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Post by chgowiz on Jan 21, 2010 8:54:21 GMT -5
Helmsmans Log, supplemental
I've just received word that the Primary Targeting Computer is offline and that we're to reroute targeting and fire control to NAV. I've compose a quick recommendation to Engineering and the XO that we simply take advantage of the redundancy of the Constitution's weapons systems and use the secondary systems with the backup in the Auxiliary Bridge. That way, we're not trying to cook a meal with 4 hands in one pot. That never works and could seriously degrade our effectiveness. The switchover to targeting secondaries will be much faster and leave us with Primary Phasers - if Secondary Phasers are needed, someone can man them in AUXBRIDGE with manual aiming duplexed through PRI and still maintain full readiness.
---- Mental note - talk to Engineering if they really think the NAV should be running firing solutions. That would be like trying to fight with one person doing the grappling while the other person yells out commands.
----
I return to my checklist duties, trying to complete the rest of them quickly.
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Post by Ronin84 on Jan 21, 2010 9:28:04 GMT -5
The office already had a very lived in look there were personnel effects on the desk. From the exam room music was playing, and from that door to the office walked an African male. "Ah, Doctor Sloan is it, Dr. Pearl." Putting his hand out to be shook. Sloan, his attention drawn to the items on his desk, extended a wandering hand to the man. "Glad to make your acquaintance, uh, Dr. Pearl..." He looked at Pearl, then at the framed picture on the desk. The people in the picture bore a decided resemblance to Pearl. Sloan was getting a bad feeling... (o/c : not sure if you want Pearl to have wife & kids, or maybe just a favorite nephew, so that picture can be anything) Taking the offered hand the older man looks at the desk, "Yea my sisters kids and me, her husband was killed by Orion smugglers." "I'm sorry that I couldn't get a hold of you to talk to you before you left the Independence, I tried but you were in transit most of the time and I kept missing you." "Captain Chou offered me the CMO spot, we served together a few times and initially I said no but then changed my mind, I hope that there won't be an issue working together. I heard through the grapevine that they were looking at you after me for this spot."
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Grendelwulf
Lt. Commander
Second star on the...no... To Infinity and..no.. Ah-ha! Never give up, Never surrender! THAT'S it!
Posts: 147
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Post by Grendelwulf on Jan 21, 2010 9:32:32 GMT -5
Stardate: 2268.298 Setting: Deck 7, Engineering Computer Area
Lt. Vincent da Costa was knee-deep in computer boards and data cards.
“Daniels, I hope you are having fun wherever you are,” Engineer da Costa muttered to himself. “Serves me right for sounding all ‘Trust me, I KNOW what I’M doing. You should know better than to get cocky, Vince.”
He snapped the tenth board back into place and ran his tricorder to verify all connections.
“But, I KNOW that flux conduit should have been alright. There’s no reason it couldn’t have taken a few bumps from the decon-teams.” Da Costa frowned, “At least, no reason I would be comfortable thinking about…”
The tricorder beeped its ‘everything’s okay’ chirp, so da Costa threw the connection switch for the board to re-sync with its fifty other brothers and sisters.
“Only six more boards to go…,” the engineer thought. “Could be worse…..could be more Transporter Bio-filters.” He shuddered.
The bio-filter alignments went everybit as monotonous as he knew they would be. With one small exception. His 27 hours of work on them led him to here of all places. The filters and their backups checked out fine, as expected. Except for one small thing.
Da Costa scanned his tricorder on the next board which caused it to whine with a sharp burst of angry whistles.
“Ah-HAH! Got you again!” There it was, the same low energy spike he had found in several of the computer boards. “I’m on your trail. The game is afoot!” He removed the board quickly and pulled another tool from his engineer pack. “Your getting slower my little gremlin. I can see you…..almost.” He checked the tricorder readings again.
“It’s almost like a transporter pattern transfer.” Except, he knew the buffer archive was purged when the ship was put into dock. Standard protocols in the event of a dangerous viral outbreak, such as that which occurred with the Exeter’s crew. “But, it’s almost like something is there. It shouldn’t be, but there it is. Almost like an echo…”
He felt a small chill, “Or a ghost.” He snapped a new replacement board back into place. “You’re being silly now, Vince. It’s probably nothing more than some leftover static from all the system checks being run all through the ship,” the engineer chided himself. “You’re just trying to make up for looking foolish in front of Daniels. He spotted something you didn’t.”
