RP Log: Oh, How The Goldshirts Love Their Scuttlebutt
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| 2022-09-25 22:35 | |
Worthington settles in. "A diagnostic of this computer's subroutines are in order," he states. "Ensign Hauser concluded after a simulated slipstream test downstairs that such simulations will not be helpful any further in determining the route cause, so someone needs to go over this here computer with a fine toothed comb and find out the issues," he states.
"Lovely" LePage says, throwing his console into low-diagnostic mode. "So then, what was all that out there?"
Worthington responds. "That," he states, "Was our attempt to warn any other ships off the Tessen system. Worked well, didn't it?" he queries mockingly. "If someone gets within a million light seconds, sure they'll get the warning, but will they be able to avert their course in time. Before you made it to the bridge, we had already seen echos of various other timelines, several ghost ships on sensors, echos of people on the bridge, captain Kemper, and more on the intercom, echos from other timelines, other realities. They didn't notice us at first, that was until we came back here, or tried to. Made it to docking range with the saucer, then like a springboard, we rebounded into the tessen system. Then, echos from other timelines became, shal we say, more solid, and actually noticed our presence and interacted with us. It likely would have gotten worse if we didn't make it out when we did. We're lucky."
"The Tessen system being the epicenter of all this phenomena?" LePage asks, beginning to run through the power transfer code.
Worthington nodds. "The very same Gordon, the very same," he says. "I really do worry for the people on that planet. I can't imagine what hell they're going through, being at the center of this mess."
"Are we sure this isn't a normal thing for them?" LePage asks. "We've seen weirder things in the historical archives, haven't we? Planets phasing in and out of alignment with our own world?"
Worthington considers. "Gordon, I've been here," he says, and a dark look comes over him for a ment. "There were temporal anomalies here, yes, there were. Nothing, nothing like this. We found a ship that shouldn't have been here on a moon with an enhanced human from the ugenics wars. Stole one of our shuttles, and we had a fight to the death in Phoenix's port nacelle. That wasn't far from where the 2 of us are now sitting in fact, and I can assure you, we weren't seeing alternate version of ourselves and history unraveling before us. It has gotten way, way, way, way worse since then." he sighs. "I'm sorry Gordon, it's just all this temporal stuff, well, it does not bode well. Screwing with time is a really good way to cause problems the rammifications of which you may never know."
"Oh, hadn't realized we'd been here before" LePage says. "So what then, you're saying we're seeing a hole in the fabric of time ripping open?" The Engineer asks, clearly not very eager to get an answer as he taps into his console. From within the ship, several solid clunks can be heard as relays are tested
Worthington nodds. "We're seeing realities and universes converging on this point, overlapping, spreading into one another, and part of me, a big part, wonders if this preceeded Phoenix's attempt to communicate here, or was caused by it," he replies. "Like I said, messing with time leads to bad results. As for our being here, the USS Phoenix, just beginning her first deep space mission, the one where we discovered the Qee, found the Antietum, first ventured and took our first big steps into the unknown. We came here. We unearthed an enhanced human, well over 400 years old, who attempted to ram one of our shuttlecraft into the planet with nasty intentions. This place is a Federation member world. Sure there were some temporal anomalies surrounding its moon, but nothing to this extent. It's like someone found a small hole and ripped it wide open, causing everything to just flood through it," he concludes.
"Figure it's collapsable, like a wormhole?" LePage offers, with more clunking from aft. "Most strange anomalies are, at least, the final reports would have you believe" he speaks, revising some code and listening for the clunks
Worthington considers. "I have no idea if we're being honest," he replies.
LePage smiles to himself. "And here I thought you'd be the first to toss a quantum at it. But given all the mess that's already occurred, I don't think that'd be a good idea and I suppose neither do you"
Worthington nodds. "I know not to frack with time if we're being blunt," he replies. "I know enough to be cautious and understand causality, but not to fix this problem. That's why we have a science department, and a damn good one at that."
"I've had my own fun with time, don't forget" LePage states. "Y'know, I never got the chance to see what had become of me in that future..."
Worthington nodds. "We all have," he replies. "Going to the future isn't generally as bad as the past, and that technology we used had its own safeguards. Not something we have presently," he says. "I've been in time loops, traveled into the past, been effected by the future, seen my own future, and been bounced around through alternate realities. You always have to consider what effect your actions have on time and baseline reality. In the time travel to the past case, we weren't going to interveen, but to stop temporal agents in the future from interveening, so our goal was one of temporal preservation not alteration, and we had clear guidance on what events we were there to preserve going in. There was another case, but in that one, we were spacially relocated but temporally in our own, proper time."
"I barely had time to consider all that" Gordon says. "It was go from minute one pretty damn much..." There's a whirring instead of a clunk. "Oh? Interesting..."
Worthington nodds. "Indeed," he replies. "You seeing something?" he asks.
