Day 4 - A Destination?

[KendleRJ]

Ciara was standing at this point. Realizing that, she slowly sat down. “Sorry. Don’t want to get on my bad side.”

Talia was already standing and raised an eyebrow at the Lieutenant. "Really," she said, her voice low and even. "Perhaps you should reconsider your position before threatening anyone. On any level." She might not be as tall, but her presence was quite dominating. "I don't report directly to you, Lieutenant," she bit the words out slowly as though speaking to a child. "Whatever side I end up on, I'm quite certain I'll land on my own two feet."

Matthews quietly looked over the image. He then looked at the raging Perlit. "I presume that the purpose was to not raise excitement, hope or other reactions, Lieutenant. And seeing as the Ensign here discovered it, I presume that the Captain wanted verification before getting anyone else involved. Is that right, Ensign Flowers?"

"The idea, Lieutenant Matthews, was to ensure that the find was of any significance and not to bother either Science or Engineering unless it was deemed necessary." Her eyes didn't leave Lt. Perlit''s face, and her face was placid. "The Captain supported my find and then asked me to coordinate the research, which, as it so happens, is what we're all doing here." Talia kept her voice level, her eyes flashing. "And this meeting? Part of its purpose was to inform the relevant departments. As per Captain Alexander's orders."

"So, what exactly is it that you need from Engineering? More power to sensors? Shields? Quicker repairs? Our resources are not unlimited."

"The hope is to utilise a probe to boost the scanning signal from the existing sensors," she looked at Lt. Perlit. "I'm not sure how the repairs are going after I took a look at the schedule, but if we can spare the one probe as a carrier signal, we can investigate this blip," her finger stopped on the peak of it, "without possibly tipping our hands."

She remained standing, face calm, stance balanced and energy exuded as though she were ready for anything.

Tags Matthews and Perlit

[Azaria]

Regan left sickbay with a bottle of aspirin in his pocket and the blunt directions of Arkady to take it easy, drink lots of water, and to call him immediately if he began to have troubles breathing. He barely escaped without the thick necked man nurse pushing him around in a wheelchair like a fat, wrinkly baby in a pram.

It was still early enough that Regan hoped to catch the CO before he left his quarters. He was just rounding the corner as a woman stepped out into the flats looking flushed. He immediately assumed this was the captain's latest 'triumph', until he recognized her as the captain's Yeoman.
He nodded respectfully to the young woman as she left, sighing a little internally before knocking on Gary's door.

Gary wondered why KAT would be returning so soon. Had she forgotten something? Gary shook his head. No. KAT never forgot anything and while she was a little uncomfortable at first, she warmed up by the end. Nonetheless, he called out, "Come in."

Regan entered the cabin and made a show of looking around for someone else.
"Bad time," he asked in his extra gruff joke voice.

Gary shook his head. "Now, now, Old Man. I only have so much of myself to give. Even so, I'm supposed to be getting on duty. What about you? What's your status?"

Regan shrugged with a grunt, pulling a chit out of his pocket. "light duties, it says here. But when you fly a desk there aint much heavy lifting..."
He paused and suddenly remembered swinging a crow bar not too long ago. "correction, there is rarely time for heavy lifting. Lots of time for pestering Captains and corrupting the youth."

"Well, Old Man, I am glad to have you back. As much as I was interested in working with Lieutenant Devlin, I am much more comfortable knowing that you are there always looking over my shoulder and giving me grief."

"Oh, no worries," he chuckled, easing himself down into a deceptively comfortable chair. "Only the good die young, y'know."

"Devlin is a good kid. Weird, but good. We'll keep that one on top spot in regards to most duties, I'll pull back into mentoring." he paused, "also, the padre's are going to be busy, with your blessing I'll work with them. Visit departments, check in on anyone who might need help but wouldn't go to the doc or chaplain about it. Busybodying, as my wife would say."

"Right now, we can get all the busy bodies that we can get. We also need to keep the ship's peace," Gary told Regan concerned.

Nodding, Regan rubbed his whiskery chin, and leaned back into the chair.

"Good. Very good... if I'm going to do that, I need to be caught up. I heard the broadcast, and have been overhearing plenty of rumours in sickbay and on the ticker tape."

He frowned. "I told you that thing was a bad idea. We need to consider gently moderating comments, skuttlebutt is fine but things"

Gary rolled his eyes and interrupted, "Now, now. We've had that discussion and there's no use crying over the spilled milk. People need to blow off steam and most of what is on the Ticker Tape can be taken with a grain of salt. And given we're not likely to see any other humans other than ourselves ever again, I'd say that we had better not start taking away privileges."

