AQ/D32-35 - Main Engineering

[Paul]

==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

== Soon after meeting with Captain Brooks ==

Niels returned to his office after his meeting with the Captain, and sat behind his desk. He looked around the room, still trying to get used to the different layout. A few boxes from his old office on the Charon remained unpacked, but neatly stacked in the corner. A mix of engineering journals and departmental reports sat on his desk waiting to be addressed. In his old office, the desk was oriented so that he had a direct line of sight to the warp core. Now, it faced the door, relegating the warp core to his periphery. He thought about having the office rearranged, but it felt like an odd thing to request.

I’ll just have to get used to it.

Neatly stacking the PADDs to one side of the desk, Niels placed the small black box he had received from the Captain in front of him. He looked at the box for a moment, before turning to his computer to pull up Lt. Thorn’s personnel record. She was quite the accomplished engineer, but her record also made note of her unconventional nature. Niels still had some reservations, but ultimately only time would tell. Closing the file, he closed his eyes briefly as he stretched his neck, then rose from his desk.

“Computer, Initiate Hoekstra Coffee Program Foxtrot-Zero-Three”

Niels crossed the room as the computer chirped in response. The replicator in his office hummed as a french press and two mugs appeared on a tray. He placed the tray on his desk before heading over to the stack of boxes. From the top box, he produced a small handheld grinder, a small container of roasted coffee beans, and a small scale. Gathering all the materials on his desk, Niels carefully measured out the beans on the scale before transferring them to the grinder. There were easier ways to make coffee, but Niels found this method to be something of a relaxing ritual.

When the coffee was processed, Niels placed the grounds in the carafe. He walked back over to the replicator and asked for water at precisely 92.6 celsius. An insulated pitcher appeared and he brought it back to the desk and slowly poured the contents into the carafe with the grounds. The slightly sterile scent of the office was slowly replaced with that of freshly brewed coffee, a marked improvement in Niels’ opinion. As he placed the pitcher on the tray next to the mugs, he asked the computer to set a timer, then cleaned up a few stray grounds from his desk. Satisfied everything was in order, Niels decided it was time to proceed.

“Lieutenant Thorn, please report to the Chief Engineer’s Office.”

== Tag Lt. Thorn ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Lt Thorn had been running through data from diagnostics since 0600. Her efforts had discovered some unusual signal readings from some of the fiber data couplings that were showing spikes in fresnel reflection. She was going to have to flag those for replacement and check on the lot numbers to see if they were going to have a rash of those on the ship. It was one thing to hope for the best, but it was best to plan for the worst.

While crawling through a Jeffries Tube to access one of the couplings, she heard the call from her boss. She acknowledged the call with an automated signal, as the location she was in was rather noisy. She quickly made her way to the nearest access hatch and got to his office, as it wouldn't look good to keep him waiting.

She was in a rugged version of the duty uniform of the day and outfitted with a tool belt that held a number of small but potent versions of the most common items that would handle the majority of jobs on the ship. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and sleeves were rolled up and ready for action. It appeared that she had already been occupying herself, as there was a smudge or two on her hands and face. She was wearinging a pair of specialized interface glasses when she entered, but removed them as she entered, tucking them into a pocket.

At the open door, she spoke up right away, "Yes, sir?"

It was going to take her a bit of adjustment to working with someone so close to her own rank as being her boss, but it was more about her not being accustomed to having much rank more than anything else. She was familiar with a squad or two of people taking her commands and doing tasks, even under combat conditions, but this ship was huge and they had quite  crew of people trying to keep it together.

Her nose caught the smell of something and it took a second for it to register that it was his morning coffee she was picking up on. The thought crossed her mind that he at least seemed to have good taste, based on the smell of it.

== Tag Lt Hoekstra ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

Lieutenant Thorn’s acknowledgement came through almost immediately, though not in a typical fashion. Niels thought it quite fitting for the engineer, who seemed to have an unusual way of doing things. As he mused, the first timer sounded and he retrieved a long handled spoon from the tray. He poked the end through the crust of grounds that had gathered at the top and gave the mixture a quick stir. Then, with careful precision, he scooped out some of the foam and large grounds that remained at the surface. Kalli arrived just as he fished out the last bit. He set the spoon aside and gestured for her to take a seat.

Kalli’s appearance suggested she had been hard at work when Niels called. He initially felt a pang of guilt for disturbing her. If he were in her position, he knew that he would have preferred not being interrupted mid-task. To compound the issue more, she had arrived sooner than expected. The coffee still had another five minutes until it was done. Niels sighed. In hindsight, it would have been more efficient to wait for a more opportune time, like the end of her shift. The whole situation made him realize that he needed to work that much harder to adjust to the new ship.

“I apologize for pulling you away from your work,” Niels began, “but there was a matter I needed to discuss with you. Would you like some coffee? I’ve got an Earth-grown Ethiopian blend brewing. It should be ready in a few minutes.”