Yet, the readings were there. Something had passed through this system, as it had several of the transporter bio-filters.
Da Costs felt he was close to something. The energy echo was traceable through several of the transporter filters throughout the entire ship. The data systems are interconnected with those systems, sharing a certain amount of compatibility. Were they acting as a relay for…”
Suddenly, da Costs’as communicator chirped, breaking him from his train of thought. He could hear a familiar voice resonating through the comm-shield. It was the navigation officer he met previously today while running through the ship following his ‘ghost in the machine’.
<<Finnegan to engineering officer de Costa. I've completed my thorough evaluation of the targeting subsystems, and there isn't much left unless you're in need of the most expensive charcoal briquettes this side of Ceti Alpha VI.>>
Da Costa smiled. He’d fried enough duotronic cables and components clearing them out to know exactly what Finnegan meant.
<< I've conferred with the captain and we're in agreement that this merits a closer look. The damage here looks deliberate, moreso than the other stunts the decontam team pulled. What I'd like to do is have a quick reroute from FiCon to helm - I can run firing solutions through the nav board if need be.>>
The engineer flipped open his communicator, “da Costa here. Sir, that’s eleven decks of sub-system relays. It would take the better part of the day just to realign them without interfering with anyone else’s system checks and protocols.” He could almost see Finnegan’s crooked smile starting to form. He added quickly, “It’s a good thing I’m already between the two. I can reroute the Main FiCon on Deck 11 to the Bridge’s helm in about half an hour. One hour if you want the Auxiliary FiCons with them.”
da Costa quickly replaced the access panel, picked up the few remaining boards, and began calculating where to bypass the auxiliaries that Finnegan would want as well...
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Post by Ronin84 on Jan 21, 2010 10:16:32 GMT -5
Moving back into her office Nicole Ransom took a look at their orders and whistled, this was going to put them right on the edge of un-explored territory but also very very close to Romulan space.
A new Starbase, about six ships and a whole new sector that we get to explore, this is what Starfleet is all about. Throw in the Romulans and we are going to have way too much fun.
Moving over to the replicator, "Cappuccino, double strong with milk and two sugars." Reaching in sipping the drink.
"Campbell is up to his ears and now I've got officers thinking we have some kind of sabotage going on..."
Hitting the intercom, "This is Commander Ransom, Chief Brendel please report to my office."
Ok I can have Dwyer looking after the lead that Fins found but I think Chief Brendel needs to look after a few other things.
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Post by chgowiz on Jan 21, 2010 10:30:14 GMT -5
I hear a comm beep, but it takes me a few minutes to realize that this HELM doesn't have a comm panel. I look around and spot the comm on the Captain's Chair - THE chair - flashing. A quick glance around shows me that I'm it... the ranking officer on the bridge!
I punch the button. "Bridge. Lt. Roundtree."
"Roundtree... this is Campbell, Engineering. Where's Ransom?"
"Uhh... the XO is not on the bridge Sir." I answer. I wonder if I'm in trouble.
"Hmm.. OK, please notify Helm.. oh wait, YOU'RE Helm... Roundtree... got it.. Anyway, call daCosta and notify him that I'm OK with your reroutes."
"Yes sir, thank you!" I say. He signs off and I take a quick look around. Nobody seems to pay me much mind using the Captain's Chair comm, so I signal daCosta.
"Lt. daCosta - this is the Bridge - Lt. Roundtree - the Chief Engineer's asked me to tell you to route secondary targeting from the Auxiliary Bridge to Helm, instead of trying to rewire the entire ship. If we have to have secondary Phasers, someone can manually aim them from Auxiliary. The reroute only needs you to jumper two cables."
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Post by szieser on Jan 21, 2010 11:16:27 GMT -5
Lt. Chen Long sighs as he gazes at the mass of cablework strung across what he assumed would be a nest of efficiency.
"Nothing is easy, is it" he mutters. He strides across the bridge to where the two ensigns are in confab.
