Into the Badlands Part II

Posted on Wed Feb 20, 2019 @ 8:22pm by Ensign Jonathan Baker & Warrant Officer William Fontaine & Captain Madelina Weisz & Lieutenant Colonel S'er'in'e & Ensign Isabel Robinson & Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Barnes

Mission: On Slippery Ground
Location: Bridge
Timeline: MD 1 || 1230 Hours

Previously

"Aye Captain." Said Isabel, as she started the process to change the helmsman station from helm/operations to just helm and navigation, and transferred primary operations to the station she was sitting at.

With permission granted, Maddy departed with a PADD in hand. If there was something unusual to be found, she planned to find it with the help of the rest of the crew. She thanked her lucky stars not to have to deal with the crew compliment as large as the Triumphant.

Continued

"Captain, Operations has been transferred to my station." Isabel called out, as she started to review the data for herself. She wondered who had sabotaged the systems, and what they were going to do next?

"Engineering to bridge!" Tom called out over the intercom. "Whatever is going on, I can't figure it out. We're going to have to take the main computer offline. I've already set the auxiliary computer into diagnostic mode to keep this from spreading."

Frustration was apparent on the feline. Whenever he was Master of the Victorious vessel he took pride in that, however in this instance there was little to be proud of, with systems failing and the ship he was supposed to be ahead of an escorting, pulling away. "Chief, if it were to become necessary to defend this ship, would that be possible?" In this state, this close to the Badlands was inviting trouble.

Silence reigned over the comm channel for a brief moment as Tom considered their options. "We could set the phasers on manual override and operate them from the individual control stations in security. But I can't give you shields or launchers. Well, maybe launchers, but the torpedoes won't have navigation."

=^=Weisz to bridge, the perpetrator has been apprehended. Once he's been secured in the brig, I'm going to Engineering to help fix the ship's problems. In the meantime, relay to Triumphant we're looking for members of our own crew, only they're not. They're Chameloid. They'll know from the yellow eyes. The Apollo and her cargo are the intended targets.=^=

"Relay that to flagship." S'er'in'e commanded. "Helm, plot a course to chase the Apollo." S'er'in'e couldn't just stand by and let the cargo, highly valuable cargo at that be taken without some form of resistance. He could only help that he had more of his systems available when the time came for them.

"Course laid in and plotted," the Andorian said after transmitting the message to the Triumphant.

"Three quarter impulse, engage, bring us off their port quarter. Standby with the deflector energy pulses. As soon as we enter the Badlands we will need to alter course, speed and vertical position after each pulse. Speed and agility will be our allies with sensors diminished by the areas effects." That was the hope at least, another was that he had more systems to use by then.

=^= Chief, would it be possible to modify to torpedo with magnetic clamps and a high intensity, wide band beacon for the warhead? With the idea of firing it at the Apollo and it latching to the hull, it would eliminate the need for us to ping the target and revealing ourselves. =^= S'er'in'e asked, hoping to reduce the risk to the already compromised vessel.

"Possible, yes!" Chief Barnes called out, still focused on the catastrophic systems failure they were experiencing. "But, once we enter the badlands, we have just as much chance as those torpedoes latching onto our hull as they do the Apollo."

"Begin preparations when able, we will set mag locks for a timed delay to permit our escape vector and clear of the device." At least, that was S'er'in'e's plan.

Despite the shields still not being fully up, the Andorian pilot took the Victorious to three quarters impulse and headed deeper into The Badlands.

=^=Mother Goose to Victorious=^= came the Commodore's voice. =^=Priority Alpha. Please respond encrypted Delta Omega Four. Confirm=^=

S'er'in'e tapped away at the small console on the arm of the command chair. Matched the encryption and then opened a channel. =^= This is Victorious, go ahead. =^= He was visibly perplexed over the use of the applied name to the Commodore.

=^=Warrant Officer William Fontaine is either an imposter on your ship or here on the Triumphant, Colonel=^= Michael said. =^=Because he can't be in two places at once. Have him detained.=^=

Maddy made her way onto the bridge, coming to stand in front of a console. "He's already been dealt with," she said.

"Good." The first spot of good news so far. S'er'in'e turned his attention back to the scene unfolding in front of him. "Well done Captain." He spoke to Captain Wiesz.

Maddy tapped her combadge. =^=I'm in position, Mister Barnes. What's first?=^=

Tom cleared his throat just before he called back over the open comm channel. "We need to isolate each control console by removing the three isolinear interlock chips. The virus is no longer replicating, which means it won't spread any further than it has. Once each console is isolated from the main computer, we'll have to cycle in the backup chips to force a system restore, taking it back to where it was pre-launch. When the restore is complete, we can relink it to the main computer to restore full functionality. The whole process will take a few minutes per console, and each bridge station will need to undergo this process."

"Acknowledged," the redhead said, pulling the cover off of the console she'd come to stand in front of. Maddy never claimed to be an Engineer, but it looked like she was getting a crash course. "Miss Robinson... you heard the man. A little help would be appreciated."

Izzy nodded as she said, "Yes Ma'am." She began to restore the affected systems first, in concert with Chief Barnes. First the critical systems, then the secondary systems. She was relieved that the Chief was able to clear the virus.

Izzy heard a beep coming from her station. "Captain, we have an incoming data packet from Triumphant. Izzy said, as she started to receive the data packet on her terminal screen.

"What is it?" S'er'in'e asked, hoping it was something that could help in the current situation.

Izzy started to read the data packet. "It's an upgraded sensor packet, Captain. The new packet will increases sensor effectiveness 300% in the Badlands, sir." Izzy said with a big grin, she wondered how they were able to pull that off. But at the moment, it did not matter.

