Ozu Saya
Engineering/Ops
[TI19]
Posts: 878
Likes: 29
Rank: Master Chief Petty Officer
Position: CoB/Chief Engineer
Species: Vulcan-Bajoran
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Post by Ozu Saya on Mar 8, 2021 2:47:07 GMT
[ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]"Wait one, Ensign," Niles simply said as the probe was just starting to nose into the outermost layers of the planet's exosphere. The process of getting the probe there had been almost painfully slow, given it needed to go slow enough that atmospheric heating would not tear it apart on its way down, so it had been launched at a pitifully low velocity compared, say, to a torpedo that was accelerated to just short of the warp threshold when the launch platform was moving at sublight velocities. Which had explained just how much he had gotten done in the meantime. And there it went, crossing into the uppermost part of the thermosphere and into the UV airglow layer, and into the red light airglow, and it had just started to make its way towards the boundary with the green light airglow zone... when it simply stopped transmitting. "What the..." he managed to blurt out just as the Master Chief called back to him. "Stand by," he replied crisply as he brought back the last few moments of readings from the probe itself, while he also accessed the torpedo tube readouts and maintenance logs, the magazine logs, and the probe pre- and post-launch diagnostics, and he followed the whole data trail. The magazine, when the instructions to launch a Class 3 probe, had selected the first one in the launch queue; that particular device had just been cycled there from being the runner-up in the sequence that morning, after the previous one had spent long enough at high readiness and had to be cycled back for maintenance and to the bottom of the queue. Which meant that when that had happened, it had been physically inspected by the magazine technicians, who had actually reported everything green (just like the automated checks, for that matter. Along the transit to the launch chamber, it had been scanned by an independent system and its operating system was interfaced with for one more test, and its self-test protocols reported it had been in perfect shape and not deformed or damaged by the ordnance handling system. The torpedo tube was in perfect alignment, with the launch coils not just synced within tolerance, but right on the nose. The launch itself had been perfect, the probe's drive had gone online just as it should have, and it had been on the right path. And the readings it had communicated along the way were nothing unexpected, and there had been absolutely no signs that it was about to break up or that there would be an impending failure that would disable its transceiver, transponder and drive all at once either. "Master Chief, what I can tell you that until we lost contact, there was absolutely nothing wrong with that probe, the launch was perfect, and navigation and telemetry until loss of contact were on the nose. Best guess, whatever happened to the runabout happened to the probe too, but the size differential is probably why I managed to get some readings off of her before she went down, as opposed to our attempt."
tag Derek Black Ozu Saya soft Isaiah Quinn Syl O'Connell [Lt. JG Cerjess Miren - USS Mac - Bridge]As the Crewman approached him, the Trill glanced away from his console with a slightly distracted expression. "Hm? Oh, certainly." Cerjess replied, taking the PADD that was handed to him and scrolling through it. After a moment his brow furrowed, and he shifted his attention back to his console to double-check what he was seeing. "That can't be right..." he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. The sudden declarations from around the Bridge pulled his attention back to the conversations around him, and he quickly realized that the probe had vanished. "Chief, there are some unusual readings in the atmosphere that our initial broad-sweep scans didn't pick up. Elevated air-currents in the thermosphere could account for the runabout being thrown off course, but the pilot should have been able to compensate for that." The scientist refocused on the PADD, confirming the direction of the atmospheric winds with the direction the runabout had been thrown before they lost contact. So what had made them lose contact? There was a chirp from his console, and he absently handed the PADD back to the Crewman as he tapped in a few commands. "It looks like the last thing the probe transmitted was a slight increase in ion and tachyon particles... That'd explain the transporter interference, but these levels shouldn't have been enough to knock out the Roundabout's systems..." Cerjess would give anything for Commander Quinn's expertise right about now. The little puzzle pieces they were pulling together weren't fitting, and they still weren't able to see enough of the picture to know how to help their people. If their people had even survived the crash...
Tag Ozu Saya Isaiah Quinn (Ezra) ; soft tags Joshua Niles Derek Black [USS Mac - Bridge] Duly put on hold, Derek listened in as the tactical officer interpreted the information infront of him and compiled it into a report for Ozu, frowning as he realized the improbable theory he'd been musing had turned into nearly impossible. If something had been overlooked during preflight inspection, perhaps a maintenance hatch or cowling left open, oxidation during re-entry could've easily caused engine failure, resulting in the loss of power, control, and eventual break-up. But a runabout and a probe were very different machines, sharing only the basics in similarities, like deuterium fuel and structural material. And both had been cleared for launch by individual specialists in different departments. With the probe seemingly having failed much in the same manner as Roundabout, it suggested a more likely common denominator; the planet's atmosphere itself. That feasibility was reinforced as a young Trill science lieutenant spoke up, contributing her own expertise to the discussion. "Sir, you can scratch my request. I've looked over the pre-flight, and both pilot commanded and autopilot guidance corrections from what was uploaded prior to LOS. As far as I can tell, there were no abnormalities or unusual input." With no further leads to follow on his assignment, Derek pivoted towards prioritizing solutions for their numerous problems. On one of his previous postings during the Dominion War, search and rescue of stranded planetside personnel was a critical task, especially during the earlier years when they suffered so many losses, and couldn't reliably depend on the Jem'hadar to respect basic conventions of war. Locating their people quickly in a combat zone was a necessity, and Manetheren, like most starships, carried retrofitted shuttlecraft for the task. Plenty of star systems they'd fought over had planets with less than hospitable environments, and if they didn't have the luxury of being able to perform sensor sweeps from orbit, it'd be a race against time scouring the surface, one grid search at a time. After the conflict had ended, reasonably, most captains chose not to keep a specialized shuttle or supplies gathering dust. Though we could sure use one now."Ma'am, if we think this might be an issue with the atmosphere, we may be able to get some better data using a 'dipping' method." Derek suggested, aware some of the more senior officers on the bridge he didn't recognize might consider him speaking out of line. He went ahead anyways. "A sensor package in an aerodynamic shell, attached by an umbilicus and tethered to a shuttlecraft holding altitude at the lowest safe flight level, could give us reliable readings several kilometres below where we're losing telemetry. We used to do it during the war whenever atmospheric interference fouled up our sensors. If we can narrow down the general area where Roundabout went in, we could scatter drop pods with basic necessities for the survivors while we come up with a way to rescue them." Or recover their remains. Derek didn't think it necessary to add that last part.
