Sensor Check
Posted on Tue Nov 1, 2016 @ 4:45am by Commodore Michael Aravan & Lieutenant Krem & Lieutenant Xylia Lischka & Lieutenant Dalton McNamara
Mission:
An Orion to Die For
Location: Science Sensor Systems Lab
Timeline: MD 2 || 1800 Hours
A change in shifts and unexpected errors were the order of any starship and the Triumphant was no exception. Lieutenant McNamara had found himself acting as Chief of Science shortly before the actual Chief of Science, a Ferengi by the name of Lieutenant Krem had shown up. Now Dalton found himself on Beta Shift and in the Sensor Systems Lab where an error had been reported.
He was bent over a console running a diagnostic when it gave another error code and unexpectedly froze. He tried to override the code and frowned, then tapped his commbadge. =^=McNamara to Krem. There's a problem in the Sensor Systems Lab, Sir.=^=
"Problem?" the voice of the Ferengi grumbled, "Problems are unprofitable... I'll be right there."
Lt. Krem didn't take long to arrive in the Sensor Lab, clinging a Ferengi-style PaDD in his hand. The man looked none to thrilled that problems had crept up so soon after his arrival.
"So what kind of problem are we having, Mister McNamara?" Krem asked as he walked up beside the man.
Dalton looked up and wondered why the Science Chief had a Ferengi PADD in his hand instead of one of the standard, and far more advanced in his opinion, Starfleet PADD's, but put it off for the moment. "Our lateral sensor arrays aren't picking up anything, Lieutenant," he said. "Literally. It's like there isn't anything near us at all. Then it gave an error message and froze while I was running a diagnostic." He stepped aside from the terminal to give the Ferengi access to it.
The Ferengi grimaced and stepped up to the console. He brought up and self-diagnostic readouts and the sensor history that should have been logged with the main computer regardless of any glitches. He found them to be oddly empty after a certain point, which gave him pause.
"When was the last maintenance cycle?" Krem asked, "I can't find it in the logs and it should have been performed recently given the archival diagnostic data."
"Yesterday, Lieutenant," Dalton told him. "Everything checked out fine before the launch and now it's acting like the lateral sensors aren't even there. Do you want me to go check on the actual hardware on deck forty-five?"
The Ferengi thought about it for a moment, "I think perhaps we should both go, it may not be as simple as a faulty isolinear chip. Lead the way."
"You got it, Sir," the Assistant Chief told him and exited the sensor lab and headed for the nearest turbolift. He made certain to keep his normally long strides shorter so the diminutive Ferengi wouldn't have to run to keep up with him. In the turbolift, he requested deck forty-five. "Do you mind if I ask you a question, Lieutenant?"
"Not particularly," the Ferengi shrugged, "What do you want to know?"
"Why are you carrying a Ferengi-style PADD with you, Sir?" Dalton asked as the turbolift headed down to the requested deck. "It's not standard on a Federation ship and it isn't exactly up to Federation standards as far as maximum use you can get from it."
Krem lifted the PaDD in his hand for a moment, "Oh, I was doing my evening accounts when you called. I usually check my stocks around this time and I just didn't think to put it down. Your Federation equipment doesn't play well with the Ferengi Stock Exchange system."
The turbolift came to a halt and Dalton stepped out. "I don't see the need to accumulate wealth," he said as he headed for the sensor array's physical location. "We have everything we can possibly need and if we don't have it, it's provided for us."
Krem shrugged, "There are some things you can't just replicate, my friend. And personally I would like to have myself a small planet to retire on in a few decades. Just a little plot of land to call my own, really. Starfleet isn't going to just hand me one of those, so I have to find ways to make my dreams come true by other methods."
"A small planet equals out to a little plot of land?" Dalton asked as he entered the sensor pod area and headed to the main console.
"They are cheaper than full-sized M-class planets," the Ferengi shrugged, "Let's see what this one has to tell us."
The console seemed to be fully operational when McNamara checked it, then when he tried to access the lateral sensor array, it gave the same error code and locked up. He pulled out his tricorder and headed over to a panel where he began to remove it. "Looks like it's either a computer glitch or someone doesn't want us to know they're close to us."
"A glitch would be too convenient an answer..." Krem said as he thought about it, "So how about we assume that someone is jamming us and figure out a way to get around it."
Dalton pulled the panel off and began to scan it with the tricorder, which frozen after giving an error message. "Sir," he said slowly. "I think you may be right. The Zeus is tractored behind us and we didn't have any problem with sensors before that."
"See..." the Ferengi frowned, "Now first we need a way around that jamming. After that, we can figure out why we're being jammed."
Krem started to work at the console before pausing, "Suppose... suppose we run our own little sensor hack through the tractor beam emitters. Maybe we can see what we shouldn't be seeing through their lateral sensors without tipping them off to the fact that we know they want us blind."
"Now that's a brilliant idea, Sir," Dalton said. "We're still going to need our own soon. A Antares-class freighter isn't exactly known for having the best sensors, though. The Victorious could act as our eyes and ears if they aren't jammed as well."
Krem began to run the algorithms required to use the tractor beam as an information relay with the degree of subtlety required to execute such a thing without being caught.
"Let's not tip our hand just yet," the Ferengi cautioned, "If they are being blinded and haven't said anything yet, they aren't wise like we are and we can't risk losing the element of surprise. You could learn a thing or two about being sneaky from us, hew-mon."
"If I wanted to be sneaky, I would have joined Intelligence," Dalton said. "But you're right about not tipping our hand. Let's see what we can do."
Krem couldn't help but grin. He had himself considered Intelligence as a career option, but the friction he got from the Academy detailer was enough to make him abandon that pursuit. While he might have been welcome in Starfleet grudgingly, no one was going to put that much faith in the Ferengi people just yet.
"I'm going to start sending the sensor piggy back signal over, but I need you to monitor the actual read outs, I can't do that and keep our little override from setting off alarms," the man remarked.
"Can do," Dalton said as he headed back to the console to check the readouts. "As long as I don't try to activate the lateral sensors, it shouldn't freeze up again."
"You won't need to, I'm going to pirate data from their sensors, all you need to do is tell me what they say," the Ferengi assured the man before setting his program in motion, "It shouldn't take long for you to start seeing something."
"There we go," Dalton said a moment later. "Not the best sensors in the world, but it's showing what's close by from the Zeus' sensors. Nice job, Lieutenant."
Krem made several adjustments to the program before he was satisfied that it was sufficiently disguised as normal sensor feedback trash, "So, what are they trying to hide from us?"
"What or who?" Dalton asked as he looked at the readings. "It's not like our long range sensors wouldn't be able to pick something coming. If they're relying on close range sensors not picking anything up, they didn't think it all the way through."
"Most efforts at sabotage usually aren't that well thought out," the Ferengi shrugged.
Dalton sighed. "Now to figure out what was done to block the lateral sensors in the first place without tipping our hand that we know. Not that we wouldn't know the first time we tried to use them and every error can be fixed eventually."
"Could be a feedback loop they are sending up to us from the tractor beam, same as what we're doing to them," Krem suggested.
"We could send a team down to check," Dalton suggested. "From what I heard, they were all taken to the brig, so no one would be on the ship."
The Ferengi mulled it over, "Perhaps we should have someone from security go with us, just in case someone got missed and they're using our blind spot to stay hidden on the ship."
"Sounds like a good idea," Dalton said and tapped his combadge. =^=Lieutenant Lischka, could you meet me and Lieutenant Krem at transporter room fourteen, please?=^= he requested as he headed out of the room at a pace the Ferengi could keep up with for the turbolift again.
=^=On my way.=^= Xylia's slightly German accent replied from the other end just before ending the transmission. She grabbed a phaser and made her way to meet up with the two Lieutenants in transporter room fourteen.
