USS Dark Fire (IC)

[milkmaiden38]

Hora

“Why yes, I have a few ideas. 1) I hope you have examined my dark energy powered wormhole open and closing device. 2) As far as weapons against the parasite, any thought given to Gravimetric grenades? The weapon would emit a complex phase variance of gravitons to create a gravimetric distortion capable of tearing the parasite apart. 3) Isokinetic cannon might be another weapon, as we know old school kinetic weapons are effective. Lastly, as I suggested earlier, the parasite is communicating between its parts… there might be a way to use a psionic resonator to jam those communications.

Besides those thoughts, I’m ready to be impressed by what you have to show” Hora added with a naughty grin on her face.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.0825

“We’re still collecting data on the wormhole before we can even start to look at closing it on command.”

“As for Gravimetric Grenades they could prove hazardous to our own crew and ship, but we’ll look into it.”

“An Isokinetic Cannon would be more plausible, I’ll start Araiza on it after the demonstration. As for any weapons of a Psionic nature... I don’t have any individuals with Psionic abilities.”​

 

[milkmaiden38]

Hora

“You might be confused by my terminology. The psionic resonator I’m suggesting, was designed and used by Vulcans. I think it was called the Stone of Gol. I was thinking maybe one of the Vulcans aboard the ship might be able to assist you. Anyhow, it is a long shot… since we have no idea how the parasite, talks to its other parts.” Hora clarified

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.0830

“No Vulcan would assist with your Use of that Item,” L’Sa replied calmly placing her fork on the edge of her plate. “The Stone of Gol is forbidden. It requires the power of negative emotions to use, anger, hate, and rage. And no Vulcan would surrender to it’s use. It also reflects damage onto the user. Perhaps a Romulan would assist you, or a Klingon.”

“Captain, A Vulcan is more likely to eat raw meat with bare hands than to use that item, or to teach anyone to use it.” Reeves said. “It is.. a gross violation of the teachings of Surak.”​

 

[milkmaiden38]

"I was not aware. I was just exploring all logical options. Forget about the psionic resonator." Hora replied trying to make amends for her error.

“I look forward to seeing what you have accomplished tomorrow.” Hora added “I must make a call to old fish face. Please excuse me” Hora said then headed back to her quarters.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.0845

Once the doors closed behind the Captain as she left Reeves looked over at The Chief Engineer, “Kaylee if you could arrange the demonstration at 1000 hours, I’d appreciate it. Counselor if you could attend as well and make a judgment as to the ethical nature of the weapons. I don’t want anything that could be designated a ‘torture device’. We need to immobilize, or out right destroy them, not torture them.”

“And Kaylee, if these weapons work, I want the same team on the additional weapons.”

“Of Course, Commander.” The Engineering Chief replied finishing her pancakes and whipped cream. The Captain’s Mess was the only time she indulged herself.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

As far as ethics went, Xiana appreciated the consideration of avoiding torture. A part of her deep inside her psyche that she didn’t wish to explore did wonder if they should be granting any mercy in the first place. “Will these devices be tested on the creature then? On board?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.0850

“That is highly probable, Counselor.” Reeves replied. “We’ll use data received from Dark Fire on the subject but if those results are inconclusive, we will have to use a live fire demonstration to ensure the weapon is not a failure. At least until the Captain jettisons it into a star.”

Torture of an individual, or a species, was not something Reeves was fond of, but to ensure the survival of the rest of the universe, he would.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Fair enough,” Xiana nodded. “Just send me the location and I’ll be there.”

She was prepared to walk out before turning sharply. “Wait, one last question. That Stone of Gol… I do understand it’s very discourage for the reasons that were disclosed, but where would it be found in the first place? What’s the aftermath after all that usage on the person?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.0855

“The Stone of Gol is at the Sanctuary of P’Jem, under high security. The weapon focuses and amplifies telepathic energy, specifically violent thoughts and emotions and then turns them back on the user.”