Tag Ozu Saya Joshua Niles Isaiah Quinn Syl O'Connell [NPC - Crewman Ezra Mora - Bridge, USS Mac ]  Ezra was at least confident that he had found something. As soon as the blue took a moment to look up from his screens and focus on the padd that Ezra had given him, he was hooked. It had intrigued Ezra as well, but 'Spots' here was taking it to a whole new level. Ezra was almost too wrapped up in everything to notice that the probe had disappeared. Ezra's eyes went from the viewscreen, from which any sign of the probe. Whatever was happening with the planet's atmosphere, it didn't seem like just a theory any longer, but quickly approaching undeniable fact. The tactical officer rained out an explanation that could have pretty much been summed up with saying that the probe was gone. Of course, perhaps the chief appreciated long-winded answers. A lot of the pointy-eared types did. It also didn't take long for the blue that had tried to blend with the bulkhead only moments ago to offer a pretty crazy idea. Hell, if Ezra didn't know any better, he'd have sworn the guy was a pilot. He was definitely more ballsy than your average blue. He was suggesting that they run some sort of dipping method. Given it's loose description, Ezra instantly wondered if this was something he'd have to construct. He sure as hell hadn't come across one in a storage locker. Still, he thought it best to get the facts straight, because those would definitely be needed. "Just to be sure I understand what you're suggesting... you essentially want to go fishing for answers by dipping your tip in a pool that swallowed a probe and a runabout..." Ezra allowed the question to linger, and then realized he'd forgotten something. "... sir?" Perhaps it was parental instinct, but Ezra's mind was already racing between trying to figure out how this could all go wrong and putting in for a transfer... again. Rimi had bitched every day since arriving about hating this place. Maybe she'd get her wish after all.
Tag: Ozu Saya , Joshua Niles , Syl O'Connell (Cerjess), Derek Black [ MCPO Ozu Saya - Bridge - USS Mac] Saya waited impatiently while Josh attempted to figure out what was wrong with the probe. What he reported wasn't particularly helpful, but that wasn't his fault. Then the junior lieutenant at sciences reported and clarified matters slightly, followed by Derek's unusual idea. ' I believe I understand what Ensign Black is suggesting, Crewman Mora. But before we risk a shuttle, I want to launch one more probe, under manual control this time, to see if we can find that threshold and maintain orbit above it. That may be enough to allow us to at least get some sensor readings. Mr. Black, you anticipated my next order. Take charge of gathering the supplies for the drop pods. If we're able to successfully maintain a lower orbit with a probe, we'll make the attempt with a shuttle under remote piloting.
'Meanwhile, we will continue attempting to modify the transporters to punch through the interference.' She felt so useless, but to be able to focus on the problem as a whole, Saya knew she couldn't allow herself to become absorbed in the engineering aspects. ---------- Tag Syl O'Connell, Joshua Niles, Derek Black, Isaiah Quinn |
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21 
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Mar 8, 2021 18:57:47 GMT
[ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]One thing no one could accuse Joshua Niles of being was an engineer and a scientist. Oh, he had a strong background in math, and his primary science component at the Academy had been in the field of high-energy physics and wave propagation, but no one could ever have slapped him in a blue shirt and turned him loose at the Daystrom Institute. Which meant that the readings he was getting, all he really could do was interpret them within a tactical framework and not break down the how and why of such weird and wonderful things. The notions being pushed forward by Ensign Black, though, were succinctly summarized by the Engineering Crewman, Mora, and Lieutenant Miren clearly had some ideas about the whole situation at best. However, the notion that mere air currents would have brought down a ship with Aravis at the helm? That as preposterous! She was the best bloody helmsman he'd worked with thus far, and if she could make the three and a quarter million ton mass of the Mac dance, a runabout would have been child's play. And, there was the need to launch another probe, but though flight-qualified, Niles did not reckon he was the best person to manually fly it along the glide path. "Preparing another probe now, Master Chief. But before launching, I think you might need someone more familiar with probes, or just a better pilot, than me to handle it."After all, Mac did not have an unlimited supply of probes, and making best use out of every one they had needed to be considered a priority. But, there remained the matter of Miren's point. "Given what happened a few times back on Kerelia, I can't see anyone who's not rated to operate a runabout not being prepared to deal with rough atmospheric conditions. So if anything, I'd say they were thrown off-course after whatever's out there killed them. I saw what looked like a plasma flare around the time we lost communications, telemetry and our sensor lock, so it had to be a fairly high-energy phenomenon that we just haven't picked up on yet."Then, he stopped himself and his eyebrows knitted in concentration as an idea struck him. "High energy. Maybe... what if we could overwhelm the local sensor noise with a predictable and known pattern of our own, and then filter it out? In a similar way we'd filter out communications measures to lower the probability of detection and intercept for covert links? Even if it's short-lived, we might be able to punch a window big enough to get a few scans in and at least confirm where they went down. Maybe a series of phaser blasts or a low-yield torpedo detonation in the upper atmosphere?"
tag Ozu Saya Syl O'Connell soft Derek Black, Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Mar 9, 2021 5:59:20 GMT
[MCPO Ozu Saya - Bridge - USS Mac] Saya waited impatiently while Josh attempted to figure out what was wrong with the probe. What he reported wasn't particularly helpful, but that wasn't his fault. Then the junior lieutenant at sciences reported and clarified matters slightly, followed by Derek's unusual idea. ' I believe I understand what Ensign Black is suggesting, Crewman Mora. But before we risk a shuttle, I want to launch one more probe, under manual control this time, to see if we can find that threshold and maintain orbit above it. That may be enough to allow us to at least get some sensor readings. Mr. Black, you anticipated my next order. Take charge of gathering the supplies for the drop pods. If we're able to successfully maintain a lower orbit with a probe, we'll make the attempt with a shuttle under remote piloting.
