Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

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Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4595Post Kersare
Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:07 am

OOC: Mission 24 Day 1 = Shoreleave Mission 23 Day 6. I will be leaving Mission 23 up so that the in progress JPs can still be finished/posted. Feel free to be posting in both missions for now and I'll give a forewarning when Mission 23 will be closing. Let me know of any outstanding JPs you have (other than the ones people have with me, which I know about ;) ).

ON:
<<USS Malinche, Ready Room, Day 1, 1945>>

Isabel had returned to the Malinche about ten minutes ago after having one more dinner with her parents. As soon as she'd arrived, she was told there was an Admiral waiting for her in her Ready Room so she made her way there quickly. The doors slid open quietly; Isabel moved inside and put her bag on the floor near the door before taking a seat at her desk. "Good evening, Admiral Tavez (PNPC); I apologize for the delay... I was just coming aboard and was informed you were waiting for me."

"Captain," Olivia replied with a nod and brief smile. "I realize you were just getting back from your shoreleave. I wasn't waiting that long. Now that you're here, though, I do have some news. We have a mission for you and your crew. Unfortunately, it's time sensitive, so barring any additional transfers that go through in the next few hours, I'm afraid you'll have to leave even if some of your key positions aren't filled."

Although Isabel wasn't exactly surprised, she was a little disappointed. They had gained some crew while on shoreleave, but a few departments were still missing an actual Department Head. She would have to appoint Acting Chiefs then. She nodded, "I understand, Admiral. I'm sure we'll make do, but obviously we could use the additional crew as soon as possible."

"I understand. Admiral Livian (PNPC) is working on that for you. The mission itself isn't overly complicated, or at least it's not on the surface. As you know, we have outposts along the Federation/Romulan border... In the past few days, Outpost Beta 12 has gone silent. There should be three crewmembers there, but they aren't responding. We need the Malinche to go check on the outpost," Olivia explained, folding her hands in her lap.

Isabel frowned, "I take it we're being assigned because it's something that theoretically we can investigate even without a full crew?" It was hard to tell why the outpost had gone quiet. Their communications equipment could have malfunctioned, they could have been attacked, or perhaps the three crew were all sick and unable to respond. Regardless, it was something that needed looking into.

"That's part of it, yes," Olivia admitted. "However, we also know that the Malinche has investigated some...unique situations before, so we're confident that you'll be able to handle whatever ends up being the cause. Should you run into trouble and require additional assistance, we can dispatch another starship to help, but at this point, there won't be any vessels closer than six hours away, possibly even further away than that."

It was difficult to argue with the Admiral's logic. The Malinche had encountered some strange things over the years and had always been able to sort them out, one way or another. Nodding, Isabel asked, "How soon do you want us to leave?"

Olivia paused a moment, considering the question. "Sooner is better, but I realize your crew is on shoreleave. I'd say you need to leave no later than 1000 hours tomorrow, preferably sooner."

"I'll send out a recall message as soon as we finish here to get everyone back so we can be underway tomorrow morning. Is there anything else I should know?" Although the abrupt change of plans could affect some of the crew, Isabel couldn't really help that. They were assigned to a starship for a reason, after all.

Shaking her head, Olivia replied, "No. At this point, you know as much as I do about the situation. You can access the standard information about the outpost and crew now, but the actual outpost logs you'd need to look through once you arrive, as needed." Admiral Tavez stood and offered Isabel a smile, "Good luck, Captain. I'll leave you to your preparations."

"Thank you, Admiral," Isabel replied, standing as Olivia turned and left the Ready Room. Isabel tapped her comm badge, =A=Kersare to Korath...I need you to send out a recall of the Malinche crew. We've been assigned a mission and need to depart tomorrow morning. We'll be heading to Outpost Beta 12; I'll send you what information I have shortly. Kersare out.=A=

OFF: Tag Korath & crew!
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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4597Post Korath
Sun Mar 04, 2018 7:51 pm

<<USS Malinche, Bridge, Day 1, 1945>>

ON:

Korath sat in the command chair on the bridge, reading the latest fleet reports as Ba'el stood shoulder deep in the tactical station. "The long range targeting sensors are still showing a 3% misalignment in the starboard array. Are you sure we shouldn't call Engineering or have Lieutenant Kinkaid look at it?" She asked.

Korath turned toward the tactical station and shook his head. "No, make a note of it, see what you can do. If it is still an issue then we will leave it for Mr. Kinkaid to decide on what action he wants to take. He can work with Tactical to clear up the resolution in the morning."

"Aye sir." Ba'el (PNPC) said and continued with her inspection.

A few moments later the turbolift doors opened and the Captain stepped out. Korath offered a nod as she stepped onto the bridge. "Sir, Admiral Tavez is waiting in your Ready Room."

"Sir, any idea what that's all about?" the Young operations officer asked. It was still a very odd feeling referring to her Father as Sir. She was thrilled that Captain Kersare had requested her personnally. It was just that working under him was going to take some getting use to.

Korath stood and walked over to where she was working. "No. It is not common place for an admiral to make a personal visit to a starship instead of simply contacting the Captain via comms. If I were to 'bet' I would say that we are about to head into a risky situation."

"Doesn't the Admiral know that we still don't have a full compliment?" Ba'el asked.

"Yes. I am sure the Admiral is well aware of our status. However, real life is rarely as simple as the training missions at the academy. There are times were starship commanders are required to work with very little resources or back up. The Malinche has quite the reputation for handling.. Unique situations. I would not worry however, We don't know why the Admiral is here. For all you or I know The Admiral may be an old friend of the Captain's. Speculation will not avail us what ever the case may be." Before Ba'el could reply or Korath could return to his reports, the internal Comms activated.

=A=Kersare to Korath...I need you to send out a recall of the Malinche crew. We've been assigned a mission and need to depart tomorrow morning. We'll be heading to Outpost Beta 12; I'll send you what information I have shortly. Kersare out.=A=

"I guess we can stop wondering what the Admiral wanted now." Ba'el said with a slight worried look on her face.

Korath crossed the bridge to the command chair quickly and pulled up the mission details. Starfleet wanted them to investigate why Outpost Beta 12 had gone silent. In addition to that, the next nearest starship that could respond is more than six hours away. "Ensign, it would appear that the sensor calibration has just been bumped up on the priority list." He took the command chair and looked at the orders one more time. "Computer prepare to record orders and recall all personnel.

[ Ready ] the computer replied.

"Lieutenant Commander Korath to all Malinche crew; as of 1950 hours all personnel on shore leave are recalled to the ship. All Department heads are to ready their Departments for launch and have their readiness reports filed with the XO by 0730. Malinche is scheduled to depart at 1000 hours. That is all." He proofread the highlighted text on the display next to him and nodded. "Computer deliver the orders and log a copy of our estimated departure time with space dock control."

[Acknowledged] the computer replied.

As several junior officers turned briefly to look at Korath before returning their attention to their posts and busied themselves with pre launch checklists, Korath nodded to Ba'el. "Ensign you have the bridge. I will be in engineering."

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4603Post Korath
Thu Mar 08, 2018 3:29 am

ON:
<< USS Malinche, Main Engineering, Day 1, 2015 hours >>

Korath stepped off the turbolift and down the short corridor to engineering. This was the first time he had made the trip down here since he came aboard. Engineering itself was smaller than that of the ships he had served on previously, with maybe the exception of the Luna class. It was however far more advanced than that of the Akira class. “Ensign, can you tell me where I can find Commander Tournneau?” The Klingon asked, stopping an engineer as she passed.

“Yes, sir, the Chief is in the primary alcove, to the left.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Korath nodded before making his way around the bee hive of activity to stand next to the Chief Engineer. “Commander, I trust you heard the recall notice? What is our engineering status?”

Lt. Cdr. Tournneau was standing in the alcove, studying a holographic representation of the ship’s plasma distribution network. Derek turned and looked up to the XO. “Ah, good evening, Korath. Yes, I’ve been going over the ship since the Spacedock crew reported that they were done earlier this morning. I also recalled the lead members of my department early at that point, so most of my junior officers have also been at it for a few hours now.

“Everything looks to be shipshape,” Derek continued, “The cores have been refurbished - there were a few nano fractures that were repaired. The dilithium lattice has been replaced; the new crystals only show a 0.001 percent degradation rate, so they are absolutely pristine. All structural repairs have been completed, and all equipment requisitions have been filled. She’s as good as she was two years ago when she left refit.” Derek chuckled. “In some ways, we’re better off. We still had a few unfinished labs and decks when I was sent out the first time two years ago.”

Korath studied the hologram before him for a moment as he listened to the status report. It was times like this when he was glad he had taken that Engineering Extension course at the Academy. With the ship currently short handed, they couldn’t afford to worry about the Malinche herself being under par. “Good. StarFleet is ordering us to the Romulan border to investigate one of our outposts we’ve lost contact with. Until we know what happened, there is a chance we may be required to enter combat. Have you run simulations on how the ship will handle the new system changes in multi vector assault mode?” Any other officer would likely assume that it was too early to be considering combat without knowing what had happened to the outpost, but his instincts told him that Command would not send a tactical cruiser to investigate a simple case of lost communications without considering that her capabilities may be needed.

“Yes, all systems appear to be running nominally. Multi-vector linkages all come back green, and the warp plasma transfer system is active and balancing power levels well within tolerances. All tactical systems are operational, and we are fully stocked with standard photons and quantum torpedoes.” Derek produced a PADD from one of the many pockets of his open jacket. “Here’s the full system report. We’re ready to go once the crew is aboard.”

“Excellent. Now that the Status report is out of the way, I need you to enter into some speculation. What could likely cause a communication blackout in such a way that the crew aboard the outpost may not be able to repair without a starship?”

“Hmm…well, there aren’t many possibilities, and none of them are very good. Computer, pull up a schematic of a standard Federation listening post.” The hologram of the ship was replaced by a rotating space station. Derek studied it for a moment.

“Well, you see - there should be many redundant systems in place to prevent a radio blackout. Even if there is a power failure or attack, an emergency beacon is supposed to be launched to notify Starfleet of a problem. If it was destroyed outright, the core implosion would have left a subspace signature that we would have detected. If there was a comms system failure they would have been able to launch the beacon.”

Derek frowned at the hologram and turned back to Korath. “I hate to say it, but it seems very likely that something has happened to the crew. It just seems odd - the Romulan border has been very quiet of late.”

