STF

Bridge (2021 Sim)

Posted June 29, 2021, 7:19 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Magnús Pétursson (First Officer) (Hjortur Ingi)

Posted by Gamemaster GM (Gamemaster) in Bridge (2021 Sim)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Reia Shandy (C Intelligence -Comm Officer) in Bridge (2021 Sim)

Posted by Captain Calvin Marius (Captain) in Bridge (2021 Sim)
Posted by… suppressed (34) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Snip
Magnus frowned at the approaching ships and their Jamming signals, like many people the Prime Directive was instinctive with him, and interfering with a pre-warp civilization, was at least to him a more grievous infraction than others “I recommend starting first contact with these Aliens provided we can do so without engaging in hostilities” He said to the Captain.

XO

“Lets take a second, X.” Marius looked at the screen. “Sometimes you find out more about a person when they don’t think they are being watched.”

Magnus inclined his head and offered no protest.

This was an interesting concept to Reia. Both species seemed like viable first contact situations to her but, for different reasons of course. She readjusted her station to start looking at the sensor data being taken in on the approaching ships.

  • Reia, CIO

A text note came up to Reia on her display from Dagen. =^= Sweetie. Is their jamming doing anything to the systems on the planet? Any comms about relating to signals going awry? Can we pull anything from their ‘chats’ with their probes? =^= Yes, her husband was the curious type.
- Dagen, CE

Reia read it again and raised an eyebrow.

Texing back… ‘Curious questions. I will add it to the growing list of things to look at.’

  • Reia, CIO

=^= The ships talking to each other? Any comms to pull from that? Yeah, you’ve guessed it. Action is up there. I’m bored down here messing with everyone’s business. But if I can’t armchair coach then where’s the fun there? =^= Dagen texted back.

Curiouser and curiouser. Kesh both craved and loathed that feeling of wonder and mystery that was unfolding here. She was in no position to offer anything else to the rest of the bridge crew, other than simply keeping the ship systems in a happy and stable place. That was, after all, her task on the bridge today. Still, some part of her felt a little sour that her efforts to harvest information from broadcast signals had been handed off, and her attempts to find commonality with other species had gone nowhere.

Then again, she had very much desired to not stand out today, so fading into the background again was pretty well a good thing.

Still, every ensign dreams, at least a little, about rising to the challenge and saving the day. Even though it was her second time around as one, that urge was still present. Hm. Would her life become cyclical? Would the year 3000 dawn with her on her twentieth time re-entering Starfleet? Maybe.

For now, the spotted Caitian just stands at her Engineering post, watching the power system monitor and making the occasional adjustment while her ears stay alert to anything important occuring nearby.

->Kesh, Engineering

And just to be a pain .. =^= Thor to Kesh. Are you seeing those ships? Now that they are in our back yard see what kind of passive scans you can take on them. Unless you think that a more active scan will go undetected at this range. We should get a good idea of their tech at this point. It might just confirm what we know but hey, do they use stem bolts or self sealing stem bolts? We should know that one at this range. =^= The latter was, by his tone, evidently a jest, but the idea was there .. see what she could snoop out on them.
- Dagen, CE

Uh… Kesh listened to her CO’s orders and had to pause a moment while staring into space. That sounds… in jest? Much could be told about the composition of a starship from its own emissions and its interactions with EM signals, subspace waves, and other passively observable data, certainly. But the design of their component attachment hardware? Was this a test?

=^= Rrrnnn, yes sir. Ah.. rr… I will see what I can determine, sir. =^=

As she spoke, Kesh ran the layout and construction of the vessels through an extrapolation algorithm that was used to estimate a vessel’s material composition, primary system locations and, importantly for this task, deck layout. The ship’s computer calculated it very swiftly, so her reply comes after just a moment’s pause.

=^= Self-sealing stembolts are typically used for prefabricated, permanent construction methods, rrrnth. However, these ships appear to use a modular structure, which would make standard attachment bolt hardware much more economical. Eh.. rr… as for active scans, there are enough unidentifiable components on the ships that would require an active scan to identify which, themselves, may detect such a scan. I do not recommend it.” =^=

She felt… unsure of her analysis, but she also did not know her CO well enough to determine humor for serious orders yet.

-> Kesh, Engineering

=^= Maybe we can set up a stem bolt hardware shop. New business opportunity. =^= Dagen replied, not letting go of the humor. =^= That being said, the planet has three different technologies. Can you identify a possible link between tech that we see being developed on the planet with the tech on those ships? It wouldn’t be precise of course - they are developing it on the world and they have interstellar travel on the ships, but the DNA of the tech would be there. =^=
- Dagen, CE

As the Captain seemed preoccupied at that moment…

“Ensign Kesh. Can you determine from their scanner emissions what frequencies they use and run a low level internal scan outside those frequencies?” Tom asked.

