Intermission – For the want of a nail
by Lieutenant Commander Steve Wyman & Lieutenant JG Lyhse Sullivans
Post Details
ON:
"Ego-maniacal, aristocratic, self centered..." Steve muttered as he entered engineering. He hoped that work would take his mind off of the entire situation with Drant, but as of yet he hadn't calmed down after the trip from the XO's office.
Breezing through the bustling compartment, he stopped at a replicator. "Black tea, eighty degrees, two sugars." Almost immediately a sparkle and a swirl of light appeared in the food slot, but when the replication was complete, it most assuredly wasn't a cup of tea.
Steve stood there, eyes fixed in a glare, wondering if this was a sign of how his day was going to go. "Well, I suppose it's at least something edible. Though I can't say I was in the mood for a brick of cheddar cheese..." he mused.
Lyhse's was headed for Main Engineering to look over the form A-4457 (Ship Resupply- Refurbishment request form.) She noted there were three for crew replacement, billeting, and crew transfer. Most of the refurbishments had been completed a few hours after docking.
Turning away from the replicator, still holding the plate of cheese in his hand, Steve sighed. "Lyhse, I have a question for you. And keep in mind that I'm not blaming anyone for anything. But, is this a cup of black tea?"
The dark haired woman was perplexed~"Was this a trick question?"; Lyhse thought since Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham had approached her about replicators not producing replacement parts for his 'Wing", she had been heavily occupied with all the replicator failures, some simple some disastrous. Thinking to herself, as she scans the cheese block with an Engineering Tricoder~" For a device that is used for the synthesis of organic and inorganic materials via rearrangement of subatomic particles; has been an endless pain in thee a--."
The beep indicated it had completed with it's scan; although organic, it was neither a cup of black tea, nor a block of cheese.
Lyhse said "No Lieutenant; it is neither a cup of black tea, nor is it a block of cheese."
Now Wyman was less aggravated and more puzzled. In an odd move he brought the plate up to his eyes, looking for all intents and purposes like he was making sure the not cheese was level. Then he sniffed it, before lowering it back to mid-chest. "Well, it looks like cheese and it smells like cheese. But the tricorder says it's not cheese. So either my eyes and nose are wrong, or the tricorder is wrong. We already know the replicator's wrong, because no matter if this is or isn't cheese, it sure as Hell isn't a cup of tea."
"And all this begs a bigger question - how long have we been having replicator issues? Because I've gone through Commander Dunham's logs, and didn't see anything like this in any of them." Yes, by this point Steve's anger with Drant had been replaced by bemusement at the odd puzzle the engineering food slot had set before him.
Lyhse knew the Mark 6 Food Replication Unit was the current culprit; yet, she could not help think some one was playing a joke. Her initial scan had detected trace amount of Tannic Acid, the cheese block had less amounts of cream, starter culture, yogurt, and bacteria.
As she tapped an inquiry on her PADD, she stated:
"The actual exchange was Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham statement was that 'my department' had difficulties with the FIR's type four through to the type one FIR. The type fives were used to 'create' sub-assemblies of replacement parts, however due to Star Fleet's EM protocols replacement parts were stock piled.
Scowling at the block of not quite cheddar, Wyman took in what Sullivans had to say and put his brain to work. "I'd hate to have to take these units offline since there's so many of them. We've got enough work to do around here without adding a few hundred faulty replicators onto the pile. If this is this endemic an issue, it might almost be more time efficient to requisition replacement units and scrap the faulty ones." Rubbing his temples, he added, "And this isn't helping my headache..."
Lyhse had downloaded to her PADD the Tea pattern from the Station's Pattern Library, placed her Engineering Tricorder on the top of the Food Replicator set to scan as she inputted directly from her PADD to the replicator the pattern instantly four black ten once coffee mugs appeared, after scanning the results she hands one of the Coffee mugs off to Lieutenant Steve Wyman, she moves the remaining three mugs of the 'Transporter' plate and four more appear, but one white mug, one black mug, one yellow mug, and the last was a gray mug.
With a slight smirk, Steve glanced from the ever increasing pile of tea cups to Lyhse, "That much caffeine isn't going to help my headache, either."
Without a word the dark haired woman scanned the second group, removed them and a third set of coffee mugs appeared different sizes, different colors, and different beverages. After the results of the scan of this group Lyhse states:
"I have downloaded a pattern from the Station's pattern library, inputted this pattern from my PADD, instructed the replicator to make four cups of black tea at eighty degrees Fahrenheit {water boils at 120}, the second group Tea, one black, one with two teaspoons of sugar, one with lemon, and the last was two sugars, and milk added, the finial group was different sized mugs with different beverages."