“Perhaps; but it does sound odd that if the Romulans would be the cause that no one had gotten off a warning before hand. The defensive systems on the outpost are minimal, but I find it hard to believe that even a warbird could have breached their defenses without the crew alerting starfleet of the danger.” Those statements themselves left an uneasy feeling in the Klingon's gut.

“Maybe an insurgent group? Or a new third party to the conflict?” Derek shook his head. “Impossible to know - all we can do is make sure that we, and the ship, are ready for any encounter.”

Korath nodded. “Indeed. Keep me informed of any changes to our readiness. I won't keep you any longer Commander.”

“Understood, sir.” Derek turned back to the hologram, now flummoxed by this new puzzle. “I’ll start running some simulations on this as well, see if there’s anything benign that would explain the situation.”

“Good thinking. I will be on the bridge if you need me.” The Klingon said with a nod before he turned to let Derek work.

OFF:

JP brought to you by:

Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4608Post Quinn
Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:54 pm

ON:

<< USS Malinche, Deck 7, Section Beta, Day 1, 1949 hours >>


Elle had now walked the ship from stem to stern... almost. Her last stop for the day had been Shuttlebay Control. Three workbees, four Type 9 shuttle craft, a Type 11, an Argo-class transport and a Delta Flyer Runabout. The embarked vessels selected to comprise the Malinche's complement of auxiliary craft were all sound choices. She'd not yet made it to Operations, nor to the Senior Staff offices, but there was still time. Elle had already reacquainted herself with the Prometheus-class specs, and with how the Malinche differed from the simulations she'd flown while at the Academy. Getting to know the ship's every corridor firsthand was just "icing on the cake", so to speak. Elle paused. Although fascinated by Earth culture from the late 20th and early 21st centuries, she'd have to think of another idiom. Find a better turn of phrase. She hated cake. And icing. Disgusting, both. Savory over sweet any day.

Elle would have made more progress in her private walking tour too, had her first night aboard not bled into the following morning... and had it not been spent recovering from the effects of Klingon Blood Wine. "Never again," Elle said to herself, shaking her head, thankful that her own internal "inertial dampers" were finally back up and running at full strength. On the plus side, upon returning to her quarters after her thrilling participation in a Battle of Qam-Chee holodeck training program, and her subsequently unwise (over)sampling of the XO's Blood Wine, Elle slept like she hadn't slept in weeks. Meaning semi-soundly... for an insomniac. In any case, she was relatively rested at last. Her eyes were wide open now. And it was then that the announcement came.

[ "Lieutenant Commander Korath to all Malinche crew; as of 1950 hours all personnel on shore leave are recalled to the ship. All Department heads are to ready their Departments for launch and have their readiness reports filed with the XO by 0730. Malinche is scheduled to depart at 1000 hours. That is all." ]

Elle looked up at the ceiling as she listened, visualizing the recall of the crew as though they were all immediately returning at that very moment. She had been headed back to her quarters, but because the CFCO's office was also on Deck 7, Elle decided to change course. And although she'd only quickly scanned the Flight Conn roster, Elle was almost certain that there had yet to be a Chief of Flight Control appointed. Seeing as how she'd since survived meeting with both Captain Kersare and Lieutenant Commander Korath without being court-martialed, Elle decided to continue pressing her luck. Perhaps it was high time to make herself known to fellow Flight Control Officers too... if there were any others aboard, that is.

<< USS Malinche, Office of the CFCO, Deck 7, Section Beta, Day 1, 1956 hours >>

Elle made her way to the CFCO's office, and quickly sounded the chime... but no response came. Elle waited for a brief, suddenly interminable moment, then made a move to open the door — before sensing someone approach.

"Ensign."


Elle turned to face a woman about a head shorter than she was. The woman's jade eyes made for an incisive gaze and a striking sight. As did her deep red curls. Deep Red, highly-stylized Horror film from the late 20th century. Italian Giallo genre. Directed by Dario Argento. Music by Goblin. Great musical score in that one, Elle thought to herself, momentarily distracted.

"Ensign... Sa-or-see Quinn, is it? Just transferred from the New York?"

"Saoirse Quinn," Elle said, suddenly snapping out of it. "It's more like Seer-sha, Lieutenant..." Dorn. Doran. Doram. "... Lieutenant Doram. And aye, sir!"

Although nominally the Astronavigation Specialist, Melanie Doram was the department's ranking officer, and thus, Acting Chief Flight Controller as well. Doram nodded in response, "Apologies for butchering your name, Ensign."

Elle stood at attention, managing to appear even taller somehow. "The call to return from shoreleave prompted me to... um, report in, sir."

"I heard. My readiness report for Flight Conn is due at 0730 hours. And you're early."

"I'm ready... um, already, sir."
Already overly into it too, Elle chastised herself. It's barely Day One, Elle. Don't make everyone hate you right away.

"Good," Lieutenant Doram nodded and extended her hand. "And it's good to meet you. Ensign Sychorski will soon be back from shoreleave as well. We'll all have the chance to meet, and review in brief, how things stand now, and how we'll approach things going forward."

Upon shaking Doram's hand, Elle took a deep breath, but began speaking before she even realized it, "I'd like to be the one to bring the Malinche out of Spacedock — if I may, sir."

Doram smiled. This Quinn was eager to get started. Doram had been there herself, not too too long ago. Sychorski usually pressed for the best hours and preferred shifts, but with the ship understaffed, it was often difficult to grant such specific requests. Yet Quinn was here and appeared so... earnest.

"Very well, the first rotation is yours."

Elle did not even fight the lopsided grin that emerged in answer. There was no need. Instead, she just said softly under her breath, "Yes, it is....


OFF:

Lieutenant JG Melanie Doram (NPC)
Astronavigation Specialist
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
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USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4611Post Kersare
Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:53 am

ON:

<<USS Malinche, CO's Quarters, Day 2, 0730>>

Isabel blinked slowly as she woke, glancing up at the ceiling. At first she wasn't sure what exactly had woken her, but then she heard someone in the main part of her quarters. Derek (PNPC). Or so she assumed. Someone else wouldn't have just come in...well, other than her new Chief Operations Officer perhaps. She stretched and then slipped out of bed.

"Isabel?" Derek's voice called out to her as he walked into the bedroom. Seeing her, he smiled and moved closer, kissing her cheek, "Good morning; I just got back and came straight here. I understand we have our next mission? Something about an Outpost that's gone quiet?"

Nodding slowly, Isabel confirmed what her husband had heard. Until she'd gotten in the sonic shower and had some mocha or tea, she wouldn't feel fully awake. Derek generally knew better than to ask her too many questions before those things happened. "That's right. We leave in a couple hours," she replied simply as she moved towards the bathroom, slipped out of her sleep shirt, and stepped into the sonic shower.

"And I take it we'll be going understaffed, as usual. Is Sirak (NPC) in charge of Security/Tactical for now? I heard that Awen got transferred," Derek called out loudly enough that Isabel could still hear. He walked back into the main room and headed for the replicator, "Two mochas in mugs, hot."

"Yes, yes, and yes." A few minutes later, Isabel stepped out of the shower and went to her closet, pulling out a fresh uniform. The shower helped immensely; she was already feeling more ready for the day. She found Derek in the main room, where he handed her one of the mugs of mocha. "Thank you," she said, smiling. "And how was your shoreleave?"

Derek shrugged, "Nothing exciting, really. Caught up with my family, checked out some of the improvements they've made since I last visited. It still feels like they keep me at arm's length, ever since I was liberated from the Borg. I suppose I can't blame them, but am I really that different? I thought I'd done pretty well at getting back to who I was for the most part and it's not as if I still have any noticeable Borg devices on me."

"They've not really seen how far you've come from when we first found you. They might never completely get over the fact that you were assimilated; there's not much you can do about that," Isabel answered truthfully. "Maybe next time you should come with me. I visited my parents in Barcelona; the city is quite beautiful and they have a lovely place in the Gothic Quarter. And I went to the Academy as well - met with some former professors and classmates, had a look around... It was nice."

"It does sound nice. Perhaps next time I will join you, though who knows when that might be..."

<<Bridge, Day 2, 0955>>

Isabel had bounced around between her Ready Room and the Bridge for the past hour, making final arrangements. The ship itself had been signed off on by Derek the day before and Isabel had taken a late night stroll around the ship just to get a feel for things. PADD in hand, she glanced around the Bridge at the various officers assembled. Isabel raised an eyebrow as she noticed Elle at the Flight Control console - apparently she'd convinced Melanie (NPC) to let her pilot the ship out of Spacedock.

Turning to Korath, Isabel said, "Good morning Commander; is everyone aboard and ready for departure? I'd like us to get underway as soon as possible." Somehow she had a feeling that it wasn't even a question - Korath would have ensured it was taken care of - but officially she still felt she should ask. "Also, Ensign Quinn, please verify that we're ready to depart and get clearance from Spacedock so that we can leave."

OFF: Tag crew! Direct tags for Korath/Elle...I presume Cade would be on the bridge...Derek could be on the bridge or in main engineering, presumably.
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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4612Post Korath
Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:13 pm

On:
<< Operations Office, USS Malinche, Day 2, 0900>>

Ba'el (PNPC) was both excited and a little worried now that the Malinche had been ordered back to active duty. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she stepped through the doors to the Operations Office. A PADD rested under her elbow as she nodded to the man sitting at the desk. "Lieutenant Kinkaid. Hello, my name is Ba'el. I've been assigned to the Malinche as the Junior Operations Officer," she said with a somewhat self conscious inflection. it was no secret who the XO was by now. Even if he had not read her record and seen the listing, it was hard to miss the fact she was the only other Klingon aboard at present or the resemblance.

Looking up from his computer, Douglas smiled. Standing, he welcomed the Klingon to his office with a simple, "Ensign." Then, indicating one of the chairs added, "Please. Sit." He did as he'd suggested, re-taking his own seat and leaning back. Ba'el was the most attractive Klingon he'd ever met. Which wasn't saying a great deal, given that she was only the second he'd met in his life, and the other was her father. Where Korath was all hard-block Klingon warrior, Ba'el appeared to be much more feminine - which meant she was only hard as stone rather than diamond. Cade had few doubts his assistant could break him with a hard look. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ensign. I met your father a few days ago. He's... quite the individual." Douglas smiled. "I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to meet before this. There is plenty of business to discuss, but first I'd like to get to know you a little. We're going to be working with one another fairly closely. I'd like to know what you see as your strengths, your weaknesses..." He trailed off, his earlier conversation with the ship's Executive Officer in mind. "And why did you choose to serve Starfleet?"