“The user tends to lose the ability to maintain control of their emotions, turning into a very violent individual without control or restraint.” L’Sa explained.

“Only an individual without emotion is immune to the device. But they also can’t use the device as they would have no emotion to amplify.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

It was a relief to hear it was hidden, but it only led to another thought. “May we never confirm this, but what would happen if one of those parasites got access to it?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.0900

“I cannot ascertain what could happen.” Dr. L’Sa replied. “The subject would need to resonate Psichokinetic energy on the same wavelength as the Stone, and would need to access their inner rage.”

“As it is unknown if the subject has Psychic capabilities, I cannot determine if it could even use the device.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

She liked those odds at least. “Thank you for answering. I have a few people to see before that demonstration. Some loved ones aren’t taking this upcoming risk too well. I hope those on the front lines are receiving the best to boost morale.”

“Anyhow, I will see you soon,” Xiana closed, disappearing into the hallway.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1100

Stepping into the Weapon Center Yito walked over to Araiza and stood still. “You have a weapons demonstration shortly and I was told to be here. There is also a list of proposed items from the Command Staff.” Handing him the list she watched him.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

A blend of confusion and annoyance washed over the man’s face as he took the list. “They’re an hour late and still try to give me suggestions? How polite,” he grumbled quietly, looking over the list. He uncrossed his arms as he read, his right hand resting on a nearby table. He had placed two code-secured cases on the surface, one significantly smaller than the other.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1103

Walking into the Weapons Centerwith Dr. L’Sa, Cmdr. Reeves looked at the people there, “I apologize, to everyone. Complications came up and I was called away. And I forgot to inform anyone of the delay.”

“It happens to the best of us Commander,” Kaylee said as she came running in after him. “Plasma coil alignment ran longer than it should have. Sometimes, I just have to do things myself.”

Leaning against a wall the New SecChief had arrived late as well but had waited quietly so as to not disturb anyone.

Yito was quietly scanning everyone in the room for biological anomalies. She’d wanted to ask Alfredo if he was alright as she’d never seen him lean against anything before, but dismissed the question with others present. She’d ask him later.

The scan wasn’t specific tp them, it was just something she did, plus she was concerned that Alfredo was over-working and needed to relax.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“Oh, it’s alright. No harm in wasting an hour of my day where I could be verifying the function of the devices of people who are actively risking their lives for our wellbeing. But hey, what’s one more widow, right?” he smiled bitterly.

It was as much sarcasm as he’d allow. Despite being able to stand and deliver more criticism, he wanted to get the demonstration done. He didn’t allow for retorts and instead jumped right into it. Araiza pulled in the cases towards him. “For obvious reasons, I won’t be able to develop your ideas until after this. I do have three new things to show as of apprehension and one for protection.”

“As you’ll see, I already have some things set up,” he said, motioning to the other end of the room. He had had assurance that it would be deserted, but had taken the liberty to create more space and had taped down a yellow line across the middle. Most of the items on the side of the room opposite of the door had been removed, aside from a hefty, large metal sheet hanging thirty feet from the line. A sideways look would give away that there were dozens of the same sheet tightly pressed behind the first one.

“Any questions before we start?” Araiza asked, turning to the group.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1105

Looking over the room Cmdr. Reeves shook his head. “No go ahead.” he instructed, hopefully the Counselor would show up soon. The Weapons officer was already temperamental. Maybe a counseling session? Or being on time.

“I’m guessing everyone that can be here is already here.” Maybe if he gave the man a extra day off to rest? He’d talk with Kaylee afterwards.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“Alright, let’s get started. Dark Fire, project the blueprints for model SB-M1005,” he instructed, pulling the largest case towards him. When he unlocked and lifted the top lid, an item similar to the previous model he had developed with Yito was waiting for him.

