Cavemen versus Astronauts

Posted on Wed Sep 15th, 2021 @ 4:08pm by Ensign Alexandra 'Lexi' O'Connery & Ensign Michael Sloan & Ensign Elegy Nascimento

Mission: Mission 4 - Eden
Location: Data Core
Timeline: Day 168 12:00
2867 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

As the rest of the away team left, Michael placed his phase pistol in it's holster in a more ready position. As events of the day had already shown, he would be the first one accused of any wrongdoing. The ensign took out a scanner to see what he could get out of the device. "Tritanium frame, you don't see that every day," he stated, clearly impressed. He looked around the device for some kind of port or access. Looking at those gathered, he asked, "I wonder if there is a magic word."

Lexi stayed quite for a long moment as she watched Sloan wandered around looking at this and that. Now it was just the three of them she had a question that had been burning for the last hour or so despite her worry about the other team. “Michael… how do you know all of this?” She wondered. She did not mean it nastily as she was one of the mans biggest defenders even towards some of the people she was most close to onboard.

"I'm not just Michael Sloan, armory officer," the man replied as he fidgeted with the device a bit. Giving a look as if he found something interesting on the datacore, he added, "In fact, my time at Starfleet was the first time in my career that I was in a combat-oriented position. My real forte was data extraction and engineering." Looking toward Elegy, Michael asked, "Do you think these scanners can generate a slight charge that could simulate a token for access?"

"Not on their own," Elegy replied. Offing the bad new first, Elegy winced at Sloan and he said, "We've tried that with other computer terminals we've found." --Although Elegy was shaking his head in the negative, there remained a flicker of excitement behind his eyes-- "This ship hardly recognizes our hand-scanners as technology. It would be like trying to push a cassette tape into a bridge station."

Lexi frowned to herself as she listened. “I am starting to see that there is so much more beneath the surface.” The woman said looking around for something to do that was not just being awkwardly stood there watching the pair or looking around for the figure to swoop in and get them. She had so many questions but did not want to stir things for him but he was intriguing for her.

Tapping at the controls on his hand-scanner, Elegy accessed a new function on the device that hadn't come with the factory settings. "The Atlantis computer is a whole other beast to a hand-scanner, though," Elegy said with restrained excitement and pride. "The science team has been coding a prototype interface software to communicate with this ship's computer directly with Starfleet tech. It's untested, but I think we're close to something," Elegy said. He turned his hand-scanner to show its display to Lexi and Sloan, adding, "Take a look."

“Ah, so you are the reason the computer was still translating what I had given it last night before bed.” Lexi teased Elegy just a little. She had been overly hopeful in hoping the translation of the languages from around The Caelestis would be done by the time she had gotten up. “No time like the present to test it I say but what do I know being lowly… wait we are all Ensigns.” She grinned wickedly moving back to let Sloan look at the scanner.

“There is a bit of Andorian and, is that Trllarite code?” Sloan asked as he took a look at the display. “And this has shown promise in unlocking some of the systems aboard the ship?” he asked as a follow-up. “I say we test it out, we need to find out what’s going on here.”

"It is why I am having such trouble translating." Lexi sighed as she looked over Sloan's shoulder to look at what he was looking at for a moment before stepping back to continue playing the security role of guarding the three of them. She was not the best but she was better than nothing and she at least had seen the figure before.

Nodding at both of them, Elegy Nascimento held his hand-scanner closer to the undamaged computer server and he tapped on the scanner's positive-feedback buttons to make another attempt at communicating with the alien computer system. "The Andorians have developed new methods for subspace transceiver arrays to modulate communication frequencies," Elegy said to explain what he was attempting. Each time the scanner failed to connect with the data core, menu popups provided options to make continued attempts and Elegy selected his best guess at what would work. "Between that and bypassing their user interface panels... we're hoping..." He trailed off as he became entranced by the scanner's screen, and its ongoing need for interventions.

"It's almost as though there are more elements than we currently know," Sloan added confused. "I recognize our alliance, but there is something else. This doesn't match anything we currently have available technologically speaking, but it feels so familiar."

Lexi was paying attention but was thinking through options to try and translate the ship so they could understand it better. There was no way she could get more process power as they were already doing enough. It was frustrating as she knew that knowing the language of the ship would make the whole experience easier. "Um... what is it doing?" The communication officer demanded as it started to pulse between white and green and almost hum.

