Strategies

Posted on 23 Dec 2018 @ 1:58pm by Ensign Kelly Khan & Lieutenant Commander Arjin Djinx & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler

2,404 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: The Kalisa Conundrum
Location: Conference Room
Timeline: MD 1 || 1430 Hours

Once she was done helping with the adjustments on the runabout and having a late lunch with her husband, Joey made her way into the conference room. She'd already contacted the Trill Science Chief and Ensign Khan, and it would only be a matter of time before they joined her. While she waited, the Intel Chief planned to sit down and take a breather. The extra weight she was carrying around her midsection had her feeling a bit winded.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then repeated the process. Maybe it was just as well she wasn't going with the others to the archive. Joey definitely wasn't in any shape to do such a thing right now. And speedy getaways definitely weren't in her cards. If course, maybe if she tripped someone, she'd have a decent chance to penguin waddle herself as fast as she could to safety.

As soon as she had permission to leave the bridge, Kelly made her way to the conference room with a PADD in her hand loaded with all the information that the destroyed probes had sent before being destroyed as well as the Black Hawk's sensor data. The Captain had ordered her to collaborate with Commander Djinx and Lieutenant Geisler to come up with a strategy to get through the mine field and weapons platforms and that's what she would try to do. How they could do it, she didn't know.

When the doors to the conference room opened, she spotted the Captain's wife but there was no sign of the Chief of Science yet, so she gave a friendly smile as she took a seat at the table. "How are you feeling, Lieutenant?" she asked pleasantly.

"I feel like I have two babies attempting to annihilate my internal organs," the taller woman replied. "I swear there are a few feet lodged in my rib cage."

"You could have a couple of the bottom ribs removed until you have them," the short Ensign responded.

Joey couldn't help but arch a brow. "Why would I want to do that?"

"For the extra room," Kelly said as if it were obvious.

"Yeah, no, I'll have to pass on that. As a matter of fact, I think I'd much rather stretch my lip out and jump rope with it," Joey said, sounding far harsher than she meant to. With a frown, she shifted in the chair she was sitting in and sighed. "I'm sorry, Kelly. I'm so uncomfortable right now, it has me wishing for an out of body experience."

The tone of voice didn't bother her as she had seen her own mom pregnant several times, but trying to imagine Joey jumping her own lip forced a giggle out of her before she clamped a hand over her mouth. "It's okay, Joey," she said. "My Mom went through it, too. Try a hydro massage session. They're awesome and you're weightless while getting the massage."

Joey hadn't thought of that. "I'll look into that. Thanks."

Arjin had been studying some of the probes data in anticipation of the meeting with Lieutenant Geisler and Ensign Khan. He had gotten so caught up in it, that he had lost track of time. So he was last to arrive. He aknowledged the presence of the two women with a nodd. "Lieutenant, Ensign. Lets find us a way inside, shall we.", he just stated.

"Commander," the taller woman greeted as the Trill Science Chief took his place inside the conference room. Joey found herself shifting around again, wondering if standing was a better option, but remained where she was for now. It was time to get down to business. "The easiest and fastest way inside, if the need arises, would be to disable the mines and/or platforms. Of course, we're here to brainstorm, so let's see what other options there are before we report to the Captain." Although, it would probably be easier just to call him in since they were close to the bridge.

"Commander," Kelly said respectfully when the Trill joined them. She uploaded the contents of the PADD to the computer and put it on screen. "This is all the telemetry and sensor data we gathered from the runs with the probes."

"I think we can agree that even the Black Hawk can not disable all the defences before being annihilated.", Arjin remarqued. "We have also seen the defences adapt rather quickly to the situation. Quicker than we can react. So that leaves us the stealthy option as suggested by you Lieutenant.", he added. "But I do not think the shielding is going to be enough. We will also need something to distract the attention whilst slipping in."

"What we also need is a good route in," Kelly said. "Sending those probes in proved that the platforms and mines adapt quickly to any intrusion. Having a light year of them around the planet is going to be tricky. I had originally came up with a route for the ship to go through, but that can be modified based on the new information and calibrated for a shuttle."

Did they not realize what her position was on board the ship? "It's as simple as hacking into their systems and turning them in their favor, but, if you two want to find a safe route, then be my guest," the Intel Chief stated. "I'll be sure to ask how well that's going when we have mines on our ass blasting holes in the hull." Something wasn't right with her. The discomfort was getting to her, and now Joey was on her feet, moving to The window to look out.

"Er, begging your pardon, Lieutenant, but that's not what the Captain wanted," Kelly said. "However, that is a possible strategy if we have to enter the minefield."

Joey was uncomfortable and frustrated. Perhaps, she wasn't the best person to be part of these particular discussions. She opened her mouth to express those thoughts just as a cramping sensation made its presence known. The Intel Chief but her lip and moved to a chair to place her hands on the back of it. "Then, let's hear what you two have," she said, trying not to appear as uncomfortable as she felt.

Arjin was quite aware of the discomfort Lieutenant Geisler was in. After all, Djinx had experienced pregnancy and all discomfort that could come with it. He also knew better than to say something about it.
"Could you do this?", he asked her instead. "Hack and use their systems?"

"If the need came up, I could. If nothing else, just to shut them down long enough for us to get in," she replied.

"And doing it a second time over to get us back out also?", he pondered. "Seeing the defences are adaptive."

Joey pondered his question. "I think it would be a bit riskier, but not impossible to do. Perhaps, my idea should be held as a last resort."