Once they made it to deck forty one, Dalton stepped out and headed to where the Assistant Chief of Security was waiting for them in the transporter room. "Thank you for coming, Lieutenant Lishka," he said. "We've found a potential problem coming from the Zeus. Lieutenant Krem can tell you more about it and what we've done than I can."
"Indeed," the Ferengi stepped up and flashed the Security female a crooked smile, "My friend here, Mister McNamara, discovered that our lateral sensors weren't working properly and every attempt at a diagnostic threw out errors. We threw out the notion of a glitch because it was just too convenient. Together we made our way to the actual sensor units and decided upon sabotage, since the Zeus was really the only thing behind us being obscured. I managed to hack their own sensors using our tractor beam, but we didn't find anything behind that ship, which leaves us with one of two options. Either something aboard that ship is causing a blind spot autonomously, or someone was missed in your sweep of the ship."
Krem rubbed his hands in the typical Ferengi manner, "We were hoping you would escort us over so that no one jumps out at us if my second theory is the correct one."
"Of course," Xylia said, offering them both a smile. If there were people still hiding on board the Zeus they'd be found and taken care of properly. Likely with some brig time. "Shall I lead the way since I'm the one with the phaser?"
"Please," Dalton said. "For some reason, I don't think they'd be afraid of a scientist armed with a tricorder."
"I don't think they would be, either," the Security officer said, turning to make her way inside. If what she'd been told had an ounce of truth to it, then there was still a chance that someone... or someones... were lying in wait to do who knew what. This just wasn't okay with her. Not when it was her job to keep those on board the ship safe. Anyone stupid enough to hang back would be found, and she'd deal with them.
The transporter chief waited until all three of them were on the transporter pad and energized them.
The transporter beam placed them on the small bridge of the Zeus where the only illumination came from the console of the small freighter.
Lt. Krem made his way to the small operations console that ran most of the ship's computer functions and began poking around. The program he had set up to spy on the ship's sensor was still unnoticed and no mention of anomalous activity was being recorded. That was the first bit of good news. The Ferengi turned his attention to the internal sensors. The compartmental scan started at the bridge of the ship, which was clearly occupied by three individuals, which the scan showed most plainly. As the scan reached further and further through the ship, signs of life became null.
"Well... that takes care of theory one," Lt. Krem said as he turned to the hew-mons with him, "We're the only things breathing on the ship. And you know what that means, Mr. McNamara..."
"It means that somewhere in this old freighter is a program that's keeping us from using our lateral sensors," Dalton replied. "And I'd bet my weight in latinum that it's trapped in some way or another." He looked at the Security Lieutenant. "Lieutenant, are you familiar with checking for boobytraps?"
"Sure, I just shove you in the direction you think they might be in, right?" Xylia joked, and there was no other way that could have been taken. She turned serious and looked between the two men. "It's my job to keep you two safe, and as such, I'll find anything that might harm either one of you."
Dalton looked at Krem at her joke, feeling a bit nervous. "Shall we go to the cargo area while she checks these systems out?" he asked the Ferengi.
"Probably the best plan," Krem nodded, pulling out his tricorder to lead the way. The relatively small size of the freighter was to their advantage, not a lot of twists and turns, no real way to get lost even without using a tricorder to find their way.
"Have you heard anything about why this vessel was captured? I'm afraid I simply haven't had a chance to really root out the details," the Ferengi asked as the two men walked through the corridors of the ship.
"No idea," Dalton said. "I'm only here for the ride now that you're here, Lieutenant." He looked at Xylia. "Have you heard, Lieutenant Lischka?"
"Not yet, but I'm sure I'll know soon enough," the German woman said as she moved her fingers over the console in front of her looking for anything that might seem out of the ordinary. She wasn't purposely being rude when she tuned the men out, but Xylia was currently working on something potentially catastrophic if she came across a booby trap. What she needed right now was complete focus.
