Lt. JG Varik - Doom Hangs Still on a Thread
1 view
Skip to first unread message
Varik
Feb 17, 2026, 11:15:11 AM (3 days ago) Feb 17
to sb118-...@googlegroups.com
(( Dyson Sphere, Communications Platform A2 ))
Despite the gravity of the mission, thus far everything had been going rather swimmingly in Varik's mind.
Stella: The system has initiated a self destruct in response to my presence.
Or not.
Lahl: I’m sorry?
Forsyth: Wait, WHAT!?!
Why activate defensive measures when the defensive measure could just be blow it all up? It was a very excessive response by the sphere and Varik could not help but feel a little comforted. Perhaps that was the wrong word. Reassuring, perhaps? It was the knowledge that something was happening in response to their intrusion. Not knowing was worse than knowing. You could respond to something you knew.
Varik: (low) I knew it could not be this easy...
Stella: Self destruct in four minutes and thirty seconds.
Lahl: I’m sorry, what do you mean four minutes and thirty seconds? How are you this calm about it?
Greaves: Lieutenant Varik, get a hold of the Butler and have the transporter room standby for our beamout.
Varik: Aye, sir.
The Rekarian stepped to the side to relay the request to the Butler. His voice was firm yet low, not wanting to talk over the others.
Varik: =/\= Chief, away team. Standby for emergency beamout. The sphere is... =/\=
He stopped before explaining the why knowing that the Continuance would be monitoring the comms.
Varik: =/\= ...Nevermind. Just standby. =/\=
Forsyth: Well….. poop….
Lahl: That’s an understatement.
The colonel spun on his heel, turning toward the others.
Greaves: Forsyth, get ready to shoot something if the security systems reactivate. Full power on your rifle. Maybe that’ll overwhelm their energy dissipation. Lahl, can you do anything on that console?
Stella: I am attempting to override.
He did the same, checking his phaser rifle and setting the weapon to full power.
Varik: Message sent, sir, but there was considerable interference. I would not recommend initiating a transport from this location.
Lahl: I’m not seeing anything readily here on this console.
Greaves: Ideas people. We need ideas.
Forsyth: Hard to think with that alarm, sir!
He was about to suggest persuading or tricking the Continuance to transfer itself to the sphere but stopped himself. Varik could have claimed he was suggesting it in the hopes the Continuance could save the sphere but the truth was he hoped the Continuance would be on the sphere when it blew. He should have felt worse about thinking that but his empathy towards the AI was negligible in that moment.
Varik shook his head in the negative.
Lahl: Stella? Do you have anything to report?
Stella: Unfortunately, I am no longer able to recognise the core. It was as if it had disappeared from the sphere entirely.
Forsyth: Well, that's not great. Let me help, dear.
He perked a thick brow, incredulous.
Varik: How does a core just disappear?
Lahl: There has to be some way to stop it.
Greaves: Maybe we can buy ourselves more time. The Butler’s self-destruct is tied to anti-matter storage containment. That can be instantaneous if it needs to be. This station doesn’t need antimatter. It’s got a star. That means this detonation likely requires a staged overload of energy storage. Can we slow that overload? Divert flow? Create resistance somewhere in the grid?
Forsyth: Em, there should be exhaust or something. Something that can maybe divert the blast out into space, or….make it easier for starfleet to identify us.
He was thinking aloud.
Varik: Perhaps a smaller detonation to disrupt the process?
Stella: =/\= Unab….acces…amework. Self de…four minu…=/\=
Nilsen: =/\= Go for #@AQSD, Stella, %SA? ::beat:: wh%SDF ^$#@ong? Team, rep%^DF. =/\=
Continuance: =/\= Report: Signal degradation correlates with rapid energy accumulation in Sphere internal grid. Mitigation: synchronized EM frequency hopping and phased array coherence correction. Proceed with communications. =/\=
Stella: =/\= Previous message received. Repeated for clarification. Confirm if any statements are false. =/\=
It was interesting to hear two AI entities 'speak' with each other. He appreciated their using the comms rather than just communicating directly in their computer language.
