Java's Issue

Posted on Friday May 27th, 2022 @ 4:16am by Lieutenant Steven Edgeware

Mission: EPISODE 1: SHAKEDOWN
Location: USS Oberon & USS Dover
Timeline: MD06

OOC: The Dover is transporting Romulan power relays for a Norexxan/Valdore class warbird. She is also in need of some maintenance. Both issues may be related or not, at your discretion.

OOC(Elliot): What are we supposed to find?

::ON::

Java stood in the transporter room waiting for the officers to arrive. He walked over to a corner then making sure no one could hear him he tapped his comm. badge.

“=/\= Java to Dover. Brown meet me in the transporter room. I am bringing over some people from the Oberon to assist in the problems. Our cargo is causing us. Look polite. =/\=“ he said before hearing footsteps and turning around.

Lieutenant Sakaan stalked into Transporter Room One, hot on the heels of the Captain as he stepped through the door. 'Ah, Lieutenant Elliot, Ensign Grant, so good of you to be here.' Bennett smiled and waved a PADD in the air, 'I'm sure you're fully briefed. Ensign, the Dover is experiencing some power transmission issues, I'd like for you to take a small team over and sort it out. Lieutenant Elliott, Lieutenant Sakaan here is going to accompany you so that you can verify the origins of the power couplings mentioned in the briefing. We already know it was our people who put them aboard, I want to know where they came from.'

"Aye Captain," Grant replied.

Java turned to them.

“I just want to warn you. That some of my crew are what you people may class as lower deck material. They are a bit rough around the edges. But they're a good crew.” He warned.

Jason missed the joke, although he had heard the term before, he just went into observation mode as he waited for the implied floor show.

"I'm a lower decker myself or at least I was before this mission", Jo replied.

Jason leaned over to whisper in JoAnne's ear, "all I've done is ride a desk, what does that make me?"

"A Lieutenant, Sir," Jo said with a chuckle.

"With a higher security clearance," Jason smirked.

"That too", Jo added.

Did Java them him correctly?

“I’m sorry your whispering carried over to me. I hope you are qualified to do these tasks. The Dover may not be much compared to your brand spanking new Oberon, but she is loved by her crew. If you hurt her you will not be liked.” Java warned.

"Don't worry Mr. Java, I'm a wrench turner by trade, I can fix most anything, anything else would require a complete overhaul at a Starfleet repair spacedock," Jo said confidently.

Sakaan interjected, 'Assistant Chief of Operations Grant is more than qualified to inspect your ship and mitigate any issues you may be experiencing. Commander Bennett would not have assigned her to the mission otherwise.' Sakaan held a PADD out to Java, 'all our particulars are here if you'd care to peruse them,' she added, arching an eyebrow. 'Lieutenant Eliott and I are both Intelligence Officers by trade, and ought to be able to ferret out who placed these components aboard ship. When do we beam over?'

“ Very well. If the transporter operator will do their thing. Let’s get over there.” Java said.

With a brief cold feeling, they fizzled off the Oberon and reassembled in the Dovers transport room.

A tall woman dressed in a Starfleet uniform that had seen better days greeted them.

“ What kept you.” She demanded.

“ Please excuse my first officer. She was at the back of the line when manners were given out.” Java said.

Jo looked at the first officer and said "Security procedures, Ma'am".

Java gave a sigh. Brown was a good first officer but she did have a big mouth. Which had got her into trouble quite a few times. That was why she was on a transport vessel rather then a starship like the Oberon.

“ Security measures I see and why would that be?” Brown asked

“ Now Jane these people are here to help us with our troubles. So let’s not start….” Java began

“ Which sir. Their cargo is causing…..” Brown finished.

"Causing what"? Jo asked.

Sakaan shot Brown a glance, 'explain?'

Java could see this was leading to a full-blown argument. He knew once Brown had her teeth into something she never let go. So he gave her a slight nudge on the arm. She gave him a look that could melt ice. Java shook his head.

Jason looked at a readout very puzzled "I've never seen anything like that before."

What is it? Radiation, biological? Well now I'm curious, let's go check it out. Jo said.

“ Excuse me? What was that?” Brown said despite Java’s warning.

Jo could think of a lot of things to say but she was the junior officer and as young as she was, she knew when to keep her mouth shut. So she waited for Mr. Elliot to expatiate on what he had found.