'Meanwhile, we will continue attempting to modify the transporters to punch through the interference.' She felt so useless, but to be able to focus on the problem as a whole, Saya knew she couldn't allow herself to become absorbed in the engineering aspects. [ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]One thing no one could accuse Joshua Niles of being was an engineer and a scientist. Oh, he had a strong background in math, and his primary science component at the Academy had been in the field of high-energy physics and wave propagation, but no one could ever have slapped him in a blue shirt and turned him loose at the Daystrom Institute. Which meant that the readings he was getting, all he really could do was interpret them within a tactical framework and not break down the how and why of such weird and wonderful things. The notions being pushed forward by Ensign Black, though, were succinctly summarized by the Engineering Crewman, Mora, and Lieutenant Miren clearly had some ideas about the whole situation at best. However, the notion that mere air currents would have brought down a ship with Aravis at the helm? That as preposterous! She was the best bloody helmsman he'd worked with thus far, and if she could make the three and a quarter million ton mass of the Mac dance, a runabout would have been child's play. And, there was the need to launch another probe, but though flight-qualified, Niles did not reckon he was the best person to manually fly it along the glide path. "Preparing another probe now, Master Chief. But before launching, I think you might need someone more familiar with probes, or just a better pilot, than me to handle it."After all, Mac did not have an unlimited supply of probes, and making best use out of every one they had needed to be considered a priority. But, there remained the matter of Miren's point. "Given what happened a few times back on Kerelia, I can't see anyone who's not rated to operate a runabout not being prepared to deal with rough atmospheric conditions. So if anything, I'd say they were thrown off-course after whatever's out there killed them. I saw what looked like a plasma flare around the time we lost communications, telemetry and our sensor lock, so it had to be a fairly high-energy phenomenon that we just haven't picked up on yet."Then, he stopped himself and his eyebrows knitted in concentration as an idea struck him. "High energy. Maybe... what if we could overwhelm the local sensor noise with a predictable and known pattern of our own, and then filter it out? In a similar way we'd filter out communications measures to lower the probability of detection and intercept for covert links? Even if it's short-lived, we might be able to punch a window big enough to get a few scans in and at least confirm where they went down. Maybe a series of phaser blasts or a low-yield torpedo detonation in the upper atmosphere?" [NPC - Crewman Ezra Mora - Bridge, USS Mac ] Ezra nodded as the Chief made up her mind about the next course of action. It sounded like she wanted to give this dipping method a try. The call was made, and there was certainly nothing to argue any further. Though, the lieutenant brought up a good point. They'd likely need a helluva pilot to pull this off, and depending on the setup of this rig, someone to man and monitor it. Until ordered otherwise, Ezra decided to devote his original intentions where they had been pointed at first: the issue with the transporters. He moved back to his station, pondering. There was a single idea that came to mind, but it was second-hand, and there were a lot of variables that Ezra didn't know. Plus, his friend had been two pints past shit-faced when he mentioned the idea. It probably wasn't even remotely true. Still, it wouldn't hurt for Ezra to run those numbers... especially if it gave them a chance to use the transporters to rescue the team on the planet.
Tag (soft): Ozu Saya , Joshua Niles , Jovireh Velal (Riyo), Derek Black |
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Derek Black
Medical
[TI33]
Posts: 48 Likes: 3
Rank: Ensign
Position: Health & Safety Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Derek Black on Mar 10, 2021 6:52:46 GMT
[ MCPO Ozu Saya - Bridge - USS Mac] Saya waited impatiently while Josh attempted to figure out what was wrong with the probe. What he reported wasn't particularly helpful, but that wasn't his fault. Then the junior lieutenant at sciences reported and clarified matters slightly, followed by Derek's unusual idea. ' I believe I understand what Ensign Black is suggesting, Crewman Mora. But before we risk a shuttle, I want to launch one more probe, under manual control this time, to see if we can find that threshold and maintain orbit above it. That may be enough to allow us to at least get some sensor readings. Mr. Black, you anticipated my next order. Take charge of gathering the supplies for the drop pods. If we're able to successfully maintain a lower orbit with a probe, we'll make the attempt with a shuttle under remote piloting.
'Meanwhile, we will continue attempting to modify the transporters to punch through the interference.' She felt so useless, but to be able to focus on the problem as a whole, Saya knew she couldn't allow herself to become absorbed in the engineering aspects. [USS Mac - Bridge] "Yes, that's pretty much the idea." Derek confirmed deadpanned towards the crewman who couldn't quite keep an incredulous expression off his face. "If the atmospheric interference is limited to a specific layer, we could penetrate that depth and get good readings with a hardline. Would just need a long enough tether, aerodynamic shell, and a basic thruster package for stability. There should be schematics available in the ship's library." Though he wasn't too confident in Ozu's plan to remotely pilot the shuttle, considering an inevitable delay in reaction time with the lack of tactile sensation, Derek was content that they would try something at least. "Aye, Ma'am." He turned back to his console, bringing up a blank requisition form, and then searching for premade packing lists for an emergency kit. Though it wouldn't contain any luxuries, several of the items might help the survivors if rescue were delayed. Emergency Supply List (x3):
8 x Supplemental O2 concentrator/facemask
8 x Thermo-regulating poncho
8 x Thermo-regulating blanket
2 x 4-person emergency shelter
80 x 24Hr emergency ration pack
160 x 500ml water pouch
240 x Water purification tablet
1 x Water condenser system
1 x Engineering tricorder
1 x Engineering toolkit
2 x Science tricorder
1 x Medical tricorder
2 x Medkit
4 x Type 2 phaser
8 x Personal communicator
8 x Palm beacon
1 x Subspace transceiver/distress beacon
1 x Generator
3 x Transport pattern enhancer
2 x Worklight
8 x Emergency candle
8 x Paraflare
2 x Machete
2 x Hand saw
2 x Ferro-rod
1 x 150m synthetic fiber rope rollSending the requisition form off to ship's stores with an 'urgent' memo attached, Derek next thought about how they could get everything down to the surface. Ideally, they'd have pods equipped with their own guidance system, retrothrusters, parachutes, and heatshield, but like the shuttlecraft, no-one really bothered to carry them anymore, they'd need to be built from scratch. Engineering would already be busy enough, trying to get the probe and shuttle retrofitted, he couldn't imagine they'd be very pleased at all if tasked with even more. Hm. Actually, I might have an idea on how we can get these down with little to no effort...besides getting one very big signature.
