Aye.
Serala: Aye, sir. :: She made some adjustments so that the majority of the ships sensors were focused straight ahead but kept enough pointed in the other directions to ensure that nothing would sneak up on them. The increased space dust in the area sure made it hard to see, though. Under normal conditions, long range sensors should be reading the shuttle. Because of the area, however, she could not detect them. ::
Brell: Response
Serala: I'm having difficulty reading anything through all this space debris.
:: She tweaked her console settings to try and clarify some of her readings. ::
oO This fvadt would make it easy for someone to ambush us. Oo
Jann: is it always this...::He searched for the right word.:: exciting?
Brell: Response
Jann::Laughing:: I guess so, sir. ::quitely:: I'll try not to get too overwhelmed by everything.
Logan: Don't worry I always am just don't tell the Captain ::Giving a stage wink::
:: As Serala monitored her readings from the sensors, she tried to determine a course of action that would allow the ship to work around it's current dilemma, possibly even solve it. Unfortunately, she was coming up blank. She had also taken notice of the Captain's Yeoman coming and going on the bridge. He seemed a bit disgruntled, but frankly she didn't have time to worry about one disgruntled yeoman.::
Logan:: Turning to Ensign Serala:: Can you show me the sensors returns for the Nav buoy from today and from the last time we used it ?
Serala: For what they're worth, yes. :: She hit a few buttons on her panel and began to call up the requested readings. :: What are you thinking, sir?
:: Nodding at her Kurt turned and walked to the Helm station. Smiling at the Laudean officer sat there::
oO That's not much of an answer, Mr. Logan Oo
:: She watched him walk over to the helm and turned her keen hearing that way.::
Logan: Ma'am I wonder if you can tell me and show me how the Nav buoy shows on your console
Adetola: Response
Logan:: Shrugging:: Humour me ::Giving a lopsided smile::
Adetola: Response
::Watching as the Laudean talked him through her console and signal indicators, Kurt watched and asked questions as things and queries came up::
Logan: Thank you ma'am
:: He returned promptly and by then she had called up the information he has requested. The information scrolled itself across the display, figures replaced figures::
Logan: Stop. Computer run a Fractal... Frequency.. Drop out shift analysis ::Turning to her:: It's something my mother showed me that I've used since a few times, once to confuse a starship we had to board ::Flashing a mischievous smile::
Computer: Analysis complete
::Displaying the information alongside the sensor details Kurt stared at the information and blinked several times::
Logan: According to this both the frequency and position of the Buoy has moved in the past couple of days and weeks.
Serala: That's assuming these readings can be trusted. With all the space debris and dust, there could be refractive dispersion that the computers haven't compensated for. It's unlikely, I admit. But it is possible.
Logan: Well I reckon there's one Course of action that will assist us in determining if this is right and give us some advanced information for when we head towards the buoy.
Serala: A probe?
Logan::Nodding:: A probe, we know the position where the buoy is supposed to be. When it gets close it's onboard sensors can finish any course correction. But If it has moved then ..... ::Turning to look at her:: But I'm just an observer her today, what do you make of it ?
Serala: I think it's a good plan for more reasons than you have suggested. If it has moved, why? Was the cause natural or artificial? A probe would help answer those questions plus provide us with advanced sensor data subject less diffraction due to a shorter range, this more accurate, and… And this might just be me being a typical paranoid Romulan, but if the buoy’s disappearance is due to an enemy, possibly trying to lay a trap for us…then a probe could give us advanced warning.
Logan: Response
Serala: You have to think like that when you're a tactical officer. As a Marine, I would think you would understand that. :: Smiling at the jestful barb while turning to the Captain :: Captain, Lieutenant Logan has made an observation that I think bears further investigation. Request permission to launch a class 3 tactical probe toward the last known location of the nav buoy.
Brell: Response
Serala: He noticed that just prior to our losing contact with the buoy, its position had moved. A probe could help establish why, if the buoy is still there, and if there is potentially an enemy laying ambush for us. Basically, it could help negate the difficulties created by all this space junk.
Brell: Response
Ensign Serala, Security Officer
USS Atlantis NCC-76482
A239412S10