12-02-2024, 09:05 PM
Personal Log
Stardate 202412.02
While we were on patrol near a Neutral Zone shared with the Cardassians, the ship picked up a distress beacon. It seemed like a pretty simple Search and Rescue mission at first. I geared up, prepared to deal with whatever had happened on this unfortunate ship and got more than we could do much about.
It doesn't help much that Cardassian ships, as a general rule of thumb, are not good ships. They tend to be barely above most pirates I have known. They cut corners while demanding the most speed, defense and firepower they can squeeze out of anything that will carry them through space. They don't have time for annoying things like preventive maintenance schedules or serious redundancies that might save lives. They'll rip out a backup to life support if they can get more power to shields or weapons systems. As a result, I was not shocked to see that their power and systems control was a mess.
It seems that they were trying to test some sort of device, but I didn't see any staff that might have known anything about it. I suspect they were the first to die when it malfunctioned. The remaining crew were unable to fix the problem or knew how to shut it down before it began tearing the ship apart. We went back in after we pulled out their casualties. We scanned everything with drones and tricorders, so maybe we'll figure out some of what they were up to one of these days, but for me there were just too many variables that we had far too little information on. I could speculate that it might have been some sort of system that was intended to mimic the old Romulan Plasma torpedo, using a containment of some kind and then firing it at an enemy. That design was good against ships and planetary bombardment. It fits the Cardassian mentality, from my perspective. It is raw power and brutally indiscrete in how it delivers it to a target.
I was able to make some sense out of the device that I saw in their torpedo bay, but for all of my efforts, I wasn't able to shut it down or repair it. The simple fact is that the system was too damaged and we didn't have enough time. I tried every trick I knew, but was physically pulled out and we were forced to exfiltrate.
It was a rare moment for me. I know that I can sometimes be to stubborn and this is one of those times where it could have been the death of me. I confess that I have a protective streak in me and have perhaps done things that were extreme, to care for those around me. I'm not used to someone else doing that for me. I'm still processing that.
DeeDee did a great job. I was happy to see that another member of the team was also using a drone for assist. They were from Science. I doubt they are trying to employ a hybrid program like I am designing, but if it gets the job done for them, then it is a good thing. The whole idea is for us to develop tools that help us to be more effective. This was one of those times where the drones remained in place and continued to transmit data right up until they were destroyed. Thus, they safely gathered more data than we could have possibly managed without them.
I need to work on being more careful. I don't have a deathwish, but I can be obsessive in my work habits at times. I also need to be aware of the danger to others, even if they are not under my care. I need to work on that. Right now, I really need a hot shower and some rest.
End Log
Stardate 202412.02
While we were on patrol near a Neutral Zone shared with the Cardassians, the ship picked up a distress beacon. It seemed like a pretty simple Search and Rescue mission at first. I geared up, prepared to deal with whatever had happened on this unfortunate ship and got more than we could do much about.
It doesn't help much that Cardassian ships, as a general rule of thumb, are not good ships. They tend to be barely above most pirates I have known. They cut corners while demanding the most speed, defense and firepower they can squeeze out of anything that will carry them through space. They don't have time for annoying things like preventive maintenance schedules or serious redundancies that might save lives. They'll rip out a backup to life support if they can get more power to shields or weapons systems. As a result, I was not shocked to see that their power and systems control was a mess.
It seems that they were trying to test some sort of device, but I didn't see any staff that might have known anything about it. I suspect they were the first to die when it malfunctioned. The remaining crew were unable to fix the problem or knew how to shut it down before it began tearing the ship apart. We went back in after we pulled out their casualties. We scanned everything with drones and tricorders, so maybe we'll figure out some of what they were up to one of these days, but for me there were just too many variables that we had far too little information on. I could speculate that it might have been some sort of system that was intended to mimic the old Romulan Plasma torpedo, using a containment of some kind and then firing it at an enemy. That design was good against ships and planetary bombardment. It fits the Cardassian mentality, from my perspective. It is raw power and brutally indiscrete in how it delivers it to a target.
I was able to make some sense out of the device that I saw in their torpedo bay, but for all of my efforts, I wasn't able to shut it down or repair it. The simple fact is that the system was too damaged and we didn't have enough time. I tried every trick I knew, but was physically pulled out and we were forced to exfiltrate.
It was a rare moment for me. I know that I can sometimes be to stubborn and this is one of those times where it could have been the death of me. I confess that I have a protective streak in me and have perhaps done things that were extreme, to care for those around me. I'm not used to someone else doing that for me. I'm still processing that.
DeeDee did a great job. I was happy to see that another member of the team was also using a drone for assist. They were from Science. I doubt they are trying to employ a hybrid program like I am designing, but if it gets the job done for them, then it is a good thing. The whole idea is for us to develop tools that help us to be more effective. This was one of those times where the drones remained in place and continued to transmit data right up until they were destroyed. Thus, they safely gathered more data than we could have possibly managed without them.
I need to work on being more careful. I don't have a deathwish, but I can be obsessive in my work habits at times. I also need to be aware of the danger to others, even if they are not under my care. I need to work on that. Right now, I really need a hot shower and some rest.
End Log