"Gentlemen," he says "I'm Lt. Long, Sciences. What's our situation up here?"
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Grendelwulf
Lt. Commander
Second star on the...no... To Infinity and..no.. Ah-ha! Never give up, Never surrender! THAT'S it!
Posts: 147
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Post by Grendelwulf on Jan 21, 2010 11:20:05 GMT -5
Stardate: 2268.298 Setting: Somewhere between Decks 7 & 8
“Oh, Vince, your mother was right, you should have been an artist,” da Costa mused.
He had spent the last hour crawling under the floor of the Engineering Computer Room and just above the ceiling to the Auxiliary Control Room to rewire the FiCon systems for Lt. Finnegan. “He seems a decent man, a quiet roguish sort,” he thought. “But, he reminds me of my uncle. I bet he could be a real photon-keg if you let him get started. Not to mention," he added, "all of those stories about the navigator and the ‘legendary boy scout’, James Kirk."
An all too familiar chirp sounded nearby and da Costa reached back and opened his communicator in the tight crawlspace.
<<"Lt. daCosta - this is the Bridge - Lt. Roundtree - the Chief Engineer's asked me to tell you to route secondary targeting from the Auxiliary Bridge to Helm, instead of trying to rewire the entire ship. >>
“Damn, did I hit a node on the Chief’s board?”, da Costa thought as he double-checked his circuit bypass on his tricorder. “I’ll hear it later if I did.” Roundtree continued:
<<If we have to have secondary Phasers, someone can manually aim them from Auxiliary. The reroute only needs you to jumper two cables.>>
“Only two cables?”, the engineer thought. “Where’s the fun in that?”
He began pulling apart his ‘beautiful artistry’. “I could leave both reroutes in place, and they probably wouldn’t be noticed….BUT if the Chief is alerted, he’ll be checking. And he certainly wouldn’t want to see some of the access nodes putting holes in the ship’s plumbing.”
“Aye, aye, Lieutenant,” da Costa replied. “and thanks for saving me a few hours work. I’ll buy you drink later. I’ll be mirroring the reroute to both the Nav & Helm boards, so you can synchronize your program protocols. Give me a few minutes and let me know when you see them come across your board….”
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Post by chgowiz on Jan 21, 2010 11:42:42 GMT -5
“Aye, aye, Lieutenant,” da Costa replied. “and thanks for saving me a few hours work. I’ll buy you drink later. I’ll be mirroring the reroute to both the Nav & Helm boards, so you can synchronize your program protocols. Give me a few minutes and let me know when you see them come across your board….”
Roundtree nodded. That made sense. Normally, NAV could take over targeting from HELM if needed - that redundancy again - so ensuring that the reroute goes to both makes sense.
"Good call, Lt da Costa... I will let you know. Roundtree out."
A few minutes later, both HELM and NAV boards flash with the changes and the PRI-PHA-TGT lights lit up.
"Lt. Roundtree to Lt. da Costa. We're green. I'll take you up on that drink after duty, and my compliments back to you. I'm sure you're up to your ears so I'll leave you alone now. Roundtree out."
I sat back at HELM and reran the quick sim test. The Auxiliary Bridge system was probably not as optimized and I need to make sure that both consoles were synchronized. Now where was the Navigator so I could work with him on getting ready?
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Post by Ronin84 on Jan 21, 2010 12:10:23 GMT -5
Lt. Chen Long sighs as he gazes at the mass of cablework strung across what he assumed would be a nest of efficiency. "Nothing is easy, is it" he mutters. He strides across the bridge to where the two ensigns are in confab. "Gentlemen," he says "I'm Lt. Long, Sciences. What's our situation up here?" "Sir!" They both become a little stiffer but then relax remembering probably that they are not at the academy any longer. "Engineering has been chasing down power spikes and surges since we upgraded the polarized elements of the primary sensors." The other ensign from sciences speaks out, "Now our internal sensor grid is down and out." "We are trying to re-calibrate from the engineering station directly to the science station."
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Grendelwulf
Lt. Commander
Second star on the...no... To Infinity and..no.. Ah-ha! Never give up, Never surrender! THAT'S it!
