RP Log: An Artifact Goes Missing

Roleplay Log
Participants: Coil Hauser	Worthington Ramirez Ki'Vek
Location(s): High Energy Lab <USS Phoenix>
Stardate: 134110.73
2025-04-24 16:23

High Energy Physics Lab <USS Phoenix NCC-170100-A>

The labs aboard the vessel have similar design queues to one another, but each is configured for a slightly different purpose. This particular lab has evidence of studies in high energy physics with stations specifically designed to aid in that particular branch of the physical sciences. There are a number of stations along the back wall, each of which can be devoted to a specific experiment or study project. A black, glossy panelling runs along the bulkheads at shoulder height near the entry door, allowing access to the LCARS interface, and tracers set into the bulkheads close to the ceiling indicate the current alert status.

Hauser is standing in the lab. Beside her, inspecting things, is a Selay in a captain's uniform. For her part, Hauser's expression is businesslike, but dang if she doesn't look like CHristmas came early this year. Ramirez moves through the door with purpose. "Yes, Lieutenant?" He looks somewhat harried.

Ki'Vek is inspecting the cutting tool, though only visually at present. "This is an interesting piece, Lieutenant."

"Isn't it though? We actually have two of them. Ensign Ramirez, Captain Ki'vek of Antares Shipyards is paying us a visit and wants to know, among other things, about our Hur'q equipment here. Want to give her the overview?"

Ramirez looks to Ki'vek, then, nodding politely. "Captain. I believe we met when I escorted you aboard a few months back. Welcome back to Phoenix, sir. Pleasure to see you." He nods to the device Ki'vek is bent over. "Two of these devices were discovered on one of the rocky asteroids we were studying in the Havas-Kul system, some 520 light years on a rough bearing of 70 mark -1 from here."

He considers. "The initial expedition discovered a complex tunnel system of 3m-wide tunnels, cut with some sort of technology that rendered a perfect, smooth, symmetrical bore. In that complex, we discovered several items. A crystalline mining tool, essentially a pick, that massed over 400 kilos. And, also, two of these devices, one of which you are examining now."

He continues, "They were initially brought down to the weapons lab. One of the samples was placed in a containment field. After roughly a weeks, it began to recharge on its own. We still don't know why. The other one never charged."

Hauser glances around, as if looking for the second device, but she's low key about it, letting Ki'vek take the lead here.

"Ensign," the Selay greets with a deep nod in his direction. "A pleasure to see you again." She motions to the tool on the table. "Although I know nothing about this device, I suspect that it would be more likely to make a clean cut than would be the pick tool you have described."

Ramirez glances towards the arms locker. "Where is the other device, Lieutenant? The charged one? Sample number....52531, I believe?" He motions to the locker. Then he looks to the Selay. "The asteroid was rich with volatile minerals, including blitmanite ore. Though I am no mining expert, sir, we supposed they used manual tools where they were concerned about volatiles, or perhaps for fine work."

"That's a good question, Ensign," the woman says. "I don't see it, and I haven't been up here since we originally relocated the materials here. It was here then. Has someone checked it out for study outside the lab, perhaps?"

Ki'Vek looks between the other two officers, holding her silence while they figure out the issue.

Ramirez shrugs to Hauser. "That would be Lieutenant Castillo's wheelhouse, sir. Last I saw it, it was on the workbench. If it's missing, we have a security issue, and Lieutenant Crass should be notified immediately."

"I'll let you look into that, but let me know what you find, Ensign. Can't have these things walking off for private study, ya know?" Hauser says. "Meanwhile," she hefts the cutting beam and smiles at Ki'vek. "The mystery, ok one mystery, is that we don't know how it powers. You can't put a power cell in it. The other one that we have, it started to self-power. Or more accurately, it started to charge using a method we haven't figured out yet."

Ramirez brings his tricoder up, and does a brief scan. Then he motions to the device. "That one is now powered, sir." He offers the device's screen for inspection for whomever wants to look.

