As soon as the main engineering door opened, chief engineer Sangliar smelled the distinctive odor of crisp new uniforms and freshly scrubbed young skin before his small ears even picked up the sound of their footfalls or his even smaller eyes saw their shadows playing from the corridor's lighting.
Instantly, the black-skinned Tellarite bellowed to his sparse maintenance staff.
''Kids are in; secure the breakables.''
A subtle smirk emerged on the youthful visage of Sabrina as she absorbed the snide remarks of the chief engineer while entering the area.
“Why in the world would there be any type of fragile items in the heart of a Prometheus class combat vessel?” she rhetorically inquired as she meandered her way toward her target audience. She gazed around at the skeletal crew to determine if anyone would respond or to see if they were actually gathering up items. She detected no such activity.
“I guess that answers my question,” she added sardonically.
Chief Sangliar snorted back at her.
''Contrary to children's beliefs, a starship is a delicate thing; even more so this Prometheus class three-in-one vessel. Even as a combat vessel, it still makes a Galaxy class look like a pocket knife. And so you know, cadet, this particular Prometheus-class vessel crashlanded on a planet just before tackling the Borg invasion, then was barely taped back together when it tackled a Romulan attack group, an Undine incursion and the Azimuth Horizon itself.''
His small dark eyes closed as he sighed.
'' Oh she's tough as nails; but like any ring-tested boxer, one small tap in the wrong place and she'd be down for the count. Even today we still found new microfractures in places where there shouldn't be any. So be mindful were you poke your fingers kids.''
“Well Lieutenant Commander, to be blunt, we’d actually like to poke our fingers in some specific areas throughout this ship,” Sabrina countered with determination in her voice as she opened her display. She scrolled through the blueprints and materials list which mapped out the step-by-step extension and retraction aspects involving two vectors of the Prometheus class vessel. She proceeded to describe her proposal with great detail as the graphics scrolled through in sequence.
“As you can see, this will require us to push this old gal out to sea and separate into multi-vector mode to complete these modifications,” she confirmed as she tried to study any reaction from the dusky Tellarite upon her conclusion.
Terix had followed the group led, by Sabrina down to engineering after staying behind briefly to secure the holodeck simulation and assigning the computer to compile thier pooled data into a comprehensive report for Lieutenant Snow. As the lithe Romulan stroke into the engineering bay he caught the latter half of the exchange between the rather feisty Human woman and the Tellarite. A smirk crossed his face as he came upon them finding the exchange between the two of them quite amusing.
"I don't know Cadet Shadowhunt" Terix interjected looking at Sabrina, "its so old we may have to get a tug to drag it out of spacedock."
Slapping the Tellarite in the face would have not darkened his skin and eyes any worse.
''Old hey? Tug it out hey? Why you little pup, what have you ever flown besides a computer console? What do you know of the guts of a starship like this one? A starship is not just a tin can of antimatter with festive lights! A starship is a vessel; it is a container of the breath, sweat, blood, heart and soul of people daring to meet the stars! While you play in holodecks, this... old ship faced harsh planetary conditions, the fields of war, even a universe-gobbling anomaly and it still has it's original frame! Well most of it...''
Suddenly, he stopped, looked up at Terix and then smiled broadly. his short thick finger wobbled at him.
''I see what you did there. You think that, by firing up my pride, you will convince me to let you kids take her out for a spin and play with these new toys of yours... And you think that will work with a seasoned officer like me?''
He made a coarse, derisive laugh and shook his thick-manned head.
''You are probably right.''
He tapped his combadge.
''Sangliar to Snow; meet me in my office. I need to talk to you about your kids.''
He started to stomp towards the door then turned around.
''You children may discuss details with my staff; but don't touch anything!''
And then he left them there to go straight meet their Academy instructor.
Sabrina offered a genuine smile at her Romulan counterpart as she spoke.
“It looks like flanking our chief engineer with specific details of our plans accompanied by a good measure of sarcasm may have done the trick.”
Sabrina then turned and signaled the Tellarite’s staff to stop lurking around the perimeter of the engineering bay and come and join them. As they cautiously gather around the cadets, she engaged her device to initiate three-dimensional holographic projections of her blueprints and plans. Then she studied the engineers carefully before proceeding.