Posts: 147
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Post by Grendelwulf on Jan 21, 2010 12:38:57 GMT -5
Stardate: 2268.298 Setting: Deck 8, Auxiliary Control Room
<<"Lt. Roundtree to Lt. da Costa. We're green. I'll take you up on that drink after duty, and my compliments back to you. I'm sure you're up to your ears so I'll leave you alone now. Roundtree out.">>
Da Costa packed up his tool kit, attached his sonicdriver to his belt and picked up his tricorder.
“Bypasses complete, custom-dacosta-quad-nodes finally removed & replaced with ‘standard’ dual-nodes…and now, the fun part” he says while flipping open his communicator,
“Da Costa to Lt Finnegan. AuxFiCons are directly routed to the Bridge as requested. Helm officer, Lt Roundtree, sent word from the Master Plumber. He sees all and doesn’t want the main lines tapped. Otherwise, there could be unwanted pressure that my union dues won’t cover. Helm & Nav now have complete dual access. If you need anything further, I will be down in Main Engineering. Da Costa out.”
“Argh, no time for a uniform change,” he thought as he brushed at his nearly grey uniform as a result of crawling between decks. “Oh well, time to see the Master Plumber before he starts looking for me…”
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Post by Ronin84 on Jan 21, 2010 13:01:59 GMT -5
Stardate: 2268.298 Setting: Deck 8, Auxiliary Control Room<<"Lt. Roundtree to Lt. da Costa. We're green. I'll take you up on that drink after duty, and my compliments back to you. I'm sure you're up to your ears so I'll leave you alone now. Roundtree out.">> Da Costa packed up his tool kit, attached his sonicdriver to his belt and picked up his tricorder. “Bypasses complete, quad-nodes finally removed & replaced with ‘standard’ dual-nodes…and now, the fun part” he says while flipping open his communicator, “Da Costa to Lt Finnegan. AuxFiCons are directly routed to the Bridge as requested. Helm officer, Lt Roundtree, sent word from the Master Plumber. He sees all and doesn’t want the main lines tapped. Otherwise, there could be unwanted pressure that my union dues won’t cover. Helm & Nav now have complete dual access. If you need anything further, I will be down in Main Engineering. Da Costa out.” “Argh, no time for a uniform change,” he thought as he brushed at his nearly grey uniform as a result of crawling between decks. “Oh well, time to see the Master Plumber before he starts looking for me…” As you enter Main Engineering you can see that the workforce down here has nearly doubled and there are A LOT of new faces in jumpsuits working and not nearly as many yard dogs as there was earlier, Chief Campbell is speaking as you come in. "Ok, lads and lasses we knew comin' on-board was going to be challengin' but that's why we signed on, for the overtime." There was some chuckling. "Somethin' is playin' havoc with my girl and I'm not enjoyin' it!" Hefting a large out dated wrench. "I have assigned team leaders from this ship to work with our brothers and sisters who have come over to help, let's get crackin'." Before you can take another step. "Ah da Costa, I have a wee special assignment for you." Another engineer begins to climb down into the main engineering. "Jaime lad, is this the bonny fellow who's been climbin' all over this fine girl?" "It is Scotty, he actually seem to know the working end of a tool or two." Grinning at each other. Scotty smiles back, "Well me boy how do you feel about taking a little walk with me on the back of this old girl, I've got a feelin' I know where our trouble lie?" Jaime speaks up, "Ok well, I'm leavin' it to you cousin, and remember this will make us even for that little problem you had on the Kumari." "Aye lad it does." Looking at you, "Alright lad, let's get our dancin' kilts on and take a walk."
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Grendelwulf
Lt. Commander
Second star on the...no... To Infinity and..no.. Ah-ha! Never give up, Never surrender! THAT'S it!
Posts: 147
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Post by Grendelwulf on Jan 21, 2010 13:46:52 GMT -5
Stardate: 2268.298 Setting: Main Engineering
“Aye, aye, Commander!”
He quickly followed Lt Commander Scott to the EVA lockers.
Lt. da Costa was stunned. Vince, if only you were this lucky with cards and ladies.