"And when sensitive information starts showing up on there?" Regan started getting agitated. "Hell, it doesn't even have to be anything security related, it could be a list of who is sleeping with whom. An accurate list or not. We are the first humans in this galaxy, and it wouldn't take much for us to be the last ones too."

He shook his head and tossed his hands in the air. "We're off topic already. I need to be caught up, and I need your take. Whats on the go?"

"Long story short and confidential is that we may have found some civilization, or at least a beacon which represents some intelligent life coming from somewhere here in what we believe is the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy."

That certainly perked the Old Man's ears up.
"Good to hear!" He clapped his hands together excitedly, "good to fucking hear!"

"Ensign Flowers found it. She's meeting with Matthews and Pieri as we speak. KAT knows but she's a good girl and keeps information between us."

"The fact you had to say that tells me something has changed between you two," Regan eyed the Captain.

"Nothing has changed, Old Man. We're as in tune with each other as we ever have been."

Now it was Regan's turn to roll his eyes. "Ah yes, the romantic philanderer."

"What are you talking about, Old Man?" Gary asked suspiciously.

"I might be old," Regan leaned forward in his chair, "but I'm not fucking blind. She came out of here with rosy cheeks. You're acting far too nonchalant. The bed has two ass prints on it. Side by side. And your hair is still messy from the shower."

Gary gave a large heaving sigh. "We've sat side by side many times and she woke me up. I was naked." None of that is a lie

"Whatever, Gary." Regan said with a touch of disgust and resignation in his voice, sitting back again in the seat. "What happens between two consenting adults isn't my business." The unspoken second half is that ensuring both parties were consenting is his business. Power dynamics were a funny thing, and sleeping with your boss rarely goes down well for anyone involved.

"Just be careful - and not just with her." He sighed. "I know you, and everyone has heard the rumors - thanks to the fucking ticker tape."
He raised his hands as Gary made to cut in, "No, I'm not going to bring that up again today, but be warned I will shut it down if I believe it constitutes a security threat. If you don't watch yourself, rumors will take over and thats what makes these ships run. Gossip and galley food."

"I'm more concerned about Arkady to be quite blunt."

Regan's eyebrows were getting a workout today.

"Really?" He said, equally as blunt. "Why is that?"

"In the Chief's meeting he came out and said that I was no longer the Captain and essentially suggested he was starting a mutiny with his war meeting buddies. I gave him a way out by suggesting that he was just stressed and forgave him for it but the mere suggestion concerns me."

He paused and said, "Did you know that he opened the meeting by blaming Mary for this mess that we're in: for being more interested in the anomaly than our safety? He's looking for a scapegoat."

"Hell," Regan grumphed.

"I didn't get that impression at all from him... he seemed more upset that you weren't taking advice from the chiefs, and weren't addressing all the options" he raised a finger, "his words, not mine!"

Gary shook his head. "I had no intention of giving the false hope of return. That was Arkady and Mary's idea. I was going to be more blunt with the crew. So, that's a load of horseshit, Regan."
He sighed harder. "He knows and most know that KAT is my lifeblood. She and Mary have to be protected, Regan. I'm extremely concerned about their well-being."

Regan's face turned stormy, and he fought the urge to make a cutting remark. He held himself to a higher standard though, and as dearly as he would have liked to smack some sense into the younger man, he acknowledged there were some things you just had to let slide.
He searched for a moment for the right words to say.

"Son," he began, preparing to lecture him on the inherent chauvinism in his attitude that the 'little women needed to be protected', that they were members of Starfleet, and due the respect... he sighed and slouched over, swearing. "We can't be at this."

Gary looked at Regan, "What are you talking about?" He then moved over to Regan and asked, "You sure you're fit to be back? Perhaps you should take a few more days rest. Lieutenant Devlin can still fill in."

"I'm okay as I can be," he stood and grasped Gary by the shoulders. "I'm old and broken. Thats just how it is. The way things are, there's going to have a few of us in retirement age pottering around after our usefulness runs out. I'm going to work on getting Devlin ready to take over when its time to do so."

Gary frowned. "Get her ready but don't you go retiring or dying on me any time soon. I need you, Old Man."

"Sir, yes sir," he barked as he came to attention with a jaunty, Harold Rimmer-esque salute.

