Ensign Talon Morda: Stressed out
Eston Melton
(( Holodeck 2, Deck 5, USS Khitomer, approaching DS33 ))
Morda: ::Gesturing toward the TR-82:: And after firing this one -- just seat another charge and it’s good, or do other components burn out after each use?
Torado: In theory, that's the only thing you'll need to change out. In practice, especially for an extended deployment with environmental factors, if you don't give it a deep cleaning I wouldn't count on more than a dozen cycles before something gives.
He nodded, listened, tried to remember, and wondered whether he’d have access to the technical manual after the training. The idea of “extended deployment” carrying that in weapon alone held no appeal, and he had a hard time imagining what circumstances would call for this weapon to be used even close to a dozen times. Not since-- oO Ah. Oo. That copper, gray, angular (before it got more angular) perimeter gate: it was Cardassian. It, and perhaps this sim, might be anchored in the Dominion War.
Which spoke well, if accurate, of Starfleet’s performance peacekeeper. Minor theaters and skirmishes had flared since the Dominion War -- heck, Khitomer served in one. But in terms of interquadrant armed madness, that conflict belonged to the last generation. oO Good job, citizens of the galaxy. Oo
Torado: Alright, you slot in the next pack, and I'll sight in the next target.
The release button was easy enough to find, a physical button with a flexible weather-proof cover. He thought he felt the movement transit to a catch mechanism, and the charge slid partially out of the well. Morda pulled, surprised by the rubbery resistance. Some kind of magnets to help keep the charge seated? He was careful not to fumble the spend charge as it emerged, setting it on the mat and reaching for the second. It weighed several kilos, and he carefully slid it into the well. He felt a soft click and a chassis indicator went from sienna to dark green.
Morda: Ready. What’s the next firing mode?
Torado: Precision, with the set’s structural analysis feature. We'll use half strength on this one.
He followed the general orientation of Torado’s focus, shifting the TR-82 in that direction. Sighting through the optics and following the indicator for the lieutenant’s focus brought an order of magnitude greater precision, and the empty guard tower appeared. Now that he was oriented correctly, Morda rearranged his body like before, prone to the deck, his spine aligned with the rifle.
He again used the thumb control to call up a system menu, and he slid down to the third item, STRAN. Immediately, a color-coded structural stress diagram overlaid the tower’s baseplate, posts, cross-braces, and the walls of the roost. A pair of additional options appeared to the right: LIB and ATV, with the former underlined. At the bottom, other scan mode labels appeared that he didn’t understand.
Morda: “Lib” to overlay general specs stored in onboard library, “ATV” for active scan?
Torado: Response
Morda: What’s the risk analysis like for an actual scan? Any range limits?
Torado: Response
He toggled between them. The library spec overlay showed a sturdy, well-engineered, field-hardened guard post design perfected over many occupations and conflicts. In active scan mode, though, one of the main posts had a crimson stress band just above the baseplate. When he toggled the analysis off entirely, that strip of metal looked just as sturdy as the rest of the construct.
Morda: Got it. I see a tempting target. Is power setting somewhere in this menu?
Torado: Response
Morda: Oh. Found it. Set at 50 percent. Clear to engage?
Torado: Response
Tags/TBC