== Tag Kalli ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli had entered with a friendly but relatively neutral grin, being polite and professional, as was her habit. His greeting indicated that whatever he wanted to discuss might take a moment and since it included an invitation for some coffee that would require a couple more minutes to brew, she would logically take a seat. Her appreciation for a good cup of coffee tugged at her as well. This was not only smelling good, but understanding the care he took to be making it by hand and steeping it for a determined amount of time, that said a great deal about his own appreciation for such thing. Her smile widened as this crossed her mind.

Taking a seat, she said, "I'm not certain about the name of this blend, but it certainly has a rich smell to it that I would be delighted to try. I confess a soft spot for a number of hot beverages that qualify as unique." Tucking a stray strand of hair back behind an ear, Kalli then said, "You'll find that almost anytime you contact me, you have a very high chance that I am working. I average between 12-16 hours a day, typically spanning into all shifts to some degree or other. It might vary, depending on which shift I am technically assigned, though I take care when there are any requirements for the weapons systems, but those are rare. Standard Operating Procedure is that most crew quickly grow to understand that I'm pretty much part of the ship after a couple weeks of working around me."

She realized that she might sound like she was rambling, so changed the topic, "So, what did you need to talk about, boss?"

What she was keeping hidden deep down was that she was relieved that he was alone in his office when she had arrived. There was no Security and no other officer that might be connected to legal on one side or the other, so those were good signs. She knew that it was doubtful that such a thing might happen, given that if it were going to happen, it would likely have already been over with by now. The face of the Tellarite flashed across her mind, but his was only the latest in her mental collection and she had found ways to push such things to the deepest corners of her mind.

== Tag Niels ==
== Reference to weapons systems is a vague mention that some military weapons systems (like nukes) require that the people touching them have not worked more than a 12 hours shift, for certification purposes. It might be presumed that the torpedo launch system or any maintenance involving the warheads might have such restrictions by Star Fleet regulations. ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

A faint grin flashed on Niels’ face as Kali accepted the cup of coffee. The probability of them working well together was increasing. She continued by detailing her unusual work hours, noting that she was aware and respectful of Star Fleet safety regulations. The hours didn’t surprise Niels and, to a certain degree, he was jealous. The Chief Engineer position came with a desk and an office. While they afforded him a quiet space to work uninterrupted, they also acted like a tether. When he first started on the Charon, he had the freedom to work long shifts exploring and learning about the ship section by section. While he could technically do so now, the obligations of his administrative duties kept him chained to Main Engineering.

"So,” Kalli asked, “what did you need to talk about, boss?"

Niels pushed the small black box across the desk, gesturing for her to take it.

“Someone once told me that we don't do the hard work we do for recognition, but sometimes it comes with the territory. I’m not normally one for elaborate ceremonies, long speeches, or the like, but I do like to recognize a job well done. So, it is with great honor that I get to award you with the Starfleet Achievement Medal, in recognition of your dedicated service and outstanding contributions on your previous mission."

As if on cue, the second timer sounded. Niels gave Kalli a quiet moment to reflect on the award as he continued the coffee preparation. He placed the plunger atop the french press, carefully lowering it to a level just beneath the surface of the liquid inside. His technique wasn’t the normal one for using a french press, but the method was designed to create a good tasting brew while reducing the amount of sediment transferred to the cup. Lifting the carafe, being careful not to agitate the liquid contained within, he slowly poured two mugs of coffee. He slid one across the desk.

“Cream or sugar,” Niels asked, despite neither of those things being on the table.

== Tag Kalli ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli's curiosity began to perk up as the CEO began quoting someone about recognition. She then considered the box as if she was unsure about opening it or not. He had told her what was inside, so there was no real need to open it. Kalli simply stared at the box while he continued with his ritual of making the coffee. She was clearly thinking about something, but remained silent until he slid the cup over.

Finally breaking her gaze at the box, her grin returned to her face as she picked it up and gave it a good sniff, her grin widening as she did so, "One should never pollute a beverage before sampling it in the natural state."

She took a sip and let it sit in her mouth a moment, evaluating the flavor and letting it warm her mouth. It went down smooth and she took another sip, this time a bigger one. As she finally brought it away from her mouth, but kept it in her hands she commented, "This is GOOD! If a coffee is middle of the road, I might add something to it to smooth it out and give me some added sugar to get me going, but this is fine as is. I do appreciate someone who knows their drinks. Perhaps I will have to share with you my hot chocolate recipe. It has a hint of a chili pepper added to it, from a very ancient recipe, or so I'll told. The little bit of heat from the spice makes for an unexpectedly delightful flavor enhancement."

Her grin had turned into a wide smile and she took another long moment to inhale the aroma of the coffee before taking a gulp this time. She savored the drink, not rushing it, but genuinely enjoying it. After a moment, she gave a nod toward the box and began to speak of what had been going through her mind, "When I graduated the academy, I got a ribbon. I thought I understood the concept of ribbons and medals at the time, but now they only confuse me. I have no idea how often these are given out, so I am not sure if it speaks good or ill of my performance to say that this is the third one of these in four years. Please, don't misunderstand, I'm not complaining, I'm just a little confused is all. On the Copernicus, I managed to help save the ship from being taken over by the Borg. I confess that with ships blowing up and Borg boarding the ship, my blood pressure was definitely up that day. that one made sense to me. On the Titania, I saved the life of my then FO, Commander Talion. He apparently had a difference of opinion with some kind of Q entity or whatever and I had to carry him out of a forested region for a number of miles. Nobody even took notice...well, other than Talion, of course. We're still friends to this day. Then I manage to resurrect a drifting derelict from 10 years of scavenging and even restore warp power to it to...well...wait...um...that part is classified...maybe all of that was...anyway the Geronimo gave me one for that, so that sort of fit."

