Ensign Lera Michaels - Plan B: Brain Surgery

[steve...@yahoo.com]

((Shuttle Ouchita near the probe))

Michaels: =/\= I am fine now. Will the probe shoot at something it can not target? If we blind it... if we knock out its sensors... can it target Khitomer and fire on it? =/\=

There was a pause. Clearly, that woman was considering the answer. What seemed like an eternity later, T'Dara responded.

T’Dara: =/\= It could not target, and it oughtn’t fire. But of course, as it has been, this is an educated guess. Little more. =/\=

Lera nodded, well aware that T'Dara could not hear her head motions.

Michaels: =/\= You did not mention any obvious flaws. I think we have a plan. =/\=

Lera looked at the front viewscreen. Lt. El'Heem was studying the probe. For a moment, she regretted the situation he was in. Ras was a doctor and the probe was almost exactly unlike his usual patients.

Michaels: =/\= Lt. El'Heem. I have a plan. I asked Commander T'Dara if the probe could shoot at something that it could not detect. Her response amounted to 'probably not.' =/\=

El'Heem: =/\= Response =/\=

Michaels: =/\= I know, but it is as positive a response as we are likely to get from her. My suggestion is that we disable the probe's sensors. There are six sensors, one each located on the left side, right side, top, bottom, front, and back. If you destroy them, starting with the ones that are not currently aiming at Khitomer, we can blind the probe. Assuming T'Dara is correct, the probe will be unable to fire. If she is wrong, and the probe does fire, then it is highly improbable that it will hit Khitomer. =/\=

El'Heem: =/\= Response =/\=

Lera released a deep breath. Finally, the end of this nightmare was in sight. Lt. El'Heem appeared to be working on the sensor on the probe. She was confident that she could do it faster. There was no rush. And Lera was under the doctor's orders at the moment. There were still a host of problems to work through, but without the risk of the probe hitting Khitomer and killing everyone instantly, the other problems seemed almost minor. She took the moment to relax, sit in the seat next to Prix, and admire the stellar light show so close to them.

Semara: =/\= Ouachita, Lieutenant Semara here. Can you get Michaels for me, please? I'd like to know the exact condition of the probe. =/\=

Michaels: =/\= I am here, Lieutenant. The probe appears to be in working order with no obvious damage beyond a few micrometeorite impact marks. Those do not appear to be significant. =/\=

Semara: =/\= Good to hear your voice, Michaels. Briefly, please - what exactly is the condition of the probe and its power levels? =/\=

Michaels: =/\= The probe is in good condition. I removed the rear access panel to conduct my study. I noted, in particular, that the gel paks appear to be free of the damage we found in the gel paks on Khitomer. Doctor El'Heem is disabling the probe's sensors. At his current pace, we should have blinded the probe in another twelve minutes. =/\=

Semara: =/\= Michaels, how would you describe the energy readin's in the probe? And the radiation appeared after these readin's? =/\=

Amelia's voice betrayed her. She was concerned about something. Perhaps worried was the better word. Superficial answers would not be sufficient. Exact numbers were what was called for at the moment. Lera leaned forward.

Michaels: =/\= Preliminary power readings indicate that the reactor is operating as designed. It is more powerful than similar reactors I am familiar with. The reactor's radiation shielding was intact, so I only took minimal readings on the radiation. Approximately 142 becquerels, slightly higher than I anticipated. If we limit our exposure to thirty minutes or less, there should not be significant health effects. ::beat:: Lieutenant. You are concerned about something. ::beat:: Are you still there, Amelia? =/\=

Semara: :: unmuting comms :: =/\= Still here, Ouachita. Be advised we think we got readin's consistent with the emitter preppin' to fire. I reckon' you got another ninety seconds or so to do whatever you're doin' and get out. =/\=

Lera sat bolt upright. This was bad. Very bad. El'Heem appeared to have successfully disabled one sense in... how long had it taken him? Five point four minutes? The probability that he could complete the task in the next eighty-five seconds was astronomically small.

Michaels: =/\= Great. Michaels out. =/\=

Prix was staring at her. It was time to make a command decision that was not really hers to make. Barely enough time. No time at all for someone else to decide. If it got her reprimanded again... well... that was just too bad.

Michaels: =/\= Michaels to Lt. El'Heem. Ras. Stop what you're doing and get back to the access hatch. Khitomer believes the device is going to fire in approximately a minute. We have to switch to plan B. =/\=

El'Heem: =/\= Response =/\=

Michaels: =/\= If the probe does not know how to target or fire, it can not do either one. Unclamp the gel packs and pull them out. Do not... I repeat ... do not touch the isolinear chips. Think of it as brain surgery on the probe. No pressure. You have slightly more than sixty seconds. =/\= ::To Prix.:: In thirty seconds, we will need to get Ras back inside and move out of the danger zone. Get as close to Lt. El'Heem as you can comfortably. We are going to have to retrieve him in record time.

Prix: Response.

Michaels: I know. It is not a great plan. If you or someone else can develop a better plan in the next sixty-three seconds, I will be more than ready to change.

Tag / TBC...


Ensign Lera Michaels

Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer