Ensign Thomas Melville-Kilpatrick - Synthesizing
Sarah P
((Science Lab, Deck 16, USS Khitomer))
Melville-Kilpatrick: No, no, you're right. At least, I think so, anyway. So ::gesturing at the readout:: what's all this, then?
Dewitt: =/\= Bridge to Naxell and Zerva. Quick situation report from the bridge, I’ll keep it tight. =/\=
Thomas awaited news of what was happening elsewhere. Had the away team found Matthews? Or a way to extricate themselves from all of this?
Naxell: =/\= I read you, Commander. =/\=
Zerva: =/\= Ouch! Er, Go ahead, sir, =/\=
Valeris/Korras: =/\= Response =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= We have the central mass of the filament structure on the bridge behind a level 10 containment field. Layered, with what we believe is enough margin not to sever any filament still anchored to our systems. Ensign Morda has given us a way to see the finer threads on the deck… visible light tied to the atmospheric sensors. Commander Valeris has confirmed we can roll the same lighting out shipwide in any compartment with sensor coverage. We have not executed that yet. I wanted you in the loop before we did. =/\=
It seemed complex, but Thomas hoped that it would work. Being at the captain's side was giving him a larger look into how much everyone else was doing.
Naxell: =/\= Understood, Number One. I trust you'll let me know what your elf-eyes see. =/\=
Zerva: =/\= We’ll begin making the sensor changes right away. =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= Two more things, Sir. One: Mr Korras is running a continuous scan for any other concentrations of crystalline mass elsewhere on the ship, prioritised by size. Two: ::beat:: Commander Valeris is reading something off the entity. He does not want to call it crazy, and neither do I. He's reading it as 'sad.' ::beat:: And maybe I agree… I have asked Mr Morda to correlate that against the structural data, so we can see if there is a measurable signal underneath the impression. =/\=
What? Sad? Thomas had thought that whatever this was, it was a machine. If it was alive...well, that changed things. A lot of things. He wasn't quite aware what machine would produce
Naxell: =/\= Sad? =/\=
Zerva: =/\= Are you suggesting we could be dealing with a life form Commander? =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= Captain, two questions for you. Authorisation to push the visibility lighting shipwide on Commander Valeris's signal, sickbay first. And… ::he hesitated:: how would you like us to engage the entity itself, if it is not just a weapon? Contain and study, or remove? =/\=
Naxell: =/\= If it isn't a weapon? Contain and assess intelligence, if any. ::pause:: Gently. =/\=
Zerva: =/\= One more thing sirs? Sparks is here with me. I think sound might have an effect upon them. She had some filaments wrapped around her and the whistling she did seemed to lessen the strain's grip around her so I could help pull her up and away from them. Is it possible that sound has an effect that could assist us with removing them? It might add to the credibility of intelligent life. I recommend some sound tests to be sure. =/\=
Dewitt: =/\= Understood, Lieutenant. ::beat:: Test it gently. Emphasis on gently. I want to know whatever you find out. Safety of Miss Sparks has highest priority. Mr. Morda will push you what we have on resonance from up here.=/\=
Naxell: =/\= Keep me posted. Naxell out. =/\=
Zerva: =/\= Yes sir, Zerva out. =/\=
An alarm blinked, and Thomas looked over, stretching his neck.
Melville-Kilpatrick: What's it say?
Naxell: Complete. ::shaking his head, troubled:: Scanner’s working as it should. I wonder…
Melville-Kilpatrick: Is that...?
The lights flickered in a way that reminded Thomas of those haunted houses he would go into as a little kid. It was unsettling then and it was still unsettling now. He shielded his eyes and tried to get a better grip on what he was feeling.
Naxell: Did you see that?
Melville-Kilpatrick: Yes, sir. Do you think it's...escalating?
Naxell: Response
Melville-Kilpatrick: You know, responding to what we're doing to it...or maybe what the others are doing to those filaments?
It seemed impossible that there was no connection at all, but it could be coincidental. Yeah, right.
Naxell: Response
Melville-Kilpatrick: Well, if we know that the sound affects it, maybe the frequency of the scanner is doing something to it.
Naxell: Response
TAG/TBC