LtJg Lera Michaels - Better and better
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steve...@yahoo.com
Sep 4, 2025, 6:20:28 PM (7 days ago) Sep 4
to USS Khitomer – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
((Main Engineering, Deck 12, USS Khitomer, en route to Lagoon Nebula))
Michaels: Juliet. Tell me what you have in mind. Hardening our computational abilities would be worthwhile even if we have a surplus of Sencha wave-proof gel packs. Please include an estimate of how long those modifications will take.
Juliet nodded and Ginny folded her arms. Lera and Ginny put their full attention to Banks. If Juliet was nervous with the two of them watching her so intently, she did not show it.
Banks: I propose a distributed computing backup. We know that unpowered gel packs were unharmed by the Sencha radiation, so we install clusters of superfluous packs – standard general node configuration – at several well-separated locations around the ship to provide redundant computing capability, governed by failover subroutines. In the event that a wave of Sencha radiation impacts the ship, the failover programming would cut power transiently to the computing clusters in the path of the radiation to keep them unharmed, transferring computational load to the active clusters, and then restore power to each cluster after the wave passes it. Each cluster would only be offline for an infinitesimal amount of time while the failover system was in active use; it would constitute a small reduction in computational power during that time. As for estimated time–
The shipwide announcement from Medical interrupted the discussion. Lera glanced down. There was always something and, it appeared that the more important the something was, the higher the probability it would be interrupted.
Ohnari: =/\= Chief Medical Officer to all crew, please report to Sickbay prior to our arrival to the Lagoon nebula. Due to time constraints, we will also have a mobile vaccination station in Main Engineering, and on the bridge. ::pausing:: And yes, I do mean everyone. Ohnari out. =/\=
Banks: Hm. Well, as for estimated time – installation time would depend on how many separate clusters we were installing, but I imagine you would have a better idea of that timing than I, sir. Programming time… I’d estimate approximately three hours for a safe margin, plus approximately thirty minutes for final configuration once the gel pack clusters are installed.
Ginny cleared her throat.
Lacy: The timeline makes sense. We might even be able to cut it down if I help. But it’s not without risk, there’s a lot we still don’t know about how the Sencha interacts with the ship’s systems.
Michaels: oO Do we even have that much time? Cut the time in half? Oo I am reminded of something my father always said. Nine women can not make a baby in a month. ::Lera stared at Banks as she considered. The core idea made a lot of sense. :: A constant 'hot' backup that cuts out automatically at any hint of disruption. Even if we had to reset it manually, it would significantly better than what we went through the last time. :: A key question is whether the cut-out could function quickly enough to protect the back-up packs. If the Sencha Waves causing the destruction move at the speed of light ...
Dewitt arrived. Finally. Lera relaxed visibly. Someone had to be the focal point and while she was willing to assume that role if needed, she would prefer someone else like, say, Commander Dewitt take the burden.
Michaels: Commander. I am glad you could join us.
Lera thought about saying something more but ultimately decided that acknowledging Dewitt was sufficient at the moment.
Dewitt: I caught the tail end - bring me up to speed.
Michaels: The diagnostics are complete and are positive. Crewman Sparks should be completing the modifications to boost warp core power soon. Essentially all Engineering team members who are not on their mandatory sleep cycles are working on your other tasks. I have Crewman van der Waals checking the gel packs so that we can switch the ones that survived the previous unpleasantness to the critical services. Miss Lacy, Miss Banks and I were just discussing Miss Banks suggestion that we use some of the extra gel packs as a hot back-up that would have their power cut off at the first sign of disruption and then re-energize when the disruption had passed. The idea has significant merit. As usual, there may be difficulties in the details.
Dewitt nodded but if he felt any enthusiasm for either idea, Lera could not detect it. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Connor's communiator chirped.
