Incommunicado – Shaking it down
by Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC)
Post Details
ON:
Catherine settled into the Captains chair and pressed the communication link on the flat arm.
=^= “Captain Tahir. Commander Burrel in charge of the USS Horatio. All pre flight checks have been carried out to completion. Permission to leave the docking bay and begin our final tests?” Came the Commanders request.
Tasha pressed the console, bringing up a one way video onto the Horatio’s bridge.
=^= “Commander, permission granted. One quarter impulse until you are one thousand kilometres from DS5, then maximum warp for one hour. That will take you a tenth of a light year, enough distance to give the Horatio a good shakedown I believe.” Tahir stated as she looked at the crew, both Horatio and DS5, concentrating on the task in hand.
=^= “Thank you Captain. We’ll send back data every sixty seconds, which should be enough to keep your Engineers occupied.” Catherine replied as she leant forward.
=^= “Good luck Horatio. DS5 out.” Tahir closed the channel awaiting Captain Buckleys appearance in her office.
“Helm,” Catherine began, “set course and take us out.”
“Aye ma’am.” Ashton replied as he pushed and pressed various buttons plotting their course. “Course set, docking bay doors opening.” He leant forward in his own chair.
“Thank you Lieutenant.” Catherine responded as she mirrored his move and leant forward herself.
For the next thirty seconds, a pin if dropped would have been heard as the Horatio exited the station and was once again in open space.
She looked resplendent, with all the battle damage repaired and repainted. Her registration was lit with the running lights and the engines hummed their own appreciation of the stations overhaul.
Ashton eased his neck around.
“Clear of docking bay.” Edward advised as he watched the counting upward to the thousand mark and then he would be ready to ease the Horatio to maximum warp.
“One hundred kilometres” He stated.
“No need for the count Lieutenant. Advise when we’re going to warp.” Catherine requested.
“Yes Ma’am.” Lieutenant Ashton replied as he continued to count in his head.
Catherine took a cursory glance around the assembled crew and then turned to the communications officer on loan from DS5.
“Ensign Demoines, shipwide please.” She ordered.
Elspeth nodded and turned her chair back t the communications console.
“Shipwide at your control.” She advised the Commander.
“Crew of the USS Horatio. We are about to go to maximum warp. This will be a shakedown for all systems. Maintain a vigil on all ships systems and enjoy the ride. Burrel out.” She said with a grin on her face as Ashtons hand moved toward the engine control.
“Maximum warp in three, two, one….”
And the ship felt as if it had lurched forward. The transition to maximum warp was smoother than it had ever been. Twenty fourth century technology showing its superiority over the twenty second and in just four seconds, they had reached optimum speeds.
Catherine turned to the woman occupying the Engineering station.
“Lieutenant Brever, report?” Catherine ordered.
“Engines are stable and well within tolerances. Warp filed stable, heat dissipation on the deflector array well below normal and shields at one hundred percent with power in reserve.” She reported.
“Power in reserve? Are you saying the ship could go faster?” She questioned.
Glenda nodded her affirmation of the Commanders question.
“Yes ma’am. We still have eighteen percent of usable power, but I would not recommend we push the engines beyond their specified tolerances until we have given the ship a full workout.”
“Thank you for the advice Lieutenant.” Burrel said with an even larger smile on her face. Not only had the Horatio surpassed its former bests, but it still had some to spare. “Maybe on the return.” She added as she eased back around to the science officer.
“Lieutenant Wang, your report?” Catherine ordered.
Kin gave a single nod. “I mostly concur with Lieutenant Brever.” He replied
“Mostly?” Burrel questioned
“Eighteen percent of power reserve goes some way to explain the number of decks currently not occupied and positions unmanned. Weapons are not armed though we are collating a vast amount of data. In my opinion, if we were in a battle situation, then that unutilised power would soon be utilised. For the purposes of this exercise, all that we see, will have to be balanced against what we know.” He advised in his best scientific voice.
Catherine knew what Kin Wang was stating and she nodded her own acceptance of his reasoning.