This wasn't the first time since assuming the chief engineering post on DS5 that Wyman had found himself branching out mentally for a complex solution only to have someone else swoop in and fix the issue quickly and simply. Had the years working in R&D dulled his senses to the point that he couldn't work efficiently in the field anymore?
Shaking his head slightly in an effort to dislodge that errant thought, he returned his attention to the different cups of tepid tea and other assorted potables. "So you're saying this is looking like some sort of endemic programming issue?" Picking up the tea he believed to be with lemon and sipping, he continued, "Well, that's slightly less of a problem than a hardware issue, but still something we're going to have to deal with. How long do you think it'll take you to rejigger the code and push the update through to the..." At that he paused to consider just how many of these units DS5 was carrying. Sighing at the rough estimate of crew and passenger quarters units, as well as promenade and other common area units, he finished, "...seventy-five thousand, give or take, replicators we've got?"
Lyhse looked quizzical:
"Lieutenant you're not going to like this; I ran into a similar problem at another Station.", She 'downloads' from her Engineering Tricorder.
"It will require the master authorization of the CEO. The use of the Master Authorization would force an 'update' to all Mark 6 Food Replication Units."
Closing his eyes for a moment in an effort to bring his brain into focus, Wyman sighed. "How long will this 'update' take? I doubt the Captain and XO will be happy with having that many replicators offline for an extended period of time. In fact, I doubt the XO will be happy with anything that involves me."
Lyhse pauses; she contemplates the inquiry, Lyhse replied:
"Seventy five seconds to eighty five seconds, per group of one thousand units about One point seven seven eight one hours."
"Well, I suppose it could be worse. Start with the units in less heavily trafficked areas of the station before you start hitting the promenade and crew quarters. I'll alert the Captain and Commander Villiers and, if needed, take the heat for it." As far as crises go - this one was minor, but it seemed like it never went too long before something went awry.
OFF
Lt. Steve Wyman
Chief Engineering Officer
&
Lieutenant JG Lyhse Sullivans
Manufacturing Production Officer
Deep Space Five
by Lieutenant Commander Steve Wyman & Lieutenant JG Lyhse Sullivans
Post Details
| Title | For the want of a nail | |
| Mission | Intermission | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Commander Steve Wyman & Lieutenant JG Lyhse Sullivans | |
| Posted | Thu Dec 05, 2013 @ 9:56am | |
| Location | Main Engineering | |
| Timeline | SD 73 - Shortly after "Frustration Sets In" |
"Ego-maniacal, aristocratic, self centered..." Steve muttered as he entered engineering. He hoped that work would take his mind off of the entire situation with Drant, but as of yet he hadn't calmed down after the trip from the XO's office.
Breezing through the bustling compartment, he stopped at a replicator. "Black tea, eighty degrees, two sugars." Almost immediately a sparkle and a swirl of light appeared in the food slot, but when the replication was complete, it most assuredly wasn't a cup of tea.
Steve stood there, eyes fixed in a glare, wondering if this was a sign of how his day was going to go. "Well, I suppose it's at least something edible. Though I can't say I was in the mood for a brick of cheddar cheese..." he mused.
Lyhse's was headed for Main Engineering to look over the form A-4457 (Ship Resupply- Refurbishment request form.) She noted there were three for crew replacement, billeting, and crew transfer. Most of the refurbishments had been completed a few hours after docking.
Turning away from the replicator, still holding the plate of cheese in his hand, Steve sighed. "Lyhse, I have a question for you. And keep in mind that I'm not blaming anyone for anything. But, is this a cup of black tea?"
The dark haired woman was perplexed~"Was this a trick question?"; Lyhse thought since Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham had approached her about replicators not producing replacement parts for his 'Wing", she had been heavily occupied with all the replicator failures, some simple some disastrous. Thinking to herself, as she scans the cheese block with an Engineering Tricoder~" For a device that is used for the synthesis of organic and inorganic materials via rearrangement of subatomic particles; has been an endless pain in thee a--."
The beep indicated it had completed with it's scan; although organic, it was neither a cup of black tea, nor a block of cheese.
Lyhse said "No Lieutenant; it is neither a cup of black tea, nor is it a block of cheese."
Now Wyman was less aggravated and more puzzled. In an odd move he brought the plate up to his eyes, looking for all intents and purposes like he was making sure the not cheese was level. Then he sniffed it, before lowering it back to mid-chest. "Well, it looks like cheese and it smells like cheese. But the tricorder says it's not cheese. So either my eyes and nose are wrong, or the tricorder is wrong. We already know the replicator's wrong, because no matter if this is or isn't cheese, it sure as Hell isn't a cup of tea."
