SIM LOG NARRATIVE - SD 201908.09
Bridge:
The Penumbra remained in a standard geosynchronous orbit over the main continent of Janidor after the evacuation of the Kyrathians from the planet. They were awaiting the arrival of the Sojourner to transfer Starfleet operations at the planet to the Corps of Engineers vessel so the Penumbra could move on to other reconnaissance missions.
On the Bridge were Capt. Zak Taylor, sitting in the Command Chair with one leg crossed over the other as he sipped coffee from a large mug; Lt. Cmdr. Relok, sitting uncomfortably stiff in the Executive Officer's seat while Lt. Col. Patterson was away with the Cerberus; Lt. Cmdr. Jason Carter, at the Helm checking over the pre-warp settings and checking their departure procedures; LtJG Tabeshk Tibris, doing some "spring cleaning" at the Operations Console; LtJG T'Lin, at the primary Science Station running through some statistics; and Ens. Denovan Hawke, manning the Tactical Console.
Zak turned to Hawke over his right shoulder, "Hawke, have you had any contact from Delta Flight? They ran off after that Kyrathian ship ..."
Hawke answered, "Not so far, but let me give it a try." He pressed a few buttons on his console.
While they waited, Relok said, "Captain, I was running some simulations regarding the Kyrathian Plant on Janidor ..."
Zak turned to Relok and prompted, "And, Cmdr.?"
The Vulcan Science Officer standing in as XO answered, "And the simulations seem to indicate that without the Kyrathian insectoids to continue to tend and feed the plant, it is likely to simply die off."
A call came from MGny. Derek Hines, still down on the planet at the Forward Operations Base, which they were leaving in place for the Sojourner team to use. "Hines to Penumbra. We've gotten everything down here all wrapped up, and we're ready to return once our relief team has arrived. We've informed the Janosians of the gameplan."
And then Hawke reported, "Got 'em."
But before Hawke could continue, Carter interrupted, "Captain? Something's wrong with the Warp Drive ...," he trailed off.
The Captain sat up, "What? We need to rendezvous with Patterson and the others ..."
Carter tapped his commbadge, "Bridge to Engineering. What's the problem with the warp drive?" It might have been unknown to some people, who might have seen Carter as just a pilot, but he had specialized in Advanced Warp Theory and had even studied Slipstream Algorithms. Before he was a "hot shot pilot", Carter was a Science Officer and an Engineering Officer. He just found that he enjoyed flying so much, he chose that route for his career path.
Hawke interrupted the interruption, "Well this is interesting, there is a Federation starship incoming. Codes read as the USS Sojourner."
Zak stood and stretched, "Ah, they're here already?"
Hawke answered, "Looks that way sir, though I'm leery." He moved his fingers over his console, ready to energize the defensive shields if needed.
Zak noticed the Tactical Officer's actions and said with a smirk, "That's our expected guest, Ensign ... don't shoot them, okay?"
Hawke smirked and said, "Wasn't thinking about it ... yet."
Tabeshk giggled under his breath at the itchy Tactical Ensign just as the Captain turned to him and said, "Tabeshk, open a channel to the Sojourner."
When Tabeshk answered that the channel was open, Zak said, "This is the Penumbra calling Sojourner, we have you on sensors ..."
On the main viewer appeared a tall black man wearing the Starfleet uniform with Captain's pips. It was Captain Anok Jackson of the Sojourner. He smiled, "Captain Taylor, good to see you! Yes, we should be entering orbit in ...," he glanced to the side, "... two minutes."
Meanwhile, Lt. Aaron Riedinger in Main Engineering responded to Carter's call, "We are still trying to discern it yet, amigo." Then he added, "Do not worry, if things get ugly we will call you before everything explodes!"
Carter asked, "Is it relative to the situation we had with the clogged nacelle? What's the PROBLEM? We have a rendezvous to make!"
It was Ens. Lea Kalawai'a who answered, "It's the structural integrity field. Does no one read the briefings around here?"
Carter turned to the Captain, "Would you like me to go and assist Engineering with the structural integrity, sir?"
The Captain turned to Carter and replied, "What I'd like is for you to be able to fly the ship to meet up with Patterson and Delta Flight ... but if that requires you go and assist the very capable and highly trained officers in Engineering .," he trailed off with a slight grin.
Hawke suggested, "Or just reroute things through the secondary plasma conduits?"
Carter rolled his eyes and stood, headed for the turbolift. "I'll figure it out and keep you updated."