"Confirm the data, I need to know this sensor packet once installed wont compromise any further systems." S'er'in'e answered. If there was an imposter, who knew what other surprises could be in store for them.

Izzy began to confirm the data packet information, then she called out in a clear tone. "The data is confirmed for the sensor packet, Captain."

"Helm, are we able to track their ion trails or impulse wake inside the Badlands?" S'er'in'e asked wanting more information to formulate the next part of his plan.

"Not without sensors, Sir," the Andorian pilot responded as she worked hard to navigate through the storms of The Badlands. "We're flying blind as it is."

"Very well, begin sensor pulses, alter pitch, course, speed and Z axis after each pulse." The pulse would give away where they were so taking evasive action was a must.

"Acknowledged," The Andorian said before she began to do the Colonel's orders and the Victorious pitched and rolled as she took it through its paces. "How much longer before we have shields and weapons?" she asked.

Maddy fought back the urge to snap on the pilot, but that didn't keep the sarcasm from oozing past her lips. "There are three of us doing a job that could use more hands, so unless you're volunteering to help, I'll let you know," she said, moving to a new console to start the process again. "Mister Barnes, what's next when we've completed this part?"

"You'll have manual control only," Tom called back, starting to prepare the main computer for cycling. "I'm going to have to take the main computer offline for five minutes. During that, we'll just have life support and other essential systems."

The Andorian brought the Victoriousout of impulse and to a stop when she heard the message.

"Acknowledged, Mister Barnes," the Executive Officer said just before she finished up with the console, then moved in to the next. "We're nearly finished here. I'll let you know when it's clear."

"Clear or no clear, it doesn't matter," Tom said over the open channel, hoping they could hear his frayed smile in his tone. "I've just initiated the reboot. Four minutes and forty-five seconds to go."

"Or... you can just do that," the redhead said to no one in particular, but it was clear by her tone she wasn't exactly happy. Maddy dod know that it needed to be done, however, she'd been expecting to finish up what she was doing first.

Izzy sat in her chair, feeling helpless, this was her first assignment. And fate had determined that they had to reboot. Izzy was ready and waiting, at her station. She hoped Chief Barnes, was successful. Her first mission, was not going as she thought it would have. She was grateful, to be serving on the ship. Rare honor, for a straight out of the Academy Ensign.

Down in Engineering, Tom moved quickly from console to console, clearing memory checksums and reseting control chips to ensure that when the computer rebooted that the tiny Victorious would be ready to rejoin the fight. If he were on the Triumphant, he'd enlist help, but with his skeleton crew, his only hope was to allow them to monitor critical functions while they were still in midflight.

Before he knew it, the five minute window was up. Monitors and controls flickered back to life. A level five diagnostic on the center console confirmed that they were in the clear. "Engineering to bridge, we're back in business!"

Izzy's eyes lit up with excitement. This was a good sign. For a brief moment, she was worried her first away mission was going to end on a bad note. She started to assist from her station, she noticed the systems coming back online.

"Colonel, your orders?" Maddy asked.

"Arm weapons, set a pursuit course at best speed. Restrict targets to engines, weapons and power generation only." The Victorious was back in the game. He walked to the centre chair and opened a channel to Triumphant. "Triumphant, Victorious. We are back in action and chasing the Apollo."

"Best speed," the Andorian pilot confirmed, which was an order to go the only speed Andorians knew: Flat out like a bat out of Gre'thor. The Victorious launched like a cannonball fired out of a rail gun and entered The Badlands seconds later. She jerked and swerved around plasma tornadoes and debris which hadn't been destroyed in the storms.

"Confirmed, Victorious" came the Commodore's response. "We are en route at full impulse."

Maddy quickly moved back over to her console, and though he didn't order it to be done, she raised shields and primed weapons. "Weapons are online, Colonel," she said, hoping they caught up to the other ship soon.

S'er'in'e patiently waited, his helm officer sped the ship after the Apollo. "Helm, open with Sierra-4 into Sierra-1 maneuvers." A plan of attack taking shape in his head.

"Confirmed, Sierra 4 to Sierra 1," the pilot said as she sent the Victorious into the maneuvers.

"Captain Weisz, Impulse engines, secondary computer core and weapons on our first pass. On our second, primary computer core, weapons, Bridge and sensor pod." S'er'in'e's purpose was to cause damage to multiple critical systems quickly which he hoped would hamper command and control.

"Acknowledged, Colonel. Targeting those areas," the redhead stated.

He knew some of his choices of targets would be questioned, especially the Bridge, but with the cargo on board he had to stop that ship.

"We are in position," the pilot confirmed.

Maddy moved her hands over the console in front of her. "Targets are locked." She fired on the other vessel.

"Commence attack." The smaller vessel opened up, using speed, agility and surprise to its advantage. He knew the Apollo would take some wearing down since she was a larger vessel with stronger shielding but with one crippling handicap, she was practically blind to her attackers. As the Victorious swooped under her target and looped up and above for the next her weapons barked landed calculated and targeted hits designed to disable.

That however didn't stop them from putting up a fight as best they could. Torpedoes launched but locks never took and even as phasers lashed out to swat those around the Apollo would be graced with fortune and land a hit or glancing blow.

"Helm, engage Delta 2."

"Shields are down!" the Andorian pilot called out as she took the small escort into a tight turn.

"Captain, phasers only, disable her weapons grid and remain on station." S'er'in'e stood up. "You have command." Then he left for the Transporter Room while en-route gathering a phaser rifle, hand phaser, tricorder and made them ready.

Maddy arched a brow, but said nothing, though if looks could kill, the Colonel would be moon dust.