Cmdr. Herrick: Ransom
Mark P
((Simulated Bridge, Holosuite 3, Deck 5, USS Thor))
It had taken a holographic phaser set to kill for Josh to dispatch some of the simulated aggressors that had appeared following a holographic bridge, but at least they were making progress -- despite the holodeck’s stubborn resistance to shut down. One by one, they were going down, but the tactical officer didn’t want to lose the opportunity to find an avenue to bring the faulty program to a close.
Herrick: If we pin them down, we might be able to get some answers.
Ral: Are they going to tell us how to exit!
Josh doubted it, but it wasn’t improbable given all the glitches thus far. A glance around the bridge for their next target gave him a front row seat to seeing Nera scooting away from the armour-donned Tellerite
Caras: Hang on Nera!
Nera: Your timing is impeccable!
Morro with the save, managing to take Ay’s ‘buddy’ into a hold. If they were on better terms, the commander might have asked the Orion for some PT sessions. Perhaps it was an olive branch opportunity? Either way, definitely not a priority, given that a banging noise had started to sound from the bridge entry doors, currently sealed shut.
Ral: Looks like our visitors have arrived. What about this one? ::pointing at the captured intruder::
Caras: We’ll see what we can get out of him. We need those guys gone though before we can, and it doesn’t seem we’re able to lock on with our current targeting tech.
Nera: Some sort of pattern displaying polymer, possibly. Clever, shows how prepared they were. If we had time and a fully functional science lab, we could probably determine how to counteract it.
Josh started his second walkabout of the bridge, looking at the subdued bodies on the floor. It looked as if they were still alive, just unconscious -- a slightly later problem. He started disarming them, piling the various energy weapons and knives into the centre of the bridge.
Herrick: Perhaps their weapons will be of use? We’ll have to check them for biometric countermeasures. After I’m done with this I’ll bind them up, but it won’t make much difference if more come barrelling through.
He nodded toward the doors.
Ral: Don’t worry I’ve got that sorted but it’ll only be a temporary fix. We need to find out how we can exit.
The rattling stopped, accompanied by a confirmatory chirp of the console.
Caras: Brilliant move Ral. I’m assuming you did that by knowing that they were right outside of the door rather than trying to do a direct lock on? They seem to have something that doesn’t let us easily lock on to them.
Nera: It’s probably whatever the armour’s made out of. Did you see how it shrugged off phaser fire as well? I’d love to get a sample into one of the machines down in the labs and get a closer look ::blinking:: I’m aware that’s not our priority at all.
Herrick: They seem to scavenge quite a bit ::feeling the armour plating:: I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a form of Borg repurposed technology.
Starfleet itself had incorporated elements of the collective’s technology, and he had first-hand experience with it on his last Sagan-class ship.
Herrick: But that’s a shot in the dark.
They took a moment to collect themselves. Doing a mental scan, he felt some sore spots throughout his body from the rough-n-tumble on the bridge but otherwise no worse for wear.
Caras: Everything locked down then? What about other tech, anything else they might have set up in the room?
Accessing the nearest console, Nera started to page through the readings.
Nera: Bridge is ours, main engineering is sealed up. I’m reading some sort of Ferengi/Andorian hybrid device in the shuttle bay, trying to interface with our systems. Should be able to overload it from here.
Herrick: I’m in favour of that if it doesn’t wind up exploding in our faces.
Ral: Response
Caras: Then that brings us to you.
As the group turned their attention towards their lone conscious captive, Josh started to pick up conduit tubing that had been sticking out of some of the ruptured consoles as a poor-man’s rope to bind the others.
Caras: What and who are you all, state your mission and purpose.
Prisoner: We’re the Conservatory, and that’s all you get to know.
Josh wondered if they had hoped it sounded ominous, but it rather felt like they’d be more at home in the arboretum. The Thor did house a number of exotic GQ species, but this didn’t feel like a standard robbery.
Nera: What an impressive name, I’m quaking in my boots. Have you thought about rebranding to something with a little more gravitas?
Ay’s confidence was impressive; Josh suspected his was applying one of the standard interrogation techniques for aggressive personalities -- don’t show weakness nor too much compassion, particularly to Tellerites.
Ral: Response
Nera: So, you’re part of The Conservatory. Can I ask what your name is? More personal than calling your prisoner number one, right?
As Josh looked up while securing another knot, he saw Ay’s smile which looked somewhat disconcerting in the rather grim lighting on the bridge.
Prisoner: Name’s real simple. Kiss. My. Hairy. A..
Herrick: (under his breath) Well then.
Ral / Caras: Response
The response that came was in the form of their prisoner spitting something onto the carpet. A lot of bravado and ego; it seemed clear that these folks were likely part of the organization they’d been sent to investigate.
Nera: Classy. Real classy. Our new friend doesn’t seem like he wants to chat with us. Maybe we should put him in the brig with the others. (slight pause) Or maybe in one of the airlocks. They’re nice and roomy.
The last bit caught Josh’s ear as he finished tying up the last individual. The team was walking a fine line with the threat. From a JAG perspective, they hadn’t outright indicated that the individual could or would be spaced, but there was little left to the imagination.
Ral / Caras / Prisoner: Response
Herrick: Or, we wrangle access to environmental controls and grav plating. Either way, we could make it difficult for you and your team to get back to ::waving his hand at the viewscreen:: whatever that mess is out there.
Standing up, he walked back over to the rest of the team. Another chime had Nera tapping the console.
Nera: There’s a signal being transmitted from our bridge ::tilting the prisoners head:: Hello subdermal implant, what are you for, I wonder.
There it was, a small scar, just on the Tellarite’s neck. Exactly the sort of mark he'd expect from a small device.
Ral / Caras / Prisoner: Response
Well, that didn’t sound great. An embedded explosive was one way to ensure loyalty and compliance, but also to avoid any material effect of kidnapping.
Herrick: Should we try to set up some form of dampening field?
Ral / Caras / Prisoner / Nera: Response
Josh withdrew a tricorder from one of the bridge stations and scanned the implant in close proximity. His eyebrows raised at the results.
Herrick: What I don’t see here is any explosive compound; what I do see is a two-way comms device, with what looks to be a touch activator.
Ral / Caras / Prisoner / Nera: Response
Herrick: Do you think we could ransom them for information?
Ral / Caras / Prisoner / Nera: Response