"Thank you sir. It is a pleasure to meet you as well." Her face fell a little at the mention of her father. It was true their relationship had improved in the last couple of years, but there was still a lot of hurt and distrust there. "He... is indeed sir. Trust me I know that ALL too well. You wanted to know why I joined starfleet? As much as it sounds odd in light of the tension between us; I joined because of my father. He had always been so busy with work when I was younger. With my mother being... deceased, I wanted to see what he found so intriguing. I'm hard working and an expert in computer sciences, a decent pilot and a pretty competent mechanic. If i had to choose one weakness as it were, it would be that I do not DO well with Klingons sir."

Douglas raised an eyebrow at that news. He hadn't been expecting that answer. "It won't be a problem will it? You and your father serving together?" He tried to imagine serving on the same ship as Angie and couldn't imagine it would be a problem. Noelle...

"It won't effect my duties sir, if that is what you are worried about. Let's just say he wasn't the most present when I was a child. After my mother died, he and I didn't really talk much. I stayed with family on earth since I was ten. Maybe things will actually work out now that he can't actually run far aboard ship," she mused.

Amused at the woman's suggestion, Douglas smiled slightly. "Thank you for your honesty, ensign." Cade took a deep breath. He straightened in his chair, then leaned slightly to the left to seek a more comfortable position. "I'll be honest with you, Ba'el - can I call you Ba'el?"

She made a wry smile. "That is my name sir," she replied.

"Let me be honest with you. This ship, and especially this department, is under-staffed. Under ordinary circumstances I would rely on my assistant chief to serve as my devil's advocate. The person willing to stand up to me and say, 'I think you need to re-think that.'" He paused, eyes sliding away from the Klingon across from him until they reached a point on the wall. Finally, he returned his attention to her fully. "I think that is an important position. I'm not going to make you acting ACOO at this juncture - I don't know you well enough," Cade admitted, "and besides, that's not a decision I'm comfortable making right out the gate." The human nodded, more for his own benefit than hers. "But I do want someone who is able and willing to fill that role." Straightening again he asked, "Are you willing to fill that role?"

"I'm confident I'm up to the challenge sir." she said after a few moments. "That being said, what is our first task?" She knew what he had said was no small feat. Running the operations of a single starship with a reduced staff was hard enough. running the operational needs of three separate starships at once with the same reduced staff was going to be a mammoth undertaking.

"The ship's?" He shook his head. "I think I'll leave that for the captain to announce. But if you're asking about the department, our first step it to cover every system. I want to find a baseline to work from. If there are any problems or oddities, I want to know about them." He half-spun in his chair, indicating the screen. After a moment the screen revealed a version of the ship, partially overlapped by a semi-translucent version. "I discovered this yesterday night. It's a sensor echo that only appears when we run power through tertiary sub-systems in Beta Section." He'd discovered the the echo by accident, but he was curious about what had caused it nonetheless. "I'd like to find out what's causing it, even if we can't be rid of it."

Ba'el thought about the problem for a moment as she studied the image. "Off hand, I'd say it could be a bad plasma coil, or a blown sensor pallet imaging array; maybe even a worn tertiary sub processor or Gel pack. Korath and I did find a slight misalignment of the port sensor array last night."

"Excellent." He frowned at his own words. "Well." Cade turned back to face her fully. "You know what I mean. Let's see if we can't get that taken care of, or at least make sure it's not going to cause major issues." He was in the process of developing a list to go over with Commander Tournneau. He hadn't had a chance to meet the Second Officer yet, but when he preferred to have evidence that he'd been busy. "Unless there's anything else, I have to get to the bridge. We're heading out in a few minutes." He offered her a half-smile.

"Understood sir. With your permission I'll look into the imaging array." She said as she waited for his go ahead before she turned to leave.

OFF: JP by:

Lieutenant Douglas "Cade" Kinkaid
Chief Opperations Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

Ensign Ba'el (Pnpc)
Operations Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
played by:
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Lieutenant Commander Korath
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USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4614Post Quinn
Sun Apr 01, 2018 7:54 pm

ON:

<< USS Malinche, Bridge, Day 2, 0935 >>


As the turbolift rose to the bridge, Elle stood up straight and straightened her uniform. It was all going to go well. Going forward, she would be the model of professionalism. Decorum. And this time, she'd let her talents and skills speak for themselves. She'd be at the helm of a Prometheus-class and.... Elle let her eyes flit over to Douglas Kinkaid. She'd stood in silence next to the man for nearly the entire — admittedly brief — duration of the turbolift ride. For a moment, she contemplated touching his hand... for something. She didn't know what. For luck? Maybe. Instead, while trying to prevent her expression from betraying even a hint of the humor in her words, Elle allowed herself a wisecrack, "Don't get us stuck in this turbolift, sir."

Cade didn't react immediately. Instead he stared ahead at the turbolift wall. Eventually, he half-turned to her, "Don't wanna get stuck in here with me?" He smirked, winked, and looked away — perhaps a bit too quickly.

Elle's eyes widened a bit. She hadn't expected Cade to answer quite that way — and with a wink no less. Then she registered the smirk that had preceded it, and tried hard to keep a straight face herself. She wanted to get the last word in... but they'd nearly reached the bridge.

"Now I don't know if I'd say that, —" suddenly the turbolift doors parted, "— sir."

Korath sat in the Command Chair on the Bridge looking over readiness reports as the turbolift doors opened and Lieutenant Kinkaid and Ensign Quinn exited. The Klingon gave a curt nod to both, as they took their stations. The bridge was rife with activity as the crew ran through last minute checks and preparations. To his satisfaction all departments, but Helm and Operations, had reported ready for launch and with twenty five minutes to spare. "Good morning, Lieutenant, Ensign."

"Sir." Cade inclined his head. He moved with the confidence of a man who'd been doing his job for years, though — as was always the case when he first took a post — inside he was a bundle of nervous energy. Matters were made worse by the fact that Ellie was present. And worse still by the fact that he wasn't entirely sure why that made it worse. Pushing such thoughts aside, he took his station at Ops. "'Morning." At least he was in a good mood, he supposed — that, too, largely thanks to Ellie, though he'd never have admitted that aloud. And it certainly didn't hurt that he was serving on one of Starfleet's lead starships either.

Elle returned Lieutenant Commander Korath's nod as she moved to the Conn station at the front of the bridge, "Good morning, sir." Even sitting in the Command Chair, the Klingon cut an imposing figure. Elle was secretly glad that there was someone on the bridge taller than she was. Despite wanting to share a smile with Cade as she assumed her post, Elle resisted the urge and instead went about her work quickly. "Lieutenant Doram's earlier readiness report is largely unchanged from this morning, sir. Three Duty shifts remain in place, but Lieutenant Doram, Ensign Sychorski and I will be rotating into Swing Shift and Night Watch as needed, once we reach Outpost Beta 12. Flight systems are functioning nominally — unless Chief Kinkaid knows otherwise."

"Lieutenant, what is our Operational status?"

"We're looking at ninety-eight point three percent efficiency." Cade glanced at Ellie, "Flight's green across the board." Turning back to Korath he explained, "We're running a system-wide check in Operations. The test is scheduled to last another," he skimmed the board before him, "seventeen minutes, then we'll be at one hundred."

"Very good. Ensign, you may begin your pre-flight check and warm up the impulse reactors," Korath said, nodding to Helm. He then turned his attention to ops. "I trust the tests will not interfere with our scheduled launch time of 1000 Hours?" the Klingon asked, as he stepped to just in front of both con and ops. "The captain wants to leave spacedock by then. I intend to have us ready before that. "

"There should be no effect, Commander," Cade reassured his superior, "even if the check isn't complete. We're in shipshape."

Elle had met Cade's glance, but for only a moment. She quickly turned her attention to the Flight Conn console, and nodded as she answered Commander Korath. "Aye, sir. Pre-flight check is now underway. Activating impulse reactors."

"Good work. Let me know when the reactors are ready," Korath nodded. "Mr. Kinkaid, prioritize long range sensors. Whatever made the listening post go quiet, I want to know with advanced warning."

<< Bridge, Day 2, 0955 >>

Isabel had bounced around between her Ready Room and the Bridge for the past hour, making final arrangements. The ship itself had been signed off on by Derek the day before and Isabel had taken a late night stroll around the ship just to get a feel for things. PADD in hand, she glanced around the Bridge at the various officers assembled. Isabel raised an eyebrow as she noticed Elle at the Flight Control console — apparently she'd convinced Melanie (NPC) to let her pilot the ship out of Spacedock.

Turning to Korath, Isabel said, "Good morning Commander; is everyone aboard and ready for departure? I'd like us to get underway as soon as possible." Somehow she had a feeling that it wasn't even a question — Korath would have ensured it was taken care of - but officially she still felt she should ask. "Also, Ensign Quinn, please verify that we're ready to depart and get clearance from Spacedock so that we can leave."

"Good Morning sir," Korath said. "All departments have reported that they are ready for departure. Pre-flight and impulse warm up sequence is already underway."


OFF:

Joint Post by:

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

Lieutenant Douglas "Cade" Kinkaid
Chief Operations Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and
Last edited by Quinn on Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
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USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4615Post Quinn
Sun Apr 01, 2018 10:29 pm

ON:

<< USS Malinche, Bridge, Day 2, 0956 hours >>


"Also, Ensign Quinn," Captain Kersare said, "please verify that we're ready to depart and get clearance from Spacedock so that we can leave."

"Aye, sir." Elle answered, making no effort to conceal her excitement, the corner of her mouth curling up into a crooked grin as she spoke.

Then, as if on cue, came the communiqué, =A= "This is Tournneau - Engineering reports ready. All three compartments report nominal status; full thruster control, impulse and maximum warp are at your disposal." =A=

With that, Commander Korath said to Kersare, "All departments have reported that they are ready for departure. Pre-flight and impulse warm up sequence is already underway."

