Specs and LCARS
Posted on Thu Mar 16th, 2023 @ 1:22pm by Lieutenant Christopher Blake & Ensign Cihl Theidi
Edited on on Thu Mar 16th, 2023 @ 5:01pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
The Hunt Begins
Location: Main Engineering Lower Level - Deck 17 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD003 1330 hrs
It took a while to get to Engineering by walking in such an indirect route, but it kept Chris Blake from encountering too many people. Even when he heard people coming around a bend in the corridor, he kept his head down and briskly walked past them before they could really engage. He didn't need more people staring at him and the blatant inorganic plate on his face.
The doors to the Machinery Control Room slid open. He was in the heart of Engineering now so he finally lifted his head to really look around. This was where everything worked together to keep the ship running in top condition. It was always awe inspiring and he still held a healthy respect for engineers. Sure he could make her dance, but without them there wouldn't be anything to respond to his touch.
"Ensign Theidi?" He asked quietly as he walked up to the youthful CEO. "I'm Christopher Blake, the pilot. I'm hoping we can have a quick run over the current specs and well as a few requests for my station."
"Just a second," Ensign Cihl Theidi said as he typed on the keyboard of his wall-mounted engineering interface. The Chief Engineer of the Artemis had been working busily for over an hour on adjusting the emitter sequences on the deflector control relays and he wanted to save his changes before moving on to any other projects. The harmonics of the sequence had to be perfect or the changes would crash. Typing quickly he was about to input the final frequencies when the alarms went off on his panel. On the screen he watched as she simulated changes failed.
The Ventaxian slapped the panel and pushed away with such force he almost rolled into the pool table in the small engine room. He looked up at the new arrival in a huff, "What was it you wanted?"
Chris looked down at the PADD he was hold for a second before repeating himself. "I'm the pilot, I'd like to run over the current specs for the Artemis and discuss a few requests for my station." He looked at the Ventaxian, aware to keep his body and face turned somewhat to keep that part of his face somewhat obscured. It had become muscle memory to him now. "I've been using the simulators to get acquainted with the systems and I've developed a few custom displays and commands that could be useful."
The Chief Engineer looked at the datapad that the Lieutenant was holding and motioned for it. He was curious what the Lieutenant was interested in trying to do to the ship to modify it. Then again most Starfleet pilots thought that they knew better than the Engineers that were actually responsible for keeping the ship together. This would probably be the start of a challenging relationship. "I'm curious what about the specs don't meet your liking?"
"Oh, nothing wrong with the specs at all. I just want to make sure that I'm aware of everything you do to keep the engine running smoothly. I can't be a good pilot if I'm not familiar with the ship." Chris managed a weak crooked smile, suddenly painfully aware of the pull on his lip from the implant. He stopped smiling instantly. "As for the LCARS, it's more about getting myself set up. There are a few custom displays and controls I've adapted from previous assignments. I'd like you to take a look and approve them if you could."
A bit unsure, but Chris handed the padd to the Chief. "I can come back later if you want. I really don't want to be a bother."
"No bother at the moment. The symmetric field frequency modulations I was working on were time sensitive. Time's up," the Engineer explained as he continued looking at the datapad. He typed on the screen, "The modifications that you want to make to the LCARS interface, explain them."
"The default navigation console is set up for marks, two circles to determine orientation and heading. I've gotten used to using simultaneous sliders on my last few postings. It allows the ship to move in a much more fluid manner and increases responsiveness by about 5%. It's not new... It just takes a while for the change to filter down to ship level. I was one of the testers in the academy, so I know what to look for. I'll just need you to update my LCARS and help do a quick calibration." As he talked shop, it was as if the cloud of anxiety around Chris disappeared for a moment.
The Chief looked at the data on the screen. He wasn't, commonly, one to make changes to computer interfaces as the Operations Manager usually handled such tasks, but he was more than able to make the changes. Typing on the control interface of the datapad, he entered his authorization code, "The changes that you've requested have been authorized." He wondered, for a moment, if the Lieutenant would try to talk with him about the ship or its engines. It had been Cihl's experience so far that Starfleet pilots and engineers, while roughly similar, had very different views on starships. While he liked building them, the pilot would be far away from wanting to do so and vice versa.
Chris nodded and was about to walk away when instead he took a deep breath and steeled himself. He looked at Cihl and then glanced toward the engine. "How fast can I take her without you yelling at me? I don't want to blow a gasket on the maiden voyage."
It was hard for Chris to engage with others, he always felt they were judging him. But sometimes he would put himself out there, he would try. Often it blew up in his face, but he had to try on occasion.
"Which gasket are you referring to? The ship's or mine?" The Chief Engineer asked, not realizing that his comment may have sounded like a joke.
Chris was a bit taken a back and studied the Chief for a moment. "Ummm... both I guess." He shuffled his feet a little and motioned for the door. "I didn't mean to bother you or take up your time... so I'm going to go."
The Ventaxian laughed, not realizing he had even done so. He quickly regained himself, "It's fine, really, Lieutenant. I had just been taken a bit aback by my failure with the earlier calculations. Normal cruising speed is Warp 7 for this class of ship, but on paper they can make it to Warp 9.975. I'll tell you now though, I've only been on one Luna Class that's been at that speed and it nearly broke to pieces. Don't take my engines over 9.7 unless it's really an emergency."
"I'll keep to the speed limit and bring her home before midnight." Chris said with a half hearted chuckle. "I'll treat her right, don't worry."
"I minored in engineering back at the academy. One of my professors swore up and down that ship systems defaulted to a natural state of trying to kill us all and it was our jobs to keep them from getting there." Chris looked around the office and thought over how different his life could have been if he'd stuck with engineering. "I'm sure you're going to do a great job here."
Theidi considered the statement that the ship could potentially try to kill them all and, for the first time all day, smirked. He quickly stowed it away and returned to his natural state, "I will endeavor to keep the machines from rising."
Chris noticed the slight smirk and managed to relax slightly himself, maybe the Engineer didn't totally hate him right from the start.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Christopher Blake
Chief Flight Control Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Ensign Cihl Theidi
Chief Engineer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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