Soft Tag: Ozu Saya Isaiah Quinn Joshua Niles Syl O'Connell |
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Ozu Saya
Engineering/Ops
[TI19]
Posts: 878
Likes: 29
Rank: Master Chief Petty Officer
Position: CoB/Chief Engineer
Species: Vulcan-Bajoran
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Post by Ozu Saya on Mar 10, 2021 15:48:02 GMT
[ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]One thing no one could accuse Joshua Niles of being was an engineer and a scientist. Oh, he had a strong background in math, and his primary science component at the Academy had been in the field of high-energy physics and wave propagation, but no one could ever have slapped him in a blue shirt and turned him loose at the Daystrom Institute. Which meant that the readings he was getting, all he really could do was interpret them within a tactical framework and not break down the how and why of such weird and wonderful things. The notions being pushed forward by Ensign Black, though, were succinctly summarized by the Engineering Crewman, Mora, and Lieutenant Miren clearly had some ideas about the whole situation at best. However, the notion that mere air currents would have brought down a ship with Aravis at the helm? That as preposterous! She was the best bloody helmsman he'd worked with thus far, and if she could make the three and a quarter million ton mass of the Mac dance, a runabout would have been child's play. And, there was the need to launch another probe, but though flight-qualified, Niles did not reckon he was the best person to manually fly it along the glide path. "Preparing another probe now, Master Chief. But before launching, I think you might need someone more familiar with probes, or just a better pilot, than me to handle it."After all, Mac did not have an unlimited supply of probes, and making best use out of every one they had needed to be considered a priority. But, there remained the matter of Miren's point. "Given what happened a few times back on Kerelia, I can't see anyone who's not rated to operate a runabout not being prepared to deal with rough atmospheric conditions. So if anything, I'd say they were thrown off-course after whatever's out there killed them. I saw what looked like a plasma flare around the time we lost communications, telemetry and our sensor lock, so it had to be a fairly high-energy phenomenon that we just haven't picked up on yet."Then, he stopped himself and his eyebrows knitted in concentration as an idea struck him. "High energy. Maybe... what if we could overwhelm the local sensor noise with a predictable and known pattern of our own, and then filter it out? In a similar way we'd filter out communications measures to lower the probability of detection and intercept for covert links? Even if it's short-lived, we might be able to punch a window big enough to get a few scans in and at least confirm where they went down. Maybe a series of phaser blasts or a low-yield torpedo detonation in the upper atmosphere?"
tag Ozu Saya Syl O'Connell soft Derek Black, Isaiah Quinn [MCPO Ozu Saya - Bridge - USS Mac] Saya waited impatiently while Josh attempted to figure out what was wrong with the probe. What he reported wasn't particularly helpful, but that wasn't his fault. Then the junior lieutenant at sciences reported and clarified matters slightly, followed by Derek's unusual idea. ' I believe I understand what Ensign Black is suggesting, Crewman Mora. But before we risk a shuttle, I want to launch one more probe, under manual control this time, to see if we can find that threshold and maintain orbit above it. That may be enough to allow us to at least get some sensor readings. Mr. Black, you anticipated my next order. Take charge of gathering the supplies for the drop pods. If we're able to successfully maintain a lower orbit with a probe, we'll make the attempt with a shuttle under remote piloting.
'Meanwhile, we will continue attempting to modify the transporters to punch through the interference.' She felt so useless, but to be able to focus on the problem as a whole, Saya knew she couldn't allow herself to become absorbed in the engineering aspects. [ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]One thing no one could accuse Joshua Niles of being was an engineer and a scientist. Oh, he had a strong background in math, and his primary science component at the Academy had been in the field of high-energy physics and wave propagation, but no one could ever have slapped him in a blue shirt and turned him loose at the Daystrom Institute. Which meant that the readings he was getting, all he really could do was interpret them within a tactical framework and not break down the how and why of such weird and wonderful things. The notions being pushed forward by Ensign Black, though, were succinctly summarized by the Engineering Crewman, Mora, and Lieutenant Miren clearly had some ideas about the whole situation at best. However, the notion that mere air currents would have brought down a ship with Aravis at the helm? That as preposterous! She was the best bloody helmsman he'd worked with thus far, and if she could make the three and a quarter million ton mass of the Mac dance, a runabout would have been child's play. And, there was the need to launch another probe, but though flight-qualified, Niles did not reckon he was the best person to manually fly it along the glide path. "Preparing another probe now, Master Chief. But before launching, I think you might need someone more familiar with probes, or just a better pilot, than me to handle it."After all, Mac did not have an unlimited supply of probes, and making best use out of every one they had needed to be considered a priority. But, there remained the matter of Miren's point. "Given what happened a few times back on Kerelia, I can't see anyone who's not rated to operate a runabout not being prepared to deal with rough atmospheric conditions. So if anything, I'd say they were thrown off-course after whatever's out there killed them. I saw what looked like a plasma flare around the time we lost communications, telemetry and our sensor lock, so it had to be a fairly high-energy phenomenon that we just haven't picked up on yet."Then, he stopped himself and his eyebrows knitted in concentration as an idea struck him. "High energy. Maybe... what if we could overwhelm the local sensor noise with a predictable and known pattern of our own, and then filter it out? In a similar way we'd filter out communications measures to lower the probability of detection and intercept for covert links? Even if it's short-lived, we might be able to punch a window big enough to get a few scans in and at least confirm where they went down. Maybe a series of phaser blasts or a low-yield torpedo detonation in the upper atmosphere?" [NPC - Crewman Ezra Mora - Bridge, USS Mac ] Ezra nodded as the Chief made up her mind about the next course of action. It sounded like she wanted to give this dipping method a try. The call was made, and there was certainly nothing to argue any further. Though, the lieutenant brought up a good point. They'd likely need a helluva pilot to pull this off, and depending on the setup of this rig, someone to man and monitor it. Until ordered otherwise, Ezra decided to devote his original intentions where they had been pointed at first: the issue with the transporters. He moved back to his station, pondering. There was a single idea that came to mind, but it was second-hand, and there were a lot of variables that Ezra didn't know. Plus, his friend had been two pints past shit-faced when he mentioned the idea. It probably wasn't even remotely true. Still, it wouldn't hurt for Ezra to run those numbers... especially if it gave them a chance to use the transporters to rescue the team on the planet.