And it was as the Klingon confirmed, for Elle was now finishing the final few tasks, "Auto systems engaged. Running lights on." External lighting at various sections of the ship began winking on in sequence. Fittingly, the last lamp lit was that which illuminated the ship's name and registry: USS Malinche NCC-38997-A.

Then she hailed the dockmaster, "Spacedock Control, this is the Malinche, requesting permission to depart." By-the-book, Elle. There was no need to keep her own bravado at Warp-Factor Kirk at all times, and there was no need to hit one-quarter impulse while the space doors were still shut.

The dockmaster's confirmation came a moment later, "This is Control, Malinche. Permission to depart granted. Thirty seconds for port gates."

Isabel listened to the exchange between the Spacedock dockmaster and Elle quietly. At the moment there was no need for her to step in - the Malinche's newest Flight Officer was handling things properly. She leaned back in her chair and simply nodded to the Ensign, implicitly giving her permission to respond.

With only her eyes, Elle looked over to Captain Kersare, before answering, "Malinche confirms." Then Elle allowed her gaze to flit ever so briefly over to Chief Kinkaid, to see if he had been watching her, before weighing anchor. "All mooring beams deactivated and clear."

"Standard undocking flight maneuvers, Ms. Quinn. Make sure we're completely clear of Earth Spacedock and any ship traffic, then bring us to half impulse power. Gradually increase speed to full impulse and once we're at an appropriate distance, we'll go to warp," Isabel said calmly, arms resting on the arm rests.

Then the luminous, sky blue paneled space doors ahead began to part. And Elle's smile grew, as she traced her fingers along the Flight Conn console's manual controls. "Aft thrusters engaged." And with that, the ship began to glide forward gracefully.

It may have been her imagination, but the Prometheus-class felt demonstrably more agile, and more responsive to her touch than the Nebula-class New York had been. Clearly inside Elle's head too, although no less stirring because of it, was the soaring, but imaginary, orchestral fanfare that accompanied the Malinche's first steps in her new mission.

As the starship passed the viewports of Spacedock's inner circumference, officers and enlisted men alike took pause from their work to watch her depart. To Elle, as she once described it to a disinterested classmate back at the Academy, the Prometheus-class appeared as an angular, stylized squid, navigating the black of space, as deftly as the sea-creature darted through the deep. And so, despite the Malinche's massive scale making its exit a tight fit, under Elle's guidance, the ship flew true.

"New beginning and a fresh start," Elle said to herself softly. She turned to the Captain and Korath... and to Kinkaid. "We have cleared space-doors," Elle announced, beaming. "Course heading, Captain?"

Nodding, Isabel replied, "Continue as I instructed previously, Ensign. After that, set a course for Outpost Beta 12 - heading 42 mark 216 at warp seven. Engage when ready." They weren't entirely sure what the situation was at the outpost, only that they weren't responding. She couldn't entirely justify maximum warp, but low warp would take too long for her liking as well. Perhaps they would find nothing amiss, but Isabel had to admit she had a bad feeling about it.

Elle gritted her teeth slightly as she turned back to the Conn console. She hadn't meant to ask the Captain to repeat herself. Still, everything was going smoothly. "Aye, sir."

As the vessel cleared Spacedock, Elle saw that the New York was making its departure as well, with the Nebula-class ship receding into the distance, having taken a wide turn in a direction opposite the Malinche's own. Apt. And for the briefest of moments, Elle imagined veering off to buzz the New York's bridge before engaging warp drive. She smiled, as the flight of fancy passed like a playful shadow. "All ship traffic clear, sir." All was well. "We are at half-impulse power." And by-the-book.

Elle brought the starship about, her fingers moving nimbly at the controls. "We are now at full impulse. Setting course for Outpost Beta 12... heading 42, mark 216."

From Spacedock, "Warp Seven —" the Malinche appeared majestically silhouetted against the sun, " — engaged."

Suddenly stars became starlines and a vortex of blue enveloped the Malinche. Now they had a mystery to solve.


OFF:

Joint Post by:

Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and
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Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4617Post Quinn
Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:29 pm

OFF: This is a BackPost.

ON:

<< USS Malinche, Deck 03-Alpha - Day 1 - 2120 >>


Cade studied the file in his hand. The image of the woman looking back at him was attractive - blonde, a number of years younger than him, and one he hadn't managed to get out of his mind since first meeting her. Ensign Saoirse Eleanor Quinn. Ellie. Their initial meeting had not come long before, but she had made quite the impression on him. He had been serving as Chief of Operations on Outpost 8013 at the time and she had gotten stuck on one of the lifts. He'd managed to get her out, and the two had formed a-

He wasn't, to be frank, sure of what their relationship was. They'd kissed once, and that had been... pleasant. But had it been a 'thank you' kiss? A kiss of potential interest? A kiss between friends, or one between potential lovers? His experience with relationships was quite limited, and his single long-term relationship had been with someone only too willing to be the dominant partner to a largely accepting Douglas. It hadn't been that he wasn't interested, merely that he lacked any particular understanding of relationships. Not much had changed.

Standing, the officer walked over to his office's replicator and stood before it in silence. He wanted to surprise her. She was new to the ship, probably didn't know anyone. And she would almost certainly lack the confidence of a long-time Starfleet officer. And yet he wasn't sure what he could bring her. A housewarming gift? A bottle of Romulan ale? (He could picture just how well that would go over.) Ultimately he settled on a flower - but what kind? A rose, he decided. "Computer, a rose, please. Ah," he hesitated. "Make it a glass rose." That way it would never die.

The rose was beautiful, twisting upward into gentle, airlike petals. "Beautiful," he murmured. Then, "Thank you." He winced. He always found himself thanking the computer. It seemed bizarre, even to him. Fortunately, no one had ever noticed or, at the very least, commented on it.

<< USS Malinche, Deck 04-Alpha - Day 1 - 2131 >>

At the entrance to Quinn's quarters Kinkaid stopped. He pulled down his blouse to ensure there were no creases, ran a hand through his hair and - realizing what he was doing - felt remarkably foolish. "What are you doin', Cade?" he muttered. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves - Why are you nervous? - he pressed the chime on the door. For a moment he had the desire to bolt, but he suppressed it. Why was it so hard for him to talk to Ellie one-on-one, when he had no problem showing off his archery skills before a stadium full of aliens?

"New beginnings. Fresh start," Elle said to herself. She was going to do everything right this time. "New beginnings, fresh start," Elle repeated, as she finished unpacking her few possessions. Her quarters were a little... cozy, let's say, but that didn't much matter to Elle. At least she still had a room to herself.

With her "Tribute-Vintage" Korg keyboard set up in the corner, Elle placed the only two family holo-images she still had on her nightstand. The first holo depicted Elle as a child, not much more than ten or eleven years old, on the Harvard campus, holding the hands of her parents. Her mother's face was turned toward Elle, dotingly, but her father's gaze was far off, distant and preoccupied. The second holo-image showed Elle at her Starfleet Academy graduation just two years ago, towering over her mother. Elle frowned and adjusted the angle of the holo-emitter just so. Again. Once more. And... done. "Huzzah," Elle said aloud.

She absentmindedly reached out to her keyboard for a little celebratory flourish. "To new beginnings and a fresh start." Middle C? Ha! An appropriate place to start anew. Elle hit the key... and it sounded... "Weird." Wait. That was the door chime. She scolded herself, "Wow, way to be an idiot, genius."

Elle stepped over to her locked door and hesitated. Was it Lieutenant Doram? Perhaps with some specific orders for tomorrow? What if it was Captain Kersare? Should she change into her uniform then? Elle was about to go for a run, so as to burn off the excited, excess energy she felt at getting first rotation — and to revel in the silly pride she felt at being the one to bring the Malinche out of Spacedock. But her leggings and ratty tank-top didn't exactly scream "consummate professional", nor provide proof that Elle had turned over a new leaf. Maybe the Captain had come to her senses, and was coming to rescind Elle's transfer after all. Yikes. "Stop it. Stop being so paranoid. Don't be insane," Elle said aloud. Then she laughed, someday her brain would listen to her. Someday.

As she approached the door, Elle addressed whomever was on the other side, "I'm sorry, I thought the door was my keyboard." Elle shook her head, "Computer, unlock." The door slid open. "What I meant to say was that I thought you were my —"

Elle's eyes widened "— my — " and she almost kissed the man again, right then and there, "— Cade!"

Startled by the sudden opening of the door, Douglas forced a smile on his face. "Uh," he blinked. Flower, dummy. He lifted the glass flower, grinned. "Por vous."

Merci. Be clever. "Mercy." Elle shut her eyes, "I mean... w-what are you doing here, sir?" Suddenly, she was knee-deep in imaginary scenarios. "Am I still on Outpost 8013? Did I get court-martialed and pass out? Holy Hell, am I in a coma or something? Are you trying to wake me up?"

Then Elle opened her eyes and looked Cade right in his. "I'm awake," she said. His eyes were as honest and genuine now as they were the night the two first met, when Elle finally felt okay even while fumbling for words. When, for the first time in a long time, Elle felt like she wasn't being judged. When the two stayed up chatting through sunrise and into late afternoon without realizing it, right before Elle was ordered to return to the New York. When, at the very last moment before quite literally running into a shuttle back to the ship, Elle impulsively kissed Cade, convinced her Starfleet career was over and that she might never see the final frontier, nor Cade, ever again.

If Elle actually had any close friends to tell, she might have been embarrassed to reveal that it had been her first real kiss. She never had time for boys then, let alone gentleman callers now. And Cade was certainly... a gentleman. Her cheeks felt flush, and her heart was racing. "I'm going to have a heart attack," she said under her breath.

Only then did she see the lovely glass flower he held aloft for her. Elle smiled, "I'm going to have a heart attack."

"Please don't." Douglas smiled. "I saw you'd been transferred here. To the Malinche, I mean. I wanted to-" See you again. Kiss you again "-see how you were settling in." She was so tall. And attractive. Being in her presence made him nervous in a way no one else ever had. Forcing himself to break eye contact with the woman, he peered past her into the small quarters she had been provided. They were half the size of his own, maybe less.

A mental fantasy played through his head where Cade asked the woman to stay in his quarters, but he quickly dismissed it, embarrassed by the very thought. "It's..." The officer looked back up into her eyes. Beautiful. "We're... not on duty," he pointed out. "You can call me Cade, remember?" His smiled turned almost nervous. "It's nice to see you, Ellie." I missed you. That thought caught him by surprised. He pushed it away, recognizing the hint of lust for what it was.

