Deduce

Posted on Tue Nov 24th, 2015 @ 8:00am by Captain Charybdis MacGregor & Lieutenant Commander Siivas McKenzie

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Taking Chances
Location: USS Bonne Chance, Deck 6, Sickbay
Timeline: 2265
Tags: Siivas,sickbay,bonnechance,cheeseburgers

The wreckage of the meal they had shared had lain around the screen which displayed their calculations, the flat touch-panel on the desk between them as they each worked off of it on their respective sides. Unnoticed Xian had entered, removed plates and coffee carafes, handled the meager medical needs of the dwindling crew and replaced the mess with a pot of tea, two bowls to drink from and a plate of Siivas' favorite chocolate-covered raisin oatmeal cookies she had pulled from his stash in his quarters. She'd also laid a hypo next to the plate on his side as a reminder, when he came up for air and noticed it.

"There," he said as he leaned back and laced his fingers together, stretched his arms straight over his head and arched his spine and head backwards making his ribcage pop, along with most of his upper-body joints and tendons and then suddenly used the palms of his hands to press against his eyes and temples. "Ow."

Eyes darting back and forth across the advanced equations they were constructing, Charybdis' face was an impassive mask, blank and emotionless as she worked. It was a stark contrast to her usual animated facial features, and served as an illustration to the observer of just how lively she was under normal circumstances. She was nearly in a fugue state, making minor adjustments here and there to the theoretical mathematics over which they had now labored for hours.

He blinked and looked around, spotting the hypo he unceremoniously checked it and hit his neck with it and pushed a long hiss. The ampoule on the end, filled with a clear liquid, was empty by the time he pulled it away and sagged with a sigh of relief.

The hiss of the hypo penetrated her intense focus and the pointy-eared science officer stirred, shaking her head slightly before she seemed to animate once more, emotion filling her face and her nebulous violet eyes becoming bright and alert once more. She looked from the hypo to the relieved Doctor and leaned in toward him slightly.

"Are you all right, Lieutenant? Is this your... condition?" She didn't have much for bedside manner, but she at least had empathy.

"I've been required to have several injections a day to prevent me from dropping out since shortly after we arrived here," he waggled his eyebrows at her expressively as he smiled. "This is how medical discovered we were in some sort of anomaly. Before we could bring it to any of the other senior officers," he made a gesture with his fist opening, "poof."

Internal debate waged back and forth in Charybdis' mind until curiosity won out. "Then why didn't you bring it to the attention of the Science department, Doctor? Even without the senior staff, surely alerting the department whose job it is to analyze such things would be... well, would make sense."

"Ever had a conversation with Suval about something he doesn't, strictly speaking, believe in?" Siivas asked with his head cocked. "I'd have gotten better results trying to pound dust from a rock with my bare hand."

The Vulcan vixen laughed musically at that and shook her head in agreement. "Yes, in that I can agree wholeheartedly... for a firm believer in logic his was remarkably flawed, and he was not terribly willing to adjust his perspectives to anything outside the known parameters of any given situation. The quintessential Vulcan," she added with a bit of an ugly sneer. "I'll admit to being glad to be free of... oh. Oh, he transferred... I wonder if he got off the ship before..." She was silent for a moment while she considered, then leaned back in toward the Deltan, hands folded in front of her on the work table.

"How long have you been aware of this phenomenon, Doctor...?"

"About twenty hours," he replied staunchly, "though I've been suspicious since shortly after we got here, it was a recent exercise on the Starbase that made it real for me. Since then," he shrugged slightly, "I've been doing all the checking I could to try to disprove my suspicions since then. Hence, having forgotten to eat since yesterday."

That timeline definitely put Suval clear of the phenomenon, but then she paused. "Time dilation... Doctor, the senior staff for the most part 'transferred off' at Big Rock, and that was nearly a week ago. I believe that our perceptions of time are also being altered due to this phenomenon."

"I think we may be in more than a race against time, Dr. McKenzie. We may be racing even our own perceptions here."

"Plausible," he agreed. "We just need to figure out what it is that triggers people disappearing or catch it happening. But aside from creating a living experiment, the only thing I know of fast enough to catch it happening is the computer. And that's going to require me to override several security protocols to make that work," he added thoughtfully.

There was a pause while Charybdis gnawed gently on her lower lip. This could still be a part of his plan... but after having worked with the ship's surgeon for a few hours, he had given her no reason to distrust him or his motives. On the contrary, he had answered every question openly and shown nothing but concern for the welfare of the crew. Constantly looking over her shoulder was a waste of time and mental effort at this point, she decided, and with that she cast her lot with the easygoing Deltan- a decision that she would never question again. Steepling her fingers, when she spoke it was in a quiet, measured and confident tone.

"I can override the security protocols, Doctor. In truth they aren't that well-constructed to begin with. I hesitated to say so, but... in this case I somehow think that the safety of the crew and the security of the Bonne Chance override any potential punitive action that may come out of this. Besides," she added with a grim chuckle, "we have to survive for them to discipline me."

