Lt. Cmdr Thelan Valeris - Angry Spaghetti
tas9303
((Bridge, Deck One, USS Khitomer))
Things were heading down an interesting path as the bridge crew worked to lock down the ship from the intruding filament ball. And from the sound of it, things weren’t going as well on the rest of the ship. Reports of injured or dead crewmembers filtered in as more and more filaments of every size made their way through the ship and anyone that stood in the way.
C. Dewitt: I’m open to suggestions.
Morda: It’s a risk, but I can’t think of anything better right now. We need to know where it is and isn’t safe to move on the bridge. And that’s just it: you’ve figured a way to possibly make the filaments visible to sensors, but we need to make them visible without having our eyes adhered to a console. So I suggest we excite them with the subharmonic, we create the galaxy’s lamest laser light show to make them on the bridge itself.
Making the filaments visible was really only half the battle. If they were as dangerous as they seemed, they needed a way to move around them as well.
C. Dewitt: I’m not sure it’s the right time for leisure, Ensign.
But a laser light show did sound cool. Only if it had the right music to accompany it. Maybe some Bolian Grunge, or Klingon Acid Punk.
Morda: ::Pointing to the convex apparatus at the center of the bridge dome:: That housing, and other fixtures around the bridge, contain various internal sensors. They include low-power lasers using in a non-visual wavelength that test for atmospheric quality, act as rangefinders for visual recording files, etc. I suggest we shift their diodes to emit in visible light, tie them to the sensors, and use those lasers to draw a “do not cross this line” pattern on the deck, say a half-meter to either side of any nanofilmanets we detect.
C. Dewitt: Let’s do it. Low power, reduce coherence length where you can. Blinding people would get us in trouble.
And there went the fun from a laser light show.
Morda: Aye, sir: I’ll get working on it. If it works, I’d think this one-two punch should work in many but not all crew spaces elsewhere on the ship.
With a few more taps at his console, Thelan let out a sigh. Trying to work out the what and why was complicated.
Valeris: I’ve locked down propulsion and life support. Fairly easily too. Whatever this thing is doing, it doesn’t seem that interested in primary systems. I am reading some comm interference coming from the center of the bridge. Maybe jamming? Electromagnetic feedback?
Korras: Scanning.. Give me a moment, please.
Perhaps the ‘ball of yarn’ was transmitting its findings to the mothership…hive…thing.
C. Dewitt: If that’s all, there might be less reason to worry.
The next thing that came up on his screen made his eyebrow raise.
Valeris: It also appears to be curious about what ingredients are in a Talaxian Souffle. Something is accessing the replicator repository.
Didn’t those have fur-fly larvae in them? Or something…Talaxian cuisine tended to be on the ‘weird’ side in Thelan’s opinion. It wouldn’t surprise him if it contained some sort of insect. How would that go over with their captors?
Morda: There’s more in the replicator databanks than just food: patterns for equipment, weapons, biochemical agents. Any signs it’s probing anything hazardous?
Looking through the list of accessed data, Thelan shook his head.
Valeris: The food database isn’t as well protected as the others. It may be only a matter of time before they break through the encryption and gain access though. Attempting to seal it off.
Korras: Got it. I have the frequency on which it is broadcasting, which is also causing interference on the comms. The bad news, I can not find where they are broadcasting to.
Thelan smirked slightly. He had an idea.
C. Dewitt: The Alien ship would be my best guess…
oO Called it. Oo
Valeris: Unless there is another party out in the nebula somewhere.
Korras: The good news, it might be possible to counteract. It is broadcasting by vibrating the crystals, like the commander did earlier, but on a far more precise scale. Like sound, it might be cancelled out by broadcasting on a mirrored frequency.
So they did need music for their laser light show. Score.
C. Dewitt: ::nodding:: Alright…., Mr Korras, I like the idea. We need a full spectral analysis of the signal to be able to generate something that can cancel it out. ::pause, to Valeris:: do you think we can use the bridge speakers to generate something like that?
Thelan thought for a moment before giving the Connor a nod.
Valeris: We would just need to hit almost the exact opposite resonance as the crystals. But they each come with their own trade-offs.
Too high of a frequency and it could rupture eardrums and possibly cause brain damage. Too low of a frequency, and rumor had it someone could crap their pants.
Korras: It might anger the entity, and we have no way of knowing if it will retaliate if we do so.
A great point. Make it mad enough, and it might tear each and every one of them apart without a second thought.
Morda: Commander? The computer came up with a range of harmonics it can create that might energize those filaments, and the adjustments to the atmospheric sensor diodes to paint boundary lines is ready to go. Shall we proceed?
C. Dewitt: Alright… Everyone stay at your stations. Computer, erect level 8 force-fields around all bridge working stations including personnel.
The familiar pulse of static that came with the sudden projection of force fields crawled down Thelan’s spine as the blue shimmer appeared and disappeared in mere seconds.