Tag (soft): Ozu Saya , Joshua Niles , Jovireh Velal (Riyo), Derek Black [ MCPO Ozu Saya - Bridge - USS Mac] Saya waited impatiently while Josh attempted to figure out what was wrong with the probe. What he reported wasn't particularly helpful, but that wasn't his fault. Then the junior lieutenant at sciences reported and clarified matters slightly, followed by Derek's unusual idea. ' I believe I understand what Ensign Black is suggesting, Crewman Mora. But before we risk a shuttle, I want to launch one more probe, under manual control this time, to see if we can find that threshold and maintain orbit above it. That may be enough to allow us to at least get some sensor readings. Mr. Black, you anticipated my next order. Take charge of gathering the supplies for the drop pods. If we're able to successfully maintain a lower orbit with a probe, we'll make the attempt with a shuttle under remote piloting.
'Meanwhile, we will continue attempting to modify the transporters to punch through the interference.' She felt so useless, but to be able to focus on the problem as a whole, Saya knew she couldn't allow herself to become absorbed in the engineering aspects. [USS Mac - Bridge] "Yes, that's pretty much the idea." Derek confirmed deadpanned towards the crewman who couldn't quite keep an incredulous expression off his face. "If the atmospheric interference is limited to a specific layer, we could penetrate that depth and get good readings with a hardline. Would just need a long enough tether, aerodynamic shell, and a basic thruster package for stability. There should be schematics available in the ship's library." Though he wasn't too confident in Ozu's plan to remotely pilot the shuttle, considering an inevitable delay in reaction time with the lack of tactile sensation, Derek was content that they would try something at least. "Aye, Ma'am." He turned back to his console, bringing up a blank requisition form, and then searching for premade packing lists for an emergency kit. Though it wouldn't contain any luxuries, several of the items might help the survivors if rescue were delayed. Emergency Supply List (x3):
8 x Supplemental O2 concentrator/facemask
8 x Thermo-regulating poncho
8 x Thermo-regulating blanket
2 x 4-person emergency shelter
80 x 24Hr emergency ration pack
160 x 500ml water pouch
240 x Water purification tablet
1 x Water condenser system
1 x Engineering tricorder
1 x Engineering toolkit
2 x Science tricorder
1 x Medical tricorder
2 x Medkit
4 x Type 2 phaser
8 x Personal communicator
8 x Palm beacon
1 x Subspace transceiver/distress beacon
1 x Generator
3 x Transport pattern enhancer
2 x Worklight
8 x Emergency candle
8 x Paraflare
2 x Machete
2 x Hand saw
2 x Ferro-rod
1 x 150m synthetic fiber rope rollSending the requisition form off to ship's stores with an 'urgent' memo attached, Derek next thought about how they could get everything down to the surface. Ideally, they'd have pods equipped with their own guidance system, retrothrusters, parachutes, and heatshield, but like the shuttlecraft, no-one really bothered to carry them anymore, they'd need to be built from scratch. Engineering would already be busy enough, trying to get the probe and shuttle retrofitted, he couldn't imagine they'd be very pleased at all if tasked with even more. Hm. Actually, I might have an idea on how we can get these down with little to no effort...besides getting one very big signature.
Soft Tag: Ozu Saya Isaiah Quinn Joshua Niles Syl O'Connell [ MCPO Ozu Saya - USS Mac - Bridge] ' Acknowledged, Lt. Niles. That does seem likely, especially if Lt. Miren is correct about the presence of ions and tachyon particles,' Saya said, then listened as Josh proposed another possibility for aiding those on the planet. She nodded when he finished speaking. ' Finish preparing the probe, then run some simulations. I don't want to fire any weapons toward the planet until we can learn something of the nature of the interference. It would be most unfortunate if it were volatile and detonating a torpedo destroyed the atmosphere while our people are down there.' Saya's gaze drifted to the engineering station, where she wished she was working herself, and saw that Mora was concentrating on something. She decided not to disturb him, knowing the engineer would inform her when he had any new information to offer. She finally turned to the health and safety officer with a speculative look as he expounded on his idea. She pulled up the schematic on her PADD and sent it off to the industrial replicators with orders to engineering to assign a team to get the items fabricated post haste. Meanwhile, she asked, ' Ensign Black, have you kept up your piloting qualifications?' ---------- Tag Joshua Niles, Jovireh Velal, Derek Black, Isaiah Quinn |
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Mar 11, 2021 14:32:57 GMT
[USS Mac - Bridge] "Yes, that's pretty much the idea." Derek confirmed deadpanned towards the crewman who couldn't quite keep an incredulous expression off his face. "If the atmospheric interference is limited to a specific layer, we could penetrate that depth and get good readings with a hardline. Would just need a long enough tether, aerodynamic shell, and a basic thruster package for stability. There should be schematics available in the ship's library." Though he wasn't too confident in Ozu's plan to remotely pilot the shuttle, considering an inevitable delay in reaction time with the lack of tactile sensation, Derek was content that they would try something at least. "Aye, Ma'am." He turned back to his console, bringing up a blank requisition form, and then searching for premade packing lists for an emergency kit. Though it wouldn't contain any luxuries, several of the items might help the survivors if rescue were delayed. Emergency Supply List (x3):
8 x Supplemental O2 concentrator/facemask
8 x Thermo-regulating poncho
8 x Thermo-regulating blanket
2 x 4-person emergency shelter
80 x 24Hr emergency ration pack
160 x 500ml water pouch
240 x Water purification tablet
1 x Water condenser system
1 x Engineering tricorder
1 x Engineering toolkit
2 x Science tricorder
1 x Medical tricorder
2 x Medkit
4 x Type 2 phaser
8 x Personal communicator
8 x Palm beacon
1 x Subspace transceiver/distress beacon
1 x Generator
3 x Transport pattern enhancer
2 x Worklight
8 x Emergency candle
8 x Paraflare
2 x Machete
2 x Hand saw
2 x Ferro-rod
