Testing the Barriers

Posted on 11 Dec 2017 @ 8:12pm by Lieutenant T'Pai & Captain Harvey Geisler & Commander Thiago Teixeira & Lieutenant Commander Arjin Djinx & Lieutenant Danyl Adan & Lieutenant Sterek & Lieutenant JG Felix Langston

1,622 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Crossing Over
Location: Mississippi/Bridge, Black Hawk
Timeline: MD3 0830

===[Bridge]===

Arjin looked up from his place behind the Science console at the brige. His gaze drifting towards the View Screen. Before them lay the Convergance in all its glory. To be more precise the part of the Convergance where the Aketi had left it.

In a few moments they would start with the preparations of the Veteron bombardment exercise. He hoped it would give them some answers.

Harvey's eyes remained downcast on his PADD as he checked the parameters of the experiment a final time. The objective was simple enough, point a modified deflector at the Zone and scan like there was no tomorrow.

"All right everyone," Harvey said, setting the PADD down. "This is simple enough. Mister Adan, keep a tractor lock, but don't engage, on the Mississippi as soon as she's spacebound. Should anything happen, we'll be able to recover her quickly. Keep a transporter lock as well, and make sure our sensors have priority with the resources. Mister Djinx and Commander Teixeira, watch the sensors. Record, observe, follow your hunches. Understood?"

"Understood, Captain," acknowledged Lieutenant Adan. Quickly, the Chief of Ops set about his tasks. Locking targeting scanners first, he had a transporter lock on all the crew aboard the Mississippi. Then, he got a lock on the runabout itself.

"Aye Captain", Arjin responded. "If there is anything to see, we will not miss it."

From where he stood at his console, Teixeira opted not to respond vocally, instead just turning his attention to the panel before him. As he stood there, he created a dedicated ODN pathway between the Bridge, Astrometrics, and the sensor processors. He wanted to make sure that everyone was getting the information as quickly and efficiently as possible. The dedicated connection also minimized the need for Adan to have to worry about minute monitoring of the data flows, allowing the Trill Operations Officer to keep his attention on both the Mississippi and making sure the necessary sensors maintained the proper power levels to function at their highest capacity.


===[USS Mississippi]===

T'Pai watched in studied silence as preparations were made for the launch of the Mississippi. She was a few minutes early, of course, but that was only logical. As an engineer and a physicist, she had long since learned the value of anticipating for entropy, and thus avoiding it.

Ensign Nasek stood her station, double checking her systems, the probes and other related aspects to make sure she was ready to act when time came.

Perhaps predictably, Sterek arrived exactly on time, wearing his standard uniform for once rather than the scrubs and lab coat he favoured. "Lieutenant," he acknowledged, as the turbolift doors opened and he made his way over to his assigned console.

Lt. Felix Langston arrived and greeted the other officers formally as he made his way to the Mississippi. He sat down at the flight and tactical console and made sure the runabout was ready to go. Every system checked out and the engines whirred to life as he initiated the startup sequence.


===[Bridge]===

As soon as the bridge crew was ready, Harvey asked, "Mister Adan, hail the runabout."

Lieutenant Adan's slender fingers slid across his console. He replied, "Aye, Sir. Hailing frequencies are open."

Harvey cleared his throat. "Black Hawk to Mississippi, we are ready when you are."


===[USS Mississippi]===

"Aye, sir," T'Pai answered the Black Hawk, before turning to Felix at the Pilot seat. "Mr. Langston, take us out if you would."

"Acknowledged," Felix said while inputting commands on the flight console. "Taking her out."

As the Mississippi launched smoothly, T'Pai's went immediately to the details of the mission. "Mr. Langston, take us to the four probe launch points and advise Ms. Nasek when to launch."

"Prepared to launch, all systems green. Standing by." Nasek said, her eyes on the engineering console on front of her as she carefully monitored the probes and related systems.

Felix did his best to keep the runabout steady. He slowed the craft to an optimal speed in order for the science team to conduct their tests.

"Doctor Sterek," T'Pai said, turning to the Vulcan physician, "Please keep me advised of any changes in the medical status of the Mississippi's crew, particularly when we approach the first verteron bombardment point. Since we are keeping what has been established as a 'safe distance,' I do not predict any adverse effects to the health of the crew of the Mississippi. However, I recognize the logical necessity to address the mutable nature of the Convergence Zone."

