Senior Chief Petty Officer Jenta Solana - Whoa, Black Box, Bama Lam
Rameses
((Stellar Cartography, Deck 10, USS Ronin))
Jenta yanked the knife out of the wall then tapped her comm badge angrily.
Solana: Stellar Cartography to Flight Deck. What the Hell is taking so long with that black box?!
Singh: =/\= Check that tone, Senior Chief, this is not the time to lose your head. You are not the only one on this ship hurting right now, and junior personnel are going to look to your example. ::Ishani took a breath and some of the bite out of her voice.:: Now...let us begin again =/\=
Jenta calmed slightly at hearing Singh’s voice knowing full well that the Marine was feeling the same rage she was.
Solana: =/\= Sorry, Major. I just….need a target. You say you haven’t located it yet? We have the current area displayed with an overlay of the Kurosawa’s final moments. We should be able to use that to extrapolate the most likely position of the black box based on the sensor logs during the explosion. Just like Security forensics. =/\=
The Orion looked at T’Fearne for confirmation since she was the more scientifically minded one compared to Jenta. The Vulcan would likely be able to tell whether they had enough data faster than she did.
Jenta gave one twirl of her blades before they returned to their sheaths at the small of her back and she moved to the main console. If they followed standard Security forensics for something like this they should be able to at least give the shuttle crews a better search area to follow.
Singh: =/\= That is correct. Sensors, both internal and external, are being severely limited by some kind of interference. We have resorted to examining the debris by hand until we find the data recorder, and I intend to instruct the recovery runabouts to begin salvaging anything...everything...bigger than a bolt. If we can't trust our instruments, we'll have to do this the hard way. We'll find it.. =/\=
There was a deep, shaky breath on the line further cementing the notion in her mind that the Major was feeling the same pain as deeply as she was.
Singh: =/\= We will find out what took them from us, Jenta. I promise you that. Till then...do your duty and save your feelings for the Counselors. We have too much work to do. Singh out. =/\=
Dekas: ::to Solana, though it extended also to everyone in the room:: I would suggest waiting until after this to seek out a counselor officially. Though I am here if you need someone colorful enough to look at and put you back in the room with us.
The air softened a bit as everyone relaxed somewhat and she noted T’Fearne moved closer to them. It was curious that she had shied away from each of them the way she had.
T’Fearne: Noted and appreciated, Counsellor, I’ll do that. ::to Jenta, quieter:: If they came to warn us or save us from something, then they gave us their tomorrows, Chief. They need us at our best to figure out what their last acts meant…and to bring them justice. :: glancing meaningfully at the knives:: If it comes to that, keep them sharp, don’t waste it on the bulkhead.
She nodded in solidarity at the touch to her shoulder.
Solana: Fair point, T’Fearne. We won’t waste what they’ve given us.
Dekas: Esot, you were on the bridge when it happened, yes? Do you have any insight about what we’re looking for, perhaps? And T’Fearne, I imagine you know more about the security forensics. What are your suggestions there?
Esot: Unfortunately, the most I can offer is speculation - what you see here is what we have from the bridge. I have one simulation running, trying to track where the black box may have ended up, assuming it didn't remain on the ship after the explosion. Another is continually running through the storm's path, analyzing and re-analyzing every single atom as best we can. What I can tell you is, this thing defies physics. Even when it's just theoretical.
T’Fearne: ::nodding:: I have some limited training. Investigative forensics is not my specialty, but with Ops assistance, we could use forensic programs to piece together as much data as possible and run an extrapolation program to fill in gaps. I would like to work this from the other end if you approve? I’ll gather our last sighting of the Kurosawa as she left for Stafleet Headquarters. For as long as she was in sensor range. I’d like to prioritise any flightpath data, or hull readings we can retrieve, anything that can tell us where they ended up and what caused them to appear here, at the edge of system Ross 580.
Solana: Nor mine, but all Security personnel receive the same standard investigative and forensic basic training. We’ll make due. Was there anything that stood out before the Kurosawa was destroyed?
Esot was silent again before looking at T'Fearne, brows lifting.
Esot: There was a particular spike in chronitons as the Kurosawa erupted from the storm. Perhaps looking so close to the explosion is the wrong direction - perhaps we should follow the path back towards the storm? The eddy could have dragged it back toward whatever it is that disrupted our probe.
Dekas: Well, okay.... Let’s start there, then.
She thought she saw a slight smile from the Ensign, but it was difficult to tell.
Esot: It's as good a place as any.
T’Fearne: Very well, you look backwards, and I’ll start from the other end and see if we can't meet in the middle with some helpful intel.
Jenta stepped up to another console near T’Fearne’s and pulled up the same pertinent data.
Solana: I’ll check the current sensor readings from the Ronin and the support craft so we have a comparison.
Dekas: Response
Esot: Computer, is it possible to enhance what we're seeing here?
Computer: Enhancing.
She looked up at the new image above them but scowled. She couldn’t see anything that stood out.
Solana: I don’t see anything that helps.
Dekas: Response
Esot: ::sighing:: The logs are just too limited to see inside the hole the Kurosawa left behind, but what we can see is that the ship was trailing debris. That lends credence to the idea that perhaps the black box is just a bit further away than we are looking now.
T’Fearne: It appears to have been either a rough ride or they were severely damaged before they came through. Maybe it was missing before they came through. The recordings of their last transmission might have some details.