"It's some kind of interference pattern, you'll need to boost the confinement beam..." Jason moved over to the console then punched in a series of commands "Jo Anne can you check the pattern buffer something doesn't look right."

"Aye Sir", Jo went over to the transporter console and checked the pattern buffer.

The Dover transporter Chief looked angrily at her. But Java hissed a warning at him and he took a step back.

"There seems to be some sort of signal buildup that is causing the transporters to go slightly out of phase, there is a point 3 variance, and it's rising," Jo said.

"I don't think we will be able to use the transporters until it's corrected Sir," Jo added.

Jo punched in a series of commands on the console.

"I am trying to trace the source of the signal, it appears to be coming from cargo bay 1, but I can't get a precise fix," Jo stated.

"Signal is bouncing like a toddler on a caffeine rush, we're going to have too take a physical look." Jason said as he looked up "Any volunteers?"

“ This is your mess Oberon don’t expect my crew to help.” Brown snapped

Java cleared his throat.

“ Sorry CAPTAIN. Your crew CAPTAIN.” Brown sarcastically replied.

“ I will assist you.” Java said giving a look to Brown. Who seemed to be on the verge of saying something.

"With your permission Captain, I will volunteer too." Jo replied.

Java nodded.

"Lead the way, Sir." Jo requested politely.

Brown made to say something but again Java gave her an angry shake of his head. But she still spoke.

“ What about the rest of you? Are just going to stand here like a Vulcans at an orgy?” She snapped

“ Brown!!!” Java warned

“ Well are they?” She demanded

Jo did her best to suppress a smirk but it was just too comical.

Java could see the group from the Oberon were looking embarrassed. At that moment he felt like having Brown beamed into space.

“ Very well if you would wish to follow me well get started.” Java gestures towards the doors. Brown made to follow them but he stopped her.

“ Bridge.” He told her.

After watching her go in opposite direction. They started to move towards the cargo bays.

“ I apologise for that. My XO should not of said that.” He said.

"No offense taken. Sir!" Jo said.

-Cargo area-

As they moved closer to the Cargo area. Java saw a crewmen stagger out of a door marked Main cargo bay. The crewmen turned attempted a salute and collapsed in a heap shaking.

“ Smithy he’s our cargo bay master!” Java said hurrying over to the fallen man.Just as the lights dimmed around them.

Sakaan raised an eyebrow, 'he seems to be in some distress.' She looked about for a meditation. 'Where's your medical equipment?'

Java looked around.

“ Over here.”He walked over to a panel marked with what was left of a medical symbol. Opening it with a thump a kit bag fell out. Picking it up he hurried back to Sakaan.

“ Here.”He said handing it over

While the injured crewman was being tended to Jason pulled out a tricorder and began to scan, "Ensign Grant can you verify this, it looks like an isolated version of the sensor readings from the transporter."

Jo took a look at his sensor readings, then compared them to the readings she took from the transporter.

"Yes Sir, according to my tricorder, it's a 99.7 percent match, have you pinpointed the location?" Jo asked.

Jason looked at his readings, pausing he saw a bolt of some kind on the floor, throwing it towards the general direction his tricorder was showing the bold took an abrupt arc "That way." pointing toward the bold sticking to the shipping containers.

Jo went off in the direction indicated.

She found a device on a crate not cleverly hidden.

"Mr. Elliot I think I found it, looks to be some sort of tracking device, but it's putting out some unusual radiation," Jo said.

"The effects are negligible for now. I think it's a tracking signature." Jo added.

Jason looked at his scans again, "Whatever it is, there's an abnormal amount of magnetic signal being generated for some reason, I haven't seen anything like this...before?" Jason started to think and question things "Captain what is in these crates?"

"I don't think it's self-sealing stem bolts" Jo added.

'Open the containers,' Lieutenant Sakaan said with confidence, 'should anyone raise an objection, tell them you were ordered by Starfleet.'

“ Hang on a moment…..” Java began

Jo approached the container and ran her scanner over it looking for booby traps, but she didn't find any so she opened the container...

"Would you look at that"... Jo pondered.

"Definitely not self-sealing stem bolts," Jo said peeling back the cargo pod door...

Java could not believe his eyes. But before he could say anything a wave of nausea hit him.

“ Oh my….” He said as his knees buckled under him.

