Trilithium Probe Armament and Implementation

Posted on 05/26/2012 @ 6:48am by Captain Syntron & Captain Kheren & Lieutenant JG Robert Baoule & Lieutenant JG Norbert Baoule & Lieutenant JG Aguk Snow & Lieutenant JG Tyvya & Lieutenant JG Thankhuun Cheonghi
Edited on on 06/19/2012 @ 6:16am

Mission: Azimuth Horizon: Crusade - Chapter 4: Operation Horizon

The turbolift terminated its descent as the lift doors faintly hissed opened.

Syntron stepped onto the corridor on deck 9 and headed directly toward the torpedo magazine room.

Arriving into the dwelling filled with the casings and a variety of components from disassembled probes and torpedoes scattered in an orderly manner throughout the room, the first officer caught sight of chief engineer Robert Baoule.

Walking up to the engineer assiduously presiding over the flurry of activity transpiring all around him, the first officer inquired “What is our current status of this operation Lieutenant?

The bald black man flashed him a shining smile.

"Steady as she goes, Sir. At present rate, we will be ready an hour ahead of schedule."

As he examined the process at which the teams were interacting to complete their task, the first officer stated impassively “Efficiency is always a distinguished attribute Lieutenant”

Around them, a dozen technicians were working like clockwork over as many torpedo casings, one opening the casing identical to that of a class VIII or IX probe, disamorçing it before moving it to the next crewman who removed the warhead to give it to a security officer before him with a disposal unit for the antimatter charge. His neighbor replaced it with an adapted sensor package of which a technician behind him had reversed the circuitry that would emit instead of recording radiation emissions. The reconfigured projectile went to the last crewmember installing the trilithium container to the emitter before sealing shut the casing and sending it down the torpedo tube magazine. With two teams working like this in both torpedo rooms, it was evident that the chief engineer's estimate was more than probable.

Looking up again at the Artemis first officer, Robert Baoule then said:

"I just received word from the captain; the twenty-five reserve torpedo casings are to be configured with life support systems, rigged with an internal firing control mechanism and brought to the shuttlebay."

With a subtly upcast eyebrow, the first officer inquired “Is the Captain preparing for an unanticipated voyage for the some of the crew members Lieutenant?

"I guess it might have to do with the fact that we jettisoned all our escape pods as chaff when the Romulan monster was trying to vaporize us," retorted Baoule with a smirk. "And knowing our captain, he certainly wants to make sure that, if things go from bad to worse, everyone on board will have a safe way out."

The first officer reciprocated “That is a logical conclusion Mister Baoule; the Captain certainly is one to be prepared for all viable contingencies.”

As he continued to watch the procedure of the probes being assembled, Syntron propounded rather unassumedly “Lieutenant Baoule, in regards to the trilithium probe preparations, this may be an unnecessary precaution, but as I began to cogitate the environment into which these probes would be launched I conceptualized the possibility of implementing a trilithium stabilizer into each probe to ensure that none of these devises detonates prematurely once introduced into the range of volatile regions within the anomaly. I have since that time briefly devised and mapped out a rough design of such a device that perhaps you and your engineering team could refer to as a potential option.”

Syntron handed the chief engineer a schematic of the stabilizer from his PADD.

“It could be set up that the stabilizer would only be deactivated upon the activation of the probes detonation sequence. Otherwise, the trilithium would be held in a stable containment field until such time. We could retrofit the previously completed probes in approximately 4.37 hours and implement this in the remaining probes directly as part of a modified process.”

"We might have some people put on a double shift for that but we're not on a vacation cruise anyway," answered the chief engineer.

The first officer then looked at the chief engineer and stated dispassionately “The decision to implement this precaution is of course up to your discretion Lieutenant, since it would require additional time and materials to complete; that is if you and your team even deemed this step necessary.”

The bald black man looked at the schematics and nodded in approval.

"Makes sense to me. We'll work on this right away."

“Acknowledged Lieutenant, I will notify the technicians involved in this process of the impending additional step in the procedure. You can train a technician in your new shift to supervise the preparation of the completed probes for minor disassembly in anticipation of the implementation of the stabilizer. Then you will have the opportunity to translate this plan from concept into a working prototype that we can simulate and test prior to the actual construction of this device.”

"Aye, Sir."

After transmitting the new directives to the engineering department, Baoule looked straight at the Vulcan.

"Tell me, Mister Syntron; do you really believe that we will be able to pull this off? Seems to me that, after all that we went through and the state we are now in, our reserve of luck might run pretty dry by now."

