Game Changer

Posted on Jun 12, 2015 @ 7:21pm by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane

Mission: The Lights of Hyperion

"GAME CHANGER"

(Continued from "Edge of Balance")

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Captain's Log, supplemental - our investigation into the odd radiation leaks finally beginning to bear fruit, and attempts to begin detecting the Aurora leaks should be underway within a few hours. In the meantime, I am enjoying some personal time with a new friend...

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Location: USS Phoenix, en route to Elandipole through the Hyperion Expanse
Stardate: [2.15]0612.2325
Scene: Captain's Quarters, Deck 2 (saucer section)


Michael Turlogh Kane cam back from the replicator bearing a tray of tapas and two glasses of water. He set it down on the table by the couch and shrugged. "I'm sorry I can't replicate anything more complicated than that," he said apologetically. "I'd love to introduce you to a blood pudding or a haggis, but we're still running on reduced power and the menu is limited."

Jane Hakeswill leaned forward and regarded the tray with some suspicion. "Not even for the ship's captain? Can't you override the computer and tell it to make whatever you want?"

Kane sat down beside her. "Yes, but I won't."

"I guarantee your crew would if they could," she said, picking up an olive. "What's this little green thing?"

"An olive," said Kane. "You dip bread into its oil. It's good for you. The ancient Greeks used to smear olive oil on their bodies to promote health."

"The ancient who?"

"Greeks. From Greece. It's a region on Earth."

"Oh." Jane popped the olive into her mouth and chewed on it. Her face crinkled. "It's salty." Gamefully, she kept chewing and swallowed hard. "Why won't you?"

Kane broke the loaf of bread and took a glass of water. "Why won't I what?"

"Override the computer."

"Oh." Kane sat back on the couch. "Because I want to set an example."

"For the crew?"

Kane nodded.

"But they're not here," said Jane, picking up a small red apple. "What's this?"

"It's a fruit called an apple. I know that we're alone right now, but that still doesn't alter the circumstances that the ship is in.The crew would not react well if they knew the captain was living the high life while they were living off rations."

"I like this better," said Jane as she bit into the apple with a crunch. "More of these, please. On Limbo, it was everyone for themselves. We didn't think much about other people except how we could gain. It's not like that here, though."

"No, it's not. Humans don't live like that anymore -not in the Federation's core worlds, at least. There's no hunger, no money, no want, no desire. No suffering."

Jane nodded. "So what do you do with yourselves?"

"Well, we still can't get out of this world alive," Kane smiled. "In the meantime, we try to make our lives better."

"How?"

"It'sup to the individual. By becoming better people. By pursuing a vocation."

"Like Starfleet."

"Right."

Jane frowned. "But you told me that your crew doesn't like you."

"Did I? I think I said that I don't know what they think of me. In any case, it's irrelevant. In Starfleet, there are certain procedures that we all agree to abide by when we volunteer to wear this uniform. One is obeying superior officers."

"Irrelevant? But don't you want people to like you?"

"Of course I do, but a career in Starfleet is not about popularity." Kane leaned forward, speaking intensely. There was an undercurrent of high emotion in his voice. "Jane, one of the awful realities of being a starship captain is that you will make decisions that will get people killed - people you've known and worked with for months or years. When someone you know, someone you see every day, loses their life as a result of an order you gave them, it tears you in two. There's no getting over it, no matter how it is rationalised or sanitised behind euphemisms that talk about the risks involved in the service." He paused, trying to keep his voice steady, but he was close to choking. "Jane, I have lost count of the people under my command who never came home from voyages that I led. I am haunted by the shadows of the people I cannot remember. How can I be friends today with the engineer of security officer that I might have to send on a suicide mission tomorrow?" He shook his head. "Better to keep the distance between us. Better not to get too emotionally involved."

There was silence for a moment, then Jane reach out and put her hand on his. "Michael, if your crew knew how emotionally involved you really were, they'd be the proudest crew in Starfleet."

They shared a moment, and the evening wound on.

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Scene: Main Engineering, deck 36 (drive section)


Down in the bowels of the ship, Aerdan Jos approached Jake Crichton. The Chief Engineer had not long been released from sickbay following minor exposure to yet another radiation leak, but there had been a breakthrough. For the first time since the leaks had appeared, a method had been developed to detect them.

"Mister Crichton," said Aerdan. "I am here for your report on remodulating the internal sensors."

Jake reached for a PADD lying on a nearby control panel. He had not spent too much time around the Andorian ExO up to now, and wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet. Aerdan was a couple of inches shorter than him and was built thinly, with high lean cheekbones and a reedy body. "I've got good news, Commander."

Aerdan's antennae uncoiled themselves and stuck straight up in the air. "Yes?"

"Our remodulation of the internal sensors was a complete success," said Jake, handing the Exo the PADD. As Aerdan perused the contents, Jake continued. "I estimate that we have between a ninety-five and ninety-eight per cent chance of detecting the appearance of an Aurora-type leak in advance of its manifestation."

