Hladson Kappler (Chief engineer)Erik Kingston (Engineer) played by Talon Lardner
Jerred (Junior Engineer) played by Jaye Jeffries
Ms McLeod (Science officer) played by Culama Foxclaw
Jaye Jeffries: RP BEGIN
Erik Kingston: Need any help, sirs?
Hladson Kappler: we can use all the help we can get Ensign
Hladson Kappler: Here's what we know so far about this computer core
Ms. McLeod: science officer Mcleod reporting as ordered sir
Erik Kingston looks around a bit nervously, himself rather new on this ship, having been assinged just Jerred taps on the lcars panel, assessing entry pathways to the datacore
Jerred:
Hladson Kappler: it was taken from a Federation shuttle craft. We can only assume that it was shot down by the Romulans.
Erik Kingston looks over the readouts curiously, running a finger over the panel, not quite familiar with the display format.
Hladson Kappler: It contains all their research on time displacement.
Culama Foxclaw: oo sounds fun i do love logic puzzels
Erik Kingston: I can see that, sir... but we still need to extract the data... and how do I know we haven't already corrupted it?
Hladson Kappler: The program files have many firewalls and security lockouts.
Ms. McLeod takes a place at a station and dives into work
Hladson Kappler: Luckily we met a Ferengi who was able to work around them.
Jerred: Ferengi??
Culama Foxclaw: hmm did he give us any of the data inside
Hladson Kappler: yes, and with it we figured out how to use it...well we accidentally activated it and figured out what happened later.
Erik Kingston: They're there for a reason, you know.. And are we sure that the data's even intact?
Erik Kingston sighs a little as he glances down at the display, punching in a few figures
Hladson Kappler tossis Kingston a padd
Hladson Kappler: that's what we got from the Ferengi. I see no corruption in the files compared to what he gave us.
Ms. McLeod taps happily over the panel
Hladson Kappler: So team, what we need is this...
Jerred continues to assess possible alternate access pathways into the core memory
Hladson Kappler: We need to unlock the rest of the files without setting off any more traps
Jerred: Hmm, that might be difficult sir - these coding algorythms are complex
Hladson Kappler: See if there is a connection with the Romulan Portal
Erik Kingston shrugs a little as he looks at the padd, then at the readouts. "Hash checks look fine... Why don't we start with finding information that we already know?"
Mc McLeod: sir the science logs also show that we brought on a device of some kind
Ms. McLeod: what of that?
Hladson Kappler: Yes, let's check the scanns against the romulan portal.
Erik Kingston glares at the cheif in frustration that she took her idea over his.
Ms. McLeod: on it sir
Erik Kingston: Sir... that'll be just a dead end
Hladson Kappler: You can see the future Ensign?
Ms. McLeod: mr. erickson any path not travel is a dead end
Erik Kingston: we shouldn't care WHAT the files contain, but we should look at the files themselves
Hladson Kappler: let's follow this though, and keep working until we have the solution
Erik Kingston looks back down in frustration, griping the console a bit in order to control his temper
Jerred concentrates on his console
Ms. McLeod: sir im going to see if the portal shows any reactions as we accese the files
Hladson Kappler: Ensign Kingston, in your opinion, is there any programming similar to this in the Federation?
Erik Kingston: It's hard to tell with all this encryption... but it is Federation encryption
Erik Kingston: Whoever encrypted and locked this core down, did it by the book... and that's why we are having so much trouble
Hladson Kappler: and Mr. Jerred, cross reference what we have on Romulan technology.
Jerred: Aye sir
Hladson Kappler: we have to be missing something here. Some sort of key to the algorithms
Ms. McLeod taps comm
Erik Kingston shakes his head. "We should cross-reference with file formats of various Romulan, Klingon, and Federation Databases, not meaningess info. You're looking too deep at this."
Hladson Kappler: Go Ahead Ms. McLeod
Erik Kingston: don't READ the info, just look at the information as a unit.
Hladson Kappler looks at Ensign Kingson
Jerred: Hmmm, there are some interesting decoding algorythms created my a Lt Cmdr Data, sir
Erik Kingston looks up to the Bajoran officer in frustration. "Are we here to break this encryption, or imagining its contents?"
Jerred: Perhaps we could try running one of these
Ms. McLeod: sir i am picking up minor fluctuations on the sub atomic level that are incosistant with the colaps of the chroniton field
Erik Kingston: I agree with Jerred. We should be looking at file structure. This is perfect.
