Cadet Zarah Johnson - "Our Shields Are Your Shields"
Amanda Nordstrom
[HOLODECK]
(( Bridge, Deck 2, USS Tiburon ))
The Bedfordshire couldn’t stop for whatever reason. At some point, Zarah hoped they discovered what that reason was because she really wanted to know. In the meantime, she did her best to get the Tiburon up to speed. Although the first warp field merge hadn’t worked, they were still alive to tell the tale, and she knew that the increased speed and the time between those increases were important. They were important because they were the key to succeeding on the second go round.
Before she even explained what she was doing, Zarah input the data to the computer along with a command. They were going to have to be even more careful, because she had a feeling that if they didn’t succeed that time, they weren’t going to get a third chance to do so. Finally, she lifted her voice, explaining her thought processes to the others.
Johnson: We have the increment and the interval. If we match that, we’ll speed up with the Bedfordshire and be able to merge warp fields. Coming up on the ship now!
It was time to see if they could pull it off.
Seven minutes left.
Lohkina: Do it.
Working as quickly as she could, Zarah input the information into the computer, and immediately the ship responded, and they began to gain on the Bedfordshire.
T’Korva: Responses
Lohkina actually turned in her seat to lock eyes with T'Korva. She didn't think that she could be surprised, given what the program had thrown at them so far and everything she, T'Korva, and Johnson had considered, but having confirmation was entirely different, it turned out.
Lohkina: Repeat that last?
Zarah’s console beeped just as they matched the speed of the other ship. The clock counted down, but the Tiburon’s computer was prepared to initiate an increase of speed at the exact moment as the other, so both would remain in sync. Meanwhile, the Bedfordshire’s shields dropped. They were making progress!
Johnson: All right! Their shields are down!
T’Korva: Responses
Lohkina: Very well. Options?
Johnson: We should be able to get into their systems, right?
She really hoped that T’Korva would take the lead on that - Zarah could do some really basic programming, but basic wasn’t what they needed at that moment. Her eyes shifted to the Klingon officer, then to the acting captain. As much as she really wanted to be on par with her fellow officers in the scenario, she wasn’t going to delude herself.
Lohkina/T’Korva: Responses
Nodding, Zarah could do the basic stuff, and fortunately, the computer did a lot of the work for her. That being said, the computer still had to receive guidance from an actual person, and she didn’t want to take any chances at inputting the wrong thing. That would be a disaster. Even worse, it might negatively affect Lohkina’s examination.
That thought just made things worse.
Zarah swallowed, then tried to remind herself that digging herself into a hole mentally wasn’t going to help anything.
Johnson: All shields have a certain amount they can extend past the actual size of the ship, right?
Lohkina/T’Korva: Responses
The amount that the shields could encompass beyond the actual size of the ship was really important. That determined how much they could extend those shields to cover something else that needed protection outside of the ship. The Akira was about eighty or so meters smaller than the California class, if Zarah remembered correctly, though those numbers sometimes got jumbled up in her brain - but she thought she was right. Generally, the ships could encompass at least twice the size as the ship itself. Ultimately, that would weaken the shields, but what they all agreed on doing was extending both ship’s shields. Even in the weakened state, combined, they were still a lot stronger than alone. The question was, would it be enough?
Zarah really hoped so.
Johnson: Okay…here we go!
Three minutes left.
Lohkina/T’Korva: Responses
-- Zarah Johnson Cadet USS Octavia E. Butler & USS Thor M239008AD0