Aerdan nodded, another Terran mannerism that he'd picked up. "Your numbers seem to add up, Mister Crichton. How much time will we have between the detection of the beta particle build-up and the manifestation of an Aurora leak?"

"That's the impressive part," said Jake, gesturing to a diagram on the PADD's screen. "We've tied the ship's internal sensors into the security grid. Subject to command approval, any detected build-up of beta particles that could signal the imminent manifestation of an Aurora leak will now automatically trigger a containment forcefield in that deck section. That will contain the radiation inside one area and prevent the leaks from drifting."

"Interesting. What if the Aurora manifests in a populated part of the ship? There may be civilians trapped inside the forcefield with the radiation."

"That's a possibility," admitted Jake. "Control of the forcefields can still be overridden from the bridge as per standard operating procedures. If you and the captain decide that it's a risk not worth taking, then I can modify the program to only trigger a containment field when a leak is detected in an unoccupied area of the ship."

Aerdan looked up and caught Jake's eye. "This is impressive work, Commander Crichton, very impressive work indeed. I know now why Captain Kane thinks so highly of you."

"Thank you, sir."

Aerdan handed the PADD back. "For now, implement your full security program. Containment fields to be raised anywhere there is a leak. We will minimise the risk to the crew by co-ordinating an evacuation of the affected deck section before the manifestation. I will consult with the captain and contact you if we decide more precautions need to be taken."

"Aye-aye, Commander." Jake signalled to Cindy to begin the modifications. Finally, they were being pro-active.

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Scene: Captain's Ready Room, Deck 1 (saucer section)
Time Index: Next Morning


Next morning's bridge crew was surprisingly more numerous than usual. When Kane stepped out of the turbolift, he found Aerdan Jos already on duty. Byte and Russ BaShen were sitting on the Ops and conn respectively, and Kassandra Thytos, her sensor nets restored, was working the Tac station.

"Good morning, Captain," said Aerdan, vacating the centre seat as Kane approached. "Mister Byte has delivered the night watch report - there is nothing that requires your attention. Engineering reports that remodulation of the ship's internal sensors is complete and the new operating program has been tied into the ship's security system. All is quiet in cargo bay three, and Major Thytos is requesting a meeting with you."

"Thank you, Commander," said Kane. He looked up at the Tac station and beckoned to Kass to follow him. "Carry on."

He led the marine into his ready room and gestured for her to take a seat. "What can I do for you, Major?"

Kass's sensor nets were putting on a light show of their own to rival the Hyperion Expanse. Greens and blues inked from underneath her skin - rivers of data all making their way to her brain. "Captain, Ah wanted ta inform ya o' some security precautions Ah've implemented since we took on the Limbo refugees."

Kane nodded. "Proceed."

"Ah based these precautions in the event of a riot in any one o' the cargo bays," said Kass. "They don't take inna account the presence o' the refugees now livin' in unoccupied crew quarters - the families, the children. Ah still consider 'em low-risk."

"I concur."

"Ya do?" Kass blurted.

Kane raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Any danger is more likely to come from the cargo bays themselves." He paused. "You sound surprised by something."

The lights of Kass's sensor nets were blinking furiously. "Uh, can Ah continue, Cap'n?"

Kane nodded.

"Well, Ah've instituted a series o' measures that we kin take if'n there's trouble from the ones inside the cargo bays. For starters, we kin flood the corridors around the cargo bay with anesthezine gas if there's a breakout. It won't get 'em all, but it'll get a lot o' 'em."

Kane tried to concentrate. Kass's frontier accent could be jarring on the ears of those who weren't used to hearing her speak. "That seems a sensible precaution."

"For the past few days, we've been keepin' tabs on them as been usin' the replicators in the cargo bays," Kass continued. "We've built up a good haul of biometric data - a couple hunnerd o' people in all. In a pinch, we kin feed that data into the ship's transporters, and beam 'em right out o' the trouble zone and inta a holdin' area."

"You're telling me that, in the event of a riot, we'll be able to use the transporters to beam people directly into the brig?"

"If'n it comes to that, yessir, we will."

"Keep that one quiet," said Kane. "Nobody likes having tabs being kept on them. If Arthur Embry knew we were collecting his biometric data every time he ordered dinner from a replicator, he'd be less than pleased."

"Unnerstood, Cap'n. That's all."

[[Jos to Kane.]]

Kane looked up. "Go ahead, Commander."

[[Sir, internal sensors are detecting a spike in ambient beta particles on deck six, drive section. Refugee-occupied crew quarters.]]

"Yellow alert," said Kane, getting to his feet. Kass rose from her seat and fell into step behind him as they made their way to the bridge.

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Scene: Deck 6 (drive section) corridor


The yellow alert bars flashed into life on the wall, and a moment later Aerdan Jos's voice filtered down through the decks. [[Yellow alert. Deck Six to be evacuated immediately. All personnel proceed to your nearest turbolift or access tunnel.]]

The refugee families that lived there were confused at first, but then fell to their task, organising their children into groups and moving en masse to the turbolifts positioned at either end of the deck. Within two minutes after the initial call to evacuate, the deck was empty.