Stella: =/\=Go for Nilsen, Stella, who? ::beat:: what’s wrong? Team, report.=/\=
Greaves: =/\= We’ve got less than four minutes before detonation and Stella here can’t even access the Station’s computer core anymore to try and override it. =/\=
Not great, not terrible.
Woolheater/Away Team: =/\= Response (optional) =/\=
Nilsen: =/\= Continuance, let’s work together. Is there anything we can do from up here? =/\=
Continuance: =/\= Clarification: STATION self-destruct sequence is a terminal fail-safe embedded at Sphere core-depth to prevent Kevaran Continuance-class intelligences from acquiring write access to foundational code and propagating across Kevaran infrastructure. Trigger condition: unauthorized artificial intelligence interaction with deeper functions. Status: Triggered. Initiator signature: Stella. =/\=
The Rekarian rolled his eyes.
Varik: (low) Casting blame on anybody but itself again...
Continuance: =/\= Clarification: Captain Rouiancet’s team has physically removed the STATION computer core. With the core removed, no command channel exists to issue override or abort. The device that can hear “stop” is no longer present. =/\=
Greaves: =/\= I’ll take that as a no then. We need to get the ship out of the system before this thing blows. Who knows how big of an explosion this thing will trigger or what will happen to the system’s star =/\=
Stella: =/\= Continuance, =/\=
Woolheater/Away Team: =/\= Response (optional) =/\=
Greaves: =/= With the transporter interference here we’ll need to move. We’ll try and find a beam-out point. Greaves out. =/=
Varik agreed with that assessment and was already brainstorming how to get them out of there.
Greaves: Time is short, and there’s no bad ideas. Way I see it, we either need to divert energy flow away from this compartment to clean up localized signal interference, or run to find a new compartment with less energy flow nearby.
Stella: Changing position to a location closer to the hull of the station increases likelihood of successful transportation.
Lahl: Right, so…where do we think we can go?
Forsyth: Anywhere that is close to the edge,
He thought for a moment before answering.
Varik: The docking bay control room. There must be an exterior door else the ships would have had no way to dock. If we open the door, we can reduce the interference for the beamout.
Lahl: Ok, we need to get off this station. Does anyone remember the route we took?
Forsyth: Umm… No….wait, maybe.
He had taken up the rear and admittedly did not have a clear recollection of the path.
Varik: Not precisely.
Greaves/Stella(?): Response
Lahl: Ok, let’s retrace our steps. Unless our friend that automaton wants to help us out.
Forsyth: I doubt it, dear.
The Rekarian shook his head, stepping back towards the automaton.
Varik: It does not appear to be active.
Greaves/Stella(?): Response
Lahl: Well, hope springs eternal and all that.
Forsyth: I think we went straight ahead, then left…. No, right.
For the first time, Varik stepped past the reach of the automaton's appendages to get a closer look. As far as he could see, there were no power controls or other control panel on the exterior shell. He circled the robot once with his tricorder out, attempting to activate it remotely. If he could get in, maybe he could reverse its previous command and remove the need for Stella to expend resources reactivating it.
Alas, nothing.
Slightly frustrated, he 'sternly booted' (not quite kicked) the rear panel of the automaton. Suddenly, the appendages began to move and the automaton rotated to face him with seemingly murderous intent causing the Rekarian to take a hasty step back. A moment later, the screen flickered on again.
// LOCATION? //
oO I did a thing! Oo
Varik: Huh... well, docking bay control room!
The screen flickered slightly before settling onto familiar text.
// FOLLOW //
Greaves/Stella(?): Response
Like an autobot, the automaton 'rolled out' of the room and began to retrace its steps towards the docking bay control room. Varik followed, again taking up the rear of the group, phaser rifle held at the ready.
Varik: If my estimation is correct, we will have approximately one minute upon arriving at the control room to open the exterior docking bay doors.
Greaves/Lahl/Forsyth/Stella(?): Response
The automaton moved at a steady pace, even going so far as to speed up when asked to. Still, it would be cutting it close.
Varik: Was there anything from Stella's initial interfacing with the sphere that would give us a shortcut to open those doors? Perhaps even get a headstart on the process before we arrive?
