Flt. Capt. Karrod Niac - No Umbrellas In A Brainstorm (Pt2)

[Karrod Niac]

((Conference Room, Deck 03, USS Ronin))

Niac: Gentlemen, I appreciate your willingness to brainstorm with limited information but I've yet to be convinced as to either the urgency or the criticality of this mission.  So far all I've heard is that there's something big and maybe alive and we're heading towards it just as fast as our engines can go.  Oh and that it has resisted every attempt at investigation so far.  So, Lieutenants...what exactly is going on here?  

Venn: I’m not sure that would even be enough.

Velis: Response

Kel: The spaceborne life form the Starfleet has encountered communicate in a variety of ways. I'd suggest a long range scan of the creature's magnetic field and EM emissions. Maybe there's a way we can let it know we're not a threat.

Beck: That's assuming the thing would even notice us to begin with.

Tucker: ::looking at his former roommate:: I’m sure if you got out and waved your arms frantically, maybe it’d notice? In all seriousness, why would you want to get noticed by something that is, ::using air quotes:: “very large”.

Raga: I would assume it will. Based on the Lieutenant’s comment about none of the previous vessels being able to get close to it. Suggests either it has a natural hazardous defense to deter predators, or it actively deterred them. Is that likely?

Venn: Again, those details are uncertain. It’s definitely one of the things we’re being tasked to find out. But maybe Velis has more information than I do on the biology of the creature?

Niac: By all means Lieutenant, enlighten us.  Too many vague details make my beard itch.  

Velis: Response

Kel: ::looking at Velis:: Do you suppose it would respond to a standard hail?

Beck: That would depend greatly on whether this thing is alive or not. I find it hard to believe something this immense is alive, let alone sentient, but I'm sure people said the same thing about blue whales back on Earth a few centuries ago. Just because I'm having trouble conceiving of it doesn't make it impossible.

Tucker: If this thing is still alive, then what? It’s like the dog chasing the car, it finally caught the car, now it has no clue what it’s going to do with it. I mean, what is the ultimate goal here?

Venn: I believe Lieutenant Velis and I have two different purposes here, as we’ve mentioned. I’m here for threat assessment. Both if it’s threat to us, and the threat that the Lattice Alliance or the Consortium might utilize the creature against us. Considering the size of the creature, I don’t think moving it is going to be a viable option, but maybe that’s a call the Captain will need to make once we have more data.

Niac:  Assuming this thing doesn't try to blow us out of space or, I don't know...mate with us because it likes the color of the hull plates.  Although that would lead to a very interesting threat assessment...'not specifically hostile but problematically romantic.'  Lets put a pin in the 'what are we going to do about it' side of this discussion until we know a little bit more about what it is and if we can even get close enough to it to find out.  I assume standard reconnaissance with probes or small craft like runabouts is completely out of the question?  

Raga/Velis/Kel: Responses

Beck: Okay… so let's assume this thing is alive, it can respond to us somehow, and it does notice us when we show up. What if, by doing so, we just piss it off?

Tucker: I know this might be silly, but do we have a plan B? And really what is plan A?

Raga: Hopefully we can avoid that, but the concern is valid. We should keep our shields up while we’re attempting to study it.

Kessler: I agree, Commander.

He found himself mulling it and going back to any number of first contact protocol discussions he had been part of over the years.  He leaned back in his chair and glanced towards the viewports.  

Niac:  This situation could straddle the line between exobiological discovery and first contact protocols...if it's alive, we have no idea what sort of stimulus it reacts to.  If it's intelligent at any level, we have no idea what it perceives as a threat.  But somehow I doubt it'll fail to notice a starship hurtling towards it wrapped in an intense energy field.  That alone could be enough to trigger a...problematic response.  Especially if our goal is to study this...whatever it is...at close range.  Chief Tucker...I'll have us drop out of warp a reasonable distance from the unknown so we can approach it nice and slowly.  I'll like you to do what you can to limit our EM emissions, keep our power signature low.  I wouldn't want to run up to a Ligorian mastodon waving torches and shouting Klingon opera at the top of my lungs.  Commander Kel...since I know this is a particular interest of yours, I'll be looking to you for insights on how the interactions have gone historically.  Anything another Starfleet crew has learned could benefit us...::He glared in the direction of both their guests::...since we have so little to go on.  

