Lt Cmdr Quentin Beck - We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
Quentin Beck
((Conference Room, Deck 03, USS Ronin))
Beck: I mean, what if this thing has the same capabilities of a planet killer? What if, by contacting it and making it aware that the ants are studying it, it decides it doesn't like that very much and we become barbequed Roninites?
That seemed to strike a chord with at least one of their guests, though it was hard to tell, as both were fairly stonefaced.
Tucker: I’d like to hear more from our Mission Specialists, what’s your thoughts on a possibly armed and maybe hostel entity?
That was, more or less, part of Quentin's question, and he appreciated Tucker laying it out. He longed for another donut - less because he was hungry and more because it would provide some necessary cortisol relief.
Raga: I refer to my previous comment about the Ronin being rugged. Including the Khitomer, we’re the most powerful starship that Starfleet has in the Isles at the moment. Which stands to reason that’s part of the reason we were sent on this mission. If we piss it off, I imagine the reasoning is that we have a better chance of surviving any violence it might unleash.
Kessler: I have a few tricks up my sleeve Commander. The Ronin is ready defensively if needed.
That didn't really make him feel any better… but he appreciated the sentiment, anyway.
Niac: I sincerely hope that won't be necessary Mr. Kessler but I appreciate the ship being as prepared as possible. If we cannot study this creature safely I have no intention of picking a fight with it and I'm more than happy to let it continue on its way. If it's tough enough or ill tempered enough to seriously threaten the Ronin then I doubt the Alliance or the Consortium would be willing or capable of fielding enough of a force to endanger it.
Kel: The Alliance and the Consortium might be more willing to apply aggressive force.
He nodded his agreement, frowning as he considered the Tholian doctor who had sought asylum following the destruction of Grus Beta 3.
Beck: V't'r'us B'ek is a perfect example of that - and I assume he wasn't their only mad scientist, willing to do whatever it took to complete his work.
Velis: Response
Marty, bless his heart, looked like a fish out of water.
Tucker: So what do we know for sure?
Raga: The urgency of this, the secrecy, and the location. Is Command concerned this creature is endangered and in need of protection, or do they think it might not be natural?
Quentin frowned. That was perhaps the most important question, and he was of the opinion they wouldn't be able to make an educated decision without a lot more clarification. So far, he hadn't been impressed by the guest officers, but perhaps they had more to offer than they had shown up to then.
Kessler: We know very little but when does that stop a Starfleet crew from completing their mission? ::looking at Niac:: My departments are ready for whatever you need Captain.
Niac: I appreciate that...but lets get back to the matter at hand. We've spent a lot of time discussing what we don't know...a truly vast amount, as it turns out. Yet Starfleet sent you two all the way out here just to tell us what they could've covered in a five line subspace message? I don't accept that Lieutenants. Do better or I'm calling this little errand off.
Beck: Agreed. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good mystery, but I don't really like having to figure one out while blind, deaf, and dumb.
Velis: Response
Tucker: Well, the Engineering department is more than willing to lend a hand. I’m sure we could come up with something.
Raga looked over at him and Kel.
Raga: You voiced concern about whether it has planet killer capabilities. There was at least one other entity that was sentient but not entirely part of the natural order. Do you remember reading about Gomtuu at the Academy? Not a planet killer but it was alive, sentient, powerful, and artificial. ::to V squared:: We’re supposed to confirm if it’s artificial or not, yes? What are our orders if it turns out to be just a giant space whale? Go home? Or does the mission become one of conservation?
Quentin's lips formed a thin line as Raga went on, though he found himself nodding slowly in agreement at what questions were being asked.
Kessler: I remember that class well Commander. ::staring at their guests:: As I recall, the Romulans lost a D'Deridex warbird and her entire complement during that encounter.
Niac: And a Galaxy class vessel was badly damaged...and they weren't even the target of that particular attack. Our ship may be robust but it has lasted this long because we tend to avoid taking foolish risks...when we can.
Kel: With all due respect if this was a planet killer I think we'd know by the missing planets. ::beat:: Gomtuu offered a unique situation, but I'd like to think we can use it as a learning experience to make this contact easier.
The corner of his mouth twitched with amusement; Kel was right, of course, though considering they were heading to a patch of space they were somewhat less familiar with, it was entirely possible there would be missing planets they hadn't yet discovered as missing. Still… that was assuming. And there was a saying about making assumptions.
