Posted by Civilian Stovik (Science) in Main Sim – Survival of the Fittest - (Science)
Snip

The Science Department worked diligently at their tasks, even as the Sentinel weathered another series of shield strikes that shook the vessel violently.

A few moments later, the sensor picture suddenly cleared up. The ghosts disappeared, and the sensors clearly showed the four surviving Federation ships—five including the Sentinel. The Pontiac was nearly destroyed and in the process of being evacuated. The number of life signs correlating to Federation escape pod beacons resolved to 174, though that number slowly increased as more of the Pontiac’s crew abandoned ship.

There were no Klingon life signs. Whether by design or some cruel twist of fate, all their escape pods exploded as the Birds-of-Prey jumped to warp.

That number was appallingly low considering the size of the debris field and the number of ships likely destroyed in the battle.

“Sir!” One of the scientists called out to Stovik. “We have solid sensor locks now… the transporters can start beaming survivors aboard!”

Gamemaster Mal Fet

Stovik turned immediately toward the scientist’s station as the sensor display stabilized. The multitude of duplicate contacts had vanished, leaving a considerably clearer—and more troubling—picture of the battlefield.

He reviewed the results once before opening a channel to the bridge.

=^= Stovik to Lieutenant Kross. The sensor anomalies have resolved. Science now confirms four surviving Federation vessels in addition to the Sentinel. The Pontiac has sustained critical damage and is presently being evacuated. =^=

His attention shifted to the steadily increasing casualty data.

=^= We have confirmed 174 Federation life signs associated with active escape pod beacons. That number is increasing as additional personnel evacuate the Pontiac. We now have sufficiently stable sensor locks to support transporter operations and I am transmitting survivor coordinates to the bridge and transporter rooms. =^=

Stovik studied the surrounding debris field before continuing.

=^= There are no detectable Klingon life signs. Their escape pods appear to have been destroyed as the remaining Birds-of-Prey withdrew at warp. Given the extent of the debris field and estimated vessel losses, the number of surviving Federation personnel remains significantly below statistical expectations. I recommend continued wide-spectrum casualty scanning for survivors not associated with functioning beacons. Stovik out. =^=

Without hesitation, he turned back toward the science staff. “Maintain continuous life-sign sweeps. Prioritize survivors without functioning escape pod transponders and transmit every confirmed coordinate directly to transporter control.”

Stovik
Science Specialist

The sudden stabilization of the sensor picture brought Lieutenant Selene Kross’s attention fully back to the science console. For several tense moments, the battlefield had been little more than a shifting collection of sensor ghosts and conflicting returns, but now the Federation vessels were resolving with sufficient clarity to distinguish individual hulls and, more importantly, the escape pods being launched from the crippled Pontiac. Kross studied the data as Stovik’s transmission reached her, her expression tightening as the casualty figures came through. One hundred and seventy-four survivors was a number, but given the scale of the engagement, it was a number that carried considerably more weight than the simplicity of the figure suggested.

“Understood, Stovik,” Kross replied over the channel, her voice controlled despite the continuing impacts against the Sentinel’s shields. “Keep those sensor locks stable and continue searching for anything that doesn’t correspond with a functioning transponder. I want the science teams cross-checking the life-sign returns against the debris field itself. If a pod has lost its beacon, there may still be a biological return we can identify. Don’t assume that an absence of a transponder means an absence of survivors.” She glanced toward the tactical and operations displays as the latest information populated the science console. “Transmit every verified coordinate to Transporter Control as soon as you have it. Medical will need accurate numbers, and they need them before those survivors arrive aboard.”

Kross closed the channel and returned her attention to the sensor display, refusing to let the apparent clarity of the battlefield create a false sense of security. The anomaly that had obscured their sensors had vanished, but that did not mean every unanswered question had disappeared with it. The surviving Federation vessels were still operating amid a debris field that represented an enormous loss of life, and the Pontiac’s evacuation was still underway. “Keep scanning,” she ordered the science department, her eyes remaining fixed on the data. “Wide spectrum, continuous sweep. We are not finished looking until we know exactly what is out there.”
Selene Kross, Ph.D., M.D.
Chief Science Officer
Lieutenant, Sciences Division // USS Sentinel
Advanced Cryogenic & Environmental Systems