  • Tom, IntSec

Ah, so it was a joke. Kesh feels a little knot of sourness form in her gut as being messed with while uncomfortable did not settle well with her. However, her impression of Dagen was such that she did not feel that this was deliberate torment, just an ill-guided attempt to calm the tension. It’s just something she’ll have to get used to. A long, deep breath cooled that fraying in her throat prior to starting to respond, but Tom’s request came before she could respond to her CO. A quick tap of the comm channel hold icon on her console informed the Chief Engineer that she will have to get back to him on that.

One large felid ear twists around to catch the rest of Tom’s requestion, with her head turning around to look his way, briefly perplexed why she was being asked to do such a thing. Wasn’t that the Ops station’s duties? Perhaps everyone just knew she was new here and was being put to the test. Mmmpf.

“I can determine the range of frequencies and types of technologies they have utilized so far, yes. Rrrnth. Passive scans cannot determine what frequencies and fields they are capable of detecting, however. Ah.. rrrn… though based on their level of visible technology, it is likely they will not have managed to cut through the inherent subspace interference in the High Upper Band of subspace field emissions. Mmnnrrm. I cannot be certain of it, though.” HUB fields, as Kesh understood them, were useful around certain spatial phenomena, though generally one of the least used options as their inherent scattering rendered them useless beyond a few dozen AU, though that would not be a problem here.

->Kesh, Engineering.

Tom was beside Kesh again.

“I need an engineer’s eye on this to give us the best possible interpretation of the readings form the internal scans. I trust your ability to do this more than anyone else on the bridge to be able to speculate the internal structures, functions of various components, maybe better details on their offensive and defensive capabilities. All the usual drek as well as anything you might feel important.”

Tom stepped over to the science station and, nudging aside the NE there, read the emissions the Genesis’ sensors were picking up from the two ships so he could give Kesh a recommended band width of frequencies to use. Tom couldn’t count how many times he’d done this on a covert ops ship.

Once he had what he was looking for, he chose four bandwidths well outside what the alien ships were emitting.

“Try these. If things go south, it’ll be all my fault.”

  • Tom, IntSec

The rather intense human’s rather intense bit of… encouragement?… starts out reassuring enough for Kesh’s palpable tension to subside, lowering some of the frayed tufts of her mane and neck fur. However, as Tom continues, a certainly degree of awkwardness seeps in that prompts glancing to either side in a bid to determine if the other bridge officers were reacting to this in any fashion to suggest it was normal or not.

Whew. A joke-loving CO and a really forward and direct internal security lieutenant commander. Quite the challenging environment to adjust to!

Kesh said nothing in that moment while Tom moves to the sciences station and then serves up the possible frequency options. Her initial glance at her console shows an immediate displeasure for one of them, but the other three seem reasonable. “.. ah.. rr… aye sir!”

OOC: My apologies! PL just got caught up!

IC:
By passive scans, Genesis was able to ascertain that the communications of the approaching ship was using a very primitive subspace system that was more advanced than the planet but very much less advanced than the Genesis. There was a kind of deflector shield at the fore of the ship but there were no other emitters that would serve as a shield in battle. From the position of the deflector shield emitter, the shield was able to extend as a front shield for the ship but the aft of the ship seemed to be vulnerable to attacks.

While the sensors were able to determine that they had an engine similar to a warp engine, there was a presence of radioactivity emanating from the ship. the computer was able to determine that the source was plutonium.

They stopped about 2000 kilometres from the satellites and began to scan the surrounding area. They were not able to go further than the planet surface and was thus unable to reach the position where the Genesis was.

The Genesis computer was able to decipher (about 87% accuracy) a message sent to their home planet:

We may have been discovered. Subjugation plan must begin now.

GM

Reia had a habit if leaning into her station. She intercepted the message with ease and stood up straight.

“Captain? Commander? I’m putting this on the main viewer.” she said transferring the transmission.

  • Reia, CIO

“Well that’s downright unfriendly.” Marius looked at the message. “We aren’t allied or at war with either race. How does the prime directive fall on what actions we are allowed to take?” It was a question that he wanted everyone’s opinion on, although he was pretty certain of what his plan was going to be irrespective of what the interpretation of the Prime Directive the crew had. “Helm confirm that we are within the borders established by the Federation.”

Marius

“The prime directive forbids us from interfering with the development of prewarp races however, we sort of have a loop hole as they are already being interfered with by a warp capable race. The bugbear is that we are outside of Federation space, in relatively unknown territory, with no idea of the current power structures in our location.”

