Ensign Sera - It's all a matter of perspective
Hope Forster
((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Juneau))
Oddas: Ensign Sera, Ensign Aratta - I
it's not in your specialty - but let's assume we are going to give the administrator his verterium cortenide, but want to render it inert. Come up
with a way to make that happen, and if you can think of some innocuous things to toss in without making it look like we are giving him a hanger full of junk, so much the better.
The science officer turned his head a little to acknowledge the presence of a Vulcan female engineer officer.
Sera: Understood, Captain. ::turning towards Ensign Aratta:: Ensign, if you would accompany me to deck 14. I believe we will be able to procure innocuous items that the scrapyard administrator may find…useful.
Aratta: Right away, Ms. Sera! ::forcing a poke face::
Inside the turbolift, the science officer remained silent and waited for Sera to lead the way, without facing her but keeping a sturdy posture.
Sera: ::to the computer:: Deck 14. ::Turning her gaze to the Bajoran male standing next to her:: Ensign, you just stated that your majors were physics and archeology. However, how…strong is your chemistry background?
Aratta: ::Without turning her face:: pretty robust! ::he thought twice before continuing, almost giving up his poker face:: My father, an archeologist, was very demanding about chemical analysis when we entered some sealed ancient room. He always said that
we could bring something to cause an unbalance and damage the material resting there. ::avoiding being too much prolixe:: I meant… I managed the basics of chemistry.
Sera: ::looking seriously thoughtful, which was different somehow from her resting non-seriously thoughtful expression:: Well then, it would appear that we shall both engage in the time-honored Star Fleet tradition of making some ‘stuff’ up.
Aratta: Let's keep the tradition then! ::avoiding badly to let one smile free::
Sera: One must consider how to inactivate the warp field generating capabilities of verterium cortenide without changing the molecular makeup of this material. We are, in essence, engaging in subterfuge on a chemical level.
Aratta: It’s a good first approach!
As they traveled by the Juneau’s womb, the Bajoran started to revisit his memories about the decks of that huge ship, trying to find what could have in the deck fourteen of importance for that task. But as if reading his mind, what Vulcans may or may not do,
he learned the answer.
Sera: Why are we going to deck 14? An excellent question, Ensign. I will be taking you to an area on the ship few non-engineering personnel even know exist. ::turbolift doors opening:: Please follow me.
Aratta: oO Oh! Secrets! That will be funny. Oo ::blocking another smile from slipping through his mouth::
((Cargo Bay 3, "The Graveyard," Deck 14))
Sera walked purposefully down the corridor to Cargo Bay 3. Although most on the ship knew where the locations of most major deparments, labs, and offices were – few thought to consider what exactly was in some these areas. Cargo Bay 3 had an area carved out that Sera heard referenced as “The Graveyard.” She surmised that the epithet went along with the saying that she had heard bandied about, “Where equipment went to die.” If there as any equipment or supplies that could be added to the list to further entice the scrapyard, it would be found here. Most of the detritus was slated for molecular breakdown or refitting as appropriate. It was the most logical place to start to fulfill Captain Oddas’ request to give the scrapyard items that would appear to have more use than they actually possessed. It would also give Sera, and Aratta, time to consider their strategy regarding the synthetic compound problem.
Sera: Do you have any…thoughts on how to disrupt verterium cortenide’s warp field generating capabilities? ::starting rummaging through the equipment and pulling out items that had promise for trade::
Aratta: In fact I do, Ms. Vulcan! ::he immediately stopped and covered his mouth with boths hands, realizing that he had broken formality:: Sorry,
I mean. Ms. Sera.
Sera: ::raising a brow at the science officer’s overt physical demonstration of what she believed was nervousness::
Your observation skills are accurate, Ensign Aratta, and Ensign Sera will suffice.
Sera said no more about his outburst and skittish behavior. After all, she too had been guilty of allowing her unease color her reactions when first coming aboard USS Juneau. She walked to the cargo bay perimeter and pulled out the maglev pallet mover and brought it back to the pile they were searching through and began placing cannisters of mostly spent fuel and other pieces of detritus that the scrapyard may find useful. The replicator? Well, that would be in a place of honor…right at the top of the heap.
Hopefully her busy work gave the science officer time to gather himself so he could convey his idea in a succinct, logical-ish manner.
Aratta: Well, you know that all components, compounds, however… have a lifetime. In this case … ::stopping to look thoughtful:: verterium cortenide had a lifespan of decades, right?
Sera: ::off-handedly commenting:: Its half-life is 32.7 years…if rounding up to the nearest tenth.
Aratta: Well, we could try to find here if there is some already scheduled for molecular deconstruction, and manage to chemically tamper it, to last just for few hours… ::getting his padd:: The list just gave us the name, not the specifics, right?
Sera stopped what she was doing and tilted her head towards the Bajoran.
