[sb118-butler] Lieutenant. J.G. Alex Forsyth - Echo! Echo! Echo!

[Robert Forsyth]

(( Bridge, Deck 1, USS Octavia E. Butler. )) 

Alex thought she had the route planned for when they entered the system, but a last-minute discovery threw a hydro-spanner into her warp core. Commander Katsim had detected several small moons in the system, which made trying to narrow down the exact location of the Smugglers difficult for both them and Captain Rouiancet. 

Forsyth: Aye, cap’n.

Alex turned back to her console, frustration tightening her grip on the controls as she pondered how she would redo her calculations given the revelation of multiple moons. She had little information to reconstruct her route, and the system's stars' interference did not help matters. 

Katsim: The interference will prevent our scanners from working.  

Rouiancet: Yes, you're right. I would like some other options, just in case. We also have to assume that radiation from the magnetar doesn't adversely affect the smugglers' systems.

Katsim: The radiation is nothing that our own ship can’t defend from. 

Metaphasic shielding had come a long way since the late 2360s, as Starfleet engineers had been continually improving it over the years and had even made it a key component in the navigational deflectors of most new starships, such as the Sagan class.   

Forsyth: Metaphasic shielding should hold for our trip around the star, unless an intense solar flare hits us…

Rouiancet: It occurs to me that this system is their stronghold. Even if we do our best to remain hidden, we likely won't be able to count on the element of surprise. With that in mind, I want to neutralize their advantages as quickly as possible.

Katsim: Hm. 

The Tactical officer thought about the advantage they had or what the Smugglers might have over them, but without any more information to get a clearer picture. There was nothing that really came to mind, and it frustrated Alex as she was usually quick with coming up with something. 

Forsyth: Hmm, we could use the phasers on the star to create smaller flares? 

Rouiancet: I would prefer not to harm anyone if we can avoid it. But the faster, the better.

Forsyth: As long as we use low power, if the Smugglers are cloaked or masking themselves. We just need the flares to expose them. Granted, I don’t know a lot about the energy output of magnetars…

Alex wished she had paid more attention to her friend, Ivah's lessons back at the academy, especially when it came to star types. He had tried his best to help her with her science courses, but she just could not get higher than a C-.   

Suddenly, Commander Katsim had an idea. 

Katsim: Echolocation. 

Forsyth: The ability that dolphins do?  

Rouiancet: Response

She was not sure how the way dolphins communicate with each other might be useful, but chose to give Katsim the benefit of the doubt. There was a long pause as they waited for the Commander to explain her reasoning, watching the Bardassian input something on her console.  

Katsim: We can use the electromagnetic pulse like sound waves, but in the magnetar’s environment. 

It took a few seconds for it to click in Alex's head on what the chief of science was getting at, but when it did.  Alex nearly jumped out of her seat, and did that thing she always did when her mind started putting things together. That little “Hold on” stance as she worked out the logistics of her EMP as a sonar-like device, along with a little engineer grin.  

Forsyth: Oh, I think I understand where you're getting at.

Rouiancet: Response

Alex needed to do some modifications to her EMP, as she needed to compensate for the magnetar itself, as it would just absorb the energy completely. If they needed to use it as a series of short bursts, then the power output also had to be altered. Alex could do that easily, as well as shorten the charge time to better suit their needs.  

Katsim: When we get closer, we’ll be able to detect the magnetar’s field lines.  If we tune the frequency and send out a patterned series of pulses, we’d be able to see a distortion wherever the ship is.

Forsyth: Yes, that could work.

Rouiancet: Response

Forsyth: I won’t need long to change it into using a series of pulses, but I might need Commander Katsim's knowledge of the star itself to make sure it doesn’t get lost. 

Rouiancet/Katsim: Responses

Forsyth: Aye, I’ll send you the data from my EMP. 

Alex just tapped her screen and flicked the file to the Commander, and hoped she could understand the mess of codes Alex had created.  

Rouiancet/Katsim: Responses

Tag/TBC

_________________________________________________ 

Lieutenant. J.G. Alex Forsyth

Tactical

USS Octavia E. Butler

D239910AF1