“Your boss, chief engineer Sangliar, is conferencing with Lieutenant Snow at this moment regarding several key modifications that we are recommending to implement throughout this vessel. They will determine whether these plans get green lit or not. Because these alterations will require your involvement in executing these upgrades, it would seem logical to share this information with you now, so that you become familiar the scope of this project.”
One of the NCOs nodded her head with a smile.
''Officer thinking, cadet. Let's go over the details and see if we can prepare the replicators to provide us with the necessary parts.''
''You seem confident this... student project will be approved, '' said another, a Bolian with a Chief rank on his collar.
'' Oh I know Commander Sangliar; he's a true engineer; he just loves to change things.''
''Don't we all.''
They all laughed and the Bolian then turned towards the cadets.
''Alright cadets, since you are here to exercise what you have learned; how would you propose exactly to go about all this?''
Sabrina pulled up and projected three-dimensional holographs of the Alsea.
“With events like the Horizon Anomaly among others, we learned that any ship, no matter how technologically sophisticated, could become detection blind when it enters a region of space or a circumstance that nullifies standard ship sensors. This ship along with others in the fleet added in the Pel early auto-warning sensor system along with the Syntron Sonar to compensate for those instances. In normal circumstance when all vectors are unified, we are suited to peer through various interferences. However, once the ship engages multi-vector mode, only the gamma vector retains this ability. The alpha and beta vectors could find themselves blind to their surroundings.”
Sabrina gazed around at them and could see that no one standing there wanted to find themselves in that situation. She switched the projections to those of the alpha and beta vectors separated from the gamma.
“The proposal presented here would remedy that situation by installing these components in a retractable configuration into the bow of both the alpha and beta vectors.”
She zoomed into the bow of both vectors.
“We would need to determine the precise optimal locale to embed these modules within the heavy Duranium/Tritanium hull and have the ablative armor modified to retract when these systems are implemented. We would also need to scale these components to fit snuggly into the modified compartments that could be extended once these devices are initiated and become active. We may also need to have access to portions of these components internally… in case they are inoperable or become damaged.”
Sabrina then displayed several examples of possible configurations of both devices in various positions in the bow along with a materials list of the basic required components. She then studied the engineering team with a keen eye.
“Here is where your knowledge and experience are crucial. If approved, I would need all of you to help turn this…” She turned her attention squarely to the Bolian officer. “How did you phrase this… student project?” She smirked a little before switching her gaze around to include all of the remaining engineers as she continued, “into a viable undertaking.”
The Bolian nodded.
''Adding new improved systems is always wished for, but here is the first problem; this is not a Galaxy class starship or even a cruiser class with lot's extra space and built-in options for system reconfiguration or replacement. The Prometheus class was designed as a warship and a most complex one at that; literally three escort class vessels compacted into one small cruiser-sized frame. That is why it is not employed for colonial relief or scientific exploration; not only is there no space left for new systems but only systems needed for combat are essentially occupying the available space, computing and energy requirements.''
''In other words, '' concluded the NCO woman, '' Whatever you wish to add, something must go. So Cadets, what do you think should be sacrificed for your ideas and how are you going to convince the higher-ups that it is for the better?''
Terix stroked his chin in thought as he pondered the question. The woman was right, making modifications to the Alsea was not going to happen without stripping something down. "What do you strip away from a combat vessel that won't make it less effective?"
"Creature comforts..." Terix said aloud "I know that Starfleet feels these things are necessary, and I am certainly no engineer, but I would say the space comes from recreation systems, one of the holodecks for example."
“Absolutely,” Sabrina affirmed as she nodded in agreement with her Romulan counterpart.
“Sacrificing a bit of comfort for a more comprehensively equipped ship would be an easily worthwhile trade-off. Just look at any garden variety Klingon vessel. Luxury and coziness do not even enter into the equation of their ship designs. Without going to that extreme, we could designate sections of the ship that we need to convert while also retaining areas of relaxation and socialization in other parts of the ship.”
Terix nodded in agreement "Romulan vessels also do not have much in the way of relaxation...at least from what my father told me they do not. If the mission of this vessel is combat, and that is its primary focus, then recreation can be...rearranged."
