Karrod Niac
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to USS Ronin – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
((OOC: Reposting to pick up Wren's tags that came in while I was working on this, bingo square for me))
((Dinghy Kepler, Ross-580 System))
Kel: That's enough bickering. Dr. La Croix monitor the environmental systems make sure the cabin is free of radiation.
Incensed that she'd been reduced to duties befitting a third rate line of code in the computer system, Thessolonia heroically tapped three separate controls and looked at several bar graphs. The colors of the UI were drab, the data inefficiently laid out, and the specificity of it was like trying to use binoculars when one needed an positron nanoscope...but she was reasonably confident they wouldn't all bake alive in the next few minutes.
O’Connor: Hey, Kepler doesn’t like it when you ‘dis him. Just hold on everyone, we seem to be experiencing some slight turbulence.
Wren: ::strained:: We’ve lost partial thrust from our engine, we’re going to start listing to the side. I can try and go fix it ::grabbing her kit::, but it might take a minute, I'll have a better idea of what we're dealing with if I go look at the engine itself.
Kessler: ::looking to Kel:: Gamma rays will play havoc with shields, but not as fast as they are with the modifications I have made. Something else is draining the shields other than the gamma rays.
Shortrith: The chronitons wouldn't do this, would they?
Wren: ::slipping out of her seat to kneel onto the floor:: Sorry, move, please, I need to get to that access panel. I’m checking to see if the second engine is damaged, or just offline. ::To De La Croix:: You too.
Kel: ::to Shortrith:: They shouldn't, but we can't rule out the possibility that they are somehow accelerating the deterioration.
Lips pinched as she stepped aside, Thess looked towards the eager little Ensign and offered her most sound engineering advice.
De La Croix: Perhaps try using the big spanner dear, I can't imagine there's anything delicate down there. Just bash away till this leaky rowboat starts moving again.
Wren: We’re sending power to both engines, I think one isn’t receiving. ::climbing onto one of the empty seats:: Sorry, I need room again ::popping open a wall-hatch:: Something must have damaged the engine’s receivers, if I can-
Kel: Do what you need to ensign. The rest of us are happy to help.
She looked towards the Trilldorian man with no lack of bemusement.
De La Croix: A bit presumptuous but I suppose if it keeps us alive...
She shrugged and walked towards the replicator, knowing full well whatever it produced would be lackluster. On her way past she casually ran a single finger along the superior helix of the little Ferengi who'd been wisely fawning over her since she'd stepped aboard.
He could make a useful gofer if they lived through this.
Shortrith: Response
O’Connor: Look your highness. We’re almost stopped anyway. I could always let you out if you’d li..
Whatever pitiful pith their Orion chauffeur had been concocting died on his lips as an object all but sprang into being directly in their path. Thessolonia briefly forgot about her biscotti and glanced around, wondering which of them had missed this obvious obstacle.
O’Connor: Whoah. Where did that come from?
Kessler: Scanning. ::beat:: The hull is composed of a number of different known materials and a handful I cannot identify. ::double beat:: Life signs Commander but they are not stable. Sensors cannot get a definitive lock.
Thess returned to her station, perching over the small Ensign like an osprey preparing to swoop down on an unsuspecting trout, and tapped at the controls once again. At least this time there was something vaguely interesting, if nonsensical, for her to look at.
Shortrith: My sensors can't get anything either.
Wren: It must have come out of the eddy, like the Kurosawa. ::reaching her arm into the hatch as far as it will go:: Poagie, I would love it if you could come here a second and hold this open.
Kel: I'm not so sure ensign. I think it may have come from deeper in the system.
Thess tapped at the controls, irritated by their lack of refinement and precision but eventually finding what she needed.
De La Croix: I believe you're right...there's a great deal of chronometric particle shear permeating the...that...::Thess gestured::...whatever it is. It's rare but typically it is seen in cases where there is a great deal of exposure to unstable temporal anomalies. Division 14 deals with a few of these a year...if organic matter is involved, usually with sponges and mops.
O’Connor: Ok then I guess, “When” did that come from?
Wren: ::pulling her head back out:: The engine on this side has had its connection to its main power coil severed. It’s corroded completely. ::dropping back into her chair, leaving Poagie standing where she left him:: I can lower the emission of the working engine to stop us from going in a circle at least. We should be evening out now.
Thess offered the Ensign the smallest affirmative hrm, glad to finally find someone who seemed to know their job...even if it was a bit menial.
Kessler: ::turning to Kel:: Sir, we're moving. Sensors show we are closing on the object at 50 KPH. Shields are still draining, slowly but draining. Down to 68 percent now and phaser power has reduced 9 percent.
