04-26-2024, 02:58 AM
Niels nodded politely as Kalli gave a longer than expected introduction. Her nervousness escaped him completely. The data stream on her PADD, however, immediately caught his eye. Most of the engineers he knew were content with letting the computer give them a summary readout. A rare few, like himself, preferred to watch the raw data in realtime. Kalli appeared to be taking this to the extreme.
Kalli's introduction came to an end and a familiar shock of red hair appeared in Niels’ periphery. He stood and Aanil walked up beside him, wrapping an arm around his. The physical contact had a grounding effect and most of his nervousness disappeared. She had guided him through many social engagements in the past. Having her nearby made the event feel more manageable.
Aanil asked for an introduction, but it looked like she wasn't about to wait for Niels to offer one. He felt a bit of tension coming from her, but it seemed to dissipate as soon as the two women spoke with each other. Niels returned to his seat and, when offered, declined the drink. However, he raised an eyebrow when the bowl of nuts materialized on their table.
“Yes,” Niels chimed in after Aanil, “impressive.”
The two words were hesitant, as if Niels was still contemplating them as they left his mouth. The warm smile and inquisitive eyebrow faded to a more serious expression. He remained quiet as Kalli offered an explanation, conjuring more food and drinks as she did so. Using the replicators in this manner was unconventional, to say the least. It brought up questions about safety and the misappropriation of ship resources. Her explanation was solid from an engineering standpoint, but glanced over the more complex details that were sure to exist. Interfering with the replicator's annular confinement beam and local sensors posed risks to system integrity and stability. There was also potential for particle destabilization and targeting errors. All to avoid a trip across the room for some snacks.
She’s going to be one to keep an eye on. If she takes reckless shortcuts here, what's her work going to be like?
Niels was torn over how to address the situation. He did not want his first act as Chief Engineer to be a reprimand for one of his new team members. Given that she seemed close to the high ranking science officer, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Niels made a mental note to check into it later.
Taking one of the newly materialized crackers, Niels examined it. Kalli had made bold claims of improving the taste of replicated food. He studied its texture, the crisp sound it made as he snapped it in half, and its subtle scent of toasted grain. Taking a bite from one half, he tasted it. It had a mild sweetness from the wheat, balanced with an appropriate level of salt. As promised, it was better than the standard replicator fare. Still, he could pick up on the signs of the replicator's involvement.
“A definite improvement,” Niels said, placing the uneaten half of the cracker down on the table beside him, “but it still has a way to go."
Niels looked down at the cracker, then back up at Kalli.
"I think you’re looking in the wrong direction," Niels stated, "Oversampling may get you a more accurate representation of the pattern, but that’s part of the problem. Standard replicators can't operate at a resolution necessary to achieve true replication like the transporters. The patterns are optimized to strike a balance between the capabilities of the system, storage space, and power efficiency. So, they are close, but not exactly the same as the real thing. Also, a single pattern can’t mimic the natural variability found in ingredients that comprise a real dish…”
Niels trailed off, realizing he was rambling, then quickly added, “but there are probably more appropriate times for this sort of discussion.”
== Tag Aanil and Kalli ==
Kalli's introduction came to an end and a familiar shock of red hair appeared in Niels’ periphery. He stood and Aanil walked up beside him, wrapping an arm around his. The physical contact had a grounding effect and most of his nervousness disappeared. She had guided him through many social engagements in the past. Having her nearby made the event feel more manageable.
Aanil asked for an introduction, but it looked like she wasn't about to wait for Niels to offer one. He felt a bit of tension coming from her, but it seemed to dissipate as soon as the two women spoke with each other. Niels returned to his seat and, when offered, declined the drink. However, he raised an eyebrow when the bowl of nuts materialized on their table.
“Yes,” Niels chimed in after Aanil, “impressive.”
The two words were hesitant, as if Niels was still contemplating them as they left his mouth. The warm smile and inquisitive eyebrow faded to a more serious expression. He remained quiet as Kalli offered an explanation, conjuring more food and drinks as she did so. Using the replicators in this manner was unconventional, to say the least. It brought up questions about safety and the misappropriation of ship resources. Her explanation was solid from an engineering standpoint, but glanced over the more complex details that were sure to exist. Interfering with the replicator's annular confinement beam and local sensors posed risks to system integrity and stability. There was also potential for particle destabilization and targeting errors. All to avoid a trip across the room for some snacks.
She’s going to be one to keep an eye on. If she takes reckless shortcuts here, what's her work going to be like?
Niels was torn over how to address the situation. He did not want his first act as Chief Engineer to be a reprimand for one of his new team members. Given that she seemed close to the high ranking science officer, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Niels made a mental note to check into it later.
Taking one of the newly materialized crackers, Niels examined it. Kalli had made bold claims of improving the taste of replicated food. He studied its texture, the crisp sound it made as he snapped it in half, and its subtle scent of toasted grain. Taking a bite from one half, he tasted it. It had a mild sweetness from the wheat, balanced with an appropriate level of salt. As promised, it was better than the standard replicator fare. Still, he could pick up on the signs of the replicator's involvement.
“A definite improvement,” Niels said, placing the uneaten half of the cracker down on the table beside him, “but it still has a way to go."
Niels looked down at the cracker, then back up at Kalli.
"I think you’re looking in the wrong direction," Niels stated, "Oversampling may get you a more accurate representation of the pattern, but that’s part of the problem. Standard replicators can't operate at a resolution necessary to achieve true replication like the transporters. The patterns are optimized to strike a balance between the capabilities of the system, storage space, and power efficiency. So, they are close, but not exactly the same as the real thing. Also, a single pattern can’t mimic the natural variability found in ingredients that comprise a real dish…”
Niels trailed off, realizing he was rambling, then quickly added, “but there are probably more appropriate times for this sort of discussion.”
== Tag Aanil and Kalli ==