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Scene: Bridge


The turbolift doors hissed open, depositing Jake Crichton and Thomas Varn onto the bridge. Kane was moving to Byte's shoulder, and looked at them in askance.

"Reporting for duty, Captain," said Jake. "I brought Mister Varn along with me. He's been invaluable with - "

Kane nodded quickly. "Take the Engineering station, Mister Crichton. Mister Varn, monitor on Science One. If you have anything to add, please feel free to interject."

Both men nodded and moved to their positions. Kane stood at Byte's shoulder, watching the datastream on ther Ops panel. "Report, Lieutenant."

{{Deck six has been evacuated,}} said the android. {{No life-signs present.}}

Kane nodded. "Proceed with the containment attempt."

"Activating forcefields on deck six, sections B through F," said Kass from Tactical.

"Can we get a visual down there?" asked Kane.

Byte keyed in the controls. {{On screen, sir.}}

The main viewer winked into life, showing an empty innocuous stretch of corridor. All the doors leading off it led to crew quarters, and they were all shut. The forcefields fizzed into existence, making a pair of hazy curtains that sealed off a section of the deck.

"I do not see the Aurora," said Aerdan.

{{Manifesting now, Commander,}} said Byte.

Jake was looking at Thomas's readout as the data came flooding in. "We're also detecting tetryon particles. The betas are putting up a lot of interference but they're there."

{{Confirmed,}} said Byte.

Kane looked at Aerdan. "So it's true," said the Andorian. "They're coming out of subspace. Our shields were never a factor in stopping them."

On the screen, between the two forcefields, the very air twisted and snaked. A little ball of light was suddenly there, growing quickly through the haze, the whorls of its tendrils writhing in all directions, sparking off the walls. It seemed to drift towards one of the forcefields. Everyone on the bridge watched in silent apprehension. The Aurora had manifested just as the sensors said it would. Now it was time to see if it could be contained.

The flailing tendrils reached out and came into contact with the forcefield, sparking as they did so, but the forcefield held stable. Some of the tendrils dissipated into nothingness, but others did not. Instead, they seemed to be fusing together to gain strength. Where they hit the forcefield, energy crackled and popped.

{{Forcefield integrity dropping rapidly,}} reported Byte.

From the engineering station, Jake called, "Captain, we're in danger of losing the containment field. I recommend we begin rotating the forcefield's frequency."

Kane nodded. "Do it!"

The shimmering forcefield seemed about to buckle under the Aurora's onslaught, but it held. After a moment, the Aurora began drifting in the opposite direction, towards the other forcefield. The bridge crew watched in amazement.

"What's it doin'?" asked Kass.

"It's like it knows it's trapped," murmured Thomas.

"Begin rotating the frequency of both forcefields," said Kane to Byte.

The android nodded. {{Initiating frequency rotation. The Aurora has made contact with the second forcefield. Field integrity down to seventy per cent... sixty-five... sixty... and holding.}}

On the main viewer, the Aurora was retreating backward to the site of its original appearance.

Kane looked at Aerdan. The Andorian nodded in satisfaction and strode to the rear of the bridge, approaching Jake and Thomas."Well done, gentlemen. It seems our containment attempt has been success - "

A series of warning chimes sounded from Byte's console. The android's brow furrowed as it attempted to interpret the data stream. {{Captain, a second leak is manifesting! Its an Orb-type!}}

"Forcefield!" snapped Kane.

"No time!" called Kass.

On the main viewer, there was a blinding flash as the Orb erupted into existence. When the white haze cleared, both the Orb and the forcefield were gone, and the Aurora was drifting lazily down the corridor.

{{Beta particle readings are fading,}} reported Byte. {{The Aurora is beginning to dissipate.}}

Aerdan looked at Jake and Thomas. "What happened?"

Thomas pointed to a line of data on his screen. "It appears that the Orb's manifestation was enough to bring down the containment field," he said, scrolling down through the data stream.

Kane walked up the dais towards them. "How is that possible on a rotating frequency?"

Thomas stopped what he was doing and looked at Jake. Jake looked at Kane and Aerdan. "It's not possible, sir, not without dumb luck or - "

Kane frowned. "Or what?"

Jake's face was lit up with revelation. When he spoke, it was with something akin to awe. "Or an ability to detect and predict the next cycle in the forcefield's frequency rotation."

"But, Commander, that would mean that these subspace leaks are - "

"Yes, Captain. Intelligent."

There was general silence as the weight of what was being said settled on everyone. Finally, Kane spoke. "Senior staff meeting in ten minutes."

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NRPG: Is it possible that the Orb, somehow detecting that the Aurora was trapped, manifested itself, predicted the cycle of the containment field's frequency rotation, and then zapped the field using its own power? Or is there another explanation? Meanwhile, what skullduggery is afoot in the Cargo Bay Three?


Jerome McKee
the Soul of Captain Michael Turlogh Kane
Commanding Officer
USS Phoenix


"He speaks an infinite deal of nothing!"
- Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice", Act 1, Scene 1.117

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