Ensign Tomas Falt - Contact... of sorts
Tom Cholewa
((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Juneau))
Tomas had come to believe the soundwave from the city below was some kind of communication. If they could figure out a way to decode it they might just start getting some answers. He’d suggest to the Captain that they ask the Grace to channel the shield resonance through the universal translator. Of course it wasn’t as simple as that, the Juneau was still having to hold the Grace in a tractor beam to prevent her drifting closer to the planet.
Silveira: We are taking the Grace out, slowly. But the hold is strong and steady so far. Power management might be a concern, but that is more your field Lieutenant Stelek.
Stelek: They are maintaining basic systems, including life support, but their command and control systems may be degraded. We are at 75% power and have not tapped into reserves.
Silveira: I say we try Mr. Falt plan, whatever we might found out will surely be helpful.
Tomas was grateful for the Tactical officer’s endorsement of his idea, simply because it meant he had at least managed to make sense to someone. If anyone had asked him how he was feeling at that moment he would confess that the jump from the quiet runabout that had brought him to the Juneau half an hour ago to current situation on the bridge felt a bit like an out of body experience.
The captain spoke and the sound of her voice brought his attention back to the matter at hand.
oO Stay focused Tomas and remember your training Oo
Oddas: We'll give it a shot. Shore up the power transfer and the tractor beam, when try this who knows what will happen.
Stelek: Aye Captain, increasing power output across the board by 10%.
Falt: ::Entering the required commands into his console:: I’ve used the extra power allocated to increase both the amount and rate of power transfer sir, in case we have to cut the transfer.
Oddas: Hail the Grace, we'll need to coordinate the plan with their Operations Officer.
There was a beep, followed by a short burst of static.
Stelek: Line open Captain.
Oddas: =/\= Commander Melchor, we have an idea about the energy that has wrecking havoc with your systems. =/\=
Melchor: =/\= Glad to hear it. =/\=
The Captain motioned to Tomas.
oO Guess this is my cue Oo
Falt: =/\= Sir, it is possible the soundwave targeting your ship is an attempt at communication. If that is the case are you in a position to channel the shield resonance your are currently experience into the universal translator =/\=
Zh’vovahr: =/\= That could be difficult, we are having trouble maintaining our shields, the power drain slowing our reaction times and the main computer has shut down many secondary systems to give us the power needed to keep life support running. The universal translator would take time to link into the shield system. =/\=
Melchor: =/\= Our patient. =/\=
Oddas: =/\= Oddas to Doctor Indobri, have you been monitoring? =/\=
Indobri: =/\= Negative, Captain. I have been focused on my patient. =/\=
Tomas felt a slight shudder under his feet. He checked his console, the power transfer was beginning to affect the Inertial Dampeners.
Melchor: =/\= Have you made progress with your patient? It appears something on the surface could be trying to communicate with us. =/\=
Indobri: =/\= That’s interesting. Could whatever this is be trying to contact my patient? If I can get through to him, we might be able to use that to contact whomever or whatever is behind all this and find out what is going on here. =/\=
Zh’vovahr: =/\= That is possible, the sick bay systems have been isolated from the general system failures. =/\=
Dekas: =/\= If you think it’s in our best interest, I can help link it to the shield system like he said. It’ll be a little tight on the timing but if you say so, I’m ready to do what I can to make it work. =/\=
Tomas tried to focus on the conversation but there was still a lot he wasn’t fully up to speed on,
Melchor: =/\= Juneau, we have a plan here - we think the patient we beamed aboard might be the key to communicating with whatever is down there. =/\=
The comm line closed. It seemed the crew on the Grace were formulating a plan. Tomas wasn’t sure if it involved linking the soundwave to the universal translator. His train of thought was derailed as the ship suddenly lurched and went to yellow alert. It seem the pull on the Grace was starting to affect the Juneau as well.
Oddas: Mister Stelek, Mister Silveira, keep the power transfer going, :: pause to look at the pair :: and try not to let us tear apart.
Stelek: We will endeavor to do so, sir.
Silveria: Decreasing shields to compensate, still at 120 percent. But we better get something done, we can’t keep this up indefinitely.
