Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: So Close
Lael Rosek
((Chief Engineer’s Office, Deck 14, USS Chin'toka))
{{Time Index: Day 5 of Shoreleave, Morning}}
As she was going through the routine paperwork, she noted transfer orders for Lieutenant Carter Greyson and arched her eyebrows. She’d worked with the man a good deal over the years and had always been pleased with his exemplary work as well as the way he carried himself. A smile played at the corners of her lips, recalling how the man had also kept tight reins on Anjar Thoran, who was prone to emotional decision making. She only hoped that the time since she’d last seen him had been kind to Anjar.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she set the PADD aside with the intention of perusing the details later.
Rosek: ::turns to the door:: Enter.
The door opened to reveal Lephi, looking much better than the last time they’d talked. It appeared the ordered time off had served the woman well.
Lephi: Do you have a second, sir?
Rosek: ::smiles:: Of course. ::motions her inside:: What can I do for you, Lieutenant?
Lephi: I find it ::pause:: difficult to focus on my work with all the noise in main engineering now. That brief experience with impaired hearing has really caused me some problems now that it has been fixed.
She studied the Ferengi woman, nodding. Lael had experienced difficulties herself given the decreased size of the room and therefore the increased proximity to the center of the action so to speak. There were times when she needed to wear noise-canceling wireless earpieces just to focus.
Rosek: Understandable.
Lephi: I wonder, sir, if you might agree to let me repurpose one of the two engineer lounges on this deck to an office. Seems reasonable for the Assistant Chief to have some space to work, right?
Lephi was right. It was a reasonable request. However, as with any major change to the ship’s layout, particularly a room that had been set aside for such a specific use, it required planning and paperwork. The latter had never been her favorite part of the job, but it was necessary.
Rosek: What kind of changes to the lounge did you have in mind?
Lephi: It should be pretty straight-forward I would think, requisition a few wall components that would allow me to section off a nice section, from there it’s just a matter of acquiring a desk and maybe a desk plant.
Rosek: ::nods:: I see. ::pauses:: I assume your request includes sound-proofing of the room to improve focus?
Lephi: Hey, my four lobes are supposed to stop you from being able to read my mind! ::Laughs:: Yes, of course that is a primary concern in all of this as well.
Again, she nodded. With her finally settled in, for the most part, she’d been tempted to submit a request to the Captain that would allow her to resume her research on uses for the Reskari alloy she and Doctor Alentonis had created. She wondered if Lephi’s needs weren’t the perfect opportunity to conduct yet another test of the alloy’s properties.
Rosek: I believe I have a unique solution for that, actually. ::pauses:: Long story short, myself and a skilled metallurgist, Doctor Timothy Alentonis, were able to come up with an alloy that can be painted on to most surfaces. From what we learned of the base metal’s properties, we hypothesized that the alloy itself would be efficient for protecting vessels from tetryon radiation. I believe it might also prove effective as a sound-proofing material.
Lephi: Intriguing! I would love to get my hands on the schematics for that! I’d be interested in helping out however I can.
Rosek: ::grins:: Consider it a team effort. If you agree to test this for your office, you would have a credit in the SCE journal article I plan to submit about the project.
Lephi: That would be fantastic. Consider it done. I’m on board.
Rosek: ::nods and smiles:: Draft me up an official proposal that we can bring to the Captain detailing any needed structural changes or modifications and we will work together on the wording for the sound-proofing material.
Lephi: That sounds like a great idea. How soon after my report is in do you think we can get started? I have a bit of research work I’m working on myself, and I’m keen to have a quiet place to work.
Lael smiled nostalgically, recalling a time aboard a bigger ship with so many engineering labs that at least one of them was always empty. She’d carried large amounts of research herself. It was how the Reskari alloy had come to be. Months had been spent in the labs testing the Reskari box to better understand the original metal’s properties.
Rosek: I imagine once it’s approved, pending an emergency, we can get started the same day. ::pauses:: If I might ask, what are you working on?
Lephi: Some upgrades to the Universal Translator. Trying to expand the parameters it functions under. It’s a work in progress, but it looks promising.
Her eyebrows arched. She’d never considered that. But then, she had an ear for languages and a talent for non-verbal cues and body language. She wasn’t as reliant on the Universal Translator beyond first contact. However, she had to admit that Lephi’s explanation had her curious.
Lephi: Don’t worry, it’s just a side project. It certainly isn’t impacting my daily workload, that’s no way to impress my superiors ::she laughs::.