Jason went emotionally cold =^="Elliot to Oberon....we have a situation"=^=

Java managed to steady himself. He had to stay conscious or Brown would assume command. He feared she would jettison the cargo out into space. Along with the Oberon away team.

“ What are you people doing with that?” He asked weakly.

"What is that", Jo asked.

Jason looked at the crate "Power relays, Romulan design and contaminated with radiation for some reason, this one anyways." looking over at the others, "We'd better notify medical."

Java looked at Jason.

“ Can you tell if it was deliberately done or on purpose?” Java asked

Jason looked at his readings, "Based on the decay it's possible these were intentionally contaminated, but there's signs of minor cracking on the casing" pausing too look to JoAnne "Find me some transporter enhancers and an emergency transporter band or beacon, and let's get medical attention for everyone."

Java shook his head. He was starting to see things Browns way.

“ I hope you wrong…” He murmured

=^="Elliot to Oberon, the Romulan power relays we found appear to be contaminated or leaking a radioactive isotope of some kind, we're going to attempt to contain the item in question in a transporter beam until we can get this thing into a proper containment area."=^=

"Excuse me Mr. Elliot, do you think we can get away with a containment forcefield to block the radiation? Jo asked.

Jason looked at the scans "We're too far along to use just force fields, at the current levels we are all going too need treatment for radiation exposure ourselves, we need to physically isolate these containers." Jason's tricorder started to chatter at the radiation levels again, "I've done something like this before" Jason said trying to avoid going into details at that exact moment.

"Let me know what you want to do when the time comes. I think I will have a look at engineering to see if I can improve any of their systems." Jo said.

Jason started to revaluate his plan "Do any of the science labs have a stasis pod large enough for this part?"

“ The Dover is a transport vessel. We don’t have science labs.” Java said

Looking at the freighter captain then back at his tricorder "We're going to beam it to one of the labs on the Oberon. Doesn't science lab two have a full radiation containment JoAnne?"

"That is correct, Sir" Jo replied. "However, I don't think we can use the cargo transporters, as the radiation is attenuating the beam strength. We are going to have to do this manually. Jo added.

"I suggest we use a maintenance work bee from the Oberon and move it to the cargo deck of the Oberon where a containment pod can be waiting," Jo said.

Looking at the radiation level "We could beam it into space...no you're right, I think I saw an airlock about two meters down the corridor, we could dump it in there, I recommend the work bee be remotely piloted, we're into radiation levels that we're all going to be in sickbay for a day or three." trying to joke.

"Great, fatal exposure. Hyronalin turns my stomach." Jo remarked. "We better be quick about it. My readings indicate the radiation level is increasing." Jo added.

Jason pushed a mag-lev lift under the shipping container, "JoAnne open the airlock and get out of the way I'm gonna push this thing in there."

"Yes Sir," Jo said opening the inner airlock door.

"Your all clear, Sir," Jo said.

Knowing he was going to be severely sick after this he began to push the container down the two-meter walk to the airlock, the audible hiss of the inner door opening followed by the clank of the safety locks engaged on the outer door Jason pushed the shipping container into the airlock and the slapped the emergency closure, "Three, two, one!" the audible whoosh of the outer door as the container violently evacuated. Jason dropped to the door as the emergency cycle ended sealing the door again, "Okay good job everyone, let's take tomorrow off...." he passed out before finishing his sentence.

Jo went in the airlock and pulled Lt Elliot, into the hallway.

=/\=Grant to Oberon emergency transport for two to sickbay=/\=

--36 hours later--

The slight smell of ozone was a clear indicator that Jason was in sickbay, the bright lights were no help as he tried to prop himself up in the bed, a nurse whose name escaped Jason at the moment walked over "Well Mr. Elliot I see that your awake, you're the only one from the away team left in sickbay, but considering the level of radiation you took your lucky to be alive."

Jason just smiled, after an almost excessive follow-up examination the doctor cleared him to go back to his quarters and he could resume lighter duties the next morning. Jason filed his reports of what happened, he then added a classified footnote to the report, that the level of radiation was suspect.

Jason sat in his quarters looking out into the void of space, a half glass of whiskey in hand. An engineering team reported that the damaged parts had been intentionally contaminated as a result of poor manufacturing or sabotage. The pad with the report was sitting on the table. Tomorrow would be another day.

End