Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire: Exterior Motive
Lael Rosek-Skyfire
Saavei: It is... truly remarkable work, Program Lead.
Galanis: Yes… the science and engineering that must have gone into it is amazing.
Greeta: Response
Hopper: Well, it certainly sounds impressive. I’ll have to defer to my technical experts’ opinions, of course.
Saavei: ::as if to herself:: To be chosen as a pilot for this ship would be a great honor.
Lael resisted the urge to smirk in agreement, lest she give herself away. Though she was an Engineer at heart, she’d developed a passion for sitting in the pilot’s chair. That had been her first posting, after all.
Originally a communications major due to her keen hearing and love of languages, it hadn’t taken her long to switch to a double major in Engineering and Helm.
Galanis: Has the pilot been chosen at all yet?
Greeta: Response
Hopper: Well, an announcement will surely need to be made soon. After all, by the looks of things you must be almost finished putting this thing together.
Saavei: Would it be possible to view the most recent stress tests for the engine,. Program Lead? ::indicating her head towards the terminal:: I recall the project initially had a problem with the infusion stimulators? Your reports since then have been more than adequate but I was hoping you could show me how you and your team compensated for the power shifts. It seemed a creative solution.
Galanis: If it’s acceptable to you, I’d like a moment to discuss where we’ll begin with the Minister and her Assistant.
Hopper: As interesting as this topic is, I do feel far below the canopy on these subjects. Lae’Selle, if we can steal you away for a moment, we can review our checklists, make sure no leaf remains unturned?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::smiles:: Certainly, Senior Minister.
Thoughts had been running through Lael’s mind for the last several minutes since overhearing the discussions about traces of dinitrogen pentoxide. She was more than familiar with the substance and hadn’t taken long to understand the implications. There were files and logs she wanted to request from Greeta, but had been carefully considering how to do so without breaking General Order 1 and without further alerting Greeta.
While the others were appearing concerned about potential sabotage, Lael’s analytical mind was heading in a different direction. Greeta had been far too skittish upon hearing the excuse for their presence here. The thought of investigations and questions had seemed to further upset the Program Lead, which had Lael wondering if Greeta didn’t know more than she was letting on.
Given the divide among the Uwezo people about this launch, was it possible that political pressure was forcing the launch before Greeta’s team was truly ready?
It was a valid concern. If this wasn’t done carefully, it could prove disastrous.
Hopper: You two have fun discussing – what was it? “Infusion stimulators”? Sounds fascinating.
Greeta/Saavei: Responses
Grateful that she hadn’t been the one left alone to appease Greeta this time, she gathered her thoughts, hoping that she didn’t sound crazy when she finally voiced them.
Galanis: It’s the same here as it was in the corridor. Steady, faint traces of that pollen-like substance in the air.
Hopper: ::Explaining to Lael:: A pollen-like substance that may well serve as a reactant in some sort of… explosive release of energy.
Her face fell, a sense of dread settling in her stomach. She was trying her utmost not to be paranoid, but this seemed to only further cement her suspicions.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: I’m quite concerned that might be the case. Until this moment, and indeed still, we’ve had little to no understanding of what substance the Uwezo would use to generate the reaction we get from our dilithium crystals. I’d hoped that they’d found a similar substance. This appears to be an intentional decision on Greeta’s part. ::to Galanis:: Based on your readings, what would you say is the exact purpose of this substance?
Galanis: Response
((OOC: Even with Lael’s amazing hearing, she wouldn’t be able to hear this conversation, but I’m keeping it for the sake of consistency. ))
((Meanwhile, by the spacecraft))
Greeta/Saavei: Responses
Out of the corner of her eye, Lael saw Greeta and Saavei talking, though she couldn’t tell by their expressions if the conversation was going well or poorly.
Galanis: I can’t say for certain what it is. Only a potentially very high energy reaction, if concentrations of the dinitrogen pentoxide become high enough to act as a kind of solid-state oxidizer on the hydrogen. There’s no telling how quickly that may or may not happen until we know the source. Whether it’s some kind of recurring propellant leak or something more nefarious, like a thermobaric weapon, I will be blunt - it’s a potential threat to the entire facility.