Jerred sighs in exasperation at the humans lack of patience
Hladson Kappler: I'll be right back you two keep working on this, and try that idea of yours Jerred
Jerred: Aye sir
Hladson Kappler: What have you got here?
Culama Foxclaw: at the moment i cant see any particular pattern but it IS something
Ms. McLeod sighs
Jerred engages the decoding algorythm "This might take some time "
Ms. McLeod looks to panel "wow"
Hladson Kappler: but you don't think it's related to it weakening?
Jerred looks towards the Starfleet officer "What do you think could be on here?"
Erik Kingston: That's good, though.. let's dethread this like a string. One layer at a time... and only read the data AFTER it is decrypted and in context."
Ms McLeod: no definetly not
Ms. McLeod: but i did just get a bigger blip
Erik Kingston peers curilously over Jerred's sholder. "Well, it's hard to tell out of context, but it looks like basic telemetary logs."
Hladson Kappler: But the emissions have been steadily declining. What do you suppose is happening?
Ms. McLeod: im not certin sir but it may be connecteded to the core
Jerred: Why would simple telematary logs be encrypted with a military grade, Romulan coding algorythm?
Erik Kingston leans in to whisper into Jerred's ear. "Why are they worrying about meaninglyess emissions? That has nothing to do with the core."
Jerred shrugs "Maybe they're connected somehow?"
Erik Kingston: Because the captain saw fit to. We can't let ourselves imagine why he encrypted something, but only know that he did.
Ms. McLeod: sir this is just a thought but perhaps some how the core is a form of controle
Hladson Kappler: I wonder...
Hladson Kappler: keep at it I'll be back in a minute
Erik Kingston looks with frustration at his panel, relaying a few more file table analysis to Jerred. "I don't know how I'm going to last here... with the Chief chasing ghosts..."
Ms. McLeod rubs fore head
Erik Kingston makes sure to shut up as he hears the Cheif approach
Hladson Kappler clears his throat
Jerred concentrates on the decoding algorythm which is now running its course
Hladson Kappler: Do you have a problem with being thorough Ensign?
Erik Kingston: Sir, we are meaking a bit of headway with the file structure. After cross-examining it with an unencrypted file structure of a similar shuttle, we have segmented the data into more meaningful chunks.
Hladson Kappler: If I say to take it apart atom by atom, I expect you to do so
Erik Kingston nods politely. "When it comes at the expense of solid scientific judgement, yes. I didn't spend four years at teh academy to chase random links to random objects."
Ms. McLeod wals about making scans
Hladson Kappler: Right now there is more at stake than your time at the academy. Our entire timeline will wiped away unless we can unlock the entire puzzle here
Erik Kingston looks down at his console, focusing again on his studies of the data, focusing on objective reasoning.
Hladson Kappler: ...puzzle...
Jerred: Sorry to interrupt...Sir, the algorythm is decrypting the information in small chunks as Kingston mentioned
Erik Kingston: I understand, sir, hence why we can't spend time looking at hte probe, but at the data core.
Hladson Kappler: wait...
Jerred Scratches his head
Hladson Kappler: what unlocked the core the first time? Chronitons from the singularity.
Hladson Kappler: what is keeping us from being detected from the borg? The chroniton field generated by the portal
Erik Kingston: Chronitons cause havok on data banks like these, it's a miracle the thing wasn't corrupted, but only flipped a few key bits.
Hladson Kappler: what if it isn't a miracle, but design
Jerred: Perhaps something to do with the Romaulan tech alterations to the core?
Ms. McLeod taps comm "sir
Hladson Kappler: what if it takes a chroniton field to unlock it
Erik Kingston: So we just sit here and wait for the probe to deem us worthy to read the contents?
Hladson Kappler: \\Kappler here, go ahead
Erik Kingston: Unlike you, I prefer to put fate in my own hands.
Hladson Kappler: what have you got?
Erik Kingston shakes his head adn gets to work on trying more decryption and analysis routines, working on helping sort data into different types, telementary, image, audio, information, moving things around when more about the file is learned
Ms Mcleod: sir if we try to accese the core with an intensified chroniton burst i think some thing interesting might happen^^
Hladson Kappler: and what might that be?
Ms. McLeod: hmm that is the question isnt it?
Ms. McLeod: but i cant be certin of what will happen
Erik Kingston sighs in frustration, typing in a few commands again. "Hey Jerrad? How long have you been here?"
Jerred taps the LCARS, watching as some basic file structure information is revealed by the algorythm - but not the actual core information itself
Hladson Kappler: let's talk this through before doing anything rash.
