Reviewing the Aftermath

Posted on Mon Jan 21st, 2019 @ 10:09pm by Lieutenant Commander Shaille Levine & Lieutenant Cor Cordale

Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/5
Location: Main Engineering

Shaille had spent a large part of the morning sitting at her desk in the main security office, going through the reports that had come in regarding what had happened with the Shalti on the ship. They still had no idea how the aliens had gotten onto the ship undetected, and that was something that bothered her, something that would need to be investigated further.

Though after reviewing all the reports, weeding out the false information fuelled by hysteria, it seemed that the fact that the whole incident being resolved as quickly as it was was likely the result of the work of two ensigns, one from medical and one from engineering.

Replicating another mug of coffee, her third for the day, she downloaded information into a PADD and headed for engineering to speak with Lieutenant Cordale.

Cordale wasn't hard to find. He was the only blue one in Engineering. A short but stout fellow, with a physique like a miner and a limb of interlaced durasteel. Work orders were coming in and being processed almost as quickly, and while Cordale seemed to be running a tight ship, the banter that was flying about was proof that these engineers were good, but they weren't being driven like cattle.

One of the engineering crewhands was on their way by Shaille's general direction when they almost ran into her. "Oh, sorry ma'am. Just, running tickets. Can I help you?"

Shaille smiled and shook her head. "Thanks, I've just seen who I want, but thank you." Walking across the room, she approached the Chief Engineer. "Lieutenant, do you have a few minutes?" she asked. "If you can spare the time, I wanted to talk to you about a few things?"

"Of course." Cordale offered, finishing up the quick report he was entering before turning to fully face her. "Is this an 'In My Office' chat, or more of a casual 'Chat Here' kinda chat?"

"Either or, I'm not that concerned to be honest," Shaille replied with an exhausted smile. "I wanted to pass on my kudos to your team for their part in resolving the Shalti threat. I'm not entirely sure I would have normally condoned the use of ship wide phasers to take out a few individual aliens, but each to their own," she gave a shrug.

"But also, I wanted to pick your brain and see if you had any more idea on how they got onto the ship in the first place. We're stuck in the region for a few more days, I'd like to be more prepared in case they decide to try and return," Shaille finished.

Cordale gave a nod, "I'll pass on the kudos. Pizza and root beer for everyone." he sounded serious. "As for the delivery method, either they snuck aboard in the chaos and we weren't looking, or they have an infiltration method alien to us." he put on a thoughtful face. "The first method I can actually live with, since we can step up security scans now that we know what to look for. The other method worries me, since it means they can infiltrate pretty much undetected, and we'd have to constantly scan for intruders. Not a fun time." he shook his head.

"I'm reviewing the sensor logs during the last attack to see if there's a spike or an odd signal, but I'm looking for one moment amidst twenty minutes of combat. Not exactly prime time viewing." he smirked.

"Well, if you want company and a second set of eyes, I've got the time," Shaille replied with an easy smile. "My understanding is that it was a biological trace scan that located the aliens in the first place. Is there any way we can update the ships internal sensors to alert us those particular biological elements are located on the ship in sufficient quantities? Anything that would be larger than specimens that medical or science may have for instance?"

"Easily." he replied, "I'll coordinate with the folks and see if we can implement that filter to the internals." he said with a nod, "As for a second pair of eyes, I won't say no, but this footage is drier than salt. Bring some coffee if you want. Go get some from my office." he looked around, then leaned in to whisper. "It's got cinnamon. Like, REAL cinnamon."

Shaille grinned as he whispered to her. "Well, now you're speaking my language," she said with a soft laugh. 'I guess the big question is, does it contain real coffee or just replicated stuff?" she asked with an easy smile as she started toward his office. "Regardless, so long as it has caffeine, then I'm in."

"Sorry but that batch is replicated beans." he admitted, "Used up the last of my actual stash last month. Birthday party, someone made a wish, and what-do-you-know coffee just... you know, magic." he chuckled. "Help yourself, please. Me Cafe es Su Cafe." he cited, probably not knowing what any of that butchered phrase meant. He accompanied her to his office, if only to get a cup of coffee for himself. A grand mug with a cartoonish caricature of himself on the mug, with two thumbs pointed up and towards him. One of the hands was obviously mechanical. Around the mug's ... mug ... said the phrase 'Thux to be you'.

"I've always loved coffee. Death before decaf, right?"

Shaille laughed softly, sipping at the coffee and then sighing contentedly. "Heaven help anyone who stands between me and my coffee, especially today... I'm guessing this is maybe my 6th cup? But I'm still standing and I haven't killed anyone yet, that has to stand for something, right?" She said with a grin. "Nice cup by the way... so, where's this footage we need to review?"

"Thanks, a good friend of mine a few postings ago got it for me. Well, got the original, I mean. That one was smashed over someone's head in a brawl. Good times." he chuckled, "Since then, replicated fare." he filled up said mug and took a swig. "There we go... alive again." he held the mug in his living hand, just to feel the warmth. "Six cups? Sheesh, going for the record. Well just take it easy, don't need you with the jitters. Anyhow, pull up a chair, I'll pull the footage and the readings up on a spare screen and we can split the work. Appreciate it."

