" To A 'Q' Time Is Irrelevant, To A Shillian Time is An Entirely Different Story "
(Previous Post: " Clear As Mud ")
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Stardate: 60298.1544
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 24, Main Deflector Control Room
Without the weight of a crushing deadline on their shoulders the Chief Science Officer and Chief Engineering Officer had strolled into the room without a care in the world, or at least that had been the way the Shillian woman had perceived things to be. That perception was rocked to its foundation the moment the doors had closed behind the two officers and Lieutenant Dawson reviewed the extensive list of tasks that they would have to accomplish.
"While I work on the modulation of the ablative armour, I will need you to figure out the best sonic frequency to trigger this avalanche without causing any sort of feedback from the armour that would cause a chain reaction that will leave us without our main dish," David said as he opened his engineering kit and began working at one of the stations. "Don't waste too much time on trying to figure out the exact frequency, we can made modifications as we go along."
"Why not take the time to run computer simulations?" The Chief Science Officer asked, surprised by the tone of urgency used by the Chief Engineer, "I mean the Captain did tell us to take as much time as we would need as long as it did not take more than two hours. I could research the range of frequencies that we could safely use with the ablative amour, create a computer model to test these and then move on to seeing if these frequencies would be able to create the desired effect on the targeted mountain. I mean if the Captain has given us the time, would not be wise for us to not use it? I can understand you wanting to impress a superior officer by doing something faster than he had expected it to be done in, but would it not be to our advantage, and above all else for our own safety, to test as many aspects as we can before suggesting or implementing any final solution?"
David looked over his shoulder at the Shillian scientist, an expression of complete disbelief engraved on his features. "I always knew you to be naïve on certain levels, but never to this extent," the Chief Engineer said without ceremony. "Do you really think that James gave us *hours* to do this?"
"But that is what he said," the Shillian said, remembering quite vividly the words spoken by the Commanding Officer and the feeling of relief that she had felt when the scientist had heard them.
"He was trying to avoid you and I from going ballistic," the engineer explained. "How would you have reacted had he said that we had to do all of this in a matter of minutes instead of hours?"
The Shillian scientist thought of the hypothetical situation for a little while before formulating her reply. "I would have told him that it was impossible. Tthat in order to keep a minimum level of safety for the ship and the crew we would need at least half a hour to run basic resonance tests, and that we would need even more time to insure that the conditions tested are perfectly reproduced when we would be ready to implement the plan. I mean the Captain cannot expect us to do the impossible," the Chief Science Officer said sounding a little exasperated.
"That is the short form description of a Captain," David said clearly sounding as if he had been speaking from experience. "James did not want to have to deal with a confrontation in his own office, so he humoured you and me by giving us as much time as we would technically need. My guess is that he will show up at our doorsteps very soon and find some diplomatic way to correct the timeframe we have been given. What scares me the most though is that I actually understand the method he used. Those blasted officer training courses I have been taking are starting to have an effect on me," the Chief Engineering Officer said, sounding calmer than the Shillian had ever expected him to be given the circumstances that they were in the middle of.
"That is just not right," the Shillian scientist said in mild protest of the technique used by her Commanding Officer. "Captain Simmons should have come out and told us from the start that we would have to rush through all of this work and bypass almost every security protocols in place."
It was true that the method used by James had a been a little underhanded but David had to admit that it had worked as well as the Captain could have expected it to. Not only had he avoided a full blow-out in his ready room, but the technique had almost given the Chief Engineer the time to think things through and place him on the side of reason. Yes having more time would have been nice and safer, but the situation with the Hirogens and Jem'Hadar had left them with no choice but to cut corners wherever they could.
As predicted by David, Captain Simmons appeared in the doorway seconds later, the Commanding Officer looking a little anxious about the daunting task he had ahead of him.
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Jessica Solarik { maya_992003@yahoo.com }
Lieutenant Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS
"To see the world in a grain of sand,
and a heaven in a wild flower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour."
- William Blake (British, 1757-1827)