His hand dropped and Regan had to work very hard to keep it from shaking. He was tired, but he wasn't going to show off the jazz fingers for all to see.

"Thanks for the chat. I'd walk you up to the bridge for your watch, but I've got a bathroom calling my name." He stuck his hand out to Gary. He didn't need to say anything more.

Gary took the Old Man's hand. "If you need to sleep here, do it, Regan. I need every person able bodied. OK?"

Regan laughed, "now wouldn't that would set the rumor mill abuzz!" He clapped his hands again, and headed for the door.

They parted ways with a nod and wave, Gary Alexander off to the bridge, and Regan Sharpe off to bed.

***

A JP brought to you by Amanda Rose & Azaria

Capt. Gary Alexander
Commanding Officer
USS Horizon

LCdr. Regan Sharpe
Chief Security Officer
USS Horizon

[Ciara Mei]

With Flowers’ eyes watching her, Ciara stared at the table. She hadn’t meant to get as worked up as she did. This whole thing had her on edge as it was, and she wanted to be informed of things.

Talia was already standing and raised an eyebrow at the Lieutenant. "Really," she said, her voice low and even. "Perhaps you should reconsider your position before threatening anyone. On any level." She might not be as tall, but her presence was quite dominating. "I don't report directly to you, Lieutenant," she bit the words out slowly as though speaking to a child. "Whatever side I end up on, I'm quite certain I'll land on my own two feet."

“I didn’t mean anything by what I said, I’m sorry. I’m on edge, like most people probably are. And that causes me to blurt things out.” She never did look up as she spoke, simply sat and listened. Maybe she needed to rethink how she acted around some people.

Matthews quietly looked over the image. He then looked at the raging Perlit. "I presume that the purpose was to not raise excitement, hope or other reactions, Lieutenant. And seeing as the Ensign here discovered it, I presume that the Captain wanted verification before getting anyone else involved. Is that right, Ensign Flowers?"

Flowers spoke before she was able to say anything to Matthews.

"The idea, Lieutenant Matthews, was to ensure that the find was of any significance and not to bother either Science or Engineering unless it was deemed necessary." Her eyes didn't leave Lt. Perlit''s face, and her face was placid. "The Captain supported my find and then asked me to coordinate the research, which, as it so happens, is what we're all doing here." Talia kept her voice level, her eyes flashing. "And this meeting? Part of its purpose was to inform the relevant departments. As per Captain Alexander's orders."

“And the Captain was right to do this as he did. I’m glad you were able to find this and bring it to our attention. Whatever help you require from Science will be given, Ensign.”

"So, what exactly is it that you need from Engineering? More power to sensors? Shields? Quicker repairs? Our resources are not unlimited."

"The hope is to utilise a probe to boost the scanning signal from the existing sensors," she looked at Lt. Perlit. "I'm not sure how the repairs are going after I took a look at the schedule, but if we can spare the one probe as a carrier signal, we can investigate this blip," her finger stopped on the peak of it, "without possibly tipping our hands."

Ciara nodded, finally looking up, but realized quickly that they were both still looking at her like she was about to snap. “We should have a space probe that we can use for this while we continue to work on the sensors. The repairs to them are slow going but I don’t want to take any parts that the other systems are going to need. Things like life support and engines are most important in this case. I’ve made sure no power is being routed to the science lab, so until it is needed that power can be used elsewhere.”

Just maybe Flowers and Matthews would stop looking daggers at her. She swore to herself in her head as she looked at them and took a sip of coffee, awaiting their answer.

Tags: Flowers & Matthews

[KendleRJ]

Talia shifted her attention back to the reams of data and updated the stream on her PADD. "It's getting no stronger," she said after watching the signal trace the path of its predecessors. She pulled up a three-dimensional representation of this edge of the galaxy, based on long range scans from the Sol system, but this one had a small diamond-shaped point, pulsing at a constant location, updating slightly with each peak. "So, it looks like the program I'm running is at least helping us triangulate the location."

Looking back to Matthews and Perlit, Talia shrugged. "Sensors will need to be working so we know what's out there, Lieutenants. The probe will be useless otherwise." Sighing deeply, she let it out slowly. "We can't afford to put the entire ship at risk by investigating this signal, and we can't afford the same thing by NOT investigating." Her face, normally casual and remote had gone sombre, and her eyes were dark and clear and she turned fully. "You can understand why we can't go around talking about this with anyone else but the Captain." She quirked an eyebrow. "This could be potentially very good, or very very bad."