Just as the lift doors closed behind Carter, a Nebula-class Federation Starship dropped out of warp just inside the Janosian star system and cruised towards a Standard Orbit of the planet Janidor. Captain Jackson, still on the main viewer from speaking with Captain Taylor, said, "Captain ... I think it is traditional to do the transfer of command aboard the newly arriving ship ... can you beam over or shall I have our Ops do it for you?" He had a slight smile on his face since he'd heard the whole conversation about the Penumbra's engine problems.
Zak turned back to face the main viewer. "It's just the nacelles ... our transporters are fine ... right, Tabeshk?"
Tabeshk flinched but answered, "Yeah, Captain."
Zak turned to Relok, "Well, you're Acting First Officer, Commander, so you get to come with me." He scanned the Bridge, then frowned, "Uh-oh .," he said. A moment passed before the Captain muttered, "Tabeshk, you have the conn."
A squeak came from Tabeshk as Relok raised an eyebrow, "Tabeshk, sir?"
The Captain gestured around the Bridge, "Senior officer on the Bridge, Commander. But first, Tabby, beam Relok and I to the Sojourner."
Tabeshk looked up at Relok, "Shut up, Relok! Let me believe in myself for once, damn it!" He accessed transporter controls and said, "Right on, Captain, ready to beam in 3 . 2 . 1 ." and just as he ended his countdown, Captain Taylor and Commander Relok dematerialized from the Penumbra and rematerialized on the Bridge of the Sojourner. Tabeshk glanced around where only he, T'Lin, and Hawke remained on the Bridge. He was in command! He glanced at the Command Seat and muttered to himself, "Should I?" Quickly he answered himself, "No. No I shouldn't. My place is here at Ops, just like my mother."
While Tabeshk debated with himself a call came from Carter, "Carter to Operations. Tibris, you said you helped design this ship, right?"
But Tabeshk didn't hear the call as he pondered his first command.
While that was going on, a call came on T'Lin's commbadge from Lea, "T'Lin, you there?" The Vulcan Science Officer answered in the affirmative and Lea continued, "Can you meet me in the computer core? We're having trouble with the structural integrity field. I want to see if the problem's coming from there."
T'Lin replied, "I can, though I must say I am not entirely sure i will be very useful."
Lea answered, "Oh, c'mon, you're a science officer! You know how to do ... science things ...," she trailed off then added, "Just meet me in the computer core."
T'Lin grumbled slightly as she walked toward the turbolift, "Ask me to analyze the molecular components in your coffee, or memorize the entire human dictionary - which I have - but computers are not my specialty. Very well, I will be there soon." As she passed Tabeshk she whispered, "Tabeshk, yes you can sit in the big man chair."
Tabeshk stuttered slightly, "But . but . noooo!" The half-Romulan remained at his Operations Console where he felt he belonged.
Again, distracted by his contemplation of the Big Chair, another call came from Carter, "Lieutenant Tibris, respond!" But again, Tabeshk missed it.
On the main viewer, Tabeshk could see Captain Taylor and Commander Relok as they were greeted by Captain Jackson on the Sojourner. Zak glanced around and commented, "Nice setup, Captain. It looks almost exactly like a Galaxy-class bridge."
Jackson nodded, "It basically is. Nebulas are modular and modeled after Galaxy-class. So ... you ready, Captain?" He straightened, coming to attention.
Captain Taylor and Lt. Cmdr. Relok also straightened and came to attention. Jackson spoke, a tone of formality in his voice, "Captain Taylor, upon orders of Starfleet Command, with regards to the planet Janidor .... I relieve you, sir."
Zak responded in a similar formal tone, "Sir ... I stand relieved."
Relok added the official summation, "Witnessed and confirmed. Computer, record the log. Starfleet presence on Janidor now under command of Captain Anok Jackson, USS Sojourner." The computer trilled the official notation.
Zak reached out and grasped Jackson's extended hand. "She's all yours, sir. I need to get to my people in another system, but ... we're having some engine trouble at the moment, so ... I should get back over there."
Finally, Tabeshk noticed there were encrypted calls from Lt. Col. Patterson stored in the memory buffer. As Priority One messages, the junior officer couldn't respond, so he called to the Captain, "Uhh, Captain, I'm getting encrypted messages from Mr. Jarhead, you might be needed back here ASAP." Then he added, somewhat sheepishly, "Also, you, uh, never ordered me to close the comms to Sojourner, so .," he trailed off.
Zak turned to face the Sojourner's main viewer and waved with a silly-looking grin. "Hi, Tabby! Want to beam me back now?"
Tabeshk said, "Yeah, I've got you, Captain . kind of weird being here by myself anyway." Behind him Hawke snorted.
