Posted by Ensign Kovan ch’Sirhc (Engineering & Communications Officer) in Main Sim - Colonial Communications Contact - Bridge

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Main Sim - Colonial Communications Contact - Bridge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Anders (Chief of Security) in Main Sim - Colonial Communications Contact - Bridge
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
[snip]

Kovan turned in his chair to answer the captain, “Communications are sent. We’re now awaiting for them to arrive and for the colonies to answer.” It was a waiting game now. Kovan hoped the communication teams back on the colonies followed his instructions for reply messages. As miraculous as subspace communiques were, they were exceedingly vulnerable. They weren’t bottles with a message cast out into sea awaiting the current and waves to carry it off. Subspace messages were more like a shout echoing through a cave system.

Ensign ch’Sirhc COMMO/ENGR

Marcus Anders never wanted to use the Sentinel’s weapon systems on a mission like this one unless he had to. He knew the ship was powerful enough to take on all comers, but was also aware that anyone in Starfleet must always operate on a diplomacy first policy. To that end, the Security Chief watched on as the Bridge crew waited for further communication from the Orions, with a steady hand on the phaser controls.

-Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Anders: Chief of Security-

It was about 2 and a half hours later while the Sentinel was still on its several day journey to their missions colonies for their leader health check ups, when a reply comm came through as an audio message. They all said the same thing more or less, =/\= Message received, all leaders needing pysch and health check ups will have their schedules cleared upon your arrival. =/\= the three read, a follow up a few minutes later also said from one of the colonies, =/\= Also whoever is sending these on such a strange encryption pattern, stop being so paranoid. We know there are Orions out here but standard encryptions would have sufficed. Took us an extra half hour to figure these messages were not random static bursts to get out a reply. =/\= Seems one of the colonies did not appreciate doing such extra work/security.

GM CockRoach

Anders shifted in his position slightly, “These colonies are pretty isolated, yet we’re the ones being paranoid? Does that seem suspicious to anyone else?”

-Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Anders: Chief of Security-

While waiting on the reply response from the colonies, Kovan tuned his ear piece to the open channel. Not that it was likely for the Sentinel to stumble over someone else’ transmissions but it was something to do. Who knows, maybe he’ll catch some interesting chatter. Eventually the response from the colonies came. Normally he’d just listen and report to the captain but a security NE asked him to put in on speaker which was dumb. Why would he put a routine response on speaker? If the captain and other DHs weren’t around. . . So Kovan put the audio on speaker and pretended to do other work because clearly he wasn’t needed to do his job. And of course the responses were routine and bland as paper. Clearly so important for the security officer. Except the last one.

Kovan bit back the scathing insult on the tip of his tongue. Strange encryption? One-stage encryption was STRANGE? What garbage communications training took this schmucks money while telling him what a good job he’ll do? Their computers would have automatically done three/fourths of the work! All they had to do was look up and read their console screens! Were these cutting-edge colonies or where they several guys waving antennas in the air with a hope and a prayer they’ll catch their signals??

He can’t send his insults verbally. Not when the captain was sitting right over there. No. Kovan will have to be subtle. If one-stage encryption under a static layer was too much for them then how about this. . . Kovan’s return replay was thus. He layered three messages together. A high-band layer that was a shrill audio note over top a simple text file layer with two-stage encryption with the following message: “Do you actually know how to do your job or are you some poor, farmer schmuck who drew the short lot and had to go work the comms station for a while because clearly no one there knows even the basics of comm lines. Enjoy the ringing in your years for the next hour or so because you’re too lazy and incompetent to read a screen and filter your communiques.” And to round out his message on the low-band was the encryption key in morse code. To translate the text file they will need to spell out the message in morse code and align it with a di-lectric alphabet. Something just uncommon enough to be a pain to remember but not impossible. A combination of old-school Earth with alien alphabets. The code phrase? Encrypt This Loser.

Ensign ch’Sirhc COMMO/ENGR

OOCholding my side laughing this is to funny rofl....Diana

After the message was quietly sent by Kovan, he likely would not get a reply back for a bit. Meanwhile the Sentinel merrily continued on its way to the first colony....

For Anders he got nothing in regards to any Orion frequencies at this stage. At least nothing that stood out. Nor were there any signs of warp signatures or the like within sensor range of the Sentinel while at warp.

Finally as another couple of hours passed another comm blip came back from Kovan’s earlier message. Coming in on audio, it seemed to be from the more uppity royal like colony. The voice was from a snubby man it seems, =/\= USS Sentinel, we demand to know why you feel it necessary to place our staff under such strenuous work when such is not required! Our subspace communication teams had to spend the last TWO HOURS pouring over this return reply from your ship and spend it deciphering and looking up your archaic nonsense and use or Morse Code! During this time, due to their distracted efforts, over 300,000 solar credits were lost due to delays in shipping transmissions, orders, as well as hours of mercantile and ambassadorial work towards further trade agreements! Know this that I Fredrick Gan the THIRD of House Highs will be filing a formal notice of your actions both to our colonial leaders AND your so called Starfleet to which so called professionalism and seriousness to your duty is expected. Do note I and my staff are greatly displeased by your actions and will be taking appropriate actions for your misdeeds! =/\= the audio message said. Attached to it was a text message which was formally addressed to whoever was the Sentinel’s communications officer, it read =/\= Actions like this only go to show further how useless our membership is with the Federation! It is as useful as the Roman Empire was! =/\=

GM CockRoach

To be perfectly honest Kovan wasn’t expecting a return response from the colony over his checky insult to their abilities. What he did expect was for their communications officer to hang their head in shame and sulk while ruminating about just how bad and unqualified they are at their job. When the return response came, Kovan did not put it on speaker and listened to the message. At the end of which he wiped his hands over his face. No one, not a single soul in that colony, were competent at their jobs. No wonder these colonies were struggling if they were using something called solar credits. Honestly pitiful. The “money” they lost was meaningless and Kovan didn’t feel bad in the slightest.

