Nathanial had turned the sensor pod into the science departments new temporary home, they had bunks setup on Deck B, a temporary lab setup on Deck A, and Deck C now housed the Science control station. Currently he was attempting to get the communications in-ship to be a bit more reliable, as at the moment they would cut out at random times, he also had Ensign Thomas heading up a group working on trying to get our sensors to detect something more than erratic results.
Thomas paced. His hands akimbo in an effort to prevent his usual anxious gesturing, he was immersed in thought. He wasn't having a terrible amount of luck with the sensors. The nebula emitted all sorts of disruptive interference as well as an incredible amount of background noise.
He looked up as he heard the hull being exposed to another alteration in pressure. While no louder or violent than the previous few hours it served as a very real manifestation of the forces that were on the other side of the hull. His failure in this task had allowed his thoughts to wander back to their predicament, something his previous activities had distracted him from.
Nathanial headed over to the group working on the sensors, he had an idea he wanted to run past them. "How are we going over here?" He asked the group. One of them replied "Not so good sir, this nebula is playing havoc with us."
"Hmmm" Nathanial replied while stepping closer to the main panel. "I know that we currently do not have enough power to perform a high burst catalyst effect, but, lets look at seeing if we configure the probes dorsal sensor array to emit a short range pinpoint style pulse. More like a targeting beam, rather than a sensor net."
The Ensign overhead the conversation between the lieutenant and one of the scientists and approached as Lt. Doyle finished explaining his solution.
"Even concentrated as a beam the nebula's density and interference would dissipate it in a few thousand kilometers sir. But at least it will give us results that are better than anything we have now." He commented as he looked at the garble that represented their current data.
Nathanial nodded at the remark "Exactly, a few thousand kilometres is more than we currently have, and perhaps we can even use it like the blind used walking sticks back in the twentieth century, after all, we wouldn't want to ram into one of the Romulan ships now would we." He said with a twinge of humor.
The Ensign nodded in agreement the analogy served his mental image of the ship now being blind as well crippled in a dangerous place. However he did his best to give a smile back at the lieutenant's remark. "It would make for an embarrassing report to be sure Sir." Thomas added as he logged the existing sensor data and set-up a new cache to deal with the new information.
Nathanial watched as Thomas worked on the sensor data. He took a small step back, barely noticeable and looked more intently at the Ensign. how long had it been see either one of them had gotten any sleep? Nathanial had enforced the shifts again, and had made sure that Alpha shift had first access to the bunks, being that they had been on shift the longest. Though here was Thomas, working though the next shift. Nathanial noticed the slightest of quivers running through Thomas's hands, a sure sign of the beginnings of tiredness. He looked down at his own hand, and smirked, as he noticed the same telltale signs in his own hands.
With the system ready to take and interpret the new scans results the Ensign Looked over to the main console and also the lieutenant. "Sir we are ready to initiate the scan."
"Roger that, if you could do the honours Ensign." Nathanial watched as Thomas activated the first beam. The result came back negative, which was to be expected, after all, if it came back positive, it would mean there was a Romulan ship right ontop of us.
"Ok Ensign, continue the scan to encompass a full spherical sweep around the Charon, and make sure the pod's power can cope."
"Aye sir." He responded as he brought up the output of the Pods generator "Power is stable, no fluctuations."
Over half the spherical sweep had been completed and Nathanial was smiling, the pod's generator was holding steady.
[Warning, object detected]
Nathanial rushed over to the console standing beside Thomas. "Come again computer?" He asked.
The Ensign's eyes went wide as his attention on the sweep became total, referring the sweep back to the bearings it detected the positive result the computer responded again.
The Ensign's eyes went wide as his attention on the sweep became total, referring the sweep back to the bearings it detected the positive result the computer responded again.
[Warning, object detected]
Nathanial looked to Thomas, who was looking back at him, in unison they both mouthed the words 'Oh shit'
Tuning the scan, the computer referenced more and more information, he relayed the information over to Nathanial "They are astern to us sir one Romulan Warbird Its engine signature matches what the captain supplied; there is traces of a second signature but no sign of the second vessel."
Nathanial tapped his comm badge "Nathanial to the Captain, There is a Romulan ship, Right ontop of us!!!!!"
He waited a few seconds but heard no reply. "Nathanial to anyone, There is a Romulan ship right ontop of us, I repeat, Right on top of us!!"
"Sir the comm systems are down" he heard from behind him.
Nathanial turned to face his science crew. "Red alert" Like some unforseen ghost watching the scene, just as he uttered those words, the ship computer emitted [Red alert].
Nathanial had been trained for combat situations, but he was a science officer first, still he was the ranking officer in the Sensor Pod, and he remembered his drills from the Academy well.
"You two, go wake the Alpha shift. You three, head to the weapons lockers, get whatever you can and get it back here. We will hold the Sensor pod and await instructions from the main ship for support, I want everyone in pairs, and every jeffries entrance and turbolift guarded now!" He barked.
Nathanial turned to Thomas. "We must protect those probes at all costs, take three others with you and guard it with your life."
"Yes Lieutenant." Thomas acknowledged while he locked out the terminal he was on. He moved around and preformed likewise on the other terminals. Waiting for the arrival of the additional crew and armaments.
[To be continued]
Lieutenant Nathanial Doyle
Chief Science Officer
USS Charon
&
Ensign Thomas Clipper
Assistant Science Officer
USS Charon