As Zak and Relok rematerialized, Relok muttered, "Well, that was . fun." He sat back down in the XO's seat. Zak grinned at him and sat himself in the central Command Chair.
Zak said, "Tabby, let's find out what Patterson wanted, might have been important."
Tabeshk answered snarkily, "No sh!+, Captain." But instead finally took the opportunity to answer the calls from Carter, "Finally getting to you, Carter, and yes I did help design this ship." He referred to his "senior project" when he was in Starfleet Academy where he assisted with some of the designs for the Penumbra. "What do you need?" he asked.
Zak had a bit of a startled look on his face but recognized Tabeshk was swamped, he turned to Hawke instead, "Hawke, how about you open a channel to Patterson for me so Tabeshk can help Carter take care of our engines."
Answering Tabeshk, Carter's voice came back over the comms from Main Engineering, "What I need is a shot of whiskey!" he began, then asked, "When the Slipstream was installed on the ship, did they use the molecular variance adjustments in the integrity field based on the USS Voyager's attempted use of Quantum Slipstream?"
Tabeshk answered, "Yeah, I think they did, Intrepid-class, right?"
They could hear Carter slap his face in frustration. "Great . they uploaded the software for the molecular variance adjustments based on the USS Voyager datafiles. Variance patterns for an Intrepid-class work for small, atmosphere-capable ships ... what we NEED are the variance patterns and configurations for an angular-hulled, quad-nacelle vessel, like a Prometheus-class! Thank you, Tabby. Carter out."
Delta Flight:
Lt. Col. Travis Patterson was at the controls of his heavily modified (and privately owned) reconnaissance and assault cruiser, the USS Cerberus. The ship was cloaked and tracking the movements and activity of the hundred or so small Kyrathian craft in the asteroid ring around an enormous gas giant planet in an obscure star system deep in the Gamma Quadrant. He was feeding data into the computer and trying to work out a strike plan.
He sent a Priority One subspace message back to the Penumbra, "Kyrathian activity at coordinates 102 mark 68. High presence. Mining. Two stations." He knew that only senior officers, those of Lt. Cmdr. rank or higher or a post of department head or higher, would have access to Priority One encryption, and that should prevent any interception by the many Kyrathian craft flying around the system.
He waited for what seemed a long time with no response or contact. Growing a bit worried, he sent another subspace message, "Where the heck are you?"
Still, he got no response. The Cerberus and four much smaller and lighter-armed Delta Flyers hid and watched more than a hundred Kyrathian craft zipping around the asteroid ring and diving into the turbulent atmosphere of the gas giant. They were outnumbered by more than 20 to 1, and while Delta Flight and the Cerberus might have out-gunned any one or two of the Kyrathians, there was one full Colony Ship and one fully-functional Station here in addition to the hundred or more small craft.
It was not a comfortable place to sit and watch without contact with their "mother ship".
Main Engineering (& Computer Core):
Ens. Lea Kalawai'a wandered into Main Engineering reading a PADD. As she entered she looked up at Lt. Aaron Riedinger and asked, "Riedinger, you read the report?"
Aaron was with Ens. Connolly at one of the consoles, running simulations on the nacelle. He replied without turning around, "That's Lord Riedinger to you." Then he turned and was surprised to see Lea. He said, "I'm joking. Who are you?"
Lea answered, "Kalawai'a, maintenance engineer. I've been crawling around the Jeffries tubes since we left the Beta Quadrant."
Aaron grinned, "Oh, so we have a new camarada on the boat! I assume you did an excellent job crawling in the JBs and that's why the Jefa promoted you. Congratulations Ensign!" He pointed to Connolly, behind him, "She's Ens. Connolly, you'll have to fight her for work!"
Lea explained, "No, no, I've been here, just ... out of the way. Now, did you read the report or not?"
Aaron asked, "Hmmm, report . report? What report?"
Connolly interrupted with a curse, "F---, Aaron, stop that and help me with this!"
Lea was startled at the retort, "Everything all right over there?"
Connolly nearly shouted, "NO!!"
Lt. Cmdr. Bevin MacArdry came out of a Jeffries Tube about then. She greeted Lea in her heavy Scottish Brogue, "Heyla Lea , haw's ait gaein? Como estas Aaron?"
Aaron smiled, "Oh, look, it's La Jefa!"
Lea glanced at Connolly's simulations, then waved her PADD with the report on it and said, "If we go to warp, the ship's gonna fall apart. Structural integrity field is, well, screwed."
Bevin asked, "Wha's gaein an wi tha faild?"
Aaron said, "That does not sounds good, young Lady. What do you propose we do?"
