Beg, Steal or Borrow – A Private Matter - Part 2
by Colonel James Darson & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC)
Post Details
ON:
"Legacy? Do you mean the 'USS Legacy', the prototype transwarp craft that was stolen from DS5 a few weeks ago? How in the hell does that make finding pirates easier. Next thing, you'll be telling me the pirates are Borg." He said mockingly as James shook his head at Davies' ignorance.
Darson chuckled slightly in derision as he said, “Hmmm…stolen? Well, in any case the pirates intercepted it and removed the schematics to the technology. They didn’t know exactly what it was, or how to use it, but it was dangerous to let them have it none the less…imagine if they had sold it off to the highest bidder, and the Romulans suddenly ended up with transwarp drive capability. Or for that matter, a remnant of the Cardassian Union or even a Ferengi scavenger?
Davids' mind spun with thoughts of how, why and what for, but said nothing as he let Darson carry on speaking.
“But,” he said rebukingly as he left the Commander, “barring the retrieval of the Legacy’s technology, my objective was not to kill or capture all of the pirates…it was merely to make them run."
"Run!" Davies exclaimed as his brow dropped and his lips rounded in a stupefied grin. "Run where, to whom?" He asked, his own theory of what Darson was going to reveal now blown out of the sky.
Darson didn’t answer immediately, and stood staring silently at the large representation of Deep Space 5 and the surrounding area on the screen. Suddenly, he began to chuckle. A deep, dark chuckle that resounded in the bottom of the bass ranges, and was tinged with a slight hint of insanity. He spun suddenly to face Davies who was still standing at the conference table, “Ahh…that’s it, isn’t it Commander? Who are they running to? Prior to the siege, I infiltrated the base covertly and inserted a very special program into their main computer…not only did it seek out and destroy all the information regarding the Legacy’s technology, it also did something far more useful. As soon as any ship connected to it, they would be ‘infected’”
David leant forward onto the table as he thought this sounded like the plot of a movie, and eyed Darson carefully. Major James Darson was either totally insane or brilliant and looking at the man stood before him with chains and a cape, he preferred the former.
"With a piece of code?" He asked.
“With a virus,” Darson said happily as if he was a father talking about his favorite child rather than an intrusive piece of programming, “A very special one, which had a very specific objective, and was programmed to achieve that objective discretely.
Davies shook his head. "Very good Major. I am sure that you have delivered this 'Virus' and right now, all the pirate ships have now caught a cold?" He folded his arms across his chest, wanting nothing more than to escape the lunacy of the secret corridors and chambers that were this man’s realm.
The cold stare Darson gave him made Davies feel guilty at his remark.
"Sorry Major, but this does sound so ridiculous that it doesn't quantify as a realistic response. I will admit that you tell a good tale but so far I have not seen any proof of what you told me, just words coming from you in your usual entertaining way." He took a loud deep breath. "Show me what you have!" He said as his tone became deeper.
Wordlessly, Darson turned, raised a hand in the air and snapped his fingers, giving the cue for one of the technicians in the pit behind him to put up a map of the galaxy on the enormous screen behind him. It zoomed automatically in on the quadrant, then the sector. After a second, about three dozen blips appeared on the screen, clumped three or four different areas with only a few individual ones and one having a far higher concentration than the others, all fanning out from a central location. With Darson positioned directly in front of it, it was truly an awe-inspiring sight…if not easy to interpret.
Without turning away from the Screen, Darson craned his neck sideways to look at the screen, “Magnificent, isn’t it Commander?” He said in a deathly whisper that somehow managed to carry over to the conference table. “The Virus, complicated thing that it is, does this marvelously simple thing. Whenever a communications system is utilized on an infected ship, the virus piggybacks a very small subspace transmission onto whatever outgoing signal there is. The transmission is extremely small and short almost like a ping, so there is a very low LPI. Its neigh undetectable. But as you can see here, effects are very detectable, as it enables me to do something incredible…something that will shift the balance of our war against pirates. It allows me to track the movements of all the infected ships, all the way across the quadrant.”
Davies let out a 'wheesh'. The man was insanely brilliant, even David had to admit that.
"That is totally fantastic!" The commander remarked, in awe at the impressive map laid before him.
“That’s not even the best part,” Darson continued, “Whenever one of the infected ships links its computer with another infected ship, say...a base’s docking computer of some kind, the virus will automatically propagate to the other, infecting it as well! A truly delicious cycle...and one that I plan to fully exploit for the foreseeable future.”
"And if one should dock at a Starfleet base?" He asked, a slight trepidation in his voice.
“Hmmm,” Darson said contemplatively, “well, in order to keep the virus’ programming small and mobile, it utilizes selective algorithms to determine which ships it should infect…specifically, only the pirate ones. Federation bases are immune from it, in a sense. However…well, never mind the however.”
"I don't like the however, but however," Davies' brow rose, "I think I get the drift of what you have done and though I can't say that I am overjoyed, it's a damn fine job, Major!" He admitted with reservations. "I would like to know when the rest of the pirate ships are infected, it could prove fruitful in other ways." He said, thinking of all they had been involved in recently.
“Unfortunately, this is all I can share with you for the time being,” Darson said calmly, “The rest of the operation is technically classified far above your security clearance. It’s nothing personal, Commander,”
Davies spluttered. "Above my security clearance!" He felt his face redden, "How can a station commander be below a level of security clearance." He watched as Darson turned away, perhaps gloating that he had one up on David.
Darson ignored Davies’ shouted question and slowly walked back towards the table, his armored boots silent against the metal walkway, “So,” Darson asked quietly, “have I resolved this matter to your satisfaction, Commander? I told you that I took a spoil of war, and this was it. The means to gain an edge in an ongoing conflict which has the possibility to drag on for years, costing the Federation time and resources that it cannot afford to waste…that was my profit. Nothing more and nothing less.”
"A question has been answered, nearly to my satisfaction, but there are still a number of questions that I am not sure I will get the answers to, not yet leastways, but your explanation helps me to moralize your statement if that's the repose you’re looking for, though I am not satisfied as to where your loyalties lie." He said as he began to make his way from the Major.
As he tracked the Commander’s slow retreat with his masked eyes, Darson said coldly, “I am and always have been a loyal member of the Corp, and I always act in the best interests of the Federation…though sometimes it may not look it. So, to me, there is only one trinket in the universe that matters at all,” he held out his empty hand to Davies, then after a second’s pause, flicked it in an odd manner, and suddenly a small silver object appeared in his fingers. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a silver oak leaf, “Do you understand, Commander?”
Davies let out a stifled snigger. "Oh yes, Major, I understand, you must be aware that a promotion was issued to you and I have all the necessary documentation. I guess you can put that on your collar, though I have to admit, it is not something that I am comfortable with because if I had the autonomy on this station, I would recommend a demotion." He held eye contact with James, just to let him know that he didn't fully trust him, or his methods. "If that will be all, Lieutenant Colonel Darson!" He said in a flat tone, "I have other things that require my own level of clearance to attend to!"
Darson was silent for a moment as he went through a small ritual of removing his Major’s bronze leaf and replacing it carefully with the silver one that designated him a Lieutenant Colonel, the Marine equivalent of Davies’ rank. He turned to face Davies again and said, “Then I am glad, Commander that you do not have autonomy. Heh.”
Davies shook his head as he left the Marine with a broad grin on his face and at some stage today, the Admiral would be on his list of persons to call upon, but first, he had to get back to Ops, ready to start the 08:00 departmental meeting, if only he could remember which way to turn as he cursed being lost in the catacombs of the Marine deck.
OFF:
Lieutenant Colonel James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer
Commander David Davies
CO: DS5
by Colonel James Darson & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC)
Post Details
| Title | A Private Matter - Part 2 | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Colonel James Darson & Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) | |
| Posted | Mon Jul 06, 2009 @ 8:11pm | |
| Location | Deck 72 - Marine Complex | |
| Timeline | SD9 0745 |
"Legacy? Do you mean the 'USS Legacy', the prototype transwarp craft that was stolen from DS5 a few weeks ago? How in the hell does that make finding pirates easier. Next thing, you'll be telling me the pirates are Borg." He said mockingly as James shook his head at Davies' ignorance.
Darson chuckled slightly in derision as he said, “Hmmm…stolen? Well, in any case the pirates intercepted it and removed the schematics to the technology. They didn’t know exactly what it was, or how to use it, but it was dangerous to let them have it none the less…imagine if they had sold it off to the highest bidder, and the Romulans suddenly ended up with transwarp drive capability. Or for that matter, a remnant of the Cardassian Union or even a Ferengi scavenger?
Davids' mind spun with thoughts of how, why and what for, but said nothing as he let Darson carry on speaking.
“But,” he said rebukingly as he left the Commander, “barring the retrieval of the Legacy’s technology, my objective was not to kill or capture all of the pirates…it was merely to make them run."
"Run!" Davies exclaimed as his brow dropped and his lips rounded in a stupefied grin. "Run where, to whom?" He asked, his own theory of what Darson was going to reveal now blown out of the sky.
Darson didn’t answer immediately, and stood staring silently at the large representation of Deep Space 5 and the surrounding area on the screen. Suddenly, he began to chuckle. A deep, dark chuckle that resounded in the bottom of the bass ranges, and was tinged with a slight hint of insanity. He spun suddenly to face Davies who was still standing at the conference table, “Ahh…that’s it, isn’t it Commander? Who are they running to? Prior to the siege, I infiltrated the base covertly and inserted a very special program into their main computer…not only did it seek out and destroy all the information regarding the Legacy’s technology, it also did something far more useful. As soon as any ship connected to it, they would be ‘infected’”
David leant forward onto the table as he thought this sounded like the plot of a movie, and eyed Darson carefully. Major James Darson was either totally insane or brilliant and looking at the man stood before him with chains and a cape, he preferred the former.
"With a piece of code?" He asked.
“With a virus,” Darson said happily as if he was a father talking about his favorite child rather than an intrusive piece of programming, “A very special one, which had a very specific objective, and was programmed to achieve that objective discretely.
Davies shook his head. "Very good Major. I am sure that you have delivered this 'Virus' and right now, all the pirate ships have now caught a cold?" He folded his arms across his chest, wanting nothing more than to escape the lunacy of the secret corridors and chambers that were this man’s realm.
The cold stare Darson gave him made Davies feel guilty at his remark.
"Sorry Major, but this does sound so ridiculous that it doesn't quantify as a realistic response. I will admit that you tell a good tale but so far I have not seen any proof of what you told me, just words coming from you in your usual entertaining way." He took a loud deep breath. "Show me what you have!" He said as his tone became deeper.
Wordlessly, Darson turned, raised a hand in the air and snapped his fingers, giving the cue for one of the technicians in the pit behind him to put up a map of the galaxy on the enormous screen behind him. It zoomed automatically in on the quadrant, then the sector. After a second, about three dozen blips appeared on the screen, clumped three or four different areas with only a few individual ones and one having a far higher concentration than the others, all fanning out from a central location. With Darson positioned directly in front of it, it was truly an awe-inspiring sight…if not easy to interpret.
Without turning away from the Screen, Darson craned his neck sideways to look at the screen, “Magnificent, isn’t it Commander?” He said in a deathly whisper that somehow managed to carry over to the conference table. “The Virus, complicated thing that it is, does this marvelously simple thing. Whenever a communications system is utilized on an infected ship, the virus piggybacks a very small subspace transmission onto whatever outgoing signal there is. The transmission is extremely small and short almost like a ping, so there is a very low LPI. Its neigh undetectable. But as you can see here, effects are very detectable, as it enables me to do something incredible…something that will shift the balance of our war against pirates. It allows me to track the movements of all the infected ships, all the way across the quadrant.”
Davies let out a 'wheesh'. The man was insanely brilliant, even David had to admit that.
"That is totally fantastic!" The commander remarked, in awe at the impressive map laid before him.
“That’s not even the best part,” Darson continued, “Whenever one of the infected ships links its computer with another infected ship, say...a base’s docking computer of some kind, the virus will automatically propagate to the other, infecting it as well! A truly delicious cycle...and one that I plan to fully exploit for the foreseeable future.”
"And if one should dock at a Starfleet base?" He asked, a slight trepidation in his voice.
“Hmmm,” Darson said contemplatively, “well, in order to keep the virus’ programming small and mobile, it utilizes selective algorithms to determine which ships it should infect…specifically, only the pirate ones. Federation bases are immune from it, in a sense. However…well, never mind the however.”
"I don't like the however, but however," Davies' brow rose, "I think I get the drift of what you have done and though I can't say that I am overjoyed, it's a damn fine job, Major!" He admitted with reservations. "I would like to know when the rest of the pirate ships are infected, it could prove fruitful in other ways." He said, thinking of all they had been involved in recently.
“Unfortunately, this is all I can share with you for the time being,” Darson said calmly, “The rest of the operation is technically classified far above your security clearance. It’s nothing personal, Commander,”
Davies spluttered. "Above my security clearance!" He felt his face redden, "How can a station commander be below a level of security clearance." He watched as Darson turned away, perhaps gloating that he had one up on David.
Darson ignored Davies’ shouted question and slowly walked back towards the table, his armored boots silent against the metal walkway, “So,” Darson asked quietly, “have I resolved this matter to your satisfaction, Commander? I told you that I took a spoil of war, and this was it. The means to gain an edge in an ongoing conflict which has the possibility to drag on for years, costing the Federation time and resources that it cannot afford to waste…that was my profit. Nothing more and nothing less.”
"A question has been answered, nearly to my satisfaction, but there are still a number of questions that I am not sure I will get the answers to, not yet leastways, but your explanation helps me to moralize your statement if that's the repose you’re looking for, though I am not satisfied as to where your loyalties lie." He said as he began to make his way from the Major.
As he tracked the Commander’s slow retreat with his masked eyes, Darson said coldly, “I am and always have been a loyal member of the Corp, and I always act in the best interests of the Federation…though sometimes it may not look it. So, to me, there is only one trinket in the universe that matters at all,” he held out his empty hand to Davies, then after a second’s pause, flicked it in an odd manner, and suddenly a small silver object appeared in his fingers. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be a silver oak leaf, “Do you understand, Commander?”
Davies let out a stifled snigger. "Oh yes, Major, I understand, you must be aware that a promotion was issued to you and I have all the necessary documentation. I guess you can put that on your collar, though I have to admit, it is not something that I am comfortable with because if I had the autonomy on this station, I would recommend a demotion." He held eye contact with James, just to let him know that he didn't fully trust him, or his methods. "If that will be all, Lieutenant Colonel Darson!" He said in a flat tone, "I have other things that require my own level of clearance to attend to!"
Darson was silent for a moment as he went through a small ritual of removing his Major’s bronze leaf and replacing it carefully with the silver one that designated him a Lieutenant Colonel, the Marine equivalent of Davies’ rank. He turned to face Davies again and said, “Then I am glad, Commander that you do not have autonomy. Heh.”
Davies shook his head as he left the Marine with a broad grin on his face and at some stage today, the Admiral would be on his list of persons to call upon, but first, he had to get back to Ops, ready to start the 08:00 departmental meeting, if only he could remember which way to turn as he cursed being lost in the catacombs of the Marine deck.
OFF:
Lieutenant Colonel James Darson
Marine Commanding Officer
Commander David Davies
CO: DS5