Hladson Kappler: follow me to the lab
Culama Foxclaw: aye
Jerred: Since the ship left spacedock
Ms. McLeod: hello all how goes the scans
Hladson Kappler: okay, what's your status here?
Erik Kingston: I'm noticing a lot of Romulan programming calls, Sir. What they are calling is still encrypted, but this implies that the Romulans had direct contact with the ship's computer.
Ms. McLeod gasps
Erik Kingston: Or it's a dump of the probe's programming.... it's hard to tell without context
Jerred: The Chronitons?
Ms. McLeod: sir what if the romulans used the core to controle the portal with out the threat of damaging there oun computer
Hladson Kappler: that would make some sense
Hladson Kappler: the shuttle was crashed on the planet long enough
Hladson Kappler: but why leave it on the planet.
Ms. McLeod is struck with a hypothesis
Erik Kingston smiles as he gets an idea. "Using it like a sandbox of sorts... I like that idea. We again cannot assume the shuttle was always under federation control... and I'm starting to wonder if the operator of the shuttle encrypted this not to hide the data.... but his guilt?
Hladson Kappler: guilt?
You can't attach multiple objects to one spot.
Ms. McLeod: the core takes us back the portal took us forward
Ms. McLeod: thus the core and the portal should take use back as well
Erik Kingston thinks a little, then shakes his head. "Nevermind, I was getting carried away, I can't assume... nor should any of us. For now, we shouldn't even assume that this data core is telling the truth
Hladson Kappler looks over what has been decoded so far
Erik Kingston: Let's just look at raw facts.
Hladson Kappler: okay, lay them out for us
Ms. McLeod: of course its lieing!
Erik Kingston: . Fact. This data core was found in a shuttle. Fact. It has Federation and Romulan encryption and programming inside.
Erik Kingston: Fact. Lt. Data's decryption routines were found inside.
Hladson Kappler is beginning to see where this is headed
Ms. McLeod runs to the portal "excuse me i'll listen over the comms
Erik Kingston: Anything else is only thoery
Ms McLeod: of course because science is theory
Erik Kingston smirks. "And Engineering is applied fact."
Hladson Kappler: I am beginning to think that whatever is going on is bigger than the Federation or Romulan programing
Jerred listens intently
Ms. McLeod: sir this has to be because if it is what i think it is then...
Hladson Kappler: What we have here is evidence that the Romulans and Federation were working on the same project. Whether intentionally or covertly
Ms. McLeod: well it would be hugh
Erik Kingston looks up to the cheif in curiosity. "That's what I'm talking about. Remove assumptions, look at the facts."
Erik Kingston: For good, for bad, we don't know. All we know is that we got a data core, a funky probe, and a half-rusted space shuttle.
Jerred mumbles "And a big arsed Borg ship swallowing the Relliketh"
Hladson Kappler: here's a thought
Jerred: Why don't we throw some chronitons at the core as ms McLeod suggested, we could start with extremely small amounts to carefully monitor the feedback
Hladson Kappler: we have been hitting our heads against what we think is an unbreakable algorithm
Erik Kingston looks up to Jerred in worry. "A copy of the core. Not to our original."
Ms. McLeod: thats because its not an encryption
Ms. McLeod: SIR DONT
Hladson Kappler: what if it is programming we have never seen before.
Hladson Kappler: what if that is what the Federation and the Romulans were doing on that forsaken world
Jerred Me looks curious, not having considered that they weren't tackling an encryption barrier
Hladson Kappler: trying to crack some alien or future technology
Ms. McLeod RUNS IN PANTING " sir dont do it yet
Erik Kingston nods politely. "Makes senseto me... Encryption and language share many common ties."
Jerred: Language? So then....
Hladson Kappler: what is it McLeod?
Ms. McLeod: i could give a whole symposium on temporal mechanics but
Erik Kingston: There is no reason this couldn't have been a Trio effort. Feds, Romulans, and someone else.
Ms. McLeod: the short is that i belive that to be the time code
Hladson Kappler: And what do we do with this time code?
Erik Kingston looks over to her in confusion. "Time Code? that doesn't make any sense... that's a LOT of data being assigned to that.
Erik Kingston: Sir... we don't KNOW it is time code. We THINK it is, well, YOU think it is, but we don't know for sure.
Jerred: Is there some way we could test it?
Ms. McLeod: its an old temporal mechanics theory that if the right set of random encryptions could make time travel posible
Hladson Kappler: hmmm
Erik Kingston thinks a little... "We could work on a copy of the database, so that we don't risk changing this one. "
Ms. McLeod: you said the data is mostly telemetry right?