Shortrith: How's everyone faring?
Kel: Good here. Can we get a better read on the life forms in ::pause, nodding toward the wreckage:: that?
Thess shook her head as the computer rejected yet another perfectly reasonable request to increase sensor resolution to five hundred percent of its rated maximum.
De La Croix: Not with this equipment. I'm half surprised these sensors see it at all. Considering the level of particle decay we can detect I cannot imagine a vessel remaining intact very long, to say nothing of a living being aboard one.
Kessler: Shields down another 11 percent Commander.
V'Len was going to need to pull them out. Much as he wanted to help he could not further risk the shuttle crew given the conditions.
Wren: I’m not picking up any specific emitter, I’m sending out a hail with a universal greeting on all frequencies on the off-chance it’s a ship. oO I don’t even know if they can hear me. Oo ::suddenly remembering:: Poagie.
Wren: Forgive me, Poagie ::pushing him into the hatch, before yelling:: Stay down there until it stops!!
Thess's assessment of the Ensign moved up another small notch as she shoved the tiny Ferengi under the floor and locked the hatch above his head.
Kel: Jack, can we rotate shield harmonics. Could that help protect us from the radiation?
Thess spoke very slowly to make sure her complex idea was understood by all involved.
De La Croix: I hate to repeat myself but perhaps we could simply...back away now that Ensign Wrench here has repaired the sails or whatever it is they've done. Even if there is someone still alive aboard that craft we're in no position to render meaningful aid.
O'Connor: Response
Kessler: ::fingers jumping across the console:: Rotating shield harmonics but it does not seem to be helping Commander.
Kel: Keep trying. Maybe increase the deflector output?
Cabin environmental alarms began chiming as radiation levels spiked, passed through the shielding like they didn't even exist.
De La Croix: I must insist we depart with all due speed, conditions are becoming quite hazardous...
O'Connor: Response
Shortrith: It doesn't look like he's bleeding, thankfully. However, the area is most likely going to bruise at least.
Kel: Dr. La Croix, Hyronalyn all around if you please
She stood and moved towards her discarded medical kit, finding the relevant hypo and administering the first dose to herself.
De La Croix: Of course, Captain, of course, perhaps after I'm done you'd like me to serve a round of gimlets as well?
Thess began moving to each crewman, quietly wondering how long it had been since she'd needed to use a hypo instead of simply having a technician or some other, lesser Doctor do it for her.
O'Connor: Response
Shortrith: Can someone pass me my tricorder? I just want to scan him to ensure everything inside is okay.
Wren: Here ::holding it out to them:: Sir, our shield is down to six percent, but the noise and lightshow seems to have stopped. No answer to the hail, though…
Kel: Thank goodness for small blessings. Ian route power to the transporters.
Thess looked up from the Orion, nearly hypoing him right in the ear.
De La Croix: Transporters? Through that maelstrom of particle instability? If you're trying to kill whatever is aboard that ship I'm sure there's an easier way.
O'Connor: Response
Shortrith: ::accepting the tricorder:: Cheers.
Thess walked aft to their commanding officer and pressed the hypo against his neck, silently glad she'd gotten a few practice jabs in on the rest of the crew first.
Kel: ::hapily:: Thank you Dr. La Croix. Ensign Wren can we get a lock on those life forms.
De La Croix: Of course Captain...now if you'd like one of those gimlets you'd just have to show me where the gin is kept aboard this little vessel. Or I suppose vodka would suffice...we are roughing it, after all. Perhaps that little Ferengi could dig it out for us...if someone bothers to let him out of the floor that is.
O'Connor: Response
Wren: I'm doing preliminary scans on the object. As far as the computer can tell, it is a ship, but like everything else, the information is jumbled up.
Thess sighed theatrically at the lack of a refreshing beverage and returned to her little terminal for all the good it would do.
De La Croix: I'm no engineer...thankfully...but I have plenty of experience with experiments that have had...less than ideal outcomes. In my opinion we're looking at some sort of test...and I'm guessing it was a failure. Unless someone around here is trying to invent a new and, admittedly, creative way to die of radiation poisoning.
Shortrith/O'Connor: Response
Wren: Flight controls have been locked to autopilot, but we're not going anywhere yet. Dr. De La Croix, is Poagie okay?
Thess looked to the engineer and without breaking eye contact, nudged the insensate ferengi on the floor with the toe of her riding boot. She received a small whimper in reply.