Valeris: Ready here, Commander.
Korras/Morda: Response
C. Dewitt: Mr Morda, go…
Before Connor could give the rest of the order, the comm came alive and a voice cut through.
Zerva: =/\= Lieutenant Zerva to bridge. Commander, you wanted me to report immediately on any data I found. This is definitely it, sir. =/\=
The tension suddenly cut, Thelan feeling his muscles relax slightly as the order to possibly anger the alien filaments was put on hold.
Valeris: Talk about timing.
Morda/Korras: Response
C. Dewitt: =/\= Please be a little more specific, Lieutenant. =/\=
Zerva: =/\= I’m in Transporter Room Two, Deck Nine. Crewman Chenn was injured when he came into contact with some filaments on the transporter PADD. I’ve got a medic on their way here now. Recommend not using the transporters just encase the other ones are infected too. =/\=
So the filaments were…assimilating their technology? Or just simply latching onto it? Perhaps assimilating wasn’t the best term to use.
Thelan: =/\= We need to be careful when touching anything it seems. =/\=
Morda/Korras: Response
C. Dewitt: =/\= ::nodding:: What systems are infected? =/\=
Infected. That was a much better term than assimilated.
Zerva: =/\= According to the sensor readings I’ve got, it looks like the invisible filaments are embedded into the PADD itself sir. On top of that some of the threads have weaved their way through the bolians blood on the floor of the PADD causing it to snake about. I have a theory I’d like to test with permission sir. =/\=
The mental image of the tiny filaments snaking their way through blood on the floor made Thelan shudder slightly.
C. Dewitt: =/\= We are working on making the filaments visible here on the bridge, Lieutenant. Any ideas how to get them off the ship? =/\=
A tough question if they are burrowing their way into their systems.
Morda/Korras: Response
Zerva: =/\= What if we could find a way to make the filaments visible and then use the transporter PADD to lock onto it and beam them out? Mind you, I’m not sure what would happen with the filaments the buffer. But if that’s possible, I can send someone from engineering to assist me here, since Lieutenant Michaels is on the away team out. =/\=
There were a lot of possibilities that could come from beaming the filaments out…a majority of them didn’t seem good…
C. Dewitt: ::quietly:: Thoughts on beaming it off the ship, Commander?
Thelan pursed his lips and shook his head.
Velaris: It’s hard to say. If the filaments have integrated themselves into our systems, attempting to transport any of it off of the ship could take portions of the ship’s systems with them. ::Beat:: On the other hand, if we do nothing we could end up with busted systems anyway.
The unfortunate duality of the situation they were in. Take a chance and risk breaking things? Or leave it alone and break things for sure. Plus, the number of injured would only grow.
Morda/Korras: Response
C. Dewitt: =/\= Alright, Lieutenant. Go ahead, but I want you to stop what you’re doing on the first sign of trouble. =/\=
Velaris: =/\= We will keep working on getting these filaments visible and try to get it working shipwide. =/\=
Morda/Korras/Zerva: Response
They really needed their idea for making the filaments visible to work for anything to work in their favor.
C. Dewitt: =/\= Understood. Dewitt out. =/\=
There was a pause as the comm closed. A brief moment. A breath to center oneself.
C. Dewitt: Ensign Morda, go ahead with exciting the invisible strings and try to make them visible. Everyone, keep an eye out and report any strings you can see.
Looking towards the filament attached to the wall, Thelan noticed what appeared to be a pattern of smaller filaments that had grown from the central mount. Almost like a honeycomb spreading out from the center. Was it the means for the strand to attach itself to the wall? Or had it been slowly growing that whole time?
Valeris: Aye, sir.
Morda/Korras: Response
As the test started, the tone on the bridge shifted. Both physically, and audibly. Thelan’s brain felt fuzzy as the resonance adjusted to match that of the crystals. In an attempt to counteract the physical effect it was having on him, he focused harder on the honeycomb pattern.
Valeris: ::Somewhat pained:: No noticeable effect on the filaments over here, so far.
C. Dewitt/Morda/Korras: Response
The tone continued to change subtly as the computer worked to cancel out the signal. Thelan began to feel dizzy as his ears rang, and his brain vibrated right along with the sound. Keeping his focus on the filaments, he noticed something interesting.
Valeris: The honeycomb structure of the filament’s adhesion is destabilizing!
C. Dewitt/Morda/Korras: Response
Thelan’s excitement was short lived as the filament began to lash out. Smaller filaments ejected from the larger branch in several different directions, punching holes into any surface that wasn’t protected by a force field. The force field itself shimmered with every hit from the lashes, several strikes seeming to come from the tiny, invisible strands that had been reported.
Valeris: ::Somewhat groggy:: Looks like we pissed off the crystal spaghetti.
C. Dewitt/Morda/Korras: Response
TAGS/TBC…
Lieutenant Commander Thelan Valeris
Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
A239905NR1