Tucker: No matter how you slice it, first contact is going to be touchy at the best. It’s not like we know if it can talk or not. Or do we?
Beck: ::shaking his head:: The best we can provide is conjecture, and even that is anyone's guess.
Velis: Response
As much fun as it would be to try to guess what they were walking into, the Doctor didn't feel particularly comfortable playing that game; there would be no real way to prepare ahead of time, and who knew exactly how long they would have to react to whatever the ship threw at them when they arrived? Odds were good they would have to make use of Ward D in that situation.
Raga: We don't know enough at this point. I think our first priority should be to get to the creature, at a safe distance and find out just how 'very large' it happens to be. Then go from there. Normally I'd recommend sending a shuttle to scout ahead, but with the uncertainty of its size and temperament I'm hesitant to send out what might be seen as food if it's big enough. How long until we arrive at its last known location?
Kessler: ::looking to the wall display:: ETA to intercept is three hours nineteen minutes Commander.
Kessler looked at Raga, then at their guests.
Three hours wasn't very long.
Kessler: Given your previous attempts at this failed, I am sure all related data will be made available to our mission? No redactions?
Venn: I cannot speak to the information Lieutenant Velis will be providing. However, as you’ve no doubt surmised, I was - until this operation - assigned to Starfleet Intelligence as an analyst. I’ve studied these cosmozoans, although I am sure my interest does not match that of the Doctor. I’ve prepared a full briefing of why I am here, if I may? No redactions. At least, none that I am aware of.
Quentin let out a muffled snort of disbelief.
Niac: By all means Lieutenant. I'm sure everyone here is all ears.
He let his eyes drop to the table for a moment, brow arching as his gaze was drawn to Kel's padd - the CSO had been doodling during the conversation, drawing tiny little fish on the screen, each with surprising detail for such a small canvas. Smiling slightly, he looked back up to the main viewer, waiting for Venn to start her presentation.
Tucker: Time to lay it down Lieutenant..
Velis/Raga: Response
As Venn rose to approach the main display, the image flickered to scroll through a list of some sort, though it scrolled too fast for Quentin to read.
Venn: First, just to give a perspective on the size, since there seems to be some conjecture, here’s what long-range scans have been able to deduce.
He squinted a little after she flipped to the first image, frowning. His eyesight was pretty good and that was about the damned blurriest image he'd ever seen in his life. And, almost certainly, the largest thing he'd ever seen that hadn't been a giant floating rock. The shape was almost like a… whale? It was too hard to tell.
Venn: This image is not clear because our sensors were so far away that was the best resolution they could get. Given the impressive range of our sensors, that should help give you an indication of just how large this thing is. This is in addition to the fact that, as Lieutenant Veris has mentioned, it’s hard to get sensor readings in the first place.
Quentin whistled in surprise.
Venn: As I am sure the doctor can confirm, there have been a few different kinds of cosmozoans spotted over the years. One of the first was encountered by the USS Enterprise under the command of James T. Kirk.
The image swapped to what he could only describe as a nebula-sized eukaryote. The Doctor was more than a little familiar with that particular mission - he had, in fact, a holoprogram that followed the events of that mission very closely. They were just a little dramatized to make things more interesting, but all of the important beats were the same. Certainly a lot less dry than the Academy courses about the incident.
Venn: In that incident, an entire crew of Vulcans was killed by a very large space amoeba. The crew of the Enterprise narrowly escaped, but only as a result of having to destroy the amoeba.
She paused to look at the people in the room, as if measuring their reactions.
Venn: Please note that Captain Kirk considered destroying the creature a viable option to preserving the life of his crew.
His brow arched a little at that particular note; while hardly a smoking gun, it certainly gave him an idea what her agenda seemed to be.
Venn: And then there is the planetkiller, as was already mentioned. Not necessarily a living organism that we can tell, but equally a threat. Please note that Captain Kirk and even Commodore Decker determined its destruction was necessary.
Another mission he'd dramatized on the holodeck, though that one was certainly more harrowing and offered little chance to make other choices. With the protozoan, there had at least been more wiggle room with how to respond, as the creature behaved in a manner quite similar to that of its microscopic cousins. The planetkiller, though… it was fully focused on following its programming, a computer through and through. While he suspected it would be possible to hack into it and even reprogram it, there simply wasn't the time to do so, nor was the Enterprise equipped with advanced enough technology to manage it.
