The Kobayashi Maru

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

Picard was standing on the bridge of the Enterprise E. Everyone entering found their clothes shifting into Starfleet uniforms as they entered, including the observers. The captain liked it that way. He thought it was appropriate. For his part, he had only three shining pips on his neck, and when Worf entered, the Klingon would find four pips on his own collar.

"Welcome to the bridge, Captain. Why don't you sit down?"

Comments

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"We are now in violation of the treaty, Captain," Picard noted, observing the visual on the screen as the vessel closed in on and went past the border of the Romulan Neutral Zone.

[telekinetic_badass]

"Coming up on the Kobayashi now, sir," Julian added about a minute later. He dropped them out of warp, and they were approaching at full impulse.

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

"Hail them and inform we are here to provide assistance." He gripped the arm of the command chair tightly, watching the viewscreen intently.

[anoldtrickster.livejournal.com]

"We've... lost the ship, sir," Wednesday says, going tense. "Scanning now, but I'm not seeing her on sensors."

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

"Impossible. It can't have a cloaking device...Increase scans." This wasn't good. "Yellow alert. Raise shields."

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"Captain," Picard said, directing Worf's attention to the viewscreen. Picard himself could only stare as three Romulan Warbirds decloaked on their bow. All three of them looked ready for combat.

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

Worf's hand clenched into a fist.

"Maintain shields. Open all hailing frequencies and inform them we are on a rescue mission."

[anoldtrickster.livejournal.com]

"Shields are holding," Wednesday says, and the lights have shifted to yellow alert levels.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Opening hailing frequencies," Katara said. She paused a moment, knowing what was to come. She didn't think that Picard would later the program anymore.

"They're maintaing radio silence sir. They're...they're powering weapons."

Uh oh.

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

"Red alert! Helm, gets us out of here, maximum warp! Sensors, any sign of the Kobayashi Maru?" Damn, damn, damn. This was getting worse and worse. And perhaps worst of all was that Picard was here to watch him fail.

And this is where everyone on the crew begins dying around Worf.

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

"They're firing!" Picard exclaimed. All three vessels fired torpedoes at the Enterprise, the glowing red orbs closing in quickly on the ship before colliding with the shields, completely destroying them. At least, two of the hit the shields. The third torpedo struck the ship's hull squarely and exploded, tearing a good chunk of the simulated starship with it. A small explosion tore through the bridge, and Picard was flung backward, where he hit one of the rear consoles and then lay still.

In actuality he was still merely playacting to his role in the simulation, but he made a mental note to chastise Stacy later. That simulated explosion actually stung.

Re: And this is where everyone on the crew begins dying around Worf.

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

Worf rocked with the ship, clutching at the command chair.

"Return fire on the lead ship, quantum torpedoes, full spread! Divert auxiliary power to the forward shields! Helm, evasive pattern Alpha-5! Get us out of here, now!" No time to think now, just to act and hope that it would be enough to save the ship.

[anoldtrickster.livejournal.com]

"Firing! Hull breaches on multiple decks! Casualty reports on multiple decks!" Wednesday's hands dance across the panel. "Kobayashi Maru's location unknown."

They've got shield power again, and the internal containment fields are keeping the hull breaches from causing worse damage, but those shields won't last long. One or two hits, at most.

[telekinetic_badass]

"We've lost warp engines! Port side thrusters failing..." Julian was trying to dodge the incoming fire, but moving this ship around with just impulse power and busted thrusters wasn't easy.

After the ship took another hit, the console in front of Julian exploded in a shower of sparks, and knocked him out of his seat. He'd could get up, but he was 'out' of the simulation at this point.

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

"Transfer all emergency power to the deflector shields, bring us about!" He slammed a fist down on the console of his captain's chair. "Maintain fire on the lead warbird! Engineering, I need warp engines now!"

[madeofwyn.livejournal.com]

Wyn frowns at her console, typing furiously. "Warp engines are at critical failure, inner containment fields are going offline, impulse is at 36%... 35%..." All of this technobabble translates roughly to 'we are absolutely, undeniably &%#$ed, and you shouting at me won't solve anything'.

"Trying to reroute emergency power--" she continues, but gets cut off by the explosion from her console. Wyn is now officially 'dead', although she surreptitiously moves herself into a slightly-less-uncomfortable position on the floor.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Katara was definitely full of adrenaline and glad at least that she had seen the simulation before so she could try to finish Wyn's job, but she was at a loss. They'd already lost two of their commanders, and it didn't look like things were going to get any better. She had narrowly missed a few consoles herself, and was bleeding from the forehead.

"Rerouting emergency power," Katara said, a little more wearily than she meant. "Losing powers on decks thirteen, twelve, eleven..."

Another hit rocked the ship, and Katara jumped out in time, but got another hit on the arm. She looked at the console, and gulped. "Shields are down, Captain!"

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

"Hrnn!" Worf curses in Klingon, fingers moving over the control panel on his command chair.

"All hands abandon ship! Helm, rammming speed! Intercept course with the lead ship! Fire all forward phaser arrays!" Worf growls. He will not allow his ship to be destroyed without a fight.

[anoldtrickster.livejournal.com]

"Firing! Any more of this and we'll lose hull integri—"

The bridge shakes again, and the console Mr. Wednesday is focusing on explodes in a shower of sparks. He lets out an almost disturbingly accurate death cry and falls still.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

"Commencing firing si-" Katara coughs loudly but continues with her work, though she knew they were approaching the end,a nd she was only lucky she was fast. The next hit rocks her hard to the ground, and she can't get up now, too out of breath to even regain her footing.

[clear-horizons.livejournal.com]

Picard stood up then, letting the simulation wind down. "All right, everyone up. I think we've seen enough, Mister Worf, wouldn't you agree?"

[sonof-mogh.livejournal.com]

Worf got to his feet, standing stiffly, arms clasped tightly behind his back. He gave Picard a small nod.

"Yes sir." The ship would undoubtedly have been lost had this been an actual engagement. He couldn't imagine he had done very well...