Now....what's this? (Part One)

Posted on Fri Dec 25th, 2020 @ 12:22am by Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri & Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Coleman

2,340 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 108 – Tragedies, Fortunes, and an Endgame
Location: BioPhysics Lab 2
Timeline: MD1, 0700

On:

Commander Nicholas Coleman hadn't had much time to think about anything over the last few weeks. He had been working with his brother and the Starfleet Corps of Engineers to try and get all the new Starships and technology to Starbase 400. The USS Endeavor-A was something that Nick was excited about and was working with his brother on to try and get in sooner.

The Endeavor-A had just left port several days prior, but was doing some last minute trial runs on major systems before they sent her into deep space to meet up with the Starbase 400 fleet. All that was really left beyond that was the transfer of command codes from one brother to another, which would happen when the ship finally arrived to the Starbase.

However, while the two brothers were looking over some technical specifications for the newest addition to the Starbase, the computer chirped both his and his brother's combadge, saying, "Commander Jonathan Coleman, Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Coleman, Ensign Brad Larken, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Matthew Plumeri, report to Biophysics Lab Two. Code One, urgent."

The two Coleman brothers looked at one another, confused. Jonathan had implemented a system of special codes for the science department when he was the Chief Science Officer aboard the Starbase and a Code One was one of the highest codes to be called. So, they quickly made their way to the nearest turbolift and headed down to BioPhysics.

Starbase 400 - Gymnasium - Seventeen

Matt was working out in the gym. He was just finishing a 15-minute set on the lat pull machine f\when the call came through. "Biophysics lab two?", he said as he stood up and wiped his forehead. He tapped the wall panel and answered the COMM =A= On my way =A=

Still in sweats he reported to the Biophysics lab on Starbase 400 - no one had called him there. Matt excused himself from the Starbase lab and went to an LCARS panel, "Computer? Did you call me to the Biophysics Lab Two?"

=A= Affirmative =A=

"Well", Matt answered. "I'm here and nobody knows why I am there. Is there another Biophysics lab two on Starbase?"

=A= There are eleven designated works areas that are currently assigned to Biophysics but only one designated Biophysics Lab Two =A=

"Computer, ...why did you call me to Biophysics Lab Two?", Matt asked.

=A= That information is not available =A=

"Somebody's playing a joke. OK. Fine." Plumeri tapped out and waited at a turbolift shaking his head and thinking to himself, ~childish~.

Turbolift, en route to Biophysics Lab Two

Nick had become worried about why the computer sent out a Level One alert to the Senior BioPhysics Officer on call, the Chief and Assistant Chief Science Officer, and an officer from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. The Biophysics Department had been working on the data recovered from the mission to Mendek, but Nick thought that the information wasn't due to be completed for several more days, at least.

When the Turbolift arrived to the level of Biophysics in the Scientific wing of the Starbase, the doors opened and the Coleman brothers were introduced to Lieutenant Plumeri still in his sweats from the gym.

Nick was the first to get off the Turbolift and said, "You look....comfortable Lieutenant. Do you know why the computer called us all together to have a little meeting?"

Matt was surprised, "...Commander? Yes sir. Hey, I am not on shift. No, I mean hell's no sir. I don't know. I just came from Biophysics Lab Two..." he asked not knowing what else to say to the Science Chief.

Then, the turbolift opened again and Ensign Larken stepped out and finished putting his uniform tunic and combadge on. He pointed and looked at Plumeri, as though he wanted to say something, but changed his mind at the last minute.

Matt looked at Larken, "What?!" with a look. Catching up to Coleman, Matt said, "The computer was a little light on the details but I know that I was called to the Biolab. No one there seemed to know why though?"

STARBASE 400 - BIOPHYSICSLAB TWO

"So, why have we all been summoned to the Biophysics Lab? I haven't finished my whole analysis of the Tholian memory files yet," Larken said as he walked over and input his command codes to see how the progress of the research was coming.

The lab was now empty. Only the humming of the LCARS interface terminals. On one of the desks there was still a mug of coffee and it was still steaming hot. "They left quick?" he said as he indicated to the mug. He logged into the terminal and brought up the current status from the library computer. He was met with a black screen. And this message:

=A= Access to protected files is restricted. Du-ko-cha level or higher. Please enter authorization code. =A=

Matt looked at Jonathan and then Nick, "Commander? I'm locked out?"

Nick walked over to the computer console and the computer said, "Voice-Print ID required for access. Enter ID Code for access."

"Recognize. Coleman, Nicholas Alexander. Chief Science Officer, Beta-One Clearance. Access code Coleman-Alpha-2-Beta-4-7. Access protected files," Nick offered up to the computer. While the computer was normally rather fast, it took several seconds to reply back to his inquiry.

The computer replied, "Access denied. Level Nine and Alpha One Clearance Code is required to access this data."

Larken looked at the Coleman brothers and Plumeri before looking back at Nick. Larken was rather stunned that his superior officer wouldn't have access to the data that called them there. He asked Nick, "Why wouldn't it let you access the data? Also, how are we going to get the data if we can't access it?"

Matthew speculated, "It's probably a keyword or a theory that's triggered a security protocol. It's happened to me before when working on alien civilizations. I mean, we are talking about the progenetors to the Tholian species. Starfleet and the Federation Council don't like surprises. They probably locked us out until someone with more access comes along and unlocks our stuff." Matt tried a few other attempts and got no where.

Jonathan thought about the problem for a second and raised a good point. Jonathan replied, "How about I try to access the data? I've got a level nine clearance code, but I'm not sure if I have an Alpha-One or a Beta-Two Clearance Code. Want to give it a try?"

Plumeri stepped back from the terminal, "Du-ko-cha level or higher. Be my guest sir?"

Jonathan walked over to the computer console and said, "Recognize. Coleman, Jonathan Alexander. Deputy Chief of the Starfleet Corp of Engineers and Chief of Starfleet Computer Systems. Level Nine Clearance Code Coleman-Beta-1-2-3-Epislon."

Matt grinned and teased Jonathan, "OOOooo! Big boy with the bling-bling and talkin' 'bout CRED-dentials! Whew!"

"I hate having those long credentials sometimes. But, it has helped me get through Utopia Planetia Fleet Yards rather easily," Jonathan said as he took a step back and let the computer work its magic.

The computer thought for about the same amount of time, but it gave a different response than last time. The computer replied, "Access Code accepted. Releasing data to Coleman, Jonathan Alexander. Deputy Director of the Starfleet Corp of Engineers. Please wait."

Matt's eyebrows danced, "Well now. Would you look at you! Ain't you all that now?!" he teased Jonathan.

The computer released all the information that had been waiting for them and was held up in the crystal that Larken and Plumeri brought home with them from Mendek. As the computer thought and processed the data, the same holographic entity that greeted the group that appeared on Mendek.

The holographic librarian looked different this time though. He looked a bit healthier and a bit more chipper than last time. He took a deep breath in and smiled as he saw Plumeri and Larken, saying, "Hello my old friends. Thank you for getting me off that planet and out of the hands of the Tholians and Cardassian. They weren't nice people and just wanted me for my data."

Matt thought of a rude quip but held his tongue. "Well hello there Librarian. You were a chick last time we met? Yeah? Yeah, well the Tholians and Cardassians aren't too fond of us right now either. Can you give us a status report please on your systems?"

"My systems have been fractured in several places, but self diagnostic repairs have engaged and are currently working to fix my systems. As for my gender, what's it to ya?" the Librarian joked, quickly switching between the male and female form before finally landing back to the original form that Plumeri and Larken remember from the planet.

Matt smirked and said, "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Nothing personal. I'd like to run some scans of your matrix? Can you identify who you are?"

Jonathan walked around the holographic representation of what was known as the Librarian. He had taken out his tricorder and began running various scans of the lifeform and was amazed at what he was seeing.

Larken joined Jonathan as they both began scanning the lifeform. The amount of DNA like sequences were incredible and left both a scientist and an engineer in awe.

Nick walked over to stand next to Plumeri and the librarian, asking Plumeri, "So, is this the librarian you and Larken were talking about?"

"Yes Commander. The 'Librarian' is just what I call her. Him. It? You can see that after three days it took our computers in the lan to come up with a reasonable, workable matrix translation for her. And yet, there is so little lag between an interaction." Matt shook his head a moment and crossed his arms across his chest, "Something worries me though. We have only rudimentary established a matrix that allows us to interface with her. Harmonic resonance as a power source is so alien to us. We only have a basic understanding of what we're dealing with here. What I want to do I don't think we ought to do. I mean - we ought too...but it is a momentous decision." He looked at Coleman and said, "I want to try copying her program into our on station systems. Both systems store information optically, based on light and how light propagates. Building the interface was the first step; now we need to start indexing and codifying everything that she has. And that puts us in a hell of spot Commander."

"Well, this could be one of the biggest scientific and tactical breakthroughs of all of Federation History. Starfleet and by extension, the Federation, have known of the Tholians for over two hundred years and we've only scratched the surface of what we know of them. As for your plan, I'm giving it a green light, but with one condition. When you build the matrix, you put a safeguard in place, so that it doesn't go rouge AI onto the Starbase and cause an accident. I don't feel like being ushered out of Starfleet into the stockades," Nick said, as he crossed his arms as well and looked at Larken and Jonathan work.

Nick turned to look Matt in the eyes and he said, "Matt, we need to figure out what's going on with this Librarian. Federation scientists will be talking about this for centuries, assuming that we can crack the information on it. DNA, the structure of one of the most unique species in the quadrant, and so much more. But, we can't figure it all out if we go boom-boom. Got me?" Nick let out a small, nervous chuckle as he didn't want anything bad to happen, like a computer core becoming sentient.

Returning his gaze square on, Plumeri answered, "This is bigger than any of us Commander. Bigger than Starbase 400, or the Federation. We're going to need the help of every department on Starbase, in my opinion sir. We're talking about access to a species across oceans of space and time" He looked at the "Librarian" as she shimmered there. A band of dark shadow moving down her length from top to bottom as the holographic image was rastered by the holo-projector. She stood there, motionless, timeless. "The first step is to create an isolated system in the science computer core. A place where we can place everything we can copy and play with it. But, we need help. I need help from Engineering, Data Sciences, Security. The works sir."

"Begin working with the other departments. My brother will be in for a few more weeks and you might be able to get some help from the SCE. I know the fleet is out, but once they're back, you can get some of them. Make it so Mr. Plumeri," Nick said as he clasped his hand on the back of Plumeri and smiled, but knowing the knowledge they could gain would be immense.

"Aye Commander, I'm on it. Thank you for the free-hand here. I'm not exactly sure where this will lead us or what we're getting into. All I am sure about is that the Tholians were willing to go to great lengths to keep Starfleet and anyone else from finding out about this place. I think I'll start in Archaeo-astronomy lab. Punch up the ol' way-back machine and see what comes up?" Matthew smiled and looked back at Coleman, "Better get started I guess?"

"Start wherever you think would be best. I want a report on anything you can find within the week. Dismissed Mr. Plumeri," Nick said as he let the young man work on this new and mysterious project.

"Thank you sir" Plumeri answered. "Jonathan? Larken? Let's compare notes."

[OFF:]

LTJG Matthew Plumeri
ACSO/Historian
SB400

&

CMDR. Nicholas Coleman
CSO
SB400
(Signed off by Plumeri)

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