Early 2409 …
Galatea entered the system a short distance from the ringed planet. Resting above the orbit of the icy rings was the focus for the Exeter-class ship and crew.
“Satellite in range of sensors, scanning now.” Omazei, the Trill Science Chief, reported dutifully as her fingers danced upon the console.
Kathryn touched her rank pips absentmindedly and spoke without looking away from the viewscreen. “Anthi, anything on tactical? Being this close to Klingon-space I’m not in the mood to take chances.”
The Andorian First Officer tapped on her console and after a few seconds replied, “Passive scans within the system are negative.”
Anthi’s brother, Thel Ythysi, spoke from the Engineering section of the bridge. “Captain, initial analysis of the satellite reveal it is fully functional within expected parameters.” His tone was slightly incredulous. From his unexpected report, the bridge crew became silent.
Kathryn leaned forward in her chair, visually inspecting the large machine in the void. Slowly rotating on its y-axis, it was a remote research satellite that hosted a myriad array of sensors dedicated to the planet. Several days ago, a request was made from Starfleet Corps of Engineers to investigate possible faulty bio-neural gel packs as telemetry was getting scrambled. USS Galatea answered the call. As innocuous as the situation should be, Kathryn started to feel uneasy about it.
The Captain turned to Omazei, whose face was highlighted by shifting colors from the console, waiting for additional confirmation. Only the dim hum from the ship’s engines could be heard over the next few seconds. She suddenly looked to Kathryn and shouted, “Vessel decloaking, port fifteen degrees!”
The viewscreen added a shimmer to the star field behind the satellite. As the ship coalesced, dread washed over Kathryn and someone unseen gasped. The Vor’cha-class battlecruiser drifted menacingly toward the Federation vessel.
“Open a hailing frequency,” Kathryn ordered. After a few seconds she added, “Klingon vessel, this is Captain Beringer of the USS Galatea on a routine maintenance mission to a Federation satellite. Are you here to assist?” Kathryn swallowed, the query felt stale in her mouth, but she couldn’t invite hostilities as the Klingon ship clearly outclassed her own vessel in many ways.
After a few moments, the Comm Officer acknowledged no response.
An alarm rang from Anthi’s console, starling everyone. “Weapons lock!”
Kathryn whispered a curse, then said, “Raise shields!”
Omazei followed, “Another contact, starboard one-three-five degrees.”
The viewscreen was replaced by a top-down tactical display where a second Vor’cha battlecruiser appeared behind and to the right of Galatea. The screen changed back to the windowed-display view. Green beams appeared from “behind” the camera and obliterated the satellite.
Kathryn spoke quickly. “Someone’s getting a bill; Helm get us out of here, dealer’s choice!”
At the controls, Ian McKinnon swiftly tugged on his gloves and deftly keyed in commands. Galatea banked to port and impulse engines revved louder. The Vor’cha to the front maneuvered to match the Starfleet ship’s vector and fired, disruptor beams belching from emitters until a few found their target. The small ship shuddered from the attack and Kathryn clutched the armrests to keep from being thrown to the floor.
With the klaxon blaring, Anthi roared, “shields at 42-percent, hull damage multiple decks!”
Kathryn noticed the helmsman furiously stabbing the console. Anthi called out, “Brace for impact!”
Multiple torpedo strikes rocked Galatea further, causing a console behind Kathryn to explode, showering her with sparks and small debris. She turned to her Chief Engineer. “Thel, how’s she holding?”
The bulky Andorian wiped sweat off his brow and shook his head, antennae stiff from worry. “We need to get out of here.”
Kathryn jumped to the helm station and forced calm into her voice. “Mr. McKinnon, toot sweet please.”
He pressed a key on the console and the stars on the viewscreen stretched as the ship limped into a Warp tunnel.
+++
Three Hours Later …
The Executive Team sat silently in the Ready-Room as they waited for Thel Ythysi to arrive. Each officer’s uniform was dirty to varying degrees, depending on how much work they performed in the nooks and crannies of the ship. Everyone looked tired as no one was above the paramount need to repair the ship.