"Tell me what you need for me to do."

He gave her a measuring look for a moment and his manner of frivolity ebbed as he explained. "We're going to declare quarantine on the ship and set up a closed set of conditions, having the computer do most of the work. I think this'll be the best use of resources, so we can manage it and run our own scans and tests independently."

"That makes sense. Well, you do have the authority for that I assume- wait, you need one other senior officer to declare quarantine, I understand now. Computer, identify the ranking Science officer aboard the Bonne Chance?"

"Lieutenant Charybdis is currently the ranking Science officer aboard the Bonne Chance," the dry computer voice intoned.

Fingers flew across the keyboard and within forty seconds, Charybdis looked up at the screen again. "Computer, identify the ranking Science officer aboard the Bonne Chance?"

"Lieutenant Charybdis is currently the Chief Science Officer aboard the Bonne Chance," the dry computer voice intoned.

Smiling nervously Charybdis shrugged at Doctor McKenzie, then nodded. "Well, you did say you had a feeling I'd have the job soon enough. Now I can help."

"Computer, please recognize Doctor Siivas MacKenzie, scotch-whiskey-tango-strike-pi."

+Identity confirmed Doctor MacKenzie, biometrics and voice identification match+ came the feminine response, only slightly more dry than any female Vulcan that had completed Kolinahr.

Siivas nodded to Charybdis and indicated the same plate he had his fingertips pressed against with a significant glance.

She placed her fingers on the plate where indicated and spoke clearly and carefully. "Computer, please recognize Chief Science Officer Charybdis, gamma-gamma-delta-five-nine-six-oh-one-nine-lambda-epsilon."

+Identity confirmed Chief Science Officer Charybdis, biometrics and voice identification match+

"Computer, as of this moment, all command functions are locked out except for the two officers currently recognized," he said. "As the ranking Command Officer aboard and Chief Medical Officer, I am declaring a soft quarantine."

+Recognized+ she stated and then added +State conditions of quarantine+

"Condition One: No crew beyond the two recognized flag officers present will be notified of changes and updates to the following orders and parameters. Condition Two: Should our life functions cease, the full disclosure of our files and orders shall be presented to our next-highest officers in our prospective departments or higher Starfleet Officers at or above the rank of Commodore," he explained before continuing in a steady progression.

"Condition Three: Beginning immediately, all internal life-sensors shall be routed through the medical computer and every member of the crew continually accounted for. Condition Four: All biological functions that can be determined from these sensors shall be recorded until such a time as the life-functions cease to be readable. Condition Five: At any point that the life-signs of a crewmember are significantly altered beyond normal exertions in the appropriate areas of the ship or cease altogether, present flag officers or whomever is currently in position of authority over these conditions, shall be notified via closest terminal or communications platform."

"Condition Six: Whenever a crewmember's condition changes, all environmental sensors shall scan the immediate area for deviations of the localized environment and as in condition five, the appropriate officers shall be notified. Condition Seven: Any attempts to debark the ship shall be immediately refused via computer override with a standing notification to alert the officers currently with authority over these conditions. Pause," he told the computer and then asked Charybdis, "am I forgetting anything? I want to make sure this loop is closed with limited ability to override it and yes, I know I'm effectively instating martial law and suspending personal privacy."

"Again, the safety of the crew and ship are at stake, so they can court martial us later if we survive. Besides, for all we know they are beaming themselves into open space, so this is for the good of the crew, and upon joining Starfleet they signed on for a little hardship ever so often- such is military life. Don't expect any argument from me, Doctor," she added with a wry grin. She reviewed his conditions and added.

"Condition Eight: Whenever a crewmember's condition changes, all long-range sensors shall scan the immediate area for deviations and unusual particles of the localized subspace field environment and as in condition five, the appropriate officers shall be notified."

"I think that does it. Enact protocols?" she asked. The Doctor's scientific technique was impressive, and her respect for him had increased another step with the thoroughness of his quarantine conditions.

"Computer, please continue with Condition Nine: If any member of the crew's life signs change and their signal is within transporter range, they are to be transported to transporter room one and per condition six, officers designated shall be notified. Please end designation of the condition parameters of soft quarantine and execute soft quarantine immediately."

+Acknowledged+ the computer stated +Computer is required to notify you that these orders countermand six of the United Federation of Planets guaranteed freedoms of sentience and are thus in breach of said freedoms+

"Computer, does quarantine allow for the suspension of these freedoms?" Siivas asked.

+Affirmative+ the computer confirmed and then explained +the conditions of quarantine follow the principle that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few+

"You won't be getting any argument from me," Charybdis added. "And I'll state that in the inquiry hearing later assuming we survive to see one." Her tone was surprisingly calm... despite the danger they were facing, she felt as though she was now being active rather than reactive, and that gave her considerable emotional stability.

"Notification received and acknowledged," Siivas told the computer, "thank you."

