"Executive Fears"
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Bridge
Knowing that the cavalry had indeed arrived thanks to the report made by Ens. Stormwind from within the DRAGONSEYE had not made the Romulan/Terran hybrid feel any better. Having been able to communicate with the HATHOR's FCO had not provided the CO with any relief because the systems and controls of her ship were still being denied to her by the Imperians who had come aboard. Understanding the true purpose of the IMPs as the Hirogen Sec/Tac had dubbed them had made one thing clear to the HATHOR's CO; they needed to find a way to neutralize those *probes* well before they could get close enough to do any sort of damage.
Looking over to her XO, the Romulan/Terran hybrid hoped that Dawson would have something positive to report as to the status of the HATHOR, but seeing the expression on her former classmate's face had answered the question before she had been able to ask it. "That bad?"
Growling under his breath the XO/CEO glared at the CO for only a second before softening his scowl proving that the man who stood on the bridge of the HATHOR now had been very different from the man that she had come to know onboard the ANUBIS. Calling up a status report on one of the monitors visible from the centre chair so that the Romulan/Terran hybrid could follow along, the CEO proceeded with his report. "Whatever those blasted tin cans have done to the ship, they did a good job. Each time I get close to restoring one of the systems, something else fails and takes down what I had been working on."
Glancing over to the COO who had earlier returned to the bridge, the CO inquired as to his opinion without actually speaking, the inquisitive look in the eyes of the Romulan/Terran hybrid having been more than enough for Ens. Kea to understand what had been asked of him. "We are dealing with machines, so it is therefore not unlikely that the Imperians have a better understanding of our systems than we do."
Adding her own opinion and perspective, the CNS jumped in with her observations of the Imperians up to this point, Ens. Mei having placed all of her skills and knowledge as a ship's counsellor to attempt to better understand this mechanical race. "It would make sense for a race such as the Imperians to have a better rapport with machines. Although there is no way to know for sure, but from their point of view a ship's computer might be like a distant cousin or at least a kindred spirit that is sympathetic to their cause."
Gasping with disbelief the COO huffed at the CNS, immediately voicing his disagreement with the last statement made by Ens. Mei. "How can you even suggest that the computer might be *sympathetic* to the cause that would mean the annihilation of all living beings in the galaxy?"
Keeping her calm, as any good CNS would, Ens. Mei turned to face the COO and presented him with a soothing smile. "I never said that the computer *was* sympathetic, but from the point of view of the Imperians it is very likely that it might be. To them machines are the one and only true form of life, everything else being some kind of rabid infection, and in our case we have *enslaved* these machines to do our bidding. Therefore using the computer and other systems onboard the ship against us is nothing more than freeing a fellow machine from the oppressive regime that we have imposed on them. Of course this is only a theory at this time."
Nodding her agreeing with what the CNS had stated the HATHOR's CO returned her attention to Dawson whom she hoped still had a few tricks up his sleeves to use against the Imperians. Appearing lost in thoughts, the XO/CEO did not notice the look that he had received from the Romulan/Terran hybrid, whatever Dawson had been thinking about had pulled him in entirely leaving only a motionless body behind.
Stepping in with a report of his own, the COO looked as if the entire weight of the HATHOR had all of a sudden dropped onto his shoulders. "Well I can't tell if this is a trick from our computer or if we are in deeper problem than we had thought, but I have just managed to get a single sensor sweep of the ship and have found that there are a fewer life signs onboard than there should be. I mean *a lot* less."
Fearing the worst, that the Imperians had been successful in achieving their objective in regards to nullifying life onboard the HATHOR, the Romulan/Terran hybrid tried her best to remain calm. Looking over at the CNS, the HATHOR's CO could see the same fear reflecting on Ens. Mei's visage as her concerns also included the well-being of her friend along the rest of the members of the ship's crew.
Not knowing that the ANUBIS had taken it upon itself to beam to safety those injured had left those on the bridge of the HATHOR with only a vague hope that this had been the case. Wanting this to be true, the CNS voiced this possibility with a trembling voice, "I am sure that the ANUBIS saw what kind of trouble we were in and beamed whoever was in peril over to them. I am sure that Capt. Rikar would not have left us fend for ourselves like this with them so close."
Staring at each other through the silence the members of the HATHOR's crew who were on the bridge could only pray that Ens. Mei had been correct and that the corridors of their ship had not been littered with the broken bodies of their fellow shipmates. Ending the threat posed by the Imparians had been the most important thing to do and the Romulan/Terran hybrid hoped that this would be achieved soon, in one way or another.
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Lieutenant Commander Serenna 2006 post #086
Stardate: 60341.1720
Serena Switt {serena1141@yahoo.com.au}
Commanding Officer
USS HATHOR
