Kick it Up a Notch

Posted on Wed Nov 1st, 2023 @ 6:53pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Tor Ezzo & Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse & Warrant Officer Arlan Harlan & Lieutenant Soto Gantt & Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas Lopt

1,942 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Long Hard Road Ahead
Location: USS Firebird, Deck 4, Main Engineering
Timeline: 23 August, 2396, 1600 Hours

[ON]

Lieutenant Tor Ezzo stepped out of the holodeck covered in sweat. He had just spent 4 hours running simulation after simulation and he could feel the tension in his shoulders from failure after failure. There had to be a way for the Firebird to survive long enough for Ezzo to maneuver her to a safe spot, but in every simulation overwhelming for took out the ship as soon as it cleared the wormhole. He had to get down to Engineering and see if any modifications could be made to give him a better chance, but he was exhausted. Trying to decide between going to his quarters or heading down to Engineering, Ezzo finally stepped into the turbolift and breathed out the words. "Main Engineering."

As the turbolift started moving Ezzo thought to himself, I'm not going to be able to get much rest without a solution anyway. Tilting his head up to the lights of the small capsule Ezzo took in a deep breath. The pressure built up around his temples faded slightly and he let it out. Without thinking his hand went to rub his naked ear and he quickly snapped his hand back to his side. As the doors slid open he walked into Main Engineering. The hum of the warp drive dominated the room.

Harlan was busy walking about the engineering section as he often did with a PADD in his hands and exasperation on his face. Things were going perfectly fine since the Firebird had been refit for active duty, but he was still not happy with the various graphs he was seeing. Nothing ever seemed quite as perfect as it was in his day, never mind that as an active member of Starfleet, every day was technically his day. Anyway, Harlan grumbled and walked, walked, and grumbled until he noticed the sound of a lift arriving. He grumble-walked his way in that direction until he saw someone newer to him "Ho there, what brings you to Engineering?"

Ezzo looked at the older man standing in front of him with tired desperation in his eyes. "You must be Mr. Harlan," Ezzo forced a smile and held out his hand. "I'm Lieutenant Tor Ezzo the new flight control officer. I was hoping perhaps you could help me with something important before we arrive in the Gamma Quadrant." Ezzo's smile faded away and the toll of the emotional and mental stress he had just been through showed across his face.

Harlan noted the swiftly diminishing smile and carried on without shaking the hand. "That's what they call me, but none of this 'Mister' stuff. It's chief, or in an emergency, Harlan. You'll not find a lot of formality in someone who's been on boats as long as I have. Anyway, walk with me as I keep looking over this PADD. Ezzo, eh? What do you need from me that's so urgent before hitting Gamma? Something you need built down here?"

The two proceeded to walk quickly wherever Harlan was going without much indication as to the destination.

Ezzo followed the older man thinking of how best to explain the situation. "Well, Mist ... chief," Ezzo quickly corrected himself. "I was running simulations with the captain in the holodeck and every scenario included emerging from the wormhole to overwhelming forces. It was impossible to break free and get any maneuvers started before taking losses. I was hoping we could talk about shoring up the ablative armor of the ship or doubling the shields without losing engines for a brief period so we could build the momentum before joining the battle."

Ezzo realized he hadn't taken a breath as he was talking and paused waiting for the other man to process. He really could have used some rest before coming down here.

Harlan barely paused as his mind spun through some concepts. "Ablative armor, eh? Doubling shields without losing engines? Seems doable. Probably have to reverse the polarity on something. Maybe have to increase the cycle times on the hyperdrive and divert the refreshed energy right after exiting. Let me find another engineer or tech to jump in on this project."

He barely looked up from his PADD as he shouted, "Gantt, Lopt! Need someone to help tackle a problem. Who's feeling squirely today?"

Lopt looked up from his workstation. He'd taken it upon himself to start working on a new communications probe that they could use once they reached the Gamma Quadrant. He hadn't gotten the chief's permission so when Harlan yelled his name, he almost fell off his chair, thinking he had been caught. He looked over at Gantt and whispered.

"What does that mean? Squirely?" Lopt asked.

"Sounds like a fancy way to look for volunteers," said Gantt quietly.

Lopt sighed and looked down at his unauthorized communications probe. He'd been excited to upgrade the device but now it would have to wait.

Ezzo looked at the men warily with a weak smile. His time in the holodeck had taken a toll on him both physically and emotionally. "Alright, gentlemen I'm going to go lay down. Perhaps we can meet in the holodeck early tomorrow and see what you've come up with." Ezzo pulled out his PADD. "How's 1000 hours sound?"

Harlan grunted in affirmation. "Should be possible, I'll get my people on it the instant you go up that lift and we'll have an idea of what to do well before someone joins you. Go enjoy your nap; I need to keep reviewing things on my PADD. Gantt, Lopt, you got this?"