She pointed a finger at the box and gave a half eye roll, "Huh...now I get another one for showing up on a backwater colony where they are happily attempting to slowly kill themselves with stupidity and I patch up some simple plumbing. How does that compare? How do I rate what some young troop under me deserves when my own points of reference are so different? I mean, if I had killed the murderer who was fine with taking as many lives as it took to get someone's attention so they could hitch a ride off the planet, then I could understand getting a medal. I will admit that the thought did cross my mind for just a second, but nobody was in any immediate danger, so we did the civilized thing and took them into custody. The only thing I found good about that mission was that we likely extended their life spans considerably. Curing them of the lead poisoning was pretty simple after I pointed out that we could simply use the biofiltering of the transporters to remove the toxins and we treated the entire colony in short order. I still think they are doomed in the long run, but that was out of my hands. I also managed to get some valuable data from field testing my program with the drone prototypes. I'm still excited about how well that went, but hardly anyone is even going to care to read about that for a while, other than a few of the people on this ship."

Kalli chuckled and looked a little embarrassed as she looked into her mug, "Wow, I'm going to guess this has a pretty high caffeine content. Here I am babbling away like I've been drinking espresso."

== Tag Niels ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

Niels gave Kalli time to savor her own cup of coffee as he did the same with his. He studied her initial reaction, which seemed to be a positive one. In the next moment she said as much, to his delight. To Niels, a well made cup of coffee required little in the way of additives. But he was also aware that people have varying tastes and require different seasonings to stoke their taste buds. Her hot chocolate recipe was a prime example, the added piquancy providing flavor not typically found in the drink.

“I’m glad you like it,” Niels responded with a genuine smile, “and I’m always interested in learning new recipes.”

Kalli continued to speak. Whether it was from nervousness, a need to fill the void of silence, or just genuine discussion, Niels could not tell. He just listened, quietly sipping on his coffee. Within the context of the sometimes illogical nature of awards, she spoke of her experience in StarFleet. From her own retelling, it sounded as if she had had quite the storied career so far. In relation to his own experiences, Niels felt that her time in StarFleet, like her hot chocolate recipe, had more spice to it than his own. He wasn’t jealous by any means, but it did make him wonder where he would have been, had he not been assigned to the Charon.

"Wow, I'm going to guess this has a pretty high caffeine content. Here I am babbling away like I've been drinking espresso."

“The espresso method extracts 5 to 6 times more milligrams of caffeine per liter from the coffee than this method,” Niels replied with a chuckle.

Placing his cup on the desk, he continued. 

“Given your prior relationship, I’m presuming you’ve already discussed your drone prototypes with Commander Tallion. If memory serves he published a paper a few years back on the use of  holography with drones. It seems like that might be right up his alley, so to speak. And, if you’d like to pursue your drone research in a more formal manner, I can arrange some time in one of the engineering labs, perhaps a small team to assist you. Assuming that’s something you’d be interested in.”

== Tag Kalli ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli was impressed with his knowledge of his coffee making. She was getting a feel for the kind of technical mind he had and how he approached subjects. It was easy for her to appreciate such things about people.

When he commented about the drones, she chuckled, "Oh, I can't take much credit for what I'm currently working on. The drones were an existing technology that has been relatively under used. Commander Talion made some modifications by adapting current technologies in new ways and trying to encourage people to explore the possibilities. Some are as simple as allowing an EMH to be able to function in the field, for emergency purposes. Our conversations mostly revolved around the idea that in small ways, such programs could augment a small Away Team, especially when a qualified crew member is not available, or there might not be room for enough people to fit into a transport vehicle for some mundane task assistance. At the same time...um..."

She hesitated a moment, trying to pick her words carefully, "...well...the Commander has been well known for his less conventional programs. Cindy is a very good example. Even though I understand the difference between a simulated personality and a sentient program, the problem is that not everyone else does. I will spare you the finer points of it, but I deliberately have chosen to create a program that is less able to be mistaken for a person, while still being highly functional and having a favorable interface style. Most people don't have an issue working with an intelligently built and pleasant machine. The problems and confusion enter into things when they aren't sure if it's a person or not. I find people are much more productive and able to make snap decisions when it is clear that the program and device is not something they will anthropomorphize. Much like the use of a tricorder or any other tool, I'm trying to create a version of his drones that help us make those life or death decisions as quickly and accurately as possible, hoping to save more lives as a result."

Kalli paused and looked into her cup of coffee for a moment, before adding in a somewhat sobering tone, "I've...seen lots of bad things happen to people. Most of the time, things go well and we're able to bring peace to places and enjoy the wonders of exploration. However, when things go wrong, they tend to do so very quickly. Add Space and hostile encounters into the mix and you find out how quickly every second counts. That's part of why I specialized in Damage Control and did so well with it in the Academy. I can appreciate how his holographics can be used to imitate life forms and so on, but I mostly only use it to have the drone render itself invisible to the naked eye, so that bystanders are not made nervous by the presence of a drone hovering near them. Instead of using it to engage, it tries not to be a distraction. I do make use of it for simple interface exchanges, but I strive to keep things simple and effective."

She finally looked up and her smile returned, in a shy sort of way, "I would certainly love to take you up on that lab time though. So far I've mostly been making my modifications in my quarters or on holodecks. I would also love to hear your thoughts on the use of such devices."

== Tag Niels ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

As Kalli spoke, Niels found himself nodding in agreement with her assessment. The anthropomorphization of tools was a subject he hadn’t given much thought to until recently. His encounter with the holograms aboard the mining facility had not only introduced him to the topic, but also given him some strong opinions.

Niels’ took a more serious tone as he spoke. “With regards to these sorts of devices, I am open to innovation as long as it is done in a safe and controlled manner. Given the results of our prior mission, I could probably talk for some time on the hazards of lifelike interfaces for complex systems. However, it’s been my experience that the user is often one of the biggest sources of problems in any given interaction with technology. It’s the reason we have redundant safeguards and maintenance lockouts, to prevent people from messing up.”

“Personally,” Niels continued, “I’d take simple interfaces that make it painfully clear what functions are being performed and what data has been collected over so-called ‘natural user interfaces’ any day. I don’t need personality with my readouts, just cold, hard facts. While these types of interfaces make it easier to interact with complex systems, it also makes it easier for people to inject their own biases into the mix. The last thing I need is a cut-rate engineer putting everyone’s lives in danger because they thought they knew better than the computer.”

Niels sighed and shifted in his chair as he realized how his words may be taken.

“Sorry, I wasn’t referring to you. A couple of the people working at the mining facility we visited in our last mission decided to alter their old Mark 1 holograms. They clearly had no idea what they were doing and were in over their heads. The holograms even told them as much. But they kept on with their alterations and ultimately ended up endangering the lives of both their crew and our away team when the holograms gained full control of all the mine’s systems. But I digress”

Taking a sip of his coffee, Niels paused, before adding. “I’ll work you into the lab schedule and would be more than happy to review anything you’re working on.”

== Tag ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli nodded enthusiastically, "Oh, I completely agree. I once heard a phrase that I have never forgotten about such designs. They need to be designed by geniuses, so they can be run by idiots. By that, I don't mean we work with idiots, but that you need to make such things as idiot-proof as possible. I also don't allow their programs to be accessed by just anyone."

She reached into one of her belt pouches and pulled what looked like a metal baseball. Pressing a button on it, it lit up and instantly changed into what appeared to be a large white sphere the size of a soccer ball.

Kalli addressed it as it floated in front of her, "DeeDee, deliver the relay report to the CEO."

The sphere appeared to rotate to face Niels. There was a black area with two blue dots that might have been eyes, but no other features. In a clear voice, it said, [Greetings, Lieutenant Hoekstra. Here is the latest report on the questionable lot of relays that are under review for replacement.]

The sphere then turned into a PADD with slowly scrolling data, floating in front of him. The sphere was no longer visible and the PADD floated conveniently within reach of the CEO while the same disembodied voice added, [Please review at your convenience. If you wish this file to be sent to you for review later, simply say the word SAVE. Other acceptable commands are DONE or MENU.]

Kalli said, "I appreciate that, sir. I will be sure to send you some of the most current data on my efforts to date and give you regular updates." Pointing at the PADD floating in front of him, she clarified, "You can hold the PADD, but if you move too quickly it will return to default, as if you had tossed it aside, which is a gesture to close the PADD simulated interface."

== Tag Niels ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

Niels watched as Kalli produced an orb which, when activated, grew in size. He eyed the device cautiously, unsure of what to make of the Lieutenant's experimental tech. The device, called DeeDee, addressed him and changed into a PADD when asked to deliver a report. Seeing the floating PADD before him, Niels reached out and took it slowly as Kalli had instructed. He seemed visibly hesitant to interact with DeeDee. Preferring a tactile interface to a voice-based one, Niels decided to save the file to peruse it later.

"Um, save," Niels said, his voice echoing his hesitation.

Tilting the PADD from side to side, Niels examined it briefly. Then he gently tossed it towards the desk and studied how the device responded. He was genuinely interested in learning more about DeeDee and its capabilities, but the relay report had also reminded him that they still had work to do. There would be plenty of time to address that later.

"Impressive device," Niels said. He paused a moment then added, "I shouldn't keep you from your work any longer. I'll review your report and let you know the outcome later."

Niels stood and offered a handshake, "and congratulations once more on your award. It is well deserved."

== Tag Kalli ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli watched her boss tentatively examine the process of interacting with DeeDee. She commented, "Some people are confused by the holographics. I suppose to those unfamiliar with such things, they imagine that DeeDee is changing shape. They don't always realize that the device is projecting the interface and is sometimes inside the illusion and sometimes not. Fortunately, the field emitters that allow it to feel like a solid object are very convincing. People like us, who are familiar with such things, are able to pick up on the subtle differences."