1 x 150m synthetic fiber rope rollSending the requisition form off to ship's stores with an 'urgent' memo attached, Derek next thought about how they could get everything down to the surface. Ideally, they'd have pods equipped with their own guidance system, retrothrusters, parachutes, and heatshield, but like the shuttlecraft, no-one really bothered to carry them anymore, they'd need to be built from scratch. Engineering would already be busy enough, trying to get the probe and shuttle retrofitted, he couldn't imagine they'd be very pleased at all if tasked with even more. Hm. Actually, I might have an idea on how we can get these down with little to no effort...besides getting one very big signature.[MCPO Ozu Saya - USS Mac - Bridge] ' Acknowledged, Lt. Niles. That does seem likely, especially if Lt. Miren is correct about the presence of ions and tachyon particles,' Saya said, then listened as Josh proposed another possibility for aiding those on the planet. She nodded when he finished speaking. ' Finish preparing the probe, then run some simulations. I don't want to fire any weapons toward the planet until we can learn something of the nature of the interference. It would be most unfortunate if it were volatile and detonating a torpedo destroyed the atmosphere while our people are down there.' Saya's gaze drifted to the engineering station, where she wished she was working herself, and saw that Mora was concentrating on something. She decided not to disturb him, knowing the engineer would inform her when he had any new information to offer. She finally turned to the health and safety officer with a speculative look as he expounded on his idea. She pulled up the schematic on her PADD and sent it off to the industrial replicators with orders to engineering to assign a team to get the items fabricated post haste. Meanwhile, she asked, ' Ensign Black, have you kept up your piloting qualifications?' [NPC - Crewman Ezra Mora - Bridge, USS Mac ] Well, the numbers certainly checked out, but pulling it off was going to be a problem of its own. Ezra took a deep breath as he pondered over it. After a few seconds, Ezra assumed it was the best option, at least with the given information they'd accumulated. Problem was, they needed more information. Perhaps their current plan could reveal that. "I may have something, Boss," Ezra said as he moved towards Chief Ozu. "However, it's contingent on what we're able to learn from these next scan attempts," Ezra stated. He then went on with the reveal. "Near-warp transport, or at least a derivative of it. I've heard of it being done to transport down, but never transport up. If it goes wrong, the away team could be scattered in the bulkhead, or even right outside of the ship." It certainly meant having a fine lock on the team, and being able to hold them long enough. Sighing the crewman attempted to explain his idea with more detail. "The Mac would need to come out of warp inside the planet's atmosphere, and immediately warp back into orbit. In theory, if transport is initiated while within the planet, the cycle could complete after coming out of warp in orbit of the planet." Ezra sighed. "There are a lot of variables to account for, but the scans you're about to attempt would hopefully make those known." He thought for now it was best to hold on to the notion that a miscalculation of the planet's gravitational pull could literally shred the Mac until there was a genuine interest in the attempt.
Tag: Ozu Saya , Joshua Niles , Derek Black , Syl O'Connell (Cerjess) |
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Mar 11, 2021 19:38:10 GMT
[ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]With ideas flowing back and forth, something resembling a plan was starting to come together. However, the idea of using a tethered probe? Really? That would require hundreds of kilometers of wire to be manufactured one the fly, and that would be less than ideal given that they didn't know precisely at what altitude things were getting dicey. And even if they did, such things as atmospheric layers and radiation bands tended not to be a one-or-the-other sort of thing, there was always going to be some variance... at least in nature. But then again, even with thoroughly artificial things such as the shield sphere or the warp field, there were some imperfections; that's why there are tolerance requirements... But the very notion to do a near-warp transport, without knowing what to look for and where, within the planetary atmosphere? Niles may not be an expert pilot, but he clearly remembered reading that while a Sovereign-class ship could tolerate a class-M atmosphere for a short time, if one needed to get in there, it tended to be a one-way trip. And doing it at warp speed? He might be a qualified small craft pilot, but that was the kind of astrogation he wanted nothing to do with on his best day! However, there were things he could handle. "Probe is ready for launch. I can have it stream its take directly to Lieutenant Miren, and I can hand over its flight control same time I launch it."
tag Ozu Saya Syl O'Connell soft Derek Black , Isaiah Quinn
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Derek Black
Medical
[TI33]
Posts: 48 Likes: 3
Rank: Ensign
Position: Health & Safety Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Derek Black on Mar 12, 2021 3:14:11 GMT
[USS Mac - Bridge] Half listening to the other ideas around him as he worked, Derek came to the conclusion that his idea wasn't quite such a long shot after all, when the alternatives suggested were to shoot at the planet or to warp an entire sovereign class starship in and out of atmosphere. It was hard to believe the same crewman who had made latter suggestion was the same one who'd given him the funny look earlier. Just off the top of his head, Derek could already feel the headache coming on with the mad calculations required for such a maneuver, not to mention the high 'all or nothing' risk. He didn't think Ozu would consider that particular option very hard, though perhaps she would be more inclined to attempt it with a shuttle instead. On the other hand, exactly as he expected, the tactical lieutenant wanted to blow up a torpedo, even though they had little information about the atmospheric composition. Derek wasn't an expert on how something like that would even work, and didn't try to wrap his mind around it. Luckily, he wouldn't be the one having to make the decisions. "Aye, Ma'am, still current." He replied, having decided to alleviate some of his copious spare time during the transit from Earth to Front Ear by volunteering for shift coverage in both sickbay and the helm. Not exactly thrilling exploits, but it did count towards his flight hours and qualification maintenance. Derek assumed she'd need someone to keep Mac steady for a few minutes as the current helmsman tried a manual approach with the probe. "Would you like me to relieve the helm?"
