Ensign Roop - Bug Zapper
3 views
Skip to first unread message
Donald Furrow-Scott
Nov 9, 2025, 2:09:49 AM11/9/25
to sb118...@googlegroups.com
((Holosuite Four, Deck 14, USS Ronin))
Climbing into a stripped-down workbee and shaking his head, Roop adjusted more parameters on his triPADD display and looked at the workbee tactical display again. The bee floated loosely like a bobber.
Roop: Computer, reset Kikuchiyo. Repeat from mark fifteen.
The holographic room around them flipped as if they were in some jukebox projection change.
The spiderbot appeared on the ceiling of a ship corridor in front of them and sprang to life. A female voice-over in the background offered specific tactical advice of a helpful nature.
The Kikuchiyo bee’s front window lit up with a colorful new hud targeting system.
The spiderbot flattened itself, and a floating radio energy graph appeared over it. The graph indicated strong fluctuations in the 144-148mhz range coming from the spiderbot. The bot’s spidered legs showed an overlay of a strong antenna system before switching off.
Kikuchiyo's targeting graphic glowed. Roop’s motions translated to a pair of M93b phaser rifles in place of workbee arms. After a fraction of a second in aiming, both rifles poured out a semi-automatic rate of phaser fire. A holodeck graphic over the spiderbot showed a protective ionizing ultraviolet radiation building from its skin for half a second, at least until the dual phasers trapped the evasive little bastard in a shrinking cone and blowing the legs off. When the damaged spiderbot flipped up, the workbee’s phasers connected on the bottom shell just as Deacon had promised.
The spiderbot blew up satisfyingly, fading to floating graphical measurements and data.
The room revolved around the Kikuchiyo again. The female voice-over offered new and effective advice, apparently unimpressed by the previous success. In a darkened scenario, two spiderbots crawled out of ductwork in front of Roop in the Kikuchiyo.
Floating mathematical calculations rolled off over the erupting blur of fire. The closest spiderbot was gone as fast as last time, but the second spiderbot made it far enough to scratch the windshield before Kikuchiyo’s arms adjusted to blast the second spiderbot off like a slapped mosquito.
Glowing graphs appeared and disappeared.
Roop: Computer, reset Kikuchiyo. Repeat from mark twenty-two.
The helpful female voice-over warned Roop that spiderbot parameters were significantly stronger than the programmed training video opponents.
Roop: ::looking down and adjusting his triPADD settings again:: That’s because we’re using the new Compass Rose models, Commander. ::his voice quietly parroting hers after so much repetition::
The same two spiderbots reappeared in the same setting. When they flattened, there was clear, intense communication by radiowaves between the two bots.
They were talking. And the threat monitor was clearly indicating they were talking about Kikuchiyo.
The first spiderbot was only down four legs before the second one breached into the workbee and embedded itself in Roop’s ribcage. The wounded first followed up, deep into Roop's head, in apparent retaliation.
One side of his pouting mouth threatening to actually suck in his ear, a shaking Roop opened Kikuchiyo’s broken hatch and half-fell out of the holographic catastrophe, his feet dangling off the front. Dragging his triPADD, Roop climbed out of Kikuchiyo and stood up on restless legs.
The holodeck arch opened.
Anyone: Response
Roop: Oh, mankind, Thank you for coming.
Anyone: Response
Roop: This? This is a tactical and security training holoprogram against Consortium spiderbots. It's in our Security training selection. From a ‘Commander Carpenter’s’ time. I believe it's originally meant for individual small-arms training. I’m, er, we’re testing a workbee specifically refitted for fighting spiderbots in the ship interior corridors. The result is an aggressive mobile gun platform or response vehicle for Security to use against the spiderbots.
Anyone: Response
Roop: One of the problems is we’re very good at targeting and hitting them decisively, but the workbee needs more armor to survive this newest manifestation.
Anyone: Response
Roop: We’ve pulled the 1020 thruster hardware, and modified the seating for flight suits rather than EVA suits. These workbee modifications aren’t for use in space. The Peregrins are already better suited for space combat anyway. We just can't fit one inside. ::elbowing you:: Well, we kinda did. ::looking fondly at the Kikuchiyo:: Anyways, we replaced the heavy thrusters with a forcefield generator behind the pilot. The pilot has a wonderfully projectable field from the front light for fighting. You've got full computer synchronization.