The Ferengi shrugged and left the room they had been occupying, his tricorder chirping and warbling cheerfully as the man combed the corridors. Lt. Krem found his way into the main computer room of the freighter and poked around the main computer for a few minutes, running a few scans before noticing a signal pattern he hadn't seen from the bridge console.
"That's odd..." the man muttered as he stabbed a few more commands, "It almost looks like something else is hijacking this computer besides us..."
"What?" Dalton asked as he went to where Krem was. "What's going on?"
While the two men were dojng their own thing, Xylia continued her internal scans of the Zeus' computer. When nothing showed itself, her brow furrowed, and that prompted her to begin a visual search of the area. She pulled a panel off and paled immediately. What she saw was something that put their lives in danger.
"Gentleman... we have a problem. I want you both to get out of here. Now," she ordered with a tone that left room for no arguments.
What she found was a tricorder patched into the computer, and connected to it was an explosive device. If she had to guess, the explosion would be enough to take a pretty decent sized chunk of their own ship with it. Xylia would have no issues disarming the device, but she didn't want the distraction of others being on the freighter while she did so.
Dalton looked up when he heard the Security Lieutenant. "C'mon, Krem. It's time to get out of here."
The Ferengi's brow furrowed at the sudden discovery and didn't waste much time slapping his commbadge, "Krem to the Triumphant, beam myself and Mister McNamara off this ship immediately..."
"Energizing," the voice of the transporter operator came through their commbadges before they were dematerialized and rematerialized on the Triumphant.
"That escalated rather quickly..." Krem grumbled, none too thrilled with the discovery of the bomb, "I get the feeling there is something in there they didn't want us finding... even if it cost them a ship to see to it."
"We need to disengage the tractor beam," Dalton said. "If that freighter blows..." He immediately headed out of the room.
"Then we're all in for a very unprofitable day..." the Ferengi finished the sentence in a way only he could.
Following the man out of the door, Krem stumbled upon a thought, "Why don't we just call up to the bridge and tell them to cut the ship loose? That would be the fastest way to go about this, wouldn't it?"
=^=McNamara to the bridge. Release the Zeus. It has a bomb on it.=^=
=^=Acknowledged=^= came the response a moment later. =^=Tractor beam disengaged.=^=
"Put some space between us and it," Michael ordered.
"Aye, Sir," the helmsman said and began to do as the Captain ordered.
Once the two men were off the freighter, Xylia swallowed a lump in her throat. Disarming a bomb wasn't on her list of things to do when she woke up that morning, but she'd learned to always expect the unexpected. What were they hiding that required them to go to such lengths to keep it from seeing the light of day? They'd find out soon enough once she finished what she needed to do.
Without the proper gear to do the job, the German woman was going to have to wing it. She knelt down next to the panel and looked at what she had to work with. Whoever put installed it knew what they were doing, but so did she. With sweat on her brow, she began the delicate process of disarming it, and ten long minutes later, the deed was done. Xylia fell back onto the floor as her chest heaved from the adrenaline surging through her, then she tapped her combadge. =^=The situation has been dealt with, and it's clear.=^=
=^=Do you have the evidence, Lieutenant?=^= Michael asked after tapping his combadge to respond to the Security woman.
=^=Yes, Captain, I have evidence.=^= Xylia stated hoping she didn't come across as sarcastic, because that's not how she intended it to be. =^=I'm talking to you with a disarmed bomb lying next to me.=^=
=^=I'll have you beamed directly to Security,=^= Michael said. =^= Well done, Lieutenant.=^=
The Captain gave a nod to the Ops officer and a transporter lock was engaged. Moments later, Xylia was beamed into the Security lab on deck nineteen where bomb disposal was located. =^= Report when you're done, Lieutenant.=^=
=^=Yes, Captain. =^= Xylia said once she was back on her own ship lying on the floor. After ending the link with Michael, she got to her feet and grabbed the useless explosive device to dispose of it properly, then took the tricorder and walked out of Security. There was an impromptu meeting with the Captain, and she couldn't be late for it.