"That wasn't right..." LePage says, tapping the panel again and hearing that whirring. "Mm, go on, I'm looking into it"
Worthington nodds. "All that to say, I've had my experiences with time, my fare share of them, and I try to avoid them when I can," he says.
"Saying you won the time lottery... no strings attached, what'd you shift in our timeline?" LePage asks, more whirring and clunking.
Worthington considers. "No idea," he replies. "Maybe the outcome of the outpost unity incident, the so'na wars, all that death and distruction."
"Oh. That's noble" LePage notes. "I'd just somehow give myself different parents, that's all"
Worthington nodds and listens.
"Seems selfish in comparison I suppose" LePage says. "Looks as though one of the EPS relays are getting stuck and the computer isn't compensating correctly..."
Worthington considers. "What does that cause then?" he asks.
"It's basically choking the Slipstream drive. First it doesn't get enough power, then too much, then it does a safety shutdown" LePage says. "Looks like to me anyhow"
Worthington considers. "That doesn't seem to explain why the drive didn't go out of control when I overrode the computer subroutines governing that process," he replies.
Worth and LePage are sitting on the bridge, LePage's console in low-diagnostic mode. "I don't think the drive was the issue, I think it's supporting infrastructure was"
Worthington is at his station, thinking. "Would the drive not have stopped functioning if it wasn't getting enough power?" he queries.
Hauser pops in. "Hi sirs," she says easily.
LePage is about to answer when Hauser walks in. "Ensign"
Worthington smiles as he turns. "Hello there," he says. "Grab a console. We're trying to dig around in the runabout, see if we can find the slipstream problem."
"Found it," she says. "At least, 98% sure I have."
LePage turns to her. "Go for it"
Worthington listens as the 2 engineers talk. "I'm eager to hear," he replies.
"Well, we know it's a computer control systems issue. It can't be anything else," she says. "Like I told the commander, if the drive really had been at fault, and if he really had overridden legit computer warnings on a malfunctioning QSS, his atoms would still be heading for Orion Three. SO, what if we check the relays between the hardware and the actual computer control systems, the linkages that communicate from the drive per se to the computer's diagnostic database."
"Linkages which govern EPS relay switching like this?" LePage taps something on his console and there's a whirrring before a clunk. "Code which should recognize that a relay isn't moving as fast as it should be"
"Slow relays?" She leans forward. "Damn. I bet that's the immediate cause of the glitch. I mean, think about how the computer could misinterpret that sir."
"Exactly. I've narrowed it down to Omicron-Two, shouldn't be hard to replace I don't think" LePage says
Worthington nodds. "That's good news, about the only good news we've had today," he says to the 2 engineers. "You have an estimation on how long you think that would take?" he asks.
"About as long as it'll take for Boss here to order up the part from stores using his access code and for us to replace and test it, sir," Hauser says. "My guess, not long!"
"In realistic terms" LePage interprets. "Two hours, we'll do it now"
Worthington smiles. "I would appreciate it. Feel free to conduct whatever testing you deam appropriate, and we can get the shakedown for this ship completed. I will be very happy about that," he replies.
"Pretty easy fix, eh Boss? Now that we know what the problem was," Hauser asks the lieutenant, looking pleased as punch.
"Yeah, let's go on and replace the link-lines too just to be sure" LePage says. "I've already got Carrie running it down to us. We should be good from here Commander"
Worthington nodds. "Keep me apprised. Thank you both," he says, rising, and heading out. "I will not stand in your way. I have reports to write on the temporal mess anyway. Good to know I become an admiral in at least one timeline."
"You did?" She asks. "Hey, can I ask you guys a question first?"
LePage nods to the Ensign
Worthington nodds. "Go ahead," he replies.
"The captain asked me, assigned me as the engineer on his fighter craft," she says. "Do you have any advice about that, sirs?"
LePage raises his eyebrow. "Don't be under-wing when he walks in, coming to attention under a big metal sheet is a case of unstoppable force meets immovable object"
Worthington smiles. "Also, just do what he says. Keeping him out of danger is my job as XO," he replies. "Keep his fighter in top running condition, and you'll have no issues. Gordon's got experience doing maintanence, so feel free to ask him any specific questions you may have."
"Thanks," she says. "Here's hoping we don't need the fighters at all. But I'll keep that in mind."
"Careful saying that here, the pilots love their sorties" LePage chuckles.
Worthington smiles. "I would know. I've been one," he says. "Good hunting to the both of you. Let's get this runabout operational, and we can do the weapons testing, and she'll be ready to roll."
Hauser says, "We'll get her ready for you, Commander."
LePage nods his agreement
Worthington smiles. "Thank you both," he says, waving and heading out.
Hauser relaxes a bit after the senior officer departs. She slumps in a chair, looking a bit tired. "Hi Boss. I've been on night shift lately. How've you been, sir?"
"Staying above the horizon, best I can" LePage responds. The Airlock clicks open again as Crewman Carrie arrives with the requested parts. With a respectful nod, he departs. "How's night shift?"
