Ensign Ollie Bergmen - Light Bulb ideas doesn't always make you shine
CPT Arianus
(( Sensor Pod - USS Artemis ))
Bergmen: Kowalski, lieutenant and commander will need your assistance, so follow their commands.
Ollie shifted his attention back to the console, where the debug log was gradually filling the screen. The familiar world of computer code and its straightforward solutions brought him comfort. Dealing with people, navigating differing ideas and solutions, and leading them through various situations was not his forte. However, he knew how to handle it with finesse. As the leadership course motto emphasized, the fundamental truth of being an officer was to "divide and rule."
So, he delegated the responsibility to senior officers, trusting them to know what to do. In reality, he didn't necessarily need Kowalski or his team, but their assistance wouldn't hurt either. Ollie was confident that he could easily debug and retest the logs and code to identify any issues within the computational DM matrix. However, when it came to circuits and their maintenance, that was where he struggled. Replacing components one to one was fine, but analyzing mechanical failures was not his engineering forte. Nevertheless, it was better to have individuals specialized in the mechanical aspects of the sensor system, even if it turned out they weren't needed in the future.
Petty officer Kowalski was less than amused by Bergmen’s application of leadership theorems, but there he was, so he turned, despite the cramped space, to the highest rank in the room - to the commander - and put on his professional face.
Kowalski: Commander, where do you need us?
Salkath: Medium range sensors still need fine calibration. Lieutenant Gnai, do you concur?
Kowalski looked towards the lieutenant, hoping for more specific information.
Gnai: ::a bit louder than it needed to be:: No, no… There’s no need for more hands up here.
Kowalski had to bite his tongue to prevent himself from saying something he'd regret later.
oO Officers... they'd lead you to heaven and then ask you to change course to hell midway instead… Oo
Kowalski: Sir… with all due respect… May I ask why? We were told by Ensign here that you need assistance with a sensor malfunction, and we're, sir, the sensor maintenance team.
Petty Officer did not want to sound disrespectful, but he had other duties around the ship, and being caught in a situation where the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing was not one of them. If they are not needed now, okay, but just leaving and being called in an hour later was not something he would appreciate, so he wanted to clear the air and hear the final decision now.
Gnai: ::shaking side to side in its tank, trying to think of a reason why:: The radiation. This pod is generally unmanned, it might not be as well shielded as the rest of the ship. ::gesturing to the consoles ahead of it:: The sensors are already impacted, it might be dangerous to be up here. There’s no need to risk more crewmembers. This, Commander Salkath, and Ensign Bergmen will be more than capable of attending to the issues at hand.
The petty officer shrugged shoulders. Even though the argument didn't make much sense - the pod was actually more shielded than the ship's hull due to all sensitive electronics inside - if it got him out of work here, he wouldn't stop the lieutenant from sending him away. Especially when Kowalski and his team have already had enough work to do back in OPS Center; their shift was to end in less than an hour, and this obviously unnecessary trip was just adding to their workload.
Salkath: Perhaps... it is as the lieutenant has said. It is illogical to place so many at risk for radiation poisoning. Crewman Kowalski, please take your team and see to the lateral sensor arrays along the primary hull. They will be integral to short-range sensing once we hone in on our mission location. ::turning to Bergmen, he tried to convey volumes in his gaze, as best a Vulcan could:: Ensign, I would understand if you wanted to limit your radiation risk as well, but we could benefit from your expertise here should you choose to remain.
Ollie was wholly absorbed in the slowly emerging data on the console screen, utterly unaware of what was happening around him. However, his name and rank called first by Lieutenant Gnai and then for a second time by Commander Salkath managed to pull his attention away from the console and made him focus on the unfolding situation.
Bergmen: No, I’m good; I have everything I need here, commander. ::turns to Petty Officer:: Ok, Mr. Kowalski, you heard a commander. I apologize for coming here unnecessarily, but we couldn't have predicted the extent of the work required until we arrived. I was anticipating a more significant issue.
Kowalski: Understood, sir. If anything, call the OPS Center.
Gnai: That… sounds good. Thank you for understanding.
A OPS team packed their equipment and disappeared in the turbolift as quickly as they appeared. Ollie locked eyes with Salkath but found it challenging to discern the meaning behind the gaze. Just then, the computer behind him emitted a beep as the first diagnostic process finished, displaying the results on the screen.
Bergmen: So, I will return to diagnostics and analysis I run to find what's causing the sensors to have issues in this nebula's environment.
Salkath: Yes, Lieutenant. Let us return to where we left off. We can optimize the profile of hull metals and also for ion trails. Was there anything else in particular requested from the bridge?
Gnai: Well. ::long pause:: The sensors still need to be fixed or- or recalibrated. Some of them were throwing up anomalous readings of the nebula… ::pulling out the PADD of data it had saved from earlier, with steadily decaying sensor readings:: This noticed strange signals popping in and out of existence as the Artemis flew through parts of the nebula.
Lt. Gnai's problem description triggered a long-faded memory for Ollie. It took him back to a problem his ship had faced long ago when he was just a freshman crewman on the USS Vancouver.
oO How did they solve it then? Oo
Bergmen: I saw something similar once. It’s called Ufimtsev effect… I think. Simply said, the nebula shatters our sensory impulses, and those strange signals popping in and out are in fact our own signal reflections which a computer is unable to recognize as sensory inputs and interprets them as signals of unknown origin. We should enhance and refine the sensor output while crosschecking the input data to see if a signal is our own or really foreign and go from there.