The first officer looked intently at the chief engineer before responding.

“Luck Mister Baoule is merely a feckless superstitious belief that good fortune occurs beyond one's control; without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. Determination, patience, courage, a resilient crew and a logical strategy are the key requirements to improve any situation… including this one Lieutenant. Our continued adherence to and implementation of this axiom have allowed us to persist and endure despite overwhelming odds throughout all of these challenging missions. This approach is currently seeing us reach this point as well Mister Baoule, and we will proceed in the same logical, intelligent and calculated manner as we conclude our preparation of these probes and ultimately launch them into their designated regions of the anomaly.”

Looking back towards the technicians assembling the probes he added “What occurs after the array of probes are detonated within the periphery and internal areas of the anomaly is yet to be known Lieutenant… but this will have more to do with the completeness and precision of our implemented strategy than any form of luck.”

The black-skinned engineer smiled broadly.

"I knew you were going to say something like that. But I needed for me and the rest of the team to hear that sober, articulate Vulcan rationale of yours."

Then, Baoule winked at him and whispered:

"Just for luck."

Syntron responded rather deadpanned.

“It is rather intriguing yet perplexing Mister Baoule the manner and moments in which humans and several other species choose to incorporate humor and other extraneous irrelevancies into relatively unusual and often challenging circumstances.”

Then with what almost what could be interpreted as a sigh he added “Nevertheless Lieutenant, if my predictable response to your emotional inquiry has somehow efficaciously motivated you and your team to some degree to fastidiously persevere with our mission, then perhaps this was not a complete misapplication of conversation.”

"Err, well.. . that one I didn't quite expect you would say..."

Facing back toward the team of technicians again, the first officer redirected the chief engineer.

“Let us now Mister Baoule focus our attention back to our immediate task at hand and bring our trilithium stabilizers into fruition.”

"Of course, Sir."

The two officers then walked to the engineering station and began uploading then modifying the stabilizer design specifications to fit into the confined space of the reconfigured probes.

Within forty-three minutes, Syntron and Baoule had gone from a rough design to a working prototype of the stabilizer. After running the prototype through a series of arduous physical and electromagnetic tests and then fitting the stabilizer like a designer glove into the oddly-shaped cavity of a probe, they were now ready to replicate the additional stabilizers for the remaining probes.

Afterward, they had added this additional step into the assembly process and within 5.08 hours, all previously assembled probes were retrofitted and complete. They were putting the final touch on the last round of probes as Syntron ordered the first round of completed probes to be placed into the launching tubes.

The first officer then activated his combadge,

“Captain Kheren. The first round of trilithium probes are ready for deployment and we are currently completing the final rounds of assembly on the last set. What is our current ETA for the anomaly’s perimeter?”

"According to ship's chronometer, we will drop out of warp in about fourteen hours," answered the deep voice of the Andorian ship commander. "Good work, Mister Syntron. My compliments to the entire crew. Once everything is set up, make sure everyone gets enough rest before we reach our destination."

The first officer responded to the Captain’s recommendation.

“Understood Captain. We will have this entire crew and others throughout the ship ordered to rest as we bring on a small replacement team to monitor all systems in each department until our arrival into the vicinity just outside of the anomaly’s perimeter. We will then recall the off duty officers back on duty and give those remaining some rest times as well. This way everyone should be reasonably well-rested and alert before we enter the targeted area and prepare for the actual deployment of the trilithium emitters.”

"Carry on; Kheren out."

After the last of the work was complete in the engineering department, Syntron traveled throughout the remaining departments of the Artemis saucer to meet with each department head. Despite all of the damage endured during the Romulan attack, the crews had managed to bring the majority of systems and the structural integrity of the saucer section back into working condition. No small feat given their current circumstance.

All crew members had been functioning virtually non-stop at high alert accompanied by elevated stress getting to this point, but now it was time for the crew to step back, relax and rehabilitate their minds and bodies. It was the first officer’s responsibility to see that they each department had a plan in place and complied to ensure that this arrangement transpired before they faced what would ultimately be the most demanding and challenging aspect of this problematic mission; facing and then attempting to extinguish this perilously massive and volatile anomaly.

Syntron's combadge then beeped at him, demanding his attention. The voice that came up was almost identical to that of chief engineer Robert Baoule, yet slightly faster and with a colder tone.

"Mister Syntron, Lieutenant Baoule here. May I ask you to come to auxilliary control room? I think we might have a problem with our sensor configuration."