Yeah, she was mentioning these things on purpose. Niac seemed to agree with him.
Niac: Beyond the size of this creature...does Starfleet have a reason to believe it represents a threat of that ::He nodded gravely towards the monitor::...scale?
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Kel looking at the Captain with a furrowed brow.
Kel: ::forcefully:: The Planet Killer was a machine not a living creature and again I would state that if we had such a construct in the Alpha Isles we would know about it by the destruction in its wake.
Tucker: Wait, so could this thing actually eat a planet, or are these just comparisons?
Quentin drummed his fingers on the table.
Beck: I believe the Lieutenant is trying to prepare us to potentially make a very tough decision, as this thing may be alive - but until we get the chance to interact with it, we won't have any real idea. As far as we know, it could be just like the planetkiller - its brain a computer that is only equipped to follow whatever programming it was given. Can't really say at the moment if we would be violating our oath as Doctors or if we would just be detaching a CPU from a motherboard.
Raga/Kessler/Velis: Responses
Kel shook his head, not looking convinced. Quentin couldn't blame him, but it seemed a mistake to jump to any conclusions at this point.
Venn: I am only pointing these out, because as some have mentioned, towing this thing is going to be impossible. And if it truly is a threat, we may have no other option. Considering that one of the main purposes of Starfleet is to seek out new life, destroying it when we find it almost seems anathema to us. However, sometimes it just becomes necessary as the crew of the Enterprise found. Now,I have more examples where a less fatal option was found. Shall I continue?
That was what he had gleaned from her presentation, and it almost sounded reasonable when she put it that way. Like Kel, though, Quentin wasn't convinced there would be no alternatives available. Niac seemed to agree with his huff.
Niac: Very well Lieutenant...continue. I think you've got our full attention.
Raga: Response
The Doctor remained silent, at least for the time being, as Venn continued her presentation. He recognized the next image immediately - it was one of the more recent lessons at the Academy regarding the giant life forms.
Venn: Gomtuu. Commander Raga has already mentioned this one as well, and as the Chief of Security has pointed out, it destroyed a Romulan Warbird.
The next set of images showed the Warbird's destruction, which was quite the show. If she intended it to scare them into agreeing with her, though, it wasn't convincing enough - and Niac voiced why.
Niac: As I recall the only reason they made it through that particular encounter was due to the involvement of a civilian diplomat who made...contact with the creature somehow. The mission reports I read were never particularly clear on that point but I believe telepathy was involved. Mr. Kel, Lt. Velis...fill in some blanks here if you could.
Kel: Indeed there was an intelligence there, and contact was made by a Betazoid via telepathy. Many of the "complications" of that mission could be attributed to the hostilities between the Romulans and the Federation.
He turned a little to look at Marty when the Engineer more or less scoffed, a tiny smile touching his lips.
Tucker: ::under his breath:: Freakin’ Romulans, bullies, the lot of them.
Beck: Some would argue they got what was coming to them. I am hardly surprised the Enterprise managed to make it out, though - they were plenty resourceful, and Picard was known for taking measured steps.
Raga/Kessler/Velis: Responses
Venn: It is true that this ended well for our people, but the Romulans didn’t fare so well. And that is a nice segue into the other possible threat here. The Lattice Alliance and the Consortium. Take the incident with Gomtuu. Why were the Romulans there in the first place? Because they saw the opportunity to secure a weapon. Oh, they claimed interest in First Contact, but have no doubt that they were seeking an edge against us. Do any of you have any doubts that the Lattice Alliance or the Consortium would see a similar opportunity here? There are a few more examples, like the Crystaline Entity, the Space Jellyfish encountered by the Cerritos, or even the creatures at Farpoint Station. I don’t think anyone here will argue that the Crystaline Entity was peaceful. The reality that this creature poses a risk exists, and if our enemies get ahold of it first, that risk increases exponentially. And that’s why I am here. Threat assessment. The final risk determination will be yours, of course, Captain Niac, but I’m tasked with bringing my expertise to advise on a course of action.
And there went the other shoe. While there had been much speculation that she was here regarding threat assessment as she continued, it was much different hearing it straight from her mouth. His first question would be why she was considered an expert on such things - she would need the pedigree to back it up - but it certainly left Kel feeling incensed, judging by his reaction.
