A Problem....Now No Longer

Posted on 15 Feb 2018 @ 2:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Kit'rin'e

556 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Errand of Mercy
Location: Main Engineering

For some time now diagnostics and system checks had been constant on almost every engineering related system possible. At first there was a marked degree of confusion as to why the phase bubbles were being formed, everything system wise was functioning within specifications so the question lingered for some time. Thankfully efforts to keep the ship stable had proved fruitful but the malfunctions prevented much in terms of normal mobility. Kit'rin'e ran a check in the crystals within each core, while the computer had told him they were each in operational condition, nominal power output they remained the only things that could even potentially cause phase variances of this level within an energy rich containment vessel such as a warp core.

It was then that the startling discovery was made. Once nearly an hour had passed for the warp core to cool enough that it was safe to open up Kit'rin'e examined each crystal, sure as the computer had told him they were in fact operating as intended, they looked good, solid structure with only minor wear from use. There was no reason to scan for it, for him at least it was a first but one crystal was giving off a slightly different coloured hue than the others.

"Computer, explanation to crystal colour variance."

"Unknown."

That got a raise of the eyebrow from him. Crystals assigned to starships went through a rigorous systems of checks and tests and something like colour should and would have been noticed. As Kit'rin'e ran his scans he found something else, a slightly elevated reaction emission reading. This would be normal if they had been running at high warp or at a higher than usual power generation rate for a sustained time but systems were normal, engines had not been used so there was no cause or reason for this difference. The questions asked the computer was to check for the operational capability of the crystals, would they work. It fell down to asking the right questions Kit had discovered.

He'd asked an engineer to go to secure storage and gather a replacement crystal, one of the few in stock reserves presently. Once he replaced the crystal and closed the warp core already he could hear the approving chirps and noises of ongoing checks coming back clear. The phase bubbles were gone....but what caused them.

=^= Commander Kit'rin'e to Captain. Engines are repaired, phase complications have been resolved, you have warp speed at your command. =^=

But that still left questions. What caused them?

Taking the crystal into the engineering suit where mirco inspections and other diagnostics could be run Kit'rin'e checked for everything possible, mirco scanned the crystal and put the results up on the monitors. The scans had revealed fractures in the crystal, they were more obvious now because there was no power running through it but what was truly remarkable was that earlier checks didn't reveal these imperfections before. So what was in these fractures that could mask them from high level diagnostic scans?

Without the specialist equipment that planetary bases or starbases could provide he knew the answers would not be forth coming, that irritated him because it would make for a speculative report at best that he would have to submit. However his primary goal was complete, the engines were operational and they could move on.

 

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