Post 221: Fault in the Machine
Posted on Sat Feb 22nd, 2025 @ 6:20pm by Lieutenant Commander Michael McMahon & Lieutenant Thomas Ryan MD
Edited on on Sat Feb 22nd, 2025 @ 6:20pm
633 words; about a 3 minute read
Mission: Secrets
Lieutenant Commander Mike McMahon paced the dimly lit intelligence briefing room aboard Starbase Obsidian, his eyes scanning the various holo-displays of Synthulan ships and combat reports. He had spent countless hours analyzing battle footage, looking for something—anything—that Starfleet could use against these relentless synthetic beings.
Doctor Thomas Ryan, Starfleet’s foremost expert on the Synthulans, sat across from him, sipping a lukewarm cup of tea. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Mike,” Ryan commented. “Find something interesting?”
Mike exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe. Take a look at this.” He tapped a control panel, and the primary display zoomed in on a section of a Synthulan warship engaged in battle with a Gorn Raider. “This footage was pulled from a skirmish near the Dorellis Nebula. The Gorns didn’t last long, but I noticed something—whenever their disruptor fire struck this particular section of the Synthulan hull, the ship’s reaction time slowed by a fraction of a second.”
Ryan leaned forward, studying the data. “A vulnerability in their processing efficiency?”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Mike nodded. “It’s almost imperceptible, but watch.” He overlaid several battle recordings, highlighting similar occurrences. “When struck at this precise junction—what I’m calling the ‘neural nexus’—the Synthulan vessels exhibit a momentary lag in coordination. It’s like a bottleneck in their command processing.”
Ryan’s brow furrowed. “If we could exploit that weakness—strike in rapid succession—it could overload their control systems before they can compensate.”
“Exactly,” Mike confirmed. “I cross-referenced these coordinates with recovered Synthulan wreckage from previous engagements. Their internal architecture suggests that this area houses the primary linkage between their decision-making processors and combat subroutines.”
Ryan tapped his chin. “It wouldn’t destroy them outright, but it could disrupt their tactical response. Give our ships a chance to strike before they recalibrate.”
Mike smirked. “And against multiple Synthulans, it could cause a cascading failure. If one goes down, others might stumble trying to adjust.”
Ryan nodded. “We need to bring this to the Captain. If we can get approval, we might finally have an edge.”
Mike exhaled, feeling a renewed sense of determination. For the first time in months, they had something more than just defensive tactics. They had a possible way to fight back—and win.”
As they gathered their data, Ryan glanced at Mike. “We need a field test. Simulations can only tell us so much. If we can convince the Captain to authorize a live engagement, we might be able to confirm our hypothesis.”
Mike crossed his arms. “I know Captain Pontmercy. He won’t risk lives on a hunch. We need more evidence before we pitch this.”
Ryan considered this. “What if we consult the engineering and tactical teams? If they can run some controlled stress tests on captured Synthulan components, we might be able to demonstrate the weakness before taking it into battle.”
Mike hesitated for a moment before responding. “Before we do that, I think I should run this by Jordan Haines first. Get his take on it.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Haines? I thought things between you two were… tense.”
Mike sighed. “Yeah. We didn’t exactly leave off on the best terms before the last mission. But he’s got a sharp tactical mind, and I trust his judgment. If he sees merit in this, it’ll give me more confidence before we bring it to anyone else.”
Ryan nodded. “Makes sense. If he signs off on it, it’ll carry more weight.”
Mike ran a hand through his hair. “I just hope he’s willing to hear me out.”
With that, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for a conversation that might be just as challenging as facing the Synthulans themselves.
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