“Very good. Make sure that the data bursts are sent back to Deep Space five.” She eased the chair back to its centred position.
“Viewer rear.” She ordered and the main screen changed to a shrinking Space station and to see the distance grow and the feel of the ship, she felt quietly confident that the Horatio was about to be given a clean bill of health.
For the next thirty minutes, everyone aboard the USS was monitoring, altering and adjusting dials and consoles, putting different stresses and strains on the Horatio and sending back data to the federation station that was nearly one tenth of a light year behind them.
The Engines and their comparative systems had out performed all expectations and the Horatio was giving green lights across the test.
Finally, Ashton eased back the engines to one half impulse.
“Warp engines disengaged. Speed slowing.” He said as he finally swung his chair around to the grinning Commander.
Catherine stood and moved to the Engineering console.
“Final evaluation Lieutenant Brever?”
Glenda eased her chair around to face the commander.
“Ma’am, we maintained an average of fifteen percent power in reserve. No undue stress on the ships hull or engines, shields displayed only minor fluctuations, but they were relevant to the course changes. Warp field was resonant and we reached a maximum speed of warp seven point eight for thirteen seconds. Engines reached a maximum operating temperature of one hundred and six point two Kelvin with a below average flow rate indicating that the plasma at no time reached a critical temperature. Overall, all systems were responsive and in conclusion, the ship is fully functional and ready for service.” The Engineer was happy to give her report.
Catherine gave a smile along with a nod as she turned to the science officer.
“I fully concur.” Wang advised.
Catherine turned and made her way back to the captain’s chair and wished that they had taken the opportunity to have at least one replicator fitted as she felt the need for tea.
“Shipwide.” Catherine requested as she pressed the flip switch at her side. “crew of the USS Horatio. It give me immense pleasure to relay the readiness of this ship. All tests have been passed with ease and well above expectation for a ship of this age. Thank you one and all for your diligence and patience. Burrel out.”
“Ensign Demoines, open a channel to Deep Space five, advise we have reached our destination and that we are now making our way back.” Catherine ordered as she once again settled into the chair.
Elspeth pressed the switch opening the channel back to DS5 but all she had in her earpiece was static.
She pressed another switch and followed hat with another and another before removing her earpiece.
“Ma’am, I am not able to open a channel to DS5.” She advised.
“Tried another frequency?” Catherine enquired as she rose from her seat and strode up onto the raised platform.
“All frequencies tried including subspace.” She responded.
Catherines brow dropped. “And nothing?” She asked.
“Nothing except for static.” Elspeth advised as her one hand hovered over the console and the other rested in her lap still holding her earpiece.
“Try Starfleet.” Burrel suggested as she looked over the communication console, knowing that Elspeth would already have checked her station.
Demoines pushed the earpiece snugly into her ear and reset the console to the Federation frequency and pressed the transmit switch, Again, only static was resounding in her ear. She again pressed several switches, altering the frequencies and received nothing but the electronic hiss for her reward.
She eased her chair around to the Commander who was already close to her left hand side.
“Nothing ma’am. Nothing on the Federation or hailing frequencies. Either we have a problem with the communication array, or … “ She shrugged her shoulders.
Catherine spun about, “Lieutenant Brever, run a level two diagnostic on the communication array.
“At once.” Glenda replied as she set the computer into test mode and began the low level diagnostic check of the array.
“Fully functional. Diagnostic report there is nothing wrong with the array ma’am.” Glenda advised the Commander.
“Lieutenant Ashton, turn us around, fastest course back to DS5. Ensign Demoines, continue to hail on all frequencies, somebody must hear us.” She said in frustration.
The crew of the Horatio raced back towards DS5, not knowing why they were both unable to send or receive transmissions, but hoped that they had not somehow been yanked back to their own timeline, or that something untoward had happened on their journey that had given rise to this unexpected turn of events.
It was nearly twenty minutes later, less than a hundredth of a light year, that Elspeth finally managed to gain a signal.
