Lieutenant JG Amelia Semara - Control

[Max]

(( OOC: I'm going to get this scene moving while the conversation w/ Dewitt wraps. ))

(( Main Engineering, Deck 12, USS Khitomer - An hour after the briefing ))

After meeting with Connor, Amelia had just enough time to stop by her quarters and pick up a present for her Ensigns and still arrive in main engineering a solid couple minutes before her own self-imposed deadline.  She drummed her fingers, studying the padd with the plans she and Dewitt came up with.  The nice thing about having such a rigorous job ahead of her was that it was a very useful thing to focus her energy on.  She had almost forgotten about the promotion.  But only almost.

Amelia had set up in a corner on the far end of engineering that had direct access to deflector control.  The vantage point also had easy access to main power, making it ideal to monitor the tie between the two systems.  Almost on the opposite side of main engineering, Dewitt was working with Croix and her science buddy, their conversation inaudible at this distance, but their state of mind clear.  They were focused, and hard at work.  It was comforting to know they were relatively close if they needed to coordinate.  Still, having nested into the spot, the whole situation still made her uneasy.  Quite a feat for a normally upbeat Betazoid.

If she handed in the experimental design she was pouring over to her freshman year physics professor, she imagined she'd have been flunked on the spot.  Between the numbers, she could sense the desperation Starfleet had to get something working to protect its ships and crews.  There was no other way for this mission profile to get approved.  The basic design and science were reasonable, and certainly the static test results spoke for themselves.  But the technology was undeniably being rushed, in Amelia's opinion.  There wasn't even an independent verification from a separate lab before they'd installed the technology.  The price of secrecy, perhaps.

Footfalls and the faint empathic pressure of two presences approaching pulled her eyes up.  She smiled warmly at Michaels and Cain.  It made her feel better to have Cain's uber-abundant confidence and Michaels' smart skepticism on her side.  It was a good balance to have on a team.

Semara: Right on time.

Michaels / Cain: Response

Ah yes, the half-pip.

Semara: Thanks.  Guess it's Hobart's way of tellin' me I'm responsible for keepin' us all alive and healthy now.  :: A soft chuckle. ::  And yes, you can still call me Amelia casually, if it pleases you.

Michaels / Cain: Response

She unwrapped her little present for the Ensigns from its warm red cloth lying on a nearby table. Inside was her latest creation.  She'd spent a fair bit of time over shore leave getting it right.  Baked freshly the night before and warmed minutes before, it was a braided bread derived from a Vulcan recipe.  The challenge in making it was the ludicrously tricky balance of ingredients to get it to rise and bake correctly - the flavor was exceptionally mild, but the texture was delicately fluffy and melted in the mouth.  When you pulled it apart, it had a nearly miraculous ability to leave no crumbs behind.  The process of baking it had given her valuable insight into the Vulcan palate and persona.

Semara: A small token of my appreciation for the two a' you. :: A smile. :: I hope you like it, but I'm always open to feedback.

On the bread, and on her newfound position to give orders.

Michaels / Cain: Response

It was time to get to work.

Semara: Speakin' as an owner of a paracortex, it'll be quite a comfort if we can make this technology work.  That said, I think we can all agree these experiments make us nervous.  There's a lotta variables.  That makes our first order of business clear: to set a baseline and perform control experiments.

Michaels / Cain: Response?

Semara: When we arrive in the stellar nursery, we have a half hour to study our immediate surroundin's.  Radiation, light output... I'm real concerned 'bout the highly variable gravitation of formin' stars.  Sencha waves quite literally phase near-subspace to pull it apart from normal space and let it snap back together to create the damagin' energies and radiation.  The physics is even more complicated in curvy normal space-time...

She imagined it as if two pieces of elastic fabric were being pulled apart and slapped together.  Anything sitting in the spot would be sent flying.  If only it were as fun as it sounded.

Semara: Once we've got good readin's, Commander Dewitt and I have decided to test-fire the SDA first as a control.  No emitter, no hull plating, just a good ol' engineerin' check, and make sure there's no change in the nursery.  If that goes well, his team'll energize the new plating.  More scans.  Then we'll do another test-fire with the plating energized.  Only if all that goes well, then we move on to trials with the emitter...

Michaels / Cain: Response?

Semara: Mister Cain, repeat firin' means we'll need those recharge and reset procedures.  I'd also like you to find a quiet spot in the nebula to sit in when we get there.  If you like, I'll ask 'bout havin' helm control routed down here.  And Michaels, I'm guessin' you've got opinions 'bout all this.  Let's hear 'em.

Michaels / Cain: Response

Tag / TBC...

Lieutenant Junior Grade Amelia Magnolia Semara

Science Officer

USS Khitomer - NCC-62400

A239710MA0