"Coming Up With New Alternatives Is Always More Fun Then Implementing Them"
(Previous Post: "Surreal Challenge")
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Stardate: 60324.2105
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
The situation had changed greatly over the last half hour or so, which had certain advantages as well as disadvantages. The problem with the second Cardassian ship had been expertly dealt with thanks to Lieutenant Commander Enaii and the holographic USS LOKI. The returning of the three missiles back to the GALOR-Class ship had not only been a 'tour-de-force' but had placed the second Cardassian ship out of commission by disabling primary power. Although dead in space, the second Cardassian ship still possessed minimum life support which allowed the crew of that ship to perform all of the necessary repairs, a common goal that the crew of the ANUBIS also rushed to accomplish.
While the Chief Engineering Officer had worked on his solution, the Shilian scientist had been working on an alternate plan, one that would hopefully achieve the same goal, that of separating the two ships, while taking much less time. The Scientist had also been thinking of a way to avoid placing the Marines currently onboard the first Cardassian ship in additional danger, the Shillian woman certain that Pravat and his men had their hands full with gaining control of the large destroyer.
"Captain," the Chief Science Officer said from the back of the bridge, "could I speak with you in your ready room?"
The scientist received many puzzled looks from almost everyone on the bridge, some of them caused by the shortness of the question while the others had been brought into being because of the demand itself. For the Shillian to request a private meeting with the Commanding Officer of the ANUBIS could only mean that she had something both important and dangerous to discuss with the senior most officer.
With a nod of her head the captain accepted to meet with the Shillian woman before quickly moving to her office followed by a nervous looking scientist, a sight that was by no mean something that inspired any sort of confidence or reassurance in those remaining on the bridge.
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Stardate: 60324.2110
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Ready Room
"What is on your mind?" The captain asked, turning to face the Chief Science Officer as soon as the doors had closed behind them. Time had been in short supply and as much as the Commanding Officer had accepted to take a few moments to meet with the scientist it was easy to understand that the captain had no intentions of taking any more time than necessary for whatever had made the Shillian woman to want to speak to Rikar alone.
"I was thinking about our situation," the Shillian began at a speed that had been faster than anything she had ever used before while speaking. "I mean that I have been thinking of ways to help with the interlinking of the two ships. Although I do agree with what Lieutenant Dawson has suggested about blowing the decks to help free the ANUBIS, I believe that there is another option that we might be able to implement. This option came to me when I reviewed the information, as little as it may be, that we have collected on those aliens that had boarded when we first arrived here. Their ability to create a dimensional sub-space field allowed them to pass through our shields and outer hull as if they had not been there, so what would happen if we managed to duplicate this field and encompass the part of the ANUBIS that is intertwined with that of the Cardassian ship?"
"Go on," the Commanding Officer said with a hint of hesitation. The idea that the scientist had hinted too had peeked the interest of the captain, but the woman also knew that giving the Chief Science Officer the go ahead to continue could and most likely would open a proverbial floodgate.
"Instead of working to cover the opening, the Exo-Comps could be asked to reinforce the outer hull near the region where the two ships meet. At the same time they could use a harmless radioactive isotope to clearly identify the boarder between what is the ANUBIS and what is the Cardassian ship. Using this, we could, in theory of course, use a similar field as used by the aliens to phase the ANUBIS into sub-space which would, again in theory, allow us to separate without having to resort to an explosion. The main advantage of this method is that the time to accomplish separation could be reduced by as much as half, the problem is that this solution does present us with several new variables that may or may not create more problems. If time had not been an issue, I would not have bothered you with this possible solution, I mean if we had all the time we needed we could just physically separate the two ships, but we do not have that type of freedom. According to our sensors, the second Cardassian ship should have primary power back online within the hour which means that if we follow the plan given by Lieutenant Dawson, we will still be attached to the other Cardassian ship when the other regains all combat abilities. If on the other hand we use the Exo-Comps to reinforce the outer hull and mark the limits of the ship, we should be able to perform a sub-space phase shift just before the other Cardassian ship is back to full operational status. As much as I have confidence in Lieutenant Commander Enaii and her ability to distract the ship, I suspect that the other ship will not ignore us for very much longer when they see what we are trying to accomplish."
As stunned by the amount of information that the Chief Science Officer had unloaded on her, the Commanding Officer of the USS ANUBIS appeared to have gained a solid grasp of the proposition made by the Shillian scientist. "What are the odds that your plan would be successful?"
"To be honest Captain, I have no idea," the Chief Science Officer replied in all honesty. So far the Shillian woman had only worked on the preliminary idea of this proposal and had not had the time to explore the probabilities of success nor the potential problems that the implementation of such a plan would create. "The Federation has been working on and off on ways to phasing matter, but all of the experiments were terminated due to the amount of danger involved. I might be able to reduce the potential for danger by using what information we obtained from the aliens and their sub-space dimensional apertures, but even then it would require the help of the entire Engineering staff to make this work."
"I appreciate you coming to me with this," the Commanding Officer said having heard more than enough for the time being. "Return to your station and work on the issue. I want to know all of the advantages and dangers we would face if we went with your idea. Lieutenant Dawson will be replicating Exo-Comps for the next 20 minutes or so, so you have until then to prove to me that your idea is a better *and* safer one than his. Dismiss."
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Jessica Solarik { maya_992003@yahoo.com }
Lieutenant Commander Maya
Chief Science Officer
USS ANUBIS
"To see the world in a grain of sand, 2005 post #311
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)