Hladson Kappler: well it would be easy to replicate with all the scans we have...
Erik Kingston nods politely. "Most of ANY shuttle database is telementary."
Ms. McLeod: but ... this is likely to code for a certin place that we now inhabit
Hladson Kappler: so this is just the code or map, how did we get thrown into the past?
Hladson Kappler: ...
Ms. McLeod: because it was ment to send us ..or rather the piolets there
Jerred: Could we have tripped an activation mechanism? Perhaps it signaled a persent version of that ROmulan device?
Hladson Kappler: All this time we have been looking at two pieces of this puzzle and overlooking a third
Hladson Kappler: we have been ignoring the shuttle
Jerred: The shuttle? Right... we still don't know who was piloting it or why...
Ms. McLeod: and we went to this time when only the portal was used
Hladson Kappler: let's head to the hangar bay and take a closer look at the shuttle
Jerred: Aye
Erik Kingston smiles brightly. "Exactly. We can't even assume anything about the shuttle. We can't assume it is normal. We can't assume that it is even stock until we inspect it
Ms. McLeod pulls mr ericson to the side
Erik Kingston sighs a little and closes his eyes. "Look... I'm sorry... I just get so frustrated..."
Erik Kingston: Allright, folks, let's list our facts... we got here a shuttle, looks fFederation in origin, and it's corroded and rather beat up. Let's not assume anything else until we look at it objectivelyJerred looks towards the chief "Now what sir?"
Jerred scans the shuttle with his tricorder
Hladson Kappler: Okay Ensign Kingston. We know Federation Shuttles are made of Tritanium.
Hladson Kappler: Tritanium doesn't rust.
Erik Kingston nods politely. "Therefore, we cannot trust this to be fully federation in origin.
Erik Kingston: Only that it looks like a federation shuttle.
Jerred: Hmmmm.... sir? how do we know Tritanium doesn't rust?
Jerred: To our *knowledge* it doesn't rust - perhaps there are other factors involved here
Ms. McLeod: actually it does
Erik Kingston thinks a little... "Well... it doesn't for a very long time...."
Hladson Kappler: Tritanium doesn't rust in normal atmospheric or stellar environments
Ms. McLeod: a very very long time
Jerred: We're talking about a very odd situation - we don't know if this shuttle may have been thrown back in time billions of years
Erik Kingston: Notice the lack of ANY paint on this hull. No numbers, no ID
Jerred: By the PRophets - it could have been thrown back to the beginning of the universe?
Erik Kingston Not even a gloss coating
Ms. McLeod crawls around on the top
Erik Kingston: How does the interior look? Has any rubber decayed? Have any plastics become poc-marked?
Hladson Kappler: and we never got confirmation from the Federation of any shuttles missing
Hladson Kappler looks at the nacelle
Ms. McLeod falls through
Hladson Kappler: are you alright?
Erik Kingston nods politely. "Am I correct in assuming that this Nacelle is sufficiently decayed to the point that it will no longer run?"
Ms. McLeod: yes.. but this shuttle isnt
Jerred: It looks out of commissionto me
Hladson Kappler scans the nacelles
Ms. McLeod brushes rust off
Erik Kingston nods politely. "That doesn't happen overnight."
Hladson Kappler: normally no.
Ms. McLeod: sir what if they knew that the core and shuttle were going to be left behind
Hladson Kappler: copper takes decades of humid weather to oxidize
Hladson Kappler: but you can oxidize it overnight with acid
Erik Kingston: I've seen shuttles be out of service for 50 years and their nacelles still held a charge.
Jerred scans the nacelles thoroughly with his tricorder "No energy readings whatsoever"
Hladson Kappler: I got the same readings
Ms. McLeod: hmm that would explain... why the portal sent us back to the present
Jerred: So the shuttle was thrown back by accident?
Ms. McLeod: with out the core and shuttle to guied it it becomes a fixed portal
Hladson Kappler pulls open an access panel on one of the nacelles
Erik Kingston: IT was thrown back. Accident or not is irrelivent
Jerred: Perhaps an instability in the computer core, triggered in much the same way that we triggered it accidentally
Hladson Kappler: Ensign Kingston, take a look at this
Jerred: Hmmm it might be relevant...
Erik Kingston blinks in suprise, peering over the chief's sholder
Hladson Kappler: You are more familiar with Federation technology
Hladson Kappler: Does this look like a standard nacelle configuration to you?
