Posted by Lieutenant Conner Reid (Chief of Security) in Side Sim: Intake Planning

Posted by Ensign MJ Shau (Security Officer) in Side Sim: Intake Planning

Posted by Ensign Derek Snowden (Security Officer) in Side Sim: Intake Planning
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
MJ woke up early as usual, took his supplements, and started heading to his workout. He felt good overall, fully recovered from the injuries he’d received in the Gamma Quadrant. He was also almost back to the weight he had been lifting before the injury, but he knew it would take a bit longer.

He was halfway to his destination when he noted something was a little off onboard the Chimera. There usually weren’t that many people around this early in the morning, but the corridors seemed a little busier, and people were moving with a purpose.

Ensign Shau tapped his comlink. =/\=”Shau to Velez. Is anything going on I should know about?” NE Velez was working the night shift this week, so he figured the man would know more than he did.

“Actually happening? No. But the Senior Staff got called into a meeting a while ago, so something might be happening soon. We’re running through all of our checklists, and I could use an extra set of hands.” That made sense… MJ knew night shifts generally had fewer people than the day shifts. “Can you cover the armory inventory?”

“I’ll be there in 10. Shau out.”

+++++++++++++++++++

10 Minutes later, MJ arrived at the armory to see a dozen people already there, the senior person being a Major from the Marine detachment. “Morning, Sir.” Ensign Shau said by way of greeting.

“Ensign.” That verbal acknowledgement and a brief nod were the only responses he received.

Strictly speaking, the Major… any Major or Lieutenant Commander for that matter… could open the Armory themselves. This wasn’t an emergency, though; it was an audit. MJ was there to maintain accountability from the Starfleet side of things.

The Quartermasters would oversee the work, with a joint team of Crewmen and Marines conducting the actual ‘kick and count’, as they informally called these audits. This happened at regular intervals, but unscheduled inventories weren’t uncommon. Especially as a ‘sanity check’ if something might be about to happen.

Given the presence of the Major, the concern seemed to be coming from the Marine side of things. That’s interesting… I suppose we’ll have to see what information gets passed down. At the moment, everything seemed to be a case of Officers being proactive and trying to get ahead of any requests or instructions from their bosses. Sometimes that amounted to nothing, but just as often it helped prime the process of getting the crew ready for whatever operation was coming their way.

At the moment, Ensign Shau would focus on the task at hand of observing the inventory. Tedious as it may be.

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera

The inventory completed without any issues… which wasn’t much of a surprise. Both the Security Department and the Marine Battalion were very strict when it came to weapon accountability.

It was still early for his shift, but MJ headed to the security office to see if anybody knew what was going on. With any luck, the COS would be coming down soon to brief the department on exactly that… or to squash any rumors if the early morning brief amounted to nothing.

Ensign Shau didn’t feel like that was the case though.

As he entered the security station he saw an unfamiliar Ensign standing off to the side. Ensign Velez was busy talking to two Crewman, so MJ decided to introduce himself to the new Officer.

“Morning. Are you new to Alpha shift, or new to the ship as a whole?”

OOC: Derek, this could be you if you want… not sure you had another method in mind for jumping into things.

And welcome to the crew!

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera

Ensign Snowden straightened as Ensign Shau approached him.
“Yes I’m new to the Chimera, still getting my bearings” he said with a soft chuckle.
“I’m Ensign Derek Snowden” he said extending his hand for a handshake.

-Ensign Snowden, Derek
Security Officer USS Chimera

Ensign Shau shook Derek’s hand. “MJ Shau, nice to meet you. I transferred in a short time ago and am just now feeling like I have a handle on the basics. The Chimera is a big ship, with a lot going on.”

MJ is average in height but has a broad, muscular build. He has neatly trimmed dark curls on his head and a short, stubbly beard. He has a tanned complexion and possesses the traditional Risian marking on his forehead.

Just then, the Chief of Security’s voice came over their comlinks.

=^=All Security personnel, this is Lt. Reid. Department-wide briefing—priority one.=^=

MJ’s lips pressed together slightly as he shook his head. “And it sounds like were going to have a lot more going on. Lets head over to the briefing room and see what’s happening.”

OOC: This is where Lt Reid’s briefing would happen, at least in my head canon. If you have any reactions to that, I reommend you post them over on that thread.

IC:

After the briefing MJ retrieved a PADD and reviewed his initial assignment. That’s when he looked up and saw Ensign Snowden.

“Do you have an assignment yet, Derek? If you want, we can talk to Lt Velez and get assigned to work together. My current task is supporting intake procedures… and I’d like to start by identifying the intake points, and blocking off routes to the areas designated for evacuees.”

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera

Ensign Snowden nodded slightly, thinking it through.
“Not yet, and I think working together would be a good idea”
Ensign Snowden brought up the intake layout on his PADD.
“I’ve already been thinking of how to process the Evacuees, while maintaining secured areas”
“Everyone gets processed no exceptions. Identification check at entry, cross-referenced with scans. If it matches, they move. If it doesn’t, or they don’t have ID…”
A small pause.
“We pull them aside for secondary verification. Quietly.”
He glanced toward the corridor, already visualizing flow.
“No public confrontations. No bottlenecks.”
A tap on the display.
“Primary lane keeps moving. Secondary lane handles anything flagged identity mismatch, no records, behavioral anomalies.”
He looked back to Shau.
“That way we stay in control without turning intake into a pressure point.”