Hopper: We need to tread carefully here. If the warp project scientists are using it in their work and this is some sort of accidental contamination, if we tip them off to it we could be significantly altering the trajectory of their technological and societal development. On the other hand, if this is coming in from some outside source, or indicative of tampering of some sort, we should look into it further.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::pauses:: If I’m honest, I have my own theories, though they are darker in ways than potential sabotage. I’m concerned that Greeta knew about these risks and decided to accelerate the timeline regardless. I don’t think they fully understand their own power source.
((OOC: Again, I’m keeping this snippet in for the sake of consistency. ))
Greeta/Saavei: Responses
Lael chewed her lip. Hearing herself say it out loud only heightened her concern.
Galanis: Should we press Project Lead Greeta more directly on any suspicious activities? He does seem rather… on edge.
Hopper: Are you suggesting that Greeta might know more than he’s letting on, Niev? I don’t know. I think any of us would be on edge in his position… All these scientists have poured their all into this project. I don’t think any of them would do anything to endanger its success. What are your assessments?
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: The possibility hasn’t left my mind since we first engaged with him. He seems very flighty and nervous at the thought of someone examining or providing direct oversight of his work. At first, I thought it was something Niev or Saavei had said to upset him. But now, I’m beginning to wonder if they didn’t unintentionally uncover something deeper. ::to Galanis:: What do you think, Lieutenant? Have you noticed anything strange, aside from the readings, since our arrival?
Galanis: Response
((OOC: Again, I’m keeping this snippet in for the sake of consistency. ))
Greeta/Saavei: Responses
Hopper: Alright, let’s keep an eye on him then. He’s a good person to stay in touch with here at the project, at least, helps to justify our presence here if we’re keeping in touch with him. But I think we need to consider other possible sources as well. ::To Lael:: I’ll see if I can raise Commander Stros, share what we’ve found, see if they’ve learned anything relevant.
Rosek-Skyfire: The pieces are starting to appear for sure. We just need the strings to connect the dots.
Galanis: Response?
Hopper: We also can’t rule out the possibility yet that there could be external involvement… We aren’t the only outsiders capable of determining the Uwezo are developing warp technology. ::Shrugging:: Something else to chew on. Okay, you two go rescue Saavei. I think it’s about time we made a polite exit and figured out our next steps.
The Hovan. Lael had read the brief on them, the little that was available. Given that the Hovan had previously ignored any of Starfleet’s attempts to engage in dialogue and had suddenly accepted this one, she had her own concerns. But those answers would rely on questions for Envoy Ukinix’s team and she wasn’t certain they’d be available at this precise moment, nor did she know the exact nature of that team’s conversations. Only that they were assigned to speak with the Hovan.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::nods:: I would like to see the original development logs to get a better idea of how their engine works, but we might have to table that for now.
Galanis: Response
((OOC: Again, I’m keeping this snippet in for the sake of consistency. ))
Saavei/Greeta: Response
Lael returned to the pair with Galanis nearby, trying to appear as non-chalant as possible. The Program Lead was already nervous and she didn’t want to do or say anything that would lead him to do something drastic, like deleting the very records that might point them to the problem. They were stretching the scope of General Order 1, but as long as they didn’t do anything to directly impact the outcomes here, they would be within the bounds and would be more likely to be chastised than to be court martialled.
((OOC: Again, I’m keeping this snippet in for the sake of consistency. ))
Hopper: =/\= Hopper to Stros… You there? =/\=
Stros: =/\= Response =/\=
Hopper: =/\= We’ve detected potentially concerning substance traces in the warp labs. Some sort of pollen rich in dinitrogen pentoxide… Have you learned anything that might link to that? =/\=
Stros: =/\= Response =/\=
((OOC: Continued as needed))
Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that Robin was still in conversation with the person on the other end of the comm. She was back to stalling, something that she wasn’t overly fond of. There were too many opportunities for missteps.
Rosek-Skyfire: ::inclines her head to Greeta:: I have a question that has been circling my mind for a time, if you would indulge me. With all of the complex interactions, I imagine there would be an increased risk of an element failing. How do you prevent one failure from impacting the rest of the system?
Greeta: Response
She listened attentively, seeking to better understand. All devices had redundancies to protect the operator and the machine itself, especially with such powerful sources as a ship engine.
Galanis / Saavei: Response
Rosek-Skyfire: Fascinating. And in the event of an overall power failure? How do you keep the engine from becoming unstable?
Greeta: Response
Galanis / Saavei: Response