[AWCC] Lt. Cmdr. DeVeau & Dinn: This Isn't Good.
Amanda
((Adova, Weapons Command Centre))
::Nirxa’s eyes flicked toward the drones visible through the tall window and she sighed. It was then a call came through one of their communicators and Pandora entered into a conversation. What Nirxa heard disturbed her. Some of their crewmembers couldn’t be contacted? For a moment, Nirxa blocked it out. She wanted to run some information through the computer, see if Macoy’s idea could work. Unfortunately, she didn’t have enough of the knowledge about their systems to see if it could. After a few moments of frustrations, she finally tuned into the conversation at hand.::
Tuk: We know there was no response, but how else did you reach that conclusion?
::Pandora tapped her head, though Nirxa wasn’t sure what that indicated.::
Walker/Harik?
Tuk: How do we locate them then, without compromising protection here and elsewhere?
Pandora: Given the resources on hand, I am uncertain how that might be accomplished. ::to Dinn:: Unless there is something on-hand that I am not aware of?
Dinn: Not that I’m aware of. If you need assistance, I’m sure we can have some of our own security aid you.
::After all, Starfleet was trying to help them, they could, at the very least, be sure their people were all right.::
Walker/Harik: ?
Tuk: I suppose we’ll have to await a response from both the Invicta and the others.
Pandora: Not ideal, but at least it will not distract from our work.
::Alora hadn’t been distracted. Okay, maybe slightly distracted. The fact that Aron and other fellow crewmembers were missing was very concerning to her. At the same time, they did have a mission, and she had a specific purpose. As she listened in on the conversation, she continued to try and isolate the genetic makeup of the biological weapon.
Walker/Harik/Dinn: ?
Core: =/\= Adovan communications just failed as well. =/\=
::Oh great...that didn’t sound good at all, and that was distracting to Alora who finally looked up from her work.::
Pandora: =/\= Locally, or widespread? =/\=
::Nirxa’s frown furrowed her brown, but Macoy began to converse with her, and her attention was diverted to the important task at hand.::
Dinn: I have information available on the drones.
Macoy: Thanks. That will go a long way. Can you show me the specs on the drones and what you’ve already done? We don’t want to re-invent the wheel.
Dinn: Of course. We tried various methods of getting rid of the drones, but none have proven effective. Explosives would not be recommended, as the force needed to get rid of them all would destroy more than simply the drones.
Macoy: Yeah, my chief and I were discussing that. I was thinking an EMP might work, but it’s to possible that it would take out far more than just the drones and might have the drones discharge the weapon. I was wondering if it was possible to just transport the bio-weapon part off the drone and into space. In theory it would have to be done either in isolation and one at a time, or all at once. From there, we can maybe re-purpose the drones.
Dinn: No, I don’t believe that has been tried. Do you think it’s a viable option?
Macoy: It has as good a chance as any, I suppose, though it would be precision transporting, almost surgical and that would take a certain skill set. I’m still new to the Invicta so I’m not entirely sure if anyone has that kind of skill.
Dinn: I certainly don’t. ::She paused a moment considering.:: I suppose it would be too convenient for you to have such ability.
::No, she wouldn’t, especially since she’d mentioned that someone would need that sort of skill. If she did, surely Macoy would have mentioned it.::
Macoy: Me? I suppose, but I’m sure the Chief or someone in Ops would be better.
Dinn: Of course.
Macoy: Not to mention I haven’t mentioned this as a viable option to my Chief. Between you and me I don’t think there is much hurry for this. :: Pauses:: Of course for those of us who are telepathic or empathic, I see a huge amount of hurry involved. The more exposure, the more chance of accident.
Dinn: I agree, and that is something we wish to avoid at all costs.
Vyrenna: =/\= Very well. We will advise you of any developments. In the mean time, please continue to carry out your mission. Invicta, out =/\=
Pandora: DeVeau, Harik. Doctor Blueheart apparently has some useful data, and may benefit from anything you have uncovered.