He gestured to let go of the PADD and once it had appeared to leave his hand, it simply vanished and the image of the simplistic floating mechanical face returned.

Kalli realized she was being dismissed, so she dutifully stood. She shook the offered hand and with a nod replied, "Thank you, sir."

She turned and lifted the flap on the pouch at her side. The device changed to that of the simple mechanical sphere once more, losing its holographic illusion and swiftly returned to the place provided for it before Kalli secured it once more.

== Back to work... ==

[Kalli Thorn]

After leaving the meeting with the CEO, Kalli headed back to work. Her mind was still digesting the conversation though. Everyone was different and she had worked with bad supervisors and good ones too. It was her opinion that Niels was of the better ones. He was polite, professional and appeared to know his stuff. The fact that he also had a thing for coffee made her grin to herself. She liked that it had provided a small glimpse into his personal world without it being anything intrusive. Immediately, his girlfriend came to mind. Their introduction in Ten Forward had not gone well. She rolled her eyes as she thought about how territorial the woman had been. Niels was nice enough, but not really her type. That though made her wonder if she really had a type. She had only had the one serious relationship.

The wave of emotions that hit her snuck up on her. Those thoughts about Barjax still struck a chord somewhere deep in her heart. After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the moment passed, but it had surprised her. it had been a long time since she had missed someone that strongly. Oddly, it seemed that all of the people she missed were dead. There was probably something to that, but she was not prepared to dig into it right at the moment, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.

She felt something and placed a hand to the bulkhead. They had increased speed, but not to a panic. Not too much later, she felt them not only slowing down, but they had come to a halt. Dropping out of warp was easy to notice, but it was the lack of the impulse engines that got her attention. A quick reference check of their current location made her eyes go wide. They had stopped right at the edge of the border. Why were they so close? Something was up. That was when they went to Yellow Alert and her mind was suddenly all business.

Kalli's pulse picked up just a little and her mood changed. This was no time for a stroll down memory lane. Her self-indulgent thoughts about her dead boyfriend would have to wait.

[Matthew Phoenix]

== The CommBadge of the Chief of Engineering cracked open with the familiar voice of the impetuous Matthew Phoenix ==

  [Lieutenant Phoenix to Lieutenant Hoekstra, The Captain has asked you prepare a team ready to go over to the distressed ship.]

The communication was left open incase the Chief needed to respond.

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

[Lieutenant Phoenix to Lieutenant Hoekstra, The Captain has asked you prepare a team ready to go over to the distressed ship.]

The message from the bridge pulled Niels attention away from studying the ship’s maintenance reports. He wanted the ship to be mission ready as soon as possible, but it seemed that a mission had arrived sooner than expected. Placing the PADD he was reading back on his desk, he gave a brief response.

“Understood.” Niels said, “Do we have an ETA for reaching the distressed ship?”

The captain’s announcement came seconds later shedding some light on what was turning out to be a more complex problem than initially presented. While Niels waited for an answer, he pulled up a department roster on his desk console. Some of the crew had transferred with him from the Charon, but most were as new to him as he was to them. His only knowledge of their individual abilities came from their personnel records.

This left Niels with only a few options. He briefly considered making a team composed solely of engineers from the Charon in whose skills he was already confident. Yet, that did not seem fair to the others in the department. More importantly, it would not reflect the skills needed for the specific situation. A team of engineers, no matter how competent, would not be as effective if they lacked the specific knowledge and expertise required for the task at hand.

Tapping a few buttons on the screen, Niels set the computer to work cross referencing the personnel records. At this point, there wasn’t a lot of information on what kind of problem they were going to face, so he started by pulling the records of those who had some firsthand knowledge of the Cardassians or their technology. From there, he would build a team to complement their knowledge, choosing those with some experience and who showed aptitude in their given area of expertise.

[Kalli Thorn]

Within seconds after the announcement by the Captain, Kalli came around a corner, her expression full of concern. "Cardassians? I suppose it could be worse. Ferengi and Klingon ships are pretty bad and I don't even want to think about Gorn ships, but Cardassians are no picnic." She wrinkled her nose and added in a conspiratorial tone, "I have some stuff I put under my nose for such instances. The smell really gets to you." She then perked up, "Though, if we're lucky, our people will be in full gear, so you won't have to worry about it."

In her eccentric sort of way, which Niels was beginning to become more accustomed to, she bounced back to a more confidential approach, "How's your Cardassian? I don't actually read it so much, but I am familiar with their symbology. For actual text, I have a great little translation program, but so far I've never found anything written in Cardassian that I was glad that I read. Anyway, let me know if you need a copy of it."

She finally took a second to glance around. Seeing nobody else approaching him, she asked, "Am I the only one who heard the Captain's announcement?"

== Tag Lt Hoekstra ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

== Apologies for the delay ==

"I'm sure they heard the announcement as well," Niels stated from behind his desk, "and I'm sure that many in the department have opinions regarding this distress call. But, our mission in engineering remains the same, making sure this ship continues to run at peak performance. Where we are going and what we are doing is irrelevant if the ship is not functioning as it should be."