Hladson Kappler: I'm beginning to think your first statemnt that we can't be sure this is a Federation shuttle may be the right assumption
Erik Kingston shook his head. "No sir... that looks like something that was jerry-rigged with some non-federation technology... looks like it was to get manual control over a lot of the nacelle's functions
Hladson Kappler: look how the systems have been cross wired. It is all a mess in hereJerred: Who would have done this?
Ms. McLeod: so could this be a time machine and not a shuttel at all
Hladson Kappler: that is quite likely
Hladson Kappler: this is what sent us into the past
Erik Kingston smiles. "Well... it could be a time machine made to look like a shuttle. Federation scanners are lazy, if you get a fed data core pumping out a valid hull ID, Federation computers will be more than happy to think that it is a shuttle, and let them fly at will
Hladson Kappler: the core is the map and chronitons are the key
Ms. McLeod: thats it!
Hladson Kappler: I think the romulan portals are related, but not a part of this puzzle
Ms. McLeod: the portal was a way to get back!
Ms. McLeod: once they were finished in the past
Erik Kingston: I did it myself once as a senior thesis... I took an old Oberth class ship's computer, and made it think it was a Soverign class ship... and therefore make everything else think it was one down to the viewscreen rendering it as a Soverign class until they made a non-standard scan."
Hladson Kappler enters scans into his padd
Erik Kingston: well... not the time... travel... thing
Hladson Kappler does calculations on his padd
Ms. McLeod: what if we use the reverse of the computer code
Ms. McLeod: that should take us to the point that they were leaving
Hladson Kappler: We should be able to return to the past again
Ms. McLeod: then stop them and use the portal to get back!
Hladson Kappler: aye
Hladson Kappler: I think we have all the readings to send the Relliketh out of this forsaken timeline.
Jerred feels anticipation
Ms. McLeod: do we know who made the changes thought
Hladson Kappler: Let's run a couple simulations and contact the Major.
Hladson Kappler: I think we have our way home
Hladson Kappler: ::after several simulations their theory is proved correct::
Jerred: Shall we start the procedure now sir?
Hladson Kappler: yes, you and Ensign Kingston reconnect the core to the Relliketh's systems like it was on our first trip
Erik Kingston: Aye sir
Jerred: Aye sir
Ms. McLeod: sir should i see if i can slow the dissapation of the portal?
Hladson Kappler: yes, try your best
Hladson Kappler: we may need it to return home
Ms. McLeod: i'll need to use the transportes
Erik Kingston: Allright, just simply plug it in... I hope
Ms. McLeod: at least the main ones
Erik Kingston: I was sort of... working on fixing some of the crew's quarters when we first used this thing
Hladson Kappler: We are going to need a burst of Chronitons from the portal to activate the core. Do you think you can find a way to channel all the Chronitons in a controlled beam?
Ms. McLeod: yes
Hladson Kappler: alright let's do this
Hladson Kappler: all set here
Jerred: Sir! Part of Relliketh was assimilated with Borg tech - it appears to be some autoreplicating virus, but it was isolated and removed before causing sever damage
Ms. McLeod moves the portal to the transport pad "all set here"
Jerred: We better hurry... before another tech incursion is attempted
Hladson Kappler: \\Kappler to the Bridge we are all set here. We will engage the time drive on your mark.
Hladson Kappler waits for the Major's order.
Jaye Jeffries: \\Do it chief - we've already lost our crew lounge, we don't need to tempt fate
Jaye Jeffries: \\and...good work engineering and science team!
Hladson Kappler: Engage now!
Ms. McLeod: initiating chroniton burst
Jerred monitors power levels
Jaye Jeffries: **Ship shakes slightly**
Ms. McLeod the transport pad spaks in protest to its irregular use
Erik Kingston: Easy... easy...
Jaye Jeffries: \\Engineering, status?
Hladson Kappler checks the ships chronometer
Hladson Kappler: \\Sir we are back in the year 1996.
Hladson Kappler: Great work everyone.
Ms. McLeod: sir
Hladson Kappler: It looks like we arrived a week before ourselves...
Hladson Kappler: time travel can be a bit tricky, but we can use the extra time
Ms. McLeod: i-i had to fix one of the pads when it was damaged by the burst...
Hladson Kappler: we have our work cut out for us to repair the ship from the Borg and the Temporal damage.
Hladson Kappler knows the ship will be ship shape in no time at all
Jerred: nods, assessing the damage done to level 2
Erik Kingston: Looks like I got my work cut out for me... but that's what I am here for
Hladson Kappler: END RP