Gantt nodded. He'd watched this project rolling towards him and now it dropped in his lap. Whether or not he liked it. But he did like it. Give him an impossible task and room to work.

"You bet, Chief," he said. "I've got a couple of barely sustainable ideas already that will be fun to work out with Lopt. How familiar are you with quantum biphasic induction coils?"

Lopt scratched his nose. "Well, I know those biphasic coils run hot. If we are going to use them to boost the shield converters, we are definitely going to have to disable the safeties on the plasma induction transformers. That puts us at risk of a cascading explosion but if we're going to get shot to pieces anyway, it's a good idea."

Thomas looked around, waiting for an officer to give him some direction.

Harlan jumped in one last time. "Doesn't matter if it cascades eventually, we just need a starting point and run some tests. Check the coils and see what you can do. Maybe check the systems that cool them off and see if you can fiddle with them first before we get into disabling safety protocols. Sound good? Good"

Lopt watched the chief and Lieutenant Ezzo both walk off. He turned to Gantt and shrugged.

"So we have very little time to figure out how to make sure that we don't all die when we emerge into the Gamma quadrant?"

"Some time is better than none. You're a communications expert and I've rebuilt our system safety protocols more than a few times. No one in this quadrant has a better chance." Gantt crossed to his station and nudged the toolbox to the side. "Patch into your station from here.

The overheating is caused by superconducting quantum interference during transmission of feeding currents. We have to reduce the interference or compensate for the overheating before everything burns out. No time for being nice. For the next few hours, we own the ship's systems until the captain orders us to stop. Any questions or ideas?"

Thomas considered what the Lieutenant was asking. One of the reasons he liked working on the Firebird was that the engineering department was a solutions-based entity and nobody cared where the ideas came from.

"Well, sir, I can tell you right away that in order to make sure the overheating is compensated properly, we are going to have to get outside on the hull and access the ramstein inhibitors. They are the primary venting mechanism for excess heat generated by the power systems. Usually, we just use the console access but you can't release the emergency inhibitors from there. Probably because releasing those inhibitors means the ship can blow up," Thomas said and then added. "Oh, and we need backup. Maybe Fhiri, those two cadets, and maybe Lieutenant Woodhouse?"

"Great analysis of the situation. We will definitely need backup, and Lieutenant Woodhouse might tractor us through a nebula if we tried this without at least telling him." Gantt's fingers continued their dance across the maze of systems and reserve systems. "Computer, please ask Lieutenant Woodhouse to meet me in engineering to discuss how not to blow up the ship."

Gantt craned his neck around the room until he spotted the top of Fhiri's head. At least, he thought it was. She sometimes got lost amid equipment that was as tall as her. Over the noise he said, "Fhiri, we need help if you have a minute."

Fhiri set down the spanner she'd been using and walked around the center console where Lieutenant Soto and Lopt were waiting.

"Of course, sir," Fhiri said. She tapped her lobes. "I've been listening to what you've all been saying. It isn't eavesdropping, I can't help it my hearing is so good!"

"I'm glad. I don't have to catch you up to speed. Lieutenant Woodhouse is on his way and I want this tricorder programmed to give early warning before the Ramstein inhibitors overheat. Oh, and I hope you're ready for a spacewalk," said Gantt.

Lopt and Fhiri exchanged looks. It wasn't a surprise to either of them that they would be on the spacewalk. Both of them were well trained and capable... in theory. Neither had been on an actual space walk while the ship was underway.

"Uh," Thomas said. "Yes, sir. I'll be ready." He said and took the tricorder. He immediately handed it to Fhiri who grinned at him.

"I'll be able to leverage the existing communications package already in the tricorder and add some upgrades. Thomas we can put a static link between this and the tertiary communications and sensors package, right?"

"I've never tried that but in theory, yes," Thomas said, frowning.

"Right. Let's go," Fhiri said and stomped off toward her work station.

"Blowing up the ship is highly frowned upon...." Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse had arrived, referencing the cryptic message the computer had relayed, and gave Gantt a curious look.

"Chances of that are likely lower than eight percent, Lieutenant. We will greatly strengthen shields using quantum biphasic induction--basically, funneling energy through the system twice. We'll have to release the Ramstein inhibitors manually. From the hull. Before they blow and the feedback creates... greater consequences for the ship." Gantt kept it simple. Let the lieutenant make his own analysis. "Any questions, Sir?"

As Woodhouse processed the information and digested the ramifications, the crease in his forehead deepened. After a second of thought he nodded, "Where do you need me?" he asked rhetorically, ready to get his hands dirty.

[OFF]
Warrant Officer Arlan Harlan
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298


Lieutenant Soto Gantt (NPC by Leed)
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298


Lieutenant Tor Ezzo
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298


Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse
Chief Operations Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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