Timely Communication

Posted on Thu Mar 11, 2021 @ 7:57am by Commander Caleb Ryan & Captain Maritza Soran & Civilian Jason Haines

1,190 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Si vis pacem, para bellum
Location: Pangaea / Ops
Timeline: MD4, 0630

[ON]

Jason got from the water, caught his breath, and then ran down the beach, trying to stay close to the tree line. It took him twenty minutes to get back to his camp. He quickly grabbed his gear and dragged it into the trees. He then cleaned up his camp as quickly as possible. He wanted to minimize the chance of the Cardassians seeing him from the air.

The first thing he did was get his medkit out and tend to his burn. Although it felt better after he tended to it, he would still need to see a doctor to really help it. The next thing he did was pull out the communicator he had bought and tried to contact the station. Soran and Ryan would need to know this, if they didn’t already, and what he had found.

“Damn!” he cursed when he couldn’t even create the channel. The communication net was being jammed.

He looked down at the 'welcome home' pack that Captain Phralan had delivered to him. All useful tools, he had just hoped not to have to use them. He didn’t trust Temporal anymore, and the current events didn’t help that. The timing of everything was just too suspicious.

He pulled out the tricorder and communicator that they had given him. Much of the programming and technology in Temporal’s devices had been inspired by the Borg. With the return of the USS Voyager came a lot of knowledge both indirectly gained and directly gained from the former Borg, 7 of 9. It was why Borg technology was more sought than ever before. Some sought it for the noble pursuit of research. Others sought it for power and profit; the man who murdered his father being one of them.

Starfleet had never been able to jam the communication systems of any Borg ship. Their communications did not work quite the way most races’ systems did. From there, although they hadn’t quite figured it all out, Temporal had been able to come up with a few theories, one which Jason was about to put to the test.

Opening the tricorder he had received as a gift, Jason hooked it into the communicator. Then for another half hour he programmed a temporal equation into the tricorder that would allow him to create a channel using temporal fluctuations. This would allow him to get through the jamming, and with luck avoid having the communication being detected, at least by the Cardassians. There were others he was a bit more concerned about.

This normally would take a large power source, which Jason didn’t have. Luckily, however, he did have the planet and its temporal fluctuations. Hopefully, they wouldn’t fluctuate too much and disrupt the channel.

“Here goes nothing,” Jason said.

Jason had a fair amount of “here goes nothing” moments while stationed at DS5. He hoped this one was successful.

Pressing the button on the tricorder that would change the communicator’s patterns, he said, “Bait to Queen D5, check.”

Hopefully Soran or Ryan were at Ops, as they would be the only two who could figure out his phrasing, and Soran more likely than Ryan.

“Sir, we’re getting a communication from the planet,” the comms operator reported.

“Play it,” Caleb ordered, coming over to the station. He frowned at the words. He recognized the voice, even through the distortion.

“Haines?” Caleb said. “How are you getting through? Is this channel secure?”

Jason thought a moment as to how to reply. He was concerned that Temporal could be listening in on the conversation, or at least be able to get a copy.

"Well, sir," Jason replied. "As to the how, it is a story for the ages. Only time will tell about secureness. Forty-six-A would suggest it is only as secure as the people talking on it. I am not sure what the chess board is like, but someone dropped a whole bunch of pieces on the floor."

“We’re well aware of the situation on the ground,” Caleb replied. “We’re similarly FUBARed up here. Be advised, portal and colony are hot,” he warned Haines. He motioned to the comms operator to try and locate Haines’ position on the planet. “But we’re attempting to send down shuttles to retrieve as many as we can.”

"Understood," Jason replied. "I have another peculiar situation. You know that Ferrari the kids like to play with? I think I found the steering wheel to it."

Jason hoped that Ryan might be able to pick up on his phrasing. The age of internal combustion engines had come and gone on Earth, but he hoped Ryan might have some knowledge of more famous names, as he didn't want to come out and specifically reference the portals. He could only hope either Ryan or someone in his past would have an idea.

“Acknowledged,” Caleb told Haines. “Put a pin in it fer later. What do ya need now?” he asked Jason.

There were a lot of things that came to Jason's mind to say to Ryan, but it wasn't the time for any feuding.

"Funny, Commander," Jason replied. "I was going to ask you the same thing. I'm not leaving and letting the kids make a mess of things here. Point me in the direction I can do the most good or cause the most chaos."

Caleb considered. “It’s hard for us ta get a read on the situation on the ground,” he told Jason. “Our communications are cut off. We know a Cardassian flight wing has attacked the colony an’ the portal complex. Sensors were always iffy on the planet, especially at this distance. There may be civilians who escaped the colony. We could use more intel on the situation, an’ those civilians could use some lookin’ after before the Cardassians have a chance ta start roundin’ ‘em up.”

"I'm closest to the civvies, so I will see what I can do there first," Jason said. "It is going to be a bit before I can get there though. As far as your comms, T'gan might be able to help."

Jason paused and thought about how to say the next piece, because if the Cardassians were listening, he didn't want them to even have a chance to tap into this communication.

"Tell her that 7 out of 9 Voyagers will be able to help her figure this channel out," he finished.

Caleb frowned, but repeated the phrase in his head. “Will do,” he told Jason. “Keep yerself safe, Haines,” he told the man. They may have had their issues, but he didn’t want Haines to end up on the receiving end of Cardassian interrogation. “We’ll do what we can ta get you all outta there.”

"Thank you, sir," Haines said, "but no worries. I'll give you a call when we have them on the run. Out."

With that, Jason closed the channel. He looked out over the water and muttered to himself, "Time to get to work."

[OFF]

---

Jason Haines
Resident Beach Bum and Insurgent

Commander Caleb Ryan
Executive Officer

 

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