USS Penumbra Sim Narrative, SD 202102.12 Introduction: . The Penumbra had left the Kyrathian Homeworld but was still in the Mirror Universe. Their way back home through the Rift blocked by the Golem Cain's modified Romulan Warbird and two Aslan Battlecruisers. That kind of force would be suicide for the Penumbra to take on in a straight-up battle. . But, down in Cargo Bay One they had an ancient antimatter fusion core known as "the Heart of the Ancients" they'd retrieved from deep within the Evil Vine of the Mirror Universe Ivorez. Their readings showed this Core could generate power an order of magnitude beyond their standard warp core. All they had to do was figure out how to integrate it into the Penumbra's power distribution system and they'd be all set. . In addition, LtCmdr. Tabeshk Tibris, with assistance from LtJG. Jackson Carshel, as well as various members of the Medical Department, had created a two-pronged viral attack for the Warbird and it's android commander. The first prong was an electronic "cancer" based on having various nanites boosted with a version of "the Green Energy Monster" that had once taken down our own Ambassador Adam Android (back when he was merely a Lieutenant Operations Officer). The second prong involved a modified biological virus that originally was a Romulan withering disease. They'd hoped they'd adjusted it to affect more than just Romulans. . Now, the Penumbra flew at Yellow Alert with their Multiphasic Image Redirection And Graphics Emitters (MIRAGE system) activated to make them virtually invisible, trying to slip as close as possible to the Rift to prepare for the inevitable confrontation. Bridge & Flight Deck: _What's the Plan?__
. SgtMaj. Derek Hines had gathered several Marines around him on the Flight Deck. Among them were MstSgt. Khal'Gon, CfWrnt Sandy Sandoval, SSgt. William Davies, and Cpl. Homer Kyle. Most of those gathered were the elite Pathfinders, and the senior Marine Non-Commissioned Officer was briefing them on a potential suicide mission, and looking for volunteers. . Up on the Bridge, LtCmdr. Jason Carter sat at the Helm control, clenching his knuckles on the flight control sticks. He asked, "Captain ... what exactly is the plan to take on the Warbird and two Aslan Battlecruisers?" . Capt. Zak Taylor sat in the Command Chair. With a smirk he answered, "Well ... Tactical plans are up to our Tactical Officer, so ... I hope he has one!" He turned and gave the man a smile. . LtCmdr. Denovan Hawke, the Chief of Security and Tactical Operations, responded, "I actually might. Aside from the idea of hooking up the Core to our systems for the extra power." He was, of course, referring to the Heart of the Ancients they had in the Cargo Bay. He continued, "So, theoretically, MIRAGE is just a different version of a cloak, right?" . Zak nodded. "Right, MIRAGE is a system superimposed on the hull. It just projects a hologram of the space on the far side of the ship." . Den continued, "However, we can use shields and weapons with it. Which, as long as we're 'cloaked', we won't need shields for the moment to get close enough." He paused and then added, "With a distraction, they could focus on that, which gives us enough space to get the team on board." . "But," Zak pointed out, "We have had issues with power supply when we do a bunch of things at once. Which is where that new core comes in ... if they can get it hooked up." . Den waved a hand, "Which, yes, Captain, where we have to wait on that so we don't lose any of the refracted light panels because of power loss."
. Across the Bridge, in the Science area (currently empty with all the Science Officers in the Cargo Bay with the Core), Tabby was working on his Viral Package. He wasn't taking any chances though and had himself all suited up in a hazmat biosuit with gloves up to his elbows, boots to his knees, and a huge facemask over his head (which were all over-the-top measures since the biological virus was well contained in sealed cylinders). _Prep a Pod__ . About that time, LtCol. Travis Patterson stepped out of the Turbolift carrying a hypo-vial containing a liquid that glowed with a faint bluish light. It was undoubtedly a vial filled with the modified nanites that flowed through his own blood stream. Nanites modeled after Borg nanites but adjusted during some secret Starfleet Intelligence (Sector 31? - nah, they don't exist!) program to make "super-soldiers". That experiment was deemed a "failure" because dozens of "specimens" either died or "had to be put down" after they went berserk (or escaped and went underground, like Carshel's mom, code-named "Jackal"). . Patterson reached to hand the vial to Tabby, then turned and asked, "Any thoughts on how we can get a virus on board without having to hand it to him personally?" . "Hey, wait a sec!" Tabby exclaimed. . Zak turned and said, "What?" . Tabby responded, "We want to send a package ... let's giftwrap it in one of those damn Kyrathian Pod thingies! If they can suck energy out of a ship, they can deliver energy just as well, right? That could safely deliver the virus without extra bodies being the cost! We know how they work now and ... I'm one hell of a programmer." . "But ...," Zak began, then stopped himself. He turned to Patterson. "Hey, Colonel, didn't we grab one of those things way back when?" . Tabby grinned, looking like some mad scientist in all that getup, "Yup! We sure did!"
. But Patterson asked, "Y'mean the one with the giant gaping hole in the center of it?" He'd blasted it with the Cerberus' WAR driver and then captured it with a tractor beam to drag home for study. . Zak stared at Patterson a moment. "Yeah, that'd be the one, Colonel." . Tabby shrugged, "Eh, just duct tape it, it'll be fine!" . Zak turned back to Tabby, "But ... we've been studying the damn thing, can't we ...." He was cut off by a sudden flare of the ship's lights. _Power Up!__ . Warning buzzers sounded from the Operations Console and Tabby hurried over to check it out. "Ai-yi-yi!" He exclaimed, "What ...?" . "Whoa!" Den chimed in. "I think that Core's plugged in now. I just got all defensive and offensive systems at 500%!" . Tabby snatched the glove off one hand and his fingers started flying all over his Console. "Too much damn power! What the hell?" He started routing the power to various batteries and facilities so they wouldn't overload their systems. He tapped his commbadge, his voice just short of a shout. "Bevin, what the hell did you guys just do? I have the power of the gods up here!" . Bevin's voice came back in her Brogue, "Blaist tha raift and gair-haid wi ait!" . The sudden rush of power bumped the engines from their cruising speed of Warp 5 up to near Slipstream velocity! Carter blinked at his readings and then reported, "Captain ... we hit Slipstream velocity for ... 2.2 seconds!" . Unbeknownst to the crew of the Penumbra, the power surge had external effects as well. For the merest instant, just a tiny fraction of a second, their MIRAGE system flashed with power. On the Warbird, the Golem Cain tensed. "Tell me you saw that," he said to his Tactical Officer. "Or am I the only one with functioning optical sensors? Twenty degrees port. There was a ... twinkle ... or something. Send one of the Cruisers to investigate. Yes, I know I said hold this position! Plans change, do it!"
. "Anyway," Tabby turned from the Operations Console, "back to the pod thing. Can't we build one? Since the one we have is kinda ... well, hollow? I could make energy weapons with this stupid amount of power, and it's not even a joke anymore. " . Den smirked while tapping several buttons on the Tactical Console, "I sort of just did. With what we have, I think our phasers could punch through a Starbase right now!" . Tabby smiled, "I don't doubt that now, Den, I really don't." . But Den added, "Too bad that doesn't do anything for the torpedoes. But," he paused, thinking, then said, "You could always take this information later and make a new warhead, Tabby. Or WE could." . "Actually," Tabby responded, "I was thinking about doing just that." _Plan of Attack__ . The Captain glanced around the Bridge, smiling at his crew. "So," he began, "Next step, delivering our gift to the Warbird. What's the plan for that? And, Colonel, I know you probably have some Marines lined up to give their lives for the cause, but let's try to keep them alive, shall we? If we can make one of those Pod things to deliver the package, that's a better way, don't you think?" . The Colonel nodded. "We're gonna need more than one or he's just gonna shoot it, Zak." He turned to Den. "Mr. Hawke, how many torpedoes can we fire in 3 seconds?" . Den studied his Tactical board and then answered, "Given the accelerated energy load on the launchers, and all systems, probably twenty, but it may burn out the mechanical aspects of the launchers, Colonel." . "Twenty?" Zak gaped. "Holy --- OK, Den, we can do maybe 10 then, so we don't fry the system and keep some in reserve. Tabby, do we have enough of your Viral Package for 10 torpedoes?" . Tabby frowned, "Not half that many. I didn't make them like we are a manufacturing company! This stuff is DANGEROUS do you hear me? I have enough for 5 that's it and that's pushing it."