Tucker/Velis/Kel: Responses

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?

Tucker: I’d like to hear more from our Mission Specialists, what’s your thoughts on a possibly armed and maybe hostile entity?

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.

Karrod nodded towards their Chief of Security & Tactical in appreciation.  

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.  

Velis/Kel/Beck: Response

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?

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.  

Velis/Kel/Beck: Response

Tucker: Well, the Engineering department is more than willing to lend a hand. I’m sure we could come up with something.

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?

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.  

Tucker/Velis/Kel/Beck: Responses

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: 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.

Niac:  By all means Lieutenant.  I'm sure everyone here is all ears.  

Tucker/Velis/Kel/Beck/Raga: Response

She nodded and rose to go to the main display, activating it and pulling up her briefing file.

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.

The Lieutenant walked to one of the wall displays and tapped a few commands, displaying a grainy, distorted image that looked like someone had smudged on purpose.  All the data keys that accompanied the image were either blank or denoted with very official symbols that meant, in layman's terms, best guess.  But one thing was abundantly clear.  

It was huge.  Kilometers long from front to back and half again as wide.  Suddenly those 'vague concerns' started making a bit more sense.

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.

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 snapped to one Karrod remembered vividly from an early Starfleet Academy class.  It looked so much like a simple cell, studied under a microscope in intense magnification...yet it was enormous...and destructive.  

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.  Karrod could see a certain measure of emotion on her features but couldn't decide what they meant.  

Venn: Please note that Captain Kirk considered destroying the creature a viable option to preserving the life of his crew.

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.

The Lieutenant paused again, the long neutronium cylinder hanging behind her like some kind of specter.  To Karrod's knowledge it was still in the L-374 system, under an intense security cordon, where scientists from across the Federation had tried and failed for nearly
a hundred and forty years to unlock its secrets.  The ancient machine had demolished a succession of star systems and had its sights set on yet more when an entire starship was sacrificed to neutralize it.  The story of the Constellation and the fate of her crew was still told in hushed tones by midshipmen at Starfleet Academy to represent the kind of irresistible dangers starships could sometimes stumble across.  It's inclusion in this presentation was...disquieting to say the least.  

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?  

Raga/Kessler/Tucker/Velis/Kel/Beck: Responses

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?

Karrod huffed and found his teeth grinding together, his disquiet only deepening.  

Niac:  Very well Lieutenant...continue.  I think you've got our full attention.  

Raga: Response

She nodded and switched to the next slide.  An engineered organism capable of interstellar flight and unimaginable bursts of power, it had made the pride of Starfleet seem like an inelegant barge at the time.  

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.

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.  

Raga/Kessler/Tucker/Velis/Kel/Beck: 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.

Karrod slowly stood and approached the display, cycling through the images collected by various probes and starships over the decades.  Each told a tale of near disaster, of lives lost, of whole colonies or worlds eradicated by something Starfleet had never been able to fully understand or communicate with.  He flipped back to the very first image, their one distorted image of whatever they were rushing towards, and scowled at it deeply.  

The image itself was unmoved.  

He turned to address the senior staff, the vague outline of a plan beginning to form in his mind as he looked to each officer in turn.  

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.  

Kel/Beck/Velis:  Response

He nodded and shifted his attention.  

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?    

Kessler/Venn: Responses

Karrod glanced back towards the blurry image and crossed his hands over his chest, deep in consideration before speaking again.  

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/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?

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.  

Karrod turned back to the display as people started filing out and only looked back towards the now vacated table after the room had almost completely emptied.  Toryn remained where he'd been, watching him with those ever observant eyes.  He finally let out a small sigh and rubbed at his neck, tension and concern turning his muscles to an unpleasant solid.  

Niac:  Well...we might get ourselves into the history books today Mr. Raga.  

Raga:  Response

He huffed a tired laugh and sat.  

Niac:  Yeah I'd prefer to stay off the page titled 'worst mistakes in first contact history.'  There's just so much we don't know, Toryn...and I can't shake the feeling our guests know more than they're letting on.  A lot more.

Raga:  Response

[Tags/TBC!]

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Fleet Captain Karrod Niac
Commanding Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
V239509GT0