Hitting the Deck
Posted on 13 Mar 2020 @ 7:06am by Lieutenant Sarah Graesyn & Captain Gabriel Barron M.D. & Petty Officer 1st Class Lia McCarthy & PALLAS
2,201 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Empty Creche
Location: Engineering
Timeline: ED 4 1135
ON:
Sarah walks into Engineering, fully prepared after resting from the last few weeks on the Odyssey to take on her new duties as Assistant Chief Engineering Officer.
She looked around the room before approaching the warp core itself, running a hand lovingly over the heart of the Redemption and feeling the subtle vibrations course through her as she listens to the deep throaty hum that fills Engineering. Like most engineers who have spent long enough around the propulsion systems and Engineering bays on board starships she no longer had to actively listen to the hum to tell if something was amiss, if something was off she just passively picked up on it and could usually tell what needed to be checked.
After a few moments she went to the nearest console and began a level three passive diagnostic and then tapped her comm badge.
"Engineering to Bridge."
Barron responded to the incoming comms from engineering.
"Bridge, go ahead Enginering." He responded.
"I am beginning a Passive Level 3 Diagnostic of all systems. It shouldn't disrupt any systems and nothing should have to be taken offline but I figured you should have a heads up. Additionally I am going to begin running simulations for those shield and structural integrity upgrades we had discussed so I can set up for integration. I will need the support of Operations and Security as well as our Tactical Officer... perhaps a computer specialist as well."
Her hands danced across the control console that was the primary control point for Engineering for a minute as diagnostics began to filter through and she scanned the outputs.
"PALLAS, would you mind giving me an analysis of these diagnostics and also analyze whether the augmentations I want to make will function with current system outputs based on the simulations you have been running for me?"
There woman shimmered into existence in what is her normal condition green garb. The flowing white grecian tunic with spear, round shield and helm.
"I have forwarded my findings to your PADD at 0800 today along with my calculations on power draw on auxiliary power and expected modifications that will have to bre made to the ship. The simulations I ran suggested that to scale up the system to cover all decks would be power cost prohibitive. However utilizing larger fields and leapfrogging every other deck would reduce power drain and have the desired effect." The AI stopped speaking for a moment then continued "That is, however, operating off of the rough plans you developed on the Odyssey. I stand ready to modify my calculations and simulations with updated parameters from your more refined system."
"Excellent, Thank you PALLAS. I am inputting updated parameters for new simulations currently. Adjust the modulation of structural integrity fields to a rate of shifting every 3 seconds and piggyback the modulator itself into Auxiliary power systems. Additionally take the optimizations of the Odyssey Core that I am inputting as well and apply them to simulations on the Redemption's. Those optimizations should increase power output and power drain efficiency by 35-40% once we get the calculations correct."
Sarah input her calculations and then adjusted the shield harmonics slightly.
"We will work on structural integrity modulation first, and worry about the shields second."
"I will begin running simulations with the updated parameters." as she worked the hologram stood in the corner of the room eyes slightly lifted to the ceiling. "I should have a full battery of information for you to analyze in about an hour but I can say the current batch of simulations are promising."
"That is music to my ears."
She looked around the room once again feeling and listening to the subtle vibrations.
"While you run those simulations PALLAS I am going to go make some adjustments to the EPS conduits, the readout on this console indicates a drop in efficiency. If you could keep me up to date on the diagnostics as I work it would be wonderful"
She stepped away from the console, entering the Jeffries Tubes and moving to the space between decks to recalibrate the EPS conduits. The adjustments were relatively minor and only took her a couple of minutes and as she crawled back out of the Jeffries Tubes she checked the console with the diagnostic readouts, scanning through them before duplicating the data stream to her PADD.
"PALLAS, are you showing any oddities in the EPS conduits running to the bridge? These diagnostics don't look right and the core doesn't sound right either."
PALLAS paused and raised an eyebrow as she shunted the simulations to a sub mind and focused on the diagnostics in question. "There is a slight power drop between here and deck 1, however from what I can tell the drop happens around deck 15."
"That matches my suspicions as well." Sarah tapped her commbadge again. "Engineering to Bridge."
As she waited for an answer she recalibrated the warp core itself, fingers dancing across the console while she traced the EPS flow.
"Bridge here, go ahead Engineering." came Barron's baritone almost basso voice.
"Captain, I am picking up an issue with EPS flow to deck 1, from the diagnostics it seems that the issue itself is on deck 15, I am leaving Engineering to track down the problem."
"Is it something we should be worried about Lieutenant?" he asked simply.
"It could be indicative of a larger issue Sir, but I won't know for sure until I get to deck 15, the diagnostics are still running. My hope is that this is nothing major but if it turns out to be I may have to take the warp core offline so that we can safely replace any faulty EPS conduits."
"Keep me apprised, you may have to put the repairs off till after we have completed our mission." the tone in his voice was one of annoyance tinged with a slight amount of worry.
"Can't say I am terribly fond of that idea after the last few weeks but I understand the critical needs of the mission. I will do everything I can to shore everything up and make repairs without a core shutdown, guess it is time for me to earn my position."
She finished her re-calibrations and then re-entered the Jeffries tubes, climbing the decks until she reached deck 15 and then pulled her tricorder out to check the nearest conduit to try and pinpoint the actual issue.
