Inspection: Operations

Posted on Wed Jan 24, 2018 @ 7:37pm by Commodore Michael Aravan & Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Barnes

Mission: Falling Star
Location: Operations Office
Timeline: MD 32 || 1030 Hours

The Commodore came to the Operations office on deck thirty and he was momentarily discombobulated. He had been all over the ship and inspected every department and now he was on his last one of the day before he had to go meet his wife and kids for lunch.

Michael reached out and pressed the door panel to announce his presence and waited for the Master Chief to respond.

Tom was seated at his desk, listening to a bit of classical piano, Beethoven in fact, and reviewing requisition reports on a handful of PADDs. When the chime sounded, he closed his eyes and sighed. These requests had been flowing in steadily all day, and he was just about done with them. He didn't think he could handle just one more. "Come," he called out, keeping his eyes closed.

Michael entered the office and cleared his throat when he saw the Master Chief had his eyes closed and music playing. "Is this standard procedure for Operations?" he asked in an amused tone.

Tom's eyes shot open at the sound of the familiar voice. Rather than snap to attention, Tom managed to collect himself and set down the PADD he was holding. "Only when wading through a mountain of paperwork, sir. What can I do for you, Commodore?"

"I'm just making my rounds and checking on progress for the mission preparation plans," the Commodore said. "How are the sensors looking?"

"Working overtime, as desired," Tom replied, looking around on the desk for a report he had been preparing. "I haven't seen this much space dust on a scan since basic training."

"Unfortunately we're not looking for space dust," the Commodore said. "We're looking for Romulan ships."

"You know it's a sad day when Romulans travel cloaked in their own space," Tom remarked. "Most of the usual tricks haven't worked, tachyon pulses and the like. Then again, we are in Romulan space, so there's only so much we can do to not make waves."

"Take into consideration that it's the Romulan Republic and the Independent Romulan Systems Allied Forces," Michael said. "If the Republic did attack Cassandara as Ambassador Caenala claims, I don't see them going about openly. We need a method to detect them in case they decide they don't like us being there."

"I've been working on that," Tom said. "I've had a few different ideas so far, including working with our Squadron Commander on deploying a mobile tachyon grid, one that's constantly moving around us. In my spare time, I've been reading up on gravity waves."

"Gravity waves?" the senior officer asked with a raised eyebrow. "How would those work against cloaked ships?"

"Basically," Tom began, "the Enterprise-D once used a system that would create gravity waves. These waves alter the neutrino's decay rate, causing the neutrinos that weigh nine-tenths of an electron volt. Seeing how most neutrinos come from cloaked ships or wormholes, this would give us some advance warning, but it'd be limited to just a couple lightyears. Which is why you don't see it standard issue."

"A couple lightyears is far better than not having the ability to see them at all," Michael responded. "You have access to all the resources you need to make it happen, Chief. I'll contact Engineering and have them put a team at your disposal immediately. Is there else I can do to help this happen more smoothly?"

"I'll need a miracle, Commodore," Tom said quickly, leaning forward behind his desk. "The gravity waves can only be created using specialized equipment, and modifying the deflector won't do."

"I'm fresh out of miracles, but I can give you time," the tall green eyed man said after a moment. "I'm sending the Victorious and some disguised reconnaissance fighters ahead to scout the way for us. That should give us a day or two."

"It's more than just time," Tom said. "These devices that the Enterprise created, they were mounted on the outside of the ship. That's not something one can simply do in Romulan space."

"We're not in Romulan space yet and they are asking for our help," Michael replied. "They want our help, they accept our terms. Who's to say that we weren't conducting scientific experiments with them prior to this mission?"

"Depends on who's listening, I guess," Tom remarked with a smile. "I can have the units built and ready to install in about ten hours. These won't exactly be plug and play, but I can install it with minimal sensor downtime and not take the whole thing down while doing it."

"Right now, it's just you and I listening and the less personnel who know what's being done, the better," Michael responded. "I don't want any unnecessary personnel than is required to be on the project."

"Thankfully, gravity waves have all kinds of benefits for sensor readings," Tom said, smiling. "Supposedly, the use of these waves could result in power savings with our deflector grid. It's worth experimenting with, and it makes a solid cover story." Still, Tom frowned. "Are you worried that there might be someone among the crew who... isn't really from around here?"

"Good points," the ship commander conceded. "That's why I have officers like you aboard, enlisted or otherwise. As for the possibility of someone being among the crew, we do have a Romulan on board right now as well as a half Romulan officer in Security."

It wasn't Tom's place to question the Commodore's thoughts, nor would he if he thought the man was incorrect in his thinking. "Time will tell, I guess. I promise to keep everything pretty close to the chest, Commodore. And we'll get moving on this pretty quick."

"Good," Michael said. "It isn't that I don't trust everyone to be on the up and up, but I've already dealt with madmen who made a killer virus and rogue ship captains who blew up a starbase. I can't afford to let anything like that happen again."

"Part of the dangers of space travel, I suppose," said Tom. "We've overcome a lot, and we'll overcome whatever's around the corner."

"That we will," the Commodore said. "The dedication plaque was 'When the smoke has cleared away, we will emerge triumphant.' It may take us some time, but we will get there."

Tom kept his smile, not wanting to miss another chance for a light joke in a grim situation. "And hopefully with not so much smoke."

Michael suddenly got an idea and grinned broadly, but not at the joke. "Not so much smoke, but still very vital. Contact Zahara and ask if she'd be willing to provide a discreet eye on everyone on the project. She doesn't have to be material to observe and she's very effective and doing other things."

That seemed like a reasonable idea. Tom and Zahara had an excellent relationship, and had he not been in a relationship with Maddy, he was almost certain that she would have pursued him. "Will do, sir."

"It has to be voluntary, but you're the one who talked her into surrendering the first time," Michael said. "So I think you have the greatest chance at enlisting her aid."

"I wouldn't mind at all, sir," the chief replied. "I'll reach out to her as soon as I can. It'll take me a bit to get the schematics all worked out for the gravity wave generators so we can replicate them. You sure the delay won't be an issue?"

"We need to take on extra supplies for this," Michael said smoothly. "That's going to take at least five hours and that much time again to get there at warp five."

Tom's eyes widened. Five hours was a much shorter window than the ten hours plus installation time he expected. "I'd feel a lot better with eight hours, honestly," he said, reaching up to rub the backside of his neck.

"Then I'll have the work on the Victorious slowed down a little since they're going ahead of us and have to travel at the speed of the fighters. That should give a little more time," Michael responded after a moment of thought.

The Chief mentally winced. An engineer or an operations specialist could only move so slow for so long. A highly trained technician couldn't help but work as fast as they could simply because most situations did not permit leisure while working. Slowing down the Victorious was nothing more than a gesture; therefore, the message was received. "We'll make every moment count, Commodore."

"You'll have the time you need," the Commodore assured him. His former Security training gave him an insight into expressions and he could all but see the stress the Master Chief was under. "Trust me."

Tom nodded. "I do, sir. Trust you that is." A wave of relief swept over him, though he didn't feel totally at ease, he at least knew he had time to do it right and not miss something by rushing it.

"Is there anything in particular that you have a need for?" Michael asked him.

He shook his head. "Our replicators will be up to the task. And, as Operations, arranging for priority won't be a problem."

"Then I'll have the resources allocated and send you the Engineering team that you'll need," the Commodore said. "And I'll leave you to it while I go stall for time."