Chapter Title: Picturesque

Chapter Synapses: While West and Talara begin to work on a secretive plan, an error in VonBach's tactical simulation seals Winters and himself in and begins to spread throughout the ship.

Written by: Seraph Koji

"Ah!" VonBach motioned for Winters to enter the holodeck, "Check this out, Sarah."

Before VonBach was a scale model of a ship, a class she had never seen, "Is this what you called me down for?"

"War is coming, Sarah. We know that. It's time Starfleet prepares for it." VonBach responded, "This is the USS Patton."

"Like the vicious gunships from my… my reality." She was hesitant saying this. She, of course, was not from this universe, but rather another. A universe with a ruthless and oppressive Federation.

"Kind of." VonBach proceeded to explain, "Their weakness was the antimatter reactors they drew power from. This baby devotes two nacelles of warp energy to its main gun." VonBach explained.

"Will Starfleet Command authorize construction?" Winters asked.

VonBach avoided the question, "Care to taker her for a test drive? Computer, access program VonBach Patton Demonstration 02."

"All right, the plan is simple." West explained to Talara, "While you're distracting Victor and Dorian, I'll get our people to meet here."

"How do we know no one is going to leak our plans?" Talara asked, concerned.

West shook her head, "My people are as determined to do this as yours are."

"Fine." Talara reluctantly agreed, "We'll work together. But it is important we establish a chain of command for this. You and I can't send mixed signals to our crew."

Ivano, who was sitting a short distance away, quietly stood and exited the room.

"Is the civilian crew on our side?" Talara asked.

West looked over to the bar and nodded a sort of signal, "They've pledged support."

A terrible sound filled Starwind's quarters. It was that of a trumpet being played remarkably badly. He set the instrument down, "I guess the brass band is a no, then." He sighed and put the instrument in a case and put the case away. A chime from the door was soothing compared to the racket of the trumpet.

"Come." Starwind called. "You know, I figured I'd be rusty after all these years. But I never figured it would be that bad." He said as Ivano entered.

"Sir." Ivano hesitated, "West and Talara are planning something."

Starwind rose an eyebrow, "Like?"

"Mutiny, I would suspect. Against you and Commander Collins." Ivano shrugged, "I overheard them in Observation Lounge 1."

"Understood." Starwind nodded.

"Captain's log, stardate 57625.2. It has been brought to my attention that Talara and West are plotting something involving Dorian and myself. While Mister Ivano seems convinced it is mutiny, which I can handle, my fear – given who is doing the plotting – is what else they could plan involving Dorian and I."

In the holodeck-rendered bridge, VonBach and Winters took the fictitious ship for a trial. The bridge was more functional that most, lacking the elegance common in Starfleet design. Winters, talented at most things as any militiawoman of her stature would be, sat at helm. VonBach, of course, manned Tactical.

"Begin simulation." VonBach barked.

Alarms blipped on Winters' console, "Four Jem'Hadar cruisers." She paused, "Quite a simulation."

"I'm preparing for war, Commander." VonBach replied, "Get me a clean shot on the first ship. I'm bringing the main gun on-line."

Winters made the kind of face one makes when hearing something so bafflingly bland. A sort of put-off glare, "'The Main Gun'? Couldn't you be a bit more creative?"

VonBach ignored this comment, "Locked. Firing."

"I'm reading an increase in warp energy." Winters' hands flew across her instruments.

"That's how I power it. There is another core aboard." VonBach explained.

She was going to mention how mad this idea sounded, but the weapon discharged. A spectacular light shot from the fictional ship at the other fictional ship, destroying it.

"That…" Winters watched in awe, "I'm partial to the name 'Warp Cannon'."

"We'll see." VonBach grinned, locking on the next target.

"Commander, the second core isn't initiating a power-down sequence. It's massing energy and not sending it anywhere." Winters warned as wild blips signaled an alarm.

VonBach's grin transformed into a scowl, "Compensating."

"No effect."

"Damn!" VonBach pounded a fist on his console, "End program."

The computer chirped it's normal response, but nothing happened.

"Exit." Winters demanded. Nothing.

On Hyperion's bridge, this error was noticed.

"Report." Starwind entered, in the more casual variation of the uniform.

Talara stood at Operations, "Power surge in Holodeck Two. It seems to have damaged the EPS manifolds on that deck."

"VonBach." Starwind shook his head. "A new weapon test, no doubt. Phral is still cleaning the computer core after his rail gun experiment."

Looking about the bridge, Talara slid her hands across the controls quickly, to avoid the chance someone would notice.

"So…" Winters sat on the bridge of VonBach's demonstration, after defeating the cruisers, "This why they rejected your design?"