''Hope for you that you do not intend to remove the mud bath,'' the Bolian said with a grin. ''But your thinking is what brought about combat classes like the Defiant class. Although Starfleet has now returned more to the traditional exploration and peace keeping operations, past decades have clearly shown the need to have at least some dedicated fighter ships always ready. Streamlining the Prometheus class as you propose certainly makes sense in that regard.''
The NCO woman however offered some other argument.
''That being said, those facilities are not superfluous; contrary to Romulan and Klingon ships who rarely venture far from their bases and are crewed by war-indoctrinated personel, Starfleet ships tend to roam farther and for longer periods of time, with people having a wider and more diverse needs and mind sets. Andorians and Vulcans certainly would not mind loosing such facilities, but Humans and other less warlike or logical species will soon be at each other's throats without some mean of privacy and releasing tension. So how would you take this into account for your modifications?''
Sabrina contemplated her concerns for a few moments and then thought about potential solutions.
“Since the ship does not have a full complement of personnel, there are several options we could explore. For example, we could convert three of the non-commissioned officer quarters into areas to modulate, which could easily accommodate these proposed modifications. If during a mission there was a need to house addition personnel, in an emergency situation for example, the mess hall and cargo bays, could be partitioned and temporarily set-up as barracks in the event that the usage of the holodecks as barracks would not be sufficient. Meanwhile, the crew would still have access to the holodecks, the gymnasium, and the mess hall to socialize or exercise… in addition to their own quarters. We could also partition sections of a cargo bay to provide more socializing space if needed.”
Gunner nodded in agreement before chiming in.
"The quarters at Starfleet academy is hardly the life of luxury, so a small sacrifice in comfort should not bother any officer. Given the length of the mission however I see the importance to continue having a gym and rec area."
"Having spent the last 6 years of my life among the Federation's species on Earth I am quite familiar with the need for socialization and 'blowing off steam' " Terix replied "I have watched many cadets get themselves into more trouble than they could handle. Fortunately for me no one antagonizes the Romulan sitting at the bar. While I tend to agree with Cadet Shadowhunt if you don't think it is adequate please offer any suggestions you might have. I realize this is our project, but...it is still your ship."
The Bolian officer shook his head with a small smile.
''Don't say that too loudly when the ChEng is in the room; he considers all of the Fleet ships to be his.''
He became serious again.
''We can go along the Defiant design philosophy but only up to an extent. Contrary to the Defiant class, the Prometheus class is designed for deep space combat assignments. This means long periods of time far from supply and relief in possibly unknown, certainly dangerous territory. So, removing all... comforts as Romulans and Klingons would call it, or going fully war utilitarian a la Jem'Hadar is unrealistic if not donwright countereffective.''
He brought up a schematics of the Alsea between them to illustrate.
''That being said, on the short term, the Alpha and Beta Hulls could be temporarily refitted with a smaller sensor and navigational package, runabout size, leaving enough space for your modified systems. Effective range and power would be reduced, but those hulls are not deployed otherwise than for an engagement, which is by definition short range. Any long range or more powerful sensor work would fall to the main Gamma hull which is already tasked with group coordination anyway. ''
The NCO woman chimed in.
''On the long term, I see much more substantial modifications to later provide full-sized sensor packages including your proposed systems. Every living quarters could be remade into a holosuite. Although actually smaller than standard quarters, they could actually be made to look larger and easily tailored to every two occupants taste, even modulated to their specific species. This could even remove the need of any and all standard holodecks. A cargo bay could also be refitted with hollow emitters to be easily converted into one if large gathering events would still be required on board.''
The Bolian nodded towards the Romulan and the Klingon cadets.
''In extreme cases, crew selection could concentrate on Andorians, Vulcans and any individual of any species willing and able to go in the field for extended periods of time without the usual comforts expected on a starship. Psycho-evaluations from the Academy and Starfleet as well as personal commitment to war time needs, as in MACO units, could be made into Starfleet's doctrine of enlistment aboard such classes of ships. I know it sounds a bit harsh to our ears, but we're talking about a starship class officially designated as a warship. Any pacifist or one of those ''explorer'' types would already reconsider serving aboard one in the first place, especially when there are so many other choices available.''