Araiza took it in his hand. “I’m sure some of you may have seen the first version of this baby. Since that initial version that Ensign Seja helped me build, I’ve decided to reshape the frame—you’ll notice from above they look like hexagons now. The sides are magnetic as well, but only activate once the inferior magnets have clung onto the intended target. That way, no gaps are left unattended and no surface goes by unaffected, and in case the target can regenerate the wounded areas—which I promise will be close to impossible with the speed of the acid—the devices will keep it restrained and ensure any remaining acid is leveled and spread once more.”

“I did add a little follow-up to the acid. Look, something that patches itself up that fast and that detailed has to be molecular. This acid will dissolve the metallic aspects, but this little liquid will make sure the metal stays separate and can’t patch up again. This is going to make sure that once those atoms are split up, any metallic bonds will be impossible.”

“Dark Fire, display the simulation of the current model.” As the projected hexagon projected sideways, Araiza explained the images that followed. “See, we want to connect those electrons to another atom before the delocalizing results in the metal coming back together. It took a while to time it, but I added an extra chemical to follow every acid release to outright stop or at least heavily delay regeneration. As a backup, I added an electrical discharge to interrupt the bonding in case something happens with the acids.”

“I’ve already adjusted one of our guns to fire these. Just widened the barrel; it worked great. Hundreds consecutively, and no need to worry about aim since they’ll find each other or about residues that could be studied. The reaction is strong enough to leave only invader debris that won’t leave any significant or reusable pollution.”

“Any questions so far on the SBs?” Araiza asked, turning to the others.

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1110

“What’s the probability of infecting the hostile with to much Acid and have a resulting splash or acid damage to crew or the ship?” The SecChief asked, “Can the acid be replicated by the computer or does it need to be manufactured?”

“What’s the outer limit of the magnetic cohesion of the rounds, and how many can it hold before a reload is required?” Reeves asked.

“I’d rather not have some of the shells sticking to the ship and eating holes in the deck or walls,” Kaylee added.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“Fair question. I can confidently say none. It maintains its spot and contains the acid, which is already administered in small amounts and only magnified by multiple devices. Once the SBs are conjoined, if an excess of acid is detected in a specific area detected by the bottom‘s sensor right here at the bottom, the excess liquid will be evenly spread out with some slight shifting of any magnets that are not in the outer areas.”

“Due to their size and weight, each gun can hold up to forty-two items until a reload is needed, six released at once. Naturally I already have their cases prepared.”

“I had those same magnetic concerns, don’t worry, but just as we do with powerful magnets on our daily, these are manual. When not flatly beside one another, they’re not nearly as intense. Otherwise, firing them would be a nightmare. Check it,” Araiza said, walking in the direction of the wall he had arranged. He threw the model against it, two loud clangs following from a bounce off the wall and drop onto the floor. “Actually, this is a great segue for my next item.”

He raised his hand a foot away from his face. He had a dark ring around one of his fingers. “Halo, standby for one round.”

Araiza bent down to grab the device. “Three seconds to aim and fire—“ He threw the device again. This time around, it stuck to the wall. The hexagon seemed to split in half, similarly shaped pieces coming together to take double the space of the original. “And let’s be honest, with the speed of the firing and the strength of the magnets compared to a metallic wall, the likelihood of strays is minimal.”

“The risk does exist, though. I’ll show the release soon. Let’s go over the strays first. Imagine one of these babies gets stuck to a wall. We've got three options. Assuming it’s a sole hexagon, we leave the weakened magnet on the wall and just pry it off. Anticlimactic, but just a hassle for those cleaning. The magnets won’t fortify in more than three feet of proximity.”

“Now, let’s say multiple are already arranged like this; it’s less likely unless we hired soldiers who couldn’t aim a water gun,” he said, pointing at the spread. It resembled honeycomb. “The magnets are at full capacity, but there’s no danger anymore. Every gun, SB, and Halo is assigned a unique code.”