"Contact," Elegy replied at a whisper -- almost afraid his own voice could interrupt the network connection that had been established between the data core and the hand scanner. After clearing his voice, Elegy said, "The data core recognizes the hand scanner as a communications node. They're negotiating a transmission data rate; it doesn't look like our scanner's processors can accept data as quickly as the average computer panel on board."

"This is more data than the supercomputer back at Starfleet HQ can hold," Michael stated, growing more suspicious. "If we want to study this, we'll have to bring it back to the Atlantis," he added. Nodding to the scanner, Michael completed his thought, "At that rate, your scanner will fill up in seconds."

“Uh, guys!” Lexi said making them both look at her as she pointed to behind Sloan where the data core was shifting out towards him like it was organic in nature.

"Get back" Michael managed to get out as he stood, gently getting Lexi out of the path of the shifting tendrils. As he stood with his other hand held out in a defensive posture, the nearest display stopped growing just at the tips of his fingers. Expecting to feel pain, Michael was surprised to note that the unknown substance seemed to respond to movements and was more reactive to his will instead of being a defensive countermeasure. "What is this? Some kind of control panel or device?" he asked, eyes shifting from Elegy and Lexi to the strange device.

Lexi shrugged as she tried to scan it with the discarded hand scanner. “Science is not my thing.” She admitted not able to make heads or tails of it all. “I am guessing it is not hurting or anything as you are not screaming in pain or anything.” She wondered looking at the tendrils as they turned from a shifting colour to a pure green colour as if it accepted something.

After backing away from the tendrils of alien equipment, Elegy sidestepped closer to Lexi. Peeking over her shoulder, Elegy examined the sensor readings on her hand-scanner and he shrugged too. "I'd be hard-pressed to describe its utility," Elegy said, "but it looks more like brain tissue than a phase-pistol. So that... good?"

“Better than what I had been considering in pain and death.” The woman assured as the tendril wrapped around Sloan’s wrist and tugged him closer. “Looks like it’s accepted something about you. Green means accepted or go in most cultures that I have seen so far and everything hints to this being similar to ours. Just advanced.”

"I have to admit that I am truly lost," Micahel stated as he gently moved his hands, watching the entity follow his movements. "It seems to respond to input like a console or control panel, but I can not tell what would be controlled," he added. Cocking his head sideways, the man said, "If this were a defense mechanism, I should be on the floor or in some kind of stasis. I would think."

Watching Michael's movements in relation to the serpentine musculature of the interface, Elegy could only rely on his own frame of reference: United Earth Starfleet computer systems. From where he was standing, Elegy could see no similarities between the two, but the underlying technologies were remarkably similar for an alien species -- manipulation of text and symbols on computer display panels. "We design our own AI's to be intuitive, to make their use second nature. The processing power of our computer core limits an exhaustive range of gestures and haptics, but this ship's software design far outstrip ours," Elegy said thoughtfully, laying a foundation for the guess he was about to make.

"Do what comes naturally," Elegy suggested, but his voice cracked on the last word. Elegy had served with Sloan before, on the Valiant, and he had made an effort not to treat Sloan any differently since learning of his unusual origins. Hoping his suggestion wouldn't sound like an insult, Elegy quickly explained, "Treat it like a book or a hieroglyphic. Like a string around your finger, or just point at your eyes."

"Or think of what you want to know. The ship seems to be telepathic at points." Lexi said thinking of her shower and how the water had appeared to be perfect and the fact the AI seemed to be able to speak different languages to them all if there were fewer languages.

"If I were to try to access the Atlantis' databanks, I would just do," Michael explained as he acted like he were tapping on a console, "this." The display, or whatever would be estimated to be a display, began to show a strange delta insignia with a name written in what appeared to be English. "That looks familiar, yet I don't recognize the symbol. I have seen no information on this United Federation of Planets either."

Lexi paled as a sudden thought occurred to her. It should not be possible but it was the only logical thought that no one had considered in any of the discussions about the ship and where it possibly had come from. "Find out what year the United Federation of Planets was established." She asked softly.

Nodding, Sloan acted as though he were trying to access more data. He felt a little awkward, but whatever he was doing seemed to be working. The display then shifted to a blue and white flag with stars in a circular pattern, olive branches, and the name of the government. Text began to display saying, Michael then read it aloud, "The United Federation of Planets was founded in 2161 in San Francisco, Earth in the aftermath of the Earth-Romulan War. The founding members were Andoria, Earth, Tellar Prime, and Vulcan." Taking a moment to grasp what he read, he looked at those around him and said, "That is only six years from now. It seems like much is going to change." It was not lost in Sloan's thoughts about the role he was intended to play if things had gone like they were supposed to go, but it seemed like it was for the better that his mind alteration had been thwarted when it was.

