Posted by Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGregor (COS) in Nothing good happens after 2am

Posted by Captain Calvin Marius (Captain) in Nothing good happens after 2am

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Thomas McGregor (COS) in Nothing good happens after 2am
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
“Raise the shields,” Thomas ordered with a frown, making a mental note. That was something that had been protocol for more than a century.

The soft pneumatic hiss of the turbo doors was drowned out by a thump and slight mumbled curse as Vanessa stumbled onto the space. While she often took advantage of the less restrictive dress codes allowed for counselors, Vanessa’s outfit of old academy sweatpants and sweatshirt and sneakers with one shoe tied and the other flopping about indicated she had thrown on the first outfit she found. If anyone had a second guess that she had not just rolled out of her rack, her hair answered that sporting a rats nest as her mother called it. She pushed it out of her face and behind her ears as she took up position next to Calvin and Thomas.

“Probably because it is 2 am and they are asleep,” Vanessa stated in a low tone under her breath. Life on the Genesis was far different than her life at the VA in Boston. She had had several calls at 2 am but they usually were a knock at her door or a pesky comm call that would not hang up. This was more reminiscent of her time at the academy which oddly enough she was dressed in almost the same attire she wore years ago when they sprung a surprise drill on them. Unlike the academy, Vanessa did have a cup of coffee in her hands that she took a sip from trying to push the fog of sleep out of her mind. It wasn’t hot nor fresh but several hours old. Muscle memory had her grab it off the counter as she rushed out of her quarters. Hopefully later she would get a fresh cup but for now she was grateful she even had something to drink.

Vanessa Slade CNS

=/\=Dr. Edelu to bridge, Sickbay stands by ready to receive casualties.=/\=

-Lt. Cmdr. Edelu
Chief Medical Officer

=/\=Understood, Sickbay,=/\= Thomas responded. For Medical to be the first to report full readiness was slightly concerning, but they were also one of the smallest departments on the ship.

COS

The alert continued its shrill insistence through the quiet bridge. The tension was palpable—far more so than any routine drill. Calvin’s gaze flicked to Vanessa, whose sleep-deprived eyes gave away that she had just awoken. He bit back the snarky comment he had about her appearance.

There was Captain Marius, highly decorate ex-Marine, who commanded the ship with the exemplary presence and demeanor befitting all Starfleet Captains. There was also the man, the myth, and the legend Calvin Marius, who could silently drink you under the table and had a sense of humor that could make anyone laugh for hours with his witty jokes and keen eye for knowing how to tap into the personal side of his crew. Right now, the man that gave Vanessa the barely glance was Calvin. In the year she had served under him, Vanessa learned to spot the small tell he had when he found humor in a situation. It was not a smile or even a grin but more of a lip twitch that was barely noticeable because it was so fast and so small. That small muscle twitch contained a silent conversation she was beginning to learn to read.

Raising her cold coffee mug to her face, she hide smile forming on her face. Looking around the bridge it was not the image plastered on holovids about the impeccable crews that commanded the stars. It was 2 am. The grave shift was eager but young so they tended to not hold the crisp posture of confidence the main crew did in their seats. They also had a wide eyed excitement at the thought of something to do and to prove to the Captain they were the best of the best. Glancing to her side, Thomas was far more put together than she but that was the life of a security officers. Many things got a security officer out of bed and forced them to immediately wakefulness. She wondered about the CMO but he too was probably bright eyed and ready because sickbay was always hopping.

Being the counselor, she never was rousted out of bed like an aspiring Security officer of eager to help doctor. Once again, she realized how well she had picked her career. Tonight was a blimp on her beauty sleep and she was ready to wrap up this drill and head back to her warm, soft bed.

Then the tactical officer’s voice crackled again: “Sir—visual confirmation incoming. It’s not a Federation vessel. Its warp signature spiked moments ago; it’s coming within visual range.”

The viewscreen shimmered, and through it emerged a sleek, angular ship—silent, unreadable, drifting out of warp decay.

Marius

“Oh, that looks fun,” Thomas said. “Still no response to hails?”

“Nothing, We are dong all standard Federation Hails, I even threw in an Orion one for a change.... I hear they get around.”

“Try everything in the book,” Thomas said. “Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Breen, hell, use the hull lights and flash them Morse code, but find me some way to talk.”

“Nothing, Commander,” the ensign confirmed. “Their communications appear to be offline or intentionally scrambled.”

“You definitely have a different version of fun than I do,” she said staring at the vessel. Vessels were objects but that did not mean their appearance could not invoke feelings or emotions. The sleek designs and angles of the ship reminded Vanessa of something dangerous and deadly, like the tip of a blade or arrow. With it moving towards them, Vanessa could not help but feel intimidated by it. “I think you need to come see me next week.” Her last statement was rhetorical and full of humor. There was nothing wrong with Thomas but that did not mean they could not break the tension with a little ribbing. Crews worked well because they had a connection. The senior staff developed it due to all their time together. The other “command teams” especially the more green crews like the one currently on the bridge could learn from these displays of comradery.

Before moving to her seat, Vanessa cast a glance at Calvin. “This is a drill right,” she said in a low tone before moving to her seat on the bridge.