“Sounds like it was literally a smashing good time,” Shaille replied with a laugh and a quick shake of her head. “Not that I can talk, I’ve been there once or twice before.” She sipped the coffee gratefully as she sank into the chair offered. “Do we have a window of when they were likely to have come onboard at least?

Cordale smiled, but he still shook his head. "Nah, it was my fault for losing my cool. Doc said I had to keep my temper down to a low simmer. All it takes is one bad decision and someone can get really hurt." he tapped his mug gently against the durable frame of his obvious prosthetic. An industrial piece, if the term could be applied as an adjective. "We're looking at sometime between time index seventy thirty three and ninety twenty one." he offered, "I've been looking for so long I think I've gone cross-eyed."

Sipping her coffee slowly, Shaille left the footage playing, watching it slowly, occasionally jumping back and playing over. "There's so much," she said quietly, shaking her head slightly. "You can see when we're in the middle of the attack, you can almost determine every time the phasers were fired or the shields took a hit. I don't see how we're supposed to find anything among this mess..."

"The sensors are amazingly precise and verbose, EXCEPT when they're not programmed to look for something. Putting a filter through this would be pointless, since it didn't know to look for the Shalti biosigns then." Cordale mentioned, watching the footage for what felt like the fourth time. "I really should coordinate with Security, see if we can find a timeframe of about when the intrusion was reported. So we can sort out some of this footage. If nothing else. cut our search hopefully in half."

"There is no expected time for intrustion," Shaille said, not bothering to remind him that she was actually security. The first death we have reported on the ship was many, many hours after the timestamps you're looking at. We have to way to determine how long they may have been on the ship before killing. I think the most likely bet is that they came aboard while the ship was distracted during the incursion or during the aftermath." She sighed and rubbed her temples before sipping her coffee again. "Okay... what if we approach this differently?" she said softly. "Surely we can determine what is and is not potentially 'normal' battle signals? If we can somehow remove what should be even remotely normal maybe it would clear this up a little and make it easier?"

Cor wasn't capable of snapping the fingers on his prosthetic limb, so he nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee before he could put it down and snap his fingers in excitement. The eureka moment. "That's it! Oh that's it!" he exclaimed. "See, the sensors would record everything but wouldn't know what to look for if we asked. So, if we just plug in a filter of everything we know, and then see what's left over, that would have to be either the Shalti signal or something else background and alien." he started to furiously type away at a console. "Hold on, give me a moment.... hold on..." he then ran a filter through the sensor logs.

"It'll take about five minutes to filter through the footage. Feel free to get a refill."

shaille laughed and shook her head. "I'm starting to think I should switch to water. Much more coffee and I would honestly have to start hanging out near medical in case my heart stopped suddenly... though..." She inhaled deeply, "Coffee sooooooo gooooooood...."

He smirked, "It's much much better than some of what I grew up with, but there was this one lone outpost out in the middle of nowhere. I was a civilian mechanic then, and they served this coffee that was just a step removed from caffeinated pudding. By the Source it was amazing. It could wake the dead." he chuckled, and then the computer indicated that the task of applying the filter was complete. What remained on the sensor log was everything that the ship wasn't able to recognize. "What in the heck...?" Cordale asked, more in a rhetorical sense.

"I think we found our signal."

"Perfect, if we take the time stamp of the signal and look at the ships internal chronometers we should be able to determine what was going on in the rest of the ship at the time. Assuming it's some kind of a transporter signal, you'll then need to find a way to stop them from trying it again. I don't know if it's even possible, but I'm sure you'll find a way," Shaille said with a smile. "I get the feeling that 'no' isn't really a word in your vocabulary."

He smirked, "Actually, 'No' is a cherished and vital part of my vocabulary. Every since I earned the right to use it." he chuckled. "After all, when someone offers you decaf, what's the appropriate answer?"

Shaille laughed and shook her head. “Point taken.”

"Though, 'Afraid of work' ain't in my vocabulary. If I can't find a way, I'll make a way." and to that, he raised his mug of coffee in salute. "Might have to chat with that cutie in Sciences. See what I can work out." he chuckled, and took a swig. "It'll get done, bank on that."

“I’ll leave it in your capable hands then, thank you Lieutenant Cordale. When you’re done can you update me with the report on how they got in and what we’ve done to prevent it again in the future? If you forward it to me as well i’ll make sure it’s compiled in with the rest of the security report that will go through to the Captain. Hopefully what ever you and your... ‘cutie’ in sciences can come up with will make sure we don’t go through a repeat performance. I’m kinda done with bugs.” Shaille stood up from the chair and recycled her now empty mug. “Again, thank you, I appreciate your time.”

=/\=

Lieutenant Cor Cordale
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Wellington

Lieutenant Shaille Levine
Chief Security Officer
USS Wellington