Lt JG Tess Evinrude - The Best Defense is a Good Diagnostic [Part 2/2]

[Tess Evinrude]

((Time Skip, One Hour Later - Briefing Room, Security Complex, Deck 11, USS Ronin - Approaching the Entity))

His tasks had taken him to decks four, five, ten, and eleven - a round-robin visit to each of the Ronin's sensor packages. Compared to the modifications Evinrude had made to smallcraft, working on the Ronin's sensors was an order-of-magnitude more challenging. The old Akira class ship had hard-wired redundancies, much larger system architecture, and had seen multiple decades of upgrades and refits.

Still, the ops team's modifications were successful, and data was streaming in from the re-calibrated sensors. Fresh telemetry rolled across the display screens here in the security complex on deck eleven. Security Chief Kessler stood in front of the main display, arms folded as he reviewed the latest of their compiled findings.

Kessler: Response

Akani: I'm sending over what I have now, but I can't guarantee it'll be helpful.

S'tek: Response

T’Fearne: We sifted through the submitted pieces of data gathered from other vessels. Nothing particularly stands out to me other than that interference pattern. If the interference is just part of the entity’s biological function, then matching frequencies with the interference may allow the Ronin to approach closer without triggering a defensive response.

Evirude: ::With an impressed look.:: You're thinking to shield us from its senses by blending in with its own emissions?

Venn: It seems like it might work, sir. But I’m not making any guarantees. Until Science can provide us with more data, I wouldn’t know if it would be effective or not. But on the surface, I would say it could work. Worst case, we adjust some parameters once we have more data.

Xira said nothing, but nodded.

Kessler: Response

S'tek: Response

T’Fearne: One of the offensive options I’ve come up with should we need it is the equivalent of a flash bang. We have the ability to create a large gravimetric pulse. That should get its attention. A sufficiently powerful pulse may encourage it to withdraw.

Evirude: ::Tone respectful.:: Do we have confirmed intel on that, sir? For all we know, it's a predator that uses gravimetric pulses to track its prey.

He turned to the mission specialists, whom he hadn't officially met, but that was the way of things in the middle of a duty assignment - mission first, socialization later. Like musicians in an orchestra, their individual roles could be performed without really knowing the person next to you.

Evinrude: Has it responded to any particular stimuli?

The specialist, Lieutenant Venn, replied directly to T'Fearne.

Venn: I have nothing else to add at this time, sir. There are a lot of good ideas here. We’ll just have to wait and see if any of them are necessary or useful.

Kessler/T’Fearne: Response

Akani: What would work while we wait? It feels wrong, just standing here and waiting.

S'tek: Response

Ensign Akani Xira's grip tightened on the console in front of her. Tess knew the officer was a transfer from the Compass Rose, and he wondered how she'd been faring all these months.

Akani: I… If waiting is the only option, any idea how long we'll be waiting?

oO Perhaps some busywork would help her. I know it helps me... Oo

Evinrude: ::To Akani:: Ensign, if you'd like, you can help me finish a diagnostic on our main-hull torpedo battery. I just replaced one of the tractor micro-emitters in the torpedo conveyor system, and I want to see how the new part responds to a simulated load.

Akani: Response

Kessler/T'Fearne/S'tek/Venn: Response

[Tags/TBC]

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Lieutenant J.G. Tess Evinrude

[he/him]

Operations Officer

USS Ronin

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