“You practice the way you would play it.... ” He looked at her. “And if you shouldn’t address me, and if you do, you should at least be trying to cheat.”

“If its not a Federation ship do we know who we are dealing with,” Vanessa asked the bridge crew. This was a good way to break in the newbies on the graveyard shift. People learned best in the moment.

Vanessa Slade CNS

COS

There wasn’t much to report “No signals. No transponder ID. They have shield, up, hull plating which is a dark, matte… might be using sensor absorbent or reflective tech. Its not keeping us from seeing them, but I can’t get anything in depth.”

“They are slowing there is an element on that ship that is powering up but its not up to weaponry power levels… yet.”

Marius

“Well that’s some good news, at least,” Thomas said, slightly sarcastically. “Helm, be ready for evasive maneuvers. Dealer’s choice for the initial move, if it comes to it I’ll piggyback whatever you choose.”

COS
COS

“Yet? We are waiting for a yet,” Vanessa said in a tense voice. Until someone spoke or contacted them, she didn’t have much to do but let her mind run and grip the arm of her seat.

Vanessa Slade CNS

The ship was visually a shadowy form along with it equally shadowy sensor form. What wasn’t hidden was when the powered up systems. The sensors were able to detect a ‘power surge’ to what was either a sensor or energy projection system.

It powered up quickly because it topped out a gigawatt or so. (the unshielded ship hull probably could take a gigawatt hit without damage so if this was a weapon it was particularly low powered)

The ‘weapon’ burst out with a rainbow of light. It was literally a rainbow of visible light and in both the infra and ultra ranges.

An ensign stuttered, “We’re… hit?” there was a moment more, “no damage… no change in shield power, no drain.”

marius

“Still, let’s not sit still for a second shot,” Thomas replied. “Helm, put us 10 kilometers above and forward of that ship. Tactical, I want phasers targeting the emitter of whatever that was. Give me one torpedo launch forward, and blow it up with a phaser shot five kilometers before impact.”

COS

OOC: 10 Kilometers in Star Ship terms is really close - movies not withstanding…

IC: “Roger, 1/3 impulse power, closing to 10k.” Young or not, the ship moved quickly to position.

“Photon torpedo, locked and away.” It didn’t take long for the torpedo to close and detonate at 5 kilometers… “That should show them.” The torpedo was nearly 500 times more powerful than the light show they just put on.

The ship shimmered in space for a moment and 8 images returned. “What the…” the tactical officer murmured. “There hasn’t been an energy change, the ship either divided into eight ships with 12% the power of the first, or they are just images.”

“The ship appears to have a much more significant hardpoint that is several orders of magnitude denser than the light projector. The ‘rainbow projector is analogous to our sensor system’ with the other hardpoint more likely being a beam weapon system.” her brow furrowed slightly. “Their weapon systems, remain dormant and uncharged, and they are maintaining a constant position.”

“Commander, I have been working on a theoretical application of their ‘rainbow’ beam, by modulating the emitter across the entire visible and electromagnetic spectrum. While it wouldn’t penetrate the shield fully, it might allow the alien vessel to identify irregularities or our specific shield modulation.”

“Explain irregularities,” Vanessa said in a far more rhetorical sentence then information seeking sentence.

“Well, It would be like staining a piece of wood. The stain would seep into the seams of the wood and show where the grain is. Once you know where the strengths and weaknesses are, you can use that to your advantage.”

On the main viewscreen, a shimmering, multicolored light pulsed from the bogie’s or bogies array, playing across the Genesis’ shields. The energy field reacted, swirling and flickering under the bombardment of disparate frequencies.

“I have a momentary flux, Captain!” Ensign Valerius announced. “Duration estimated at 0.25 seconds. “

Marius

“And how are we stopping any flux,” Vanessa stated. The bridge crew was peppered with senior officers but this felt on some level more of training drill especially since Calvin had not cleared the way. While it might be something no one spoke of in Starfleet, a large part of Vanessa’s training was with ex-Starfleet vets and civilians. What she knew about that was people got testy when you started poking at their vehicles. She had seen more Saturday night fights after the bar over someone bothering a vehicle over a prospective partner. If Calvin was standing in the back still, he did not have too grave of concern for his lady. The second his Genny was in trouble, Calvin would probably be barking out orders. It was just a human thing with people and their vehicles.

Vanessa Slade CNS

“Helm, get us behind them,” Thomas ordered tensely. “Or at least out of the arc of that emitter.”

COS

“Coming to course, 036 mark 322… full impulse, parabolic course.” the helmsman reported. The Genesis wasn’t a fighter but she burst into motion so sharply the crew could feel the movement irrespective of the inertia dampeners.

“Commander, the bogie, bogies, are increasing speed, .3 c. Dead ahead. She’s running at impulse.”

Marius

“Convergent course?” Thomas asked. If all eight were looking to ram…

COS

OOC: Sorry that wasn’t clear, as the Genesis moved behind them the went to .3 c. So you are looking at the aft of the eight ships as they are ‘running away.’ It is not a ramming course. I probably should have set that up better.

“Negative sir, I think they are, well or it is trying to run.”

0.3 c is a pretty impressive speed, although running at warp would be more effective. “They aren’t going to get away at sub-light.”

Marius