He looked now at all of them.
''Opinions, Cadets?''
Gunner was used to being the only Klingon in the room, so he knew having more Klingons onboard was not really an option. He smirked slightly before responding.
"All I need is a bed and a good weapon's locker."
Gunner looked at his fellow cadets and realized he was alone in his assessment of the situation.
Sabrina stood there a bit bewildered for several moments, being somewhat confused by the Bolian officer’s initial response. She thought that she was being quite clear in her statements and the blueprints presented that she was not proposing by any stretch of the imagination removing all comforts aboard the Alsea for these modifications. Contrarily, she even noted the recreational facilities that would be untouched and available if they proceeded with the plans. She took a few more minutes processing the remainder of their input before responding back.
“If I am understanding your recommendations correctly, temporarily refitting the Alpha and Beta Hulls would seem to suffice in providing these vectors with the ability to expand readings when normal sensors are nullified. If after the mission these modifications are deemed extraneous or unnecessary, the sections of the ship affected could be converted back to their original configuration.”
She gazed down for several moments at the blueprints of the modifications to the vessel she was promoting, feeling somewhat despondent as she considered her situation and current role.
“I realize that I am not an assigned officer aboard this ship, and I apologize if I have overstepped the bounds of a cadet coming aboard for a training mission then ardently advocating for these types of changes to this ship. It was not my intention to cause a disruption or delay to the pending mission.”
The Bolian officer immediately sensed the discomfort of the cadet; in fact, he was expecting it. And so he smiled.
''Well the pending mission of this ship is: when do we launch? And your mission is exactly what you are doing right now.''
He paused to let that skink in before continuing.
''Providing ideas and proposals are not disruptive, Cadet; it is essentially what makes Starfleet the efficient thing it is. Without it, we're just stuck in tradition and habits; things any adversary will detect and exploit. And once facing the unknown, that is a sure way to fail. Never fear to come with a proposal, especially when it is as thoroughly detailed as the one you are now offering. That is what truly drives a starship.''
''But don't say this to Chief Sangliar,'' the NCO woman added with a wink. ''Even if he would be the first one to do just what you did.''
The Bolian resumed.
''The discussion about streamlining the amenities on board was following the line of thought of your more military or practically-oriented fellows. It has it's merits, as we said. But there might be others and that is important to consider. Following only one line of reasoning might get you away from a better solution without even knowing it. That's why officers have those tedious, boring briefing meetings with the captain or department officers... are we are doing now.''
''So,'' said the NCO woman; '' what else do we have, if anything?''
"One thing we have to consider before refitting a hull and ship spaces is heat and noise. Those often get lost in the conversation." Gunner chimed in.
He tapped the bulkhead he was standing next to before continuing.
"A sensor relay generates a certain amount of heat and a low hum, which is more bothersome to some species than others. Any modifications to sensors or equipment we will have to take into account who is in the adjoining rooms or what is stored there. You can't store supplies which are sensitive to heat or vibration in a room that shares a bulkhead with a sensor relay without some serious modifications to the bulkhead."
Gunner paused for a second and thought.
"If we need more crew quarters, I will gladly just set up a hammock in the weapons locker."
''Your voluntary sacrifice is duly noted, Cadet; but I think we have enough room to spare at the moment, '' the woman said, smiling at him. ''But your observation is a sound one. Changing systems is not like changing furniture. There is a reason why starships are built the way they are. For one, many armchair admirals look critically at the exposed nacelles of Starfleet and Klingon designs or the forward top placement of bridges.''
''What they forget is exactly what you are explaining, Cadet,'' the Bolian officer added; ''exposing the crew to the radiation emissions of propulsion or trying to hide the command center from sensors that can penetrate miles of solid rock while making it assailable from all sides by boarders would not give any real advantage. And at the same time, loosing life saving options like detachable bridge modules or jettisoning nacelles in case of a catastrophe.''
The NCO woman chimed in again.
''And there is also engineering expediency; why on Earth the Roman Empire of Antiquity dictated the size of rocket boosters on the twentieth century space shuttle.''