After crawling around on his belly through almost every conduit, crawlspace and vent shaft, he was going to go hullside. Finally, a chance to stretch my legs PROPERLY!
And, to be in the company of one of Starfleet’s finest engineers only made it better.
I have read some of his technical papers, and here is, the man himself. Now don’t act like a newly sprouted cadet, Vince. The man is a professional.
As they suited up, Lt. da Costa couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Commander Scott, not to delay us, but I have read your paper on Matter/Anti-Matter Cold Fusion.”
Oh, REAL good start, Vince. Just turn in your lieutenant’s stripe now.
Inwardly grimacing, he continued.
“I understand it is completely theoretical. It isn’t like a starship would ever actually have to risk a full power start afterall. " Was Commander Scott grinning?
"But, your formulas for controlled implosion….with all respect, I’m not an astroscientist, but involving a theoretical aspect of ‘time’ as a physical element into the equation…I have had abit of trouble understanding some of the parameters? Again, I understand there is probably no practical application, but it is a very interesting engineering puzzle which is what drew me into trying to understand it. “
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Post by Ronin84 on Jan 21, 2010 16:16:07 GMT -5
Stopping to wait before putting his helmet on and seeing that you are not yet ready.
"Now lad, are jobs as engineers is to keep those fine captains guessin' as to what down in the lovely bowels of their ships."
Grinning, "Ya never know when you might have to jump start a cold engine."
"Remember playin' with the containment fields might just give ya the spark ya need, or too much and then well, we'll see if they can find any of you to commit to space."
"Now warp fields and time...there you are playin' with some dangerous mechanics lad, you just mind the basics and don't be botherin' with the experimental. "
Seeing that you are almost ready, "Lad don't forget the more you over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."
"Now let's go and see if my cousin and I are right about this." Reaches for the communicator, "You best let your bridge know that YOUR team is going out for an EVA on Chief Campbells orders."
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Grendelwulf
Lt. Commander
Second star on the...no... To Infinity and..no.. Ah-ha! Never give up, Never surrender! THAT'S it!
Posts: 147
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Post by Grendelwulf on Jan 21, 2010 16:45:04 GMT -5
"Aye, sir. Thank you, sir."
Sealing his helmet, da Costa reached towards the EVA tool kits, chose one and attached it to the holster on his suit. Stepping into the airlock to join the Lt. Commander, he pressed the helmet-comm.
"Bridge, this is Lt. da Costa. Per Chief Campbell's orders, I will be taking an EVA team for inspection & possible repair. Please, acknowledge for authorization to exit."
This should be fun..., thought the engineer.
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Post by chgowiz on Jan 21, 2010 17:01:18 GMT -5
"Computer, please reload file Jaden-D7-6v1-a and recompute for HELM to NAV transfer of firing control."
"Working..."
I wait, while the computer performs its magic and recalculates my changes to the D7 threat program. I keep feeling like there's something I should be aware of... like someone's next to me...
"E...excuse me?" I'm interrupted out of my reverie by a fresh faced Science ensign. "Sir... the Captain's Chair comm is beeping..."
I nod. Technically, I'm not officer of the watch, but apparently I've become messenger boy while the XO and other officers are running around the ship. I walk up to the chair... not yet ready to sit in it until I have a rotation on Night Watch... punch the button.
"Bridge. Lt. Roundtree."
"Bridge, this is Lt. da Costa. Per Chief Campbell's orders, I will be taking an EVA team for inspection & possible repair. Please, acknowledge for authorization to exit."
"Stand by, Mr. deCosta..."
I try to recall what exactly is the protocol... Oh - yes. I turn to the communications area and look to see if anyone is manning it. There's not, so I walk over. "Computer, please give me current flight status and locations of inbound/outbound shuttles. Display on main COMM screen."
"Working..."
I see that there will be a period of heavily scheduled traffic in 2 hours, but until then EVA is allowed.
I tie into the channel from COMM. "Mr. deCosta, you and your team have about 2 hours before there is a series of shuttle arrivals with supplies. Until then, have a nice walk!"
Satisfied, I return to HELM and look over the panels. Now all the lights are flashing on and off, as apparently another reset from Engineering is happening. I sigh - it's been a long day.
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