The Bigger Stick I

Posted on Sat Dec 3rd, 2022 @ 3:57am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Warrant Officer Ahira Kasamoto

Mission: S1 Episode 4: The Cloud
Location: Holodeck 1
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1945
4378 words - 8.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Outside of a brief visit to the security offices to speak with Chief Law about his new assignment, Lyra had sequestered herself in the Holodeck and poured herself into the project in front of her. It was life changing - it was pure and raw power. Absolute power, but oh so dangerous.

As absolute power usually was.

The holodeck had been converted into a weapons lab straight out of the imperial fleet yards. Schematics were displayed on wall monitors around the room and several table displays were projecting holographic depictions of deconstructed torpedoes and their components as well as small spheres of red matter. Lyra was moving about the room slowly, her attention on the PADD in her hand. Her other hand was on the back of her neck rubbing slightly. Corvin had provided some ideas to her though none were overly different from her own which signaled she was on the right track most likely.

Many people never put much thought into red matter given that it was more or less theoretical with how rare it was, but when she had learned about it in the Academy it had become a bit of a fantasy project for her that she had never really forgotten. How could she? The power to destroy worlds at her fingertips...

She had worked for the first hour and a half alone, but eventually, Ahira Kasamoto had arrived to assist. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she accepted it in stride - perhaps the Captain had sent him to see what she was up to, or perhaps it was an excuse to be rid of his bodyguard. Ivan was known for being a difficult charge after all. Ahira hadn't necessarily had any ideas to contribute, but he had been working to help her construct and flesh out her initial ideas and his company was not entirely unwelcome. She had been involved in every step with him in some way, whether initially or checking his work afterward. It wasn't clear if she was doing it because of some sort of suspicion she might have had to the half breed or if she was just entirely dedicated to the project and seeing that it was executed to her exacting standards; perhaps it was both.

She let out a sigh and lowered the PADD, tipping her head back and closing her eyes as she "looked" at the ceiling. The city destroyer was giving her trouble, becoming frustrating, but it hardly did anything to tamp down the excitement she had been feeling throughout this process. She looked over to Ahira.

"Have you been able to pinpoint the ratio of red matter needed for the continental destroyer?"

The warrant officer hadn't been sure why he had been drafted for this project either. In the first place, his understanding of engineering was pretty basic. Sure, in a pinch, he could help repair a warp coil, if the repairs were not too difficult, but the technology involved in this project was far more complicated than that.

He too suspected that Petrov just didn't want him underfoot. Maybe he had something clandestine planned or wanted to bring back a woman, or women to his cabin for a tryst. Had either been the case, he wouldn't have wanted Ahira to be around.

But, an order is an order and Ahira wasn't going to question the Captain, he wasn't a fool. Did he want to be involved in this project? Not a chance in Areinnye. Red Matter was dangerous, which was only a small concern for him. The larger concern was its immense power would make the Empire potentially omnipotent.

It wasn't that he was a rebel, wanting to tear down a system that had been in place for eons, or run and join the Alliance. He was acquisitive and no altar boy. But, he knew firsthand that the Empire was not perfect, especially if one was different. He didn't want to sabotage the project per se but would have taken the opportunity to limit its success. So far, he hadn't had the chance, not without substantial risk and he cared too much about himself to die on that hill. So, he was going to be a good little soldier and do the job he'd been given.

He shrugged his left shoulder when asked the question, "I guess it would depend on the size of the continent. But I think it would be safe to say .75 of a minim"

“We can adjust as necessary for size of course, but we need at least a starting point.” Opening her eyes, Lyra looked over toward Ahira. He didn’t seem remotely excited by all of this and while she didn’t contribute any factor of mental energy to considering the reason, there was a fleeting question as to why. “Go ahead and load it up in a simulation then and let’s see if it works.”

"Yes, ma'am," he replied. He moved slowly, and deliberately, not for lack of enthusiasm, he was doing his best to hide that, but he was treating this as though it was real and one misstep could not only destroy the ship but a good portion of surrounding space.

Lyra returned her attention to the PADD in her hand, waiting on Ahira to finish with what he was doing. She moved over to one of the table displays and leaned onto it, looking at her handiwork displayed there. She licked her lips and took a deep breath, though soon grew impatient and looked over to the half-breed and just watched him, willing him to hurry along.

When he spied her approaching, he thought "Back the fuck off." But he said, "Sorry, I know this is just a simulation, but I've been treating it like it was real. Just to keep in practice for the real thing. I'll speed up."

Then he did, though he was no doubt still not moving fast enough to please her, he felt in his mind.

Her expression didn’t change as he sped up, she was near dishearteningly hard to read even for someone as skilled as Ahira. “It’s fine.” She assured him but still continued to just watch him. “When you’re ready, launch it, and let’s see how we do.”

He nodded trying to hide his irritation that he couldn't read her like he could with most people. He launched the probe, holding his breath as it raced towards his target. It hit and the explosion was impressive, but according to the instruments, not impressive enough.

It took out the First City and a good 10,000 kilometers around it, but it didn't take out the whole continent.

"DAMN IT," he shouted, "that didn't do it."

"No, it didn't." Lyra sighed and shook her head. "But, that did help fill in some information for the city weapon as a place to start." She tried to offer a positive despite the setback. Just then, an arch appeared and the doors opened. She turned her head to look, her expression remaining passive as she saw who was walking in.

The XO strode in with heavy footfalls, his left eye tracking from Lyra and Ahira to the table and instruments surrounding them. As the arch disappeared behind him, he walked over and stood beside Lyra without a word at first, nearly watching the display. When he looked up, he took her in with his visible eye. He had a confident energy, even more than he’d had before he’d become XO.

“A city?” He asked, his voice sounding slightly disappointed. “And here, I thought the two of you were cooking up a wormhole maker that could eat star systems.”

"That is already done; in two varieties, in fact." Lyra replied in a tone that sounded bordering on offended. She lifted a hand to the holographic display and with a gesture, the parts spun themselves back together into the shape of a rather intimidating but still sleek looking black torpedo. "Computer, reset simulation and run RM-Alpha scenario."

At her behest, a viewscreen exactly like that on the bridge of the Vengeance appeared and displayed the emerald green planet of Qo'noS before them. The Vengeance's phasers were boring down into the planet in a constant stream and in one spot. Suddenly, it stopped, and a torpedo was fired. It didn't move overly fast, but it was steady and soon disappeared into the atmosphere of the planet. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but just a few seconds later a noticeable hole began to form where the phasers had been directed and it slowly grew. The planet melted into it, breaking and cracking as the consuming vortex claimed it. It was beautiful, terrifying, consuming. In all of three minutes it was over and the only thing left behind was a void in space - as if the planet nor people had ever existed.

Andrei watched with interest as the phaser bore down onto the planet, having recognized it immediately as one of the homeworld of their greatest enemy back home. It was when the hole began to form that his lips parted and then began to slowly form a smile, mirthful and calm.

“It’s astonishing.” He said, watching the planet destroy itself and begin to pull in nearby matter. “We will be the scourge of the Delta Quadrant with this weapon of mass destruction.”

He looked at Lyra, pleased.

“What can it do with a star?”

"It would depend on the type of star what the end result is, but it would be the same - just much more fiery," Lyra noted in a perfectly normal, conversational way as if they weren't talking about the destruction of billions of peoples and their planets. "Certain stars would produce larger singularities and could potentially be dangerous to the fleet, but it could theoretically be a way to wipe out an entire star system. Make a black hole big enough that it would devour all the planets in time, though it would not be instantaneous so it would leave time for people to escape potentially."

She looked up to Andrei then. "Would you like to see the second version of the planet killer, Commander?"

He looked back at her, his visible eye electric. He gave a nod that indicated his interest, and it was clear it was genuine and intense.

“Oh, yes, I do.” He said, placing his hand on the table near her, but not touching her. He then glanced at Ahira for a brief moment but said nothing.

Ahira stood a little straighter when his charge's son eyed him. He'd heard of his reputation, who on the ship hadn't, and he'd heard rumors about what had been done to him by the rebellious slaves. He told himself he wasn't afraid of Andrei, but he knew himself enough to know that wasn't true. He wouldn't be an easy target should the XO decide to go after him, but he knew his chances of survival would be low and his defeating Petrov even lower.

Still, he wasn't going to cower either.

He noticed how close Andrei's and Lyra's hands were together but didn't think much about it at the time. He let the silence stretch out between them waiting to see if he was going to be addressed.

Though Lyra didn't look down at Andrei's hand, she knew it was there. Her eyes remained on his, unreadable to anyone else but holding a depth and shine to them that only Andrei understood. The corners of her mouth just barely lifted, then tamed again. His interface told him more; certain combinations of endorphins and hormones were present, the levels were low, but they were still there. Unsurprising given Lyra's tastes.

She finally broke eye contact from him and turned her attention to the projected viewscreen. "Computer, reset simulation and run RM-Beta scenario."

Again there was a chime of acknowledgement, a slight shimmer, and Qo'noS returned in all its emerald splendor. Three seconds passed, and then the Vengeance launched a single torpedo. It was larger than normal and purple in color at first, but as it approached the planet, it suddenly pulsed and broke into four smaller projectiles that turned fluorescent green. Two hurtled toward the poles of the planet while the other two moved to equidistant positions between the two poles on the equator on opposite sides of the planet. Once they had all found their places - which had only taken a matter of seconds - all four of the projectiles exploded. It wasn't a particularly impressive or fiery display; the singularities that formed immediately ate any impressiveness that may have come from it. The terrible, magnificent display came as the planet began to violently rip apart instead of imploding in on itself. The four sibling black holes almost seemed to vie for dominance as Qo'noS was shredded out of existence. Drilling down into the planet of course had an effect on those living there, but this display... This was the type of display that would drive fear into the hearts of those who would oppose them that they too could meet such a violent end.

This method was marginally faster, only taking a couple of minutes. The four singularities began to shift and merge with each other until there was one massive one left sitting ominously in the space Qo'noS and its moons had once occupied.

A soft sigh and a pleased note passed Lyra's lips. This one was her favorite.

Ahira tried to smile, but the best he could manage was a deadpan expression. This was exactly what he had feared, exactly what he could do nothing to contain.

"Impressive," he said in a low tone.

“Such power,” Andrei said with a look like he’d just discovered a million golden crowns. His smile was bright, but he inflated with pride, realizing how much power they had at their fingertips indeed. “The Delta Quadrant will fall to their knees before us..and then..when we get home. Just think of the possibilities.”

The XO said, his eyes moving to Ahira with a similar sparkle as Lyra’s.

“You’re making this happen with us, Mr. Kasamoto. The Empire just might remember your name for generations.”

Lyra too looked over to Ahira and she noticed the expression on his face. Her own sobered mildly, and her eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. Any true and loyal Terran would have been rejoicing at this display, in her mind.

Ahira couldn't read her thoughts, but she wasn't exactly giving him a warm and inviting look and he knew if she was picking up on his lack of enthusiasm, the XO with that damned x-ray of his wouldn't be far behind if indeed he were behind. So, he knew he had to recover.

He did have some experience in conning people and had been pretty good at it. He just hoped he hadn't lost too much of his edge, he really didn't want to be reeducated.

Clearing his throat he looked over at Petrov, pretending not to notice the look his Chief had given him. "Thank you, Commander. That would be an honor."

"This is just awe-inspiring. I'm at a loss for words. To have such power over our enemies. It's thrilling."

"I am glad that you said that because I couldn't help but wonder if my station, my, em heritage, would hold me back from sharing in the glory. Especially since I've played such a small part."

"The Empire is merciful, and she can be glorified by even the smallest of creatures," Andrei said, looking at Ahira with his natural grey eye and his interface, which provided a tricorder's worth of information. Unlike Lyra, he didn't look suspicious, but he wasn't the easiest person to predict anyway. "I bet you didn't suspect that guarding the captain would bring opportunities like this, did you?"

Lyra’s expression gentled again and she even smiled as she looked to Ahira. For all appearances, it seemed she accepted his lack of enthusiasm as a momentary lapse due to how in awe he was of the moment. “You have been an excellent help in this Ahira, I’ll definitely make sure to pass along a good report for the official records.”

Ahira let out a small sigh of relief, which caused an actual smile to turn up the corners of his lips.

"No sir, I did not. It was an honor enough just to be asked to guard your father."

Then he turned to Lyra, "Thank you, ma'am, that would be so appreciated. So, what do we do now?"

“Since the two current weapons seem to be satisfactory, we will be switching our focus to the other two options.” Lyra looked to Andrei then. “Since it did not take long to figure out the weapon variants that will destroy planets, I decided to explore less destructive options - specifically one that would destroy a single continent or a single city. It is a much more complicated set of variables to deal with, but I thought it was worth exploring.”

Ahira's smile widened upon hearing her words. A continent still felt a little extreme to him, but he saw the necessity of taking out a city. This was something he could truly stand behind. But, he hadn't been addressed, so he waited to say anything.

"A warning shot with some punch." Andrei said, looking from Ahira to the console in front of him. He moved his fingers around the console, going from menu to menu until he found what he was after. Activating the link between the holodeck console and his interface, he stepped back slightly, working the computer from the visual inputs with his right eye. It was an ingenuous little innovation that had only taken a few hours for engineering to rework. It was a bit clunky, but the more he worked with it, the better he got. "A fascinating design, if not a bit...small."

He angled his strong chin in the air, causing his long black locks to flow back. It seemed to have little to do with any sense of aversion, and more a sign he was reading and thinking.

"How did you manage to dissipate the singularity to keep the entire planet from being folded inside?"

“Size doesn’t always matter, Commander; it is how it is utilized that counts.” Lyra replied with a straight face, watching Andrei in his “processing mode” for a moment then she turned away to face the displays instead. “Thoron particles act as a containment field around the singularity and will destabilize it completely. Once the red matter device is launched, when the singularity reaches a certain threshold, a second device containing the thorons will be launched. This one will also split in two with part of the payload detonating in the accretion disk and the second and larger quantity in the event horizon itself. This combined halts the growth of the singularity and also serves to collapse it.”

Ahira made a valiant effort to not snicker when Lyra had mentioned size not mattering. He got the innuendo and was pretty sure it had been deliberate. He'd been successful. Mostly. He coughed to cover it up, just in case.

"Do you want me to run another algorithm, to make sure we've got all the parameters set correctly?"

Lyra looked over to Ahira and shook her head. "No, not yet. Right now we need to figure out the correct red matter percentage for an average sized city, so roughly four hundred square miles. From there we'd have a base to adjust as needed." She rubbed the back of her neck and took a deep breath; she realized suddenly that she was tense, tired, and hungry. "That's really a one-person job though, honestly, so as far as I'm concerned, Ahira, you are off the hook and can go. I'll let you know when I figure it out."

Andrei watched as Lyra gave every sign of being overworked. She’d been on this project all day. He had been flirting around from team to team and was tired too, so he understood the feeling.

“Go on, Officer. We can make due on our own.” He ordered, looking at Ahira.

"Yes sir, yes ma'am," he said, relieved that he was done with the assignment for the day. He had several messages that he hadn't gotten to while he'd been worrying about the project and he wanted to check them out and return them.

"Thank you, Ahira." Lyra called after Ahira. Once he left, it was like a switch had been flipped and she brightened considerably. The tension abated slightly, though she was still tired and hungry. It was all pushed to the back now. She moved in a more animated way and grabbed a PADD off the holographic table in front of her. She began to hum a few notes and then spoke. "Computer play Sinfonia em Sol menor, thirty percent volume."

The music started up, the strings taking the lead of the first movement. "It is really just so close." She said and gave a wistful sigh, though it wasn't entirely apparent if she was talking to Andrei - it was almost like he had been forgotten for a moment.

"My father ordered one bomb and you're bringing back four. I think you've more than done your job." Andrei said, still reading the display in his interface. With a movement of his eye, he called up Romulus on the viewscreen in front of them. It was even populated with ships and stations, bustling with activity. "But how is our escape?"

With another movement, he fired the first torpedo, the one meant to absorb the planet and watched as the phaser bored into the capital city while the torpedo streamed toward the newly-made hole. As the impact occurred and the black hole started to eat the world, a noticeable erection twitched across the front of his thigh. He remained focused. He turned to the nearby console and inputted a few commands. Suddenly, the planet began to be closer as they began to be sucked into the singularity from the perspective of the viewscreen. He activated warp engines and recorded the resistance as the ship shot away from the planet. Deactivating the screen with his interface, he reviewed his findings.

"It takes warp 3 to escape the singularity at that stage. It is getting steadily stronger though."

As all this occurred, the music piece selected by Lyra played in the background, a fitting romantic movement to contrast the cold carnage they were planning.

"Alternatively instead of remaining at firing distance, once the reaction begins the ship can be moved into a safe distance." Lyra supplied, almost floating around the room to the music, never once colliding with anything despite her attention on the device in her hand, though she had looked up to watch Romulus collapse. "The singularities don't expand out more than the planet's original width give or take a few thousand kilometers. Though we could always use the thoron technique to even tame those and leave broken, burning planets in our wake instead." She paused in her flitting about and seemed to ponder that very notion with great interest.

"I'm sure the destruction of planets will send the message we most desire to send; kneel, and do as we command." he said, standing up taller and inadvertently drawing tension between his uniform pants and his manhood. Having this much control made him electric, but he didn't give any attention to it in particular. "Who do you imagine we'll use it on first?"

She looked over to him, then back to the monitor, then quickly back to him but lower, then back to her PADD. "Whoever we want, darling." She reminded him and input another calculation. "Merda..." She muttered under her breath and shook her head.

"Problem?" he asked, moving toward and stepping in behind her to look over her shoulder. He was close, standing over her, but their bodies were just shy of touching.

Lyra became very aware of Andrei coming up behind her and her focus drifted from what she was doing to the simple feeling of him behind her. She took in a deep breath, a shiver running up her spine that caused her to straighten just slightly. She licked her lips and then blinked, her mind coming back to the moment. "No, this number is just irritatingly hard to pin down."

He reached around her and grabbed the PADD from the other side, his fingers grazing hers on the back side but nothing more. He read the screen quickly. His energy was intense to say the least, and he displayed no outward sign of patience.

"Computer, reduce the red matter content by .02 milliliters and run several concurrent simulations, following the same pattern. Project readings to screens 4-11." he said, and the computer beeped its compliance. He released the PADD, and leaned in toward her ear, speaking somewhat softly, though not directly into her ear. "Why think up a solution which can easily be found by throwing the dart and seeing what sticks, hmm?"

He then stepped around her and walked back to the table.

"Mm... I suppose I got a bit too caught up doing it myself to think of it. I had the mongrel boy on that job while he was here anyways." She admitted and moved after Andrei while the music continued to play. Her hand came up to his lower back and slid slowly up his spine. It was something she knew he enjoyed. "How have the other projects been coming? Are we even going to have red matter to play with?"

He looked over his shoulder as she touched him, his muscles relaxing.

"That we are. Sovas and M'Tras are making sure of that. They've modified probes to harvest the decalithium from the nebula and are working to convert it to red matter. It's extremely dangerous, I might add. You and I are standing on a powder keg. We could die any second." he said, and then grinned slightly, his badness showing. "It makes one thing how one would like to spend one's last moments."

TBC