Posted by Gamemaster Pelican (GM) in Main Sim - Main Engineering; ATTN: Engineering (Spy’s POV) (Or anyone wanting to post as a NLt)

Posted by Gamemaster Pelican (GM) in Main Sim - Main Engineering; ATTN: Engineering (Spy’s POV)

Posted by Gamemaster Pelican (GM) in Main Sim - Main Engineering (The Spy’s POV)
A Vulcan dressed in Engineering red with an Ensign’s braid strode into Main Engineering, looking to the outside world to be on schedule for a duty shift. He was, according to the ship’s duty roster, Ensign Kallon, a new transfer from the USS Dynamic - a Starfleet courier ship that rotated between the Vulcan, Tellar, and Andor star systems. This was Kallon’s first time in the Sol system, according to the Ensign’s meticulously detailed duty record. In true Vulcan efficiency, there were zero indications of entry errors, and also no unaccounted time frames. Ensign Kallon went to a diagnostics station, and began working.

He did not know that the warp core would soon be put to idle. He had been hoping that the Sentinel would get underway shortly, as he was eager to leave the starbase, and space dock. He hid that eagerness, as it was not a Vulcan reaction to any situation whatsoever. Of course, in reality, Kallon was not actually Vulcan. The disguise had worked well enough, albeit the process had been painful. The name he would tell outsiders was Nevor, and only his family knew the rest. He had never met any other Romulan besides his wife, siblings, and parents who he could say he actually trusted - and certainly, he trusted no non-Romulan.

He had thought that he had been thorough enough in his work to have boarded the Sentinel undetected. It would seem, however, that the Sentinel’s computer security protocols, especially for Starbase uplink, had been activated. While they may not know who he was precisely - his records alteration had been quite thorough - Starfleet knew that the Sentinel had a spy onboard. Nevor had managed to get most of the information he wanted, but without a way to determine Starfleet’s ship positions near the Neutral Zone, his mission was incomplete.

He tried his best to remain unnoticed, but if anyone paid close enough attention, his pace of work would be just slow enough to be worthy of remark. No amount of training aboard a derelict Starfleet vessel from fifty orbital cycles prior could make Nevor intimately familiar with all modern Starfleet interfaces. The pace of technological advancement in the Federation had not quite outstripped that of the Romulans - and likely it would take a cataclysm for the Federation to ever surpass the Star Empire on that front - but the Federation (or at least the humans in charge of Starfleet design these days, if aesthetics were to be believed) had still introduced new functions and capabilities that the Romulan man posing as the Vulcan Ensign Kallon could not operate seamlessly.

Pelican, GM
USS Sentinel

Shortly thereafter…

While the erstwhile Ensign Kallon had managed to avoid much suspicion from the true Starfleet personnel in Main Engineering, he was hopeful that he could continue to uphold the ruse. As part of his work, he had managed to access the computer terminal briefly - just long enough to discover, through a back door, that someone on the crew was actively monitoring the communications systems. He also found that someone was doing a functions-level analysis of the systems - which meant that they were aware of his intrusion into the computer systems, even if they had not discovered how he had done it. Nevor was glad that he had checked first, because he now knew that he would need to access the communications equipment directly in order to remain relatively undetected - and he could not use the same methods that had allowed him to alter the personnel records, or obscure his systems access in the Stellar Cartography lab. Yet another obstacle to his mission, but one that he could overcome.

The true issue was finding a pretense that would allow him to go to that part of the maintenance shafts. The ship was currently still undergoing preparations to get underway, and the starbase crew, to Nevor’s regret, had done a remarkable job in their performance of routine maintenance. If the Sentinel had left the starbase, Nevor would have had a much simpler solution. As it was, he was forced to simply perform his job as part of Alpha Shift Team Two. While he kept working, the communications panel chimed.

[O] Attention all hands, this is the Chief Medical Officer. At the order of Star Fleet Medical, we are now under a medical quarantine. All personnel are to report to their quarters and remain inside until seen and examined by medical staff. All Department Heads are hereby instructed to keep only essential personnel in their departments and to close access to all non-department personnel until cleared by Medical. All departments acknowledge, please. [C]

That was definitely going to prove problematic. Although the crew quarters that he had assigned himself was a private billet, he had chosen to use the correct location of his quarters on his personnel assignment. A crew member without a valid place to stay on board would have drawn notice if anyone had bothered to check. However, now that the order had come through to go there and stay there, the chances of discovery rose. If he didn’t report to quarters,

[O]Chief K to Engineering, send all non-essential staff to quarters, Alpha shift teams one and two are to remain, set all engines and propulsion systems to idle.[C]

Another Engineering crew member, wearing the rank of a junior Lieutenant, went to the communications panel and responded with, [O] Main Engineering here. Orders acknowledged - we’ll get it done, Chief. Main Engineering, out. [C] She then turned around and said, “You heard the boss - anyone not in teams one and two, head to quarters. Teams One and Two, let’s get these systems idle!”

With that simple order, so many of Nevor’s problems suddenly had easy workarounds. His duty station was directly responsible for power routing in the ship - and transitioning the warp core and the impulse engines to idle instead of ready involved quite a few changes in power distribution. He got to work, seeing how to make the power junctions near the physical communications systems act up in a way that could seem like they required a manual interface.

Pelican, GM
USS Sentinel

Before anyone could notice what he was doing, Nevor managed to create the power fluctuation that would require a manual interface to utilize. The access to the junction would take him directly past his assigned quarters. He could grab his contraband equipment and, if things went as Nevor intended, he would be able to acquire the remaining information that he needed relatively undisturbed. Unlike in the Stellar Cartography laboratory, he would have a direct connection to the communications systems - which meant that he could bypass the communications protocols. Nevor turned to the officer in charge.

“Lieutenant (Junior Grade), my station indicates that a power junction necessary for completing the idling process requires a manual interface,” he said calmly, making sure to follow the Vulcan pathos of somehow managing to actually pronounce the parentheses. “I believe that I have completed all of the tasks that I can undertake at this station, and am able to handle the manual protocols personally.”

The man that was posing as Ensign Kallon went to the medical supply panel in Main Engineering, and donned the contaminant protection gear available. “I will follow quarantine protocols; however, for the sake of efficiency, I intend to use the corridors in order to get to the closest access point to the power junction in question.” Once again, he managed to follow the Vulcan style of somehow pronouncing an implied punctuation.

As Nevor knew that he still was required to follow the chain of command, he waited for permission from the Officer On Duty before departing.

Pelican, GM
USS Sentinel

The Jr Lt nodded, “Alright. Get it done quickly. No pit stops. What junction are you going to?”

“My console indicates manual calibrations are required at junction 29 alpha, Lt. Junior Grade,” Nevor said precisely.

[O]Bridge this is Main Engineering. Ensign Kallon is proceeding to junction 29 Alpha to complete a manual calibration.[C]

Nevor turned, in his gear with a tool bag and headed down the corridors.

EvilJen, DDoSFEO