  • Tom, IntSec

While the other conversation occurs, Kesh keys in the three potential frequencies to attempt an active scan into the sensor array and queues them with the Operations officer for final approval and activation. A golden brown ear stays tilted to listen, to which she concludes that this is very much a scenario where she’s very much inclined to let the captain make the decisions, as there are certainly valid reasons to back away and to interveine. Such decisions were not hers to make, thankfully.

-> Kesh, Engineering

Reia had been listening and thinking while she monitored her station. Finally she sighed and looked up at her CO and XO.

“Truthfully sir, I agree with Commander…” For the life of her she could not remember his name, “…Commander… …Um BUGBEAR! Yes, I agree with him.”

Instantly she felt a flush on her cheeks and looked down at her console again. As an after thought she rerouted the message she had put on the viewer to her Chief Engineer husband.

‘Armchair this one.’ she sent to Dagen.

  • Reia, CIO

“It also depends on the law of space we are in. If this space has been claimed by this new species there are limits to what we can do but there is room for us to work with. There is precedence both to work against Warp-Capable species that have interfered and allowing us to defend pre-warp civilizations.We’ll need more information as to what is going on before a choice can be made though” The last part was said in a hushed tone for the Captain only.

XO

Marius tapped his lips, he didn’t like bullies. Both personally and interstellar-ly. “Aside from saying hello, how do you suggest we get that additional information?”

Marius

As they were speaking, long range sensors showed another two ships heading to join the first ship.

GM

Meanwhile, down in Sickbay, things were running like clock work. The crew there had no idea the bridge was facing a first contact and possibly unfriendly scenario.

—Sage

Magnus took a moment to consider before answering “Well if we want to take an aggressive stance we can simply raid their computer core for information but I don’t recommend being so aggressive without provocation. Otherwise, we monitor their communication, we may have a technological advantage but four on one odds isn’t something to laugh at” His features remained calm “I think it might be best to start conversing and using the advantage of superior sensors to intercept communications and monitor them carefully so that proper actions can be taken.”

XO

“At least they said subjugation rather than extermination.” Tom quipped from his spot at the back of the bridge.

Tom, IntSec

“I’ll nominate them for humanitarian of the year award.”

The two ships would be arriving at the system in 50 minutes.

OOC: “Four on one odds”? Did I mispost and said that there was a total of four ships?

GM

OOC We have 90 minutes before it becomes 3 to one.

OOC: You initially had two ships coming in in response to the probes, and these two new ones make four … Gene

OOC: Yes. My bad!
-GM

OOC: Fixing Split

“We’ve been focusing alot on these guys. What’s going on, on the planet… Anything on their communications, military readiness, or some sort of underground paranoia website that might be talking about an alien invasion.”

“Lets go to yellow alert, put the shields up, but don’t charge or lock weapons.” He took a deep breath, “XO take us out of the blind spot, put the sun at our backs and lets open hailing frequencies.”

Marius

Reia ha quietly assumed the duties of comms officer because it made sense as a career strategy. Languages were like puzzles to her and she had been told she was fairly good at tearing them apart so, when the opportunity had come along, she had taken it.

“Hailing frequencies open sir.”

  • Reia, CIO/Comms

Magnus repeated the Captain’s orders for yellow alert and raised shields then moved to the helm station. “Take us out three-quarters impulse, place us directly between the sun and those ships” He said to the helm officer “Fly casual” He added with a grin.

XO

Tom looked around noting that the ship was already at yellow alert, he had ordered it earlier. The shields came up instantly as the emitters were precharged and at standby when the command was given. The phaser capacitors were already charged as well in case firepower was needed.

  • Tom, IntSec

There was a response to the hail, demanding to know who was trespassing on their territory of space. It was on audio only.

GM

=^= We are a ship of exploration, so there are occasions where a race believes we may have intruded. All can be resolved with communication. We are the Genesie of the United Federation of Planets and who are you and what is your claim to this planet and this sector of space?=^=

Marius

=/\= You are not welcome in our territory …=/\= The message was cut off and there was silence.

Not long after Dagen sent a note up to Kesh. =^= Kesh, here’s the subspace bandwidth they use. See if you can tighten up scans and detection with Reia. That could help with an intercept of their signals for her to decrypt more clearly =^=
- Thor, CE

Magnus nodded in approval of the Captains introduction, it was a good way to put it, exploring did come with an unusually high amount of trespassing accidentally.