El'Heem: =/\= El'Heem to Chief Dewitt. =/\=
C Dewitt: =/\= ::tapping:: This is Dewitt. What's up, Ras?=/\=
El'Heem: =/\= I'm sending Blue Matthews and Semara your way to put together a team for emergency gel pack replacement if need be. You have a few engineers to spare? =/\=
oO More help. Oh good. And if I know Amelia, there will be baked goods as well. Oo
C Dewitt: =/\= Oh, it's gonna be a party down here. I have no one here, Ras. ::pause:: They can work with Ensigns Michaels and Lacy. =/\=
El'Heem: =/\= We'll take what we can get. Thank you sir. =/\=
C Dewitt: Alright... I need two of you to continue this work. One of you, I'd suggest Ensign Banks, needs to accompany me to deflector control. We're going to prepare the Dispersion Array for activation. We'll consult with Commander T'Dara on our way down there. Lieutenant Michaels, you're in charge down here.
oO Back in charge. Well, it was a nice respite while it lasted. Oo
Banks: Aye, sir.
Michaels: Sparks did say there was an issue with some of the shields. We should check those as well before we arrive at the nebula.
Lacy: Good luck, sir.
Lt. Commander Dewitt nodded. He and Juliet headed off. Lera sighed and glanced at Ginny, who smiled at her with what could only be described as a wicked smile.
Lacy: So, sir, what’s next?
Michaels: I did not think that people from your part of Earth harboured a desire for disembowelment. Perhaps I was in error. :: Lera tilted her head to the right and, just in case, Ginny thought she was serious, favoured her with a slight smile. :: I suspect that what they have in mind will not precisely match our thoughts. Can we design and implement Juliet's scheme that will respond quickly enough to be useful in the time we have available?
Before Ginny could answer, Matthews and Semara came in through the door and headed toward them.
Lacy: The cavalry has arrived.
Michaels: I am endeavoring to avoid being trampled by the horses. :: to the newcomers :: Mr. Matthews. Miss Semara. Welcome to Engineering. We are happy to have someone visit and relieve the tedious boredom.
Matthews / Semara: Response
Lacy: So… “emergency” gel pack replacement?
Matthews / Semara: Response
Tags/ TBC
——— ☼ ———
LtJg Lera Michaels
Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2
Michaels: Juliet. Tell me what you have in mind. Hardening our computational abilities would be worthwhile even if we have a surplus of Sencha wave-proof gel packs. Please include an estimate of how long those modifications will take.
Juliet nodded and Ginny folded her arms. Lera and Ginny put their full attention to Banks. If Juliet was nervous with the two of them watching her so intently, she did not show it.
Banks: I propose a distributed computing backup. We know that unpowered gel packs were unharmed by the Sencha radiation, so we install clusters of superfluous packs – standard general node configuration – at several well-separated locations around the ship to provide redundant computing capability, governed by failover subroutines. In the event that a wave of Sencha radiation impacts the ship, the failover programming would cut power transiently to the computing clusters in the path of the radiation to keep them unharmed, transferring computational load to the active clusters, and then restore power to each cluster after the wave passes it. Each cluster would only be offline for an infinitesimal amount of time while the failover system was in active use; it would constitute a small reduction in computational power during that time. As for estimated time–
The shipwide announcement from Medical interrupted the discussion. Lera glanced down. There was always something and, it appeared that the more important the something was, the higher the probability it would be interrupted.
Ohnari: =/\= Chief Medical Officer to all crew, please report to Sickbay prior to our arrival to the Lagoon nebula. Due to time constraints, we will also have a mobile vaccination station in Main Engineering, and on the bridge. ::pausing:: And yes, I do mean everyone. Ohnari out. =/\=
Banks: Hm. Well, as for estimated time – installation time would depend on how many separate clusters we were installing, but I imagine you would have a better idea of that timing than I, sir. Programming time… I’d estimate approximately three hours for a safe margin, plus approximately thirty minutes for final configuration once the gel pack clusters are installed.
Ginny cleared her throat.
Lacy: The timeline makes sense. We might even be able to cut it down if I help. But it’s not without risk, there’s a lot we still don’t know about how the Sencha interacts with the ship’s systems.