Niels glanced down at the records displayed on his screen, made a few quick selections, then transferred the information to a nearby PADD. Standing, he retrieved the device and looked over the details a second time.

"Since you're here and seem to have at least some knowledge of Cardassian symbology, I'm going to put you in charge of putting together one of the away teams," Niels said.

Niels handed the PADD to Kalli.

"This is a list of engineers who appear to have some familiarity with the Cardassians and their tech," Niels explained, "Assemble a team and prepare to be called for any away mission we might undertake. Dismissed"

As he turned to walk back to his desk, Niels heard Commander Velaul's voice over the shipwide comms. He quickly spun around, then paused in his tracks. A faint look of frustration appeared on his face as he realized that all of his plans had just fallen apart, overruled by rank.

"Hold on a second, Lieutenant," Niels called out.

Holding up a finger to indicate that Kalli should wait, Niels took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he closed his eyes and his other hand began massaging his temples with his other hand. Taking a series of deep, controlled breaths, he rethought his initial plan, changing up all of the variables, going through multiple permutations, all to find the optimal solution. Exhaling sharply, he opened his eyes and began speaking quickly.

"Change of plans," Niels stated as he approached Kalli, "Put together a support team from the same list I gave you. We'll no doubt need your assistance at some point."

Moving past Kalli, Niels went to a storage locker and retrieved an engineering kit. He quickly slung the strap over his shoulder and let the kit dangle to free up his hands.

"The translation program sounds handy" Niels said as he pulled transporter enhancers out of the storage locker, "But I doubt we have enough time to integrate it into the away team's equipment before transport."

Turning to look at Kalli as he walked toward the exit, Niels added. "You're in charge while I'm gone, Lieutenant."

== Tag ==

[Kalli Thorn]

When Niels initially handed her the PADD, she glanced at it and then turned to leave, having been dismissed. As soon as the call came across for him to join an Away Team, she anticipated his call to hold. She let him adjust his thinking while she quickly tapped on her PADD and pulled an isolinear chip out of a pocket. By the time he had finished and was geared up to leave, she was done.

"Sir...take this."

As he turned back to look at her, she held up the isolinear chip and then tossed it to him. "Most devices have a chip slot that will load the translation program from there. If not, then at least you'll have one or two that you can use it on. I'll mind the shop and form up that standby team."

Kalli then gave him a slightly sassy salute that only used two fingers, but her face told him she was all business. As he was leaving he heard Kalli 's voice sounding like a drill sergeant, "Kitkat, front and center! It's game time!"

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

[Lieutenant Hoekstra to Lieutenant Thorn, please coordinate with the bridge to initiate a power transfer to the Cardassian ship. We’ll need to start slow at first and then increase the transfer rate once we can verify that their power distribution systems can handle the load in their current state. I’ll handle routing and distribution on this end.]

== Tag Thorn ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli tapped her badge and quickly responded, "Yes, sir. Make sure everything is set up on your end. I'll make sure power is available for them to transfer. I'll start it at the minimum, until you know it is safe. That ship is in pretty bad shape and we don't know what it can handle."

Using the ship's internal comm, she then called the Bridge, "Thorn to Bridge, I'm setting up the sequence for a power transfer. I'll start at the minimal transfer, to be sure it is safe. The initiation of the transfer will be at control from the Bridge, but I'll monitor from Engineering. I should have it set up by the time we're in position."

[Daniel Brooks]

Brooks responded to Thorn,


[Bridge to Thorn, await for Hoekstra orders. Bridge out.]

[Kalli Thorn]

While monitoring the connection to the disabled ship, Thorn suddenly saw the connection had been terminated. She cursed under her breath and tried to verify, but there was no response from the Cardassian system. Out of reflex, Thorn brought up the screen displaying the sensor readings of that ship. Her only expectation was to perhaps see that the CEO was struggling to keep their distribution network functional. What Thorn saw made her eyes go wide.

More curses flowed from her in a harsh whisper. The small but powerful Engineer was trying hard to analyze what she was seeing. The fact that the ship was now in two parts and they were slowly drifting apart gave he a new sense of urgency. That was when Thorn went back to the recorded data of when she first made the power connection, to see if something had gone wrong. As far as she knew, the power feed itself had not even been initiated yet. There was a change in the readings, but it made no sense to her. The increase in power signature didn't correspond to any of the other power readings. Her best speculation was that it had been some sort of stored munition that had been unstable. Some sort of reaction had built up just before the explosion.

Kalli gave a huff of frustration and tapped her comm badge, "Thorn to Bridge, we've lost the connection for an attempt at feeding them power, but it wasn't us that caused whatever happened. I have a Damage Control team standing by. Do you need us to deploy?"

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

<<< Sickbay <<<

Niels hobbled into Engineering, his face a mix of determination and pain. He crossed the room and leaned his weight on the Master System Display Table. His disheveled appearance and unusual expression caught the attention of some of the engineers present. Pulling the tricorder from his belt, he placed it on the table. Much like the Chief Engineer, it was in bad shape, the outer housing cracked by the impact from Niels landing on it.

