LtJg Lera Michaels - Holes

[steve...@yahoo.com]

((Main Engineering, Deck 12, Khitomer))

Dewitt: Commander, change of order. Warp core slides to the run after next. This one goes into weapons systems. Every filament sitting on a torpedo magazine, loading mechanism or launch tube comes first.

Valeris: ::A quick nod:: Aye, sir. Changing targets.

Michaels: This will only require a single transport cycle.

Vidya: SDA? Explain.

Connor turned to Vidya and took a breath.

Dewitt: My apologies… SDA stands for Sencha Dispersion Array. It is a defensive systems Starfleet developed to counter the shots of Sencha radiation originating from Lattice Alliance vessels by dispersing its energy. The system is effective, but experimental.

Michaels: The SDA disperses the energy from the Sencha Wave across a broader surface and captures some by charging a capacitor. I believe your nebula does something similar with the light you receive from your home star. We can later fire a portion of that energy back at the Alliance ship.

Vidya: ::nods:: I see. So it is a weapon? ::to the XO:: You mentioned you have used this SDA before in another nebula? What were the results?

Valeris: ::To himself:: Nothing good, I’m assuming.

Connor glanced at the Commander with a look clearly intended to maim.

Michaels: I prefer to think of it as a defense. :: pausing while looking at Vidya :: To be brief, most nebulas are merely collections of gas, dust and some rocks. Yours is the first one we have encountered with a biological component or extensive modifications like the ones you have made. There is far too much about your nebula that we do not understand for us to make accurate predictions about what a Sencha wave would do to it.

Dewitt: It’s not a weapon. It is more like a shield. ::beat:: As for the last time we used it inside a nebula, it interacted with the material around us and sent a strong feedback pulse through the system that made us go dark for half a day.

Michaels: That is precisely correct. How your filaments will respond can not be determined.

Vidya: Then I would advise using caution within the nebula cloud until such a time you have preparation. You have advised, true First Officer, keeping the SDA away from the center is a wise decision. I concur with that assessment. I recommend getting as close to the edge of the nebula’s cloud as possible before its use.

Connor nodded.

Valeris: Least chance of damage, the better.

Dewitt: Thank you, Ma’am. I’ll pass that on to Lieutenant Semara by message. I would rather not need to use the SDA at all.

Michaels: We will not put your people or your ship in undue danger.

Vidya: Very well. That is your prerogative. ::looking about:: How shall I assist with the torpedoes? Will there be more transporting of masses away from them?

Valeris: Masses and filaments around the launchers and magazines have been targeted. ::Tapping the console:: Beginning transport now. ::towards Vidya:: Sorry, there isn’t much to do but wait now.

Connor watched the screen. The transporter indicator started. It took a second longer than usual. A second longer than Connor felt comfortable with. He held his breath without realizing it.

Dewitt: Good. Commander, the moment those bays are clean, give me a report. ::to Michaels:: How are the buffers handling the patterns, Lieutenant?

Michaels: We have them. The filaments are simpler than originally expected. The load in the transporter buffers is minimal.

Vidya: Response

Valeris: Should only be a few minutes, then we should have some freed up offenses.

Another nod. Amelia would see when their capacities came online again, no need to call anyone. The clock on her plan was already running.

Then a damage control panel chirped from across the room. Immediately, Connor’s senses sharpened again.

Dewitt: Report!

Michaels: The ship is moving and the filaments that were plugging some of the holes are beginning to pull free. :: beat :: I am showing loss of atmosphere on several decks. :: I am initiating emergency forcefields.

Vidya/Valeris: Response

Dewitt: The vibrations of the ship must be a problem once the thrusters fired. ::tapping a few buttons:: Power generation is back at 34%. That’s enough for emergency forcefields around the hull breach plugging masses.

Michaels: Yes sir. It does not leave us much for other purposes including conventional shields.

Vidya/Valeris: Response

Dewitt: Alright… Inertial Dampeners are a new priority. ::beat:: What percentage of the masses have we removed?

Vidya/Valeris: Response

Michaels: I recommend a full stop to allow us more time to increase power generation and prepare a more permanent solution to the holes.

Dewitt: Response

Tags/TBC

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LtJg Lera Michaels

Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2