That was an idea she had not considered, and it was one that had significant merit considering the unspoken timeframe they were given to find a solution.
Sera: Fascinating proposal, Ensign. We could also secret a small emitter within the pile of material to boost the readings to lender further credence that what we are supplying is of sufficient quality.
She was about to say more but their conversation was interrupted by the chirp of her commbadge
Oddas: =/\= Bridge to Cargo Bay 3 =/\=
Sera: ::tapping her commbadge in response:: =/\= Ensigns Sera and Arrata, Captain. =/\=
Oddas: =/\= How are the modifications to the cortenide coming? =/\=
Sera: =/\= Ensign Aratta has formulated a plan which I believe we can utilize to provide the station with only minute amounts of verterium cordenite that will have any meaningful use. =/\=
Arrata: =/\= With a disguised emitter to boost the readings, as suggested by Ensign Sera. =/\=
Oddas: =/\= Good work, keep me informed - I'd like to get an answer to the Administrator in the next 10-15 minutes. =/\=
Sera: =/\= Understood, Captain. Sera out. =/\=
Sera: Ensign, the depleted verterium cordenite is on the pallets directly behind you. I will obtain another maglev so we can move a sufficient quantity of material over for transport. In the meantime, we have approximately 10 minutes to determine how to chemically tamper with it to complete the assignment given to us by Captain Oddas.
Aratta: ::he swallowed hard and broke out in a cold sweat:: Ten minutes!! ::speaking in a hesitant or irregular way:: How do you expect to achieve that in ten minutes?
Sera: Well, Ensign. It was your idea. ::giving the Bajoran an expression that he could almost interpret as a smirk…almost::
Aratta: I thought we would have much more time, Ensign. ::deep breathing in… deep breathing out:: A chemical process would take hours to achieve the expected results.
Sera:
::pulling over another maglev pallet mover::
I will help ensure that your idea is successful.
I would not have offered it up the captain if I did not believe it was feasible.
In the meantime, I can modify a micro-emitter to amplify the false readings.
Sera watched the new science officer out of the corner of her eye as his body language went through a frenetic display of chaotic emotions. She was no stranger to understanding the conflict going on within the newly minted ensign; but, it was a time-honored Starfleet tradition of engaging in trials with fires…whatever that human expression meant.
Aratta: Ensign… ::thinking deeply:: a slow process would guarantee a well distributed modification on the material, in a way that they would not notice until too late. ::taking another deep breath:: The only other solution I could come up with would be a physical treatment like with Tachyon particles.
Sera: ::Nodding at his alternative choice – he did appear to be a fast thinker, in spite of demonstrating that he was nervous:: A most logical option given our time constraints.
Aratta: But a half-life of minutes is impossible within these circumstances, but I can deliver a half-life of days at most. ::taking notes on his PADD:: Otherwise the crystal lattice would be damaged beyond repair and they will notice the trick.
Sera: I believe the extension of the half-life will be a suitable compromise for Captain Oddas’ requirements. It will provide a buffer to our away teams to complete their mission.
Aratta: ::tapping his left earrings:: And if instead to create an emitter to boost the readings you come up with a device which would disrupt the efficiency of the verterium cordenite that I would treat in the science lab?
oO Nice turn around, Aratta. Oo Sera thought silently, considering his proposed alteration to her initial plan.
Sera: It would require disrupting the functional parameters of a field-issue tricorder…
Sera watched as Aratta look like he was going to require medical assistance, so she put her hand quickly in an attempt to stop his mental worrying for the moment.
Sera: Ensign. I have re-written alien holodeck programs in less time than what we have here. oO At least I think it was less time…that was a strange day Oo Your suggestion has adequate and is something I am more than capable of producing.
Aratta: Response
Sera hauled over container after container of mostly spent verterium cordenite onto the maglev in silence. Her mind was busy mentally reconfiguring the tricorder to give off random, low-level bursts of beta radiation that should increase the release of nucleic protons to speed up molecular decay of the cordenite. However, that was step two of this process. Step one was solely in Ensign Aratta’s ‘court.’
Sera: This should be a sufficient amount of cordenite. Now we transport it to the labs so you can perform your portion of the plan. ::stepping behind the pallet mover and tapping the lock release so the pallet could be moved with ease:: Do you have a tricorder in your possession?
Aratta: Response
Sera: Excellent. May I appropriate it from you?
Aratta: Response
Sera accepted the tricorder gently and flipped it open and began inputting new directives for the tricorder to execute. She was silent for the majority of trip, her steps sure as she looked for all intents and purposes fairly distracted. However, Sera knew where they were headed – the science labs on Deck 7. Any engineer that didn’t know where everything was on their ship didn’t deserve to be an engineer.
Aratta: Response
TAG/TBC
--
Engineering Officer
USS Juneau, NX-99801
J239812S14