XO

A momentary fluster comes with Dagen’s message as Kesh is not sure why this request was coming to her and not the ops station, but, again, there is sense in exploring where her skills and weaknesses were for future bridge duties. It would be nice to not be tested while a first-contact encounter was occurring, but that is maybe the best time for that.

A slow exhale blows from pursed lips, whiskers tremoring about a moment while tail tuft twangs and twitches down beside her heels. Alright.

=^= Aye, sir! =^=

A quick transfer onto an empty PADD lets Kesh glide across the bridge over to Reia’s station where she holds the PADD out once she seems to be not presently occupied, “Here are the signal spectrums those ships appear to be utilizing. Rrrnth. Focusing the comm channels to them should help with boosting.” Likely way more than needs be said, but better to be thurough than not.

-> Kesh, Engineering

Reia took the PaDD and began inputting commands into her station.

“I need you to calibrate the subspace receivers for these comm channels to improve reception.” she whispered to Kesh.

  • Reia, CIO/Comms

Maw parts, then shuts, as Kesh decides against stating that calibration had already been done as part of standard response to comm channel being open. Firstly, talking back to a superior officer is never a good look, and someone may have de-calibrated it in the time it took for her to cross the room. Enough waves had been made today, after all.

“Yes, ma’am. Rrrth.” A quiet response with a dip of head and quick, but firm blink, before the felinoid’s always bare footpaws pit-pat back across the bridge to the Engineering station to ensure calibration was exactly where it needed to be for the frequency ranges Thor had pointed to.

A nice little rush of pleasant tingles follows the completion of this. Best day ever?

The comm channels on that ship began to be active using rather simple encryption.

=/\=You are to leave! =/\= came the voice rather suddenly after about a minute of silence. =/\=We know that you have been spying on us. We destroyed a spying device that you sent quite a number of cycles ago. Your aggressive need to acquire territory will be your undoing.=/\=

OOC: Remember that Pallas had sent a kind of probe that was eventually destroyed …?

GM

OOC: Thanks for the reminder, but I’m still not clear… didn’t the probe wreck itself?
OOC: I ‘think’ there were two probes .. there was one wrecked but I think the second one had got away and we either didn’t pursue it or lost the trail. .. Gene

=^=We ask with all due courtesy, You have failed to identify yourself, so we have no way of knowing who you are and if this is your space. Please clarify your identity and your claim to this space. Again I am Captain Marius of the United Federation of Planets… =^=

Marius looked over to his XO. He had at least 90 minutes to be stubborn. “Given their tone, I can only imagine that don’t have the patience to wait for their reinforcements.”

Marius

The first officer simply nodded and waited for the alien’s reply.

As the CO was speaking the other ships were desperately trying to scan the Genesis.

=/\=We are Lesscoo. You are trespassing on Lesscoo territory. Unless you leave at once, we will consider you spying on us from the United Federation of Planets.=/\=

As the Lesscoo were speaking, the sensors picked up indications of activity in the Lesscoo system.

GM

Marius looked over at the name Lesscoo…

Magnus blinked at the response, did they not have sensors or were they simply overconfident in themselves. He turned to the Captain and spoke in hushed tones “Perhaps inviting them to learn more about us would work. They are not much of a threat per se but knowing next to nothing about them is not great. If their comment regarding the subjugation is anything to go by I’d say we’ve put them in a panic.”

XO

Marius’ only outward acknowledgement of the XO comment was a slight tilt of his head. =^=We are not spies. Spies do not announce themselves, as you know. If anything we are ambassadors. Can you please transmit the basis of your claims of this space, the borders of your claimed area so we don’t intrude, and lets exchange ambassadors so we can form formal diplomatic relations. We are ready to have you take an ambassador aboard right now. If you have one available.=^=

Marius

Reia wondered if this was going to be a full exchange and whom they would send over if it was.

  • Reia, CIO/Comms

=/\=We prefer to be alone. Please leave. Our borders will be transmitted.=/\=

The coordinates sent showed a very elementary idea of what borders meant. The borders were basically two systems: the system they were in and the Lesscoo system. Considering that their sensors were rudimentary compared the Genesis, they were probably not able to understand the data that their sensors were obtaining.

GM

Magnus moved to a console and looked at the borders and frowned as he returned to the Captain “Just two systems, their home system presumably and this one” He said in hushed tones. He was thinking as fast as he could, he wanted to do something, to act but he knew they didn’t have enough information to butt their heads in but subjugating a pre-warp civilization was abhorrent to him. He released the white-knuckled fist he had formed without noticing and smoothed his hands on his pants. He looked at Reia “Pick up anything more from their communications to their home?” He asked the Intelligence Chief in the same hushed tones.

XO


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