The doors swished open and Thel walked in holding several PADDs, his own uniform tattered at the cuffs along with the ubiquitous smudges. Sitting down he handed everyone a PADD. “No need for a presentation, it’s all there and it’s obvious the situation is dire.”
Ian swiveled toward the Captain to get attention. “We are currently in the Arucanis Sector. Navigation is still out so it’s hard to get a precise reading. We’re safe from the Klingons but that’s not a guarantee. After three hours, if they really wanted a kill they could have tagged us.”
The Science Chief spoke up next. “Deflector control will need a few more hours at the least. The primary dish will likely need replacing.” Omazei tucked her short hair behind ears, revealing Trill patterns along her neck. “The damage to comms will take about four hours to fix. Until then, we can only send tight-beam subspace transmissions.” She crossed her arms as a sign she was finished.
Kathryn gazed upon the Chief of Operations, S’Rel. The Vulcan sensed eyes on her and looked away from the PADD. “Captain, considering the structural damage to the ship, I recommend reduced shift time for everyone aboard until we can reach a suitable Starbase to affect substantial repairs. I have prepared a roster rotation and will affix it to Thel’s report.”
“On that note”, Doctor Annika Kramer punctuated, “we have three dead and forty-seven wounded beyond first-aid; twelve being out-of-action. Other than the deceased, we can triage.” She pulled a hair tie, releasing her bright blond hair to fall onto her shoulders without further attention. “We are relatively lucky.”
By this point Kathryn was pinching the bridge of her nose while listening intently. A dull headache was in its second hour and she resolved to persevere without medication. “Anthi, let’s pretend the Klingon’s are on the hunt, what are your chances?”
The proud Andorean First Officer sat straighter. “Slim. Two-beam arrays and the rear torpedo launcher are destroyed. No offense to Galatea, but I don’t believe she could fight-to-win. The sooner we get to a space dock, the better.”
Thel leaned forward. “I agree. Current speed capabilities are Warp two-point-four. Don’t go that fast for more than an hour: the starboard pylon structural integrity is uncomfortably weak. At our current estimated position, it’ll take us two weeks to get to a suitable dry dock. The detail is in the report, of course.”
Kathryn sighed and nodded solemnly. She looked over the PADD briefly before placed her hands on the table as if to fix the ship with her force of will. “We will respect our dead when we reach port. Time is of the essence now. Galatea is beat-up, but not beaten down. As cheesey as that sounds, it’s true.“
She looked to each of the assemble crew. “Take an hour, if your teams do not need your immediate attention. Although this looks bad, I’m confident she’ll get us home.”
---
Cast for crew:
Kathryn Beringer - Katheryn Winnick
Anthi Ythysi - Monique Ganderton
Thel Ythysi - Kevin Sorbo
Ian McKinnon - Ben Browder
Omazei - Gemma Arterton
S'Rel - Morena Baccarin
Annika Kramer - Abbie Cornish
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
A Simple Start
Starfleet Academy, 2405 …
The four cadets hunched over the digital map displayed on the table. Each also had a PADD detailing the scenario: they were to portray a diplomatic effort to settle a city-wide dispute over where to construct a public transit system. Each of the twenty districts had their own interests which either supported or contrasted to an adjacent district. Paramount considerations were environmental impact and cost to the local government, yet other factors to the proposal were needed such as jobs and public safety. Ultimately, the circuit needed to satisfy the population’s many needs and interests … or at least try. The four groups in the class only had seven hours to analyze the situation and draft a proposal that revealed the most equitable solution.
+++
After the first hour …
Jebal stood straight and crossed his arms. “This is impossible! There are too many variables to consider. No one would be happy with any proposal.” His Bajoran ear loop swung vigorously as he shook his head with frustration.
“That’s the point,” replied the Bolian, Hurte. She waved a hand over the board. “We are not meant to please everyone, just most of the population. The goal is to develop a cost-effective and efficient transit plan. This is not the Kobayashi Maru, so there is a winning solution. We just need to have a better plan the rest of the class.” She looked over her shoulder to the other groups similarly hunched over tables, tapping furiously on PADDs and having muted discussions.
