[sb118-khitomer] MSNPC Technological Lead Vidya - Reservations Shall Not Pass!
BC Cooper
((Main Engineering, Deck 12, USS Khitomer))
Vidya understood to a point why these Federations chose not to disclose the full extent as to how their warp core worked. She couldn’t blame them, after all she knew as a Velithair there was only so much she herself could give out as information to these aliens. For now, she chose to listen and help as she was best able to in the current situation, responding with few words as needed.
Dewitt: Alright. Commander, once those systems are clear, start lining up the hull connected masses. ::beat:: Lieutenant Michaels, where are we on the damage control parties?
Valeris: Hull masses targeted for next run, sir.
Michaels: The damage control teams are standing by. There are two issues. Precisely where they need to go which is a function of criticality and the damage that needs to be repaired. It should be apparent that we can not repair damage before it occurs. Plugging a few thousand hotels is one thing. Replacing a damaged hull plate is a different matter. They can not be everywhere at once.
Vidya: ::to Michaels:: That is a fair and complete assessment.
Valeris: Someone said that the cloud was sensitive to subspace, right?
Michaels: Unless I am mistaken, the Velithari have been visited a number of times by warp capable ships. The “takers” several years ago. The all female ship that Lt. Semara referenced before. Other ships that initiated the rumors ::quick glance at Vidya and a slight shake of Ler’s head to tell Vidya to ask later:: about the Velithari. The Lattice Alliance ships that included that derelict vessel we initially encountered. It is improbable that none of those craft engaged their warp drives near the nebula. Were we not at warp one when we entered the nebula? I believe the nebula is no more than minimally impacted by the warp fields.
Vidya: And the King-logs. Their warriors put up a good fight, but in the end their vessel fell too just as the Alliance Vessel did.
Dewitt: We have been at rest when the nebula engulfed us, Lieutenant. We studied the Lattice Alliance wreckage. So I am not ready to count on its immunity. ::beat:: We should be careful and focus on our tasks in engineering.
Vidya was trying her best to take suggestions, much less orders from a male, it was not easy. She did her best to continue to hide this fact and simply nodded to the true First Officer.
Valeris: That’s why i only gave a 74% estimate on full power. While we are inside the cloud, we won’t be able to run the core at full tilt. The matter/antimatter reaction interacts with subspace even when we don’t have a warp bubble in place.
Dewitt: Agreed, Commander. I am not ready to try anything more without the bridge in the room.
Vidya: ::to the XO:: A wise precaution.
Valeris: When we have the ability, I think we need to be out of the cloud as fast as possible. We don’t want to kick this immune response, or whatever it is, back into overdrive. That wouldn’t help any of us.
oO Indeed it would not. Oo
Michaels: In our current condition, my preference would be to stay in the nebula rather than expose ourselves to a Lattice Alliance battle group. ::beat:: In the interim, sir, I would like permission to try the probes. If successful, it would minimize the damage and give us a better idea of where to send our damage control teams.
Dewitt: Walk me through that plan once more, Lieutenant.
Michaels pulled up a display of their vessel with an overlay of the diagram of the hull damage. She noticed there were three areas in particular that were needing the most attention. The most critical of responses in order to ensure the Federation vessel would not meet the same fate as the other vessels in the nebula.
Michaels: I would send three probes to just off the hull here, here and here. If it doesn’t work, we will be out three probes. If it does work, we will have less damage.
Hmmm. How would their true First Officer handle the situation? Techologicals were something Vidya had been placed in charge on the Jorogumo. Would Vidya risk losing three of these such probes? Only if she thought it was worth the risk and it could save the Velithair and the Jorogumo, but not without first consulting her ship's Captain, Rana. Would this male do the same and speak with their Captain? The true First Officer’s combadge went off.
Zerva: =/\= Lieutenant Zerva to engineering. =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= This is Dewitt. Go ahead, Lieutenant. =/\=
Lieutenant Zerva? Ahh yes the one who gave the tactical report in the conference room. What no quips from the male and the other male on the other end of the combadge? Perhaps that was a one time quip with Lieutenant Semara? Or only with the females of their vessel?
Michaels: Response
Zerva: =/\= We’re going to need a torpedo loaded with filaments and a speaker-filled probe chaser. =/\=
Why would they need such a thing? What were they doing on the bridge?
Dewitt: =/\= Ah… how… what? =/\=
What indeed?
