In Plain Site

Posted on Thu Mar 17th, 2022 @ 8:54pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Harriet Hastings & Petty Officer 1st Class Tonag Jov & Commander Daynah Ral & Lieutenant JG Rianna Repatha Thibideaux

1,151 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Prelude to War
Location: USS Valiant, Main Engineering
Timeline: MD002 1020 hrs.

Harriet glanced around main engineering, waiting for Valiant’s chief engineer. Valiant’s COB knew Rianna was busy…which is why she’d made the trip to Adaz, signed for the new kit and brought it back after a quick and dirty training blitz. She was skeptical but she wasn’t exactly in the position to argue with Fleet. And she had specific orders as to when it was supposed to go online to.

Making it all work would require the Science department too...which did have Harriet fairly amused.

Daynah walked into Main Engineering after donning her new red uniform. Her orders and promotion came as a welcome shock. She was now Commander Ral, and the XO of the Valiant. However, until Starfleet could send over a new scientist she found herself doing double duty. The part of her that was Alaryc Ral was happy with the promotion. Ral wanted a shot at that center seat again, and allowed all of Alaryc's command experience to flood the young woman's mind. "You know these little Valiant Class ships were not meant to take on this much power drain. Have we compensated for the drain to the main power grid?"

Rianna was busy as usual and her uniform told just how busy she had gotten. Sensing the presence of the XO and others, she slid out from the core console. Getting up, she walked around the main console, "Commander Ral, what a pleasure to see you. How can I be of service?" she said looking at those who accompanied her.

"According to Fleet," Harriet replied to Dayna," As long as we're not using the pulse cannons, power shouldn't be a problem though we'll definitely want to really overbuild the couplings and relays. Even beyond what their specs call for.

Turning to Valiants CEO, she said, Lieutenant, we've come to give you more work."

"More what? Work? You gotta be kidding. Now you decide to tell me that?" Rianna said looking at Harriet.

Over build couplings and relays? What the hell are you gonna put in here? A bigger core?" Rianna said to the Chirfe Petty Officer.

"This is a restricted program. In that Valiant was ordered, by someone way above my pay grade, to install an experimental Holographic Cloaking device," Harriet explained. She stepped over to an engineering table and brought up a holo representation of Valiant. "Theoretically, once the emitters are in place, Valiant should be able to project the image of a totally different ship. A freighter or civilian ship of the same weight class. The image will wrap around the ship. Then by changing some of the ship's emissions, including registry and IFF frequencies."

"It's worked on runabouts, so we're the next step," Harriet remarked. "I doubt they'll actually try it on anything much bigger. Defiant classes are fairly unique in size versus power output. The one concern is when we have to dampen the energy output."

Daynah looked at the data on the screen. "That is not the only concern. Holograms still do not fool sensors. I mean, if you go over the data from the USS Voyager. Their doctor would still read as a hologram to any sensor that scanned him. What is to prevent another ship's sensors from scanning us and seeing right through the ruse."

"True but fortunately I can handle that. Done it before and can do it again. So some one tell me what you're gonna do to my ship now or you gonna keep me in the bloody dark yet again," asked a very upset Rianna asked.

"It'll seem more solid because this holo image will have something at its core," Harriet instructed, opening more data for the scientist and engineer. "The 'Doctor' on Voyager was all energy. The only substance there was the program itself. Here, the Valiant has a solid core and N-rays will be emitted through the deflector dish back over the hull. They're sticky with atoms that will reflect the hologram and give it, acting like a mask."

Not to sure she liked anyone messing with her engine room and the internal workings of her lady Valiant, Rianna was all but non plused about the whole confounded mess. "And what fail-safe measures are in place if this all goes to hell?"

"I am going to have to reiterate what Lieutenant Repatha said. What if it all goes to hell? Then what?" Daynah asked as she furrowed her brow. She was just made XO of the ship and was not about to allow it get destroyed by some experimental technology.

Harriet spread her hands and smiled, "Well, it's all passive. If the relays get blown out or it fails, it fails and there shouldn't be any detriment to the the ship itself. It's a hologram. It's meant to drawn in pirate vessels or confuse others long enough to let Valiant complete whatever mission she's on. When dealing with pirates, hopefully it'll be enough to confuse them and get them within weapons range. In all other cases, like all other tech, we'll have to deal with it situationally."

"Well in that case I am going to peogram my own fail-safe programs to shut down the whole bloody thing if I see a power spike anywhere. I'm not going to lose another ship!" Rianna said matter of factly.

"Smart thinking..." Daynah said to Rianna. Then she turned to the group at large. "I also want this to run independently of the tactical systems. I don't want the weapons or the shields going down because this system is active." The whole concept just didn't sit right with Daynah. But if this is what the fleet wanted then this is what they would get.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Harriet said confidently. "The system is passive, the only issue will be the power switch-over. When you turn off a light switch, the power is available. So it's all about the relays."

"Quite so, and that is perhaps where we need to begin with this project. Where the power would be coming from that is. The Valiant only has a limited power output so we need to install a larger power supply so this system could operate. Or at the very least we need to figure our the relay system as you say." Daynah motioned toward the access panel indicating that there was no time like the present to get started.

"Right!," Rianna said as she got ready to work on the new protocols.

Harriet set to unpacking the crates and inventorying the shipment while the officers turned to the technical aspects.

Commander Daynah Ral
Executive Officer
USS Valiant
Lt. Jg. Rianna Repatha
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Valiant
Senior Chief Harriet "Hasty" Hastings
Chief of the Boat
USS Valiant

OOC: Looks like we're about done. I'll give it a day or so if you both have anything to wrap it with.

 

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