"Understood and acknowledged. Caution is logical in this case." Sterek's hands moved deftly over his console, refining the scan parameters in preparation. "All lifesigns aboard are registering normal, Lieutenant."


===[Bridge]===

Harvey remained seated, watching the viewscreen as the camera followed the runabout into position. "How are we looking everyone?" he asked his bridge crew.

"All telemetry is coming back as it should, Captain.", Arjin responded. "I am ready for the next step.", he added. His fingers darting all over the console.

Sending a quick message to Astrometrics to check on Fordyce, Teixeira switched his secondary display to show system readings for the Mississippi. Adan had enough going on that it would be good to have a second set of eyes monitoring the runabout, ready to respond if things went south.


===[USS Mississippi]===

T'Pai's face maintained its stoicism when the deployed probes revealed unelevated levels of mesons and leptons along the Convergence Zone, indicating wormholes were not present. If the verteron bombardment produced negative results as well, T'Pai's demeanor would undoubtedly remain unchanged. Although obtaining a method of transiting the barrier around the zone at this point would be preferable, elimination of possible methods were still not without value.

"Mr. Langston, stand ready. We should be at a safe distance from the point where the verteron bombardment interacts with the barrier around the Convergence Zone," T'Paid advised. "However, predicted results are based on an experimental model with limited empirical data to base it on. It may be necessary to conduct an expedited withdraw from our current position."

"So, we should keep our distance and be ready to bug out if needed," Felix said. "Got it." He quickly did the math and came up with an emergency flight plan for exiting the Zone should the need arise.

"Black Hawk, this is the Mississippi. We are initiating the verteron bombardment now," T'Pai advised.

"Acknowledged, Mississippi," replied Captain Geisler over the intercom. "Good luck."

"Ms. Nasek, initiate the verteron bombardment," T'Pai ordered.

"Aye" Nasek replied and tapped a few keys. Then the sky in that area lit up, not all at once but like a rippling effect. A glimmering of vibrant colors flittered across space. Purple hues, red, gold, and blues appeared and disappeared like banners fading in and out. The bombardment continued and the colors stabilized into the visual spectrum, spreading out from the central point of where the particles hit the barrier. The colors shifted and merged, with pink becoming the dominant color but others merging throughout as it took up more and more space as the beam was carefully applied.

"Fascinating," T'Pai deadpanned, watching the visual display before moving over to one of the consoles on the Mississippi bridge. "Keep an eye on things, Mr. Langston. I do not believe we are in any imminent danger, but as a human colleague is fond of advising me, it is best not to give Mr. Murphy an opening."

"Copy that, L-T," Felix said as his hands moved swiftly over the console, trying his best to, in the words of a certain earth movie, "fly casual."

"Lieutenant Sterek, any negative reactions we should be aware of?" T'Pai asked, not looking up from her readouts.

"I am detecting a number of reflected particles that could constitute a health risk to the crew in higher concentrations-" Sterek tapped a few controls. "Sending you my readings now. However, our shields are currently providing adequate protection without need for adjustment."

"Black Hawk, Mississippi," T'Pai keyed up. "Our sensors are detecting a number of the particles being 'reflected back' possessing extradimensional spin and momentum. Are the Black Hawk sensors picking up the same?"

"Roger that Lieutenant. We are watching the spectacle as well and recieving the same info. As you describe it.", Arjin commented.

"Captain Geisler, I believe it will be possible to construct a navigation alrogirthm to allow a manned vessel to penetrate the barrier around the Convergence Zone," T'Pai began. "However, this will require more observation, followed by exhaustive empirical testing. With your permission, I would like to continue bombarding various points along the Convergence Zone to confirm initial observations."

"Acknowledged," replied the ship's captain. "As long as you stay within tractor range. We can't afford to be losing our runabout on Day One."

"Of course, Captain," T'Pai answered. She paused for a moment, studying the fading reaction of the barrier to the verteron bombardment point before turning to Langston. "Mr. Langston, navigate us to the next bombardment point please."

"On it," Felix said as he laid in the course to the next point, the light show still fresh in his memory. "Think we'll see any more fireworks?"

"Undoubtedly, Mr. Langston," T'Pai answered, looking up from her panel long enough to answer him. "And I expect we will continue detecting the underlying causes for these 'pyrotechnics' as well." T'Pai paused, searching her memory for the appropriate command, before adding, "So steady as she goes, Mr. Langston. Steady as she goes."

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