Michaels: =/\= Response =/\=
Zerva: =/\= The speaker filled probe was an idea I got from gunnery Sargent Martz. We’ll use it to clear a path between us and the Alliance. The music will cause the filaments to dissipate around it as it passes through. Essentially we would be plowing our way through with music using the probe and ensuring the torpedo makes its mark. =/\=
Not a bad idea, but why not just adjust the hull's harmonics? Ah yes their vessel was not adapted in symbiosis and harmony as the Jorogumo inside the nebula. In theory the bridge's plan might work, but she still didn’t quite understand their tor-pee-dough technological and how it worked.
Vidya glanced over, was the true First Officer speechless?
Michaels: =/\= Response =/\=
Zerva: =/\= And energy probe? Just to be clear, you said your probe would attract the filaments to a power source? Instead of pushing the filaments away from the Khitomer, you want to bring them closer?
Yes Vidya believed that was what Lieutenant Michaels just mentioned to Lieutenant Zerva in her report of the probe she wished to modify.
Vidya noticed the XO took a deep breath. Was there a problem? Would a speaker probe work? Not if the harmonics were not calibrated correctly. A for the tor-pee-do? If they were in harmonic symbiosis as the Jorogumo then perhaps. But the likelihood would be tricky for them to load the technological. She would share this knowledge when the time came.
Michaels: Response
Dewitt: =/\= Lieutenant, I prefer your idea of a speaker loaded probe to push away those masses instead of attracting more. We would have to use an energy signature and modulate it with a lullaby, because sound does not travel in space. But I have no clue if it would work. ::beat:: To modify a torpedo we need at least half an hour. =/\=
Was sending the masses away instead of directing them to multiple locations around the Kit-o-mere to attract them to their energy going to work? It would seem. The true First Officer had spoken. Away it was. But this half of an hour? Would that be enough time to complete their task?
Zerva: =/\= I understand. =/\=
Michaels: =/\= Response =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= Ezra, this is risky. Not only for the ship, but also for the people modifying the torpedo. ::beat:: We will start working on both the torpedo and the probe. If this becomes unnecessary, I want you to contact me immediately. If I don’t hear from you, we will have everything ready in thirty minutes. Dewitt out. =/\=
Apparently half of an hour would be enough time. Vidya and the others stood looking at the XO. If this was the Jorogumo, Vidya would take command and make a decisive choice. But this wasn’t her vessel. This wasn’t her command. This was the male before her to decide on his vessel. His skill was equal to hers, at least when it came to the technological. But in Velithari culture as a male? That was another matter that meant little here.
Valeris: I have some reservations, sir. But it’s your call.
His call. Vidya’s life and Rana’s were in the hands of this male. What little trust she had in the males of this vessel, gave her a pause. That being said, she did recognize that these two males at least, had some ideas that she had begrudgingly acknowledged in the back of her mind. Some.
Dewitt: I share your reservations, Commander. ::beat:: We will use Engineering Lab two to modify a probe and a torpedo. ::to Valeris:: Prepare to beam both into the lab immediately and have non-essential personnel evacuate the adjacent sections. ::pause:: Lieutenant Michaels, work with Vidya to identify masses to load into the torpedo. At least five that are small enough to fit. ::beat:: Once you’re done, you’ll all accompany in the Engineering Lab.
There was a pause as the male gave out his orders. Everyone was taking in the moment, before Vidya took the opportunity to speak.
Vidya: Then let us ensure those reservations do not come to pass.
Valeris: Beginning transport of payloads to Engineering Lab two, sir.
Vidya: ::to Michaels:: Shall we begin?
Michaels: Response
Vidya began working with Michaels using the Kit-o-more’s computers to locate five masses that were the size needed for the tore-pee-doughs.
The true First Officer nodded and turned towards the exit to head to Engineering Lab two. Then turned around again to face Michaels.
Dewitt: ::quieter:: One more thing Whatever happens in the next thirty minutes, I want a list of who is on those damage control teams. I want names and decks. And I want to know what they fixed. ::pause:: Not for the report. I just want to know.
Michaels: Response
Vidya listened as Michaels gave her response. Knowing for the sake of knowing puzzled Vidya. Did this male care enough to want to know their names? In Velithari culture only the females were given names. The only care the males had was to give new life to Velithari young without a name given. Perhaps. Just perhaps this male was more than a Velithari male was in her culture. One who cared for others not of their gender. Velithari did not do that. Did that make the male weak? Was it weak for Vidya to even consider the possibility of a male being more than just breeding stock. Yes, it was and that frightened her.
Tags / TBC...
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MSNPC Technological Lead, Vidya
As simmed by
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Lieutenant (JG) Ezra Zerva
Security Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240101EZ2