"From A Distance Everything Looks Different"
(Previous Post: "Phase I")
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Stardate: 60325.1255
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
The Shillian woman could only guess that the orbital defence platforms had been made visible due to the virus that they had been infected with. The 'vicious and nasty nightmare', as the Chief Medical Officer had referred to it during their working together, had only been meant to disable the satellites, but the Chief Science Officer had not been at all against this unexpected side effect which had made the trip down to the planet much easier, and maybe a little more freaky. Knowing that there were one hundred of those weapons platforms out there had been one thing, but to actually see them hanging motionless in space as they now were was enough to make the knees of the scientist feel weak. This reaction had been caused not only because of their number but also because now that they were visible, the weapons platform appeared much more menacing than the Shillian had imagined.
"Still reading no activity from the satellites," the Chief Engineer said looking down at his instruments as if expecting this to change any second. "At first glance those platforms seem to have been built to ward of an entire fleet. I cannot be certain without using active sensors, but from the looks of things they are equipped with high energy pulse cannons," Lieutenant Dawson added in a mixture of admiration for the efficiency and simplicity of the design and fear as to just how much damage a single one of them could inflict on the ANUBIS, let alone a hundred of them.
"Lets hope that those satellites out there do not find a quick cure to your virus," the captain said with a clear tone of hope in her voice, not at all looking forward to any sort of confrontation that would see the ANUBIS severely outnumbers and outgunned.
"Ensign Summers provided me with some very useful and unique insight that we incorporated into the base matrix of the virus," the Chief Science Officer said, happy to take her mind off the actual weapons platform even if for only a few seconds. "In addition to making the electronic virus very adaptable, we added a randomizing element that slightly modified the virus each time it was transmitted from one satellite to the next. Although the primary function of the virus is the same regardless of the modifications made, it goes about achieving its objective from a variety of ways. We were not entirely certain if this would actually work, but judging by the way the entire defence net has been rendered in-operational, I would say that the self-modifying sub-routine is working better than we had expected."
The Chief of Security grinned at the Shillian as she listened to the explanation. "I am just happy that you are on *our* side," Ensign Doratheva said. "I would hate to have been on the receiving end of that little creation of yours."
For a brief moment the Shillian felt a sense of pride swelling inside of her until the scientist came to realise that she had helped in the creation of a weapon that by any standard would be classified as extremely dangerous and even potentially deadly. Sent against a group of orbital defence platforms, the virus had no potential to cause harm unless if failed, but what would happen if the same virus had been cast upon a ship or an orbital base? As disturbing as the idea had been to the scientist, the Chief Science Officer tried her best not to further imagine that aspect instead finding comfort in the fact that her work had made it possible for the SPHINX and those onboard to reach the planet without any incident.
"How is the away team doing?" The Commanding Officer asked, understandably curious and concerned for the well-being of those who had been sent to the planet in search of the crew of the MERCURY.
"Sensors are barely able to penetrate the interference generated by the satellites," Operations Officer and Avatar of the ANUBIS reported. "They are less than a minute from touchdown, but I cannot tell you more. There is no way for us to get more accurate readings unless we move the ship beyond the orbital sphere of the defence grid."
"The virus worked," the Chief Engineering Officer said glancing at the Shillian woman, "and we were able to send the SPHINX and one VIPER through, that is far from doing the same with the ANUBIS."
Already working on the possibility that had been mentioned, the Shillian scientist had called up various information onto her station, comparing the distance between the satellites against the size of the ANUBIS. "Captain," the Chief Science Officer said, her eyes following the rapid movements of her hands over the console. "According to the sensors there is just enough room between the satellites to allow the ship to pass through. I mean I agree that it would not be easy and our increased proximity to the defence platforms could trigger some sort of response but if the need should arise, the option of us penetrating the interference field is open to us."
Captain Rikar looked at the Shillian scientist with scepticism before looking over at the Chief Engineering Officer who had for good reasons been entirely against the idea. Following a few seconds of deep thinking about their situation, the captain turned back to face the front of the bridge and the main view screen which displayed a handful of the platforms in question against the backdrop of the planet they had reached after many hardships. "We will keep that option open and hope that we do not have to use it. In the meantime keep an eye open on those orbital defence platforms and keep a channel cleared for the away team. The ball is in their court and we will act and react only if they need us to, until then we sit and wait."
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Jessica Solarik { maya_992003@yahoo.com }
Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS
"To see the world in a grain of sand, 2005 post #344
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