"No, they were inert when we brought them up," Hauser says. "Best I recollect. My guess, and right now a guess is all it is, is that it's juicing itself off some form of ambient energy that is here, but wasn't in the place where we found it. EM field, something."

Ramirez pulls up a log entry on the LCARS interface behind him, scrolling through it. Then he shakes his head. "I just checked the logs. THAT is the one that spontaneously powered itself." He points to the screen. "Sample #52529, on stardate 133991.7."

Ramirez looks over to Hauser. "The missing one is the depowered one that was in the arms locker."

Coil arrives from Physical Sciences - Starboard Corridor.

Ki'Vek is with Hauser and Ramirez while they introduce her to the technology they recovered. "And the mystery is that you don't know how or why the thing has begun to recharge itself, yes?"

Kellen walks into the lab and smiles at Ki'Vek before answering her, "Well, the why is obvious. The environment is sufficient for it to recharge. How or what that environment is remains a mystery at this time. And I remain concerned that testing near our technology might be contraindicated since we don't know what about the Hur'q's burrowing method interferes with our systems."

Ramirez nods. "That is, for all practical purposes Captain, correct. The sample you are looking at was taken out of an arms locker, and placed in a standard containment field array down in the Weapons Engineering lab on Deck 26. After a few days, when we were performing daily checks, we discovered that the device had begun charging itself."

He motions to the arms locker. "That arms locker is the same one they were stored in on Deck 26. It was moved up here. The device held in the arms locker never charged. We don't know why." Hauser smiles at Coil. "Heya Doc. Well, you're about up to date."

"Doctor," the snake says to Coil with a shallow bow. "A pleasure to see you again." She turns back to Ramirez and asks, "Did you try putting the other device under a security field as well to see if it also began to charge under the same conditions?"

Hauser looks to Ramirez for that answer. "After we relocated the items, I got caught up in other projects. So I may not have the latest and greatest. ButI'm a quick study," she adds with a half grin.

Ramirez shakes his head to Ki'vek. "...I'm not in charge of any of this, Captain. I thought it best to keep the second device sequestered in the arms locker as a sort of control on the natural experiment until told otherwise. As far as I know, no one has decided to do otherwise. Until now, at least. I have no idea who took the other device."

Ramirez snaps his fingers, and adds. "I do know that Lieutenant Castillo has set up automated computer monitoring of the samples, of some variety. That may be of some use."

"Quite so," Ki'Vek says in understanding. She then motions to Coil. "Doctor Coil here he is correct, of course. The tool it must be recharging in response either to something it has come in contact with aboard Phoenix, or in the absence of something that was preventing it from recharging as intended in the place where it was found. However, I would assume that if it were the latter, then both devices they would have begun to charge once removed from their earlier environment. Unless, of course, the other device it has been damaged in some way which also prevents the power regeneration."

Kellen frowns as he turns to Ramirez, "The other tool is missing?"

Ramirez points to the open arms locker and nods. "Yes, Doctor Coil, it is."

Hauser smiles at COil. "I think we're all on the same page. Now if we can figure out the juicing mechanism. Captain Ki'vek is here for a short time and wanted to see what we've got."

"Automatic monitoring, you say," Ki'vek notes with a nod to Ramirez. "In that case, the computer it should be able to tell us when the other device disappeared from the locker, and perhaps with whom."

Kellen frowns even deeper and nods in agreement with Ki'Vek, "I hate the idea that there's a Hur'q tool that could knock out Phoenix's systems floating around." He pauses and asks Hauser, "We had both Hwiamma and Moqz on board, didn't we? And both left just recently?"

Hauser nods. "That's right, doc. Within a couple days of each other."

Commander Worthington arrives from Physical Sciences - Starboard Corridor.

Ramirez blandly looks over towards the LCARS panel, calling, "Computer. Please list the monitoring protocols that were put in place by Lieutenant jay gee Castillo in this compartment regarding the two Hur'q device samples."

Hauser is in the lab with Coil, Ramirez, and Ki'Vek. Just now, they seem to be discussing one of the devices as Ramirez poses a computer request.

Kellen turns on Worth as he comes in, "Are you aware that one of the Hur'q tools has gone missing, James?"

Worthington enters the room and stands near the door for the moment, watching.

Worthington adds to Coil. "Negative," he says. "I am not."

"Well sir, it is," Hauser says succinctly. "At first I thought maybe someone had taken it out for private study and had forgotten to log that. Maybe that's still the case. But ..."

Kellen shakes his head, "That is disturbing. Especially if it's no longer in Starfleet's control. We know that Hur'q burrowing is a negative effect on our systems, so if someone figures it out and weaponizes it..."

"But ..." Hauser looks around. "You can't just walz into a lab and flip open a secured arms locker. Hell our own people can't open them without authorization. Unless you bust it open, and that leaves traces."

Ramirez looks over. "We have no idea if the beam device affects our systems or not, Doctor Coil." He shrugs. "Caution is always warranted. But in this case there's no direct evidence that such a threat even exists. Caution's fine, but let's not put the cart before the horse. And anyhow...we need to verify with Lieutenant Castillo that she didn't move it."

Worthington nods. "We do, and we need to check all records for this compartment," he says. "The only people who had access, or should've had access, were members of the security and science departments, and lieutenant Hauser. That includes you and Atlanta," he says to Coil. "However, if someone managed to tamper with our security systems, it could be anyone from someone still aboard, to either Klingon or Romulan visitors, who have now all departed the vessel."

Kellen raises an eyebrow at Worth, "And just how well did our security system help protect us? I nearly died as I recall, and others did die without the computer even recognizing it."

Ramirez seemingly has nothing else to say on this topic and remains silent.

"In the meantime, sir," Hauser says, "Captain Ki'vek may have some ideas on helping us understand the thing. It's like a dual mystery. How does it work, and where's the other one." She can't help a strained smile.

Worthington nods to Hauser, but addresses Coil. "We haven't had any security incidents aboard Phoenix since the refit, until now," he says. "Which does make me think our foreign visitors might have been behind it. Both could have motive. The Klingons would be interested in knowing how Hur'q technology works, if they intend to fight any living Hur'q they come across."

"The Romulans, likewise, could have a multitude of reasons for taking the device, and I would rate them higher than the Klingons for their ability to do it without being caught. They could want it for their own ends, to combat the Hur'q, or for other reasons. We don't know where they stand at this point, especially with their fleets playing nice with the Dominion, or so it seems."

He pauses. "Then there's the Dominion, which would absolutely love nothing better than to prevent us from succeeding in our mission, and denying us the ability to properly examine this technology is one step they could take. Dominion infiltration should never be underestimated."

He pauses. "I need to talk to Hatter and Miri about that, to see if either of them would be able to potentially detect infiltrators or not." He pauses again. "Finally, an inside job, a remnant of the past humanist threats we've been dealing with. Or, as Jessica said, maybe Luz took it out and didn't log it. That last one though, I doubt. It's not like her, and she doesn't even have authorized access to the locker."

Kellen shakes his head though he looks uncomfortable about it, "Dominion would mean a Founder, and they would've taken both tools to keep them out of our hands. And destroyed the fungus as well." He thinks for a moment, "I hate to think such things, but I'd lean more to the Romulans than the Klingons. Klingon technology is too similar to our own, so it'd have the same weaknesses."

Ramirez says, blandly, "We really should verify with Castillo that she didn't take it, or verify with the computer what happened, before we start a security investigation, in my opinion. The Romulans and Klingons are all already gone."

Worthington looks to Ramirez. "Cris, how could she have accessed the closed locker?" he asks. "Or was one of the devices left in the lab at all times outside the locker? If the latter, yes, let's verify. Though if one was stored out in the open at all times, it would have been child's play for either the Klingons or the Romulans to take it at least. Erasing their tracks from the computer however, that would take something extra."

A soft alto feminine voice says, "Second Hur'q Harmonic Cutting Beam (52690) removed from Arms Locker on Stardate 134087.44 by Uhlan Diraka."

Kellen rolls his eyes, "A Romulan."

Worthington says, "Computer, how did Uhlan Diraka gain access to the secured arms locker?" he asks.

A soft alto feminine voice says, "Arms Locker in this compartment was opened on Stardate 133995.32 by Ensign Ramirez. It has remained open since that stardate."

Ramirez nods, and shrugs. "That's probably true. We had the device in and out for study. No one's been actively looking into it for weeks."

Kellen shakes his head, "I think that I'll go now. Thank you for a wonderful time, James."

Worthington nods to Ramirez, then back to Kellen. "You wish transport back to Emissary Station?" he asks, then glances again to Ramirez, though doesn't say anything.

Hauser blinks at Coil. "Hey, doc. You ok?" She asks, seeming to take note of something.

Ramirez stands passively off to the side, looking unperturbed.

Kellen glances at Worth, "I'm just going to remove myself, because at one time the science decks used to be restricted access. Regardless of whether the locker here was secured or not, I wouldn't have allowed free access to the labs when I was Chief Science Officer." With that he heads on out.

Worthington nods to Coil, then glances to the others. "I need to have a word with our erstwhile guest," he says. "I believe theft has a rather high penalty in the Star Empire, should one get caught."

Ramirez looks over. "Is the Romulan still on board?"

Coil goes Out.

Worthington shakes his head. "She is not," he says. "Her party departed just after the Klingons did."

Ramirez nods. "So...how will we talk to her?"

Hauser says, "Or, will we?"

Worthington responds. "We can try," he says. "Viewscreen. If for anything, to insure that she knows that we know, and our utter lack of amusement at the situation."

Ramirez nods, "Well. Above my pay grade, sir." He looks over to the table. "They took the non-functional one. We should count ourselves lucky."

Hauser says, "Unless they make it work, of course. But sir, Doctor Coil. We can't afford to lose him. He seems ... pretty mad."

Worthington nods. "That he does," he says. He glances to Ramirez. "Security protocols going forward. All lockers are to be closed regardless of who uses them, or where they are, or who has access." He pauses. "I further would like a review of access protocols for non-crew to apply to visitors aboard, excluding admiralty, particularly applied to foreign visitors. A foreign visitor, without escort, should not be able to access science labs, control centers, engineering spaces, cargo bays, system access points, or jeffries tubes, and any other sensitive place where equipment or data might be stored."

Ramirez shrugs to Hauser. "Maybe they can, maybe they can't. At least we KNOW we have one that charges, at least." He looks over to Worthington, nodding. "I will make sure every locker is closed, sir. But I should point out that I do not have the permissions to perform any kind of security review."

Worthington nods. "This will be something for the department heads to do, not you specifically Cris," he says. "Jessica here can start by securing all her engineering spaces, which is most of the concerned areas. I'll work directly with security to assist if needed, including here in the science areas."

Hauser smiles and squeezes Ramirez's shoulder. "It's alright, Cris. And even if it weren't, it will be." She smiles to Worth. "I'll triple check engineering securable spaces, sir."

Ramirez shrugs, and looks unhappy about the entire thing. "I'll make sure every equipment locker in the security stations, security centers, and armories is secured before end of watch, sir."

Worthington nods. "Thank you," he says, then adds, "It's okay ensign. The open locker might have made it easier, but the Romulan still stole the device. That is, ultimately, his fault, not yours."

Ramirez looks over to the locker. "Oh, I'm not blaming myself, sir. There was no standing order to close the thing, and other people needed access to it. I simply wish this hadn't happened."

Hauser winks at Worth. "You think a Starfleeter might not have taken a similar opportunity in the reverse case. I bet so, sir!"