Ensign Snowden, Derek
Security Officer USS Chimera

MJ listened and nodded. “Creating separate lanes is a good idea… if we get evacuees in large numbers we’ll want to keep the process moving while we investigate any discrepancies. It might be best if the secondary lane was more of a screening area, separate from the main line. If those getting additional screening get scared and use of force is necessary… we won’t want the bulk of the evacuees to see it. It might cause a panic.” Ensign Shau frowned. “Before we get too much further, I think we need to look at the deck plans and figure out a few things.”

Ensign Shau moved to the Observation Room between the two interrogation rooms. There was already a team using one of the consoles for their planning, so MJ moved to the other with Ensign Snowden and the handful of Security Crewmen assigned to assist them. A Crewman sat at the console and the window looking into the interrogation room turned into a giant screen. A few seconds later a detailed deck plan of the Chimera was displayed.

“My first thought was transporters. The two on Deck 2 for VIPs are out don’t make sense and the four right here on Deck 29 are also out. They are right next our offices… and there is a good chance the Security and the Marines will need them for rapid deployment. That only leaves 2 on Deck 8, six people per… and there aren’t any good housing options on Deck 8.”

He put a hand on the Crewman’s shoulder and had him pull up Deck 11. “Which is what lead me to Deck 11… the Cargo Bays. The transporters there are large… and several contingency plans state that the Engineering Department can upgrade them for continue personnel use. The Cargo Bays are 5 decks high, and evacuation protocols have plans to replicate building materials and create multiple stories to house personnel. They also happen to be right next to the main hangar bays… so any refugees brought onboard via shuttle can be directed to the cargo bays. It limits the area to Deck 11, which means we could manage the process with less people.”

One of the NC’s (Nameless Crewmen) spoke up after looking at his own pad. “Sir… I’ve got the mass evacuation procedures right here. They have several standardized layouts pre-planned. It also covers areas for sonic showers, waste disposal, common areas, and and a mess hall with portable replicators.”

MJ nodded and looked over to Ensign Snowden. “Do you see any flaws I’m missing? If not… how would you go about setting up your primary and secondary verification and intake checkpoints if we use the Cargo Bays?”

OOC: Not a map, but the ship details can be found via Resources/Library/STF Technical Manual/Shp Specifications (Primary)/ Mjolnir class

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera

Ensign Snowden studied the deck layout for a moment, eyes moving across the cargo bays, the adjacent hangar access, the transport routes.
“Layout makes sense,” he said finally. “Keeps everything contained to one deck and limits exposure to the rest of the ship.”
He tapped the display, highlighting the cargo bay entrances.
“I’d set intake at the access points—not inside the bays.”
A glance to Shau.
“Primary verification happens before they enter the main space. ID, scan, quick behavioral read. If they clear, they move in.”
Another tap marking a side corridor just off the entry.
“Secondary screening goes off the main path. Not a visible ‘second line’ a separate room or partitioned section.”
A slight shift as he thought it through.
“Anyone flagged gets redirected quietly. No stopping the main flow, no drawing attention.”
He traced a path deeper into the cargo bay.
“Inside the bay, we keep movement controlled but open enough to avoid pressure buildup. Visible security presence at key junctions people need to see structure, not feel contained.”
A brief pause.
“Rapid-response team staged just outside the intake area. Close enough to react, far enough not to escalate the atmosphere.”
He leaned back slightly from the display.
“Only real risk I see is volume. If intake outpaces screening, we’ll get backup at the entry points.”
A glance back to Shau.
“We might want staggered intake windows or additional scan teams ready to rotate in.”

-Ensign Snowden, Derek
Security Officer USS Chimera

Ensign Shau considered the plan. “Using both Cargo Bays simultaneously will help to mitigate any buildup, but I think you’re right. We need to have a plan in place to speed up the process without sacrificing standards. Go ahead and flag the locations for the secondary entry points.”

MJ pointed to either side of the map displaying Deck 11. “Normal flow would go to the port and starboard corridors and to the turbo lifts.” Then he pointed to the center of pointed at the map. “Crewman… please enlarge this area.”

The map zoomed in on a top down view of Deck 11’s center section. “As far as your screening area for additional verification… the CAG’s office and six offices for the Squadron CO’s are in the centerline corridor. Those squadron offices would make ideal screening rooms for people that don’t check out immediately… and they are out of the view of the main lines. We’d have to pass that up to the Chief of Security though… the Chain of Command will need to coordinate with the Marines if they think its a good idea. If not… I suppose we can utilize a few Junior Officer quarters up on Deck 7 as the screening area, but that will require additional personnel and tie up additional turbolifts.” MJ made a few notes on his PADD outlining the contingency plan.