Lea pondered a moment then answered, "Not sure. I failed Programming at the Academy. If you need the engine duct-taped back together, I can do that, but energy fields? Past my pay grade."
Bevin added, "Ye dinna hae tae thaink wi'in tha bawx an thais ane. Tha's haw we dae mist o aur werk, thainkin autsaide ait."
Aaron said, "Wise words, Jefa." He turned to address Connolly, "I leave the nacelle in your capable hands, Ensign. Call Sognaal if you want, he should be able to get back to work!" Then he turned back to Lea and Bevin, caressing his moustache, "We have a big problem, don't we?"
Bevin agreed, "Aye we dae, sae wha dae we dae aiboot ait?"
Aaron scanned the PADD and asked, "When did you detect the problem, Lea?"
Lea answered, "I didn't. Auto-maintenance checks picked it up, then the Captain sent the info to everyone on the Engineering team. Now, the report says that, 'some of the algorithms in the structural protection systems were malfunctioning and not activating when they should'- so that's either a software problem or a hardware problem. If it's a software problem, someone needs to dig through the program and sort it out. If it's a hardware problem that would probably be ...," she trailed off as she pondered.
Bevin continued for her, "Hairdwair, thray minths ain a raifit fraim."
Lea suggested, "Well, maybe it's the bio-neural gel packs? The computer could be sending the data to the wrong locations, causing the startup sequence to initiate out-of-order."
About that time a call came from Lt. Cmdr. Jason Carter on the Bridge. Usually, most people thought of the man as just a "hot shot pilot", but he was in fact well trained in Warp Field Theory and Quantum Slipstream Mechanics. He asked, "What's the problem with the warp drive?"
Aaron responded to the call, "We are still trying to discern it yet, amigo." Then he added, "Do not worry, if things get ugly we will call you before everything explodes!"
Carter asked, "Is it relative to the situation we had with the clogged nacelle? What's the PROBLEM? We have a rendezvous to make!"
It was Ens. Lea Kalawai'a who answered, "It's the structural integrity field. Does no one read the briefings around here?" She turned to Bevin, "Someone should probably run a scan to figure out where the problem's coming from."
Aaron mused, "You and Carter might be right, everything can be related to the nacelle."
Bevin gave a curt nod of her head. "Lait's gait tae ait." She started working to check the circuitry to the Structural Integrity Field to see if there might be anything wrong there.
Lea said, "I'll head down to the computer core, see if the science team can help us out. Call me if it's something I know how to fix, okay?"
Aaron stepped back over to Connolly's console, "Any news here? Did you hear what we talked about?"
Connolly snapped back at him, "How could I not listen to you if you were screaming behind my back all this time!? Although ...," she calmed as she thought about it, ". if there is a problem with the main structural protection software of the ship, that would explain many of the rare things that happen to the nacelle."
Carter exited the turbolift, striding purposefully towards Main Engineering. He breezed right past Lea, who waved at him as he past, but Carter ignored her. He stormed into Engineering and barked out, "Report!"
Aaron was about to say something to Connolly when Carter entered. Instead he mused, "Oh, you look angry, amigo."
Although Bevin had achieved her Lt. Cmdr. Rank before Carter and thus technically had seniority over him, she still responded to the Bridge Officer, "Sair, ait saims tha tha Stracteril Aintaigrity Faild ais shawt, we're werking an trayin tae traise ait doon naw."
Carter crossed his arms over his chest. "We need warp capability two hours ago. Why is the structural integrity field not functioning to parameters?"
Aaron pointed at Connolly, "She believes that there is a problem in the main software of the ship."
Connolly was still staring at her console, frustrated at her inability to find the problem. She muttered, "It has to be it."
Carter tapped his commbadge, "Carter to Operations. Tibris, you said you helped design this ship, right?" He didn't get an answer right away.
Bevin continued her diagnostics, trying to determine if the problem was a hardware or software problem. She also introduced a simulation proposing a double warp bubble configuration to see if the outer bubble would generate enough power to move the ship while the inner one protected the ship from the failing field.
Carter, even more irritated that Ops had not answered, called again, "Lieutenant Tibris, respond!"
Aaron smirked at the senior officer, "Well ... do you want me to go to the Bridge and ask him personally?"
Carter shook his head, trying to calm himself. He drummed his fingers on the console closest to him, then had an idea. "Computer, display software datafiles and encryption algorithms. Sort by Stardate from present back to First Cruise, and highlight discrepancies." The computer trilled, "Processing."
Lea paused in the corridor outside Main Engineering after getting the cold shoulder from Carter. She tapped her commbadge, "T'Lin, you there?"