Anyone: Response
Roop: ::rocking on his legs excitedly:: Computer, show us a graph of the ultraviolet activity between the two current attacking spiderbots. ::the floating graphics appeared::
Three of the legs on each spider were veritable UV flashlights. There were compound eye mechanisms on all the arms, clearly radiating ultraviolet energy.
Roop: I think they are ‘seeing’ and tactually scanning in the c-band of UV light. Two-hundred-and-twenty-two nanometers, specifically.
Anyone: Response
Roop:, Well, here’s why I need your help. We can theoretically adjust our forcefield projector into their scan range to blind the spiderbots.
Anyone: Response
Roop: Yessir. Humble, now armored, Kikuchiyo. ::hands out in praise:: But I can’t judge forcefield data and fight. :: tossing an open hand towards you:: I asked you here so you could fight.
Anyone: Response
Roop: Hah, those are dual M93b rifles on arm actuators for firepower. Safer choice in this arrangement. ::laughing:: Your ship battery is literally your all-day ammo in Kikuchiyo with those, but feel free to play around with whatever holographic weapon options you care to try. I need to monitor forcefield armor data and tweak settings, so you need to get them pissed off at you and attack one way or another. Have at it.
Anyone: Response
Roop: ::offering a hand up into the workbee:: Computer, reset Kikuchiyo with advanced spiderbots. ::brushing his hands over the sparkling, renewed Kikuchiyo:: pause at mark twenty-two.
The Consortium spiderbots flattened and chatted by radio with each other about how to come destroy you.
The forcefield generator behind you comes online. You rev it up to get a feel.
((OOC, whomever Anyone or Anypeople turns out to be: I invite you to fully roll out the second sim test phase chatter like I did this one. Shoreleave training for me to feed lines to each other with more than 5 tags. Whether the Kikuchiyo test succeeds or not is up to you! Plus any new details.))
[[TAGS/TBC]]
===============================
Ensign Roop
HCO Officer assigned to Engineering & Lieutenant Tucker
USS Ronin NCC-34523
Captain Karrod Niac commanding
R240206OR1
Climbing into a stripped-down workbee and shaking his head, Roop adjusted more parameters on his triPADD display and looked at the workbee tactical display again. The bee floated loosely like a bobber.
Roop: Computer, reset Kikuchiyo. Repeat from mark fifteen.
The holographic room around them flipped as if they were in some jukebox projection change.
The spiderbot appeared on the ceiling of a ship corridor in front of them and sprang to life. A female voice-over in the background offered specific tactical advice of a helpful nature.
The Kikuchiyo bee’s front window lit up with a colorful new hud targeting system.
The spiderbot flattened itself, and a floating radio energy graph appeared over it. The graph indicated strong fluctuations in the 144-148mhz range coming from the spiderbot. The bot’s spidered legs showed an overlay of a strong antenna system before switching off.
The spider rose and streaked to attack them.
Kikuchiyo's targeting graphic glowed. Roop’s motions translated to a pair of M93b phaser rifles in place of workbee arms. After a fraction of a second in aiming, both rifles poured out a semi-automatic rate of phaser fire. A holodeck graphic over the spiderbot showed a protective ionizing ultraviolet radiation building from its skin for half a second, at least until the dual phasers trapped the evasive little bastard in a shrinking cone and blowing the legs off. When the damaged spiderbot flipped up, the workbee’s phasers connected on the bottom shell just as Deacon had promised.
The spiderbot blew up satisfyingly, fading to floating graphical measurements and data.
The room revolved around the Kikuchiyo again. The female voice-over offered new and effective advice, apparently unimpressed by the previous success. In a darkened scenario, two spiderbots crawled out of ductwork in front of Roop in the Kikuchiyo.
Floating mathematical calculations rolled off over the erupting blur of fire. The closest spiderbot was gone as fast as last time, but the second spiderbot made it far enough to scratch the windshield before Kikuchiyo’s arms adjusted to blast the second spiderbot off like a slapped mosquito.
Glowing graphs appeared and disappeared.
Roop: Computer, reset Kikuchiyo. Repeat from mark twenty-two.