DeVeau: More than happy to share data. I’ll patch what we have into him. It looks like the biological weapon is degrading. As mentioned before, it’s not going to kill instantly, but it will eventual ly. It’s genetic makeup is insanely complicated, so sharing this and putting more heads together will probably be extremely beneficial.
Harik: ?
Pandora: ::nodding:: If you require anything else, speak up. ::turning to Tuk:: Since we have no information on what happened to the other team, I'm open to suggestions as to how we can make ourselves more secure.
Tuk: ?
Pandora: ::smiling faintly:: A bunker does help, certainly, but we may need to evacuate with minimal warning. Let me know if there is anything you need.
Pandora: You have something?
Dinn: Possibly. She had a thought.
::Nirxa motioned to Macoy in order for the woman to share her idea.
Macoy?
Walker: I may. Nirxa, I'm noticing that many of the drones were taken offline approximately a hundred years after being used. How did so many get taken offline all in such a short period of time?
Dinn: Honestly, I’m not sure. There are no records that I have access to, it was just indicated they were taken offline and then put into storage.
Macoy/Pandora: Response
Walker: Nothing immediate, but it stood out as a point of interest. If there was a means used to take that many drones offline at once, it would be useful to us.
Dinn: There may be records that are beyond my security level and I simply don’t have access to that information.
Macoy/Pandora: Response
Walker: Is that different than the records you provided us? The logs for those entries aren't sequential, some of the drones in use now have an earlier creation date than those that were listed as offline. And the reason listed shows it as end of life. Oddly, I'm not seeing any reclamation of the toxins.
Dinn: It’s possible, but again, I have only access to certain levels. If you petition the Arc, perhaps you will be given access to more.
Macoy/Pandora: Response
Walker: As you put it, the challenge is neither the shields nor the individual drones. They were designed to be anti-tamper, and one of the easiest ways to do so is constant communication between the drones. If one is offline without the proper command controls, the others respond. Usually by releasing their payload. We can see evidence of this in the previous attempts to disable individual drones, drones in other continents shifted their protocols to active.
::Nirxa nodded, but that still didn’t help them in their current position.::
Macoy/Pandora: Response
Walker: I don't have a solution as of yet, but I have the criteria. Whatever we do needs to be simultaneous or at least faster than the drone's communications can detect. Even a single detonation of a world wide EMP would not prevent drones at the farthest regions from dropping their payload. Which is why that event interests me. Something must have been done to take thousands of drones offline at once.
Dinn: As I said, if you petition…
::The panel began to beep. It wasn’t the sort of sound that came because someone was using it, but an urgent, high pitched tone that indicated something was wrong. Immediately, Nirxa turned and approached the panel, but a half breath later, it was obvious what the issue was - together, as a flock, the drones stirred, straightened, then lifted into the air and hovered. Looking up from the information, Nirxa came face to face with the drones and she paled visibly.::
Dinn: No…
Pandora/Tuk/Macoy/Walker/Harik?
::Without replying verbally, Nirxa began to tap wildly at the panel, all twelve fingers a flurry against the commands, but the beeping continued incessantly. Suddenly, the doors that separated drones from people opened and Nirxa let out a cry.::
Dinn: The masks! Get the masks!
::Scrambling away from the panel, Nirxa yanked two of the masks from the wall and shoved one toward the closest Starfleeter.::
Pandora/Tuk/Macoy/Walker/Harik?
Dinn: I don’t know! A command came in to activate them all, but it wasn’t me! And now they’re live! Quick!
::She quickly pulled the mask on her face and then began grabbing more to toss at people, eyes wide, fear palpable. By that point, drones poured out of the doors and immediately a mist filled the air. Trembling, Nirxa attempted to get another mask, that one to the one called DeVeau. Before the young woman could get it over her face, however, she froze, then suddenly collapsed and lay, unmoving, upon the ground.
Pandora/Tuk/Macoy/Walker/Harik?
********
Nirxa Dinn
Scientist
Adova
&
Lt. Cmdr. DeVeau
Chief of Science
USS Belfast