Greaves/Lahl/Forsyth/Stella(?): Response
Despite the gravity of the mission, thus far everything had been going rather swimmingly in Varik's mind.
Stella: The system has initiated a self destruct in response to my presence.
Or not.
Lahl: I’m sorry?
Forsyth: Wait, WHAT!?!
Why activate defensive measures when the defensive measure could just be blow it all up? It was a very excessive response by the sphere and Varik could not help but feel a little comforted. Perhaps that was the wrong word. Reassuring, perhaps? It was the knowledge that something was happening in response to their intrusion. Not knowing was worse than knowing. You could respond to something you knew.
Varik: (low) I knew it could not be this easy...
Stella: Self destruct in four minutes and thirty seconds.
Lahl: I’m sorry, what do you mean four minutes and thirty seconds? How are you this calm about it?
Greaves: Lieutenant Varik, get a hold of the Butler and have the transporter room standby for our beamout.
Varik: Aye, sir.
The Rekarian stepped to the side to relay the request to the Butler. His voice was firm yet low, not wanting to talk over the others.
Varik: =/\= Chief, away team. Standby for emergency beamout. The sphere is... =/\=
He stopped before explaining the why knowing that the Continuance would be monitoring the comms.
Varik: =/\= ...Nevermind. Just standby. =/\=
Forsyth: Well….. poop….
Lahl: That’s an understatement.
The colonel spun on his heel, turning toward the others.
Greaves: Forsyth, get ready to shoot something if the security systems reactivate. Full power on your rifle. Maybe that’ll overwhelm their energy dissipation. Lahl, can you do anything on that console?
Stella: I am attempting to override.
He did the same, checking his phaser rifle and setting the weapon to full power.
Varik: Message sent, sir, but there was considerable interference. I would not recommend initiating a transport from this location.
Lahl: I’m not seeing anything readily here on this console.
Greaves: Ideas people. We need ideas.
Forsyth: Hard to think with that alarm, sir!
He was about to suggest persuading or tricking the Continuance to transfer itself to the sphere but stopped himself. Varik could have claimed he was suggesting it in the hopes the Continuance could save the sphere but the truth was he hoped the Continuance would be on the sphere when it blew. He should have felt worse about thinking that but his empathy towards the AI was negligible in that moment.
Varik shook his head in the negative.
Lahl: Stella? Do you have anything to report?
Stella: Unfortunately, I am no longer able to recognise the core. It was as if it had disappeared from the sphere entirely.
Forsyth: Well, that's not great. Let me help, dear.
He perked a thick brow, incredulous.
Varik: How does a core just disappear?
Lahl: There has to be some way to stop it.
Greaves: Maybe we can buy ourselves more time. The Butler’s self-destruct is tied to anti-matter storage containment. That can be instantaneous if it needs to be. This station doesn’t need antimatter. It’s got a star. That means this detonation likely requires a staged overload of energy storage. Can we slow that overload? Divert flow? Create resistance somewhere in the grid?
Forsyth: Em, there should be exhaust or something. Something that can maybe divert the blast out into space, or….make it easier for starfleet to identify us.
He was thinking aloud.
Varik: Perhaps a smaller detonation to disrupt the process?
Stella: =/\= Unab….acces…amework. Self de…four minu…=/\=
Nilsen: =/\= Go for #@AQSD, Stella, %SA? ::beat:: wh%SDF ^$#@ong? Team, rep%^DF. =/\=
Continuance: =/\= Report: Signal degradation correlates with rapid energy accumulation in Sphere internal grid. Mitigation: synchronized EM frequency hopping and phased array coherence correction. Proceed with communications. =/\=
Stella: =/\= Previous message received. Repeated for clarification. Confirm if any statements are false. =/\=
It was interesting to hear two AI entities 'speak' with each other. He appreciated their using the comms rather than just communicating directly in their computer language.
Stella: =/\=Go for Nilsen, Stella, who? ::beat:: what’s wrong? Team, report.=/\=
Greaves: =/\= We’ve got less than four minutes before detonation and Stella here can’t even access the Station’s computer core anymore to try and override it. =/\=
Not great, not terrible.
