Bridge Training: A Brief Briefing (Part IV)

Posted on Tue Jan 16th, 2024 @ 7:52am by Cadet Junior Grade Shafin Todenhöfer & Cadet Senior Grade Daniel Weaver & Cadet Senior Grade K’tarra Smythe & Cadet Senior Grade Meghan Stefani & Cadet Junior Grade Emma Mendez
Edited on on Tue Jan 30th, 2024 @ 2:03am

1,499 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Cadet Cruise

[PREVIOUSLY]

Emma cleared her throat. "If I can just interject..." she said. "Daniel, this is all good and well but we have only a finite amount of probes and torpedoes aboard." She told him. "This was meant to be a cadet cruise; we were only supplied for training. We are supposed to have close to 200 torpedoes on board, and we do. But most of them are blanks for target and maintenance practice. The actual number of properly armed torpedoes is thirty five."

She looked into Daniel's eyes. "I thought you might not want to waste them. I don't know how long until we get more or somehow build warheads for them..."

[CONTINUED]


Daniel nodded at Emma's concern. Knowing what they had, and what they didn't, would be helpful for this and any future training simulations. "You're right, Emma. We aren't working with a standard loadout and knowing what we have to work with is important. However, this is still a training simulation. We aren't working with an actual compliment. If you put it into the computer the loadout we need for each torpedo, or in sciences case a probe, the system should be able to simulate it and its reaction when fired." He paused slightly before adding. "I don't know if the bridge training takes what we have or what we are supposed to have into account."

"Do we have an industrial replicator?" Meghan asked. "Or anything large enough to replicate parts for a torpedo?" That shouldn't be too difficult for their ship.

"It’s not that simple," Emma replied. "You can't replicate a torpedo. Yes we can replicate parts for them, but they need to be assembled properly. Otherwise... Boom."

Shafin looked at Emma "Logical," replied the Acting First Officer. "Perhaps, we can avoid going boom and construct them."

K'tarra looked around the room as momentum seemed to be building around the torpedo idea. "Let me just remind everybody here of one thing. At the moment we do not know for certain that such a compound could alter the nebula. We are assuming it can be done, without knowing whether this would be a temporary effect or not."

Her voice was resolute. She had worked hard to come up with a solution she knew she could pull off, only to have her opinion tossed aside for a hypothesis.

"Torpedoes are designed to attack ships", she said. "If their quantity is a concern, let's save them for combat. I mentioned a chain of probes emitting Tachyons and Gravitons. They will improve the signal once I polarize our sensor arrays to compensate. This kind of work is a standard function for probes."

The fiery Klingon hybrid paused before continuing. "But only so much... and for so long. Their release from the probes will be more sustained and controllable than a detonation. We can try the torpedo idea if you'd all like, but I suggest I get started in case the simulation of the torpedo is ineffective."

Shafin thought about how to respond. The fire beneath the half Klingon was to be expected but not something Shafin enjoyed addressing. "I believe we would be wasting options if we did not explore it as an option. Run simulations as necessary, but ultimately, it is best we speculate on options rather than not take any action. However, I do agree that we should not as the Human expression goes 'put all our eggs in one basket'" said the Acting First Officer.

"Nor should we jump at the first option," Meghan said. "There are too many questions to simply run in without being sure we're taking the best course."

"Fair enough", K'tarra said, flashing a sharp-toothed grin that reflected the Klingon side of her heritage. "It is wise to consider all alternatives."

Meghan nodded in agreement. "Suggestions are always useful."

"I'm not expecting us to get it on the first try, but I would like to have something to start with once we all leave. A plan of attack, as it were." Danny replied firmly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't sure where there was a concerned about using up torpedoes. This was a simulation after all and, as the Commodore told them in the beginning, any alterations they make was only for the simulation, so if they fired a torpedo it wasn't a real one. It was all part of their test.

K'tarra took several steps closer to Daniel, eyes locked onto his. They went slightly wide as she studied his body language and the tone of his voice. The dark skinned woman stood tall at 5'11 and had a militant gait. K'tarra nodded, enthusiastic Klingon grin wider than ever. She could sense the other members of the crew had bonded closely. Her differences as a Klingon hybrid had kept her from connecting in the same manner.

Daniel raised a brow as K'tarra approached. He wasn't sure what was going on but she was either prepared to strike him or she was trying to court him. He watched her closely until she nodded and grinned which didn't seem to move the meter on which way he thought this was going to go. "Have I... offended you, Cadet?"

"Not at all", K’tarra said as her grin slowly subsided. "I respect you for holding firm."

Meghan moved closer to Daniel and put a hand on his arm. "I'm running another scan. It should give us some information on the nebula and how to penetrate it. I'd like to have that information before we discuss what we can do next." Realizing she may have overstepped by touching him, she let her hand drop. "We need to try and get a clear comm channel to the ship. It could be a trap and we can't afford to go in blind. Then we need to get close enough for transporters. By then, we should have a way to get a safe transporter lock on any survivors. I suggest that if we do go that route, we beam them to a secure cargo bay to be sure they are who they say they are. There are just too many things about this that don't feel right."

"I can try getting more power to comms", K’tarra said as she pulled up Ops related controls linked to one of her station's three screens. "Let's see if I can't find a way to get the channel any clearer." She began tweaking the DPS flow throughout the ship, while also slowly increasing output from the warp core.

"It's not a matter of power, it's a matter of adapting for the interference," Meghan said. "But once we figure that out, we're going to need that extra power to punch through to the ship." She turned from K'tarra to Daniel. "And we still need to figure out if this is a rescue or a trap."

Then the science officer turned back to K'tarra. "You know, if this is a trap, we'll need you to get us out of here fast."

Daniel nodded his head to Megan and crossed his arms over his chest. "Either way, we need to be prepared for either scenario. For the moment, we proceed like it’s still a rescue, but we take precautions. Tactical remains on stand by while working with Ops to scan the area so we aren't caught off guard. Science, focus on the nebula itself. More knowledge always helps. Knowing what it is and what it can potentially do to us might come in handy. If we are attacked we could use it to our advantage. Engineering, keep power flowing, but make sure we have enough power for speed and warp should we need it. If you have to take power from assets we aren't using at the moment."

Meghan nodded, then smiled at Daniel. "Yes, sir."

The familiar tone of the internal com-link sounded in the Captain's Ready Room as the voice of the Ops Cadet came through. "Uhh... Dan- Captain. Sensors show a ship approaching our position."

"Help, maybe?" Daniel questions as he looked around with a slightly confused look before shrugging his shoulders a bit.

"Doubt it." The Ops Cadet replied before adding. "It's Cardassian."

"Perhaps now is a good time to return to the bridge?" Meghan suggested. "Because I agree, that is not likely to be help. At least, not for us."

Daniel looked at her and let out deep sigh before nodding his head. "It's safe to say this scenario just got interesting." He quickly tapped his combadge before walking toward the Ready Room door. "Weaver to Ops. We're on our way. Have Tactical go to yellow."

"You got it. Ops out."

Without a word, everyone followed Daniel back onto the bridge.

OFF

Cadet Junior Grade Emma Mendez
Acting Chief Security Officer

Cadet Senior Grade Daniel Weaver
Acting Commanding Officer

Cadet Senior Grade Meghan Stefani
Acting Chief Science Officer

Cadet Senior Grade K'tarra Smyth
Acting Chief Engineer

Cadet Junior Grade Shafin Todenhöfer
Acting XO & Counselor

 

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