“This is the USS Horatio. Please respond?” Came her plea for more times than she had cared to keep a track of when there came a louder crackle with the faintest of responses.
“Horatio, this is the USS Pollux. Where have you been?” Came a voice over the radio Channel.
“Been? We lost communication a little over twenty minutes ago.” Elspeth explained.
Catherine waved her hand, signalling the channel be transferred to her.
Elspeth flicked a switch.
“Commander Burrel. As Ensign Demoines just reported, we discovered we had lost communications twenty minutes ago.”
“Commander, the last signal that Deep Space five received was forty five minutes ago. Your data stream just ceased. We tried for fifteen minutes to raise you before being dispatched on what we thought would be a search and rescue operation. I have a small security team with me. We tracked your data path along this route. How did you lose signal?” The pilot of the shuttle enquired as his own communication was interrupted.
“Lieutenant Votre, patch through your communication to Deep Space five. We have your signal, but not the Horatios.” Tahir requested.
“Aye ma’am”. The pilot replied, linking up the Horatio with the station whilst acting as a relay.
“Commander Burrel, we thought we had lost you out there after we lost your data stream.” She advised.
Catherine shook her head.
“Sorry Captain Tahir, we were not aware we had lost transmission until we tried to contact from our destination co-ordinates. Captain, not only could we not raise you, but we cold not Starfleet either.” Catherine advised.
“Under normal circumstances, I would say impossible as there are several relay stations that would carry any sub space signal. I assume you followed protocols and checked your communication array?” Tasha questioned and realised immediately that the communications array must be order, as they were now talking to each other. “Ignore that.” She added as the Horatio signal began to appear on her own frequency. “How is your navigation?” She asked as Burrel slowed the Horatio and followed the Pollux back to DS5.
Burrel glanced across to the Helm.
“Navigation is fine.” Ashton advised.
“No problems with navigation or helm control. Following the shuttle back to the station.” Catherine advised.
“Very good commander. After you dock and your reports are complete, please meet me in my office. Tahir out.”
OFF
by Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC)
Post Details
| Title | Shaking it down | |
| Mission | Incommunicado | |
| Author(s) | Captain Tasha Tahir (NPC) | |
| Posted | Fri Mar 23, 2012 @ 1:35pm | |
| Location | Main Repair dock | |
| Timeline | SD57 11:00 |
Catherine settled into the Captains chair and pressed the communication link on the flat arm.
=^= “Captain Tahir. Commander Burrel in charge of the USS Horatio. All pre flight checks have been carried out to completion. Permission to leave the docking bay and begin our final tests?” Came the Commanders request.
Tasha pressed the console, bringing up a one way video onto the Horatio’s bridge.
=^= “Commander, permission granted. One quarter impulse until you are one thousand kilometres from DS5, then maximum warp for one hour. That will take you a tenth of a light year, enough distance to give the Horatio a good shakedown I believe.” Tahir stated as she looked at the crew, both Horatio and DS5, concentrating on the task in hand.
=^= “Thank you Captain. We’ll send back data every sixty seconds, which should be enough to keep your Engineers occupied.” Catherine replied as she leant forward.
=^= “Good luck Horatio. DS5 out.” Tahir closed the channel awaiting Captain Buckleys appearance in her office.
“Helm,” Catherine began, “set course and take us out.”
“Aye ma’am.” Ashton replied as he pushed and pressed various buttons plotting their course. “Course set, docking bay doors opening.” He leant forward in his own chair.
“Thank you Lieutenant.” Catherine responded as she mirrored his move and leant forward herself.
For the next thirty seconds, a pin if dropped would have been heard as the Horatio exited the station and was once again in open space.
She looked resplendent, with all the battle damage repaired and repainted. Her registration was lit with the running lights and the engines hummed their own appreciation of the stations overhaul.
Ashton eased his neck around.
“Clear of docking bay.” Edward advised as he watched the counting upward to the thousand mark and then he would be ready to ease the Horatio to maximum warp.
“One hundred kilometres” He stated.
“No need for the count Lieutenant. Advise when we’re going to warp.” Catherine requested.
