Posted by Ensign Claude Seguin Genard (Science Officer) in Main Sim [Engineering]: The Boridium Solution

Posted by Ensign Caelian Weir (Engineering Officer) in Main Sim [Engineering]: The Boridium Solution

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Nivor Rhansi (Executive Officer) in Main Sim [Engineering]: The Boridium Solution
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
[snip]

Caelian explained the modifications he’d proposed to Klaproth while they gathered what they’d need. L’Nel joined them before he’d gotten too far; thankfully, the Vulcan was quick enough that there was no unnecessary backtracking. Once they’d pulled together the parts and replicated a few extra components, his team set to work in Engineering with preliminary diagnostics. While the computer could likely have confirmed everything was as he’d expect it to be, Caelian allowed for visual inspections as part of his proposal. We’ll likely only get one chance to get it right, he’d reasoned. And if the captain wants it done sooner, well, that’s easy to trim.

After longer delay than he had hoped, Claude rounded the corner entering Engineering. He looked around the spacious area looking for Weir, PaDD in his hand. After looing like a lost tourist for a few moments he found him working a few others.

Crossing through the busy section he came up behind him. “Hello Weir. Sorry for the delay. Do you have place I can show you my refining process?”

• LtJG Genard

It took a bit of wiggling and grunting for Caelian to extract himself from where he’d been tinkering. Wiping a sleeve across his brow, the engineer smiled and nodded. “We can borrow that station over there,” he nodded towards an available terminal.

The computer chimed overhead.

=^= Riley to engineering. I’m sending some data your way - energy pockets that are apparently common in this area of space. There are… issues with them interacting with the ship. I’ve calculated a frequency that should block them from entering the ship. Could you double check my numbers and get back to me on the feasibility of altering the shields to block them? =^=

• Ensign Riley, Science

Caelian blinked. Energy pockets? What kind of energy pockets? He offered Genard an apologetic look before tapping his comm badge.

=^=Weir to Riley. I’ll see what I can do here shortly. Stand by.=^=

Motioning for Genard to follow him, Caelian stepped over to the workstation and keyed up the modifications. With a few extra strokes, his refinement projections began to cascade down the screen. He tapped on the screen to halt the information and highlight the section he wanted Genard to see.

“I did a really dirty projection on output from a variety of boridium purity levels,” he explained. “I think the system can hold as long as we can refine the boridium to ninty-eight percent purity. Why don’t you pull up your projections while I go over this additional data.”

Giving Genard what he’d hoped was an encouraging pat on the shoulder, Caelian stepped aside and queued up the files Riley had sent over concerning the rogue energy pockets. Within seconds, he could feel his face begin to fall. While he wasn’t quite certain exactly what he was seeing, the concern was clear—interaction. His mind jolted to life with a surge of possibilities. After a few moments of hard thought, he tapped his comm badge again to reestablish contact with Riley.

=^=I believe I can modulate the shield harmonics to match the energy pockets, see if I can’t filter out the smaller ones and maybe deflect some of the less-stable larger ones. Without knowing more, I can’t guarantee that we can proof the ship against denser incursions. I’m stretched pretty thin here, but I’ll do what I can. Weir out.=^=

With a heavy sigh, he gestured to Jackson. “Soph, it looks like you’re going to have to hold down the fort while I take care of something. You know what we’re doing, yeah?”

“Gotcha covered, boss,” she echoed from beneath a console, waving dismissively before groping around in her toolkit. “Go save the ship!”

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, Caelian grumbled inwardly. Turning back to Genard, he nodded. “All right, let’s see what you have.”

As the two worked together, the engineer’s hands danced over the workstation’s auxiliary input entering equations while he listened to Genard’s explanation. Within a few seconds, he’d set secondary containment on both the impulse and warp systems into stand-by mode. It was only a stop-gap measure until he could get more information about the energy fields Riley had found, but it was something.

—Caelian Weir, Engineer—

Caelian quickly made adjustments to the shields and navigational deflectors in order to filter out the aberrant energy Riley had warned him about. Once he was certain that the ship could no longer readily be influenced, he logged the modulations and downloaded the pattern information for a closer inspection later. Nodding absently, he turned back to Genard.