Solana: Or both. The Kurosawa was beaten to hell and while I didn’t spot much I’m pretty sure some of the scarring on her hull was from weapons impacts. Though I can’t tell what kind.
Dekas: Response
Esot: If we can get the sensors back up and running again, absolutely. If we can't… dispatching a small craft to scan the storm would be the next best thing. Only assuming they don't mind flying into what might be a death trap.
T’Fearne: It sounds like you just volunteered for a closer look, Ensign.
Solana: Easy, let’s not have anyone else give up their tomorrows without covering all of our bases first.
Dekas: Response
The Cardassian indicated the damaged data core lying on the primary console, it wasn’t the black box but if they could salvage something from it it was worth a shot.
Esot: We might be able to get something from that, as well, assuming we can break into it. The damage is extensive and prevents anyone from opening it manually.
T’Fearne: Would about two thousand kelvin do it? I believe the chief has a tool for that. :: Looking to Jenta:: Are those the originals or the modified ones, Chief? I’ve seen you handle maintenance and checks on torpedo ordnance with ease, as if it were in your sleep. Perhaps you could assist with the core?
She crossed her arms under her bodice for a moment in thought, then nodded to T’Fearne.
Solana: Might need twenty one hundred kelvin, but aye. That’s one of the modified ones, but you are correct I can assist with this. We’re going to need an engineering toolkit. There should be one in the locker over there.
She indicated the specific one with a nod of her head. It was behind Dekas and Esot.
Dekas/Esot: Response
T’Fearne: So far I have a work-in-progress theory with several glaring holes. The Kurosawa seemed to have already reached Starfleet Headquarters, discovered something catastrophic, and somehow came back to warn us. Linguistic analysis and extrapolation of their final transmission suggest a warning not to enter Ross 580. Possibly…even that the federation has fallen. The timeline just doesn’t add up—and that worries me most. We haven’t received any reports or sub-space warnings of a catastrophic event. Also, it’s only been two weeks since the Kurosawa left. It took me three weeks to travel from the Academy to DS33, where the Ronin picked me up. Even with the direct route and better speed than the several shuttle hops to different spaceports to get to the Alpha Isles, there hasn’t been enough time for anything to happen. So, how have they had time to arrive even? What has happened to send them to us? What does anything have to do with Ross 580?
Jenta listened and opened the tool kit as it was set on the console.
Solana: What’s the phrase the Captain liked to use? Wibbly Wobbly? If we’re dealing with chronitions then that means time space crap, which stands to reason that while it’s only been a couple of weeks for us for all we know the Captain and Commander could have been doing whatever they were doing before they showed up to give us the warning for months, or years.
Dekas/Esot: Response
T’Fearne: I think Esot was right. We need to go have a closer look. :: Looking to Dekas:: Commander, permission to take a team to approach the anomaly. I know there are crews out there collecting debris, and we can set a secondary objective to follow the extrapolated black-box trajectories, but to get more answers, we need a closer look…With full precautions, transporter locks on us at all times. Esot has bravely already volunteered.
Jenta’s brow raised slightly at the request then shifted her gaze to the console next to her that was tapped into the sensor array.
Solana: I think someone beat you to it, T’Fearne.
Dekas/Esot: Response
Around then, some fresh data from the Flight Deck poured into their observation feeds. The black box had been found, but a rescue operation may now be required as one of the shuttles, the Shinano, had vanished.
She quickly reviewed the logs and it looked like the Shinano was one of the small armada of shuttles Singh had out there searching the wreckage.
Solana: Good news, we have the black box but now we’ve got a missing shuttle. The Carl Sagan is bringing us the box but the Shinano is no longer on sensors.
Jenta cracked her knuckles out of frustration but refrained from reaching for her knives again.
Dekas/Esot/T’Fearne: Response
Solana: As much as I’d be the first to volunteer to go after them, we need to focus on getting the black box in here and studying it. The bridge will no doubt be focused on recovering the Shinano from that hole in space.
Dekas/Esot/T’Fearne: Response
Solana: =/\= Stellar Cartography to the Carl Sagan. As soon as you’re in range, beam the black box directly here. We’re awaiting your transport. =/\=
Sagan: =/\= Understood, Senior Chief. We’ll be in range in two minutes. =/\=
Dekas/Esot/T’Fearne: Response
Jenta looked to the others.
Solana: We should make use of the overlays we have to assist the bridge and the other shuttles in locating the Shinano, I imagine piping the feed of what we have here to the bridge science station would suffice?
Dekas/Esot/T’Fearne: Response
A moment later the thrum of a transporter beam filled the room and within moments the blue shimmer of light that appeared at the designated spot on the right of the room faded and sitting there was the vibrantly red black box. The coloration was a holdover from old Earth aircraft and nautical vessels, so they would be easily spotted visually. A silly thing since it was useless in space but handy when a shuttle or starship crashed on a planetary body.
The casing of the black box itself was rough to say the least but what struck her was that parts of it almost looked like it had been floating in space for centuries.
Solana: In Yar’s name. That thing’s taken a beating. Is it just me or does it look old?
Dekas/Esot/T’Fearne: Response
[tags/tbc]
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Senior Chief Petty Officer Jenta Solana
Security/Tactical CQC Specialist
As simmed by
Commander Toryn Raga
First Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
Writer ID: A239410TR0
https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga