"And They Said That This Mission Would Be Easy"
(Previous Post: "Right Answer, Wrong Question")
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Stardate: 60331.2010
The Shillian scientist had not moved from the scientist station since she had returned to it, only occasionally glancing behind her to see if the three Breen had still been on the bridge. The Executive Officer of the USS HATHOR had done her best to block out the sensation she had been experiencing each time the scientist felt the lead Breen either look at her or walk by. To put it mildly the Breen had given her the creeps in more ways than she could described and more than once the Shillian had thought of making use of her unique shape-shifting gift to escape through one of the air vents located at her feet.
As inviting as the idea might have been though the Shillian Scientist had never truly entertained that possibility, unwilling to abandon her post and her fellow shipmates to their captors. This had left the Chief Science Officer with time to think and act, although in very small and carefully concealed steps.
"Captain," the Shillian woman called out to the Commanding Officer of the USS HATHOR, glancing in the direction of the head Breen knowing that her ever word would be closely monitored. "Long-range sensors are picking up a field of dark matter directly in our current flight path. We could increase energy to the shields and hope that it will be enough, I mean we have not yet given the shields of the HATHOR a full workout, so there is no way for us to know for sure that they would be able to protect the ship from the increased mass." The Chief Science Office paused for a moment, glad to see that the Breen had appeared at least interested in what the Shillian had to say. As the captain approached, the scientist continued, loud enough to make sure the Breen in charge of this operation would ear each and every word. "Even if we do increase the shields to maximum power and reduce life support to minimum so to be able to channel all available energy to boot, the weakened power transfer systems could overload and cause the shields to fail completely. Of course this would result in us running into the dark matter field without any protection and would likely result in the HATHOR being crushed down to the size of a pea due to the increased gravimetric force of the field."
Lieutenant Commander Serenna listened very closely to the report of her Executive Officer, but what she had been more interested in had been the display of the interior of the HATHOR which the Chief Science Officer had pointed to while she had been speaking. The display clearly indicated that the energy fields which had been set in place to keep the doors closed and locked throughout the ship had been disengaged. The captain had been most pleased with the work of her First Officer who had obviously accomplished this feat without the knowledge of the Marine sitting at the Operations station giving the crew of the HATHOR a very useful advantage in this game of wits.
Meanwhile, the eyes of the Flight Control Officer had been opened to their widest as he overheard the conversation unaware that it had been only a ploy used by the First Officer to be able to speak to the captain. As far as the Hirogen had been concerned even if the HATHOR could find a way to make it through the dark matter field, the undetected ship that had made contact with him would certainly not be so fortunate. Thinking quickly of a way to save both ships, the pilot spoke up. "We could simply alter our course."
The Breen said nothing, instead moving to the Operations station and looking at the computer readouts confirming the report that the Chief Science Officer had made. So far Pravat had given the crew more than their fare share of breaks during this surprise training exercise, and in doing so he had noticed on the faces of the Starfleet officers several questions that had remained unanswered. "Stay on course, increase shields," the Marine said finding his own modified voice somewhat unnerving.
"At least allow us to reduce speed to impulse," the Commanding Officer pleaded, a plan having formed in her mind as to how to take full advantage of this situation. "That way we can divert warp power to the shields and deflector increasing our odd of making it through in one piece."
The Breen appeared to be considering the request for a moment taking into account that the sensors had detected the dark matter field as the Shillian scientist had reported. After a few seconds, the disguised Marine motioned the hybrid back to her seat without saying a word. Although she could not confirm what this had meant, the captain figured that Pravat had not wanted the ship to be destroyed, so she proceeded according to what she had suggested even though the reality of the situation had not called for any actions to be taken. "Helm, drop us out of warp and divert all available power to the shields and internal integrity field, we might be in for a rough ride through that field."
"Contact with the dark matter field in forty-five seconds," the Hirogen reported as the HATHOR dropped out of warp only a few seconds away from where the field was said to be, not questioning the information that had all of a sudden appeared on his controls making him suspect that the Executive Officer had found a way to trick the sensors. Now feeling more relaxed, the Flight Control Officer decided to make good use of this opportunity and sent a message back to the pilot of the unseen ship that had been with them. The pilot of the DRAGONSEYES would have only one chance of making this work, so the timing had to be perfect.
"We will be entering the dark matter field in twenty-five seconds," the Shillian scientist reported, for the first time sounding as an Executive Officer should, direct and to the point. "Shield strength now reading at one hundred and thirty percent. Structural integrity field reading at one hundred and fourteen percent."
"Try to get the structural integrity field up a little higher," the captain quickly suggested, keeping up the act. "If the shields fail, the outer hull will be the only thing keeping us from becoming space atoms."
"Contact with the dark matter field in fifteen seconds," the Flight Control Officer reported, his little surprise ready to be triggered the moment the countdown reached zero. "Ten," the Hirogen said beginning the countdown to the entering of the field that had not been real, "nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."
The HATHOR jerked as the Chief Science Officer triggered the pulse in the inertial dampening field making it seem as if the ship had come in contact with something. At the same time, a section of the flight control station exploded in a shower of sparks which of course surprised both the Captain and First Officer who knew that the dark matter field had been nothing more than an illusion.
"Power fluctuations on deck 3," the Breen sitting at the Operations station reported. "Aft Pulse Phaser Cannons are offline and the shuttle bay is decompressing due to the opening of the door. Force fields are not operational."
"Seal deck and close that door," the lead Marine ordered, the modified translation perfectly hiding the voice of the Marine being the customary metallic sounds of the Breen language.
While the Breen were busy dealing with this minor
problem, Captain Serenna had moved to help the Flight
Control Officer back to his station allowing the
Hirogen to show her why the door to the shuttle bay
had *unexplainably* opened. Sensors showed nothing
near the HATHOR with the exception of the dark matter
field which was actually not there, but the visual
feed of the shuttle bay told an entirely different
story, that of a modified Vulcan Personal Transport
making its way in before the doors closed in on it.
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"To see the world in a grain of sand, 2005 post #568
Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Jessica Solarik { maya_992003@yahoo.com }
Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS
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)
