Reprimands 

Anomaly TrekMUX Episode (#01-004) 4/18/00

Science Lab Two - Station 419 - [IC]

     This lab is slightly smaller than Science Lab One, but is definitely more interesting. In the center of the room is a large square slab, measuring about four by four meters, and about a half-meter tall. Suspended above it via forcefields (and a backup tether securely fastened around it) is a large stump-shaped object, appearing to be made of a cluster of opaque ice-blue crystals. The 'roots' of the stump branch out into continuously thinning crystals into a delicate-looking structure beneath. It is sheared off flat at the top. The whole thing is about one meter tall, and three meters in diameter at its widest point. A glowing gold ring around the base of the slab indicates a containment field is up around it. Scattered around the stump is a variety of portable scanner consoles, on which is plugged a portable computer. A shelf is recessed into the gunmetal grey wall, a variety of scanning and diagnostic tools scattered on its surface. One wall is nothing but computer displays. It seems this room was hastily converted from the astrometrics lab into a lab devoted to the study of this... thing.

Obvious exits:
Out <O>

<Nevok>
 Nevok Kirvan is a being of slight, wiry build and average height who appears to be in his early to mid-thirties. He is average in appearance with wavy, rather tousseled sandy brown hair that is cut in a moderately relaxed military style, though a few locks fall across his forehead, almost brushing the angular ridges just above his nose. His somewhat narrow, cleanshaven features have a slightly angular edge and his general demeanor seems serious, though the faint hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth may be glimpsed at times. His light hazel brown eyes hold an inner light, accented by his dark eyebrows. On his left ear is a simple silver oval earring, which is attached to a cuff by a fine silver chain. Three tiny faceted gems of amber, deep purple, and clear crystal are threaded onto the chain.

        He is wearing a tailored, durable black jumpsuit over a gold turtleneck undershirt. Along the collar are two circular gold pips. The shoulders of the jumpsuit are padded with a medium grey ribbed material and a single gold stripe encircles each cuff. A stylized silver chevron on a matte gold rectangle is attached to the upper left side of the jumpsuit, just below the shoulderpadding. The legs of the jumpsuit are fitted snugly over a pair polished black halfboots via stirrups.

Nevok is carrying the following:
Comm Pin, Tricorder.

Tyler comes in from the central Sciences area.
Tyler has arrived.

One of the wall computer displays seems to be humming quite loudly and slightly offkey, or rather the torso and pair of black trousered legs extending from a maintenance access bay below it are. The left foot is rocking slowly back and forth as if in time to the tune, which sounds vaguely like an ancient classical Terran piece. A hand emerges from within the bay, fumbling in a slim grey toolkit then withdrawing once more with a slender penlike instrument in its grasp. The gold undershirt sleeve on the arm is plainly visible for that moment.

Tyler steps in, ten minutes late for her duty shift. Her hair is wet. And so is her uniform in spots. She looks about carefully, but only sees the legs. She quietly slips over to the artifact and begins a scan, hoping that someone, well, the legs, won't notice that she's tardy.

The torso slowly extricates itself from the access bay, revealing it to be a male Bajoran. He glances about with a slight frown, then shrugs to himself as he stands, then turns to face the display, seemingly preoccupied in his duties. As he taps a series of glowing panels on the display, he consults an active tricorder held in his right hand.

Tyler watches him for a few moments out of the corner of her eye, then gets pretty curious about what he's up to. "Anything I cuh-can help you with, s-sir?" she asks tentatively.

Nevok starts at the sound of her voice, then turns to face her direction, having regained his composure somewhat, "Beg your pardon...? " He glances back to the display, then looks back to you with a faint smile, "Oh. No, not at present. I'm in the process of wrapping things up here, in fact. All systems have passed a full level one diagnostic, which seems to have taken the majority of my shift to perform."

Tyler>
     Her long, straight straw-blonde hair is tied back in a floppy ponytail. Her blue eyes are the color of ice, the sparkle of youth still entrenched there. Her nose is a slender slope, bracketed by high cheekbones and a very attractive smile. She tends to blush a lot. She's pretty, and has an attractive figure, but she looks.. Well, she looks a little young for the rank pips on her collar.

     She is wearing a tailored, durable black jumpsuit over a blue turtleneck undershirt. Along the collar is a single circular gold pip. The shoulders of the jumpsuit are padded with a medium grey ribbed material and a single blue stripe encircles each cuff. A stylized silver chevron on a matte gold rectangle is attached to the upper left side of the jumpsuit, just below the shoulderpadding. The legs of the jumpsuit are fitted snugly over a pair polished black halfboots via stirrups.

Tyler is carrying the following:
Comm Pin, Type I Phaser, Tricorder.
 

Tyler taps a few things in her padd and glances at him from the corner of her eye. "Yuh-yes sir," she says. "I cuh-could have saved you some time. I puh-performed a level one yuh-yesterday. I gave my report tuh-to Luh-lieutenant Accolon."

Nevok chuckles, shaking his head, "Now you tell me." He dismisses it with a shrug, "Nevertheless, perhaps it's best to doubly insure that all systems within this lab are operating at their best possible capacity, considering the lab's current purpose." He indicates the stump with a slight nod.

Tyler smiles a bit and looks at the artifact. "It's beautiful, isn't it," she says wistfully, with no trace of stutter. She looks up, quickly adding, "Suh-sir."

Nevok nods slowly, giving the object a another, longer look, "Indeed it is, though I'd prefer that it be kept safely distant from all nonessential Starfleet personnel and especially civilians." Glancing to her, he frowns with a rather puzzled expression, "And speaking of essential personnel, you look as if you fell in a pool."

Tyler ohs, blushing a bright pink. She looks down to her feet. "I duh-didn't have time to dry off b-before coming on muh-my duty shift."

Nevok's frown deepens somewhat as he looks to her, his expression taking on a stern edge, "With all this delicate equipment, you're creating a severe safety risk. Report back to duty after you have dried off completely. Dry the uniform as well. If Lieutenant Accolon or anyone else questions your actions, refer them to me."

Tyler nods a bit, still looking to the floor. She mumbles, "Yuh-yes, s-sir."

Nevok turns back to the computer display, kneeling down at the maintenance access bay below it. Just before ducking back inside, he glances back to Tyler, "Dismissed, Ensign."

Tyler turns, mentally kicking herself. She walks out without another word.

Nevok ducks back into the maintenance bay for a few moments more, apparently cleaning up after himself, securing access panels, retrieving equipment, and the like.

The rhythmic thrum of power of the equipment around him - probably taken for granted by anyone but the engineering staff, suddenly starts to whine a little bit higher, almost as if it is revving up.

Nevok ceases his activities for a moment, listening intently as he extricates himself from the bay and sits quietly, tricorder in hand. A concerned, puzzled frown comes to features as he glances about, then to the tricorder, as if attempting to locate the cause of the sound.

As he lifts the tricorder, the readings start to appear. In that same instant, a loud *POP!* Not so much heard as felt, as a jolt of electricity suddenly courses through him. It makes his hair stand on end, and the tricorder is wholly scrambled as the readings go haywire. The tricorder has grown extraordinarily warm.

Nevok jumps rather violently and utters a sharp yelp at the sudden jolt, gripping his tricorder tightly as his muscles spasm from the voltage, then dropping it with a clatter.

There is nothing but the soft, normal thrum of the station and equipment.

Nevok takes a few moments to recover, taking a deep breath as he retrieves his tricorder, frowning as he taps a keyset then scrutinizes the device's display.

Nothing. Not a hint of what happened. Everything looks completely normal. Except the tricorder - it's still going nuts.

Nevok taps another key on the tricorder, his frown deeping somewhat as he shakes his head in an appearent attempt to clear the residual effects of the jolt. In a final, perhaps frustrated, attempt to persuade the tricorder to work properly, he gives the device firm whack on its side.

Nothing. The display is wildly flashing random pages of its memory. As to why, at this point, isn't apparent. The blow doesn't phase it a bit. This will take some study, apparently. As for the terminals around him, they all behave wholly normal.

Nevok shakes his head again, still frowning as he taps his combadge, then speaks quietly, "Nevok to Balin."

After a moment, "Go ahead," says a frustrated voice.

Nevok raises an eyebrow at the voice's tone, then speaks calmly as he pulls himself to his feet, "Sir, did anything just happen, any sensors trigger an alarm or report anomalous activity?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant. I'm in Holosuite 2. Balin to Operations," he says, networking them in. "Report."

The voice that offers the report is Lt JG Damien Stone, Nevok's replacement when he leaves Ops on his duty shift. "Situation normal, sir."

"Anything out of the ordinary at all?" asks the station commander.

"Just a minor power shift in Science Lab Two, sir, nothing more. I understand Lt. Nevok is there running level one diagnostics."

Nevok gives his tricorder a rather frustrated look, then speaks again with an even tone, "My apologies for disturbing you sir. I had just completed the diagnostics and was in the process of packing up when that power shift apparently made me its target. Thankfully I seem to be in better condition than my tricorder, which appears to be completely scrambled."

"Find the cause and keep me informed. I'm working on my drive. Balin out."

Nevok nods to himself in acknowledgement, "Aye sir. Lieutenant Stone, I'll need a specialist sent to the lab as soon as possible. Nevok out." Letting out a long sigh, he slowly scans the lab, as if the cause will immediately make itself known to him.

"Aye, sir," reports Stone. The machines sit dumbly oblivious, running standard programs on their screens. Nothing seems amiss but the still-warm tricorder going nuts in his hand.

A few minutes later, an engineer steps through the door. "Chief Byjos, reporting as ordered, sir," says the Bolian. His shirt is yellow. A large toolbox is in his blue hand.

Nevok kneels in front of the maintenance bay, giving its interior a cautious once over look, then checking his toolkit. Looking up as the engineer arrives, he manages a smile, "At ease. Seems like the first place to start would be here." He indicates the open maintenance bay, then holds up the tricorder to indicate it as well.

Chief Byjos looks at the tricorder, and hmmmms. "Strange. Resetting it didn't help?" he asks.

Nevok shakes his head as he stands, "I tried that with no response. As far as I can ascertain, it seems to be locked into some sort of loop."

The Bolian takes the tricorder and tries to input some commands. He hmmmms to himself again. "I'll have one of my crew take a good long look at it, sir, and send you a report. In the meantime, I'll tend to this power surge matter." He moves toward the hatch and starts a level one diagnostic.

Nevok nods as he hands the tricorder over, "Thank you. If there's anything at all they can glean from it, I'd like to know as soon as possible. This sort of occurrence, particularly in this location, is something I'd prefer to know everything possible about and an experience I'd not like to repeat. Ensign Tyler should be arriving soon as well if you require assistance." He pauses, taking a deep breath, then releasing it with a sigh, "In the meantime, I should check in at the infirmary. Please send me a report on anything you and your crew discover, Chief."

Chief Byjos smiles up. He's the kind of guy that loves challenges. "Yes, sir," he says and eagerly starts to go to work.