PALLAS' voice could be heard over her combadge, "I have finished my analysis of the system readouts and I've isolated three EPS transfer junctions that will need to be shut down. Luckily they can be isolated from the main power feed without warp core shutdown. Would you like me to begin shunting the power to other sections to bring those transfer junctions down for maintenance?"
"Yes, please do PALLAS. I am arriving at the first junction now, go ahead and start with it while I set up. I am also going to need a replacement conduit beamed to my location, this one is completely shot."
Sarah unpacked her Engineering kit and manually shut down the EPS conduit. It took her only a minute to disconnect it and pull it out.
"PALLAS, what does this conduit typically route power for? It may be wise to replace it with a reinforced junction rather than a normal."
The soft hum of power flowing through the ship lessened until it was barely noticeable. "I have cut power to that section of the ship. The EPS conduit should be void of flowing power. As for what it feeds, the first junction feeds the tactical displays and helps run the tactical sensor suite. It has not been compromised as when the junction was rendered inoperable the secondary junction was activated. The second junction feeds power to holographic projectors." there was a slight bit of annoyance in her voice "Well that's just rude. The third junction was feeding power to back up life support systems." as she finished a conduit with gelpacks were beamed into the jeffries tube "I will have the other conduits beamed into the proper location to save you from having to drag them."
"I very greatly appreciate that PALLAS, dragging conduits through the jeffries is kind of a pain in the teeth." Sarah chuckled as she installed the new conduit.
It took her only a couple of minutes to properly install the conduit and she checked it with her tricorder, monitoring the scan with the PADD that she had paired.
"Please beam the old conduit back to Engineering and place it in a level 1 containment field. The gelpacks may have just been burned but until I can examine it more closely its best to isolate it PALLAS. I am moving to the next conduit, go ahead and bring this one back online."
Sarah watched for a brief moment to ensure the new conduit wasn't going to break down and then she packed her kit up and moved along to the second location, moving swiftly.
"PALLAS, am I correct in thinking that the next conduit is also on deck 15?"
"You are correct, another 20 meters forward from your current position and through the hatch way. I am cutting power to that section as we speak. It should be ready for you to begin work immediately. I've also begun the initial scans of the gel packs that are currently in engineering."
"It's going to be much easier to get work done on board the Redemption than it was on any of my previous postings it seems with you around PALLAS. Let me know what those scans show, and beam this conduit to engineering with the same containment measures."
She unpacked her kit and disconnected the second conduit, setting it aside and installing the new one once it was beamed in. She caught herself on a stray and jagged piece of metal framing as she pulled the old conduit out and swore loudly but pushed through and installed the new conduit.
"PALLAS I am reactivating the second conduit, you said that the third was feeding into Life Support?"
"Correct Lieutenant, forward through the next hatchway. Same procedure as before, beginning power down of new section repowering this section." As PALLAS spoke the old conduit disappeared in a pillar of light. "My purpose is to safeguard the lives of citizens of the federation followed by the officers and crew of the ship. I live to serve."
Sarah shifted to the next conduit, replacing it in a similar manner to the last two though she was more careful this time as she found one of the gelpacks ruptured.
"PALLAS, I need a biocontainment kit to my location ASAP... also, please alert sickbay that I may need a medical decontamination team to report to this location as well. One of the gelpacks for this conduit is ruptured and the biogel itself smells putrid. I do not know if it is actually infected with something but please forward the scans of these conduits and the attached bio-circuitry to sickbay so that they can be prepared."
"I will inform them though from the scans of the pack I can tell there are no contaminants currently active in the gel. The foul odor you smell is likely from the gel being exposed to an oxygen rich environment for to long." As she spoke the requested materials appeared by the Lieutenant.
Sarah quickly cleaned and disinfected the area and then reinstalled the replacement conduit and then checked the Diagnostics readout that she had linked to her PADD.
"Thats all three conduits PALLAS, how are the EPS flow levels, everything looks stable on my end."
"Levels are returning to normal no deviations between the reactor and recieving stations. I've pulled the secondary relays off line until maintenance crews can check them out after their use."
She massaged her hand idly, remembering the cut she had sustained.
"I suspect you may be right that the gelpacks are clean of contaminants though I do have some ideas from all of this that I am going to need to work on... input a request for a borg nanocluster in maximum containment and send a priority communication to the Chief Medical Officer. I am going to need his help with the testing that I want to do."
"That will not be a popular request. We may be able to simulate their use until the request is cleared. However the requisition will have to wait till we are back in Sol. Star Fleet is unlikely to dispatch a ship to follow us with the war on." PALLAS said.
Tapping her commbadge as she packed up she tapped one foot in thought
"Graesyn to Bridge"
"Bridge here go ahead Graesyn." Barrons voice echoed through the Jefferies tubes.
"EPS flow levels should be returning to normal now, Bridge. I will keep you apprised as to any further issues I discover."
Sarah worked her way out of the Jeffries tubes, coming out near one of the turbolifts and taking it back down to Engineering to check on the other conduits that PALLAS was scanning.
OFF:
Sarah Graesyn
Lieutenant
Assistant Chief Engineering Officer
USS Redemption
&
PALLAS
Photonic Automated Logistical Liaison System
USS Redemption
&
Gabriel Barron
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Redemption
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