Kathryn watched the exchange and then continued entering calculations on her PADD.
Steve waved a hand to get the others attention while also tapping on his PADD. “Guys, we need to start somewhere. Seven hours can go by quick, so I’ll throw something at the wall first, so to speak.” After tapping a few more keys, the city image added a golden-colored line that weaved around structures or ran parallel to roads. “Obviously, we can’t use flying transportation: the safety risks are too great for transport capacity desired. Ground vehicle transportation would require maintaining a fleet and scheduling which makes it inefficient. That leaves electro-magnetic rail. It’s faster, easier to maintain and schedule. Frankly, it’s the simplest solution.”
He looked over each shoulder as if to make sure no one was spying on them. “The other teams are likely to have the same consideration, so we just need to have a better route than they do.”
+++
After two hours, outside the classroom …
Hurte raised the cool cup to her forehead and patted a few times. She looked to her group partner. “You’ve been pretty quiet through this project, everything okay?”
Kathryn took a sip from her own cup and shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t want to come across as disinterested. Really, I’m just listening to ideas and crunching numbers.”
“Well, Steve has grumbled about your lack of input a few times.”
“Oh, really? Why didn’t he say anything to me?”
Hurte rolled her eyes. “You know him; he’s a nest-poker.”
Kathryn looked confused, “a … what?”
The Bolian looked over Kathryn's shoulder toward the classroom. “A nest-poker. You know, he likes to cause trouble without being obvious.”
Realization came to Kathryn and she giggled. “Oh! Right, yes. I suppose so. If he says something again, please tell him to talk to me and I’ll settle it.”
“Of course, I apologize for not saying something earlier.”
Kathryn smiled and the two took sips from their drink.
+++
After three hours …
The Bajoran stood strait and stretched. Jebal spoke through clenched teeth as bones cracked from changing position. “Team, I think we are going to lose this round.”
Steve wore a frown as he rubbed weary eyes, “Only if we give up. We’re not even halfway through the time limit.”
Hurte kept staring at the map. “There are just a few districts where the simulations seem to falter.” She looked up to the other groups and saw a Rigelian cadet suddenly tap at his PADD forcefully before throwing it to the ground with a growl. It shattered, surprising everyone. He apologized before exiting the room in a huff. “At least we are not alone feeling frustrated.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Kathryn placed her PADD on the table.
“Oh, now she has idea?” Steve’s mood darkened quickly.
Kathryn sternly glanced at Steve acknowledging the barbed comment before turning to the others and calmly replied, “I know I’ve not contributed much except to support suggestions –“.
“You think?” Steve interrupted.
Hurte put a hand out as if to lower the tension.
Kathryn leaned on the table toward Steve and whispered, “We can either take it outside, or you can give me a minute. After three hours, that shouldn’t be too hard for anyone on the planet. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Jebal and Hurte looked to each other and silently agreed not to take sides.
After a few seconds without a response, Kathryn tapped a few keys on the table console and the map adjusted. The proposed transit line the team had developed shifted and symbols appeared under the line.
The group looked at the transforming image and the tension seemed to dissipate. Steve pointed at the table, “is that … do you mean to have an elevated railway?”
Kathryn smiled. “Why not? Instead of building a rail system through neighborhoods, how about over them?”
The other three looked to one another and then quickly grabbed their PADDS to key information as if to verify a new discovery.
Jebal looked up first. “But that’s not a part of the project rules.”
Grinning, Kathryn asked, “are there any restrictions to the solution?”
Hurte answered, “No. The only guide is for the districts and that we must negotiate an equitable solution to maximize benefit to the population.”
Jebal seemed to be stunned. He looked to the other groups. “So … we all assumed the mass transit system had to be built in the communities because we were given details to negotiate around them?”
Kathyn nodded. “Consider this scenario.” She tapped on her PADD, sending data to the table which started to run the simulation again. Numbers crawled along the four corner edges for each participant to see. Meanwhile, the image rotated and moved following design patterns from the data.
Steve’s eyes widened when the simulation ended. “That’s … too easy. There must be a problem with it.”