Tag Ozu Saya , Soft Tag: Isaiah Quinn Syl O'Connell Joshua Niles |
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Syl O'Connell
Flight Control
[TI8]
Posts: 662
Likes: 9
Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade
Position: Flight Control/Caldonia 5
Species: Human
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Post by Syl O'Connell on Mar 12, 2021 13:41:34 GMT
[Lt. JG Cerjess Miren - USS Mac - Bridge]While the others continued discussing options, Cerjess kept his attention on the scan results as they came in. The ion and tachyon particles got a little denser, but then seemed to clear up entirely. That had to have been where the problems occurred... But even at the densest layer, there wasn't enough to damage a runabout to the point the pilot couldn't compensate for high winds. It didn't make sense... What also didn't make sense was the actual suggestion of warping into the atmosphere to transport their people out. "Please tell me you're joking!" He declared, looking over his shoulder. The Trill knew a lot of exceptional pilots who could pull off remarkable maneuvers... But even the best of those wouldn't consider that a good idea. The others addressed the readiness of the probe, prepared to go through with at least that part of the plan, and the scientist prepared his console to receive the telemetry. He glanced over at the Chief, waiting for orders.
Tag Ozu Saya
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Ozu Saya
Engineering/Ops
[TI19]
Posts: 878
Likes: 29
Rank: Master Chief Petty Officer
Position: CoB/Chief Engineer
Species: Vulcan-Bajoran
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Post by Ozu Saya on Mar 12, 2021 15:54:30 GMT
[ MCPO Ozu Saya - USS Mac - Bridge] More ideas were suggested, and some mocking, which caused Saya to raise a censorious brow at the Trill lieutenant. ' Crewman, that is an ambitious plan, but I think one that will have to be used as only an extreme last resort. For now, we will focus our attentions on ascertaining the exact nature of the interference so that we can attempt to get supplies to our people and then rescue them, whether that be via transporter or shuttlecraft.' Giving Niles a nod, she said, ' Launch the probe, and send the telemetry to engineering as well so that they can continue to attempt to modify the transporters.' Saya glanced briefly at the Mac's current helmsman, a young ensign who was on perhaps his third duty shift, who gave her a slightly pleading look, then turned to Derek. ' I would like you to guide the probe, Ensign. I believe your experience will be beneficial.' She hoped that by attacking the problem on several fronts, they would find a way to help the away team more quickly. ---------- Tag Isaiah Quinn, Joshua Niles, Derek Black, Syl O'Connell |
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Mar 14, 2021 4:51:48 GMT
[ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]As soon as the confirmation of who was going to be handling the probe manually, and where information would be sent directly, Niles' hands danced across his board. "Aye, Master Chief. Lieutenant, Crewman, telemetry and take from the probe going to your stations as well; Ensign Black, I've released probe flight control and launch command to your station, so you may launch as soon as you're ready to fly it."That was not specifically the order he had been given, but the Tactical Officer found himself in a position to improvise a little, and in this case in such a way as to get as smooth as possible a handover of the probe's flight to its operator. That way, Black would be in control the whole time, not jumping on to a probe already in motion; and while Mac was well-stocked with those, they did not have an unlimited number and it would behoove them to use them as sparingly and efficiently as possible, after all.
tag Ozu Saya Syl O'Connell Derek Black Isaiah Quinn
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Isaiah Quinn
Science
[TI36]
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 57
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Position: Chief Science Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Isaiah Quinn on Mar 16, 2021 6:52:22 GMT
{Quoted Posts} [ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ][...] However, there were things he could handle. "Probe is ready for launch. I can have it stream its take directly to Lieutenant Miren, and I can hand over its flight control same time I launch it." [USS Mac - Bridge] [...] "Aye, Ma'am, still current." He replied, having decided to alleviate some of his copious spare time during the transit from Earth to Front Ear by volunteering for shift coverage in both sickbay and the helm. Not exactly thrilling exploits, but it did count towards his flight hours and qualification maintenance. Derek assumed she'd need someone to keep Mac steady for a few minutes as the current helmsman tried a manual approach with the probe. "Would you like me to relieve the helm?"[Lt. JG Cerjess Miren - USS Mac - Bridge][...] What also didn't make sense was the actual suggestion of warping into the atmosphere to transport their people out. "Please tell me you're joking!" He declared, looking over his shoulder. The Trill knew a lot of exceptional pilots who could pull off remarkable maneuvers... But even the best of those wouldn't consider that a good idea. The others addressed the readiness of the probe, prepared to go through with at least that part of the plan, and the scientist prepared his console to receive the telemetry. He glanced over at the Chief, waiting for orders. [ MCPO Ozu Saya - USS Mac - Bridge] More ideas were suggested, and some mocking, which caused Saya to raise a censorious brow at the Trill lieutenant. ' Crewman, that is an ambitious plan, but I think one that will have to be used as only an extreme last resort. For now, we will focus our attentions on ascertaining the exact nature of the interference so that we can attempt to get supplies to our people and then rescue them, whether that be via transporter or shuttlecraft.' Giving Niles a nod, she said, ' Launch the probe, and send the telemetry to engineering as well so that they can continue to attempt to modify the transporters.' Saya glanced briefly at the Mac's current helmsman, a young ensign who was on perhaps his third duty shift, who gave her a slightly pleading look, then turned to Derek. ' I would like you to guide the probe, Ensign. I believe your experience will be beneficial.' She hoped that by attacking the problem on several fronts, they would find a way to help the away team more quickly. [ LT Joshua Niles - Bridge, USS Mac ]As soon as the confirmation of who was going to be handling the probe manually, and where information would be sent directly, Niles' hands danced across his board. "Aye, Master Chief. Lieutenant, Crewman, telemetry and take from the probe going to your stations as well; Ensign Black, I've released probe flight control and launch command to your station, so you may launch as soon as you're ready to fly it."That was not specifically the order he had been given, but the Tactical Officer found himself in a position to improvise a little, and in this case in such a way as to get as smooth as possible a handover of the probe's flight to its operator. That way, Black would be in control the whole time, not jumping on to a probe already in motion; and while Mac was well-stocked with those, they did not have an unlimited number and it would behoove them to use them as sparingly and efficiently as possible, after all. [NPC - Crewman Ezra Mora - Bridge, USS Mac ] On some level, it was nice to know that there was a limit to just how far they would go. Ezra had clearly said enough to get their attention, and certainly enough for the science officer on duty to questioning whether or not he was joking. He turned towards the Trill and attempted to explain. "Not joking about the idea being contingent on what we find," Ezra said. "There are ninety-nine things that need to go right for that to work, and only one thing needs to go wrong for it to not."Mora didn't elaborate any further as the Chief called it an ambitious plan. He figured that was pretty much Vulcan for 'hell no,' and was fairly certain it was off the table. Of course, there was still something he could borrow from that idea, depending on how the scans from the latest probe attempts held up. "Of course, Boss," he replied to Ozu. Part of him was curious if she'd do the same as the Captain had... and leave the away team behind. Most people probably wouldn't bat an eye of a Vulcan made such a call, but that wouldn't stop people from being sore about it. He then heard the tactical officer call out for them to monitor the telemetry that was coming in from the probe he'd just launched from their stations. "Aye, sir," Mora said as he turned his attention back to his station, and began scrutinizing the fresh data as it came in.