"We miss it all." Lexi wanted to burst with emotions and tears as she thought about the future of the universe they were going to miss. Lexi squeezed Elegy's arm as she tried to stop the burst of emotion as the timeline of the federation flashed before their eyes.

While Lexi was overwhelmed by all the wonders that might enrich the United Earth in their absence, Elegy's consciousness fixated on one thing, and one thing only: Earth Romulan war. He spoke the words softly before he even realized he was doing it: "2161..." Elegy said. He kept his gaze on the data and the images that appeared; he was careful not to look at Sloan, not even when Sloan spoke up. The last time Elegy had heard that word --Romulan-- had been when Sloan had been disclosing his confused origins.

Pausing to think about everything, especially that revelation that was revealed by Lexi. “We have all of those species represented aboard, and more,” Michael began, trying to be reassuring despite the mention of war. “We have our own Federation and will meet enough new species out there that those ideals could earn us some friends.”

Lexi nodded wiping the stray tear that fell from her eyes. She did not want to dwell because the man was right. “You are correct. We will find our place in the universe again.” She surmised winching as the text started to roll through dates. “Whoa…” She could barely catch any of the words on the screen.

Balking at the vastness of data available to them, Elegy could only breathe out a scoff or two at how far in the "past" Atlantis was from the point of view of the data core. "Were we already ancient history," Elegy asked, "when this ship was launched?"

"Looks to be 4512," Michael added, a little troubled. It would explain alot for this ship to be from that far into the future. "We aren't going to be able to extract all of this information here, I would suggest taking it back to our labs for further data analysis." Sloan added. Looking at the file sizes, he added, "The sheer amount of data is just staggering."

“Yeah. Definitely not enough PADDs or Scanners.” Lexi surmised trying to sound chipper but failed slightly as she looked at the information in front of her. It was a lot to process. CJ appeared behind the group and looked at them all in different states of shock and interest.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but Gerhard needs everyone back to the ship. A situation has developed at the other end of the ship.” He admitted.

"We'll have to bring this back to the ship on our return trip," Sloan replied as he quickly wrapped up. He began replacing some of the paneling and covering some of the exposed circuits to keep the data safe while they were gone. Looking to the rest of those gathered, Michael nodded his readiness before looking to CJ, "Where are the others?"

“Well everyone who was with us is okay but the Captain and Petty Officer Szerda have been captured by the person unknown onboard. They were gased. Walker and the Doctor just managed to get away to raise the alarm.” CJ revealed the worry of the situation written all over his face. Lexi raised an eyebrow at what had occurred at the end other end of the ship.

At Sloan's suggestion, Elegy had knelt beside the isolated data core to examine the many points of connection between the computer repository and the starship. Toggling to a different sensor setting, Elegy examined the physical connections with his hand-scanner, but CJ's verbal report certainly caught his attention. "What?" Elegy blurted out, looking up from the scanner. "That's hideous."

“We can get this back to Atlantis can’t we Elegy?” Lexi promoted knowing that Michael’s skills would be needed way more than her languages or Elegy’s science. “Should be easy enough. Looks half disconnected.” She shrugged already looking behind to work it all out.

Nodding at Lexi, Elegy waggled a finger at the exposed backing of the data core. "Pull out the white cable and the blue cable," he said; "And when you pull out the transparent optical cabling, see if you can keep the cable. Pull it out of the rest of the server too." As he explained the delicate part of the operation, Elegy pocketed his hand-scanner and took out his phase pistol instead. "Once you're clear," he said, "We're gonna have to cut it out of its housing on this side."

Lexi nodded had to trust Elegy was not going to fry her just like she had trusted Sloan earlier to get them into the Datacore. "Go on we have got this," Lexi assured Sloan as she started to get to work on the white and blue cables.

Padding to the left, Elegy positioned himself so his phase-pistol was only aimed at the metallic framework -- and not at any of his crewmembers. Squeezing the trigger, Elegy swept the focused energy discharge across the thin band of metal that was connecting their desired component to the housing that held it within the computer core. "One last thing to steal," Elegy said with a sheepish shrug. "E.D.E.N. won't mind. We're old buddies now."