“Yes Ma’am.” Lieutenant Ashton replied as he continued to count in his head.
Catherine took a cursory glance around the assembled crew and then turned to the communications officer on loan from DS5.
“Ensign Demoines, shipwide please.” She ordered.
Elspeth nodded and turned her chair back t the communications console.
“Shipwide at your control.” She advised the Commander.
“Crew of the USS Horatio. We are about to go to maximum warp. This will be a shakedown for all systems. Maintain a vigil on all ships systems and enjoy the ride. Burrel out.” She said with a grin on her face as Ashtons hand moved toward the engine control.
“Maximum warp in three, two, one….”
And the ship felt as if it had lurched forward. The transition to maximum warp was smoother than it had ever been. Twenty fourth century technology showing its superiority over the twenty second and in just four seconds, they had reached optimum speeds.
Catherine turned to the woman occupying the Engineering station.
“Lieutenant Brever, report?” Catherine ordered.
“Engines are stable and well within tolerances. Warp filed stable, heat dissipation on the deflector array well below normal and shields at one hundred percent with power in reserve.” She reported.
“Power in reserve? Are you saying the ship could go faster?” She questioned.
Glenda nodded her affirmation of the Commanders question.
“Yes ma’am. We still have eighteen percent of usable power, but I would not recommend we push the engines beyond their specified tolerances until we have given the ship a full workout.”
“Thank you for the advice Lieutenant.” Burrel said with an even larger smile on her face. Not only had the Horatio surpassed its former bests, but it still had some to spare. “Maybe on the return.” She added as she eased back around to the science officer.
“Lieutenant Wang, your report?” Catherine ordered.
Kin gave a single nod. “I mostly concur with Lieutenant Brever.” He replied
“Mostly?” Burrel questioned
“Eighteen percent of power reserve goes some way to explain the number of decks currently not occupied and positions unmanned. Weapons are not armed though we are collating a vast amount of data. In my opinion, if we were in a battle situation, then that unutilised power would soon be utilised. For the purposes of this exercise, all that we see, will have to be balanced against what we know.” He advised in his best scientific voice.
Catherine knew what Kin Wang was stating and she nodded her own acceptance of his reasoning.
“Very good. Make sure that the data bursts are sent back to Deep Space five.” She eased the chair back to its centred position.
“Viewer rear.” She ordered and the main screen changed to a shrinking Space station and to see the distance grow and the feel of the ship, she felt quietly confident that the Horatio was about to be given a clean bill of health.
For the next thirty minutes, everyone aboard the USS was monitoring, altering and adjusting dials and consoles, putting different stresses and strains on the Horatio and sending back data to the federation station that was nearly one tenth of a light year behind them.
The Engines and their comparative systems had out performed all expectations and the Horatio was giving green lights across the test.
Finally, Ashton eased back the engines to one half impulse.
“Warp engines disengaged. Speed slowing.” He said as he finally swung his chair around to the grinning Commander.
Catherine stood and moved to the Engineering console.
“Final evaluation Lieutenant Brever?”
Glenda eased her chair around to face the commander.
“Ma’am, we maintained an average of fifteen percent power in reserve. No undue stress on the ships hull or engines, shields displayed only minor fluctuations, but they were relevant to the course changes. Warp field was resonant and we reached a maximum speed of warp seven point eight for thirteen seconds. Engines reached a maximum operating temperature of one hundred and six point two Kelvin with a below average flow rate indicating that the plasma at no time reached a critical temperature. Overall, all systems were responsive and in conclusion, the ship is fully functional and ready for service.” The Engineer was happy to give her report.
Catherine gave a smile along with a nod as she turned to the science officer.
“I fully concur.” Wang advised.
Catherine turned and made her way back to the captain’s chair and wished that they had taken the opportunity to have at least one replicator fitted as she felt the need for tea.
“Shipwide.” Catherine requested as she pressed the flip switch at her side. “crew of the USS Horatio. It give me immense pleasure to relay the readiness of this ship. All tests have been passed with ease and well above expectation for a ship of this age. Thank you one and all for your diligence and patience. Burrel out.”
