by Captain Zanh and Commander Blane
80506.1530
During and After Destination Stra
-=Bridge, USS Serendipity=-
80506.1530
During and After Destination Stra
-=Bridge, USS Serendipity=-
TC folded his arms across his chest as he watched and listened to the events unfolding before him.
"Don't the Strasa provide a lot of computer technology to the Federation?" Zanh asked, turning toward him.
"Yes, Sir. It's unthinkable that they, of all people, are having problems with their technological infrastructure." He frowned as he thought about the very notion of it.
He listened as the captain had her conversation with the admiral. Even before the discussion was over, he was working on his recommendations.
"Course laid in, Captain, we will divert course and arrive at our destination in two hours, forty five minutes. Ready to engage on your mark."
Zanh raised her left hand and gestured toward the helm. "Go."
As the ship leaped into warp all on the bridge set about their duties for the next two hours, forty minutes.
TC made his way over to the captain's side. "So, I guess this means that I will not be meeting with our illustrious counselor." He offered a rare grin.
"Maybe not right this minute," Zanh shot him an equally satisfied grin. "But look out, I hear he sometimes makes house calls. You, Grace, and Reece. . . Your day will come."
Blane's grin remained. For today he'd escaped, and that was good enough.
-=Senior Staff meeting: Conference Room One=-
"I need to know everything you can tell me about how the Strasa control the utilities that power their city center." Zanh announced, pacing around the packed conference table with her hands clasped behind her back. "Could this be a simple cascading power failure- something overloads and then water and waste treatment go offline with it? Or could it be sabotage? An act of terrorism?"
"Captain, if I may," Salvek interjected.
"By all means."
"What scattered information we have been able to gather thus far indicates that this is a breakdown of the Strasa's own resource management infrastructure. They have enjoyed the safety of Federation protection because of their favored trade status despite remaining non-aligned, and the general populace is considered to be very happy and well cared for. Therefore, terrorism or sabotage are highly unlikely."
"Could it be the work of one malcontent?"
"It could, however the odds against it are,"
"Highly unlikely, yes." Zanh nodded thoughtfully, her hand on her hip. "They've made a lot of money for a lot of cultures with their technical creations. They're a popular group."
"Indeed. There is also a token Starfleet presence on the planet to punctuate the point that the relationship between the Federation and the Strasa is a very close one. However, the small detachment assigned there are not enough to manage a resource failure this massive."
"Understood. What are we looking at in terms of our biggest, immediate problems?"
"Tower City Complex, the largest city on Stra II, is without power. Water. Everything. Control over the weather modification net has failed planet-wide. This world has only been settled for the past near hundred years, and so the population is still low. That is one thing in our favor." TC answered.
"How many people are we talking about?"
"About a quarter of a million total population, by the last census. The largest concentration is in the Tri Tower area, where the failure is being felt most severely. It seems the smaller, outlying townships and farm communities are not as completely dependant upon technology to function as their big-city counterparts."
"Good to know someone still keeps candles on hand in case of a blackout. Don't they have any sort of secondary systems in place? I can't believe that people this smart don't have back ups. What do we know of their power control set-up historically?" Zanh asked.
"Not as much as I'd like to know," Rada spoke up. "The database is very sketchy concerning the way the Stra conduct their affairs, in general. There are no details. The only helpful piece of information I've been able to find so far is that they sustain their utilities by use of something called the Central Power Allocation Grid, or CPAG."
"Reece?" Zanh spun on the heel of her boot and approached the chief science officer.
"Yo."
"I want sensors working overtime as soon as we're in range. Find out all you can about the way this city is wired, gather any data you can that may help Rada and his team put the pieces of the puzzle together to pinpoint the cause of the breakdown. Anything they can use to start figuring out a repair strategy."
"My pleasure."
Standing silently at the back of the room, Lair Kellyn raised her hand. This was the first senior staff meeting in which she was no longer an actual member of the senior staff, and though she'd been specifically invited, she still felt as though she was somehow on the outside looking in. A new and strange sensation.
"Kellyn?" Liis nodded to her.
"I would like to volunteer my assistance to Chief Dengar and his Away Team. If the Chief thinks I can be of any use to him, I'd like to go along."