With a bit of hustle, she made her way to the Ready Room and extended her free hand to press the chime. This was going to be interesting once they were able to obtain the information that was trying to be hidden.
"Enter," Michael called out as he sat at the table and tried to figure out what was going on.
Lieutenant Lischka made her way inside and looked to her Commanding Officer. In her hand, she held the tricorder that had once been connected to the explosive device. "Captain," she began as she made her way toward him. "I think this could possibly offer a little insight into what might be going on. I haven't had time to look at it, but then, that isn't really my field of expertise. I disarm the bombs. I don't tend to look at what they're hiding."
"It's not really my field, either, but we do have some excellent personnel on the ship who can give us plenty of insight to it," Michael said. "Before we get to that, though, back up and tell me everything you know about the bomb and circumstances around it."
"Well... from what I can tell, it was composed of common materials. I found Avitable compound 283, which is a slow-burning chemical explosive. It's used for controlled pressure-wave ignitions of small scale fusion devices," Xylia started, hoping the Captain was with her so far. "It was stored in an inert liquid form until it was exposed to and activated by an energetic gamma pulse generated by a Balter detonator."
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "For the record, the detonator wasn't there, which means someone else is still in possession of it. Of course, nothing is going to happen now, so that doesn't matter."
Michael listened and being former Security, understood what she was telling him. "Who else was there?"
"Just Lieutenant Krem and Lieutenant McNamara. I made them both vacate the second I found this," she replied, passing the tricorder over to him.
"Thank you, Lieutenant." He took the tricorder and set it on the desk, then tapped his combadge. =^=Lieutenant Krem and Lieutenant McNamara, report to the ready room.=^=
=^=On my way=^= McNamara's voice responded a moment later.
The Captain didn't have to wait overly long, the ride to the Bridge was made brief thanks to the efficiency and speed of the turbolifts. The door of the office slide open and Lt. Krem walked in, followed closely by Lt. McNamara.
"You wanted to see us, Captain?" the Ferengi asked, knowing vaguely why he'd been called.
"Yes," Michael said. "What led you and Lieutenant McNamara to discovering the bomb on the Zeus??"
"We didn't," the Ferengi replied bluntly, "That was our escort's doing. She found the bomb and she's the one that disarmed it."
Lt. Krem rubbed his hands together for a moment before continuing, "The answer you were looking for was probably why we were looking around down there in the first place. That started with Lt. McNamara noticing that the lateral sensor array was down. We took all the steps one would take to root out faulty equipment before we decided that it was intentional sabotage. Since we couldn't be sure there wasn't some stowaway hiding on board, we asked the Lieutenant over there to come with us to see if we could figure out who or what was hacking our sensors. We didn't discover it... per say... but I have a suspicion that the ship we're towing may have some manner of viral agent working in it's core... but that's only a theory at the moment."
Michael looked at Lieutenant McNamara. "Do you concur with what Lieutenant Krem has said?"
"Yes, Sir," McNamara said. "I noticed the sensor glitch and that it generated an error every time I tried to diagnose it, then called Lieutenant Krem in. He suggested we track it back to the source, with was the Zeus and we called in Lieutenant Lishka after that."
The Captain listened and nodded. "I'm going to have a Security and Tactical team dismantle the ship piece by piece. In the meantime, take this tricorder and analyse it fully. I want to know everything that's on it." He handed it to the Ferengi Chief of Science.
Krem took the device and gave it a once over before nodding, "I'll have it done before the afternoon tomorrow. Maybe by lunch, but I'm not promising anything there."
"That's all I ask for, Lieutenant," Michael said before he looked at Xylia and Dalton. "Does anyone have anything to add?"
"No, Sir," McNamara said.
Xylia shook her head. "No, Captain, but with your permission, I'd like to take a little time to get over the stress of finding that."
Michael nodded. "Then go find out what's on that tricorder while I have the Zeus broken down. Dismissed."
