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"From Freaky to Fascinating"
(Previous Post: "From Forever to Freaky")
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Setting: MASQUERADE DREAMS, Room 23-089 (Maya)
Stardate: 30152.1530

With Doctor Mizore back on the USS ANUBIS to perform bio-chemical and genetics tests on the sample that had been taken from what had been left of the bomber, the Shillian Scientist had been tasked with the analysis of the other variable involved in the bombing attempt of the MASQUERADE DREAMS; the bomb itself.  In order to fully dedicate her complete attention to this matter, the Chief Science Officer had requested that she be momentarily taken off the communication network.  This way she would be able to communicate with the Avatar ANI without involving or interrupting everyone else.

The explosive device had been beamed out of the hands of Ensign Stark less than a second away from detonation and kept in stasis within the transporter buffer to render it inoperative.  The Chief Science Officer had established a secured link between the small visual display monitor present in her room and the computer of the USS ANUBIS. This would enable her to supervise the research of the device without actually being there, hopefully they would be able to identify the origin and substances used in the construction of the bomb. The fact that this specific device had passed through the security measures of the Risian Luxury Cruise Liner undetected had been one of many points of great interest for the Shillian Scientist.

=/\= The containment field as well as all security measures have been set to your specifications and are ready Commander, =/\= ANI, the Avatar of the USS ANUBIS, informed having been as always perfectly efficient in completing the tasks that had been demanded of her.

"First step is for the transporter pattern to be transferred from the current buffer to the secured one that has been set-up for this test," the Shillian said with anticipation, her eyes glued onto the small screen sitting on the table which allowed her to follow each and every step of the process.

=/\= Transferring the patter now, =/\= ANI complied without any worries in her voice, not that the Shillian had expected there to be any.  As an artificial life form, the Avatar of the USS ANUBIS had been unburdened by superfluous feelings or emotions, something that any Vulcan would have been rather envious of.  =/\= Transfer completed. No anomalies detected. The pattern in the isolated buffer is reading at one hundred percent integrity. =/\=

"Perfect," the Chief Science Officer noted with some level of gratitude.  Although this had likely been the first and easiest part of the tests, the process still held a certain amount of risk that would have jeopardized the entire research and very likely deprived them of the answers they had been searching for. "Bring the quarantine isolation field to maximum, lower artificial gravity to minimum and establish a level 10 forcefield around the entire cargo bay. If this experiment should not go as expected I want to make sure that no one on the ANUBIS is affected by what would happen."

Cargo bay 15, located on deck 26, had been specifically selected by the Shillian Scientist for this unique experiment for several reasons, the first being the ability to control the environment of the spacious room to help minimize any negative effects.  Given the complete unknown nature of the explosive device or the destructive capability that were held hidden within, caution had been of the greatest importance.

=/\= Everything is ready Commander, =/\= ANI said only a few seconds later, the Avatar having once again displayed the extent of her efficiency in all matters concerning to the USS ANUBIS.

"We are going to do a gradual matter reintegration," the Chief Science Officer said. Although there had been no reason or need to explain the specifics of the plan to the Avatar who had already been briefed on the process, the Shillian had wanted to insure that there would be no misunderstandings as to what would take place and what had been expected.  "We will start at twenty percent and increase by two percent every ten seconds, this should give us ample time to run a full a sensor scan on the bomb at each materialization step and hopefully this will give us enough time to identify any potential problems and react accordingly. If anything strange is detected, pause the rematerialization sequence so that we can further investigate what is happening.  Should sensors pick up anything that seems to indicate an uncontrolled cascade reaction beyond what we are expecting, you are to open the outer bay door and vent the bomb into space.  It is my hope that this will further limit the impact and possible damage to the ANUBIS.  Of course I would like to keep that option as an absolute last resort as it would make it impossible for us to get any useful detailed sensor data from an explosion outside of the ship."

=/\= Initiating rematerialization sequence, starting at twenty percent matter reintegration and increasing by two percent every ten seconds, =/\= the Avatar announced, informing the Chief Science Officer that the process had begun while at the same time making her wish that she had been there to witness the event first hand.

Instead the Shillian Scientist had been left with reading the data gathered by the sensor scans, identifying as best as they could the materials which comprised the explosive device.  Seconds ticked by slowly and by the twenty four percent mark of the bomb re-materialized, there had only been limited information available about the outer casing, and even less about the explosive components within.  The good thing at this point had been that the bomb had still been non operational allowing the test to continue with the hopes for some answers very much alive.

=/\= Rematerialization sequence now at thirty percent, =/\= the Avatar announced, confirming that the data being analysed by the Chief Science Officer had been in sync with what had been taking place on the ANUBIS.  =/\= All readings showing negative as to an explosive potential. =/\=

The Shillian carefully studied the sensor data rapidly scrolling on the small screen in front of her. The process had been fascinating and the Chief Science Officer inwardly wished that they could spend more time dissecting and understanding the device, but Captain Morningstar had made it perfectly clear that time had been an issue.

=/\= Rematerialization sequence now at thirty eight percent, sensors are picking up a slight energy fluctuation emanating from the lower-right quadrant of the device. =/\= ANI reported, certain that the Shillian Scientist had also noticed this anomaly.

"Looks like we have identified the power source of the device," the Chief Science Officer said, trying to keep her own puzzlement to herself at this point. The truth had been that she had never seen anything like this and had been in a complete inability to even offer a guess as to what had been used to provide energy to the bomb.  "I think it would be safer if we reduced the rematerialization rate to one percent every ten seconds.  These power readings need to be more closely monitored and analysed as we might be dealing with a completely unknown system. ANI, run a comparative search between current sensor readings and any similar energy outputs that we have on file.  I find it hard to believe that anyone targeting a Cruise Liner would have access to a never before seen energy source.  Maybe we should involve Captain Morningstar and Commander Shar'El at this point. With the Captain having served on board the USS PARADOX and the implanted memories in the head of our First Officer, maybe one of them might be able to help."

=/\= That may be more difficult then it sounds, =/\= ANI said. Although the Shillian Scientist had not heard any of the discussions pertaining to the current state of Commander Shar'El, the Avatar had kept track of everything, just in case her unique skills had been required in some way or another.

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Jessica Solarik

Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS

&

Captain Selene Fiona Iverson
Commanding Officer
USS BASTET

"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)