Elle thought she saw something fleeting but fiery in Cade's eyes that she didn't recognize, but any qualms about whatever it was soon got washed away by warm memories of the night they met. "I remember," she said in response. "It's nice to see you too, sir — Cade, I mean." Elle smiled. "Actually, it's a lot better than nice. I didn't think I would. See you again, I mean. See any of it. See what comes next... for me, for Starfleet — I wasn't sure I'd last long enough to see the new frontier."

Elle placed her hand on her chest and took a breath, "But here I am! I dodged the boot." Elle then made a flying motion with her arms and shoulders that she hoped conveyed "evasive maneuvers," but looked instead like file-holos of awkward late 20th century Earth dancing. "And don't worry. I'll try to stay alive. They need somebody good to fly this bird." She reached for the glass rose with her other hand, "And thank you. Glass flora's my favorite — I can't kill it."

How did Cade know she had a "black thumb" — Elle hadn't told him that she was terrible with both plants and pets, had she? Yet he knew! As she clasped the rose, their hands touched. And Elle was just sentimental enough to think the static from scuffling her running shoes on the carpet was a spark. Her heart was racing again. Then something dawned on her (belatedly), and she gasped.

"Wait... you're on the Malinche. You're stationed here now? With me! I mean, not with me, I mean, um...." Elle sighed, appeared to fight the urge for a moment... before giving in. Suddenly she hugged Cade tightly, pressing the glass flower between them.

She held on, lingering for a long moment, before saying wryly, "So you blew up the Outpost, huh?"

Cade didn't want to let the woman go. The feel of her against his body and, yes, the smell of her in his nostrils made him feel...

But he did allow her to pull away, placing a look of mock hurt on his face. "I defy you to find any evidence that it was me." The look remained a moment longer before he broke into a broad grin. "Well. Just me. There were at least three other people involved." The officer, still grinning, shook his head. Outpost 8013 had been trouble from day one, though together with Engineering he'd done a remarkable job keeping the station from falling apart during his tenure. The two departments had been forced to work even more closely than normal there given the difficulties of working with aging, alien technology, coupled with the Federation's later add-ons. A single misstep in either department could have resulted in a piece of the hull plating coming loose, or power draining into subsystems that went nowhere.

Kinkaid gripped the young woman by the arm, not quite willing to lose contact yet. What's that about? "I'm Ops," he affirmed. "Like I said: I saw your name and wanted to make sure you'd been welcomed. By a friendly face, I mean. The Exo's friendly, but his face isn't, and the captain," he looked around conspiratorially before continuing, "she may look friendly, but she's a tiger." The man made a clawing motion in her direction, but followed it up with a laugh and a wink to be sure she knew he was kidding. "I'm glad to see you dodged that boot, Ellie. How did you dodge it anyway? Last I heard you were expecting something like a full court martial, maybe execution by being thrown into a black hole. That sorta thing."

Elle laughed, "To be honest, I'm not exactly sure how I escaped." She furrowed her brow, "I mean, I was... um, like I usually am, at my disciplinary hearing — meaning terrible, of course — I just kept digging myself a deeper and deeper hole anytime I said anything. I thought for sure Captain Wright was going to get me thrown out of Starfleet, but.... " Elle smiled at the idea of her new Captain as tiger, "But I think the 'Tigress' took pity on me. She’s developed a reputation for taking on hard luck cases, apparently. But hey, she must get results, with the kind of action this ship has seen — and survived."

"The Malinche's a better fit anyway. And yikes, what a welcome twist of fate, you know? It’s an honor, really. I mean, I did minor in Tactical Operations — aced all my Combat Strategy Scenarios too! And with the New York, I was at the helm in live combat three times! Outgunned too, but we made it. You're not the only Smartypants aboard, you know." Elle tapped her forehead, "I can strategize." Then she laughed again, "I just can't — um... verbalize."

"And Commander Korath's plenty friendly in the face. Maybe you're the problem,
Elle jibed. Then she noticed that Kinkaid was still holding onto her arm. She smiled again, "Maybe it's you."

Cade snorted a laugh. "You may be right." Finally releasing the woman's arm from his hand, he reached back and rubbed his head, still smarting from the previous day's adventure on the holodeck. "I think he tried to kill me yesterday," the officer opined. "Oh sure," he grinned, "he said it was all about making friends, but when the arrow hit the targ it was really about seeing me get thrown off my feet by a weapon the size of my small toe." His words notwithstanding, Cade couldn't help but laugh at the event once more. "Long story.”

"You seem to be getting on here well."
Douglas forced himself to look away from the attractive female. He peered into her room, which very much like a small, truncated version of his own. "I see you chose the one bedroom, one bath." Inwardly he winced at that comment. One bed, one bath? What the hell is that, Kinky? He could practically hear his sister's voice in his head, mocking him for his - poor - attempt to- To what? Are you flirting, Cade? His eyes widened at the realization. He stiffened noticeably. "I, uh- Sorry. Bad joke...?"

Elle laughed again. "I'm surprised you could tell, sir. Aren't all your jokes bad?" She felt her shoulders relaxing. She was so glad to see him. Now she finally felt at ease on the ship. "I think Korath tried to kill me too — but with Klingon Blood Wine. I couldn't sleep and so, I wound up running one of his training programs without realizing it. I'm lucky it was just the holodeck or I would've been cut in half. Wish the wine had been holographic too, I'll say that." Then Elle noticed Cade looking into her room. Oh no. Had she left anything embarrassing out that he could see? She almost immediately moved to block his view. She lifted her arm straight up and got on her tiptoes, "On a good day, I can almost touch the ceiling. And my feet hang off of the side of the bed." They didn't really. She looked over her shoulder, back into her quarters... and smiled, before turning back to face Cade, "I guess whoever runs Ops on this bird made sure I got the smallest room possible." Then she frowned, realizing that she had no idea what he was talking about earlier, regarding hunting targs. "Wait... what happened with your small toe?"

Finally her expression softened and she smiled again, "And don't worry, I like long stories... sir."


OFF:

Joint Post by:

Lieutenant Douglas "Cade" Kinkaid
Chief Operations Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and
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Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4618Post Korath
Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:39 am

ON:

< Bridge, USS Malinche, Day 2, 10:02 hours >

Ba'el found herself waist deep in a jefferies tube not 15 minutes into her first shift trying to track down a bug in the ships auxiliary systems. She scanned an access panel containing the secondary navigational sensor sub processor, and checked the results with a triumphant look on her face. "Ah huh, gotchya!" she said to herself and tracing the fault to a faulty EPS regulator and a burned out isolinear chip bus. She tapped her badge.

=/\=Ba'el to engineering. I have a bad EPS regulator and a wrecked isolinear bus in the beta section navigational array. Any objections if I replace them now before we get too far underway? =/\=

"Tournneau here," Derek answered. "Sounds like a plan, Ensign. Make sure that the bridge is aware as well. Seems like we should be fine, but let them know that if they plan to activate M-VAM for some reason, Beta will have to stay integrated to Alpha until that is fixed."

"Will do, sir," she said closing the channel and opening one to the helm.

=/\= "Ba'el to helm. I will need to take the secondary navigational sub processor offline for about 20 min. Is that going to be a problem?"=/\=

=/\= "This is Quinn," Elle said, suddenly sitting bolt upright in her seat. "No, no problem." Although Elle knew — logically — that it couldn't have been the case, she secretly wondered if she'd somehow caused an issue to arise. "I could fly all three sections with half a nacelle," she found herself saying aloud, to no one in particular. "I mean... um, thank you, Ensign Ba'el." =/\=

Elle then turned to face both Captain Kersare and Commander Korath, "Ops reports that a repair will require the secondary navigational sub-processor be taken offline temporarily. Twenty minutes."

Korath looked at the Captain for a moment before answering. "Thank you Ensign."

<secondary navigational control>

Ba'el had finished shunting the EPS flow to tertiary conduits and proceeded to decouple the regulator unit. She scanned the conduit for any faults before fitting the new regulator to the mountings. Opening her Tricorder once again, she began to calibrate the unit. "Good, simulated power flow looks good." She said to herself, turning her attention now to the damaged Isolinear bus. Disconnecting the Optical Data Cables before removing the Bus. She examined the charred control chips. It looked like the EPS regulator malfunctioned and directed a surge of power through the control bus and overheated the chips causing the sensor ghost issue Lt. Kinkaid detected when the Beta section navigational systems were brought online. She set the damaged components aside and finished installing the fresh ones.

=/\= "Ba'el to Engineering. I've completed repairs. I'm ready to bring the new components online. Can you give me reduced flow to this section while I test the seal integrity?" =/\=

"Thank you Ensign," Tournneau responded. "We'll stage that junction down so you can bring it online."

She scanned the seal as the power flow came online. So far it looked good. =/\= "Looks good so far, lets start to slowly bring the power up to standard flow." =/\=

"Increasing flow to nominal levels......everything looks good on our end."

=/\= "That's got it, Engineering. Thank you. Ba'el out." =/\=

As she began packing up her tools and placing them back into her kit, she tapped her comm badge once again.

=/\= "Ba'el to Ensign Quinn, repairs complete. You may test the systems now. Please let me know if they meet your preferences." =/\=

=/\= "This is Quinn. Testing secondary navigational systems now. Standby, Ensign Ba'el." =/\= Elle glanced over the long-range sensor data and Flight Nav reference display, quickly taking stock of any major changes in the subspace field geometry which Flight Control was tasked with monitoring in tandem with Engineering. They'd encountered only minor variations thus far, with very few automatic course corrections made.

And so, without switching over fully to the dedicated backup flight operations subprocessor, Elle tested its responsiveness. Her fingers moved in parallel with the course corrections automation was making to compensate for density variation in the interstellar medium. But for just a moment, based upon the long-range sensor readings and what she knew of their current heading, as well as her background in the Astrosciences, Elle tried to anticipate the upcoming adjustments — and she made them. Early enough to gauge system effectiveness, but late enough for the course to realign seamlessly with the change that came seconds later. To her surprise and great satisfaction, the Malinche moved even more nimbly than Elle expected. "Smooth sailing," she said to herself.

