Tour: Security

Posted on 12 Nov 2024 @ 2:21am by Lieutenant JG Shay Mitchell & Commodore Harvey Geisler

2,056 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Bait and Switch
Location: Security Complex
Timeline: June 29, 2390 || 0800 hours

As was common for the first morning of a new mission, Harvey took it upon himself to tour the vessel, stopping by each of the major locations aboard the ship and check in with his senior staff. Walking into Security, Harvey felt a bit out of sorts. He was expecting to meet with Commander di Pasquale, but he had to remind himself as he entered the complex that she would not be waiting for him.

He could not allow his thoughts to consider what the woman and her team were up to. All he could do was wish them well and hope that they remained safe. For now, he would have to settle for the current Acting Chief, Lieutenant Mitchell. "Excuse me," he asked the first person in the room. "Could you tell me where I can find Miss Mitchell?"

The Petty Officer that happened to be walking by when stopped turned his attention to Harvey. A look of shock crossed his features briefly before he regained his composure and snapped to attention. "Commodore," he greeted. "I believe Lieutenant Mitchell is in interrogation room two."

Harvey raised an eyebrow at the supposed location. He thanked the Petty Officer before walking down the hall to the interrogation room. He couldn't really remember who they had in the brig as he thought all of the prisoners had been remanded to Gavara until they could be shuttled back to Gamma Command. Then again, he was certain the interrogation rooms were used for something other than interrogations. As he turned the corner to see the room in question, he would soon find out how valid his assumptions would be.

Shay sat alone inside the interrogation room with a padd in her hand looking over Security's current duty roster. Being in charge of an entire department definitely wasn't easy, but it was something she eventually wanted to work towards. Even if this wasn't long-term, it would be good on hand training for the future. Still, the young woman had no idea how much actually went into the position, but had all the faith in herself that she could do this.

The door had been left open, leaving Harvey to stand just outside the threshold. He was grateful that there wasn't an interview in progress, especially since that meant that he was still indeed on top of things. "You know," he spoke after he cleared his throat, "you have an office for that."

The newly appointed Chief of Security rose to her feet when she heard him speak. "Commodore," she greeted with respectful nod. "I tried to use the office, but it just doesn't feel right considering it still belongs to Commander di Pasquale. What can I do for you?"

The Commodore simply nodded at her response. In a way, he respected her not using Camila's office. After all, they all expected her to return safe and sound, and what better way to acknowledge that than to pretend she was still present. "It looks like Commander Di Pasquale didn't prepare you for a Captain's inspection of the ship. So, here I am, checking in on the department."

"There were so many things she was filling me in on that it may have and it slipped my mind as I was processing everything else," Shay said. "I do apologize for not being more prepared, sir, and assure you that I will be more so in the future. As for checking in on the department, I can answer any questions you may have or provide a tour if you like?" Though, she was sure that he was quite familiar with the department.

A tour certainly wasn't necessary. They might have been aboard the ship for barely a month, and he certainly hadn't seen all of the security complex, but that was something he'd leave for Camila's return. "Let's start with overall readiness, Lieutenant. How do we stand from a tactical standpoint?"

"At one hundred percent now that we've managed to acquire some needed photon and quantum torpedoes from Task Group Belvedere," Shay replied. "The extra personnel has helped, and have been brought up to speed on how we operate. All personnel are up to date on their training and stand ready."

He nodded, satisfied with her response. "Whatever we do, I want to make sure that we don't start out with our strongest defense measures. Start low, and escalate as necessary. I know our data on G90B is limited, but do you have any ideas on an initial show of force for the moment we need to open fire?"

Shay looked thoughtful as she pondered his question. There were a number of things that could be done, but given what they were up against and the fact their opposition didn't care about the loss of life meant things needed to be handled properly. "I think a torpedo lock would likely be our best bet. Perhaps not just us, but the Valcour and the Endurance as well. I think that show of force could be a serious deterrent."

The Commodore considered the option for a moment. "We know what G90B tends to target, including sensor arrays. Maybe we shouldn't try to actively lock on to their craft. What if a sensor lock is what starts this whole mess?"

"And what if it's not?" Shay countered. "What if they're one step ahead of us somehow?"

Harvey shrugged. "It's always a gamble. There are few things I've never bet against though, and the top of the list is this crew. We might have been broken up over the years, but it's still the best damn crew in the quadrant." He paused for a moment, then said, "A sensor lock it is. What about shields? We won't be on the bridge, but I'd like to make sure there's a bridge to return to when this is all done."

