LCDR Nolen Hobart — Testbed
Nolen Hobart
((Conference Room, Deck 1, USS Khitomer, at warp))
Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart straightened another chair. It wasn't crooked, really, but he felt a need to do something. Any moment now, the ship's senior staff would begin to file in expecting someone to brief them on their current mission, and expecting that briefing to come from their Captain. And he was about to dash one of those expectations. He gave an askew glance at the stoic Vulcan Engineer perched at a chair near the back of the the table: Lt. Commander T’Dara, an administrator of some kind from Starfleet’s Corps of Engineers.
As the doors opened and the first of the officers began to file in, Nolen stepped to the stem of the compartment and finished programming the holoprojector in the conference table. He exchanged some nods, but for the most part they were engaged in their own conversations. It had been a long and eventful shoreleave. For most of the crew, it had been capped off by a joyous celebration of the bonds they shared with each other, some more substantial than others. For a pair of them—himself and Lt. Commander Ohnari, who had just entered the compartment substantially less chatty than usual—there was a sour postscript.
He didn't hold it against her. He couldn't. Not only did duty demand he respect her authority as Chief Medical Officer, their romantic entanglement made contending it an even dicier proposition. Suppose he had decided they were done. Could it be seen as retaliatory? Would it have changed her mind? It hurt to imagine that it wouldn't, and it terrified him to imagine it would. She was probably going through all the same thoughts and struggles, but they didn't have a chance to discuss it. They wouldn't for a while.
He gave her a confident wink before he cleared his throat, in the hopes that it would communicate “We're okay.” Then he addressed the room, standing at the back of it, distant stars stretched by the ship's warp field through the panoramic windows behind him.
Hobart: Ensign Cain, our course is set on the path I gave you?
Cain: Response
In the interests of security, he had provided their new Helmsman with a meandering series of checkpoints through the stars, traveling at high warp to several nowheres in particular. The idea was that Lattice Alliance spies and long range detection networks wouldn't be able to tell where they were going, or that they were going anywhere of import. To that end, the precise destination was kept a highly classified secret that only Captain Shayne—and then Lt. Commander Hobart—was privy to, out of everyone on the ship.
Hobart: Good work, I'll give you the final coordinates when we're done here. ::to the rest of the room:: Thank you for coming, everyone. Normally, Captain Shayne would be giving this briefing, and as you can tell I'm not him. He’s away to attend to other matters, and will be rejoining us upon the completion of our mission.
The crew didn't need to know the details, in Nolen's estimation. Telling them wouldn't help them do their duties, nor would it honor the Captain's privacy. Providing more information might fuel speculation, and the fact that he had been relieved for complications attributable to his “self-medication” was salacious enough to cause real problems on and off the ship, if it got out.
Hobart: As most of you are aware, Khitomer has undergone substantial upgrade and modification since we arrived in the Sol System. What you may not know is that a number of these modifications are experimental upgrades meant to neutralize the Lattice Alliance’s most powerful weapons: the Sencha wave disruptors. What you're about to hear doesn't leave this room. Commander?
Upon an indicative nod to Lt. Commander Dewitt, Khitomer’s Chief Engineer, Hobart activated the holoprojector, and a technical display of the New Orleans II-class starship appeared, a glowing blue wireframe.
C. Dewitt: Response
Nolen followed along with a reformed engineer’s comprehension as Connor explained the basic purpose and function of the two experimental systems. In short, a deflector that could neutralize Sencha waves, and a hull that could shield the crew. They worked in laboratory settings, but now was time to really test them out, before expanding the technology to the rest of the fleet. As the man in gold spoke, Hobart surveyed the room, putting assignments together in his head. He wondered if Shayne was able to do this on the fly, or if he had the forethought to plan.
Hobart: Thank you, Commander. Given that there are two experiments, we're going to have two independent teams focused on them. Commander Dewitt will run the hull plating tests, with Lieutenant Croix and Ensign Matthews as support.
C. Dewitt / Croix / R. Matthews: Response
Hobart: For the navigational deflector, Mister Semara will be project lead, supported by Ensigns Michaels and Cain.
Semara / Michaels / Cain: Response
Hobart: In order for these tests to work, we need Sencha waves. That's where our friend from SCE comes in. ::indicating to the Vulcan:: Commander T’Dara has mounted a tuned-down emitter salvaged from DS33 to a probe, and it'll be shooting at us. Which is why Commander Ohnari and Lieutenant Dewitt will be responsible for making sure we don't kill ourselves in the process.
T’Dara / Ohnari / A. Dewitt: Response
That addressed everybody in the room except three Lieutenants. Two gold, and one blue.
Hobart: While all that is going on, Lieutenant Matthews will work up strategic plans for combating Lattice boarding parties. Lieutenants Zerva and El’Heem will assist. Make the most of our downtime, gentlemen. I don't want to be close quarters again, but if it happens I want us to be ready.
C. Matthews / Zerva / El’Heem: Response
Murmurs filled the room as the assignments were taken in and mulled over. But Lt. Commander Hobart wasn't done. He keyed in a few commands to the table, and the display of the Khitomer fizzled out of existence, replaced by an amorphous haze, with gleaming and twinkling lights scattered throughout.
Hobart: And now the catch. Ensign Cain? This is our final destination: the Lagoon Nebula. It's a stellar nursery, filled with enough different gases, dusts, and radiations to make long range communications and scans impossible. The enemy won't be able to observe, but neither will Starfleet. Which is just as well, since we've been under radio silence since we left Sector 001. Official word in the Fleet is we're being reassigned, and the Renown and Lowell are taking our place. We're on our own for this. Questions? Concerns? Floor's open.
Any: Response
Tags/TBC
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Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart
Executive Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3