Tag: Ozu Saya , Joshua Niles , Derek Black , Syl O'Connell (Cerjess) |
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Derek Black
Medical
[TI33]
Posts: 48 Likes: 3
Rank: Ensign
Position: Health & Safety Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Derek Black on Mar 17, 2021 5:25:26 GMT
[ MCPO Ozu Saya - USS Mac - Bridge] More ideas were suggested, and some mocking, which caused Saya to raise a censorious brow at the Trill lieutenant. ' Crewman, that is an ambitious plan, but I think one that will have to be used as only an extreme last resort. For now, we will focus our attentions on ascertaining the exact nature of the interference so that we can attempt to get supplies to our people and then rescue them, whether that be via transporter or shuttlecraft.' Giving Niles a nod, she said, ' Launch the probe, and send the telemetry to engineering as well so that they can continue to attempt to modify the transporters.' Saya glanced briefly at the Mac's current helmsman, a young ensign who was on perhaps his third duty shift, who gave her a slightly pleading look, then turned to Derek. ' I would like you to guide the probe, Ensign. I believe your experience will be beneficial.' She hoped that by attacking the problem on several fronts, they would find a way to help the away team more quickly. [USS Mac - Bridge] Derek couldn't help the involuntary grimace which crossed his face. "Sorry to say, I find your plethora of faith disturbing." He commented drily, reverting to a level of familiarity one usually reserved for the Chief's Mess. Nevertheless, he turned back to his multifunctional console, reconfiguring the desktop to a flight control setting, and the display to a standard IFR layout. After confirming Niles had indeed linked the probe's command functions to his station, Derek took a deep breath, slowly releasing it, before acknowledging the lieutenant. "I have control. Launching in three, two, one, mark." Piloting a probe was far different than flying a starship, or even a shuttlecraft. For one, the tiny mass relative to a fairly powerful propulsion system meant velocity was much greater, and more violent, than those normally experienced, since G-forces were a non-issue for unmanned probes. Maneuvers which could turn biological occupants into jello were fairly ordinary. Manual control was normally limited to inputting pre-programmed flight patterns, or setting waypoints for the probe's computer, which was able to make alterations far more precisely than humanoid pilots, to follow. Furthermore, the Class-3 probes themselves were designed to move in space, not to maintain altitude in an atmosphere. The RCS thrusters alone wouldn't be able to counteract the force of gravity, which only left the main engine. Pivoted towards the ground, it'd be a delicate balance, fighting both the conditions like wind and friction, as well as the physics of what goes up must come down. Derek reckoned an excellent or good pilot would be able to keep control for several minutes, maybe even a quarter of an hour before they ran out of fuel for the probe's thruster pack. As for himself, he figured he'd last, at most, five minutes. To save on fuel and ensure they at least got to the planet without too much drama, Derek guided the probe to the planet's outermost edge via waypoints, shutting off it's main engine and pitching it 180 degrees so it was now, figuratively, 'flying' backwards. "Beginning re-entry burn now." He reported, slowing the probe enough so it's trajectory would take it down into the atmosphere, instead of just bouncing off it and back into space. "Burn complete, entering the outer atmosphere and descending." The computer had provided a virtual anchor 'dot' for him to keep his reticle on, requiring Derek's full concentration and meticulous adjustments with thrusters to ensure the probe stayed aligned properly. Occasionally, his eyes flickered towards the steadily decreasing altitude reading, and reciprocally diminishing fuel gauge. "Take your readings, gentlemen, let's not do this all day.", he advised tersely.
Tag Ozu Saya Isaiah Quinn Joshua Niles Syl O'Connell |
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Syl O'Connell
Flight Control
[TI8]
Posts: 662
Likes: 9
Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade
Position: Flight Control/Caldonia 5
Species: Human
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Post by Syl O'Connell on Mar 17, 2021 12:37:31 GMT
[Lt. JG Cerjess Miren - USS Mac - Bridge]When the Chief shot him a stern look, Cerjess ducked his head, sufficiently chastised for his outburst. As the others reported the status of the probe, he turned back to his own console. "Receiving telemetry," he reported as well. "Calibrating ship sensors to follow." If this probe suddenly vanished like the last one had, the ship sensors would be far more likely to tell them what happened to it than the telemetry readings. Though he was hopeful the manual controls would rectify that particular problem.
Tag Ozu Saya Joshua Niles Isaiah Quinn (Ezra) Derek Black
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Ozu Saya
Engineering/Ops
[TI19]
Posts: 878
Likes: 29
Rank: Master Chief Petty Officer
Position: CoB/Chief Engineer
Species: Vulcan-Bajoran
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Post by Ozu Saya on Mar 19, 2021 2:23:13 GMT
[ MCPO Ozu Saya - USS Mac - Bridge] Saya waited tensely, her eyes moving constantly across the viewscreen, trying to absorb the data - numbers, chemical names, telemetry. The probe visibly slowed, almost lost against the verdant background of the planet's surface. The large zone that had initially been marked out for where the runabout had gone down shrank; it was still a large area. She glanced down at the info that had been sent to her PADD and spoke quietly to Ensign Black, not wanting to distract him too much, ' Try to hold the probe steady just before you reach 80 km from the surface, just above the level of the mesosphere. That's where the last one burned up. Hold it there as long as you can.' Saya offered a silent prayer to the Prophets, not something she did often, that they'd be able to find and rescue the team safely. ---------- Tag Joshua Niles, Isaiah Quinn, Syl O'Connell and Derek Black |
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