Norbert Baoule was the twin brother of Robert Baoule, a scientist specialized in astrophysics and cosmology with an exceptionally high level of expertise with sensor technology. Only his blue collar and short-cropped dark curly hair distinguished him from his gold-collared, bald sibling; that and, contrary to the extraverted, jovial Robert, his utter, almost Vulcan seriousness.

If he felt compelled to ask his former department chief and now executive officer about something, it could only be because it was serious indeed.

As he walked out of engineering and headed toward the turbolift Syntron responded “I am proceeding there now Mister Baoule.”

The turbolift arrived to deck 5 and the first officer walked into the auxiliary bridge. He spotted the twin brother of the engineer he was just working with on the trilithium probes standing near the sensor console.

As he approached the assistant science chief, he inquired stoically “What seems to be the problem Mister Baoule?”

The dark-skinned man turned an uncanny replica of the chief engineer's face towards the first officer of the Artemis.

"It's the Pel sensor system, Sir. As you know, it is devised to detect and react instantly with navigation corrections to both the forming of subspace fractures and the incoming burst of plasma within such fractures. But here, take a look..."

The scientist activated the display on a computer simulation on the auxillairy science station where the Artemis, showed in it's current diminished configuration, flew towards and inside a representation of the Azimuth Horizon anomaly. At first, nothing was noticeable; and then, the saucer-shaped craft started to sway, then to buckle more and more suddenly and rapidly until it literally spun out of control and crashed into one of the floating neutronium masses peppering the plasma swirls. A second try showed it being destroyed by engulfing plasma. A third ended up with the ship disappearing inside a subspace fracture, leaving but a few debris behind.

"As you can see, Sir, the system was made to help a starship avoid the destructive tendrils of the anomaly, but only while flying at the periphery of it. Once inside however, these fractures are so numerous and form so rapidly and unpredictably from every conceivable angle that the computer simply can't cope with it. The nav system becomes overloaded and we quickly loose control until we either crash or burn... or both."

Straightening up, Norbert Baoule absently slid his left hand through his thick, short curly hair.

"And as you know more than anyone else, the successful deployement of the trilithium emitters must be done deep enough to avoid those same plasma and subspace eddies dispersing them out of alignement before we activate them all at once."

He looked now straight at the taller Vulcan.

"In other words, Sir; to have any chance to succeed, we have to get in there blind and risk being destroyed... or go in and fail... and be destroyed."

Comprehending the dire simulation the science officer was implying and presenting, Syntron inquired “Have you apprised your brother in engineering of this situation?”

"Negative, Sir. I called you first the very moment I finished up this study and saw the results."

The first officer then responded “Understood Lieutenant. However, it would appear that we could use his expert perspective and recommendations regarding the engineering aspects of this problem. In addition, we should also bring in this discussion our helm officer Lieutenant Aguk Snow, assistance science chief Lieutenant Irksos, tactical officer Lieutenant Tyvya, and assistant chief engineer Lieutenant Blakely for their input and ideas regarding these simulations and our potential options. Perhaps together we can come up with a way to resolve this, or at least improve our odds before arriving at the perimeter of the anomaly.”

"We'll all be there as soon as you call for that meeting, Sir. We still have a dozen hours to go before then," aknowledged Baoule. "I can send all the data to each officers if you want."

Syntron nodded approvingly.

“That would be most beneficial Mister Baoule. I shall have the meeting set up at the earliest available time in the conference room. This will provide you the time necessary to forward all data and concerns to each officer, and then allow each officer involved an opportunity to reflect on options and possible questions prior to the start of the meeting.”

As the first officer took leave of the science officer and headed back toward the exit, he turned back and stated “Your acute attention to detail and subsequent appropriate protocol may have assisted us in a capacity we had not yet anticipated in this mission. With the tremendous risk inherent in this undertaking, every detail entangled in our procedure is most prodigious and vital. Carry on Lieutenant.”

Norbert Baoule just nodded in thanks to the very Vulcan-styled praise. He might have looked just like his twin brother, but he was definitely less expressive. Obviously, that didn't mean however that he was any less appreciative of his superior's words.

Afterward, Syntron stepped onto the turbolift and ascended up to the main bridge.

Taking his seat by the Captain, visibly busy in finalizing his report for Lotus Fleet Command with added data from all the bridge stations, the first officer leaned over and discreetly provided a synopsis of the information that Norbert Baoule had presented to him in the auxiliary bridge and then notified the commanding officer of the upcoming discussion set for the conference room.