Kovan waved Rand over and passed her an ear piece so she could hear both of the messages. “No wonder these colonies are struggling against pirates. They wouldn’t last a week outside of Federation space.”

Ensign ch’Sirhc COMMO/ENGR

“Something to share with the rest of the group, Ensign?” Anders asked, turning to the com station.

-Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus Anders: Chief of Security-

ooc: Kieron please read what is posted. Twice now in just this thread you have failed to read and understand what is going on. I specifically said Kovan is the only one who heard the return response and shared it only with Rand. Please read my post and adjust yours accordingly.

Abigail.

Rand took the earpiece and held it to her ear as Kovan played back the messages. She had him play them several times and finally shook her head. “Kovan can you pin point which colony this came from? Did the follow up message come from the same location as the official reply?” The colonial leaders were Lord Samuel Stevens III, Rachel Condor, and Daniel Boston. Fredrick Gan was none of the above.

Kovan glanced at his console screens. He gave the name of the colony and confirmed that both messages came from the same location: that colony’s comms towers.

Rand lifted her PaDD and quickly wrote out a reply for Kovan to send back. “If the communique is coming directly from the colonies official channel send this message:”

Under the Federation’s colonial regulations section 5: colonial communications, paragraph B subsection 2: in the case of reported hostiles in an area all communication within the sector of said hostility will operate on a level 1 encryption. This applies to colonies, outposts, member home worlds, starbases and all federation ships. If the response does not match standard response protocol, encryption levels will be increased by one level for each incorrect response. Should encryption be increased to level 3 without appropriate response it will be assumed that hostiles have taken said location and appropriate military action will be taken. Now, Fredrick Gan the 3rd of house High, you would know this if you were the colonial leader. We will accept no further response from anyone but the head of your colony in the appropriate response and encryption. If we do not receive the appropriate response we will assume this is an attempt at a MAYDAY.

“If it’s coming from outside their official channels send this one:”

And the Navy shall respond as if Margaret Thatcher has risen from her grave.

If the person on the other end was in fact trying to ask for help by sending strange messages they should understand that Sentinel understood. If they were in fact just idiots the point would be made. But there would be a lot of attitude when they arrived. But really, that was the norm when dealing with colonies. They wanted help but wanted to be superior. There was no need for it.

Kovan had to turn and duck his head to hide the manic grin on his face. Rand was too good at her job. Though, perhaps Kovan needs to skim through the colonial regs himself. Just for future reference. Not so that he could find new and creative ways to insult others. Purely for the job. Which he was currently performing to the best of his ability.

Rand then turned, “Cpt Rogers, Cmdr Alden. We have a possible situation on one of the colonies. They have failed to respond with the appropriate message protocol and encryption. We are moving to encryption level 3. If they do not send the appropriate response, SOP dictates that we assume their hostiles in control of the colony.”

Yeoman Rand

OOC: My apologies Abigail! I’ve rectified this now!

-Kieron-

Roman nodded, “As are the protocols. Let’s hope their next response is done correctly.” He wanted to avoid hostile contact if he could. This mission was stressful, he didn’t want combat, but it was likely. “Let’s wait for their response.” He said from his place at the science station, looking at Rogers in case she wanted to add anything.

~ Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Kovan crackled his knuckles and got to work. The first message with one-stage encryption set under a static layer? The second message utilizing high and low bandwidths on the same frequency to obfuscate the message while providing the decryption key? Using morse code and uncommon alphabets? Those were gimicks. Ploys truly skilled and knowledgeable communications officers or people trained in the profession of sub-space messaging and language could reasonable solve on their own with computer assistance. Stunts perfectly suited to jumping over the heads of pirates or those who rely on old or outdated technology.

This message? This next encrypted message was serious. A true test of knowledge and skill utilizing proper and modern techniques. If it took those idiots two hours to figure out a gimick wrapped around a two-stage encryption then Kovan suspected the colony would still be working this new message out by the time the Sentinel arrived. Kovan knew the tools of his trade and employees them in backwards and illogical ways in order to trip up the colony’s comms staff. Forcing them to find his metaphorical keys in haystacks of gibberish and code. And what was their reward? A series of letters and numbers that were connected to various elements on the periodic table. Hopefully their lord payed attention in science class.

Finding the elements lead to the third and final encryption stage. The decoders must understand that the chosen elements were the elements used for trade across the galaxy. Latium, gold, dilithium, and others. Because this wasn’t just about creating a complex web of encryption. No, this was one long and carefully crafted insult. Kovan wove it in between the lines and every step of this message. Their economy was a sham and their solar credits were worthless. These people thought they were hot stuff because they could boast about high numbers when in the grand scheme of things their money was as worthwhile as play money. He was rubbing what an actual space-fairing economy and market looked like into their noses. Forcing them to see and learn what held real value to the rest of the galaxy in order to get their final key.

Kovan looked forward to see how much “money” of theirs he wasted this time. He was personally betting on it being in the hundred millions.

Ensign ch’Sirhc COMMO/ENGR

Leaning against a wall next to Kovan, Alwyn was silently looking at the situation and waiting with the crew for the colony to answer. For now, he didn’t have much to do, as he already gave orders to his team through the ship’s comm so they can be ready if they depart for the colony.

They surely take their time, thought the doctor. In an attempt to break the silence, he says to Kovan : “So, um… How’s your arm ?”

Lieutenant Alwyn Yarwood - CMO