Ensign Jino Esot - Not just *any* Gateway...
Quentin Beck
((Habitat Dome “The Hab”, Moon Sigma, Ross 580 System))
Esot: I will need to step back a few steps in the process here while Aduko works on the system restore. Most of this will be wiped out, but I should be able to stash some of this work in a small section of memory and pull it back in after.
Aduko: ::Tapping away at the console.:: I do have authority to find and check out the files for the cooling system. I'm hoping that the reactor will accept a remote file integration…
Considering the roadblocks she had encountered so far, Jino was skeptical he would be successful where she had not.
Kel: Is there a manual override? Commander Tucker's team is nearby I could send them to get the generator going.
Jino looked to Aduko, though he was too focused to notice.
Esot: You'll know better than me, but looking at the schematics, I believe so. They would be able to determine if and where a physical disconnect is located, fix it, and establish the connection with the cooling unit without most of the work I have to do to complete it remotely.
Aduko: We will, unfortunately, need to do that. I was able to pull the correct backup, and it's checksum is showing green...no corruption. But...the reactor still won't accept a remote connection.
As she expected. He turned to face them again, looking distraught.
Aduko: Your team by the reactor will need to manually reset the cooling system. Once it comes back online, it will accept the queued file update and then... ::He turned to the Cardassian.:: What was your name again?
She had, in fact, not introduced herself on their arrival. Kel moved to a different terminal, obviously trying to keep himself busy while also out of the way, and she looked up curiously when he spoke - plus, it was a good excuse not to answer Aduko just yet.
Kel: So this ring that acts as the aperture, is it safe to assume it's some kind of particle accelerator?
Esot: ::brows raising:: That's what it looks like from here - it seems to resemble a collider, though at a scale much smaller than I've ever seen. It almost looks like a… gateway.
Aduko: One thing at a time, Captain, please. ::He said neutrally, noticing what nosy Antennae had found.:: Call your other team, tell them we need to reset the reactor's cooling system. It's down on the lower level, by the pit. ::He frowned.:: Tell them to be careful. It's not going to be pleasant down there.
Jino studied the Orion curiously. While he was not particularly forthcoming to start, he had not been nearly so cagey as the Romulan commander, at least until this moment. What exactly was that gateway?
Kel: I'll send if I have to, but I want to make sure there are no other options.
The Captain let out a long sigh; Jino could empathize. This situation was getting odder and odder by the moment.
Kel: And I want an egress route for them. I'll look for a place to get a shuttle down there.
She finished rolling back her work and storing it in the computer's memory.
Esot: I have completed my work - if you have finished packaging the system restore, we should push it to the system now.
Aduko: It's ready to send. Your program to sync up the reactor's cooling system with the powerplants should buy us a lot of time. ::He smiled.:: You know, we're hiring. Would you consider a cycle's contract as a subroutine author?
The Cardassian could tell his attempt at flattery regarding her program was genuine, despite his sarcasm; Kel's response was measured and a welcome excuse to again ignore what Aduko had asked.
Kel: I think you'll find the Federation's benefits package better Ensign ::looking at the display:: Could we get a small shuttle down here?
Her eyes were drawn to the aperture and her head tilted again. She watched Aduko out of the corner of her eye, who turned his back to them, which she found intensely curious.
Esot: Are chronitons used in that ring, Aduko? If so, perhaps that is the source of the particles that are manipulating the Sencha waves.
Aduko: Ah. Yes. ::He took a beat, considering what to share, and turned back towards the Starfleet officers.:: That, not the reactor itself, is the most advanced research piece this station has ever produced on-site. We, not the Lattice Alliance, developed it to...forge the link between this station and the alternate-universe Ross 580.
The surprise on Jino's face was evident; her eyes grew wide, mouth forming a soft little 'o' as she blinked a few times, studying him for a moment before looking again at the gateway. A literal gateway, it seemed.
Aduko: The system update is out, confirmed sent. Now we wait. When will your security detail return?
Kel: When they've dealt with the Tholian situation.
She did not take the bait, intent instead on squeezing out as much information as she could about the device.
Esot: I can only imagine the power requirements to maintain the connection between the gateway here and in the alternate Ross 580.
Aduko: ::He sighed.:: The gateway won't function without the Sencha reactor. Without its unique power signature, we couldn't generate the chronitons required to sustain such a...portal.
Kel: How do we shut it down?
That explained a lot. The chronometric storm they had encountered, the gravimetric interference, the anomaly that had formed that allowed the alternate yacht to enter their space to begin with… it all came back to this gateway. It was not the first time she had heard of some… independent scientists developing that type of hardware, but generally speaking, whatever they accomplished tended to be far less dangerous than this. She could admit an interest in the subject matter, and she was quite curious to study the gateway itself much more closely to see if she could understand exactly how it formed the link between universes, but she also knew there was simply no time for it.