Kel: ::angrily:: The crystalline entity acted purely on instinct, there was no malice. It's no different than me eating an apple and killing the bacteria on the surface. Starfleet was eventually able to communicate with the creature.
A tense silence settled over the room as the Captain stood to approach the display, flipping back to the very first image, only to scowl. Then he turned to look at each of them. Quentin held his breath.
Niac: Thank you Lieutenants...what your information lacks in depth it more than makes up for in grave implications. Something tells me we're all going to lose some sleep over this in the next few days...but I am determined not to become another statistic in the 'failed first contact' ledger. So here's what we're going to do. Lieutenant Velis...you're to work with Commander Kel. He's our Chief Science Officer and for the purposes of this mission you're to report to him. Get the science and medical teams together...I expect everybody who isn't already an expert in astrobiology to become one in...::he glanced at the chrono::...about three hours. Doctor Beck, if anyone from your team has relevant expertise I want them working with V'Len's people.
Beck: ::sighing:: Far as I know, that might only be me, but I'll poll my people. ::to Kel:: I'll send you a shortlist when I know better.
Velis: Response
Kel nodded.
Niac: Lt. Venn, you work for Lt. Kessler now. Mr. Kessler, I want your team to start developing tactical contingencies assuming the full spectrum of possible responses to our presence from 'big space fish wants a hug' to 'it just ate a nacelle and it still looks hungry.' Pull in Major Singh's people if it'll help...although I'm hesitant to even consider deploying our fighter craft in proximity to something like that. I want all the options you can give me before we try to make contact with the unknown creature. Understood?
He grimaced. Those fighters already looked like gnats compared to the Ronin, and something that large probably had some kind of gravity of its own - would it be enough to drag them down to crash into it?
Kessler/Venn: Responses
Niac looked back at the image and crossed his arms.
Niac: Mr. Tucker...get back down to your people, see if any of them have expertise in biomechanics. If we can study this thing we'll need to understand it in a biological and a mechanical sense. Guess which side of that coin you get to focus on while you're working to make the good ship Ronin look as nonthreatening and...unappetizing as possible. That just leaves us, Mr. Raga...and we get the fun job.
Tucker: Aye, Skipper, I’ll head down there now.
Tucker turned to leave even before the Captain dismissed them, and Quentin couldn't blame him. This was going to be a whale of a task, and Tucker had his work cut out for him.
Raga: Response
Niac: Well I've got a symbiote in my guts that won't shut up and you're telepathically bonded with an owl who you keep telling us is housebroken. I think we're about as close to first contact experts as we're likely to find in the next three hours...so lets setup shop in here and go over some of the mission reports from those other crews, see if we can figure out a way to avoid ending up in one of these slideshows some future crew is scowling at. Alright...questions?
Quentin managed not to snort at that, though he just shook his head as he pushed out of his chair and collected his padd.
Beck: No questions. At least… none that you can answer for me.
Any: Response
Karrod looked to each officer with renewed pride...even faced with something like this they seemed as eager and confident as ever. They trusted the ship and one another. He turned his attention towards their mission specialists and his expression grew grave.
Niac: Lt. Venn, Lt. Velis...for the duration of this mission you are a part of this crew and I will expect you to perform your duties with that in mind. There is a plaque on the bridge which bears the words 'for their tomorrows...we give our today.' It has become a rallying cry for this crew because that is our level of commitment...to one another, to the mission, and to the people we serve. I'll expect the same from you. If for one moment I feel like you're holding out on us, if you're withholding information or working with some agenda of your own, you'll spend the mission in your quarters or in the brig. Am I clear?
Venn/Velis: Response
Karrod glanced around the room once more and nodded.
Niac: Then get to work. Dismissed. We've got three hours to intercept and I intend to be ready.
Moving away from his chair, he dusted off some of the white powder from his chest and tucked the padd into one pocket. He lingered for a few moments just outside of the Conference Room, allowing those that wanted to use the Turbolift first to use it, then slipped inside and tapped his combadge as the doors closed.
Beck: =/\= Beck to all Medical department staff. Anybody with even a passing interest in Astrobiology, please meet me in the Xenobiology Lab in the next few minutes. I'll fill you in there. Beck out. =/\=
[End scene for Beck!]
Lieutenant Commander Quentin Beck, MD, FASFS
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ronin NCC-34523
A238810SA0