LCDR Nolen Hobart — Wrangled (Part I)
Nolen Hobart
((OOC: Doing my best here to give us some sense of a reset to align the scenes by inserting the inter-ship communications that Tim commendably stitched together.))
((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Khitomer, the Lagoon Nebula))
Hobart: Do that, then. Some data on many things is better than a lot of data on only one thing. No more surprises.
The expression on Lieutenant J/G Semara’s face wasn’t the most informative. She was dissatisfied with the directive, and Lt. Commander Hobart wasn’t sure why. He began to wonder whether he was asking too much of her, and then whether now was the time to start worrying about that. He straightened in his seat.
Semara: Aye, sir. Will try. :: Beat, pointing to the screen for Zerva. :: So this big long blob is Ouachita. That fuzzy, flickerin' blue there is thrusters firin'. :: Pointing to the smaller blotch :: This little purple splotch is Ensign Michaels. She's facin' kinda with her feet to us, but at a weird angle. :: Pointing to the slightly larger blotch :: And that orangey bit is the probe. Facin' dead on. :: Beat. :: Hello... what's this? We got another purple bit comin' out the tail end of the big long blob. :: Leaning in to look closer. :: That's gotta be two meters long-axis! What the blazes...?
Zerva: ::raising a brow:: Have you ever considered writing a science book for the science impaired? Ya know, for those of us who failed science classes at the Academy. ::turning back to the screen, hearing the last part:: What!?!
Hobart: =/\= Khitomer to Ouachita. What's your status? =/\=
Prix: =/\= This is Prix. A radiation flare occurred, we extended shields around the probe and away team. Lieutenant El’Heem is with the probe. Ensign Michaels is back onboard, suffering from accute hypoxia. Nothing critical. =/\=
Semara: :: to Hobart :: Radiation flare? What kind?
Nolen shot a glance at the Science Officer. They were in space. They were in a nebula. They were currently in the grips of some subspace-spanning anomaly. A radiation flare to him didn’t seem so out of place, but the tone in Semara’s voice suggested it should have.
Hobart: ::gesturing to the console:: You tell me.
With the modest functionality still afforded his armrest console, he switched the bridge communications system to relay exterior broadcasts, so that they might be able to follow along with what was happening.
Zerva: That isn’t good. Let’s hope we can help the away team avoid anymore flares for their sake.
Semara attempted to manipulate her console. From his vantage, Hobart couldn’t tell what she was doing precisely, but the screen shifted around and then suddenly became nothing but a wall of static as far as he could see.
El’Heem: =/\= I made it to the probe. Is Michaels awake? =/\=
Semara: That ain't right... :: Climbing under the console, and twiddling with the manual settings. :: Lieutenant, what's that look like?
Zerva: Sure isn’ right. ::checks the screen:: The same, still covered in snow.
The acting Captain said nothing and watched the pair get to work. Even as a reformed Engineer, he would harm more than he could help as a third set of hands on one, small console.
Prix: =/\= She is. Let’s take it sl… =/\=
Michaels: =/\= Ras. Did I tell you to stay clear of the isolinear chips? That is the most dangerous location. T'Dara said that if you touched that it would vaporize your hand. =/\=
Semara: :: More twiddling, then to Zerva :: Hmm, how 'bout now?
Zerva: Better, but this things covered with colors I haven’t seen yet. I’m guessing radiation?
He didn’t like relying on guesses.
Semara: Come again? :: Climbing back out to see the console, a quizzical look on her face. :: Oh, you weren't kiddin'. It looks like mama's spaghetti. That's a lotta radiation flares. :: A Pause, then to Hobart. :: Wait a moment - can Ouachita repeat last? What was that 'bout hands gettin' vaporized?
Hobart: Is it necessary, Lieutenant? If they’re going to work on this probe, I’d like them to work on it uninterrupted.
Zerva: ::keeps eyes locked on the screen:: I just hope there are no further problems.
The broadcasted comms kept coming, and Nolen leaned forward in his seat, fingertips pressed together below his chin.
El’Heem: =/\= Ensign, just take a second, you were suffering from acute hypoxia. You’re going to need a breather. Whether it was the suit that failed or something else, we’ll figure it out later. Get Hobart on the line. I need to contact T’Dara and Dewitt and see what needs to happen here. =/\=
Michaels: =/\= Hold on. I have an idea I need to clear with Dewitt and T'Dara. =/\=
He was reaching for his own communicator to respond to Lieutenant El’Heem when Ensign Michaels rejected his request. This caused the Lieutenant Commander’s eyebrow to spike, but given the stakes he figured a lecture on insubordination could wait. As it was, he already had some things to say about not hiding the ball; nothing stopped Ensign Michaels from discussing her idea with El’Heem, with his hands on the probe itself, and Ensign Prix, with access to the least crippled sensor equipment presently in the field.
Michaels: =/\= Michaels to Dewitt and T'Dara. =/\=
T’Dara: =/\= T’Dara here. Are you well, Ensign? =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= Response =/\=
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? =/\=
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. =/\=
Again with the guesses. Nolen knew it couldn’t fire after exposure to an antimatter warhead, and but for the errant Kressari in the vicinity, he’d have already ordered Ensign Prix to fire. It’s what he would have ordered from the outset if the trio had bothered to ask for clearance before launching. It occurred to Hobart that he should probably have been taking notes about all the lectures he intended to give.
Semara: Cap'n, with your permission, I got some questions for Ouachita. :: to Zerva :: Keep an eye out, Lieutenant? Just any sudden changes.
Hobart: Wait for my go.
Lieutenant J/G Semara nodded, and, fortunately for the CO’s blood pressure, did not disobey him.
Michaels: =/\= You did not mention any obvious flaws. I think we have a plan. =/\=
There was a brief pause that one might even call dramatic as Ensign Michaels switched comm frequencies once again, and broadcast out to Lieutenant J/G El’Heem.
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.' =/\=
Zerva: I’m seeing more flares whipping up out there. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they were caught in a radiation storm. We can guide them out from here using the sensors so they can avoid any more flares.
Nolen nodded a wordless acknowledgment to Lieutenant J/G Zerva but kept listening to the conversation. Lieutenant Semara held up her own hand in a gesture to wait.
El'Heem: =/\= Michaels. ::pausing to swallow nervously:: Glad to hear you haven’t suffered significant brain damage. Uh..right . ‘Probably not’ isn’t exactly comforting. I was in the middle of talking with engineering before the storm hit. There’s some kind of routing system for the targeting array, but I missed how to disable it. =/\=
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: =/\= Wait. You mean smash ‘em? That…I can do. =/\=
Sensing an opportunity, Hobart snapped his fingers and pointed at Semara, who correctly inferred that he was giving her his “go.”
TBC
———
Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart
Executive Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3