+You are welcome Doctor MacKenzie+ the computer replied.

"And now we wait for the next event, so that we can gather some hard data to analyze. It seems a bit ghoulish, but at least now we're doing something proactive," the science officer said as she stood and did a full-body stretch, like a great cat rousing itself from a nap. She pulled her right knee up to her chest to stretch her leg, then the left, then interlaced her fingers behind her back and stretched her shoulders and chest. She then rotated her neck a bit before she began pacing back and forth in the Doctor's office

"Sorry... I pace when I think sometimes, or when I'm waiting. It's one of the reasons I am such a terrible shuttle pilot, I'm told," she explained with a bit of a sheepish grin.

"I'm familiar with the need," he replied with a broad smile and using the controls, he loaded the sensor protocols they had created into the computer's sensor sweeps to be running on the ship's internal environment as part of the set conditions. As the board cleared, the screen flashed red and a name appeared.

+Alert+ the computer spoke +Petty Officer Second Class Walters life signs are in fluctuation, signal degrading. Initiating computer override, initiating transport, transporting to transporter room one, signal lost+ Siivas had just enough time to spring to his feet and grab his medical kit from the nearby shelf as the final words caught him before he charged out of his office.

Charybdis was actually a dozen steps ahead of the Doctor when she too caught the final words of the computer's message, and she stopped, turned and slowly returned to Sickbay, now following the ship's surgeon.

"Computer please confirm results of conditional-scans during the loss of Petty Officer Walters' signal," he spoke as he slowly turned, his face pink.

+Subspace distortion between fourteen-point-one and twenty-point-six centihertz localized was recorded during the loss-event+ the computer listed +Biological data indicated no health or injury speculation though signal degradation was detected, requiring enactment of conditions five, six, eight and nine. Displaying subspace distortion curve on the medical office monitor+

Siivas examined the three-dimensional shape displayed of the subspace event and then asked, "Computer, please display the biometric graph data for a period of three seconds prior to the event and through the loss of signal." Silently that image appeared next to the subspace event, showing spikes in biometric electromagnetic field strength picoseconds prior to the localized subspace event. "Computer, are there residual subspace traces in the lost crewman's event-location?"

+Negative+ it replied.

Siivas gave her a look. "Ideas?"

The normally expressive and animated face of the curvaceous alien officer drained of emotion and her eyes darted to and fro across the metrics, as her finger tabbed through a number of potential sensory readings that all showed negatives until she returned to the biometrics scan. When she spoke, her tone was flat and calm.

"Computer, correllate electromagnetic field strength surge to known ship's library scan parameters."

+Working+ the computer replied, accompanied by a whirring noise. +Parameter matches with seventy-six percent match the biometric field state in the electromagnetic spectrum of the expression of the human emotion of fear.+

At this Charybdis' head snapped up and she looked the Doctor in the eye. "You suspected, thus explaining the myriad precautions that you have been taking with me. You are attempting to keep me calm so that I can not only assist you in solving this problem, but so that I myself do not fall prey to it. I thank you for your foresight and compassion, Doctor Mckenzie... cheeseburger therapy may be a new one for the Starfleet Medical Journal."

"If there is one thing a Deltan understands," he gave her a rueful smile, "its emotions." Despite the circumstances, she couldn't help but grin at him.

"Indeed... and my people, not so much. So again, we have a cause, and an effect, but not the root cause of this phenomenon, nor an effective strategy to combat it. I believe this calls for a vast intuitive leap of logic, as the current scans are showing that we now have one hundred and thirty-four crewmen remaining, and the time for deliberation is rapidly passing us by." At that she began pacing once more, idly wrapping a lock of her heir in her fingers as she placed each foot quite deliberately one after the other, walking through her own logic in her mind.

"I have an idea," he paused and looked at the wall, his face intent. A moment he snorted and picked up his medical kit. "Computer, where was Petty Officer Williams when his signal began to degrade, prior to alert status?"

+His quarters+ came the instant reply +Deck eight, section starboard fore-five+

As the computer spoke, the Chief Nurse came in, the Asian-descent and petite Human woman Xian closely followed by the more muscular marine warrant-officer trauma medic and Deltan, Shareen. "Shareen and Xian," he introduced them quickly to his co-conspirator, "Charybdis. Shareen and Xian have a sensitivity that isn't my forte and I'd like to see what they can pick up from the crewman's quarters. And I think having a science officer to take local scans might be helpful. If what I suspect is the case," he explained blandly, "our solution may be simple, if definitely worth a court-martial."

Charybdis snatched up her tricorder from the table and was in motion with the rest of them as they departed sickbay in a hurry, heading for the enlisted quarters on Deck Eight.

"I would dearly love a simple solution to all of this, Doctor. And they can only hang us from the yardarm once..."

"Yes but the boredom of a cell for the rest of one's life can be remarkably dull," he replied drolly as the sickbay doors closed.

 

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