“Crewman… bring up Deck 24 please.” The image changed to a deck that seemed completely filled with staterooms. “Deck 24 is almost all guest quarters, so I think that should be our main housing area initially. Passing the initial screening… or if they pass the secondary screening… gets them into Deck 24 only. That limits exposure to the rest of the ship and lets us focus our Security efforts to intake on Deck 11 and housing on Deck 24. I’ll add in the contingency plans to turn the cargo bays into additional housing areas, in case the Senior Officers think we’ll be dealing with a large number of refugees.”

MJ looked over at Ensign Snowden. “How do you think we should handle people that don’t pass secondary screening?”

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera

Ensign Snowden didn’t answer immediately, eyes moving across Deck 11 and then up toward Deck 24.
“Depends why they fail.”
He tapped the display lightly, marking the screening rooms.
“Not everyone who doesn’t pass is a threat. Some are going to be scared, injured, or just missing records.”
A brief pause.
“So we split it.”
He marked three zones off the screening area.
“Medical flags go straight to Sickbay or a secured medical triage escort only, no delay.”
Another tap.
“Documentation issues or identity mismatches stay here. Controlled holding, monitored, low visibility. Give them time to verify without adding pressure.”
His tone shifted just slightly firmer.
“Behavioral or security concerns get isolated further. Separate room, limited access, and Security presence at all times.”
A glance to Shau.
“No escalation unless they give us a reason. Last thing we need is panic spreading through the intake lines.”
He leaned back slightly.
“But if someone crosses that line”
A small beat.
“we move fast, contain, and transfer to the brig.”
Another glance at the layout.
“We keep it quiet and controlled. Main flow doesn’t stop.”

-Ensign Snowden, Derek
Security Officer USS Chimera

Ensign Shau nodded as Derek spoke, silently agreeing with the process his counterpart outlined. A ‘one size fits all’ solution wasn’t feasible, but Ensign Snowden’s approach was both simple and flexible enough to account for different situations.

After that, MJ’s eyes narrowed for a few moments as he reviewed the map and their entire plan so far… looking for any problems. Finally he shook his head. “Alright… I think we have the core of a working plan nailed down… as well as some contingencies.”

He glanced over to Derek and the NC’s supporting them. “Let’s dive down into the details and flesh everything out. When we forward this up the chain of command, I’d like it to be as thorough as possible. After that… we may want to run some drills in the holosuites. Dealing with problem individuals amongst crowds of nervous refugees is not an every day occurrence. Brushing on key skills is rarely a bad idea.”

OOC: I think we may have milked this particular scene for all we can, unless we want to go into even more detail.

Sims in the holosuite is just one idea of something else we can do… feel free to offer up different ideas if you think they make more sense.

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera

Lt. Reid strode into the security center, glad to see his officers hard at work, coming up with plans for the refugees.

He stopped near various groups asking for updates on their plans. He would nod to each group as they reported, telling them it either looked good or offering suggestions that could make things easier.

His last stop was by Shau and Snowden. “Gentlemen, show me what you’ve come up with.”

OOC: I don’t expect you to reiterate everything you just posted above, but perhaps a brief summary of the plan or any questions you may have for COS.

Lt. Conner Reid
Chief of Security-USS Chimera

Ensign Shau wasn’t surprised when the Chief of Security approached their group… he was clearly making his rounds through the various teams… but he did have to center himself to stay calm.

MJ knew he couldn’t let himself think of the issues that occurred when he first checked onboard the Chimera, that would only make him anxious and distract him from the task at hand. He’d come up with a solid draft plan with Derek and the Crewman, so he just had to let the work speak for itself.

If Lt Reid had any suggestions, all the better. That’s why we did this as a team in the first place… to look at the problem from multiple angles.

“Sir, we focused on intake and how to prevent unauthorized access to critical areas of the ship. We felt that narrowing down the points of intake and housing would let us focus on a few key areas and keep the refugees contained.” He handed the Chief of Security the PADD he’d been working on and asked the Crewman to put Decks 11 and 24 on the display.

“The personnel transporters are spread all over the place, but the two main cargo transporters are on Deck 11, right next to the main hangar. Those transporters are commonly used for evacuation protocols, and they can be modified by engineering with improved pattern buffers for personnel. If we use them as our primary intake locations, along with the hanger for personnel brought in via shuttle, we’ve effectively minimized the risk of infiltration.” MJ pointed at the key locations as well as recommended placements for internal force fields.

“Once personnel have been screened, we take them via turbolift to Deck 24, which is predominately guest quarters. That allows us to house the most number of refugees while still keeping them contained and isolated from from the rest of the ship. If we expect to have them onboard long term, we can convert some of the larger staterooms on that deck into common areas to allow people to mingle and blow off steam.” That was another team’s focus, but Ensign Shau was well aware that Security would be tasked with keeping the peace between refugees once tempers started flaring.

“For anybody that is allowed access, be they Starfleet personnel or trusted individuals, they can be housed in crew quarters and granted ship access on a tiered scale.”

MJ paused so Ensign Snowden could jump in. Derek had taken the lead on the actual intake and screening process.

Ensign MJ Shau - Security Officer - USS Chimera