Rosek: ::grins:: I wasn’t worried for a moment. ::pauses:: I think the teams have things well enough under control down here. If you’d like, I can show you what we have so far for the Reskari alloy.
Lephi: Yes please!
Entering a series of commands, Lael opened the file on her monitor and entered a couple of commands. A moment or two later, a three-dimensional holographic image of the original Reskari metal molecular structure was hovering above a nearby PADD. Another command and the structure slowly morphed into that of the alloy.
Rosek: Doctor Alentonis and I were successfully able to alter the structure of the original metal. It had a very high melting point, so it took more than a few tries to liquidize the metal enough to ensure complete melding with the other metals we used.
She tapped in another command.
Rosek: Fortunately, we were able to find the best combination. ::turns to Lephi:: The liquidized metal alloy was painted onto the interior hull of a shuttle. Tests conducted showed marked success in protecting the vessel and its occupants from large amounts of tetryon radiation. Sensor effectiveness and range increase by 25 percent.
Lephi: Those are some impressive results. ::slight pause:: I have to imagine Starfleet would be quite interested in this work.
She nodded. It was likely why she’d received as much support as she had to devote resources to the research. A Reskari alloy would have numerous potential uses for the fleet and would increase their capabilities several fold. She’d known from the moment she’d heard about the box discovered on Pellecia that if they played their cards right, it could give them a major technological advantage against any hostile species they faced out here. Strength wasn’t always about the size of one’s weapons, after all.
Rosek: It would be a boon for the fleet. We believe it would protect from multiple types of radiation and increase vessel operating efficiency drastically. ::pauses:: The only issue is that we know of only one finite source of the original metal, which would hardly be enough to line the interiors of every vessel in the fleet.
Lephi: I’m not as familiar with this Reskari metal as I’d like to be. Is it not possible to simply replicate more?
Rosek: ::nods:: Until Doctor Alentonis and I were reassigned, we had been working on a way to replicate the original metal with maximum accuracy. If there was too much discrepancy, by the time we added the other metals, it would dilute the properties so much that it wouldn’t be worth the time spent.
Lephi: I may be able to help with that.
She arched her eyebrows, though she wasn’t overly surprised. Lephi had consistently been an asset to the fleet and to the crew. To an extent, having something to prove seemed to be benefiting the young Ferengi.
Rosek: Oh?
Lephi: I actually took advanced replicator theory and application in my fourth year at the Academy. I could likely help you fine-tune the process.
Rosek: ::grins:: That would be appreciated. ::leans forward:: We’re so close, Lephi. Just this one last obstacle and we could be making history.
Lephi: We should arrange a sit down between the three of us. I would love to get the details on the project to study. I could be a real asset here.
She chuckled, clapping Lephi on the shoulder.
Rosek: No surprises there.
Picking up a PADD, she began making notes from what she could recall of the attempts so far to replicate the Reskari. They’d likely need another set of samples from the planet. Maybe it was time to reach out to Tim after all. It would be the easiest way to get more without needing to work around the bureaucratic red tape. Besides, he would have a legitimate interest.
Lephi: Of course, I would like to get the ball rolling on the necessary paperwork for the construction first. Once things start coming together there and the team is in place working on it, I’ll have spare time to help out with your project.
Lael looked up from the PADD and nodded.
Rosek: Of course. ::grins:: I’ll make you a deal. I’ll help you however I can with your project. Speed things up. Win-win.
Lephi: Response
Rosek: ::nods:: Once you have the basics down, we can go over it and roll around ideas on how to best accomplish it.
Lephi: Response
She glanced at the chronometer on her monitor. As much as she would have preferred to just replicate something here, her back and leg were protesting the lack of movement. A walk to the Mess would do her some good.
Rosek: Well, I had a light breakfast, so I’m going to grab an early lunch. How many days do you need to come up with the high level details?
Lephi: Response
Rosek: ::nods:: Good. We’ll meet up after you’re finished.
Lephi: Response
Rosek: ::grins:: Always a pleasure, Lieutenant.
Lephi: Response
As the young woman exited her office, Lael stood and stretched, grimacing as the familiar pain shot through her lower back and leg. She didn’t relish the thought of limping to Sickbay for a pain killer. However, at the rate this was going, if she didn’t take care of it now it would become crippling later. With a sign, she tugged at the hem of her uniform jacket and began the slow march to Sickbay.
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Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek, Eng.D.
Chief Engineer
USS Chin'toka, NCC-97187
I238110RH0