"Very good Number One. You are the foremost expert on this anomaly and we have the most experienced crew of all in tackling it. The twins alone just made it once again abundantly clear. So, you lead this one. Bring me the finalized plan in my office within twelve hours."

After responding to the Captain’s attestation, the first officer extracted his PADD and began preliminary work for their upcoming anomaly conference. There were numerous factors involving departments throughout the ship to consider in this endeavor to extinguish the voluminous anomaly that they were zooming toward; especially contemplating that only the virtually ramshackled and patched-up saucer section of the Artemis remained in this epic quest.

Seventeen point four minutes later, the assembled group of officers were gathered around the triangular conference table on deck 1. Syntron did not hesitate to commence with the discussion once the last expected officer arrived and was seated.

“Each of you received notification and the data projections from Norbert Baoule regarding projected consequences of our entering into the anomaly to discharge the trilithium probes in our current condition. It is our intention to discuss possible solutions to these challenges that affect every department represented here to counteract or nullify these potentially hazardous circumstances.”

The first officer leaned back slightly as he gazed around and then proceeded.

“This is an open discussion and therefore there will be no proctoring of the dialogue in any turn- by-turn basis and the only protocol is to allow each person to finish speaking before questioning or responding. Your input does not need to be limited to your field of expertise. In fact, our solution may be cross-departmental and amalgamated.”

Syntron then looked around the table and stated “Please begin.”

"To put things succintly," first said science Lieutenant Norbert Baoule, " our deployement of trilithium emitters to extinguish the plasma reaction of the anomaly requires that we enter it to ensure its success. However, the Pel system designed to safeguard a ship against emerging plasma tendrils will not only be useless once in there, it will cause us to quickly loose control of the ship and lead to our destruction."

"Meaning we will have to fly in there just like we did the first time," finished helmsman Aguk Snow with a somber tone.

They all recalled their first foray inside the Azimuth Horizon months ago and how they had barely managed to escape destruction from the fiery plasma storm hot enough to instantly burn them to a crisp... and the swirling masses of neutronium in there, large enough to crush them... or small enough to puncture their hull like a phaser shot through tin foil.

"Not quite," then said Robert Baoule, the Artemis chief engineer. "Thanks to chief Sangliar back on Starbase 10, we now have a modified impulse drive that can allow us controlled flight within the anomaly."

"And the Metaphasic Shielding LaForge Program 1 will at least protect us fully from the plasma storm itself," added tactical chief Tyvya. "The only things we would have to watch for are the plasma ejections and the floating neutronium masses... but this time, we won't have any torpedo to push them out of our way... and both tractor beams and phasers will still be useless."

"And even that, only for as long as we have power," then reminded them the Edoan chief of Ops Cheonghi. "You all recall that the anomaly drains unshielded power sources rapidly. Without the reserve power of a warp core and because active engines can only but expose our power output to the anomaly's effect, we will not last long in there on impulse power and batteries alone with shields at full."

The chief engineer could only nod glumly.

"The modified engines were designed to travel through the anomaly... not to loiter in it."

"And we need to stay inside for a significant time just to deploy the emitters and activate them," added his brother, the scientist.

Silence stretched between them, as they pondered the difficulties ahead of them.

The first officer listened attentively to the multitude of challenges the team of officers around the conference table presented; until a moment of dreadful silence seemed to envelop and hover within the room.

As the ideas began to coalesce within Syntron’s mind, he eventually offered his thoughts to the team around him.

“To conserve our energy issue, perhaps we will need to run a series of simulations to determine the minimum threshold to safely reduce our metaphasic shielding while traveling through the anomaly. In addition, we will need to evaluate and immediately shut down all additional non-essential systems throughout the saucer. Meanwhile, we could design a flight path through the anomaly to effectively use our impulse drive to launch and deposit probes from behind the saucer in a timed and coordinated procedure without any requirement to slow down our trajectory. Science and tactical stations could use our modified sensors to detect plasma ejections and the floating neutronium masses and coordinate with helm to steer around such hazards.”

Syntron then began to put all of these obstacles in perspective within the immense scope that this undertaking represented and stated “Perhaps also, it may be necessary for us to elicit assistance in this endeavor from the Alsea.”

"If she's still there," said Cheonghi, slightly lifting all three hands upward. "We don't know if she survived her encounter with the Romulan task force she was sent to intercept... or if she will still be near the anomaly when we will arrive. We don't even know exactly when we will arrive."

