"Second Gathering"
(Previous Post: 'Jessica's 'Opinions...')
============================
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Stellar Cartography
Stardate: 60325.1200
With less than 1/2 hour before the ANUBIS reached the SURIAL system, David and Maya stood in the well gazing at the image of SURIAL III... mostly in eerie silence. Maya noticed that in the past 15 minutes David had shifted his weight 12 times, exhaled heavily 6 times, and the sinews in his arms tightened against his uniform more that she could count. She, for as long as she'd known the CEO, hand never seen him so agitated.
"David... is something bothering you?" the CSciO asked.
"Outside of the norm?" he replied, "no."
**OK... what's the norm?** Maya asked herself.
"David... I'd like to ask you a question."
"Shoot" the CEO replied as he tapped notes into a PADD.
"Do *you* believe in Evil?"
"One has to believe there's evil." he replied.
"That is not what I asked you. I asked if *you* believed in it."
"Of course I do" he replied, "if there were no evil Commander, then we wouldn't be out here on this god forsaken throwback of a ship. *We* wouldn't be hiding behind Ablative Armour to mask our arrival or to keep out of sight..."
"Those are technical aspects of our jobs and duty David."
"Is it?!" David asked, "really Commander. A woman who is analytical as you are come see that there *has* to be a reason more than just protecting the Federation in areas other Starfleet officers and ships can not."
Maya watched as David paced back and forth.
"Evil is what killed my parents Maya. *Evil* is what killed my brother. Evil is what seperated the captain from her wife for so long...."
"If that's the case, then evil is what brought you and Captain Rikar together..."
The moment she uttered those words, the room felt as if the temperature dropped 10 degrees celcius. David glared at the CSciO.
"Be that as it may, my point is sound. *If* there wasn't any apparent evil in the universe, then we wouldn't be here. We'd still be on the AVALON serving as diplomats."
Just as Maya was about to counter, the captain, ExO and ILO entered.
"Maya told me you found something David... something important."
"Yes" Maya said looking at David suspiciously, which caused the ExO and ILO to look at her, then to the CEO, "David discovered something Captain. David?"
David circled around with his arms folded across his chest,...
(excerpt from Jessica's post... and additions from me for conversation purposes)
..."Although the platforms are cloaked, we can detect the interference pattern as they travel through the upper atmosphere of the planet. This is very inaccurate which is why we cannot target any specific satellite..."
"But the virus is supposed to knock out the network yes?" Sabrina asked.
David smiled wickedly. "Notice anything special about the interference at the center of the screen?"
(end excerpt)
Sabrina looked at the screen. So did Serenna and Enaii. Enaii saw it instantly as did Serenna. Sabrina looked at David and Maya answered the question for her captain.
"The interference is not showing any signs of spatial displacement like all of the others."
"So that makes planting the virus easy."
"Not *that* easy" Enaii replied.
"You *see* any other way?!" David snapped, "We can't enter the planet normally, so *this* is the only way."
"You forget about the ANUBIS' weakened state Mr. Dawson" Enaii hissed, "how do you figure we get *any* vehicles down there? Or any crew down there? Keeping a synchronous orbit around the poles of SURIAL III will interfere with *all* our attempts..."
David chuckled, then laughed. "You're scared."
Enaii's blue eyes narrowed at the CEO. "I'd *watch* what you say to me next Mr. Dawson."
"David..." Serenna said but he ignored her.
"Or what? I've told you before Commander I'm not afraid of you *or* what you're capable of..."
"STOP IT!" Sabrina snapped, "we *don't* have time for this!" and she ran her hands through her hair, "David... are you sure..."
"As sure as I once loved you Captain" David said never taking his eyes off Enaii, then he looked at his CO, "I'd stake my life on it."
Serenna looked at the image of the SURIAL pole. "David... how do you plan to compensate for the irregular magnetic pull?"
"Simple... I put this bucket of bolts to good use."
"*This* I gotta hear," Sabrina said, "go on David."
"We take the ANUBIS into the magnetesphere *with* the Ablative Armor on. Once we've reached a safe distance *after* the virus has been planted we can then lower the AA and hide with the shields."
"That'll be a strain on the power systems David" Sabrina replied, "we wouldn't be able to hide for long."
"We can hide for as long as it takes. After we send down whatever we need to rescue the MERCURY's crew, we can move the ANUBIS to a safe distance."
Enaii folded her arms across her chest. "You seem to forgot the hole in the saucer to contend with. That area of the ship wouldn't stand the atmospheric pressure..."
"Are you a engineer?" David asked sarcastically but didn't give her time to answer, "no, you are not. So leave the atmospheric pressure to a damaged part of the ship to me..."
"Your half baked idea could get this entire crew killed!" Enaii hissed, "and *I* for one will not allow that to happen."
David took a step closer to the ILO. "You're *not* the captain."
"I said *enough*!" Sabrina said and as she looked at David, she chucked her thumb over her shoulder, "outside."
Once outside, Sabrina looked at him. "David... I'm going to level with you. You and I both know that I'm not 'engineer'-icly inclined, but some of your ideas are too far fetched.."
"I can't..." and he turned and paced away, then looked back, "you *still* doubt me."
Sabrina's brows knitted together, "Doubt? David, this has nothing to do with doubt..."
David closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Once he opened them, the captain winced inwardly because they were back... the eyes.
"Sabrina... I for one have never doubted you. The reason being is because you're versed in a lot of fields. *And* your experiece shows. But the *one* constant in the universe is that you wouldn't have kept me as your chief engineer if you weren't certain that I could do my job. You wanted options? You got them. You wanted a soultion? I promised you one..."
"But Dave..." Sabrina said raking a loose hair out of her face, "you have to admit its far fetched..."
"To hell with far fetched!" he pleaded, "Sabrina... trust me. Those bastards have killed enough people. *My* brother included. I *won't* let them kill another."
Sabrina sighed, "We have a little under half2 hour left. I'll take it into consideration."
David frowned, and Sabrina felt as if her soul was getting cold from his glare.
"If you don't trust me Captain... you should have left me on the god damned shelf!" he said and walked past her. Sabrina shook her head and closed her eyes. She re-entered Stellar Cartography.
"Maya... is David's theory sound?"
Maya was sitting at the console with Enaii and Serenna hovering over her shoulders. The CSciO turned to face the CO.
"I took the liberty to run David's plan through a number of senarios..."
"Short version Commander." Sabrina said showing that she wasn't in the mood for a speech.
"Well... as David explained this to me, I instantly started ruinning senarios. As David so puts it, 'long story short' Captain, we have a 92% chance of successfully implementing this plan."
"And the other 8 percent?" Serenna asked.
"The odds are remote Commander." Maya said, "David has, once again, pull the bunny from his hat. He's given us the way in. Getting out... is another story."
Sabrina smirked, then ran her hands through her hair. "Number one, Enaii... with me. Maya... good work" the captain smiled lightly as the three women exited.
============================
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #339
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