Meanwhile, Kelly was studying the pattern of the mines and their placement on the screen. "It looks like the platforms are controlling the replication of the mines. If you can send some type of interrupt signal to the platform, the runabout may be able to plot a course easier."

"If we can control the platforms, even if only for a short while, the runabout should be able to make it through. I don't anticipate those controlling them from the planet would be very happy about that."

"So hack the platform, control the mines.", Arjin wondered. "Interresting. That could get us in again."
"Can we create some virus to disrupt the platforms working? That way we could create a window of time for the away team to work with for doing their job and get back. Before the owners or the system can be rebooted to a working state?"

Kelly stopped looking at the map and sensor data, than looked back at the Trill Science Chief. "We don't have time to make a virus, though. Jam a signal, sure. Creating something new, no. I have four possible paths to the planet, but any path that I took last time proved how fast they adapt to it."

"A virus would take time, and I just don't think we have that. Given their defenses we've seen already, it's safe to a assume they're not exactly friendly. And don't want anyone accessing what they have in those archives," Joey pointed out. "Jamming their signals, hijacking their technology... I think those are our best bets at the moment. No matter what we decide to do, though, they will undoubtedly send out the unwelcome wagon."

"If we approach by a circuitous route the way Lieutenant Parks did with the class seven probe, we should be able to get closer than the moon, especially with that shield adaption you talked about in the meeting, Lieutenant Geisler," Kelly said as she brought up several possible approach routes to the planet.

"Two of those approach vectors seem rather steep to me.", Arjin pondered. "And that last trajectory would take about a double amount of time of the others.", he pointed towards the data on the screen.

Joey was fighting hard against the plethora of things going on with her at the moment, but it was a battle she was not going to win. She looked toward the Science Chief and slowly cocked her head to the side. "And you know your way around a flight path, or a helm for that matter?" she found herself asking. The Intel Chief may not have chosen a career in Flight, but she did have some training. "Perhaps, instead of saying how things seem to you, maybe you can help us come up with solutions?"

Arjin narrowed his eyes. Almost ready to explode, but could just in time refrain from it.
"If a 35 year career in probe constructing and a graduation from Starfleet Academy does not give me the insight around a flight path, Lieutenant, I would not know what would.", he stated with a voice as cold as an Andorian winter. "I advise you to tread carefully. You may be the Captain's wife and pregnant. But I am a superior officer and I do demand the respect I am due. I suppose your solution would be to just pick a route and send our crew in without a proper analysis and extra simulations."

"Your rank has my respect, Commander," the Intel Chief stated as she leaned against a chair once again in an attempt to stave off some of the discomfort, though, nothing was quite as painful as what was happening now. Joey looked toward the Trill. "Do not think to put words in my mouth or thoughts in my head, Sir. And while we're on the subject of respect, my being the Captain's wife and being pregnant have absolutely nothing to do with professional career as an officer. And quite frankly, you overstep your bounds by bringing up my personal life in a professional capacity."

Joey could have continued on, but was it really worth it? Not really. They were here for a purpose, and the current path was getting them nowhere. "Miss Khan, do you think you can run a simulation on the three courses and determine which would be safest? We don't have much time left," she said.

"Of course, Lieutenant," Kelly said, her voice respectful and clearly stating that she wanted no part of the bear she saw lurking under Joey's surface. She triangulated the various routes she had proposed, then began to run the simulation several different times with different trajectories, approach vectors, time, speed and the variables from the sensor readings from the probes and the ship. "The third one is the one with the highest success rate, but it all depends on how fast the platforms pick up the runabout, the speed at which they can have the mines replicate themselves, and other variables."

"Jamming their frequencies will give us the extra time needed given they have never encountered our technology before now. Because of that, it should take them some time to figure out what's going on and figure out how to fix it," Joey stated. "Though, I'm curious, Kelly. Why are you plotting a course for the runabout? They've already left the ship. We're here to discuss ways to get the ship itself inside."

"The ship? We're not going inside withe the ship, are we?" Kelly asked as she pictures dozens if not hundreds of mines attaching themselves to the Black Hawk and gave a shudder. "I thought we were here to plot a course for the runabouts." She

Joey shook her head. "Like I said, they've already left the ship, or are very close to doing so. We're here to find a way in should we need to. That's what all of our discussions of hacking platforms, jamming frequencies and everything else have been about. The discussions about the runabout took place on the bridge. I even helped Warrant Officer Griffin make the modifications to the runabout."

"Crap!" The Ensign exclaimed before she slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. I just switched to Alpha shift not long ago and this is around the time I'm falling asleep. I'll fix my data." She turned to the task, a flush of embarrassment creeping up her young cheeks.

"Given those circumstances, the oversight will be forgiven... this time. Next time, make sure you're on top of your game regardless of what shift you're on," Joey stated.

"It is all right Ensign. The mechanics are still the same. Only the size differs.", Arjin offered.

Kelly was embarrassed as she made the corrections to the plotted courses and made some alterations. "There, that should do it."

"Then we have a couple different scenarios, and I'm sure the Captain will approve one of them," the Intel Chief stated. "Does anyone have anything else to add?" When no one spoke up, Joey nodded her head. "Then let's get back to work. Khan, I'll let you meet up with Captain Geisler and let him know what we came up with."

"Yes, Lieutenant," Kelly said but wasn't looking forward to meeting the Captain. She updated the information on her PADD and gave a nod to the two senior officers. "Thank you both," she told them before she turned and headed out.

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