De La Croix: Seems fine to me dear. Aural overload...quite debilitating for those with overdeveloped lobes. I suspect they'll be up and around...with a sizable headache...in a few minutes.
Kel: Come on. Come on.
Thess stood and returned to the rear bay but kept herself far enough from the transporter pad to avoid soiling her boots should her fears about the ambient radiation prove true. The last thing she wanted was to get viscera on the supple leather.
De La Croix: Perhaps we should put up some sort of containment field...you know, for...the safety of the crew.
oO And my footwear. Oo
Shortrith/O'Connor: Response
The oddest pair of aliens Thessolonia could imagine emerged from the transporter beam and, to her further surprise, didn't explode, dissolve or burst in a puff of dynamically distributed bodily fluids.
Kzinti: We did not need help. ::coughing eratically::
Wren: well then why are you here??
Kel: Indeed what are you doing in this system.
Thess retrieved a nearby medical tricorder and began scanning, wishing she had something better to work with than Starfleet's famed multi-tool which was capable of many things but not particularly great at any one of them.
Suliban: There was ::panting:: an accident.
Thess sniffed in prideful acknowledgment.
De La Croix: A failed experiment...who could've possibly suspected such a thing....
Shortrith/O'Connor: Response
To his credit their Captain kept trying to gather pertinent information while Thess's tricorder struggled to make sense of the erratic bioreadings.
Kel: What kind of vessel is this?
De La Croix: And what sort of accident? Our ability to treat you may depend entirely on your answers.
Wren/Shortrith/O'Connor: Response
Suliban: ::panting:: Not a vessel. ::throwing up:: It's the lid.
Thess glanced down at the mess now splattered across her formerly pristine boots and sighed in annoyance.
Kel: Dr. Shortirth, see what you can do for him. O'Connor get us back to the Ronin.
De La Croix: I suppose I'll check on our...other patients. Hopefully the tricorder will be a bit less disagreeable with those two.
Wren: Both engines are receiving now, we should be good to go as long as we don’t push them too hard.
Shortrith/O'Connor: Response
Thess passed the sensor wand of the medical tricorder over both men and was glad to finally receive some data that didn't appear distorted or corrupted. She reached into the medical case, reloaded the hypo, and pressed it to the neck of both men in succession.
Kel: Well? How are Kessler and Poagie?
Wren: Holding steady. oO I hope there isn’t lasting damage…. Poagie looks like he’s coming around again, but Kessler’s been out for a while. Oo ::looking at the Suliban:: oO Hopefully our guests will know a little more about what’s happening. Oo We’re approaching the Ronin now, sir. I’ve sent them an update on our situation, do we need to warp them directly to sickbay?
De La Croix: Mr. Kessler seems to be particularly sensitive to radiation exposure...I'd like to run some followup scans once we're back aboard the ship just to be certain there's no long term mitochondrial damage. It is the warp core of the cell, of course.
Thess gestured towards the Ferengi.
De La Croix: This one shouldn't suffer any permanent hearing damage...in no small part due to the Ensign's quick thinking. ::She nodded magnanimously towards Wren:: You should shove people into things more often Ensign, it's clearly working for you. Regardless...they'll be up and around before we get back to the Ronin. They'll just be a bit sensitive to noise for the next few days.
Shortrith/Kessler/O'Connor/Kel: Response
Wren: I’ll let them know…. That’s strange… It’s still a little fuzzy, and I can’t glean any details, but the mood on the ship seems to have changed. It feels lighter than before.
Shortrith/Kessler/O'Connor/Kel: Response
Thess stood and returned to her uncomfortable seat.
De La Croix: As you wish. I'll make sure all the data I've gathered is properly sorted and organized before sending it along. It's a dreadful jumble right now. I assume those gimlets are still out of the question? Pity.
She clapped her hands and sighed before she began tapping away.
De La Croix: Well, wasn't that just bracing! I must admit to finding this all quite invigorating. ::She glanced down at her boots:: Well, mostly invigorating. Does anyone happen to know a good cobbler in this sector? I find myself in need of one.
Wren: =/\= Kepler to Ronin, we’re docking now. We need an emergency medical transport for three to sickbay, expect a new guest. =/\=
Shortrith/Kessler/O'Connor/Kel: Response
Thess laughed to herself as she set the computer to sorting through the mountain of data they'd managed to collect, trying valiantly not to notice the smell now coming from her ruined boots.
oO Ah well, they were last season anyway. Oo
[Tags/End Scene for DLC!]
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Doctor Thessolonia Samantha de la Croix, MD, PHD, FASFS
Duchess of Saint-Malo
Chief Surgeon of a rusted out hovel
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