T'Lin answered in the affirmative and Lea continued, "Can you meet me in the computer core? We're having trouble with the structural integrity field. I want to see if the problem's coming from there."
T'Lin replied, "I can, though I must say I am not entirely sure i will be very useful."
Lea answered, "Oh, c'mon, you're a science officer! You know how to do ... science things ...," she trailed off then added, "Just meet me in the computer core."
T'Lin grumbled slightly as she walked toward the turbolift, "Ask me to analyze the molecular components in your coffee, or memorize the entire human dictionary - which I have - but computers are not my specialty. Very well, I will be there soon." As she passed Tabeshk she whispered, "Tabeshk, yes you can sit in the big man chair."
As T'Lin rode the turbolift, Lea said, "Fine, just run a maintenance scan on the computer core for me, it might be malfunctioning." The maintenance engineer began tapping away at a console in the main Computer Core. The room was mostly empty, a lone junior science officer was the only occupant, and he seemed spaced-out at his desk.
A few minutes later, T'Lin walked into the Core, "All right, Kalawai'a. Maintenance scan, yes?" She sat down at a desk and began the scan.
Back in Main Engineering, Bevin continued tracing every circuit in the SIF to try to find where their problem was. She kept coming up empty. Finally she called Lea, "Lea, I canna faind ait ain tha sairkitry sae ait mist be thair."
Down in the Computer Core, Lea answered, "So you're saying it's a software problem, not a hardware one?" She turned to T'Lin and asked, "Got any programming experts in your department?"
T'Lin answered, "Many of the officers are familiar with the art of programming. I am better at dissecting chemicals."
Bevin responded, "Aye, ait saims sae. I've dane a laivil tain diagnawstik thray times an ait an gaits tha saim raisults."
Aaron agreed, "So yeah, we can conclude that it is a software problem."
Lea turned to T'Lin, "You'd think they'd check these things before installing them."
T'Lin replied, "That is very true, Lea. Better inspections are needed."
Carter was reviewing the data from the computer search he'd initiated. "Hmm," he mused, "all right. Aaron, run a Level 3 diagnostic on the molecular variance modules. Bevin, I think I see the problem. Looks to me like the slipstream is incompatible with the software we have currently for integrity. See if we can find the data from the USS Voyager and their attempts at slipstream in the records."
Aaron started towards the central console deemed "the Pool Table" as he said, "On my way, seņor!" In a few more seconds he had begun the diagnostics.
Bevin nodded, "Ailraight, an ait, I'll lait ye knaw wha I fawnd."
As Bevin got started, a call came from Lea, "Any progress?"
Bevin answered, "Sae fair, naethin yait."
A few minutes passed and Aaron had the results of his diagnostic. He reported, "The integrity of the modules is within the normal parameters. But the 'normal parameters' were defined by those who designed the ship without really testing it, so ... I couldn't tell you if they are 'normal for us' or if they defined them with an error!"
Finally, Tabeshk responded to Carter's earlier request. "Finally getting to you, Carter, and yes I did help design this ship. What do you need?" he asked.
Carter responded, "What I need is a shot of whiskey!" Then he asked, "When the Slipstream was installed on the ship, did they use the molecular variance adjustments in the integrity field based on the USS Voyager's attempted use of Quantum Slipstream?"
Tabeshk answered, "Yeah, I think they did, Intrepid-class, right?"
Carter performed an audible facepalm. "Great . they uploaded the software for the molecular variance adjustments based on the USS Voyager datafiles. Variance patterns for an Intrepid-class work for small, atmosphere-capable ships ... what we NEED are the variance patterns and configurations for an angular-hulled, quad-nacelle vessel, like a Prometheus-class! Thank you, Tabby. Carter out."
He turned to Bevin, "WRONG DAMN SOFTWARE! Replace the configurations for molecular variance from what we have currently from the Intrepid-class to the Prometheus-class, then run your simulation with those configs."
Aaron groaned, "The wonders of a not tested ship! Hurray!"
Nearby Connolly swore and said, "How could we think that they loaded the wrong software! That's ...," she trailed off.
Bevin grunted, "Aye sair, I'm awn ait." She got busy working the different set of protocols and then ran those through the simulators.
Carter grabbed a nearby PADD and pulled up some files he wrote back when he was in the Academy. They were on some theoretical designs and algorithms for slipstream integrity, some quite detailed. He handed the PADD to Aaron. "Might want to go give the wrench-Mistress a hand. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes to reconfig."
Still listening over an open comm, Lea commented, "We can start loading those programs up from the Core once your simulations are done, just say the word, Commander."