“Use the data from this tricorder with the Aquila’s sensor records,” Niels ordered to anyone within earshot, “There was an unknown system drawing power on the ship before it exploded. I want to know what that system was. I want to know what caused the explosion while we were on it and what caused the initial damage. I want to know everything there is to know about that ship down to the composition of the bolts. I want answers.”

There was an uncharacteristic tone to Niels’ voice, a raspy energy that demanded full and immediate compliance. Without another word, he turned and hobbled to his office. He collapsed in his chair, closed his eyes, and breathed heavily. Each breath hurt. His right arm lay across his chest, hand grasping his left side. Back in his own department, he felt like he could finally relax the facade. A faint groan escaped his lips as he exhaled.

== Tag ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Lt Thorn had seen the CEO entering Engineering and was not far behind him as he made it into his seat. She glanced around and shut the door after he gave his orders. Her look was one of concern as she stated simply, "You look like hell." Then she followed up quickly with, "I keep a dermal regenerator in my emergency kit. Do you need me to get it?"

She was obviously caring more about helping him than she was about following the rules on the fact that she owned an unregistered medical device. Her PADD beeped that there was a priority message and she glanced at it quickly. Talion had sent the information to Engineering for their review. He also added his concerns about the unidentified energy signature.

Her brow furrowed as she commented, "Talion sent us the scan data they were collecting while you were over there. They even had two probes in the area collecting samples. He makes special mention of an unknown energy signature that he recorded. The Captain wants our assessment and recommendations about possibly sending anyone back over to investigate what's causing all of this."

Kalli took a deep breath and let it out slowly, she then held out her PADD for Niels to read for himself, including the scan data. She then put her hands on her hips as she thought out loud to him, "That wreck s unstable and the ship is beyond salvage, but they might have a point. I could go over with a couple of people and take a look. We would be in Damage Control gear, which is a lightly armored EVA setup. I doubt that we would want to bring anything back with us, even if we could, because it might start doing the same thing on our ship, but I'll go over if you say the word."

== Tag Niels ==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

== Sorry for the delay ==

Niels waved away the offer of a dermal regenerator, not even considering the rules the Lieutenant might be breaking by having one. There were other more important things to worry about and his injured state made it difficult to allow anything other than the task at hand to encroach. At the mention of Talion's scans, he shifted forward in his chair. He took up a posture favoring his left side, allowing him to signal an interest in this data, but still be mindful of his wounds.

Taking the offered PADD, Niels blinked hard a few times before focusing on the information. He only half heard Kalli's request to go back over, enough to get the gist. His brain wouldn't let him respond at the same time as he was reading the data on the screen. The silence grew until he suddenly slapped the PADD down on the desk and jabbed a finger at a line of data from the probe readouts.

"That right there," Niels said, his voice more gravelly than usual, "I'm pretty sure that power signature is responsible for the explosion. Cindy reported it just before it all went to hell."

Niels pushed the PADD back across the desk in case Kalli wanted to look at the information, though he assumed she already had. He leaned back in his chair again, his eyes closing to a point just short of a grimace. After a deep breath, he continued.

"Judging from the location of the blast and its size," Niels said, "I'd guess some Cardassian ordnance was involved."

Opening his eyes, Niels looked out of his office window, seeing the team at work in the main room.

"Pass this information on to the team," Niels said, "add it to what I collected aboard the ship. As for going back, I'm for it as long as proper precautions are taken. I don't know if that power signature was caused locally or remotely, but there has to be some sort of clue in the wreckage as to what happened and how. If you're up for it, you have my permission to take a look."

== Tag Kalli ==
== GM Request - Do the engineers make any progress towards determining the source of the explosion from the data they have from the tricorder and probe scans? Is there anything to suggest whether the power signature was triggered remotely or locally? ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli took the PADD and spoke as if it were just another day at the office, "I'll brief the team, sir. I agree that it initially appeared like an ordinance detonation, but the yield is unusual. The second one appears to have been of almost the same yield and was not part of a secondary. This means that it was either a delayed reaction to damage from the first one, in which case there should be no more, or it will repeat by design. Given the training I had with dealing with ordinance disposal, I'm betting there is a malfunctioning device that is charging up over time and then either discharges or fails and causes whatever it happening. It may be generating some kind of anti-matter charge that escapes containment or some other type of energy field that is inverting. We can speculate all day long, but if we want to know more, I think it is best if I just go and take a look. I will suggest as few people as possible, but at least a buddy system needs to be in place. I'll suit up, but if that thing goes off, nothing we carry is going to help really. If you're up to taking things back over here...are you sure you're going to be alright?"

She gave a devilish sideways grin, "I'm not going to ask if you're officially cleared by Sickbay to be here, because I don't think either of us wants to have that conversation. If you tell me you're good, then I'll let us both get to work. Your call, boss."