Salkath: That is an acceptable suggestion. If we overclock power distribution to the multiphasic sensors, it might break through some of the wavelength clutter. I believe they are rated to 115 percent of normal powerload?
Ollie nodded. He would personally go with a hundred ten, but that was more of a personal preference for whole numbers rather than a professional opinion.
Bergmen: I would start with lower initial output and go up, but I agree, commander. We should have still some safety margin for an increase if our initial attempt is not successful even if we start with one fifteen. Lieutenant? Opinions?
Gnai: Response
Salkath: I'll ensure that the power is available if you can get it diverted here, Mr Bergmen. I'll also take responsibility if my overclocking calculations are inaccurate.
Ollie tried to do the math and remember more about the solution bridge crew of Vancouver came with, but it was over fifteen years ago - and back then, he was there just to listen his NCO commands around the monitoring of deep-frozen grain stock onboard, not for something fancy like sensors or being informed about what was actually happening.
Bergmen: Understood, sir. I'll submit a request to the OPS center to modify the power lines to meet the necessary energy output.
Ensign turned back to the console he was standing near and began typing the request, and left the lieutenant and commander to focus on the rest.
Salkath: Lieutenant Gnai, contact the bridge and advise them that we should have stronger resolution in approximately three point seven minutes? ::looked to Bergmen for concurrence, then continued:: Also, pass along the notion of increased frequency range for emergency transmissions. It is a shot in the dark, but worth a try nonetheless.
Gnai: Response
Ollie nodded to himself as he focused on the console and typed the request. He hoped they will answer soon, as he was not sure when the engineering reserves the necessary energy to strengthen the sensor. If Bergmen had to make a guess, he was confident that with someone like Salkath in charge, the Artemis engineering team would become highly efficient, and his OPS task completion would likely be asked again and soon.
Lieutenant Gnai step away momentarily to make its call to bridge, and before Ollie could even notice, Salkath's voice alerted the operations officer that the commander was right next to him.
Salkath: You will have your extra power momentarily, though not as much as I anticipated because we are apparently at warp again. ::and more quietly:: Thank you for your discretion with the lieutenant, as well. I appreciate that you chose to remain here and help.
Ollie stood frozen, gazing at the commander.
oO Discretion with the lieutenant? Was something wrong with the science officer? Oo
Bergmen: Uh… understood. Aye. No…
Ensin's bewildered rambling was suddenly cut off by the voice of the COO from Bergmen’s communicator.
Vel: =/\= Vel to Bergmen. =/\=
Bergmen: Sorry sir, but…
Ollie looked apologetically at the commander as he pointed at his commbadge and stepped little aside.
Bergmen: =/\= Bergmen, sir. Go ahead.=/\=
Vel: =/\= Who gave you the authorisation to summon an Ops team to help you? =/\=
Ensign paused to formulate a response, then realized it wasn't quite right. Leadership did not usually want a detailed analysis. What they always wanted was a concise summary, accompanied by colored graphs, and a document that was no longer than three pages.
Bergmen: =/\= After carefully reviewing the task I was called upon by Lieutenant Gnai, I have determined that it may require actions beyond my qualifications, sir. That's why I asked the sensor specialist Kowalski, to help us with his team. =/\=
Short, to the point, without unnecessary detours. Ollie took great pride in his report, for a whole half second before the hammer hit the anvil.
Vel: =/\= Did I die and make you Chief of Ops, Bergmen? In future, all work requests for Ops officers are to do through the Chief’s Office. I can see that Lt. Gnai asked for you, and for you alone. ::he checked his PADD:: And I can see that the task is pretty simple - if you need three assistants to do that, then I would seriously question your place in my team. Vel out. =/\=
Ollie wanted to answer but never got the chance as the COO closed the channel. Ensign glanced back at Salkath with a guilty and apologetic expression on his face. He had no idea that whatever the COO wanted would be overheard throughout the control room, and he felt sorry for everyone having to listen to it.
Bergmen: I’m so sorry, commander, I did not expect that...that. Eh…We should probably get back to work.
Salkath: Response
Bergmen went back to his station and rechecked his mailbox in case the response to his request had arrived, as the call from Commander Vel was anything but that. Since none had shown up, Ollie reloaded the mailbox once more. And once again before the lieutenant returned with his update from the bridge.
Gnai: Response
A new message popped up on the screen, prompting Ollie to open it immediately.
Bergmen: We have a green light from the OPS Center. I will start to set the energy distribution channels to sensors right away.
Salkath/Gnai: Response
Bergmen sank back into the glow of the screen and let the world pass by. He didn't know much, but this was something he could really contribute. Getting this all set up, testing the throughput, and fine-tuning the node limits was a piece of cake.
Bergmen: Ok. Commander, nodes are set. Sending now to your console the information package regarding the approved wiring we use for the power load and set limits for individual nodes. Just to be sure, check the data, and I think we're ready.
Salkath/Gnai: Response
TAGS/TBC
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Ensign Ollie Bergmen
Operations Officer
U.S.S. Artemis-A
A240009JC1