"And all this begs a bigger question - how long have we been having replicator issues? Because I've gone through Commander Dunham's logs, and didn't see anything like this in any of them." Yes, by this point Steve's anger with Drant had been replaced by bemusement at the odd puzzle the engineering food slot had set before him.
Lyhse knew the Mark 6 Food Replication Unit was the current culprit; yet, she could not help think some one was playing a joke. Her initial scan had detected trace amount of Tannic Acid, the cheese block had less amounts of cream, starter culture, yogurt, and bacteria.
As she tapped an inquiry on her PADD, she stated:
"The actual exchange was Lieutenant Commander Richard Dunham statement was that 'my department' had difficulties with the FIR's type four through to the type one FIR. The type fives were used to 'create' sub-assemblies of replacement parts, however due to Star Fleet's EM protocols replacement parts were stock piled.
Scowling at the block of not quite cheddar, Wyman took in what Sullivans had to say and put his brain to work. "I'd hate to have to take these units offline since there's so many of them. We've got enough work to do around here without adding a few hundred faulty replicators onto the pile. If this is this endemic an issue, it might almost be more time efficient to requisition replacement units and scrap the faulty ones." Rubbing his temples, he added, "And this isn't helping my headache..."
Lyhse had downloaded to her PADD the Tea pattern from the Station's Pattern Library, placed her Engineering Tricorder on the top of the Food Replicator set to scan as she inputted directly from her PADD to the replicator the pattern instantly four black ten once coffee mugs appeared, after scanning the results she hands one of the Coffee mugs off to Lieutenant Steve Wyman, she moves the remaining three mugs of the 'Transporter' plate and four more appear, but one white mug, one black mug, one yellow mug, and the last was a gray mug.
With a slight smirk, Steve glanced from the ever increasing pile of tea cups to Lyhse, "That much caffeine isn't going to help my headache, either."
Without a word the dark haired woman scanned the second group, removed them and a third set of coffee mugs appeared different sizes, different colors, and different beverages. After the results of the scan of this group Lyhse states:
"I have downloaded a pattern from the Station's pattern library, inputted this pattern from my PADD, instructed the replicator to make four cups of black tea at eighty degrees Fahrenheit {water boils at 120}, the second group Tea, one black, one with two teaspoons of sugar, one with lemon, and the last was two sugars, and milk added, the finial group was different sized mugs with different beverages."
This wasn't the first time since assuming the chief engineering post on DS5 that Wyman had found himself branching out mentally for a complex solution only to have someone else swoop in and fix the issue quickly and simply. Had the years working in R&D dulled his senses to the point that he couldn't work efficiently in the field anymore?
Shaking his head slightly in an effort to dislodge that errant thought, he returned his attention to the different cups of tepid tea and other assorted potables. "So you're saying this is looking like some sort of endemic programming issue?" Picking up the tea he believed to be with lemon and sipping, he continued, "Well, that's slightly less of a problem than a hardware issue, but still something we're going to have to deal with. How long do you think it'll take you to rejigger the code and push the update through to the..." At that he paused to consider just how many of these units DS5 was carrying. Sighing at the rough estimate of crew and passenger quarters units, as well as promenade and other common area units, he finished, "...seventy-five thousand, give or take, replicators we've got?"
Lyhse looked quizzical:
"Lieutenant you're not going to like this; I ran into a similar problem at another Station.", She 'downloads' from her Engineering Tricorder.
"It will require the master authorization of the CEO. The use of the Master Authorization would force an 'update' to all Mark 6 Food Replication Units."
Closing his eyes for a moment in an effort to bring his brain into focus, Wyman sighed. "How long will this 'update' take? I doubt the Captain and XO will be happy with having that many replicators offline for an extended period of time. In fact, I doubt the XO will be happy with anything that involves me."
Lyhse pauses; she contemplates the inquiry, Lyhse replied:
"Seventy five seconds to eighty five seconds, per group of one thousand units about One point seven seven eight one hours."
"Well, I suppose it could be worse. Start with the units in less heavily trafficked areas of the station before you start hitting the promenade and crew quarters. I'll alert the Captain and Commander Villiers and, if needed, take the heat for it." As far as crises go - this one was minor, but it seemed like it never went too long before something went awry.
OFF
Lt. Steve Wyman
Chief Engineering Officer
&
Lieutenant JG Lyhse Sullivans
Manufacturing Production Officer
Deep Space Five