LtJg Lera Michaels - The Problem Is ... The Multiple Problems Are
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steve...@yahoo.com
Jan 17, 2026, 5:24:07 PM (yesterday) Jan 17
to USS Khitomer – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
((Deck 4, Computer Core Master Control, USS Khitomer))
It did not take Lera long to set up the transporter programming to do the back and forth shuffle of the transported prisoners. There were just a few clauses in the programming to alter. An adjustment to reduce the pause period from minutes to microseconds. An escape clause to add in. She went so far as to automate building in a master list of the profiles and quick labelling sequence to allow the system to identify the species associated with the profile.
She frowned. There was a problem with the whole scheme. The two Lattice species were thermodynamically incompatible. Even though the Tholians were in the cargo bay for a few seconds each pass, their body temperatures would drop a small amount each cycle and that, in turn, would kill all of them. Eventually. Of course, dead Tholians would be less of a risk than live ones. But that violated the idea behind the mission and her personal conscience as well. On the other hand, the Sheliak would get warmer and warmer each cycle. Would that be enough to kill them? She simply did not know and there was insufficient time to do that calculation. Beyond that, there was the biochemistry of the two species and their individual required atmospheric compositions. They should be able to survive a few hundred cycles, eventually keeping them mixed would kill a significant number of each.
Michaels: ::to herself:: That is a non-trivial problem. :: beat :: The only possible answer is to have two separate physical locations for them.
Morda: =/\= Morda to Michaels. Lieutenant, security’s coming together for contingency at the cargo bay. Is there anything you need assistance with? =/\=
Michaels: =/\= Yes, Ensign. We will need separate physical locations for the Sheliak and the Tholians. The Tholians require significant heat to survive but that temperature is hot enough to do non-trivial damage to our system. We will store them in the cargo bay. I will have engineering crank the temperature to the bare minimum Tholians can survive. Order of magnitude 250 degrees. Any Federation officers will find that area exceedingly uncomfortable. Advise Lieutenant Zerva that his team there will need appropriate environmental gear. =/\=
Morda: =/\= Response =/\=
Michaels: =/\= I am going with your suggestion for the Sholiak. I'm going to cycle them through a holodeck simulation. They will get to enjoy the joys of the desert of southwestern Texas some thirty kilometers outside Marathon, Texas. :: nearly silent smirk :: I may even have them do the marathon while they are at it. =/\=
Commander Hobart chimed in at that point.
Hobart: =/\= Hobart to Michaels. Party guests are on their way. How many more to go? =/\=
Just how many prisoners were there? If it was a few hundred then everything would be fine. If it was a few thousand... Lera shook her head. The time between an individual's cycle would lengthen. She would have to work on an answer to that.
It did not take Lera long to set up the transporter programming to do the back and forth shuffle of the transported prisoners. There were just a few clauses in the programming to alter. An adjustment to reduce the pause period from minutes to microseconds. An escape clause to add in. She went so far as to automate building in a master list of the profiles and quick labelling sequence to allow the system to identify the species associated with the profile.
She frowned. There was a problem with the whole scheme. The two Lattice species were thermodynamically incompatible. Even though the Tholians were in the cargo bay for a few seconds each pass, their body temperatures would drop a small amount each cycle and that, in turn, would kill all of them. Eventually. Of course, dead Tholians would be less of a risk than live ones. But that violated the idea behind the mission and her personal conscience as well. On the other hand, the Sheliak would get warmer and warmer each cycle. Would that be enough to kill them? She simply did not know and there was insufficient time to do that calculation. Beyond that, there was the biochemistry of the two species and their individual required atmospheric compositions. They should be able to survive a few hundred cycles, eventually keeping them mixed would kill a significant number of each.
Michaels: ::to herself:: That is a non-trivial problem. :: beat :: The only possible answer is to have two separate physical locations for them.
Morda: =/\= Morda to Michaels. Lieutenant, security’s coming together for contingency at the cargo bay. Is there anything you need assistance with? =/\=
Michaels: =/\= Yes, Ensign. We will need separate physical locations for the Sheliak and the Tholians. The Tholians require significant heat to survive but that temperature is hot enough to do non-trivial damage to our system. We will store them in the cargo bay. I will have engineering crank the temperature to the bare minimum Tholians can survive. Order of magnitude 250 degrees. Any Federation officers will find that area exceedingly uncomfortable. Advise Lieutenant Zerva that his team there will need appropriate environmental gear. =/\=
Morda: =/\= Response =/\=
Michaels: =/\= I am going with your suggestion for the Sholiak. I'm going to cycle them through a holodeck simulation. They will get to enjoy the joys of the desert of southwestern Texas some thirty kilometers outside Marathon, Texas. :: nearly silent smirk :: I may even have them do the marathon while they are at it. =/\=
Commander Hobart chimed in at that point.
Hobart: =/\= Hobart to Michaels. Party guests are on their way. How many more to go? =/\=
Just how many prisoners were there? If it was a few hundred then everything would be fine. If it was a few thousand... Lera shook her head. The time between an individual's cycle would lengthen. She would have to work on an answer to that.
Michaels: =/\= We are nearly finished with our work, sir. I could do a more accurate estimate if I knew how many more "guests" are coming. A minimum of ten minutes though I would prefer an hour.=/\=
Hobart: =/\= Acknowledged. If you can speed it up, do so. =/\=
Michaels: =/\= We will do what we can, sir. No promises. No Lies. =/\=
Lera started to log off the communicator but hesitated as Ensign Morda chimed in again.
Morda: =/\= Bridge, This op involves a bit of transporter juggling in and around at least Cargo Bay 4. Recommend Deck 14 become an exclusion zone for all personnel except security personnel and damage control parties. =/\=
That was a good idea. She approved.
Shayne / Stros / Kendrick / Bridge: Response
Michaels: =/\= One other point, sir. Any Starfleet personnel who are not on board already... or in the next few minutes... will be caught up in our transporter quick-cycle along with the prisoners. We will be able to sort them out. Eventually. But I can not guarantee their condition or safety. =/\=
Tags/TBC
——— ○● ———
LtJg Lera Michaels
Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2
Hobart: =/\= Acknowledged. If you can speed it up, do so. =/\=
Michaels: =/\= We will do what we can, sir. No promises. No Lies. =/\=
Lera started to log off the communicator but hesitated as Ensign Morda chimed in again.
Morda: =/\= Bridge, This op involves a bit of transporter juggling in and around at least Cargo Bay 4. Recommend Deck 14 become an exclusion zone for all personnel except security personnel and damage control parties. =/\=
That was a good idea. She approved.
Shayne / Stros / Kendrick / Bridge: Response
Michaels: =/\= One other point, sir. Any Starfleet personnel who are not on board already... or in the next few minutes... will be caught up in our transporter quick-cycle along with the prisoners. We will be able to sort them out. Eventually. But I can not guarantee their condition or safety. =/\=
Tags/TBC
——— ○● ———
LtJg Lera Michaels
Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2
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