Hauser takes the part from the crewman and makes sure it's what was asked for. "Not bad, sir. Just keeping the nightshift enlisteds busy so nobody builds an illegal still and makes engine room hootch."
"You say that, have you TRIED illicit hooch?" LePage asks, logging off the console and heading aft to the appropriate access panel.
Hauser strolls in after. "I haven't served in enough engine rooms," she says. "My first posting was the Charles Tucker, and I was only there a few weeks."
"Oh, yeah, the still scene there is awful" LePage says. "Or so I hear anyhow" he says, continuing further back.
"Never found one," she says as she comes in.
"See? Bad scene" LePage says. "I mean, good on you for quashing the Enlisted shenannagins, but I could never" the Chief says. "That'd be downright hypocrytical" he grins, pulling off an access panel.
Hauser drops to her knees to peer in the pannel. "Mind if I ask you something off the record?" She asks. She holds the part ready as needed.
"I mean I just admitted to having a still, figure that's fair, go for it" LePage responds.
"It's about XO Worthington," she says. "He comes across to me like a know-it-all. Like you can't tell him anything he hadn't already thought of. At the academy, I often thought people like that were the most insecure, like they have something to prove. Am I off there?"
There's a sucking of air and a deep chuckle. "I couldn't tell you because there's no telling with him. He's a know-it-all with good reason because he's one of the few people who DOES know it all" LePage thinks as he begins tagging out the relay and isolating it from the rest of the circuit. "I wouldn't say insecure, more just... over prepared. He spends all his time studying and researching and making sure he's not the last to know. He hates being the last to know"
"Well it makes him a pain in the ass, sir," she says. "A little one, but Skipper Shulon isn't at all that way. But he knows his shit, no question."
"Sure, he is" LePage conceeds. "I remember when he got promoted past me, after years of us being the same rank. It was a tough adjustment. That and him telling me to set power profiles before changing all of them anyhow. Yes, he's tough but you adjust at some point. It's the red-shirt curse"
"Or, you learn what kind of red shirt ya don't wana be. You've served under lots of captain's and XO's I bet," she says, setting some components into place.
"Hmmm" LePage tilts his head. "Well, the first thing is that I don't want to be a red-shirt from the start. But I've had good and less good. Never... bad per-se... Hand me the hyperspanner"
Hauser smiles and hands it over. "Who was the best, boss?" She asks.
LePage hums and the tool whirrs as he starts to unfasten the relay. "I think I'm most partial to... Captain T'Shaav I think. She's the one I know best"
Hauser lifts away the part as the hyperspanner does its thing. "I heard whispers about that mission at the academy and on the Tucker. Didn't you guys invade Cardassian space? Freeing some prisoners? There aren't many Vulcan captains out there. I bet that was tough." She grins.
"Not if you do your job" LePage counters. "Vulcans are pretty damn good to work for. They tell you what they want and you just do it. No nonsense, they know damn well what they're trying to do"
"I guess that makes sense. They don't usually do the ego thing," she says. "It's not," she smirks, "logical. There were some Vulcans in my engineering seminars, and I had a Vulcan warp field theory prof. That was one hard class. He seemed irritated if we couldn't do multidimensional calc in our heads like he could. But we learned. And learned. and learned."
"See, that's the thing" LePage notes. "Terrans and Vulcans have been... sister species ever since we Terrans got warp power. For all that time though, our interactions are still shockingly sparse. Some Vulcans learn to work with us better than other, and same goes for us"
Hauser nods. "True enough," she says. "I learned that if you ever want blunt honesty about how you did, they'll give it to you. SO don't ask if you don't want to know. But if a Vulcan says you did it right, you darned well did."
"Captain T'Shaav is a good example of one who's learned some of the finer intracacies of working with Terrans and others" LePage notes. "She's sensitive to our strange habits" LePage huffs, pulling the relay out. "Careful, it's a tinge warm"
"I had a picture of the old Phoenix bridge crew," she says. "And I made a cartoon of them when I was a kid. a cartoon drawing. She was in it. I think she was an o-3 back then." She looks at the relay. "O my. No wonder we were having a problem."
"Yeah check out all that gunk... Must have gotten a bad batch of grease..." LePage says. "An 0-3 eh? Interesting. That was before my time, I think about then... I would have been working on Defense net stations and planetary climate generators..."
Hauser takes up the spent relay. "Maybe I can take this down to engineering. Better find out why this happened. Hopefully it's nothing on our end that did it."
"Yeah... Do you know how to check for material data tags to see what batch of grease we used on that thing?" LePage asks.
"I think so," she says. "See you there, sir. And hey ... thanks."
Ensign Hauser goes Forward.
LePage rolls his eyes and starts on installing the new relay. "At least she's using me as a buffer BEFORE she gets herself in trouble... heh. Know it all" LePage chortles to himself.