“One less fire to put out,” he chuckled. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
—Caelian Weir, Engineer—

With a smile, Genard looked forward to showing his procedure. Syncing his PaDD to the Engineering station they were at, Claude brought up his enrichment protocol for the Boridium.
“If we infuse the natural boridium with a mixture of chlorine gas and sulfuric acid, the chemical reaction will render the natural boridium to a state similar to the synthetic version that we already know, and have data on.”

The screen scrolled the exact formula of each chemical needed, and a report of the simulations and it’s findings.

Genard ran his fingers through his hair as he continued, “We can use this refinement procedure to make or boridium stable enough to use in the auxiliary reactors, maybe even the impulse reactors if possible. With the amount present in our guest, we could be looking at months of power.”

• LtJG Claude Genard

Caelian nodded, tapping in a few commands into the console to adjust his projections to more match Genard’s. After a moment of intense study he nodded. “I’ll have to modify the auxiliary injectors to compensate for the variation in flow rate. The good news is that we’ve just now started with the modifications so that will be easy enough. This’ll certainly help.”

Genard needed to test out the boridium power source and she needed to get her hands on one of those energy pockets. 2 birds one shuttle. =^=Fayth to Genard. When you are done in engineering let’s talk about your shuttle test. Don’t rush down there though.=^=
Lt jg Fayth, CSO

Indicators on the wall lit in yellow, and all computer interfaces switched to amber, indicating the ship was now at yellow alert.

XO Rhansi

The engineer blinked, bewildered. “Sounds like you’re going to have your hands full, sir. I’ll keep you posted on the modifications if you’d like.”
—Caelian Weir, Engineer—

“Sounds good to me, Mr. Weir.” Claude tapped his communicator to answer, =^= ” Genard to Fayth. Acknowledged. I’m on my way.”
- LtJG Genard

Once he was sure Genard was gone, Caelian returned to the task of getting the Ark Angel ready for the boridium-based reactors. It wasn’t particularly demanding work, and more than once he found his mind drifting off to chase a protean idea. Only a jibe from Sophia or a jolt from a power conduit kept him on-track. Thankfully, he’d tinkered enough throughout his life that—for most tasks, at least—his body could operate autonomously of his attention. He breathed a sigh of relief when the last of the modifications were complete. Muscles aching, he started a diagnostic while he gathered up his tools.

“Twenty minutes early,” he remarked, noting the time. A soft smile crept onto his face. “Reliable and remarkable. Papa would be proud.”

The ensign found his feet carrying him back to Engineering, depositing him back in front of the display terminal where he and Genard had discussed the now-completed project. Frowning, he pulled up the schematics again. No, they checked out. The pair had checked over one another’s work thoroughly, and there had been no complaints from his superiors. What’s eating me, then? he wondered. Clearing his mind, he looked past the display in an attempt to peer into the heart of his troubled thoughts. Before he could explain why, he’d pulled up the information Riley had sent down.

Frown deepening, he let his hands set to work while his mind chewed on the data. It had something to do with the energy patterns, so very familiar and tickling the edge of his understanding. Equations streaming down the screen before him, Caelian became like a man possessed. Fingers danced across the controls in shuddered leaps, his mind cascading down his arms in a deluge of impulses. He had something here. He couldn’t let it go. When he could wrench himself away from the terminal, Caelian was nearly sweating. Shaky fingers brushed his chin, and he had to remind himself to breathe.

=^=W-Weir to L’Nel.=^=

=^-L’Nel here. Is everything all right, Ensign?=^= The Vulcan’s dry tone belied his concern, and Caelian almost laughed.

=^=To be honest… I’m not entirely sure.=^= Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, the engineer saved his work and transferred it to where he needed it. =^=How fast can you get to Deck 37?=^=

A heavy, almost-suspicious pause. =^=I will be available in ten minutes, unless it is an emergency.=^=

=^=It can wait that long. I’m on my way now; I’ll see you there. Weir, out.=^=
—Caelian Weir, Engineer—