“Halo, deactivate SBs 000,” he said out loud. The honeycomb fell down onto the floor. “Halo functions on voice recognition and can notice signs of distress or the like in case anyone was captured and being forced to deactivate them. Any adrenaline reports higher than the norm get reported back to us. Halo’s location can also be tracked, as can any vitals.”

“Now, imagine there is danger active, but some SBs went rogue on the walls. It wouldn’t benefit the parasite to grab them, as it would simply join the others on its body and worsen the situation. For the parasite, at least.”

“We don’t want acid on the walls and other stuff, do we? No problem. Not only does my upcoming development provide protection from the acid, but the acid itself will only be released via specific contact. One sec.”

Araiza picked the items up again. “Halo, assemble for use.” In his hand, the hexagons came together as one once again. He repeated his previous action and watched the items stick yet again to the hanging wall. “One sole person per team will have a leader to fire the first SB.”

Araiza walked back to the cases, removing the top layer of the open container and taking out the gun in question. “My advice? Get the ones with the best aim. The leader will be in charge of telling Halo to start the devices. The surrounding acid won’t be released unless the leader’s SBs have been activated. The leader can also deactivate them."

He adjusted the weapon as he walked to the yellow line, propping the gun up and closing one of his eyes while he aimed. He then lowered it and faced the group. “So, what are you guys having for lunch?” he asked, firing blindly at the wall. “Halo, release. I’ve been feeling gyros lately.”

The crooked aim resulted in a shot two feet away from the honeycomb. Normally, he had remarkable aim, but he had to prove his point. A fizzing sound began to rise in volume as the second round quickly found its way to the first. As the hexagons connected, the fizz only got louder. To the naked eye, it seemed as if the honeycomb was being absorbed by the metal sheets.

He carefully locked the firearm and stored it, turning again to the fast-acting devices. “The goal here is to destroy the regenerative layer of the parasite, but honestly? We might be able to get more done. See how the ‘deeper’ they go, the more translucent they’re getting? And that’s with a large amount of sheets. Now imagine that thin layer of the parasites.”

It was only a few moments until all that was left was a large hole. The acid had eaten through both the metallic layers and the devices themselves. All that remained was a black liquid on the ground; even that couldn’t be more than a cup. “No reconstruction with those leftovers. The metal has been isolated.”

“We got the vents on, but the smoke is non-toxic, within reason of course.” Araiza crossed his arms over his chest and stood before the group. “So… thoughts?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1130

“What’s to keep the hostiles from just shooting the leader of each squad, the first guy to stick his head out, and thus immobilizing each squad?” The SecChief asked.

“The hostiles are made completely of The Parasitic infection. Nanites.” Dr. L’Sa corrected. “Electromagnetic Pulses are ineffective against them. Nor has any frequency been successful in destabilizing their cohesive capability, this is so far the most capable device.”

“What if the system was modulated to fire at the target with the first round, and then all additional rounds from the weapon impact the same target?” Reeves asked.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“Besides the fact that it takes a sole shot of the SB, which then spreads into six, and should appropriately be followed by others in seconds? Unless K’alena has ordered for five minute intervals in between firing for each person for some asinine reason, not to mention the fact that we’re not feeding our rivals who each leader is nor marking their items differently,” he replied snarkily. He took a quick breath. “Sorry kid, force of habit. That’s a valid question.”

“You mind rephrasing that, Reeves?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870605.1135

“I lean around the corner and shoot the target, and then, behind cover I fire eight more rounds. Is there anyway to make the second set of rounds go where shot one went, even around corners, and especially if the target moves?” Commander Reeves replied, rephrasing the question.

He’d talk about the lack of respect and failure to use his Rank, later. Maybe during his next review?​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ ALFREDO ARAIZA ▻​

“If you mean assuring that the following rounds will end on the same target, as long as the SBs fired are within three feet or less, they’ll be pulled in. The top is magnetic; flipped, so they won’t stick on top of one another or accidentally stick one of those things on a wall,” he explained.