=/\= "All clear here at Helm. Thank you." =/\= Elle turned to Captain Kersare, "Secondary navigational sub processor is back online, sir." Then she looked at Korath, "An Ensign Ba'el completed the repair in under the estimated time, sir."

Korath nodded to the Helm Officer. "Thank you Ensign. he said before turning to his left. "With your Permission sir, I believe we are clear to engage warp."

OFF:

Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
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Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4619Post Tournneau
Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:46 am

<<USS Malinche - Mess Hall - Mission Day 9 - 0830 Hours>>

“Eggs Benedict, sausage, and hash browns; Hot Tea, Tower of London blend - milk and sugar.”

The replicator chirpped in acknowledgment and the meal spun and sparkled its way into existence. Derek picked up the tray and sat at his now customary spot in the corner, next to one of the holographic windows. Ordinarily, he would be on duty already, but today was his day off. He pulled out a PADD from one of his jacket pockets and started going over his schedule for the day.

1000 Hours
Personnel Review

1200 Hours
Lunch

1330 Hours
Holodeck 2 Reservation
Program, “Agatha Christie: The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb”
Recommended: at least two players (Computer substitution available)

1900 Hours
Dinner

All told, it wasn’t much of a schedule by his normal standards, but it was one that he had been looking forward to for the past few days. As he sipped his tea, the door to the mess hall opened and Viradia (PNPC) appeared. Derek waved at her and caught her eye. She returned the wave and went to the replicator. She came over a minute later with a large flatbread roll on her tray.

“Good morning, Viradia - my, I can smell the spice from here - what’ve you got there?”

“It’s called a ‘breakfast burrito,’” Viradia said as she sat down across from Derek. “It’s loaded with peppers, eggs, potatoes - it’s quite good.” She uncapped a small bottle of hot sauce and began to douse the burrito.

Derek raised an eyebrow at the quantity of hot sauce being dispensed. “Hmm, I’ll take your word for it. So, what do you have in plan for today?”

“Nothing - I’m taking a day. Everything seems to be running smoothly so far, and we’re about halfway through the journey.”

“Nice - I’m taking today off as well - hopefully nothing catches fire.” Derek chuckled at his own joke. “I’m going to check out a new holonovel later today. Well, the story’s old - but the adaptation is all new and it’s supposed to be amazing. It’s a murder mystery - ‘The Adveeeeeenture of the Egyyyyyptian Toooommmb,’” Derek said menacingly. “I really enjoy mystery stories - I don’t suppose you do as well?”

Viradia’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Actually, I do like mysteries as well - I went through a whole series when I was a kid - it was about this Bolian fleet officer that solved clues across the system, the ‘Xailar Ghrot’ series."

“Hmm, can’t say I’ve heard of it, but it sounds cool. This one’s main character is a french-speaking Belgian detective - “

“Naturally.”

Bien sûr, mon amie,” Derek continued, “A detective named ‘Poirot’. It takes place in post-industrial 1920’s Earth. You know, there is room for a second player - Poirot has an attache named Captain Hastings - there’s no reason a woman couldn’t play the character if you wanted.”

“It sounds fun - when is your reservation?”

“Well, it’s set for 1330 - I’m supposed to do some work on staff reviews this morning….but that’s majorly boring...let me check something really quick…” Derek pulled out his PADD and checked the holodeck schedule. “You know, we could just go now, after breakfast.”

“Oh, that sounds like a great idea!” Viradia exclaimed. “I haven’t done a mystery novel in so long. So, this Captain Hastings, what’s he supposed to be like?”

“Very quick-witted, creative. Remembers things well, and capable of action. I think you’ll fit the part.”

OFF

Lieutenant Viradia Beladd (PNPC of Tournneau)
Asst. Chief Engineer,
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and
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Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Kersare
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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4622Post Kersare
Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:30 am

ON:

<<USS Malinche, CIO Office, Day 9, 0930>>

After a slightly late breakfast, Myka (PNPC) arrived in her office. The Bajoran frowned slightly and tugged at the hem on her uniform jacket as she seated herself. Part of her missed serving on a starbase - at least there she could wear civilian clothes and feel more relaxed. It was easier to blend in with everyone bustling about their business and she had a chance to really stretch her information gathering abilities while developing her contacts. Still, she knew she could be useful to the Malinche and it was where Starfleet needed her for the time being.

For the past week, she'd been reaching out to her sources to find out what she could about the Outpost crew and any potential threats in the area. The crew consisted of three personnel - Commander Sovuk (NPC), Lieutenant Mira Branei (NPC), and Lieutenant Daniel Owens (NPC). They rotated out on a staggered basis every six to twelve months.

Sovuk was basically a stereotypical Vulcan, very logical and detail-oriented. Nothing overly exciting, concerning, or interesting about him really. Daniel had gotten himself into some minor trouble with some gambling debts in the past, but that had been resolved for the most part. He still placed the occasional bet, but being on an outpost made it a bit more challenging for him to rack up debt...it seemed he preferred gambling in person. Mira was a Betazoid and her early career indicated that she played by the rules and worked hard.

Myka's finger slid across the console screen and she brought up the most recent data taken from the Outpost. It was three months old - anything newer was still aboard the listening station. Her dark eyes skimmed over the information they'd gathered. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except... Myka frowned as she entered in her access code to look into the outpost's internal logs. She raised an eyebrow as she looked through and pieced things together. The evidence suggested that Mira and Daniel had either become good friends or, perhaps, had been in more of an intimate relationship. Messages had been sent between them at odd hours and it appeared they visited each other's quarters quite late.

Truthfully, it was probably nothing, but she couldn't be sure. Perhaps Sovuk had found out about them, tried to put a stop it, and...something happened. If that were the case, Myka wouldn't have expected the entire Outpost to go silent though. Surely there would have been at least one or two survivors, even if they made up some kind of lie to cover what had happened.

Sighing, Myka frowned. It was more likely that she was being paranoid. If there had been some kind of internal conflict, someone would have launched an emergency beacon or contacted Starfleet. She'd continue analyzing the data, but they'd be arriving at the outpost in three days and that would be the most likely way they'd get their answers.

OFF:

LIeutenant Turren Myka (PNPC)
Acting Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

played by:
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Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4623Post Kersare
Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:21 pm

OFF: Okay guys, big time jump to get things moving.

ON:

<<USS Malinche, Ready Room, Day 12, 1400 hours>>

The past week and a half or so had been spent traveling to Outpost Beta 12. If the outpost and crew there were really in trouble, it was likely that the Malinche would be too late, however they had their orders. They were still the closest ship that could potentially do something and was properly armed, if not fully staffed. One good thing about the journey was that it had given them time to work out a few other bugs in their systems. Plus, the crew had gotten a little time to get to know each other better.

Isabel glanced at the console on her desk as it beeped quietly. They were nearing the Outpost and it was time for her to return to the bridge. Tapping her finger against a PADD on her desk, she finished reading the report she had open - the latest updates on their ship systems. Hopefully they were ready for whatever they would encounter... Isabel stood, sliding the PADD off her desk to take with her as she moved for the door and headed for the bridge.

<<Bridge, 1405>>

The Ready Room doors swishes open and after a moment's pause, Isabel stepped onto the bridge. Her eyes surveyed the room quietly, taking in who was there. Satisfied, she made her way over to the command chair and nodded at Korath. Isabel remained standing, looking over at her Executive Officer as she asked, "Commander; I take it we're nearing the Outpost? Anything of note or concern thus far?"

Korath had been reviewing the sensor and communications logs for the sector as the ready room door opened. As the Captain stepped out, he stood from his chair. It was a shame that Starfleet had gotten out of the habit of announcing when the captain entered the deck. Perhaps it was his imperial training that preferred the old protocols. He allowed a few seconds to pass before he answered. "Nothing out of the ordinary sir. That is barring the continued lack of response or acknowledgement from the outpost at all. We are close enough that even a short range emergency beacon could be detected if they wanted to get our attention. They must see us...I don't like it sir."

Nodding slowly, she replied, "Well, we'll see what we find as we get closer." As she turned towards the science station, she saw Aniela (PNPC) was there. "Ms. Darvetti, I want scans of the system and, as we get closer, scans of the Outpost. I want as much information as possible before we send anyone over there. Ensign Quinn, slow to full impulse when we enter the system, and then quarter impulse as we approach the Outpost; come to a full stop at 5,000 meters. Lieutenant Sirak (NPC) - I want to know if there are any other ships out there as well."

"Aye, Captain," Aniela replied, letting her fingers deftly slide across the console before her. Bringing up the scan menu, she quickly selected long range scanners first, adding in the appropriate parameters. At this point, the more they knew the better... The short range scans would wait until they were closer. "Commencing scans now."

“Aye, sir,” Elle said, nodding, before turning back to her console. The first ten days aboard had passed far more quickly than she imagined they would. Despite trying to tread lightly around Captain Kersare, Elle still hoped that any minor miscues she made while reporting up the command chain would go unnoticed. And if not that, Elle hoped to weather the blowback. So far, so good.

Sirak simply nodded to acknowledge Isabel's orders for the time being. The Vulcan looked at her tactical display - so far nothing out of the ordinary was showing up. While it was a good idea to take precautions, it was unlikely that if a ship had attacked the Outpost it would still be there - unless they were setting a trap for whoever responded. Still, it was a fair bit of time to wait.

<<CEO's Office, 1405 Hours>>

Lt. Cdr. Tournneau was studying the schematic of the outpost again. He and his team had come up with a few theories over the past two weeks, but they had nothing conclusive. They could only wait and conduct a hands-on examination. Still, at least he felt like he could narrow the issues down to a handful of contingencies, rather than a hundred possibilities. His concentration was broken when his comm badge chirped.

"Officer Corrin (NPC) to Tournneau."

"Tournneau here - are we there yet?"

Caleb chuckled. "Yes, sir, we are about to enter the system now."

"Very well - verify core status for staging down and warm up the impulse drive. I'll be on the bridge."

"Yes, sir. Corrin out."

Derek downloaded the schematic to his PADD and exited the office, entering the turbolift across the corridor.

"Bridge." The lift began to speed up the turboshaft. "Wait - Beta Core." The lift shuddered slightly as it changed direction. The doors opened a few seconds later inside the Beta compartment. Derek exited, nodding in acknowledgement to his officers on duty as he walked through. He spotted a flash of blue moving on the second level, and climbed the access ladder to catch up to Lt. Beladd (PNPC) as she checked a console.