Esot: ::to Kel:: I think that would be extraordinarily dangerous, sir. We've already seen that it affects our universe in unexpected ways - simply shutting it off could have lasting effects that might cause more damage in the long run. ::a beat:: That isn't to say we couldn't taper it down to start. Once it was more under control, it would be easier to shut it down completely.
Aduko: It would all be...for nothing! The lives lost, the time spent here working under their crystalline thumbs... ::He practically snarled, at that, and took a moment to cool down.:: Of course we knew...they would weaponize it. But what choice did we have, hm? Sound the alarm, tell the galactic community that they need to step in? If the Federation, the Klingons, ANYONE came here to save the day...they would just take the research for themselves!
Jino clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth, her lips forming a thin line; while she could understand not wanting just anyone to get their hands on such technology, she also found it incredibly short-sighted to do the work and then assume no one would find out about it. Kel's eyes narrowed.
Kel: Believe me when I say we have no interesting in taking this research. My only interest is to stop it, permanently.
Esot: While I can appreciate the potentially endless possibilities this kind of technology offers, Captain Kel is correct - in its current state, it is far too dangerous and needs to be dealt with as quickly as possible.
V'Len's comm badge chirped and he stepped back slightly.
Morgan: =/\= Morgan to Kel, we’ve encountered more than one problem. I’m shutting down the power transfer now; otherwise, the feedback will overload several Ronin systems. =/\=
Jino frowned at that, though she wasn't surprised; the Ronin had already been taking on a heavy load, and the longer it continued, the more feedback would pump through the system.
Kel: =/\= Lieutenant, that could cause us to lose containment down here. =/\=
Morgan: =/\= I know, sir. I don’t have any other choice. If I had other options, I would have brought those up first. =/\=
Kel: =/\= Do what you have to do to keep the ship intact. We'll see what we can do down here. =/\= ::turning to Akudo and Esot:: They can't maintain the power transfer.
Morgan: =/\= Aye, sir. Shutting it down.=/\=
Jino turned her attention back to the console, making a few adjustments before beginning the arduous process of isolating the dome's systems so the power transfer could be fully released.
Esot: Assuming we can get the auxiliary cooling systems up and running, we shouldn't need the power transfer anymore, anyway. It's going to cut down on exactly how long we have to complete the job, but we won't be in any immediate danger for the time being.
Aduko: Response
The channel remained open and there soon came odd sounds from the Ronin's side of the conversation. Jino studied the monitor for the power transfer and winced when she saw the spike of energy.
Kel: ::worried:: =/\= Lt. Morgan? Report. =/\=
Morgan: =/\= I didn’t get it shut down in time. We didn’t take the full brunt of that, but we still got knocked around a bit. I’ll have to get back to you, Skipper. Several systems are cooked; I’ll know more in a few minutes. Morgan out… =/\=
Kel: ::relieved:: =/\= Keep me apprised. =/\=
Dohna: =/\= Captain, there's another problem. One of our probes is detecting… =/\=
The channel closed before Dohna could provide the problem. Jino wasn't sure there was much they could do about whatever it was, stuck as they were on the surface.
Kel: What now? Without containment, the power will surge again. We need that coolant or we need an off switch.
Esot: Our best solution remains getting the cooling systems back up and running ourselves - even if that means sending our Engineers into the 'pit', as Aduko called it. I am… fairly confident there is no 'off' switch, not with the power fluctuating the way it is.
Aduko: Response
Kel began to pace again, raising a hand to rub his temples in response to his combadge chirping.
Kel: =/\= Go. =/\=
Vomek: =/\= Sir, Major Singh is ::beat:: upset. She wants you and Commander Tucker back on the ship or she'll come bring you back herself. =/\=
There was a momentary pause as Kel took that in. Jino tipped her head a little, always curious how a commander felt in a moment like that.
Vomek: =/\= Oh, and sir, there's also an unknown vessel entering the system. =/\=
Kel: =/\= I think you buried the lead lieutenant. Stand by I'll be back shortly. =/\=
Esot: There isn't much else I can do from here that I can't do elsewhere. But we really need someone to reset that cooling system - I would suggest we do it ourselves, but I am not confident there would be enough time for us to travel there while still having enough time to perform the actual reset.
Aduko/Kel: Response
She nodded thoughtfully, looking from Aduko to Kel.
Esot: The cooling system is the last step, apart from disconnecting the old version so the reactor doesn't keep dumping in waste. Assuming they can perform the fix up close, I believe I can handle everything else via remote, probably from a shuttle.
Aduko/Kel: Response
She looked at the Orion for a moment before smiling wanly.
Esot: Ensign Jino Esot. Conjure by it at your own risk.
Aduko/Kel: Response
[Tags/TBC!]
Ensign Jino Esot (PNPC)
Assistant Operations Manager
USS Ronin NCC-34523
A238810SA0
As written by Quentin Beck