The Bolian looked askance at her. And so she explained further.
''In the twentieth century, rocket booster were brought from their factory to the launching site by railroad. As the assembly had to fit through tunnels and on railroad platforms, they were made the same width as the tracks themselves. Now, the tracks' width was dictated by the width of the train wagon wheels; and those wagons originally were made by the same people that made horse-drawn carriages, using the same factory employees, tools and machinery. These had been determined by the width of two horses side by side pulling on a cart, the most efficient way to harness horses pulling war chariots on the famous roads of the Roman Empire.''
She winked at the blue-skinned alien.
''That's why each rocket booster was exactly an odd three point seven meters wide; the size of two horses butts.''
Sabrina was a bit perplexed by the unit of measure utilized to determine the width of antique rocket boosters early on in Earth’s space exploration program. She was not certain how to respond to that peculiar history lesson.
“Well, at least a horse is a stable animal,” she eventually added with a wink, before continuing on more seriously.
“It seems that chief engineer Sangliar has been conferencing with Lieutenant Snow about our proposed modifications for quite some time now. Is this typical or would this suggest that there could be conflict or perhaps negotiations still occurring?”
Terix smirked at Sabrina's remark "Having some knowledge of Tellarites I would suspect it is less of a conversation and more of the Chief Engineer berating everyone from Lieutenant Snow up to the head of Starfleet. If we are to modify the ship it does make sense that not only we compensate for power, and space requirements but the crew as well. I am sure the ship's environmental system can compensate somewhat for extra heat, but increased noise is something that we as the modification team need to figure out a way to adjust for. Perhaps we could add additional sound dampening and heat compensation, but we will then have to reassess our space requirements."
As her Romulan counterpart spoke, Sabrina affirmatively nodded. As he finished conveying his thoughts, she offered a warm but subtle grin as she pulled out her PADD and began entering a synopsis of their discussions, subsequent recommendations along with deliberations mentioned by the cadets and the engineering crew.
Within moments, she handed her PADD to the Bolian engineering officer.
“Does this entry encapsulate our current status thus far?” she prudently inquired.
He looked at it for a moment then nodded.
''Quite adequate, Cadet. Since you are not in Engineering, it is not required from you to provide the specific technical specs to make this proposal viable. But you show enough attention to details to make it a sound and workable proposal. That is what is expected of a science officer. Good work.''
He turned towards the Romulancadet.
''Despite superficial appearances, you show a good grasp of interspecies relations, departemental relations and have a quick grasp of individual psychology. Those too are qualities of good officers. Just make sure you be careful with the... colorful description regarding who you speak with. Rest assured however that down here in Engineering, we hear far worse.''
He looked at all of them.
''Well, while we wait for the Allmighty Beard to grace us with his blessings, we can prepare all the work on computer and replicators.''
Terix bowed slightly, though he realized it may be taken as a mocking gesture so he followed it up "Thank you for the advice. I occasionally forget my place and that my...insights...may not always be welcome. My discipline has perhaps slipped during my time on Earth."
''No worries, Cadet, '' the woman said with a smile. ''Juggling with over one hundred and fifty different world cultures, each often with hundred different cultures of their own, and somehow have all this work harmoniously, is a never ending and most difficult challenge. An Empire imposing just one standard over everyone and everything is much more easier, yet look how difficult it still is for Klingons and Romulans. But this challenge of universal brotherhood is what defines the United Federation of Planets. Your presence and contribution to it makes it all the more worthwhile.''
With a renewed sense of exuberance, Sabrina hustled over to an engineering replicator and began transmitting specifications from her PADD into the device. Once the data was received, she modified the dimensions to create scaled down versions of the components. She thoroughly examined each piece that was being replicated to ensure that it would meet quality standards; even if each piece were only a nonfunctioning mock-up of the actual parts that were yet to be fully designed and created. The nearby engineers would be involved in designing the actual specifications and details required of fully functioning components that may be used, contingent on the authorization to proceed with the modifications being given by those well above her cadet rank.
''Good work Cadet, '' the Bolian engineer said as he looked over her work. ''There is a secondary engineering station over here you can all use for your testing and calibration.''
