LtCmdr Connor Dewitt - Crystalline Intrusion (Part II)

[Tim]

((Tiny Timeskip, Bridge, USS Khitomer))

Connor stood off to one side of the bridge now, deliberately keeping distance while trying to maintain the full view.

Morda: Remember: tread carefully. Monitor yourself as you get closer. The filaments you see aren’t what sliced us up in the Jefferies tube -- if they’re here, you won’t see them.

Connor watched as the medical team approached the injured crewman, noting their caution. Good. Morda’s news on the other hand was not.

Valeris: So, uh…::gesturing towards the ball:: What’s that?

Stros: A question we are currently attempting to answer.

The first officer stepped slightly closer.

C. Dewitt: So far? It has integrated itself into the bridge structure without triggering any further hull breach alarms. ::beat:: Which means it either bypassed our systems or it’s using them… Or it does not spread further.

Korras: Response

Valeris: ::Shrugging:: ****Alright. Where do you need me?

Stros: We need to make sure that this…anomaly isn’t attempting to cause further damage to the vessel or our systems.

Connor nodded once.

C. Dewitt: Secure essential systems first. Propulsion, life support and sensors are priority one. Then defensive tactical systems.

Korras: Response

C. Dewitt: ::nodding:: If this thing is interfacing with the ship, we cut off anything critical before it can exploit it.

Commander Valeris moved closer to one of the filaments examining it.

Valeris: Almost looks Lattice to me. ::Ducking under it to the other side:: What does it do when you touch it?

Korras: Response

Connor’s head turned sharply.

C. Dewitt: Don’t…

But it was too late. The commander plucked the filament. The low tone that resonated through the bridge made Connor’s stomach tighten slightly.

Valeris: If anything, we might be able to use it to make some music.

Morda: Commander -- that thick one has some awfully thinner cousins that’ll slice right through the atomic bonds of your person. I advice caution the closer you are to that thing.l

Connor exhaled slowly, stepping forward just enough to regain control of the moment.

C. Dewitt: You heard the man, no more touching.

Korras: Response

The first officer turned slightly toward Morda.

C. Dewitt: Can you detect those thinner filaments? Any way to make them visible?

Morda: Response

Connor nodded as he looked towards the structure again.

C. Dewitt: If you have any ideas for a local or ship-wide solution, please start working on it.

Morda: Response

C. Dewitt: I’ll assist you shortly! ::pause:: These thicker strands… Are they structural or functional? ::stepping a little closer:: Data conduits? Antennae? Some kind of interface?

Morda/Valeris/Korras: Response

C. Dewitt: We need to understand their purpose. And we need to know how we can remove them. Or will beaming them out make it worse? ::looking to Valeris:: When you secured our systems, start working on that, Commander. Lieutenant Korras will assist. Maybe earlier scans from the Lattice Alliance ship can help. They might have suffered from the end stadium of what we are looking at.

Morda/Valeris/Korras: Response

TAG/TBC

LtCmdr Connor Dewitt
First Officer
USS Khitomer
A239901CD3