Kathryn shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not saying this is the best idea though. Let’s take a break for fifteen minutes. When we get back, let’s run some more numbers. We’ve got the time, right?”
+++
The next day …
The instructor was reviewing the class project results. Kathryn sat in a chair facing the grizzled veteran-turned-instructor and was naturally curious why she was called to his office. Again.
He nodded without further inflection and lowered the PADD to the table. “Let me get to the point, Cadet. Your team’s solution to the problem, although not innovative, was also not expected, given the parameters. I’m curious how your team came to that idea.”
Shrugging slightly, Kathryn answered, “It was a team effort, sir. We brainstormed ideas and tested them until we found a solution that best fit within the goals of the project.” She smiled demurely.
The instructor copied her smile and then countered, “According to your classmates, you were the one to propose the solution and developed the base code while also working with their ideas.”
“They give me too much credit, sir.”
“Maybe so, but when three other Cadets tell the same story, then I wouldn’t call that a coincidence.”
Kathryn sat silently, unsure how to respond or if she even should to that comment.
The instructor continued. “Regardless, it was a good idea and resulted to the highest score for this project in three years. Your leadership is a testament to that fact. Well done, Cadet. Dismissed.”
---
Cast for crew:
Kathryn – Katheryn Winnick
Steve – K.J. Apa
Jebal – Cole Sprouse
Hurte – Lili Reinhart
Instructor – Bill Murray
Rigelian cadet – Male street extra 1
The four cadets hunched over the digital map displayed on the table. Each also had a PADD detailing the scenario: they were to portray a diplomatic effort to settle a city-wide dispute over where to construct a public transit system. Each of the twenty districts had their own interests which either supported or contrasted to an adjacent district. Paramount considerations were environmental impact and cost to the local government, yet other factors to the proposal were needed such as jobs and public safety. Ultimately, the circuit needed to satisfy the population’s many needs and interests … or at least try. The four groups in the class only had seven hours to analyze the situation and draft a proposal that revealed the most equitable solution.
+++
After the first hour …
Jebal stood straight and crossed his arms. “This is impossible! There are too many variables to consider. No one would be happy with any proposal.” His Bajoran ear loop swung vigorously as he shook his head with frustration.
“That’s the point,” replied the Bolian, Hurte. She waved a hand over the board. “We are not meant to please everyone, just most of the population. The goal is to develop a cost-effective and efficient transit plan. This is not the Kobayashi Maru, so there is a winning solution. We just need to have a better plan the rest of the class.” She looked over her shoulder to the other groups similarly hunched over tables, tapping furiously on PADDs and having muted discussions.
Kathryn watched the exchange and then continued entering calculations on her PADD.
Steve waved a hand to get the others attention while also tapping on his PADD. “Guys, we need to start somewhere. Seven hours can go by quick, so I’ll throw something at the wall first, so to speak.” After tapping a few more keys, the city image added a golden-colored line that weaved around structures or ran parallel to roads. “Obviously, we can’t use flying transportation: the safety risks are too great for transport capacity desired. Ground vehicle transportation would require maintaining a fleet and scheduling which makes it inefficient. That leaves electro-magnetic rail. It’s faster, easier to maintain and schedule. Frankly, it’s the simplest solution.”
He looked over each shoulder as if to make sure no one was spying on them. “The other teams are likely to have the same consideration, so we just need to have a better route than they do.”
+++
After two hours, outside the classroom …
Hurte raised the cool cup to her forehead and patted a few times. She looked to her group partner. “You’ve been pretty quiet through this project, everything okay?”
Kathryn took a sip from her own cup and shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t want to come across as disinterested. Really, I’m just listening to ideas and crunching numbers.”
“Well, Steve has grumbled about your lack of input a few times.”
“Oh, really? Why didn’t he say anything to me?”
Hurte rolled her eyes. “You know him; he’s a nest-poker.”
Kathryn looked confused, “a … what?”
The Bolian looked over Kathryn's shoulder toward the classroom. “A nest-poker. You know, he likes to cause trouble without being obvious.”