With her pieces in tow, Sabrina scurried over to the secondary engineering station and laid them out across the top surface like pieces to a puzzle. She pulled up the schematics of the alpha and beta vectors and studied the holographic displays thoroughly once again. With her eyes focused on the projections, she inquired to her nearby fellow cadets and the engineering team members, “Any recommendations for the final design elements?”
"Do not forget to factor in function over practicality" Gunner chimed in.
"These are modifications for the completion of a mission, not for something which looks good or fits better"
Tapping his own head Gunner continued.
"I for one would not mind ducking under a component which works better than a smaller one which was installed so no one would hit their head"
“Agreed,” Sabrina noted as she studied potential interface points on the components with the hull. Fortunately, they would not need to reinvent the wheel, merely customize aspects of it to suit their needs for this older vessel.
“Perhaps we could also integrate nanofibers into these modules that could tap into the web of bio-neural circuitry within the ship,” she pondered out loud.
"Not a bad idea" Gunner responded.
Knowing that such things were well above his understanding of technology Gunner did not attempt to add more to the conversation. However the Starfleet in him won out and he inquired about the idea itself.
"What exactly were you thinking?" Gunner asked.
Sabrina offered him a curious grin as she pondered how to succinctly respond to his inquiry. Eventually, the reasoning behind her proposal coalesced in her thoughts.
“Given the cruciality of time in emergency situations, the nanofiber filaments embedded within the components could process sensor readings expeditiously then transmit the information to our stations more efficiently. Sometimes even fractions of a second can make a significant difference when facing a crisis.”
The NCO woman nodded with a smirk.
''A fair assumption considering we are talking about vehicles moving many times faster than light. Unless you like to fall to obsolete ploys like the Picard Maneuver, all starship systems, most of all sensors, must also be able to work at supraluminal speeds; or else they are completely useless except for asteroid mining and hauling moon garbage.''
Terix observed the goings on attempting to contemplate how he might contribute to the ambitious human's plan. None of these modifications were anywhere near his areas of expertise, but in the back of his mind he was determined to prove his worth to the group and to show that Romulans could indeed be nonviolent, and work within a group when the situation required.
"Cadet Shadowhunt, what can I do to assist you? Engineering is not my field of study but if there is something specific that needs to be done I will do my best to assist."
Sabrina smiled amiably at her Romulan colleague.
“Thank you cadet Terix for your continued endorsement and camaraderie. I have a sense that your extensive knowledge and enthusiasm will serve us well throughout our mission. In regard to these proposals, at this point we are just waiting on our chief engineer to return with a verdict. In fact, since we have our prototypes prepared and options for implementation already uploaded, I will probably head back to the science labs and continue inspecting all consoles and stations to verify that they are at optimal status for departure.”
Terix bowed "Very well, I will busy myself at one of the auxiliary consoles becoming more familiar with this ship's systems until the Commander Sangliar returns."
Terix moved away from the assembly and found an unused auxiliary console, and pulled up the Alsea's specifications. Even though cadets were expected to be able to recognize all Starfleet vessels specifics were usually not taught except to engineers. All in all it was an impressive vessel, despite the barbs Terix had thrown at the ship's engineer, and even though it had been designed at a much different time. Updated with the latest Starfleet had to offer the Romulan could see how an enemy might underestimate the Alsea. His respect for the Federation, and Starfleet only grew the longer he was with them even though his aspirations were, he felt, much bigger than being a Starfleet officer.
The access door to main engineering swished open to admit Chief engineer Sangliar and Academy Lieutenant Snow. Once they were sure they had every cadet,s attention, the copper-skinned woman looked at each one of them in turn before addressing them.
''Well cadets; do you feel up and ready to handle a little training cruise?
Cracking his knuckles, and glancing over to the tactical station, Gunner smiled.
"I am game sir."
Looking over at his fellow cadets, Gunner nodded awaiting their response.
"I think we can handle it."
“As observed in centuries passed, the surest way to complete an objective is to begin,” Sabrina confirmed with assurance.
Terix turned from his console, "If the Alsea is ready...then so are we."
Sabrina eyed Academy instructor Lieutenant Snow with eagerness brimming within.
“Sir, what are our immediate orders?”