"Danger, take that under advisement." Zanh directed her gaze toward the Angosian.
Dengar offered Kellyn a smile. He was not yet used to the reversal in their roles, and she did still technically outrank him. But as leader of the Sera's engineering department, he was now the one whose decisions bore the weight of final authority.
Using that authority, Rada decided that one of his first official command decisions should be to avail himself of all the help he could get. "We'd be happy to have you, Commander Lair."
Kellyn flashed him a look that conveyed both her pride in his accomplishments, and also her willingness to follow where he would lead.
"As soon as possible, I need to speak to someone who is actually in Tower City Complex. We need to know how bad real-time conditions are on the ground. Until we know for certain, we should do our best to anticipate the immediate needs for a city of fifty-thousand inhabitants." Zanh glanced around the table "We should also assemble a duplicate command team in case we need to utilize the Alchemy." She tilted her head toward Salvek.
"I have already taken the liberty of doing so, Captain."
"Excellent. However, we must remember that this is a technology obsessed people, and that they have no knowledge of the true nature of the Alchemy. We need to be sure it stays that way and only use her as a last resort."
Everyone exchanged glances of understanding. After a pause, Reece started waving his hand excitedly.
"Um, Captain? Yeah, over here. One more thing. With the weather modification net down," Reece warned, "we may not be able to count on the safety of the transporters. Since I personally do not like to entertain the idea of my molecules being scrambled like LeMarc's breakfast eggs, I would suggest we send shuttles down to transport the teams and whatever supplies we can provide."
"Thanks for the heads-up. On the subject of supplies," Zanh turned back to Blane. "Be mindful when signing out our resources, Thomas, of the fact that the Sera is just a little ship in a huge ocean here. We don't have the replicator capacity of the flagship, nor the supplies on hand. We have to be careful we don't short ourselves on supplies in our attempt to help bail the Strasa out."
"I've considered that, Captain." Blane replied. "The truth is, we can't give all they'll need to run a city of fifty thousand inhabitants in the manner they are used to. We can serve as the first-aid tourniquet on the wound, but we can't heal the patient."
"We'll just do what we can to get them back up onto their own two feet." Zanh concluded.
"Is there any chance that the cavalry can come and help us out?" Grace asked.
"Starfleet is sending some more supplies but the closest vessel is 48 hours away." The Captain replied, then she focused on Keiran next. "Officer O'Sullivan, you will need to round up as many security people as you can spare without leaving us open and at risk back here on the ship, to help you get local law enforcement organized to prevent any criminal activity that will surely arise from the darkness and panic."
"Looting." Keiran offered, "That will likely be the first and one of the biggest concerns. When people cannot purchase what they need, they will quickly resort to stealin' it."
"Dr. Breaux, what are you thinking in terms of the health of the people?" The Captain inquired.
"They'll need clean water right away," Avery scrolled through the notes he'd been making on a PADD as the meeting had progressed, "And, to put it delicately, they will need some sort of temporary, sanitary lavatory facilities and some way to handle waste collection, or disease will set in quickly and pose a very serious threat."
Collective groans went up around the table, and Zanh and Salvek exchanged looks.
"Better get ready to get your hands dirty this time, everyone," Zanh warned. "It's going to get messy. Meanwhile, I want whoever gets to the capitol first to get a hold of their Resident Overseer. Invite him to visit me here, up on the ship, since I am assuming that Security does not want me to go along on the Away mission. . ." Zanh glanced at O'Sullivan hopefully, but his expression confirmed her suspicion.
"Got that right, Captain. Too many variables, and no way to offer you certain protection. I would respectfully request that you remain aboard the Sera."
Remembering what happened on the Gauntlet, Zanh relented. "Very well. I'm sure Logic over here agrees with you. And you too, Mr. Blane?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Both men concurred. In stereo.
"Very well. You all have your assignments. Coordinate your Away Teams, and prepare to launch the shuttles as soon as we reach orbit of the planet. You have ninety minutes to prepare your equipment and your teams. Go."
-----------------------
-=/\=- Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Commander TC Blane
Second Officer/Chief of Operations
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
-=/\=- Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
Commander TC Blane
Second Officer/Chief of Operations
USS Serendipity NCC-2012