. "All right, all right," Zak raised his hands at Tabby. "If we launch 10 there will be a bunch of decoys then, huh?" . Den said, "I could do the five and set them all to different timed detonations. Though if you're going to do what I think, Helm is going to have to be a leaf on the wind for the wash to not reveal us, Captain." . Zak rubbed his chin. "Five will work if we can get 2 or 3 on his ship. But ... we have to get that electronic virus into their computer system, right? How do we do that? If we reverse-engineer a Pod and send power INTO their shields, they'll just block it, right?" . "Not if we disguise it," Tabby suggested. . Patterson stood and walked quickly to the Master Systems Display at the rear of the Bridge. As he walked he said, "I have an idea. Den, we take the viral torpedoes and send them from Bay 3." He moved various displays around on the MSD as he continued speaking. "The others, we rapid-fire as many quantum torpedoes as we can, set on variable delayed detonations. Blanket the entire area with trilithium resin, and flood the area with tachyon particles and excess antimatter from our new core." _Running Out of Time__ . On the main viewer they saw one of the Aslan Battlecruisers break formation and begin moving towards the Penumbra. Den reported, "An Aslan is moving in this direction." . Tabby said, "Oh, that's not good. Hey, hey, guys, we've been spotted and need to move ... like now!" He rushed back to the Operations Console and doubled checked everything. "MIRAGE is up, but somehow they saw us!" . Den said, "They may have seen something from the burst." . Tabby cursed, "Damn it! The energy flicker!" . "I see him," Carter said, "but he doesn't see us yet." He smirked. "His heading is 4 degrees off port from ours."
. On the Warbird, the Golem Cain called to his Tactical Officer, "Well? Did they find anything? What do you mean, nothing? There's something out there, I saw it! It's that damn Shadow, or ... no, wait, it was Penumbra, wasn't it? He's here. Red Alert, Battlestations!" . About that time, T'Lin and Carshel stepped out of the Turbolift, having been dismissed from the Cargo Bay and the Core there. Both walked over to their Science Stations. . Zak watched the Battlecruiser scanning the area for them and said, "We're running out of time for plans. T'Lin, welcome back to the Bridge. Now, I have to put you to work. Get with Tabby and get 5 torpedoes loaded with our Viral Package combo. And figure out a way to get them to ... inject that virus into the Warbird's computer system." . "Yes, sir." T'Lin responded. She returned to the Turbolift and Tabby joined her to go to the Torpoedo Launch Tubes. Carshel remained at the Primary Science Console on the Bridge. . Zak stood and joined Patterson at the MSD. "Colonel, he'll definitely see all those torpedoes coming at him. He'll know we're here. We'll lose our element of surprise." . Den joined them. "I just mentioned the detonations, but ... actually, sir. That might work. That, and vent the antimatter plasma to make a cloud, but that may very well expose us also." . "Wait," Zak said, "Screw him! He's gonna know we're here the moment things start hitting his ship. What we don't want him doing is TARGETING us. And ... don't we have super-shields right now?" He turned to Den with a grin. . Den smiled, "We do have them at 500% at the moment Captain." _Battlestations!__ . Patterson turned and called, "Carter, adjust course to 141 mark 215 on my command. Initiate a starboard aft corkscrew, 2 degrees by 1.4 degrees, and flare it when I give the order."
. Carter blinked. "Aye, Colonel." He pressed several buttons on the navigational screen and then said, "New course set and prepared ... beginning corkscrew." . Patterson turned back to the Tactical Officer, "Denovan, load quantum torpedoes. Double-shot your guns and make ready to give him hell." . Den stepped back to the Tactical Console and pressed several buttons and then said, "Loaded. As are aft torpedoes. If we're going to pass by and show our ... well ... ass." . From the Torpedo Launch Tubes, a call came over the comm system from Tabby, "What if some of these torpedoes, the decoys, were remote controlled? Have him play chase the birdy for a bit then, WHAM! You're an idiot, hunk of nuts and bolts!" . Zak grinned as he tapped his commbadge to respond. "Any advantage you can give us within about a two-minute window, Tabby, do it." . Tabby responded, "Gotcha! Flying torpedoes is way simpler than flying a ship." In a few minutes he and T'Lin had the torpedoes all set and they quickly returned to the Bridge. . Zak turned to face his Tactical Officer and with a solemn expression said, "Den, you hereby have Tactical Command at your discretion. Coordinate with the Colonel and Helm as needed." . Den nodded, "Understood." . Tabby and T'Lin emerged from the Turbolift and hurried back to their stations. Zak called to his Chief of Operations, "Tabby ... work with Den's command. It's now or never." . Tabby nodded, "Uh ... follow the plan. What's the plan again?" He took his seat at the Tactical Console and pulled up the torpedo remote guidance routine. . Den looked over at Tabby. "Once we start, you've got direct control of the virus torpedoes, you've got to pin point them while I distract the Warbird from destroying them."
. Carter switched the ship to manual flight controls. He knew the ship's computer navigation would not like what he was about to do. He glanced at Patterson, ready for the signal. . Patterson still stood near the MSD but facing forward. He looked at Carter and said, "Steady ... steady ...." . Zak returned to the Command Chair and took his seat. "Den, sound Red Alert. Battlestations!" _The Onslaught Begins!__ . The klaxon sounded and red lights flashed on all around the ship. MAX, the Artificial Intelligence originally created on the Darmok and now residing on the Penumbra activated the All Hands call, "The Captain has activated the 'fasten seatbelts' sign. Please place all lunch trays in their upright and locked positions." He was a smart-ass at times. . "Shut up, MAX!" Tabby said. . The Captain rolled his eyes at the smart-ass AI and activated his own All Hands function. "All hands, brace for battle. This is going to be rough and tumble and put a lot of strain on our ship, our crew, and our resources, but I know you can all handle it. Do your jobs the way you were trained and we'll be home in time for dinner! Captain out." . Tabby's face set in a determined line. "I'm ready when you are, Den." . Patterson stepped up beside Den and tapped him on the shoulder. "Fire all. Carter, NOW!" . Den began the onslaught. Quantum torpedoes, as well as the remote-guided ones with the Viral Package, a dump of trilithium resin from the warp drive exhaust, and a cloud of excess warp plasma and tachyon particles from their super-powered new Core, all emerged from the hidden Penumbra. The torpedoes headed directly for the Warbird, and the cloud quickly confused any sensor scans of where the Penumbra was located. . Instantly, Carter tugged the flight sticks back, right, then down, rolling the Penumbra violently into a forward right spin. As he did he began to giggle under his breath like a madman.
. Zak grinned at Carter's reaction and said, "Flying like a Peregrin, isn't she, Carter?" He could feel the ship's movements through the deck plating. . On the Warbird, the Golem saw the sudden burst of torpedoes and the cloud of particles. "What are they doing?" he wondered aloud. "That is so stupid! We can clearly see where they are now! Target that mass of torpedoes and fire disruptors. Send both Cruisers to converge. I want to be scouring their wreckage in five minutes." . On the Penumbra, Tabby was flying the five Viral Package torpedoes. He muttered to himself, "If I know Romulan craft well enough, the sweet spot should be right under the jugular of the ship's bridge." He flew his torpedoes aiming for the "neck" of the Warbird, just behind the "chin" of the forward section. He turned his head with an evil grin on his face. "Den, I'm going bobbing for apples! Adam's apple, get it?" _Moving Targets__ . Den barked out, "Helm, bring us as close to the Aslan ship as you can and invert us so she can be broadsided, they can't target us as accurately at that range." . "Easy task, Hawke!" Carter answered. "Captain, hope we're due for a fresh coat of paint when we get back. We're gonna need it!" . On the Warbird, the Golem was growing frustrated. "I know you can't see their ship! Target where the center of the torpedoes came from! Don't make me relieve you Lieutenant!" Everyone on that ship knew what it meant for the Golem to "relieve" someone. They'd be killed! . On the Penumbra, Tabby grunted, "Oh, Captain, my torpedoes split like fireworks, too!" He grinned like a madman as the warheads of the five torpedoes spewed chaff to confound targeting, sending white-hot fragments in random directions even while the torpedoes themselves flew on towards their target.
. The two Aslan Battlecruisers engaged in the fight, firing their high-energy plasma weapons. The beams sliced through space not far from where the Penumbra WAS, but not even close to where it was NOW, after that fancy corkscrew dive and inversion. . Patterson still stood next to Den. He tapped the other man on the shoulder and pointed at the Tactical display. "We're gonna lose targeting sensors with all that fuzz. Good call getting close." . Den smirked. "That's what manual is for, sir. Lead the target." Being that Carter had followed Den's instructions to put them inverted under the belly of one of the Battlecruisers, Den fired off the ventral phasers as they passed. He wasn't targeting anything specific, critical or non-critical, he was just trusting that the phasers were in "supercharged" mode. They sliced along the belly of the Battlecruiser like a laser scalpel! . A call came over the comm system from SgtMaj. Hines, "Bridge, we're standing by down here for Plan B if needed ... but with Carter's flying, I think I'm gonna be sick before we even leave the Flight Deck!" Beside Hines, MstSgt. Khal'Gon grabbed Hines by the back of the neck, making sure that IF he lost his lunch, it wouldn't get on HIM! . In the swarm of twenty torpedoes, the Warbird was blasting high-powered disruptor beams. In seconds, five of the twenty were destroyed, pretty good shooting, actually. _The Warbird's Glass Jaw__ . Tabby continued piloting his five remote-guided torpedoes with the Viral Package aboard. He began laughing like a madman, "Heheheh! Ah-hahahaha! Get rekt gear-head!" . Carshel turned to his "boss", "T'Lin, do you think Tabby's gone mad? Or is he always like this?" . T'Lin replied without even looking up from her console, "I believe he has been this way his whole life. He is ... quite special."
. Carshel nodded, "Ah ... I see." He gave a slight smirk and returned his attention to his own console. . The Warbird's Tactical Officer took down two more torpedoes, only ... these were two of Tabby's five carrying the Viral Package. Odds for mission success suddenly dropped by 40%! Tabby barked out, "Mother trucker!" . Carter announced, "We're entering tractor beam range of the Rift in 45 seconds!" . Patterson pointed over Den's shoulder at the Tactical display, "Den, aft torpedoes. Give him a second volley from behind." . Den quickly set the torpedoes' target. "Aft torpedoes ready. On your mark, Colonel." Den visualized a scene from the past: Kirk's battle against Chang at Khitomer. When at last the Enterprise figured out how to find Chang's cloaked Bird of Prey after being pounded by several torpedoes, Kirk very energetically stepped one leg up on a chair support and cried out "Fire!" . But Patterson simply tapped Den's shoulder. A bit anticlimactic, perhaps, but Den fired torpedoes anyway. . Meanwhile, Tabby piloted his remaining three Viral Package torpedoes through the Warbird's disruptors, slipping behind the "jaw" of the ship. Two were intercepted by the Warbird's shields, exactly as they were intended to do. But, the third managed to punch through the shields and clean through the hull, undoubtedly exploding inside the neck of the Warbird with a glorious cloud of deadly virus! One dose of biological virus delivered inside, and two doses of electronic virus beginning to be "pumped" into the Warbird's shields. . And then came a call from LtCmdr. Bevin MacArdry, monitoring the Heart of the Ancients down in the Cargo Bay, her thick Brogue sometimes hard to unravel as she said, "Braidge! Ye had baist hurry, I'm gonna need tae shuit doin tha Hairt ain faive!" They had only five minutes to pry open the Rift and make their escape before the alien core would overheat and threaten to destroy them all with a warp core overload! Cargo Bay:
Flipping the Switch . Cmdr. Relok, LtCmdr. Bevin MacArdry, LtCmdr. T'Lin, and LtJG Jackson Carshel were in Cargo Bay One with the ancient alien core known as the Heart of the Ancients. They had to figure out how to integrate the thing into the Penumbra's power system, and do it quickly. Their whole plan to get back to their own universe depended on the power that thing could generate. . Relok studied the monitor they'd rigged into it, finally displaying the Federation Standard translation of whatever strange runes the thing had originally showed them. "Well," he said, turning to the others, "What do you think, Carshel, T'Lin, Bevin? Are we ready to plug this thing in?" . Carshel answered first, "So, now that we can understand this thing, and know how to wire it up ... I guess we can let her rip?" . Bevin responded, her Scottish Brogue rolling off her tongue, "We kin trae!" . T'Lin just stared at the Core, deep in thought. . Carshel, the youngest (and by far the most excitable) member of the team, grinned, "Yeah! I'm ready as ever!" . Relok glanced around, his brows lowered slightly. "If anyone has reservations about our connections, now's the time to bring them up." . T'Lin looked up, her head still cocked slightly to the side as she stared at the Core, "None from me," she said. . Bevin smirked and responded, "Mak mine fer Risa Grande Hotel iftir thais one is ivvir!" They'd all probably enjoy a little downtime on Risa after this mission! . Carshel muttered, "I really hope we don't go kabloomy! Think I had enough explosives for a lifetime." He touched the hearing aid over one ear. . T'Lin turned to him, "That would indeed be bad. I never want to relive that again, so, I am eager to get rid of this," she waved towards the Heart. . Relok gave a curt nod then said, "Bevin ... let's plug in that last connection, and you can have the honor of 'flipping the switch'. Cross your fingers, everyone." _It Works! (For Now.)__
. Bevin double-checked all the connections they'd made, then made the last one before making a flourish to flip the final switch. Suddenly enormous power coursed through the ship. The lighting flared brightly and Bevin's sensors showed a sudden increase of power of at least 500%! . Bevin's commbadge chirped as Tabby called from the Bridge, "Bevin, what the hell did you guys just do? I have the power of the gods up here!" . Bevin just grinned and answered, "Blaist tha raift and gair-haid wi ait!" . Relok couldn't help grinning, in spite of his desire to suppress his emotional outburst. "It works!" he exclaimed. "Good job, Bevin, Carshel, T'Lin!" . Carshel gave an exaggerated bow, "Ta-da!" . T'Lin turned away from the Core, closing her eyes. She murmured, "Thank the Mother." Then her voice returned to normal levels as she said, "I wish to return to the Bridge now, am I dismissed?" . Relok turned to her and answered, "Yes, T'Lin, get up to the Bridge and help Tabby come up with a way to deliver our Viral Package. Bevin, please stay here and monitor this new Core. I'll stay here too. Carshel, go with T'Lin back to the Bridge." . Carshel responded, "Aye," and gathered his supplies. T'Lin merely nodded, but she was not oblivious to the sympathy apparent in Relok's eyes for her mental and emotional state. Together the two Science officers exited the Cargo Bay and headed for the nearest Turbolift. As they walked, Carshel glanced at T'Lin occasionally. He didn't speak, but wasn't hiding the fact he was worried about her. . Some time passed, with Relok and Bevin both carefully monitoring the Heart of the Ancients. It began showing some signs of heating up. It wasn't dangerous, yet, but would need watching.
. Soon, a klaxon sounded and red lights flashed around the walls. They'd gone to Red Alert. They'd known it was coming. Ordinarily, both of them would rush to their respective stations for a battle scenario, but in this one, this Core was their top priority. It was critical they maintain the enhanced power source for as long as possible. . A voice came through the comm system. It was the Artificial Intelligence called MAX. He announced, "The Captain has activated the 'fasten seatbelts' sign. Please place all lunch trays in their upright and locked positions." . Relok glanced at Bevin. She just smiled. . Then the Captain's voice came through the comm, "All hands, brace for battle. This is going to be rough and tumble and put a lot of strain on our ship, our crew, and our resources, but I know you can all handle it. Do your jobs the way you were trained and we'll be home in time for dinner! Captain out." . Several minutes into the battle, the Core was showing definite signs of overheating. Bevin glanced at Relok, a grim look on her face. She tapped her commbadge and called, "Braidge! Ye had baist hurry, I'm gonna need tae shuit doin tha Hairt ain faive!" They had five minutes.