"Sir," then added Robert Baoule, "rationing our power consumption may add a little time overall, but the anomaly's drain on our power will still occur. So our time in there is limited. We can run impulse drive on batteries alone; we will have too after a while anyway... so in any scenario we will look at, we will be on a short schedule."

"The main problem, Sir, is navigation," reminded Norbert Baoule to the Vulcan and everyone else in the room. "The conflicting eddies and currents of the plasma ejections are barely predictable with our enhanced sensors; it occurs most within that swirling inferno which is under the variable influence of any and all gravitational masses nearby, down to the most minute ones... but then again only when it is in our space; remember, it took us a full week just to map it once. And then, the multitude of debris inside it have no gravitational or electromagnetic force to direct their position and movement as we normally see in normal space."

"And now, we have no effective way to push them away, let alone scratch them," chimed in Tyvya with a growl. "And when we will be down to batteries, we will have either enough power for the impulse drive or the shields... not both. And without the metaphasic shielding, we won't last more than a couple of minutes in there... at best."

The science Lieutenant sighed.

"In short, Sir, this will be like swimming nude and exhausted, with your legs only, in a mountain torrent during a night blizzard on Andoria."

"Kayaking..."

The strange word made everyone turn their eyes toward the copper-skinned helmsman. Like someone tore out of a dream, he blinked at everyone before finally explaining:

"Back on Earth, my people did this for thousands of years; navigate wild mountain torrents on board small one-man skin-hulled rowboats we call "kayaks." It requires the unique skill of feeling the currents to steer away from rocks and strong waves that could break both your craft and your spine at a moment's notice. Quite fun, actually..."

Tyvya rolled here eyes and shook her head, mouthing "Humans" under her breath before asking:

"And I suppose you... enjoyed this... fun-filled navigation style before?"

"Since I was five years old," he grinned back at her. Then he became serious again as he looked at the first officer; "Sir, I have class A7 certification in powerless and sub-orbital flight since my Academy days. I can fly the ship manually on thrusters the same way if I get constant pinpoint readings of neutronium masses directly from sensors... but it also will require us to ride the storm with minimal inertial dampening for me to... "feel" the plasma currents."

"This means a mighty rough ride," interjected chief engineer Baoule. "The stress on the hull will tear it apart if we stay longer than we should... of if we get brushed to close once too often by a plasma ejection or too much small debris."

"Just like kayaking," agreed Aguk Snow with a joyless smile. "Sir, I can do this... unless we can come up with a better option."

For a long moment, only silence answered him.

Syntron considered this aberrant proposition for a moment before responding.

“Unusual circumstances elicit atypical solutions.”

The first officer then looked around at the differing expressions conveyed on the officers around him. They did not appear too keen or optimistic regarding this suggestion. He then declared “Unless someone else sitting here can offer a more viable recommendation than Mister Snow, then I would advise that he begin preparations to implement his kayaking maneuver.”

He then aspired to reiterate what they already knew in an attempt to ferret out additional ideas.

“Granted, these are formidable circumstances… and we have very limited assets; except the talent and resourcefulness of the officers sitting around this table. Therefore, we must strive now to benefit from this available resource.”

Gazing sternly at the remaining officers he inquired “Who else here can evoke an unconventional suggestion or thought that we could somehow implement in our approach to protect our ship from the anomaly; knowing that we will be utilizing minimal inertial dampening as Mister Snow navigates his way through?”

"Well... with inertial dampeners at minimum and running on thrusters only, all the more power to our shields," noted Robert Baoule outloud. "it will be a rough ride but at least we will not get cooked or mashed that quickly."

"Sensors resolution can be calibrated specifically for all those known hazards inside the anomaly," added his brother with the eerily same tone of voice. "it should give us better warning to allow for course corrections."

Cheonghi, the Edoan chief of Ops, nodded his bald, chitinous red head.

"The main danger is power surges or drain from our EPS grid. We still have enough time to reinforce it and implement programmed and manual instant switching to secondary and tertiaty circuits if that occurs."

"Emergency evacuation procedures will be set on standby if all come to worse," said Tyvya. "The captain already ordered some of our remaining torpedo and probe casings to be converted into one-man lifepods; with the bridge module and our remaining shuttles, that should allow to squeeze everyone out if we have to abandon ship."

