Capt. Lia Rouiancet: Core Retrieval Process

[Tony Colella]

(( Dyson Sphere, Computer Core Chamber[?] ))

Lia had left the monitor and begun to walk out a spiral, looking for any part of the flawless (if dark) alloy floor that might betray that it could be opened, removed, or otherwise accessed to get them to the computer core. However, even just a meter away from the monitor and the diffuse light wasn't enough to see anything.

Rouiancet: Lieutenant, can you help me with your rifle light?

That would mean that JoNz would need to break her watch and point her phaser at nothing in particular, but Lia felt it was a reasonable compromise, at least for a cursory inspection of the floor. Nothing had directly attacked them, yet.

JoNz: Aye Ma’am.

Dekas: I’ll keep looking if I can find a way to get it to maybe open a hatch or something.

Lia nodded to Dekas as JoNz joined her. Right now, the whole team was filling in where they could, and Dekas was currently the closest they had to an operations specialist and engineer.

Ragh: It does feel like this terminal could, in theory, be moved. (Pauses to think) It would make sense for the core to be under the main console.

Oh, now that was an interesting idea. Lia paused her lighted search as soon as it had begun to spend a moment to consider the console. The transcript that included STATION's most recent answer was still on the monitor, and Lia read again:

/// One Meter Directly Below ///

"Directly below" -- but did that mean directly below the console? That had been Lia's assumption, but she had no reason to believe it -- but equally she had no real reason to disbelieve it, given the rest of STATION's statement:

/// Computer Core Access Only ///

/// Must Access This Part Of STATION ///

And if that was the case, then it might well make sense for the access to be, as STATION reported, directly below. How, though, could they shift the console to check? It looked like a very heavy piece of infrastructure, and while they were four officers in generally good shape, Lia didn't know that they could lug something like that to the side.

Doctor Ragh, however, was thinking in another but related area, one that also bore investigation:

Ragh: STATION, can you function without computer core?

/// Backup systems in place ///
/// Removal of computer core for emergencies only ///
/// If emergency, state: ///

JoNz: I’d say having the ship and crew being used by Mama Cee is an emergency…but how do we explain that to STATION?

Right -- would STATION see their emergency as its emergency? They had established that STATION apparently didn't hold the Kevara Continuance in any particular esteem, but what did that mean in terms of its willingness to empathize with them? Or, put another way, would their emergency trigger its emergency state? Dekas was already thinking along the lines of that final question, evidently: 

Dekas: STATION, Emergency state: Hostage situation. Purge is an unacceptable fix.

Rouiancet: (quietly) It certainly is.

But it was also good to confirm that up front. A moment later, which was apparently more than enough time for STATION to digest the question, an alarm began to sound. Lia winced and resisted the desire to cover her ears. STATION printed:

/// Emergency protocol engaged ///
/// Computer core compromised ///
/// Input security clearance: null ///

Even the automata seemed to cower back from the alarm and the emergency state, but the change was most pronounced in JoNz, who pounced on the console with a hiss and began scrabbling for -- what? Something meaningful, Lia was sure, and yet the frenetic scratching and clawing didn't seem intentional.

Rouiancet: Lieutenant--!? 

Ragh: Response

JoNz: I’ve got something!

Dekas: Oh, you are marvelous.

That was a sentiment Lia felt they all shared in that moment, as JoNz's frenzy gave way to implacable yet hurried progress: some emergency bypass wiring, which clearly was successful thanks to the readout lights, and all done with the klaxons had been blaring. In fact, JoNz had done such a good--

A zap and a sizzle! JoNz was knocked onto her back, though she'd only been kneeling, so not far to fall. Her body armor also took the worst of it, though Lia was almost certain that she could smell burning hair amongst the ozone and hot metal. She hurried up to JoNz, certain that Ragh was doing the same.

Rouiancet: JoNz, are you alright? Ragh?

JoNz/Ragh: Responses

Meanwhile, no rest for the weary: STATION had already updated its text display.

/// Emergency protocol disengaged ///
/// Computer core available ///
/// Input security clearance: Bypassed ///

Ah! The access port made itself visible -- inset runner lights indicated its presence first, and then a section of floor slid back -- and there, there, was the core.

Dekas: I’ll do what I can to remove this carefully.

Rouiancet: Please! But be careful, and let us know if you need assistance.

Again Dekas was drafted as their engineer-in-a-pinch, though he seemed -- inasmuch as Lia could read him, which wasn't at all well yet -- perfectly sanguine about the task before him. Which was particularly welcome, because Lia was not feeling optimistic about their chance of success if that task fell to her. She would try, of course, but she was also more than pleased to have Dekas take the lead.

JoNz/Ragh: Response

While Dekas worked, though, there was JoNz, and while Ragh was the medical lead, Lia could certainly assist. However, no sooner had she reconfigured her tricorder to function as a medical tool (rather than as an improvised handlamp) than did the tricorder beep a warning. It had received and stored a warning from Wes's team. No, from Stella, who had joined his team.

Dekas: Core retrieved. (a beat) thank you, STATION.

That drew her attention again, and she forgot Stella's warning for a moment as she breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what happened next, they had the core now, and that gave them leverage for the first time since the Continuance had leached into the Butler's systems.

Rouiancet: Is that it? (indicating the core) Is it heavy?

Ragh/JoNz: Responses

However, Dekas responded with a question of his own, and the more timely one for the moment:

Dekas: Is JoNz alright?

Ragh/JoNz: Responses

Dekas: (nodding) Did the KC ever say what it wanted us to do with this specifically? And more importantly, what are we doing instead?

Rouiancet: Ah! No, it didn't, but (holding up her tricorder) Stella, on Colonel Greaves' team, has sent along a few updates and warnings. I think that we just mooted the warnings, thankfully, but the updates include that the Continuance wants the core for some kind of update to its software.

As they had speculated earlier, there was likely more it than that, but knowing at least one piece of the Continuance's desire put them in a very favorable position, negotiation-wise. The Continuance, at least, seemed like it would negotiate, given how much it seemed to want the core, unlike the poor, limited intelligence that drove STATION.

Dekas/Ragh/JoNz: Responses

Rouiancet: But your second question, Dekas -- what are we doing instead? We have some bargaining power now. 

Lia's immediate desire was to have the Continuance out of the Butler, but she also recognized that there were potentially larger issues at play, especially since another way to look at things was that the Continuance was essentially trapped on the Butler.

Dekas/Ragh/JoNz: Responses

Rouiancet: I'd like to get back to Fledgling, but (beat) the Continuance may know when we return. Perhaps it's better to remain on the Sphere for now, or even to meet up with the other teams. (looking around) Thoughts? Speak freely. 

They were, in this moment, drafted in not only as the core retrieval team, but as Lia's senior staff. What would they do next? What should they do next?

Dekas/Ragh/JoNz: Responses

Tags! and TBC!

--

Captain Lia Rouiancet

Commanding Officer 

USS Octavia E. Butler

V238208LV0
she/her/hers (this character)