"Ms. Beladd," Derek intoned.

"Hmm? Oh!" Viradia turned around, somewhat surprised. "Yes, Derek - shouldn't you be on the bridge? We're about to drop out of w--"

"Yes, I'm headed that way - but I thought you should come along."

"Really? Oughtn't I be here monitoring?"

Derek waved an insouciant hand at her. "Oh, the crew can handle that - hell, the ship can handle that by itself. No, we've been leading our investigations - and you've come up with a lot of the solutions. We should both be there when the Captain starts asking for answers. Come on," Derek ordered as he began heading back down the ladder. Viradia shrugged and followed him as he made his way back to the lift.

"Well, if you think so, sir. I won't say no!" She joined him in the lift and spoke their destination. "Bridge."

<<Bridge>>

Several seconds later, the doors opened and the two engineers strode on to the bridge. They had arrived just as the swirl of blue again gave way to starlines — "We are exiting warp..." — then stars. "Now," Elle said, as Derek nodded towards the Commander and the Captain.

With a smooth swipe of her hand, Elle brought the ship down to full impulse. And in a minor flourish of which she was disproportionately proud, Elle guided the Malinche into a graceful arc, gradually slowing to quarter impulse power, and gliding into an approach that would not only put the prow of the saucer-section exactly 5000.0 meters away from the Outpost the moment she reached full stop, but also set the ship an equal distance from the Romulan border.

"Full stop, exactly 5 kilometers from both Outpost Beta 12 and the closest cartographic point of Romulan space, sir," Elle said, looking over her shoulder at Captain Kersare. Elle had made eye contact with Kinkaid for a moment as well. She wanted to smile — or better yet, to silently mouth some silly hotshot quip... but no words came.

Isabel nodded, "Thank you, Ensign. Hold here for now." Turning slightly, she glanced over at Sirak, who shook her head. No ships in the vicinity - or at least none they were detecting. Before she could request any additional information or ask for the outpost to be displayed on the viewscreen, she heard Korath speak up. A couple weeks hadn't been enough for her to adjust to her new Executive Officer's strong presence. Isabel had been used to Nora, who had been content to let Isabel take the lead; she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Korath's take charge demeanor.

"Any indication of attack or disaster? " Korath asked as he peered at the view screen. "Let's see the outpost."

"Aye sir. Outpost on screen." Ba'el (Pnpc) said as she keyed in several commands into her console bringing a view of the outpost on the view screen.

Korath leaned over to the Captain as the bridge staff peered at the outpost image on the screen. "Still no contact or other attempt to indicate they see us. It's damned peculiar."

Raising an eyebrow, Isabel glanced over at Awen, "Anything from those scans, Science?" The situation was unsettling to say the least. Nothing from the crew, no emergency signal... It was as if they'd just vanished. Looking at the outside of the outpost, at least from this angle, nothing seemed to be amiss. There were no indications of an attack.

When Aniela's console beeped to notify her that it had completed scans, she tapped on the screen to bring up the results. Her eyes skimmed through the results and she spoke up, "I'm reading no lifesigns on the outpost, ma'am. Mostly the rest is what I would expect, but I am picking up on an odd residual particle signature. It seems to be coming from within the outpost, but I can't get a clear reading on it, Captain."

Derek and Viradia made their way to the primary Engineering console. Derek began analyzing the scan data that was coming through.

Isabel frowned as she considered what Aniela reported. With no lifesigns present, the outpost crew were either missing or dead, but they wouldn't know which without going over there. Still, she was hesitant to send a team without knowing what the odd signature was. "It seems we'll need to send an away team over to investigate... Lieutenant Commander Korath, you'll need to assemble a team and take extra precautions - something must have happened to the crew there," she said to her Executive Officer before addressing the others. "Before we send anyone, is there any chance we can get a better idea of what that particle signature is?"

Derek spoke up, his gaze still poring over his console's display. "Our sensors are having a hard time picking up the signature, it's very faint. The computer will need more time to capture more of the signature and piece it together. From what I'm seeing here, it doesn't appear the signature itself can cause any immediate harm to personnel on site. It's not emitting radiation in any harmful bands - no more energetic than a comms signal."

"I can run an algorithm that will look for commonalities between our mysterious signature and known energy forms in our database." Ba'el added to the Chief Engineer's report.

Korath considered the suggestions for a moment as well as his options for an away team. Standing and tugging on his uniform tunic, the Klingon pointed to ops and tactical then to the turbolift. making his way around the bridge he placed a hand on Derek's shoulder for a brief moment. "You're with me as well Commander."

As Korath pointed to her, Sirak nodded and glanced over at her colleague at the secondary Security/Tactical station, indicating he should take over for her. The Vulcan already had a phaser on her and would grab a tricorder on the way. As the away team gathered for their departure, she made her way to the turbolift and waited for the others as last minute instructions were given out.

Derek nodded in response. "Very well, sir. Ms. Beladd," he turned to his assistant, "I'll want you to monitor from here. Work with the Captain through some of our projections as well."

"Aye," Viradia acknowledged as she stepped up to the console. "I'll keep my eye on you, Commander."

Elle was standing up from her station before she realized it, "Although the signature isn't emitting any harmful radiation, if even residual particles are capable of baffling our sensor array, might it not also interfere with safely transporting over? With all due respect, sir — um, sirs, I mean... with the fate of the Outpost crew uncertain, should we run the easily-avoidable risk of pattern degradation before the computer's particle reconstruction is complete, or before Ensign Ba'el's algorithm has run its course? Especially if I can get the Away Team aboard the Outpost by Shuttlecraft."

Now self-conscious about having sprung to her feet and having barged into the conversation, Elle sat back down, saying sheepishly, "I mean, I — I'd like to volunteer as well, sir."

Korath let a sideways grin to escape before he spoke. "Very well Ensign, consider yourself drafted." He said coining a phrase from what he believed was one of the 20th centuries world wars.

"I agree, Ensign," Derek offered, "it is a bit unusual. We'll approach the old-fashioned way. There should be a docking port on the midsection of the outpost. Commander Korath," Derek turned to the Klingon, "I recommend that we gear up for EVA - we can't be certain from here if there are harmful agents in the atmosphere aboard the outpost. Considering that there is no sign of the crew, I would also recommend that we bring a security detachment.

Korath listened to the exchange as well as Derek's recommendations. The Klingon modded. "Agreed on both recommendations Commander. " As they reached the lift, Korath paused and allowed the others to enter first. As they did he tapped his comm badge. "Korath to security, have a security detail report to the shuttle bay for away team duty."

=/\= Aye sir, I'll make sure they double time it. =/\= the voice of the duty officer returned over the comms.

Hearing the request for a full security detail, Sirak mentally considered who would be joining them. Most likely it would be Derek (PNPC) and Loril (NPC); they were short staffed as it is, so having three from the department was already pushing it a bit. Tapping her comm badge she gave further instructions, "Sirak to Revan...In addition to the standard away team security equipment, bring along three extra phaser rifles. I'll see you in the shuttlebay. Sirak out."

=/\=Tournneau to Lieutenant Ducote (NPC)=/\="

"=/\= Ducote here, Commander. =/\="

"We're going to take one of your shuttles to the outpost. Prep the Machu Picchu for immediate departure."

"Right-o, Commander," Ducote responded in his English accent, "we'll warm up the core for you. Ducote out. =/\="

Derek turned to the away team. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing toward the turbolift.

Elle leapt to her feet, tapping her comm badge as she headed to the turbolift, "Lieutenant Doram, sir, this is Quinn requesting relief conn on the bridge." Then she allowed herself a half-smile, "I've been... drafted."

As they stepped into the lift, Derek ordered the destination. "Armory."

Isabel watched most of the away team leave as others took up their empty spots on the bridge. With Korath and Derek gone, Aniela was the seniormost officer left on the bridge besides herself. "Commander, please work with Ops and Engineering on that signal. The sooner we find out about it, the better. For that matter, anything else the three of you can discover would be helpful." Her fingers slid across the small console on her chair and checked on the shuttle preparation before contacting Korath, "=A=Kersare to Korath. Your shuttle is ready to go. I want regular reports and updates on what you find. Priority is to find the missing crew and access any logs from the station - have the logs sent over for analysis so your team can continue investigating. Good luck. Kersare out."

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Ensign Saoirse Quinn
Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer & Second Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
also PNPC Lieutenant Viradia Beladd

and

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
also PNPC Ensign Ba'el

and

PNPC Lieutenant Commander Aniela Darvetti
NPC Lieutenant Sirak
played by Captain Kersare

and
Image
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Kersare
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Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 7:14 pm
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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4624Post Kersare
Mon May 14, 2018 2:44 am

ON:
<<Main Shuttlebay, Day 12, 1430>>

Korath was the last to arrive to the shuttle bay. Given his stature, the standard Federation EVA suits didn't fit him. He did bring his own custom built suit aboard with him. The quartermaster however had inadvertently stowed it in the incorrect locker, misplacing the helmet in the process. The others were gathering next to the active shuttle checking over their gear. "Lieutenant, make sure that everyone is issued with EVA-type phaser rifles." Korath said as he acknowledged Sirak (NPC). It was not standard practice to issue rifles for away missions, however, Type II phasers would be difficult to use with the EVA suit gloves.

Hearing Korath's orders, Sirak nodded, "Of course, Commander. The other security officers should be bringing them; the will be here any moment now." On her way to the shuttlebay, the Vulcan had amended her instructions and asked the others to bring the specialized rifles to accommodate the EVA suits they would be wearing. At the sound of the shuttlebay doors opening, she glanced over to see Loril (NPC) and Derek (PNPC) walking in. Loril handed her one of the rifles as Derek passed them out to the rest of the away team.

Lt. Cdr. Tournneau was standing with Sirak and Korath, and received his rifle from Lt. Greyman. "Thank you, Derek," he said as he hefted the rifle, checking its status and charge.

Derek raised an eyebrow as the "other" Derek thanked him. His time with the Borg had admittedly sucked some of the humor out of him; at times it seemed at least as difficult as recapturing his relationship with Isabel, but he had been making a concerted effort to be more at ease and comfortable with his crewmates. He offered the Chief Engineer a mischievous half smile and nod as he replied, "You're welcome, Derek."