"What do you mean?" VonBach asked.

"We dumped the second core and are locked in the holodeck. I'd call it a successful run." Winters chuckled.

"Well…" VonBach sighed.

The room tilted slightly, and Winters srpung into action, "We still have attitude control."

VonBach pondered a moment, than assessed the situation, "Hyperion's lost attitude control."

Winters tapped her badge, "Winters to Transporter Room Two." Silence, "Walter?" She called. Nothing.

"We lost comm." VonBach said, angrily, "I should be on the bridge!"

"Well…" Winters thought a moment.

Impatient, VonBach demanded, "What?"

"Just, shut up!" Winters motioned for silence, "I might be able to get a feed of what's going on on the bridge. Old hacking technique from the war. These consoles are holographic, but they should still work."

"Accessing Hyperion LCARS network." The computer of the holographic ship chirped.

"I'm using my authorization code to get remote access to the communications grid. We should be able to hear whatever is said on the bridge." Winters explained.

After a moment, VonBach whispered, "I don't hear anything."

"It isn't working. The connection isn't very stable." Winters gritted her teeth. This would take some doing.

"We have a problem." Talara looked urgently up from her console.

"As if the power surge and power drain from attitude control weren't problems." Ivano hissed.

She ignored this remark, "A cascade failure of the computer core's safeguards. They've been blown out. The comm. relays are damaged as well. More overloads."

"How is this spreading?" Starwind asked, a bit taken aback.

"Tracing now." Talara paused, "There's a remote access point to the network. Holodeck Two. Lieutenant Winters' authorization code is used to access both of the recently affected systems."

"Mutiny?" Ivano said, in a manner that suggested he knew something.

"Doubtful." Talara replied, unsettled by the notion, "Whatever caused the power surges in the manifolds is being sent along the network to each system they access. It's more likely corrupt data in the program VonBach is running."

"Shut it down." Collins said, forcefuly.

"I'm locked out." Talara groaned, frustrated.

Ivan spun to face the others on the bridge, "Oh? Or is it you don't want to?"

"Ensign!" Collins reprimanded.

Starwind did nothing, just shot Ivano a cold stare, "Quatre…"

"Isn't it true, Talara? You and West are plotting mutiny!" He accused.

"Nothing!" Winters screamed, "It's like every system I access just shuts down or overloads."

"Thjat's why." VonBach said.

Winters looked at him, puzzled.

"Why the design was rejected." He answered her earlier question, "The programs in place to monitor two active warp cores, operate two 'Warp Cannons', an enhanced Point-Defense matrix… that's complicated, and well programming isn't my best field…"

"The programs became corrupt." Winters surmised.

VonBach nodded, "And the corruption just spread through any LCARS network it connected to like it was nothing. I thought I had it solved!"

"Oh, Joseph…" She shook her head.

"Wait!" VonBach thought, "Maybe that's just it."

"I don't follow." Winters was puzzled again.

VonBach walked over to her console, "Access this holodeck's emitter array."

"Because the corruption will spread and overload the emitters, ending the program!" Winters figured it out.

The tension on the bridge was palpable.

"Yes, I had lunch with the Counselor." Talara sighed.

"Do you deny you plotted mutiny?" Ivano challenged.

Collins approached him, "That's enough, Mister Ivano!"

"Our mission is classified." Talara relied.

Starwind shot a critical glance at Talara, "On whose authority."

"Captain! She's lying! She was talking about getting the crew's support for some plot!" Ivano yelled.

Collins simply stood in front of him, and he sat at his console.

"Talara." Starwind said, growing upset.

"Bridge to Counselor West, please report here. Now." Collins tapped her badge.

"Talara to West, I can't keep our secret." Talara tapped her badge.

"Damn it, Talara!" West's disappointment rang loud and clear from Talara's badge, "Do it. West out."

"Mutiny!" Ivano yelled.

"No!" Talara yelled back, "We were rallying the crew for a special event tomorrow in Observation Lounge One." She paused, "An event designed for the two of you. To celebrate our excelent leadership for the past year."

"And set the two of them up." A leiutenant at Tactical chuckled, realized this was a bad time, and fell silent again.

"Oh, look. Holodeck Two is powered down. Seems the holo-emitters all overloaded." Talara changed the subject.

"I – uh, I'm – I feel bad, Lieutenant." Ivano said to Talara, glaring at the helm control.

"Mutiny." Talara scoffed, "How could you even think that, Victor?"

"Honestly, I feared the other things the two of you could come up with far more, Lieutenant." Starwind smirked and then tapped his comm. badge, "Bridge to Commander VonBach. Report to my ready room now. You and I need to have a little chat."