"IF we have time," grumbled helmsman Snow before adding more forcefully; "I still have a few hours to train in the holodeck before I have to turn in. We have on board the most extensive data ever about the anomaly... and I've been through it twice already. I'll be ready, Sir."

Everyone seemed alos ready to support his unorthodox endeavor as best they could from their own designated post. Then the towering Andorian chief of security turned her four oculars towards the Vulcan first officer.

"Sir, if you need more... unconventional... suggestions, I suggest you talk to the captain about it when you will go to him to have this plan approved. You can already see how his influence rubbed on some of us."

Her head nodded towards the Eskimo chief flight officer. But all the others were grinning.

Syntron nodded affirmatively at Tyvya and then gazed at the now animated officers sitting around them both.

“In that case, let us conclude this meeting to allow everyone the time and opportunity to prepare for the raging rapids awaiting us.”

They all grinned even more at the imagery conveyed by the Vulcan's unexpected words, then nodded in aknowledgement.

The first officer then stood up and announced “Dismissed.”

Syntron then walked out of the conference room and back onto the main bridge.

The Captain was not present.

Syntron then sat down at his post besides the center seat an activated the computer.

“Computer, locate Captain Kheren.”

Within seconds the synthetic response stated “Captain Kheren is on deck 8, aft section.”

The observation deck the first officer thought to himself. This is where the Captain goes to sort out troubles and concerns Syntron recalled from previous missions.

He then addressed the Chief of Security and Tactical who had just taken her post.

“Lieutenant Tyvya, you have the conn.”

"Aye, Sir."

Syntron then walked back to the turbolift and descended to deck 8.

After exiting the lift and walking past the fragrant arboretum, the first officer spotted the Captain gazing out of the aft observation window into the vastness of space.

He approached the Captain and stood at attention within his proximity and stated stoically “I have an update regarding our impending dilemma Captain.”

With just a curiously Vulcan-like raised eyebrow, one of the few facial movement his rigid Andorian face was able to make, Kheren signified clearly to him that he was ready to listen.

The first officer then thoroughly presented the details of the exchanges that recently occurred among the officers during their meeting in the conference room, along with a summation of their intended plan to the captain of the Artemis for his assessment and possible approval.

He held a gaze at the inscrutable Andorian standing before him and inquired “What is your appraisal of these courses of action Captain?

"Unorthodox, dangerous and uncertain."

The tone was cold, the facial features frozen, the antennae wavering. But, despite the tenseness in his muscular body, his silver eyes went up to meet the darker ones of the Vulcan with a most familiar glint of excitement that crept up in his voice. Even more; a definite sense of pride and satisfaction in what he heard from his XO about what all his officers did... and intended to do.

"Business as usual for this ship and crew. Carry on, Number One."

“Affirmative” the first officer replied; acknowledging that once again the crew of the Artemis was by default compelled by circumstances to implement unconventional and risky methods in an attempt to achieve both survival and any hopes for success with their forthcoming mission.

As Kheren stood gazing outward toward the enormity of star systems and such beyond the large observation window, Syntron turned and took leave of the captain once again. Their operation was just sanctioned; although rather peculiarly. It was time now to ensure that everything was in place and ready to implement before they reached the perimeter of the anomaly.

The first officer arrived moments later back on the bridge and relinquished Tyvya back to her tactical duties. He removed his PADD from his satchel and perused through the files and messages received to determine the progress and status from each department at this point in time.

It was now a matter of waiting for all of the remaining pieces of this operation to come together. And at that very moment Syntron was having this thought, so was his captain.

Reflecting upon the events since he took, or rather was shoved in, command of the Artemis, Kheren could not but wonder if all this was not the result of some occult orchestration. Some would call it Fate, but Kheren did not beleive in Fate... not beyond what one's own decisions and actions, and of everyone else around, could lead any individual to. Then, the sheer complexity of all those actions and decisions from countless individuals accross the cosmos made it all way beyond any understanding, even for the most advanced living or artificial mind or group of minds.

And yet, as a starship commander, he was expected to somehow deal with it... and not just for himself, but for hundreds on his ship under his direct command, and for the rest of Starfleet, fot the whole United Federation of Planets... perhaps even more.

Now, looking at what was left of his once magnificent starship, rushing towards an uncompleted task to an unknown time, he wondered:

Did I fail?

He was ready to accept that; to bear the responsibility of making the wrong decisions and condoning the wrong actions. But he was not ready to share that burden with the rest of his crew, bound to fall with him if he alone faltered.

And so, while the rest of the crew best prepared everything for the worst, so did he.