Raising the hopes of some and dashing the hopes of others... wasn't something that Dr. Ensign Talia Flowers really wanted to be the centre of.

Tags

[Ciara Mei]

“We’ve been working on the sensors, but so many parts are burnt out that we’d at the moment, maybe able to get you limited short range. I’ve got everyone working during their whole shifts on it but...it’s slow going.”

Ciara looked over at Matthews, “And I’m not going to ask to borrow any of the engineers. They have far too much work to do right now.”

She then looked back to Flowers. “Might be best, and I’m not trying to tell anyone how to do their job, to get a group we know won’t spread this around the ship and get on top of this. Anything we can do to assist us in doing this quickly…”

Ci sat back in thought. They actually couldn’t bring anyone in.

“Actually, you’re right. No one but us and the Captain. I doubt anyone else would keep it quiet…” She sighed, “Seems we’ll all be pulling longer shifts.” She looked back at them, “Where do we start?”

Tag: Matthews, Flowers

[Amanda Rose]

[Sjet]

Arkady put the tablet down and rubbed his eyes. Morning it might well be but he had been up most of the night going over the ships medical provisions. From bandages to bone scaffolds, and painkillers the ships three synthetic pancreases: there was a lot more to running a sickbay than simple book learning. There were kilo litre vats of uncharacterised blood to be checked over, and their attendant chemical additives that would change the haemoglobin from its sterile neutral state into one of the varied blood types of the crew. There was also a ready stock pile of refrigerated blood on loan from the crew itself, collected during the second of their exile. The next thing on the list of items to check over would be the ships hyperbaric chamber: a combination aid for delicate surgeries and for the ever present danger of decompression illness.

It was a fact of life in space: air pressure often dropped below normal Earth like levels. Most spaces got over the lightheadedness and found ways to cope. But their bodies, on the other hand, rarely learned new tricks: in allow oxygen environment your body could turn on you in a moments notice. During the war years many a minor wounded had turned septic and gangrenous simply because the bacteria within the anaerobic bacteria in their bodies had taken their chance to thrive. The hyperbaric chamber allowed people with major injuries to heal up in a oxygen rich atmosphere where their bodies would aid in the fight.

Of course turning entire ship into a hyperbaric chamber would solve all their small medical needs, except for oxygen toxicity levels and the always fun ‘spontaneous atmosphere ignition’ scenarios that were the bane of all ships designers.

And now without the hope of having Starfleet medical a year away for extreme assistance, or even just on call via the sub space relay system, even small problems were going to be big headaches.

“But at least we have half a ton of anti fungal cream.” Arkady grumbled into the cramped confines of his office, still rubbing his eyes “At least we won’t rash to death.”

Even Gary’s grazing of the attractive female crew members would not lead to any sort of discomfort for him or others: Starfleet had screened for STD’s and other such easily transmitted morbidities before they’d left Earth. So whilst the idea of Captain Hot Pants catching something unfortunate were impossibly slim, it did make a smile appear on Arkady’s lips. Until the end result of who would have to deal with the captains clap came to his mind.

Truly revenge was a job that required two graves.

He got up from his chair, letting it slide back into the wall it had unfolded from along with the small desk that likewise folded away. An office it might be, but it was the size of a closet and Starfleet’s Corp of Engineers had preformed some Escher like miracles to cram as much into the space as possible. The savings on square footage was given over to the small cubby-holes that served as sick berths for the crew, with only a single larger table set out in the main room for surgeries. As he stood in the door way to his office he thought mildly to the fact the ships medical database had no information on paediatrics or other child care medical methodologies.

They would need to make a delivery room one day, perhaps even in time for a small crop a year or so from now. If they survived that long…

“You okay Doc?” one of the three nurses on his staff asked from across the main room.

“Lot of thoughts on my mind,” he said with a wave of his hand, before stroking it down his bearded chin “Seems we are medically stocked well for ship half way through mission.”

“We’ve been lucky not to have as many accidents or misadventures as Starfleet projected for us to have.” the nurse commented “Though you have to ask what sort of accident or disaster could involve a half ton of anti fungal cream.”

“Fungus demons. Very common in Milky Way: in Pin Wheel…who knows? Maybe we find magician who turns cream into gold?” Arkady remarked dryly, before allowing a smile to crack his face “Could I ask you to double check the inventory again for me? I would hate to think we missed something off of the official manifest the captain will glance at.”