== Tag Niels ==

[Daniel Brooks]

==GM Brooks==

Input for Hoekstra - The engineers will see from the explosion and the data from other sources came together to show intially there was a beam from the source which then suddenly backed up and caused a chain reaction in the end caused the explosion. The details from the second explosion had all the hallmarks of the first from the same source, the power of this was stronger than could be possible, to the engineers it could mean a fail safe had indeed failed and as a result the said tech was now over powering in the back of the torpedo section of the vessel

==Tags Hoekstra==

[Beno Velaul]

<<<<<Sickbay <<<<

Coming directly from Sickbay Beno wanted to go directly to her Chief Engineer, and he looked busy in a bit of a conversation. 9r he needed a way out of this, much like the great escape of Sickbay. She had all of the information from the Bridge 8n hand, she just needed to hand it off.

"Pardon my intrusion." Beno said while getting ready to give the material to Cornelius. "I have come down here with the data collected from the Bridge, hopefully we can gain knowledge of what happened with all the information together." She said while thinking about information that she seen that would also be helpful, the Bridge was a mess that would show multiple system overlays.

==Tzg==

[Cornelius Hoekstra]

== My apologies for the delay ==

“I’m good,” Niels told Kahli, waving a hand to dismiss any further discussion of the topic.

Niels watched the Lieutenant leave, then turned his attention to the other engineers in his department. He hobbled out of his office to check on the progress. As he had requested, they were working on piecing together the information from his time aboard the Cardassian ship.

“Update,” Niels said to the engineers gathered around the Master Systems Display table.

“There is some sort of recurrent chain reaction taking place,” one of the engineers replied, bringing up a wireframe image of the Cardassian ship. “We’ve traced its source back to this location. There was a beam from this point which ultimately caused the explosion. Looks like a  failed fail-safe may be responsible. And even worse, it looks like it might be cycling again.”

Niels’ brow furrowed, both at the report and the pain. Thinking about the second away team, he

“Extrapolate the data to come up with an ETA for the next overload,” Niels ordered, “I want the away team to have plenty of time to evacuate.”

The hissing of the doors caught his attention and he leaned his weight on the table to reposition himself to see who was entering. It was the First Officer.

“Pardon my intrusion” Commander Velaul said while giving him some materials, “I have come down here with the data collected from the Bridge, hopefully we can gain knowledge of what happened with all the information together."

“Thank you, ma’am” Niels replied.

Niels immediately handed the data off to one of the engineers around the table. “Add this to the current model and keep me posted, ” he ordered, before turning his attention back to the First Officer.

“At this point,” Niels said, “it appears that something on their ship is repeatedly over powering their systems, causing the explosions. I’m still not entirely sure what it is yet, but it seems like more than a simple system failure. Have the survivors shed any light on what caused this mess?”

== Tag ==

[Beno Velaul]

The new leading theory about what happened seemed pretty good, as opposed to something intentional done. Then there was a matter of getting a strait answer out of them was impossible, they wont give a strait answer to anyone. "Attempting to get an answer even in the slightest will be hard, but not completely impossible."  Their greatest strength can be turned into their greatest weakness, vanity and ego were equally as strong and difficult to penetrate.

"I think I have an idea for that might work, I am going to hate the process but it needs to be done." There was also call for her to keep her own vanity in check  or it will be undone. It was going to be a fine line that she needed to walk, but it could be done. "Hopefully we get the answers we need soon, our window isn't that big." She said just as she was almost ready to go. "I will leave you too it, I don't want to take up too much of your time." She left Engineering and returned to Sickbay, a lot of the answers she was going to need were there.

==Tag==

>>>>Sickbay>>>>>

[Kalli Thorn]

Lt Thorn returned to Engineering. Her gear and outfit had been shiny and new when she had left. As she slowly walked to her locker, it looked like she had been dragged through at least the first few levels of hell. There were dings and scratches on it, some strange carbon scoring and even a dent or two. She wasn't even carrying all of her gear, as some of it had been used or lost on the mission.

It took her a while to manage to get out of her protective suit. It had done its job, but she would need a new one. Parts of it had been bent and were no longer quite functional. One of her boots had to have a clasp cut off to get it off of her foot. When at last she was out of it and had plopped herself onto a bench, trying to catch her breath, she looked at herself in a mirror that hung in the back of the locker. She was a mess. Kalli's hair was matted with sweat, she had a cut under her eye that now had dried blood on it and another on her brow. Her hands had a few red spots on them that she knew were minor burns that had made their way through her gloves. It was all going on a long mental list of things she would need to attend to...but not today.

She wanted to go and take a hot shower. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain was beginning to set in. As she slowly slid on a jacket, to cover the fact that she had no top shirt on anymore, she picked up her small blinking device with her free hand. Pressing a button on the side of it, she said in a soft voice, "How you doing?"

A tiny voice replied, [My condition is nominal, but I regret to report that the drone is no longer functioning.]

Kalli gave a small sigh, "Sorry about that, but I'll get you a new one. Be sure to place a copy of the recorded data in the appropriate file locations for review. Flag for processing so all who need to know will be notified."

[Already in compliance. It was moved from the temporary holding to transfer locations as per your protocols.]

"Thank you, DeeDee."

There was a pause and then, [You're welcome...How are you doing?]

The reply caught her by surprise and made her grin, "All systems nominal, DeeDee."