Michaels: oO Do we even have that much time? Cut the time in half? Oo I am reminded of something my father always said. Nine women can not make a baby in a month. ::Lera stared at Banks as she considered. The core idea made a lot of sense. :: A constant 'hot' backup that cuts out automatically at any hint of disruption. Even if we had to reset it manually, it would significantly better than what we went through the last time. :: A key question is whether the cut-out could function quickly enough to protect the back-up packs. If the Sencha Waves causing the destruction move at the speed of light ...
Dewitt arrived. Finally. Lera relaxed visibly. Someone had to be the focal point and while she was willing to assume that role if needed, she would prefer someone else like, say, Commander Dewitt take the burden.
Michaels: Commander. I am glad you could join us.
Lera thought about saying something more but ultimately decided that acknowledging Dewitt was sufficient at the moment.
Dewitt: I caught the tail end - bring me up to speed.
Michaels: The diagnostics are complete and are positive. Crewman Sparks should be completing the modifications to boost warp core power soon. Essentially all Engineering team members who are not on their mandatory sleep cycles are working on your other tasks. I have Crewman van der Waals checking the gel packs so that we can switch the ones that survived the previous unpleasantness to the critical services. Miss Lacy, Miss Banks and I were just discussing Miss Banks suggestion that we use some of the extra gel packs as a hot back-up that would have their power cut off at the first sign of disruption and then re-energize when the disruption had passed. The idea has significant merit. As usual, there may be difficulties in the details.
Dewitt nodded but if he felt any enthusiasm for either idea, Lera could not detect it. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Connor's communiator chirped.
El'Heem: =/\= El'Heem to Chief Dewitt. =/\=
C Dewitt: =/\= ::tapping:: This is Dewitt. What's up, Ras?=/\=
El'Heem: =/\= I'm sending Blue Matthews and Semara your way to put together a team for emergency gel pack replacement if need be. You have a few engineers to spare? =/\=
oO More help. Oh good. And if I know Amelia, there will be baked goods as well. Oo
C Dewitt: =/\= Oh, it's gonna be a party down here. I have no one here, Ras. ::pause:: They can work with Ensigns Michaels and Lacy. =/\=
El'Heem: =/\= We'll take what we can get. Thank you sir. =/\=
C Dewitt: Alright... I need two of you to continue this work. One of you, I'd suggest Ensign Banks, needs to accompany me to deflector control. We're going to prepare the Dispersion Array for activation. We'll consult with Commander T'Dara on our way down there. Lieutenant Michaels, you're in charge down here.
oO Back in charge. Well, it was a nice respite while it lasted. Oo
Banks: Aye, sir.
Michaels: Sparks did say there was an issue with some of the shields. We should check those as well before we arrive at the nebula.
Lacy: Good luck, sir.
Lt. Commander Dewitt nodded. He and Juliet headed off. Lera sighed and glanced at Ginny, who smiled at her with what could only be described as a wicked smile.
Lacy: So, sir, what’s next?
Michaels: I did not think that people from your part of Earth harboured a desire for disembowelment. Perhaps I was in error. :: Lera tilted her head to the right and, just in case, Ginny thought she was serious, favoured her with a slight smile. :: I suspect that what they have in mind will not precisely match our thoughts. Can we design and implement Juliet's scheme that will respond quickly enough to be useful in the time we have available?
Before Ginny could answer, Matthews and Semara came in through the door and headed toward them.
Lacy: The cavalry has arrived.
Michaels: I am endeavoring to avoid being trampled by the horses. :: to the newcomers :: Mr. Matthews. Miss Semara. Welcome to Engineering. We are happy to have someone visit and relieve the tedious boredom.
Matthews / Semara: Response
Lacy: So… “emergency” gel pack replacement?
Matthews / Semara: Response
Tags/ TBC
——— ☼ ———
LtJg Lera Michaels
Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2
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