“You mean he’s not going to read the actual report, but trust the log data over my hard work?” the nurse responded with a hard edge to her voice.

“I would rather know that we are right, when he is wrong than other way around.” he then nodded towards the closed off sick berth behind the nurse “How is he today?”

She looked over her shoulder and sighed, giving the barest little shudder as her thoughts wandered to Crewman Cutter who lay insensate within.

“Neural functions are still borderline: autonomic nervous system seems to be doing the lions share of the grunt work. Heart rate and blood pressure are both low, but seeing as his bodies at rest thats to be expected. The inter cranial pressure dropped during the night without medical intervention, so at least the brain swellings going down.” she rattled off the information as informally as possible, but in the end it was the tone of voice that told the story better.

Same as the day before: no improvement. The pressure on the brain had dropped, and in most cases that would have been a good thing. But the neural functions, the still poorly understood firings of neutrons in the brain that gave rise to selfhood and Ego, were barely registering. If Crewman Cutter was still in there, somewhere, then he had fallen a lot further than just the three meters from the catwalk to the deck. It was almost like a mineshaft had opened within his mind, and sucked him down into its labyrinthian depths from which egress was impossible.

“At least there is that.” Arkady said simply, before rubbing his hands “I am going to make my rounds. When Gunther comes on shift have him meet me in engineering, we are going be double checking all the radiation monitors in there. Ships goes through hole in sky and gets shook up, I want to make sure shielding on reactor is still working. I do not trust method of power generation in which half of the energies put out by the machine are understood better in fiction than in fact.”

“They say antimatter reactors are ten times as safe as the old fusion and fission reactors, more efficient as well.” the nurse said conversationally.

“Ahh but those old fission reactors were made of Martian titanium and plutonium dredged up from the acid seas of Venus: colonial will and might personified in 33 giga watt solid state reactor. Is solid construction that not even the Romulan’s could dent with all their might.” he said proudly, before with a scoff he chuckled “New reactors are more computer simulation that somehow break the laws of conventional physics. But look at it wrong and half the ship is atomised.”

“I’m sure it more complicated than that.” the nurse said.

“I am sure it is as well, but when engineers tell me not to worry-”

“You worry. I get it.” the nurse laughed “I’ll have Gunter meet you there when he clocks in. Have fun on your wanderings.”

TAG-Anyone who wants to bump into Arkady on his wanderings.

Dr Arkady Sjet
Ships Physician
USS Horizon

[Ciara Mei]

Matthews answered, "We start by me getting you some more Engineers. IF the Captain did not desire prioritizing the sensors, I would not have been called into this meeting. I think that the Captain has made some rather wise choices here. I would suspect that the Captain will likely be making some personal visits to oversee the repairs."

Ciara nodded in response to Matthews. “More engineers would help greatly. The faster the sensors are repaired, the faster we can figure out what it is we are seeing out there. And the faster they can get back to their other repair jobs. I believe we should get to work quickly on that, once this meeting is over of course.”

She jotted a few notes down on her PADD, setting up the priorities that she needed to so that they knew what needed to be repaired first and then they could go down the list. This would also help in seeing how long science would need the extra engineers and what they could take care of on their own.

"In the meantime, Ensign Flowers, what else will you be doing?"

Her eyes went up to look at Flowers, who was probably still a bit upset at the fact that she’d gotten upset at the beginning of the meeting. But she didn’t say a word, just waited to hear the answer.

Tag: Matthews, Flowers

[KendleRJ]

"Indeed, a valid question," Talia replied and looked at each of them. "I'll be keeping up the monitoring in Real Time, writing some of the programs that will allow us to extrapolate distance, speed, etc... as long as there are still the regular constants in the Universe on this side of things..." Her smile was brief and professional. "Also, I've got an algorithm or two for signal analysis with respect to translation or even encryption... it'll be an interesting time unravelling all of this, but hopefully, the more information we receive, the higher we can boost the signal. And if that happens?"

She gathered up all of her material in her arms in a great chaotic heap.

"Well, then we might have a better understanding of who or what we might be dealing with." Better warned would be better armed... just because they were out here didn't mean that they were automatically technically superior. There were no guarantees out this far, and even more... what protocols might be enacted once they'd determined the threat level? Talia wasn't an idiot... would they be explorers? Or, like Earth of old, would they be conquerors in the guise of explorers?

Only time, and more information would tell.

"Any other questions for me, Lieutenants?"

Tags Perlit and Matthews

[Melissa Richards]