Woolheater/Away Team: =/\= Response (optional) =/\=
Nilsen: =/\= Continuance, let’s work together. Is there anything we can do from up here? =/\=
Continuance: =/\= Clarification: STATION self-destruct sequence is a terminal fail-safe embedded at Sphere core-depth to prevent Kevaran Continuance-class intelligences from acquiring write access to foundational code and propagating across Kevaran infrastructure. Trigger condition: unauthorized artificial intelligence interaction with deeper functions. Status: Triggered. Initiator signature: Stella. =/\=
The Rekarian rolled his eyes.
Varik: (low) Casting blame on anybody but itself again...
Continuance: =/\= Clarification: Captain Rouiancet’s team has physically removed the STATION computer core. With the core removed, no command channel exists to issue override or abort. The device that can hear “stop” is no longer present. =/\=
Greaves: =/\= I’ll take that as a no then. We need to get the ship out of the system before this thing blows. Who knows how big of an explosion this thing will trigger or what will happen to the system’s star =/\=
Stella: =/\= Continuance, =/\=
Woolheater/Away Team: =/\= Response (optional) =/\=
Greaves: =/= With the transporter interference here we’ll need to move. We’ll try and find a beam-out point. Greaves out. =/=
Varik agreed with that assessment and was already brainstorming how to get them out of there.
Greaves: Time is short, and there’s no bad ideas. Way I see it, we either need to divert energy flow away from this compartment to clean up localized signal interference, or run to find a new compartment with less energy flow nearby.
Stella: Changing position to a location closer to the hull of the station increases likelihood of successful transportation.
Lahl: Right, so…where do we think we can go?
Forsyth: Anywhere that is close to the edge,
He thought for a moment before answering.
Varik: The docking bay control room. There must be an exterior door else the ships would have had no way to dock. If we open the door, we can reduce the interference for the beamout.
Lahl: Ok, we need to get off this station. Does anyone remember the route we took?
Forsyth: Umm… No….wait, maybe.
He had taken up the rear and admittedly did not have a clear recollection of the path.
Varik: Not precisely.
Greaves/Stella(?): Response
Lahl: Ok, let’s retrace our steps. Unless our friend that automaton wants to help us out.
Forsyth: I doubt it, dear.
The Rekarian shook his head, stepping back towards the automaton.
Varik: It does not appear to be active.
Greaves/Stella(?): Response
Lahl: Well, hope springs eternal and all that.
Forsyth: I think we went straight ahead, then left…. No, right.
For the first time, Varik stepped past the reach of the automaton's appendages to get a closer look. As far as he could see, there were no power controls or other control panel on the exterior shell. He circled the robot once with his tricorder out, attempting to activate it remotely. If he could get in, maybe he could reverse its previous command and remove the need for Stella to expend resources reactivating it.
Alas, nothing.
Slightly frustrated, he 'sternly booted' (not quite kicked) the rear panel of the automaton. Suddenly, the appendages began to move and the automaton rotated to face him with seemingly murderous intent causing the Rekarian to take a hasty step back. A moment later, the screen flickered on again.
// LOCATION? //
oO I did a thing! Oo
Varik: Huh... well, docking bay control room!
The screen flickered slightly before settling onto familiar text.
// FOLLOW //
Greaves/Stella(?): Response
Like an autobot, the automaton 'rolled out' of the room and began to retrace its steps towards the docking bay control room. Varik followed, again taking up the rear of the group, phaser rifle held at the ready.
Varik: If my estimation is correct, we will have approximately one minute upon arriving at the control room to open the exterior docking bay doors.
Greaves/Lahl/Forsyth/Stella(?): Response
The automaton moved at a steady pace, even going so far as to speed up when asked to. Still, it would be cutting it close.
Varik: Was there anything from Stella's initial interfacing with the sphere that would give us a shortcut to open those doors? Perhaps even get a headstart on the process before we arrive?
Greaves/Lahl/Forsyth/Stella(?): Response
[TAGS/TBC]
--
Lieutenant Junior Grade Varik
Helm Officer
USS Octavia E. Butler
A239709VR0
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages