Lieutenant Noa T'Nessa Levinson: On Telepathy, Storms, and Scanning Stuff

[Lael Rosek-Skyfire]

A well written post by @Noa T'Nessa Levinson, including that magic gold nugget.

 

----

((Conference Room, Deck 3, USS Chin’toka - The next day.))

Last night was quite weird. After being treated in Sickbay for her concussion and staying for a few hours of observation, it was evident that no permanent damage was caused. Still, that experience was not fun in the slightest, and once she was cleared to rest in her own quarters, Noa was more than glad to sleep in her own bed.

As for the conference itself, it seemed to be going fairly well - the planning seemed sound. After giving a brief overview of the nearly-flatlined combadge signal she managed to detect, the team composition seemed to have been changed slightly by Commander Isa. Somewhat surprisingly, knowing her, she was almost relieved to hear she wasn’t going to return to that planet for the time being. And considering the change of what this mission actually was, it even made sense.

Mei’konda: Pull all of the resources you caan on short notiice to make it happen, you two. We haave approximately… :: He paused, and appeared to glance at the chronometer on the wall panel. :: …Forty eight minutes until the storm subsides to the point where a shuttle can enter the atmosphere saafely, and three hours and seven minutes as projeected by our latest scaans until the storm is at its weakest.

The captain moved his glance towards Noa herself, as well as Commander Peters.

Mei’konda: Mr. Peters, Lieutenant Levinson, thaat’s why it’s essential that in addition to helpiing with the search and rescue from orbit, I want you both keeping an eye on the plasma storm. We need a better early warniing system for any flare ups so that Mr. Raga doesn’t have to crash any more shuttles in my shuttlebay.

Noa merely gave a curt nod in approval. On occasion, keeping an eye on astrophysics-related stuff was almost a fun pastime for her - regardless if the situation was life or death, science, or just for dinner.

Raga: Just trying to make your reports to Starfleet HQ more colourful, sir.

Kiax: ::Humorously:: Destroyer of Tables, Doors, and now shuttlebays… You’re earning yourself a bit of a reputation Commander.

Isa: :: to Raga :: I’m curious… Nevermind, that can wait for another time.

Peters: I will certainly be keeping an eye on it. 

Alentonis: oO Another surface run? With modified anti-grav harnesses? Oo Pardon me, commander. :: Turning his attention to Kiax. :: Didn’t Mr. McKnight propose some modified designs just before we ventured down to the surface the first time?

She did very briefly recall Esa showing the team the proposal. She was no EV suit expert, nor was she an engineer, but it seemed… sealed? Regardless, the proposal did seem curious, and she was considering looking into it - before wearing anything unapproved for real situations, of course.

Kiax: Response

Logan: He has some tricks up his sleeve 

Mei’konda: Once you’re on the ground, I waant constaant updates. And remember, Commander Raga, this isn’t a tactical situaation. If anything, well.

He gestured toward the bag of coins that Alentonis had brought up to the conference room with him.

Mei’konda: We could be dealiing with a first contact here, people, and you all know what that means. If there is a raace here that isn’t warp capable, then the Prime Directive is in effect. If our people were abducted, we don’t know why. It could easiily have been accidental, or innocent. So, defensiive sidearms only, understood? I don’t waant you to appear aggressiive.

Raga: Understood, sir. Not everyone is hostile. Despite our tendency to attract such. Sidearms only and we’ll keep an open mind.

Kiax: :: to Doctor Alentonis and Jaelyne :: We should also remain vigilant. Historically, gold on Earth that was used for coinage was also often viewed as having a religious association with holiness. It could be that any cultures on the planet might also view reskari in the same light. If we’re indiscriminately mining it, we may end up causing ourselves a bigger problem should any native populace find out.

Indeed. That made sense. Perhaps the Banshee being reskari-laced might have a similar, or even worse reaction.

Isa: I agree. It’s part of why I wanted to come along. Just in case we do make contact, I am hoping we can diffuse any tense situation before it escalates to conflict.

Alentonis: Agreed.  I propose we hold off mining anything until after we know for certain we won’t be starting a war by doing so.

Levinson: I agree. This does not seem like a desirable outcome.

oO Was this too dry? Yeah, that was probably a bit too dry right there. Oo

Raga: Since we have reason to suspect the locals might be telepathic. Is there anyway we could set our tricorders to automatically scan and alert us if they detect psionics in use?

Mei’konda: Response

Kiax: I’m not sure. Beyond a measurable increase in brainwave activity we don’t have much in the way of telling if someone is actively using telepathic abilities, and in order to obtain those readings we’d need to be actively scanning the subject with a tricorder’s hand scanner.

Peters: From an engineering standpoint, commander Kiax is correct. You would need to be standing in their physical vicinity and actively looking for brain wave increases to detect it with a tricorder.

Indeed, both were good points. Usually brainwaves activities, including ones specific to telepathic beings, were a bit hard to detect.

Alentonis: Isn’t it likely that someone else on the crew might be able to communicate telepathically with them? Commander Raga, perhaps?

Alentonis: Isn’t it likely that someone else on the crew might be able to communicate telepathically with them? Commander Raga, perhaps?

Levinson: There is a rather high likelihood, yes, but telepathy varies between species. And usually communication may require mental training to use effectively, or at all.

And while she did have telepathic abilities from her Vulcan side, she wasn’t really trained in using them more than the basics of "How to Not Damage Your Friends’ Brains by Touch 101", let alone know how powerful her telepathy was. The best answer she had so far was "yes".

Logan: we do have the personnel files, so we could find all the Crew with such abilities and see is they can find anything

Raga: ::He shook his head:: I can only communicate with my own species. Though I should be able to tell if such abilities are being used directly on me, I won’t be able to sense them if they’re just communicating with each other or anyone else.

Mei’konda: Response

Isa: Well, if they are telepathic, we’ll just have to figure that out as we go. Adaptability is going to be a requirement.

That it always was.

Raga: If they are warp capable, then there’s also a possibility that they have ships that are either not near here, or they don’t want to use them. Or they’re cloaked. If they are warp capable then the lack of a ship might be a clue to that.

Logan: With the interferance around you could hide a ship to two.

Indeed. That was definitely something to check out and analyze - just how  was the combadge signal weakened to the point of almost less than being confused with background noise?

Mei’konda: Response

Kiax: If I recall correctly, didn’t Commander Serala devise some kind of method for detecting cloaked ships? ::To Noa:: It could be worth implementing it, if I’m correct.

Isa: So, we’re speculating that their location is being cloaked in some way? That’s an interesting theory.

Levinson: ::Nodding:: Indeed. Commander Serala’s method, along with the evidence pointing at some fairly powerful sources of wave interference as well as more traditional methods of detecting cloaks may be able to be of help here. ::To Alentonis:: What did you mention the civilization’s classification is again, Professor?

Alentonis: Based on the earlier findings of the coins, I would speculate maybe class L if we are assuming subterranean colonies exist.

Noa nodded in response, as Raga began speaking.

Raga: Lieutenant Levinson and I created a gravitic airlock in the Kraken’s aft section to make moving in and out of the shuttle safer on us so we can acclimate to the change in gravity gradually. Instead of going from one extreme to the other. I suggest we institute that on any shuttle we use on the surface.

Logan: That would be a helpful addition.

Mei’konda: Response

Kiax: It should be a relatively easy thing to implement across the board as a permanent feature set. I can have the shuttle technicians put together a standard subroutine to distribute to all our auxiliary craft.

Isa: Sounds like a lot of preparation to do. Are we going to be able to get all that done before we launch?

Peters: I’d be happy to lend a hand with the prep work required for that, if needed.

Kiax: Response

Levinson: I am not an engineer, but I am able to assist with the planning a bit. I do have the articles I acquired the basic design from, so they may be able to be improved upon.

Logan: I'm no Engineer but many hands

Mei’konda: Response

Isa: Very well, then, let me know how I can help. I’m not an engineer, but I do have the standard training. Just let me know how I can help.

Kiax: Responses

Raga / Mei’konda: Response

Peters: I have a few connections in the engineering and security departments I might be able to tap to get everything prepared before launch. 

Engineering she could almost get - she did serve with Peters on the Juneau when he was Chief Engineer there, so that was fairly understandable. Security, though?

Isa / Kiax: Response

Raga / Mei’konda: Response

Peters: Just a thought. If I’m needed on the bridge, they might be able to assist with the prep.

Peters’s presence on the bridge was probably a good idea - having the ability to utilize his fancy flying sooner, rather than later.

Isa / Kiax: Response

Raga / Mei’konda: Response

Alentonis: Quick question, regarding the subdermal locators. Would we be able to maintain a transporter lock through the interference caused by the plasma storms?

Logan: Most of them are at the same mercy as comm badges. However being subdermal unless you scan for them you dont know their there.

Levinson: I will very much aim to ensure the answer to that question is "yes", Professor.

She did have experience with clearing through interference, so she was confident she could ensure at least some level of lock. The signal strength of the locators wasn’t as high as that of combadges, of course, but indeed, at least they were concealed. She was concerned, however, with how weak they may be with the interference that was obviously there when she noticed the normal combadge signal. She was almost starting to stretch the very low end of sensor resolution, and that was telling. Would the resulting wave’s amplitude prove to be literally too small for top-end Starfleet sensors to detect?

Isa / Kiax: Response

Raga / Mei’konda: Response

Noting Lieutenant Logan raising his hand, Noa turned to face him, after taking a stop to examine  the half-eaten apple he was holding.

Isa: Response

Logan: If there is some Telepathic dohickey at play why use it to kidnap our team, rather than confuse them and lead them away ?.

Noa clasped her hands together, elbows on the table, as her head tilted slightly to the right, as she spoke in a perfectly monotone manner.

Levinson: I can think of many reasons, Lieutenant. The planet’s inhabitants may be wondering what they were doing on their planet. Or perhaps they require their bodies, or minds, for some sort of activity. And maybe, just maybe, they wanted to invite our team for dinner and were merely afraid they would say no. Some specimens are curious in nature, after all.

Despite the delivery’s tone, it almost looked as if she enjoyed delivering that response, as serious as it was. It was a good question, of course, but when what one deemed obvious did not occur, a reason was very likely to exist for the unexpected occurrence. If there wasn’t any reason for a certain event to take place, why would it?

Any: Response

--
Lieutenant Noa T'Nessa Levinson
Chief Science Officer
USS Chin'toka
E239701NL0