Tournneau powered the weapon down and slung it across his back. While he needed to be armed as well, his hands would be full with his tools and his tricorder. His job was to be the team's eyes and ears, and to find out exactly what the hell went wrong here. He collected his equipment satchel in one hand and his helmet in the other, and headed into the shuttlecraft Machu Picchu with the others. He took his seat on the flight deck behind Quinn at the Engineering station.

"Good evening, Ensign," Tournneau greeted her. "Ready to catch our asteroid?"

Ready when you are, Elle thought. But what did that mean really? "I’m always ready," she said instead. Better. Braver even.

"Ensign Quinn, you may begin your preflight checks. As soon as everyone is aboard please launch." Korath said.

"Aye, sir" Elle said, sliding her fingers across the conn console's interface before even sitting down. "Preflight checks are under way, Commander." At this point, it was second nature. As it should be, her father would have said... in his usual brusque preoccupied manner.

Korath looked at Derek, having given Ensign Quinn the green light to begin the preflight. "I'm not sure what we will find over there. The crew may be injured. I'm not willing to risk bringing over medical staff until we know more. If there are injuries and we need to get them back to Malinche quickly; I'd like to have some pattern enhancers brought along just in case."

"There should be several in the shuttle's equipment locker; I'll go double-check." Derek stood up and slid past the Klingon and headed for the aft compartment. He nodded to the security officers that were coming on board as he passed them as well.

Once aboard the shuttle, Korath nodded toward the security detail. "Security will exit the shuttle first and provide cover for Ensign Ba'el to get the airlock doors open. Once inside, secure the airlock before we make our way to the command section."

"Aye, sir," Sirak replied. She glanced at her security team, meeting their eyes and nodding to each of them in turn. "Standard entry protocol. Revan will guard the airlock once secured; Greyman and I will continue with the rest of the away team to the objective." Although she was trained in security operations, Sirak still preferred her more investigative role in the department. With Awen on another assignment, however, she had been left in charge.

"Flight prep complete, sir," Elle said, glancing down at the instruments in front of her. Starboard nacelle is running a shade hot for a Type-11, but it's well within the upper range of established tolerances. I'll keep an eye on it, and I'll let Cade — I mean, um, I'll let Lieutenant Kinkaid and Lieutenant Doram know once we get back. The Machu Picchu should be fine for now though, even at full impulse."

Tournneau came back to the flight deck. "We have five enhancers on board, all in working order, sir. I've also got my toolkit, and a small sensor package to augment our tricorders in my satchel. We've got everything we can bring."

The Klingon nodded then moved into the shuttle and to the locker Tournneau just inventoried. The engineer followed him back into the rear compartment. "You and I will carry the enhancers." He retrieved three of the enhancers and placed them into a satchel he retrieved from a stowage locker in the upper bulkhead. Once they secured the equipment, the two officers returned to the flight deck.

Then Elle looked over her shoulder for any Away Team stragglers. She started absentmindedly drumming her fingers on the console, in a rhythm reminiscent of Earth's old steam locomotives. Upon realizing it, Elle almost smiled. Instead, she just said, "All aboard!"

Korath nodded at Quinn's report. "Very well Ensign. Make sure that the shuttle will be able to make the round trip in case we cannot determine the source of the abnormal energy signature and disable it in order to transport back to Malinche."

As long as we don't have to make any hasty retreats, Elle thought. Yikes, don't jinx it. "Knock on wood," she said, tapping the side of her head lightly with her left fist. "Uh, sorry, archaic Earth custom... I think. I mean... uh, aye, sir. I'll make sure we make it back in one piece."

And so, while keeping watch for any wild power output fluctuation to ensure they stayed shy of the red, Elle brought the Machu Picchu out, about and across the five thousand kilometers to the outpost itself. On viewer was one thing, but seeing Beta 12 with her own two eyes was another. The outpost was quiet and still, as a listening post should be, she supposed. It didn't look out of the ordinary, but the closer the shuttle got to it, the more the outpost looked... cobbled together.

Set into the center of a large asteroid, Beta 12 had benefited from the mandated repairs and upgrades for existing outposts that had been spurred by the signing of the Treaty of Algeron. At the same time, Beta 12 certainly looked like it had lurked the borderlands for too long — at least, to Elle. She would not have been surprised if, under the trappings of modern technology that had allowed it to continue on in its capacity as listening post, there lay the 22nd century heart and skeleton of one of the original outposts built in the wake of the Earth-Romulan War.

Tournneau was scanning the base from his position behind the conn. "Still getting no readings - no signs of life, no signs of active or passive sensors. Power is running at emergency levels. The aberrant signature is still present - I have no indication that it has changed or reacted to our approach. Sensors are still having trouble getting past it though - I can't determine the condition of the station's interior from here." He tapped his comm panel on his suit. =/\="Tournneau to Beladd."

=/\= "Beladd here, Commander."

"I'm relaying our sensor readings to you now - see if the Mali's computer can make any headway with our data."

"On it, Derek - we don't see any changes on our end. I'll keep you informed."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. Tournneau out." =/\=

The shuttle ride itself did not take very long, no more than a few minutes. Korath checked his phaser and powered the weapon up. "Ensign, set us down near the main airlock." He nodded toward Sirak. "Your team is up first as soon as you have secured the airlock, the rest of the away team will follow."

"Of course, sir," Sirak replied, nodding to the Klingon, and then making eye contact with the other two on her team. To them, she quietly said, "As we discussed earlier. Standard protocol, keep comms open and be alert. Something certainly happened here and at this point we have no idea what."

Although the landing pad which led to the primary airlock was large for a smaller-scale outpost, it remained discreet. Its size allowed for some wide maneuvers by visiting craft, but its minimalist trappings, along with its location being partially obscured by rocky outcroppings, all led Elle to believe it was purposefully kept this way — so as to avoid attracting too much attention from afar, should any Romulan patrols stray past the Neutral Zone.

Elle brought the shuttle to the lip of the — "Main airlock, sir" — and touched down.

Tournneau stood from his seat. "All right ladies and gents, let's get it done. Lock your visors and pressurize. Do not remove your visor until I've analyzed the atmosphere." He set his helmet on its gasket on his suit, and locked it into place. The suit automatically sealed and pressurized. Several holographic widgets appeared on the transparent aluminum of his visor - ambient pressure, internal pressure, O2 and CO2 levels, and suit power reserves. The others around him locked in as well.

OFF: JP brought to you by:

Ensign Saoirse Quinn
Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

and

Lieutenant Commander Derek Tournneau
Chief Engineering Officer & Second Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
also PNPC Lieutenant Viradia Beladd

and

Lieutenant Commander Korath
Executive Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A
also PNPC Ensign Ba'el

and

PNPC Lieutenant Derek Greyman
NPC Lieutenant Sirak
NPC Warrant Officer Second Class Reval Loril
played by:
Image
Captain Isabel Kersare
Commanding Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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Quinn
Crewmember
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Joined: Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:31 pm
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Re: Mission 24 - Nanoprobes Killed Outpost Beta 12

Post: # 4625Post Quinn
Mon May 21, 2018 12:54 pm

OFF:
This is a BackPost. I can move this post to Personal Log or Character Development, if it is inappropriate here.


ON:
<< USS Malinche, Corridor to Lounge, Day 7, 0237 Hours >>


Elle couldn't sleep. Only one week in and already she had taken well to her new assignment, thankfully. Elle had even gotten a firmer handle on her insomnia, but tonight there was something else. Something in the back of her mind bothered her. It wasn't a familiar feeling. And it wasn't impatience, per se. She was used to pushing through long slogs from her time at Starfleet Academy, and from her first year as nightshift relief conn officer aboard the New York. Nonetheless, the drive to constantly prove herself capable was a strong one. Perhaps this... worry was born out of that. That Cade had suddenly become distant ― absent almost ― just as they were growing closer was a factor too. Not that she would ever admit that, nor say so aloud. There was a mission at hand and a mystery to solve, after all. She would have to keep eyes and ears open.

As she approached the ship's lounge, Elle thought back to her brief time on Narenda Starbase — a stopover of only one night. The New York was one of three starships in port, there to sort out logistical issues. Crew issues, the rumor was. Elle didn't pay such rumors much mind, until she became an "issue" as well. She smiled. In hindsight, it seemed that Elle hadn't been the only "problematic" officer aboard.

The bar on the Starbase concourse was surprisingly ribald for a business located on a station (ostensibly) overseen by the Federation. There was Dabo and there were Dabo girls. That was to be expected, of course, given the... forward Ferengi proprietor Elle had spoken to. Still, she reserved judgment... as much as she could anyway. And the place did offer one thing that made it memorable: the "opportunity to purchase" personalized physical mementos. Indirectly inspired, Elle walked up to the bar, past the HoloGrapher ― or rather, past the Photographer ― who was using an archaic flash-bulb apparatus to woo sentimental visitors and passersby into purchasing what was almost certainly an overpriced souvenir. Once she'd gotten the Ferengi's attention, Elle gestured toward the flashbulb-dazed patrons now lackadasically wandering off with their tangible token in hand. As the Ferengi was already making actual "picture postcards" here, perhaps they had actual food too. A “real" meal made by a live being, and not a replicator. (Un)fortunately, they did — or so the Ferengi said. Either way, it was the worst food she'd ever had.

With a deep sigh, Elle found herself back in the present. She cast her eyes about the lounge, relieved that it remained open so late and that the few off-duty officers she recognized (and who recognized her) were likewise lost in thought, or at least letting her be. She was in no mood to talk. Doing so was already so draining. She wished the lounge had a catchy name. At least a clever pun. In the light of day, she would have to take that up with the barkeep.

Salón Citlalee, maybe? Thematically in keeping with the namesake of the Malinche, somewhat. With universal translators, her facility with linguistics and language had grown a bit rusty. That was one of Elle's excuses anyway. And the name came to her only because she had taken a deep dive into databanks of Aztec history, doing “research”, during one of her many genuinely sleepless nights, before her transfer became official.

Some words had stuck ― and were apt, for today. Chimalli. Shield bearer. Cuicatl. Song. Ichtacka. Secret. Ilhicamina... he who shoots arrows at the sky.


OFF:
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Ensign Saoirse "Elle" Quinn
Flight Control Officer
USS Malinche NCC-38997-A

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