"We can recalibrate power relays to optimize the efficiency to ensure minimal energy loss and faster power transfer during critical moments, using dedicated power buffers specifically for shield systems. These buffers can store excess energy and release it instantly during heavy attacks, ensuring they get power immediately," the young woman stated. She knew they wouldn't agree on everything, but a part of her felt the show of force might have been useful given the state of Unity and the support vessels.

"That's assuming the shields will hold in the first place," he countered. "That is, given how quickly our sister ships were overwhelmed. I know you can't guarantee me anything, nor could Commander Di Pasquale. So, aside from a strong offense, I want to also make sure that we're prepared to protect as much of the crew as possible. What's the status of internal defenses?"

"Our internal defenses are running at top efficiency. Commander di Pasquale's protocols are also in place," Shay replied. She'd dealt with being boarded before, and had serious hopes that that never happened again. If it did, though, she planned to be ready for it. "Along with guards at vital areas, I have increased patrols among all decks in groups of two or more. For the time being, Security is operating in two twelve hour shifts until further notice."

Harvey nodded, thinking that was going to be some long days for everyone. Then again, he was known to work many twelve hour shifts every week. Such were the joys of being a captain and looking out for more than five hundred people. "And in the case of hull breaches, how about the internal forcefields?"

The young woman offered him a reassuring smile. "Forcefields are ready to go should we need them. Commander di Pasquale did a thorough on everything before her departure, and I have double checked. I think we're ready for anything."

"As much as I hate to consider all possibilities," Harvey said next, "we have to prepare for the eventuality that the Black Hawk could be disabled and boarded. You were on the Gaittithe after such an event. Aside from planting armed security near pockets of the crew, what are some other measures we could implement to repel, deter, or even capture boarders when there's no power?"

"Should we lose power, the brig is equipped with backup forcefield generators.Those, along with the drones that fire transporter tags, should help against boarders. Not only that, but emergency life support would also kick in, which means we will still have manpower."

"And how effective do you think those might be?" Harvey asked. "I know the odds are not in our favor on this one, even though I have every intention of beating them just as we have many times before. If we can't stop G90B with force, then we have to stop them through these pirates. And that means maintaining control of the ship and everyone who comes aboard it."

"They've never let us down in the past," Shay stated. She couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be putting them in a situation that didn't seem winnable, but she hoped that wasn't going to be the case. "But, in the event that they fail, then we're going to have to rely on the crew and their training."

"Should we consider running everyone through phaser recertification? At least supervisors and watch leaders?" Even as Harvey asked the questions, he didn't think that would be needed. He was, however, showing that he wanted to be overly cautious and prepared.

Shay nodded her head. "The crew should be keeping up with their recertification, but I understand that things happen. Still, I think that everyone should go through it regardless of where they stand."

Harvey nodded, considering the thought. "If nothing else, it'll keep everyone occupied. There's an old earth saying, 'Idle hands are the devil's playthings.' Keep the crew busy and it might make the time go faster."

"Then I will do what I can to see to it that the crew stays busy. You and Commander Reynolds should probably also consider recertification as well. When it's most convenient for your schedules, of course. Everyone else will be done in groups so we can get through the crew," the young woman stated. "I know we have very few civilians on board that aren't able to take part, but what about Miss Corwin? She's officially in the academy and cares for your young children."

"She'll be no exception," Harvey observed. "We got ourselves a holonanny, which frees up Eden to handle her coursework. She's not watching the twins as much as she used to, and I think as soon as we can, we'll bring on an actual person. The dogs are excellent at keeping an eye on the twins as well, so please, don't exclude the cadet from the process."

"Then, I will see to it that she begins phaser training as soon as possible," Shay said as she reached for a padd to put in some notes. "I will reach out to Commander Reynolds regarding his schedule for recertification, and when you have had an opportunity to review your own, let me know so I can get you set up."

The Commodore thought for a moment and considered his options. "How about this afternoon? Let's get through Waypoint Echo first, and when we're back underway, I can be free."

"We can do this afternoon," she confirmed.

"Perfect," Harvey said with a smile. "Well, it seems you've got everything here in order. And, honestly, as much as I'd like to see G90B in action, I still have some hope that this will be a quiet mission."

"As do I," the acting Chief said, although, she didn't feel they were quite that lucky. "In the meantime, I will let the rest of the crew know recertification is mandatory. I will see you this afternoon, Commodore."

Following a nod, Harvey took a sip of his coffee. "Carry on, Lieutenant." The Commodore then turned and left the room, bound for the exit's complex.

Shay watched him leave, standing there for only a moment before she began to compile an official message to the ship's crew regarding their mandatory recertification complete with a schedule so they wouldn't end up overwhelmed. With that done, she sent it, then went on about her day, which now meant seeking out Karn.

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