"Does History Repeat Itself?"
Previous Post: "A Lot More To Talk About" By The Intriguing Carin Beede
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Stardate: 60342.2100
Derek sat in the pilots chair reflecting on all that had happened on this
mission. The Imperians, the return of the ship’s ILO, the Human Ensign found
on a Cardassian freighter. So many things, but only two really stuck in his
mind. The first he was really having a hard time coming to grips with, that
was his mind meld with Ensign Mei.
He thought he had been careful enough to block both his human and Vulcan
sides from any kind of "feedback" so to speak. But he must have failed
somewhere, for even his Vulcan mind turned to thoughts of her, totally
unbidden.
This was not unheard of in Half-Vulcans, though he was beyond the age for
Ponn-Farr or the Bloodlust that affects all Vulcans he was still a male.
Ponn-Farr had diminishing returns in that as you aged it's strength faded
until once you reached his age when it could be controlled and did not
necessitate a return to Vulcan. Logically his thoughts were not in line with
his heritage and yet his human half found a need to embrace thoughts of her.
He found this difficult to deal with for women in general were a conundrum
to him.
The second problem was the Imperians. Having spent much time in conversation
with his Hirogen friend over tactics and possible solutions they had gotten
nowhere. Even adding the XO/CEO had not added anything to their knowledge.
But while working on the navigational array with the aCEO something he said
in passing struck a spark in the HATHOR's FCO. So here he was waiting for
the DRAGONSEYE's computer to finish running the program he had started over
an hour ago.
His thoughts returned to Susan, of course the problem was that his human
half was undisciplined and would often force him to think of her. Her youth
embodied within a mind well trained and yet... The computer announced it
had a solution to his query. Spinning the pilots chair he called up its
results and began to study it.
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The Half Vulcan FCO was running his program for a third time when the
holodeck doors opened to admit the big hunter.
"Do you never rest my friend," Uxtar asked the FCO. "The XO will be very
displeased."
Derek turned to his friend, shrugged his shoulders as any human would and
remarked… "I am Vulcan my friend...at least half the time so standard rest
patterns do not concern me. You are one to talk... How long have you been
working in engineering?"
Uxtar smiled, "As you would say on a human day... none of your business!"
The two friends burst out laughing together enjoying an unspoken bond that
few truly have in their lives.
Smiling Derek answered his friend..."I won't tell if you don't."
"Agreed... what are you working on so hard at this hour?" asked the large
Hirogen.
"Do you remember when we were working on the navigation array the comment
made by the aCEO about the problem with the *frequency of major repairs*
that we have had to make to the HATHOR? Well that started me thinking on our
Imperians detection problem," stated Stormwind.
The SEC/TAC looked at his friend and rolled his eyes... "Have we not
discussed this to death already, our sensors just do not detect them... all
we see is their ion trails and by then its too late."
"That's right," said the Vulcan FCO... "but it's the word frequency that
stuck in my mind. Remember you once asked where I came up with some of my
piloting moves, and I told you from EARTH's Second World War when they flew
atmospheric jets and things?"
The large Ensign nodded, wondering where his friend was headed.
"Well there was another system they had to see those ships when they where
in the air. It had to do with sending out radio waves and they called it
Radar. Now we no longer use radio waves, haven't for centuries except for
maybe the odd colony or two. But what if we did?"
"I do not see your point if they are no longer used what good can they do
us?" asked Uxtar
Smiling the Vulcan spoke to the air... "Computer rerun last simulation."
The air in the room shimmered and once more they where on the bridge of the
HATHOR.
Derek sat at the FCO position and his hands flew over the controls. "Now I
have re-tasked a single sensor on all four sides of the ship to act as a
radar sender and receiver. They will send out a radio wave and if it hits
something it will come back and put a dot on the view screen. First we'll
use another Starfleet vessel."
The room was quiet as Uxtar waited trying to understand what his friend was
doing.
Then... there was a light ping and though nothing showed on the main view
screen in the lower right corner where a smaller version of the screen was a
small dot was blinking. Than a series of letters and numbers showed up
beside the dot. The only part of which he understood was the listed ships
designation.
"See it picked up the incoming vessel and gives us range and closing speed,
and yes our long range sensors picked it up a lot farther away. But now
watch this..."
Derek entered in some new parameters and flipped the switch. He split the
main screen in half the left showing regular sensor sweeps and the right his
modified radio wave scan.
The two waited watching the screens... after a few moments the light ping
was heard and the dot again appeared. About two minutes later the left
screen lit up with the recognition of an unknown Ion trail.
Turning to his friend Derek smiled, "It isn't much but if it works
consistently, and if it doesn't degrade our sensor suite too badly to
re-task four individual ones it may give us the edge we need in detection. I
am going to data drop this to the ANUBIS and let their science team see if
it's a viable option... I think it is, and have already re-tasked the
DRAGONSEYE's sensors just in case."
The big Hirogen looked at his friend not really understanding, but willing
to stand behind him.
"Derek my friend it is time for us to drink... to your research, our
mission, and our friendship. It is time for me to show you how a hunter
really drinks."
Slipping into his human self the FCO answered... "Uxtar my friend I shall
drink you once again under the table!"
Straight faced the big SEC/TAC asked... "Would it not be more comfortable to
drink at the table rather than under it?"
The Vulcan raised his eyebrow and they both began to laugh... "Computer end
program," they chimed together as they exited the holodeck roaring with
laughter.
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As
FCO 2006 post #136
Setting: VPT DRAGONSEYE, interior
Stardate: 60342.2130
Setting: USS HATHOR, Holodeck
Brian Matthews (dragonsslayer@excite.com)
Derek Stormwind
USS HATHOR
