Deck 5 Science lab

“So what are we looking at?” Lorena asked.

Projected before them in a large sprawling black and blue cloud with hundreds of markers, notes, and pins lay the total estimated effect of the blackout.

“This is the science team’s calculation of the effect of the blackout on subspace in this region.” Lt. Vossk said.

“It’s like looking at fog, but it’s like a photo negative,” Lt. Thorne said.

“An astute analogy. The blackout effect isn’t uniform. And there appears to be a pattern to its dispersal.”

“Dispersal? You mean its nature is artificial?” Tib asked.

“Indeed. Which only leaves one further question on the table? Why?”

“What are its effects so far?”

“All subspace communications are effectively jammed. Warp travel is severely hampered. Field stability is expected to degrade sharply beyond 20 light years at maximum.”

“The perfect preamble to an invasion. Cut off your enemies’ communications and reduce their mobility to limit counter strikes and degrade static unit effectiveness,” Jel’kan noted.

Everyone glanced at him with worried expressions, and he returned it with a stoic if confused look back.

“What? It’s what I’d do.”

“That’s the real question, though, isn’t it? Who do we know that could pull this off?”

Everyone folded their arms, thinking it over silently.

“The klingons?” Jel’kan offered.

Tib shook his head. “I’m not so sure. Battle hungry, sure. But this feels outside of what we’ve come to expect from them technologically. And they’d have had to set a network up like this for quite some time. We’re deep in the Alpha quadrant. It’d take them several weeks just to get out here to emplace some kind of jamming equipment like this.”

“We can rule out the Romulans as well if we’re using that line of logic.” Lorena said.

“Though it does feel more like something they’d pull.” Jel’kan added.

“The Dominion? They wanted a crack at us before. Maybe they grabbed up something in a different conquest?” Lorena asked.

Tib frowned. “Feels too confrontational for them. They had more political savvy than just a prelude to invasion. This is a hostile action. Someone’s coming to send rounds down range. I just don’t think it’s anyone we’ve already seen. We all depend on subspace and warp too much. Whoever it is has to have a different way of either communicating and or getting around. Otherwise you’re shooting your own feet off as well.”

“The borg?” Jel’kan asked.

“We’d initially considered that given they’ve been recorded as having transwarp conduits and as yet unidentified means of trans quadrant communications. But no, none of the markers that indicate borg activity or involvement.” Vossk said.

“So we’ve ruled out all the major players, which means this is going to be a mystery for a little longer. It also leaves us with some issues to deal with.” Tib said, taking control of the meeting again.

“Currently, we’ve had no contact with Command in quite some time, but I have to imagine they’ve done the same kinds of study and made the same conclusions we have. Something is coming with a very big stick, and they’re aiming for us. All of us. They’ve blacked out subspace for everyone. That means someone out there is very confident this is a fight they can win.”

Tib watched as everyone’s expressions darkened. Most everyone in this room was too young to have seen the Dominion war days. That crucible belonged to his old man. The closest anyone would be able to relate to this would be Frontier Day.

“That means we’re on our own. With our principles and our mission to guide us. But there are some things we can do to make our life easier when things get worse. And they will get worse. What are they? First, we need an alternative to warp drive or a solution to the blackout.

Second, we need to establish communications with command again.

Third, we protect anyone nearby who needs it.

Fourth and lastly? We stop whoever our unknown boogeyman is.

So. I need options.”

Taran folded her arms. Her engineering coveralls had grease smears on them from some work she’d been doing before this meeting was called.

“We might be able to push some kind stabilization field through the deflector to help stabilize our warp field. Give us double the legs. But the field collapse might not be the kind of ride we wanna have.”

“What can we do about comms?”

“Well, without subspace relays to pass on messages, we’re severely limited to what we can send. Even if we developed something, it’s doubtful anyone else would have the tech on hand to receive the same kind of transmissions.” Vossk replied.

Tib frowned. He really hated how much of a bind this blackout put them in. They’d just have to cross that bridge as they came to it then.

“Alright, keep on the signals’ issue. For now, we’ll focus on what we can effect. I want all alternative warp drive solutions pitched by close of business no matter how ridiculous it sounds. Leave no stone unturned. I want tactical assessment by 1000 hrs. I know we haven’t operated one before, but I think it’s time we compiled a hazard squad.”

Jel’kan’s reptilian brow arched.

“You anticipate combat in close quarters?”

“I’d rather not rule it out. As a rule, I like to have as many answers to as many questions as I can think of. One of them being, if this spills into fighting in my ship or someone else’s? Who am I sending? In that case? I need a squad of your most capable picked from across the entire crew, excluding command staff. I’ll need all of you in your posts.”

Jel’kan looked a little deflated at being pushed out of the opportunity, but gave a respectful nod. “I’ll build your list and let you make any final assessments.”

“Good. I have a feeling this is going to get fast and dirty. So don’t expect a lot of downtime because when this happens? It’s not going to let up.”

“You’re sure of this?” Lorena asked.

Tib frowned. “I wouldn’t let my enemy have the momentum back if I’d taken it from them, either. So we have to assume any ground we do get? Is because we forced it from them. We’re already playing with a bad hand. So we need to find ways to make what few cards we have the biggest impact. That’s how we get through this. By being smart, and capitalizing on their mistakes. It may not be a lot. It may just boil down to one opportunity. But when it comes? I aim to be ready and misbehave. Dismissed.”

Everyone filed out leaving Tib behind to stare at the massive depiction of the blackout in their known space. Lorena fell in at his side.

“You sound like you’re expecting a war.”

“Never rule it out until you know for certain it’s not in the cards. Right now, we look closer to war than anything else. Once we know with who we’ll have our answers.”

“You don’t think it’s too alarmist?”

Tib shrugged. “I like to think of it as being prepared. My old used to tell me stories about the Dominion war. It was pretty touch and go for the federation back then.”

Lorena frowned, but nodded. “I don’t disagree, but I worry about the precedent this might set.”

Tib shook his head. “Preparation does nothing negative. If anything, it sets a tone and lets the crew know we’re doing what we can to be ready. I don’t want them thinking that we’re doing nothing and have no idea what’s going on. We’re still in control, even if we don’t have as much control as we’d like.”

She nodded thoughtfully. He’d clearly given her something to consider. “I see. Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For reminding me that despite how much I think I know, there’s always something else there, I don’t. Or haven’t thought of.”

“Give yourself some credit. You have, just not from the same angles I do. But that’s the beauty of it. In most things? There’s no right and wrong way to see something. It just boils down to what you do with what you know. I’ll be counting on you to make sure everyone is ready for anything.”

“I’ll start developing some potential drills we can have the crew run through for training.”

“Good. In the meantime, I’m going to go chat with my brother.”

“About?”

“About if he’s got anything in that toybox of a mind of his to save our bacon.”

“I’m sure he does. The question is if we can pull it off the time we have left and how much of a resource drain it’ll be.”

“That’s always the big question.”

“Well, good luck.”

She excused herself and left him alone there now. The holographic display of the black out looked like an ominous dark stormcloud waiting to burst open and rain hard. He just hoped that when that time came, they’d be able to weather the storm.