Oddas: Ensign Falt, Monitor the transmission and work with the Grace crew -- I want to know what is going on with that signal and if there are any changes with the city or the Ring.
Falt: Aye sir.
Tomas turned his focus to his console. Nothing changed for a few moments and then suddenly everything did, he began reading hundred’s of power spikes in the city below. He glanced at the view screen and noted the city was lighting up below them. It somehow reminded him of being on Earth and looking up at the Moon to see the lights of New Berlin.
Oddas: ::gesturing toward the city:: Ensign Falt?
Falt: It seems a power distribution grid has come online across the city, I’m reading hundreds of structures drawing power from it but I am unable to determine for what purpose.
Silveira: So that is why we are having trouble…
Stelek: It's entirely possible, or it could be a side effect of the same phenomenon.
The ship rocked again, causing Tomas to drop down on one knee for a moment to steady himself.
Silveira: I would recommend some direct action, I can fire a few shots well away from our people, but I understand it might not be wise.
Oddas: I'd rather assume - for now - that this not a hostile action. We didn't come all this way to fire on a communications array. We need other options.
Silveira: If we cut the power sources it would buy us some time, to all effects the City was the one that took aggressive action first.
Oddas: ::blowing air:: Understood.
The ship lurched under them again.
Silveira: Yes Captain. Then we just hope things start working up, because as it wakes up the City is pulling the Grace and us further down.
Oddas: Track down a power source, or conduit, something suitable for a surgical strike, a back-up plan.
Stelek: It will take a minute to divert power to the tactical sensors, the power will need to come from somewhere and I will require assistance knowing what to look for.
Oddas: Divert power from the secondary life support systems, Mister Falt, help locate what might be an appropriate target if it comes to that.
Stelek: Aye sir.
Falt: ::Already scanning:: I’ve located a major junction in the power distribution grid. It will likely be a less volatile target than one of the power sources, but will still have a significant on the city. ::Pause:: I will continue to monitor the soundwave and city for further changes.
Oddas: I'm sure you will, but if the Grace doesn't make contact, we will need to look after --
Tomas looked up as the Captain paused mid-sentence. On the view screen, one of the larger structures had a begun to glow an amber-blue color. Before he could check his readings the ship lurched again, the most violent yet. It caught Tomas off guard and his head banged into the console. Wincing he pulled himself upright and check his readings.
Falt: Sir, the power of the soundwave targeting the Grace has increased ten fold. ::He checked the sensors:: She has a number of ruptured power conduits. I’m decreasing the power transfer so as to not overload their EPS grid.
Any: Response
Falt: I would hypothesis the team on the Grace have been able to make contact and that this is the result. However, we should not automatically assume this was a deliberately hostile act.
Oddas/Silveira: Response
Falt: We do have one other option sir, the magnitude of the soundwave is now sufficient for me to be able to run the resonance frequencies through the universal translator from here. We could attempt to make contact.
Oddas/Silveira: Response
Falt: Standby. ::Tomas fingers darted over the touchscreen as he made the connections::.
As the computer processed the inputs the ship lurched again. Tomas held his balance this time but realised his head felt wet. He touched where he had banged his head and his fingers came back red with blood. He wiped his fingers on his uniform and pressed on.
oO You’ve got plenty of time to bleed later Tomas Oo
His console beeped to indicate the translations was complete.
Falt: The universal translator has completed it’s analysis sir. ::Pause:: This is unexpected. According to the computer the soundwave targeting the Grace is a 95% match to a brainwave pattern on file. ::He double checked the read out:: It seem the signal originates from a Lieutenant Wyss.
Any: Response
Falt: Analysis is unable to determine if this is a conscious attempt at communication, but we has been able to compile something from the signal.
Tomas began the playback
Computer Playback (Voice of LTJG Wyss):
::static:: When you're alone, and life is ::static:: lonely
You can ::static::
Downtown
When ::static:: worries, all the ::static:: hurry
Seems to help ::static::
Downtown
Any: Response
TAGS / TBC
((OOC: Sorry for the late and long sim, it’s been a mad week. Really enjoying this though!)
((OOC2: Hope it’s okay to link Sim’s together like this))
Ensign Tomas Falt
Science Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239807TF2