The helpful female voice-over warned Roop that spiderbot parameters were significantly stronger than the programmed training video opponents.
Roop: ::looking down and adjusting his triPADD settings again:: That’s because we’re using the new Compass Rose models, Commander. ::his voice quietly parroting hers after so much repetition::
The same two spiderbots reappeared in the same setting. When they flattened, there was clear, intense communication by radiowaves between the two bots.
They were talking. And the threat monitor was clearly indicating they were talking about Kikuchiyo.
The first spiderbot was only down four legs before the second one breached into the workbee and embedded itself in Roop’s ribcage. The wounded first followed up, deep into Roop's head, in apparent retaliation.
One side of his pouting mouth threatening to actually suck in his ear, a shaking Roop opened Kikuchiyo’s broken hatch and half-fell out of the holographic catastrophe, his feet dangling off the front. Dragging his triPADD, Roop climbed out of Kikuchiyo and stood up on restless legs.
The holodeck arch opened.
Anyone: Response
Roop: Oh, mankind, Thank you for coming.
Anyone: Response
Roop: This? This is a tactical and security training holoprogram against Consortium spiderbots. It's in our Security training selection. From a ‘Commander Carpenter’s’ time. I believe it's originally meant for individual small-arms training. I’m, er, we’re testing a workbee specifically refitted for fighting spiderbots in the ship interior corridors. The result is an aggressive mobile gun platform or response vehicle for Security to use against the spiderbots.
Anyone: Response
Roop: One of the problems is we’re very good at targeting and hitting them decisively, but the workbee needs more armor to survive this newest manifestation.
Anyone: Response
Roop: We’ve pulled the 1020 thruster hardware, and modified the seating for flight suits rather than EVA suits. These workbee modifications aren’t for use in space. The Peregrins are already better suited for space combat anyway. We just can't fit one inside. ::elbowing you:: Well, we kinda did. ::looking fondly at the Kikuchiyo:: Anyways, we replaced the heavy thrusters with a forcefield generator behind the pilot. The pilot has a wonderfully projectable field from the front light for fighting. You've got full computer synchronization.
Anyone: Response
Roop: ::rocking on his legs excitedly:: Computer, show us a graph of the ultraviolet activity between the two current attacking spiderbots. ::the floating graphics appeared::
Three of the legs on each spider were veritable UV flashlights. There were compound eye mechanisms on all the arms, clearly radiating ultraviolet energy.
Roop: I think they are ‘seeing’ and tactually scanning in the c-band of UV light. Two-hundred-and-twenty-two nanometers, specifically.
Anyone: Response
Roop:, Well, here’s why I need your help. We can theoretically adjust our forcefield projector into their scan range to blind the spiderbots.
Anyone: Response
Roop: Yessir. Humble, now armored, Kikuchiyo. ::hands out in praise:: But I can’t judge forcefield data and fight. :: tossing an open hand towards you:: I asked you here so you could fight.
Anyone: Response
Roop: Hah, those are dual M93b rifles on arm actuators for firepower. Safer choice in this arrangement. ::laughing:: Your ship battery is literally your all-day ammo in Kikuchiyo with those, but feel free to play around with whatever holographic weapon options you care to try. I need to monitor forcefield armor data and tweak settings, so you need to get them pissed off at you and attack one way or another. Have at it.
Anyone: Response
Roop: ::offering a hand up into the workbee:: Computer, reset Kikuchiyo with advanced spiderbots. ::brushing his hands over the sparkling, renewed Kikuchiyo:: pause at mark twenty-two.
The Consortium spiderbots flattened and chatted by radio with each other about how to come destroy you.
The forcefield generator behind you comes online. You rev it up to get a feel.
((OOC, whomever Anyone or Anypeople turns out to be: I invite you to fully roll out the second sim test phase chatter like I did this one. Shoreleave training for me to feed lines to each other with more than 5 tags. Whether the Kikuchiyo test succeeds or not is up to you! Plus any new details.))
[[TAGS/TBC]]
===============================
Ensign Roop
HCO Officer assigned to Engineering & Lieutenant Tucker
USS Ronin NCC-34523
Captain Karrod Niac commanding
R240206OR1
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages