The Righteous Hacked

Posted on Sat Aug 6th, 2022 @ 12:48pm by Lieutenant JG Corus Sprint [GM] & Ensign Qaylan Furlong [Adoptable][GM] & Game Master & Lieutenant JG Ralph Furlong [Adoptable] & Ensign Anastasia Targus [Adoptable] & Ensign Kharak [GM] & Ensign Geno [Adoptable]
Edited on on Fri Jul 5th, 2024 @ 4:10pm

1,938 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Interdimensional Archives
Location: Aboard The Righteous, Starbase 616, Spacedock
Timeline: After "Wakey Wakey Cenva"

on

Various Locations Aboard The Righteous

Lieutenant jg Corus Sprint manned the Tactical station, on the Bridge, while many others got to explore the station, though he did get to be on one team. They met to many forcefields and so returned to the ship in frustration. They weren't the only ones, that helped Corus feel better.

"Lieutenant," Dae said as he stepped onto the Bridge. They were between decanting more of the pod people and he wanted an excuse to get away from a certain pompous, infuriating Trill officer. "We get information back from the Krakens yet?"

"Warrant, it seems we have been able to get into several quarters, laboratories of both sciences and engineering, a lounge or two and a few storage rooms. The interesting part is that it looks like everything was just left like those inside simply dropped what they were doing and ran. I will upload the visuals and feeds to a padd for you." Corus said and he seemed a bit shaken after watching said footage, he tapped at his console slightly withdrawn making the transfer to a padd already laying at one end of the console closest to Dae.

"Good work, Lieutenant," Bhen said, finally glad for some good news. Though he was discovering that some weapons were still functional. Weapons that weren't too similar to Starfleet technology and therefore the station's systems couldn't affect their power systems. "Keep the krakens-"

Ensign Tamra Holder at the Operations position was so new the "fresh from the replicator" shine was still on her pips. She was doing her best to be attentive to her duty while not acting or sounding like an overeager, wet behind the ears recent graduate.

Tamra was monitoring her station almost as if she believed it would attack her if she looked away from it for a moment. Which is probably why she was the first one to spot it.

"Sir," she said clearly, not looking away from her board, "I've got three anomalous power fluctuations at two auxiliary power couplings. Make that four. No, sir, five." Tamra's voice went up half an octave, not out of panic, but out of curiosity about what would cause such a phenomenon.

"What?" Dae said as he moved to the Ops station and looked over the ensign's shoulder. As he did, a sixth notice popped up. "Ensign...Newbie," Dae said looking at the young ensign operating the Ops station. "How are you at computer systems? If you're not excellent, get someone on this right now, our systems are being invaded." Dae stood and turned back to Security. "Recall Beta and Gamma teams, full battle rattle and station them throughout the ship in case we get borders. Two man teams." Dae looked around. "Squinty person," he said, directing his comments to the science station. "Uncouple us from any connections to this station - power, life support, holonovella cabling, everything."

"I'll show you excellent," Tamra muttered under her breath, her fingers flying over the interface. "Computer, access subprogram Mark Anthony 31273." Tamra gave her authorization code without blinking an eye. The ensign was proving a formidable appointment to the force invading the starship's systems. It was the ensign's alertness to minutiae that had given the crew of the Righteous as early a warning as they got.

In the end, though, the young ensign was punching way above her weight. Her opponent had taken on hundreds of starships in a hundred different universes, many with more sophisticated computing systems. Tamra was determined to make the invisible opponent fight for every centimeter, and would exploit every opening she got.

A feral grin appeared on her face as she diverted one of the invading algorithms with a conundrum, then moved to the next invader.

More complicated encryptions popped up on several displays as the invasion spread across the Righteous' systems like a virus but at times it didn't act like a virus and more AI like. Attacking, falling back, triggering decoys in other systems previously cleaned, splitting its focus on 3 systems at the same time, only attacking one system with multiple different methods and even shut down life support at least once but seemed to not do so at the same intensity again.

Corus noticed that degree of consideration thrown their way as he followed Ensign Holder's efforts on his console, which seemed to pull him from his state of shock after he had checked in on the krakens. Sometimes he assisted Tamra with his own limited knowledge of computer systems from his courses in computer warfare classes. The invader had managed to block him almost every time but with the main computer's help was able to keep fighting.

Though he knew it was mostly focused on Ensign Holder which gave him little openings. He received a physical shock at least once when he managed to attract the invader's full attention before it quickly went elsewhere. The first system they lost completely and became locked out was all communications. Soon it seemed that all engines were next to fall.

Tamra flashed the security officer what she hoped was a thankful smile for his assistance, but the smile would give way to a grimace as another coordinated attack struck the ship's systems. Tamra's mother would often admonish her that curse words only made you sound common, but sometimes they were the only words that one could effectively use to express oneself in a situation like this.

"BITCH!" Tamra barked as the attacking virus army shut off access to another system. With renewed determination, the junior operation officer launched an army of her own worms to try to reopen that closed window.

"And that Ensign," Lieutenant Christine Tapping, the Chief Operations Officer said after she entered the Bridge from a turbolift. "I'm warning you, once more and you will be put on record," Christine made her way to Ops though didn't take it. "Report?"

Tamra nodded, "it appears we are being hacked," she was about to stand but Christine stopped her.

"Carry on, I'll assist from Secondary Ops," Christine said before she made her way to one of the other stations.

"Yes ma'am." Tamra said with a smile and got back to work.

Sighing, Dae tapped his commbadge. Only to hear a slight squeak indicating the channel didn't open. "Someone inform Commander Noir of the situation." But he also heard the exchange with Ensign Newbie and the OpsChief. "Chief," he said, moving next to her as she sat.

"Yes Warrant," someone replied and left to deliver the message to Noir.

"Ensign..." he scowled. Maybe he should have tried more to retain names of people that he felt he wouldn't have to see after a couple weeks. Most of them were so bland anyway that they all seemed to meld into each other, like paragons of perfect little Academy graduate dolls. "She was doing excellent work-"

"Yes she is," Lieutenant Tapping said without looking up. "Sprint, continue sludging your way through whatever it is you're doing up there, but more of it. I want you to stumble loud, draw their attention. I'm going to assist." Tapping nodded in approval as she saw the way the new ensign had been protecting their systems. Some of the counter-algorithms the young ensign had created on the fly was pure genius. Unfortunately, the AI that was directing the attack on the Righteous is relentless and had more sophisticated malware at its disposal than Tapping had ever encountered. Or even heard rumors about. Two systems were already locked out - weapons and communications. Two vital systems. Tapping wanted to lash out in frustration at their inability to stop the invading AI, but had to ruefully admit Holder is doing an amazing job just holding back the AI.

In the middle of all that, Tapping suddenly realized that Dae might have given a backhanded compliment to the young Ensign.

"Don't tell me you're going to start standing up for the...what's the charming word you use to describe us? 'Squints'?" Tapping observed, a hint of a smile appearing on the corner of her mouth.

"Well," Dae muttered, "when it looks like they're doing their jobs..."

"That she is," Tapping observed. "And one I'll make sure to put her in for recognition," assuming we get out of this, Tapping thought to herself grimly.

Tamra seemed to mutter to herself as she worked at Ops against the AI, and yes they all just collectively figured it was an AI attacking them as nothing else could do what was happening to them. The taps on her console seemed to get louder every so often.

"Uh uh, I don't think so you little bugger," Tapping said with glee as she managed to first block, then lock out the warp core control systems. That was a victory for them. "Keep stomping around inside the systems, Sprint, you're...Oh dearie me." Tapping stated as she noticed the bifurcated avenues of attack. The drones that security so charmingly sent throughout the station were now a focus for override and control.

"Please tell me," Tapping muttered, hooking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "that you didn't equip those sensor drones with weapon systems? Or targeting scanners?" She glared at Dae.

Bhen shrugged and turned to Sprint for that answer.

"No! Of course not." Sprint stated then he glanced down and continued to tap at his station. Occasionally glancing up, he was sure he didn't send the Krakens with weapons onboard but he could be wrong.

Dae walked over to Sprint and whispered. "Shut them down. Right now. Shut them down and power them off."

Already trying to do just that but Corus stopped for a moment as the words didn't quite work. He glanced over at Dae. "Isn't that the same thing?" He asked before returning to the shut down program and confirmed several times that he had sent the commands to the Krakens.

"I'm not getting any reports of the Krakens appearing at checkpoints, we will have to go and retrieve them?" Corus asked as he glanced over at Tapping and Dae several times.

Dae sighed. Officers he thought to himself with as much rancor as his soul allowed. "Send last known coordinates to the security teams and have them check that they're not powered and do not have weapons. Once we know that all of them are weapon free, we can restore the power and return them to their sensor duties."

"I'd better send Ops teams as well," Tapping said. "Just to make sure." She said this as if doubting that mere knuckle dragging monkeys could ensure something as simple as sensor drones weren't outfitted with weapons.

"I'd think that-" Dae started.

"That wasn't a request, Master Warrant," Tapping said, glaring at the security chief. "Lieutenant Sprint, make sure to send those coordinates to Ops teams as well."

"Yes chief." Corus said and did so.

"Ensign Holder, status?" Tapping called.

"The enemy seems not to be advancing any further but still has firm hold on Communications, Engines and recently Weapons Control. All the computer specialists on board have tried everything we know and failed." Tamra replied, her demeanor of one defeated at their expertise.

It was no use at further action, Tapping knew. "Very well, let the specialists handle virtual defense, I need you to join one of the ops teams after the Krakens. Maybe you can learn more about the AI from them, let's hope it hasn't hacked them."

"Aye chief," Tamra replied and headed off the Bridge after Tapping took the Ops station.

off

 

RSS Feed