"Executive Envy"
Previous Post: "Underway"
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Stardate: 60323.1515
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Astrometrics
=/\= First Officers' log, Stardate 60323.15. After having left NEW ALEXANDRIA, the ANUBIS and its crew are on route at highest possible warp for the last known position of the USS MERCURY. Lt. Dawson is doing a wonderful job in making sure that we get there as soon as possible and in a single functioning piece while Ens. Doratheva and 1st Lt. Pravat are busy running their respective teams through more combat scenarios than I had thought possible. Meanwhile, Lt. Cmdr. Maya and I are busy putting the upgraded sensors through some rudimentary testing in Astrometrics thinking that it would be a shame to get there and find nothing pointing us in the direction of the MERCURY's crew. =/\=
Looking at the large screen that filled the far wall of the room, the Romulan/Terran hybrid and Shillian scrutinized what the sensors had reported. Still being over a day from their intended destination, the two women had not expected to find anything pertaining to the MERCURY or its crew, the aim of their work having been to simply make sure that the new sensors worked as they had been designed to.
Leaving the actual worrying of the equipment's performance to the scientist, the XO concentrated her efforts on making sense of the information being displayed on the small screens directly in front of them. Analysing the information as she had been trained to, meaning as a Security and Operations officer, the Romulan/Terran hybrid pointed out something that she thought needed to be mentioned. "Picking up a spike in neutrino emission at 011 mark 19. Judging by the variants and weakness of this reading I think there might be something wrong with the sensors."
Wasting no time in defending her equipment, the CSciO went into an elaborate explanation as to the probable *scientific* causes for what the sensors had picked up. "There is nothing wrong with the sensors, I mean according to the gravimetric pull in that region of space we might be looking as a micro-fracture of the fabric of space which would explain why there are neutrinos present and why there are so few of them. Either that or the sensors have picked up an isolated temporal distortion of a magnitude never before reported, I mean if we use the current scale to rate this anomaly we would have to use a decimal point."
Looking at the scientist with an expression that pretty much said it all, the XO pointed out the problem with the sensitiveness of their new sensors. "It might be wise for us to reduce the gain of the sensors, at this rate we are picking so much information that we can't make heads or tails of what we are finding."
Appearing almost insulted by the suggestion made by the XO, the CSciO turned to face the Romulan/Terran hybrid face on. "You are kidding right? We are heading for an area of space where we have been asked to find traces of one or more ships that were there *weeks* ago, this means that we are going to have to scan for traces that normal sensors would have normally missed. Reducing the gain of the sensors would greatly reduce our chances of finding anything that would lead us to the location of the MERCURY's crew which is what we are going after, right? I mean it's either that or we have been sent there for an entirely different reason and given the story of finding the crew of the MERCURY as cover."
Grinning as much as the Romulan/Terran hybrid would permit herself to, the XO shook her head before explaining what she had meant. "You have been hanging around Enaii too much Maya, you are starting to see conspiracies where there are none. Our mission is not a cover story, we are rushing to find any trace that would lead us to finding the crew of the MERCURY, but what I am saying is that the sensor modifications might be too much. If you concentrate too heavily on the grass at your feet, you may miss the tree that is right next to you, that or you may just end up running into it."
Clearly missing the point of the imagery given by the XO, the CSciO continued defending the upgrades as if her position and rank depended on it. "I doubt that we will run into any sort of trees out here in space, and even if we did I am sure that the ablative armor would be able to deflect it without any harm to the ship. My point is that we will need to be able to pick-up on the slightest possible clue if we are to have any chance to locate the MERCURY's crew."
Seeing that there was no changing the mind of the Shillian, the Romulan/Terran hybrid decided to let the matter drop, admitting that Maya had been correct in that they would need all of the help they could get if they were to find any sort of indications as to where the crew of the MERCRUTY had been taken to. "You are obviously in your element where I am not, so I will let you work without my bothering you. All I ask is that you remember why we are here, with the sensors this sensitive you might be tempted to go on some scientific research that would divert us from our goal."
Looking as if she had been ready to comment on what the XO had just said, the Shillian actually did the unthinkable and remained silent, nodding her head in agreement before returning to her instruments and the information that they were displaying. Satisfied that she had made her point, the Romulan/Terran hybrid left the CSciO to her work and left the Astrometrics Lab to return to the Bridge.
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Stardate: 60323.1520
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Corridor
Turning the corner to reach the nearest turbolift, the XO was almost knocked over by a group of rushing security officers who seemed to be in great hurry. Not recalling any sort of alarm having sounded, the Romulan/Terran hybrid quickly took hold of one of the officers and pulled him aside. "What is going on?"
Looking over his shoulder in the direction from which they had come, the security officer seemed almost genuinely concerned for his life. "Sir, sorry sir. We are in the middle of a training exercise. Lt. Pravat's Marines are playing the role of the boarding party while the ANUBIS' security forces are tackling the problem from the opposite side, defending the ship's vital areas. We have been ordered to retreat and regroup due to our previous position having been compromised by an unexpected turn of events."
Releasing the security officer back to his training, the XO was concerned about what she had just heard. Being surprised by an *unexpected turn of events* would not bode well in a real crisis, and the Romulan/Terran hybrid hoped that Ens. Doratheva would address this issue at her earliest convenience.
Looking down the corridor, the XO watched as some of the Marines came closer, the group the Romulan/Terran hybrid had found herself in the way of led by none other than the MCO. Not making any efforts to get out of the way, Serenna actually made sure to be directly in the path of the MCO. "I have not had the chance to congratulate you on your promotion, looks like you and your team have found an interesting way to celebrate."
Not giving any indication that he had been ready to step down from his hunting stance, the Marine only momentarily glanced up at the woman standing in the middle of their way. "Thanks you Commander, but you should not be here. We warned everyone that we would be conducting exercises throughout the ship."
Knowing better than to argue with anyone in the middle of such activity, the Romulan/Terran hybrid stepped aside and allowed the exercise to continue without any further hindrance from her, thinking that the announcement must have been made while she had been with Maya in the Astrometrics Lab.
Looking at the initial goal of her journey, the Romulan/Terran hybrid resumed her course for the turbolift glancing over her shoulder for a brief moment as she envied the security team and Marines for being able to take part in such activities.
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Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Lieutenant Commander Serenna 2005 post #266
Executive Officer
USS ANUBIS