Realization came to Kathryn and she giggled. “Oh! Right, yes. I suppose so. If he says something again, please tell him to talk to me and I’ll settle it.”
“Of course, I apologize for not saying something earlier.”
Kathryn smiled and the two took sips from their drink.
+++
After three hours …
The Bajoran stood strait and stretched. Jebal spoke through clenched teeth as bones cracked from changing position. “Team, I think we are going to lose this round.”
Steve wore a frown as he rubbed weary eyes, “Only if we give up. We’re not even halfway through the time limit.”
Hurte kept staring at the map. “There are just a few districts where the simulations seem to falter.” She looked up to the other groups and saw a Rigelian cadet suddenly tap at his PADD forcefully before throwing it to the ground with a growl. It shattered, surprising everyone. He apologized before exiting the room in a huff. “At least we are not alone feeling frustrated.”
“I’ve got an idea.” Kathryn placed her PADD on the table.
“Oh, now she has idea?” Steve’s mood darkened quickly.
Kathryn sternly glanced at Steve acknowledging the barbed comment before turning to the others and calmly replied, “I know I’ve not contributed much except to support suggestions –“.
“You think?” Steve interrupted.
Hurte put a hand out as if to lower the tension.
Kathryn leaned on the table toward Steve and whispered, “We can either take it outside, or you can give me a minute. After three hours, that shouldn’t be too hard for anyone on the planet. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Jebal and Hurte looked to each other and silently agreed not to take sides.
After a few seconds without a response, Kathryn tapped a few keys on the table console and the map adjusted. The proposed transit line the team had developed shifted and symbols appeared under the line.
The group looked at the transforming image and the tension seemed to dissipate. Steve pointed at the table, “is that … do you mean to have an elevated railway?”
Kathryn smiled. “Why not? Instead of building a rail system through neighborhoods, how about over them?”
The other three looked to one another and then quickly grabbed their PADDS to key information as if to verify a new discovery.
Jebal looked up first. “But that’s not a part of the project rules.”
Grinning, Kathryn asked, “are there any restrictions to the solution?”
Hurte answered, “No. The only guide is for the districts and that we must negotiate an equitable solution to maximize benefit to the population.”
Jebal seemed to be stunned. He looked to the other groups. “So … we all assumed the mass transit system had to be built in the communities because we were given details to negotiate around them?”
Kathyn nodded. “Consider this scenario.” She tapped on her PADD, sending data to the table which started to run the simulation again. Numbers crawled along the four corner edges for each participant to see. Meanwhile, the image rotated and moved following design patterns from the data.
Steve’s eyes widened when the simulation ended. “That’s … too easy. There must be a problem with it.”
Kathryn shrugged. “Maybe. I’m not saying this is the best idea though. Let’s take a break for fifteen minutes. When we get back, let’s run some more numbers. We’ve got the time, right?”
+++
The next day …
The instructor was reviewing the class project results. Kathryn sat in a chair facing the grizzled veteran-turned-instructor and was naturally curious why she was called to his office. Again.
He nodded without further inflection and lowered the PADD to the table. “Let me get to the point, Cadet. Your team’s solution to the problem, although not innovative, was also not expected, given the parameters. I’m curious how your team came to that idea.”
Shrugging slightly, Kathryn answered, “It was a team effort, sir. We brainstormed ideas and tested them until we found a solution that best fit within the goals of the project.” She smiled demurely.
The instructor copied her smile and then countered, “According to your classmates, you were the one to propose the solution and developed the base code while also working with their ideas.”
“They give me too much credit, sir.”
“Maybe so, but when three other Cadets tell the same story, then I wouldn’t call that a coincidence.”
Kathryn sat silently, unsure how to respond or if she even should to that comment.
The instructor continued. “Regardless, it was a good idea and resulted to the highest score for this project in three years. Your leadership is a testament to that fact. Well done, Cadet. Dismissed.”
---
Cast for crew:
Kathryn – Katheryn Winnick
Steve – K.J. Apa
Jebal – Cole Sprouse
Hurte – Lili Reinhart
Instructor – Bill Murray
Rigelian cadet – Male street extra 1
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