“Ensign Demoines, open a channel to Deep Space five, advise we have reached our destination and that we are now making our way back.” Catherine ordered as she once again settled into the chair.
Elspeth pressed the switch opening the channel back to DS5 but all she had in her earpiece was static.
She pressed another switch and followed hat with another and another before removing her earpiece.
“Ma’am, I am not able to open a channel to DS5.” She advised.
“Tried another frequency?” Catherine enquired as she rose from her seat and strode up onto the raised platform.
“All frequencies tried including subspace.” She responded.
Catherines brow dropped. “And nothing?” She asked.
“Nothing except for static.” Elspeth advised as her one hand hovered over the console and the other rested in her lap still holding her earpiece.
“Try Starfleet.” Burrel suggested as she looked over the communication console, knowing that Elspeth would already have checked her station.
Demoines pushed the earpiece snugly into her ear and reset the console to the Federation frequency and pressed the transmit switch, Again, only static was resounding in her ear. She again pressed several switches, altering the frequencies and received nothing but the electronic hiss for her reward.
She eased her chair around to the Commander who was already close to her left hand side.
“Nothing ma’am. Nothing on the Federation or hailing frequencies. Either we have a problem with the communication array, or … “ She shrugged her shoulders.
Catherine spun about, “Lieutenant Brever, run a level two diagnostic on the communication array.
“At once.” Glenda replied as she set the computer into test mode and began the low level diagnostic check of the array.
“Fully functional. Diagnostic report there is nothing wrong with the array ma’am.” Glenda advised the Commander.
“Lieutenant Ashton, turn us around, fastest course back to DS5. Ensign Demoines, continue to hail on all frequencies, somebody must hear us.” She said in frustration.
The crew of the Horatio raced back towards DS5, not knowing why they were both unable to send or receive transmissions, but hoped that they had not somehow been yanked back to their own timeline, or that something untoward had happened on their journey that had given rise to this unexpected turn of events.
It was nearly twenty minutes later, less than a hundredth of a light year, that Elspeth finally managed to gain a signal.
“This is the USS Horatio. Please respond?” Came her plea for more times than she had cared to keep a track of when there came a louder crackle with the faintest of responses.
“Horatio, this is the USS Pollux. Where have you been?” Came a voice over the radio Channel.
“Been? We lost communication a little over twenty minutes ago.” Elspeth explained.
Catherine waved her hand, signalling the channel be transferred to her.
Elspeth flicked a switch.
“Commander Burrel. As Ensign Demoines just reported, we discovered we had lost communications twenty minutes ago.”
“Commander, the last signal that Deep Space five received was forty five minutes ago. Your data stream just ceased. We tried for fifteen minutes to raise you before being dispatched on what we thought would be a search and rescue operation. I have a small security team with me. We tracked your data path along this route. How did you lose signal?” The pilot of the shuttle enquired as his own communication was interrupted.
“Lieutenant Votre, patch through your communication to Deep Space five. We have your signal, but not the Horatios.” Tahir requested.
“Aye ma’am”. The pilot replied, linking up the Horatio with the station whilst acting as a relay.
“Commander Burrel, we thought we had lost you out there after we lost your data stream.” She advised.
Catherine shook her head.
“Sorry Captain Tahir, we were not aware we had lost transmission until we tried to contact from our destination co-ordinates. Captain, not only could we not raise you, but we cold not Starfleet either.” Catherine advised.
“Under normal circumstances, I would say impossible as there are several relay stations that would carry any sub space signal. I assume you followed protocols and checked your communication array?” Tasha questioned and realised immediately that the communications array must be order, as they were now talking to each other. “Ignore that.” She added as the Horatio signal began to appear on her own frequency. “How is your navigation?” She asked as Burrel slowed the Horatio and followed the Pollux back to DS5.
Burrel glanced across to the Helm.
“Navigation is fine.” Ashton advised.
“No problems with navigation or helm control. Following the shuttle back to the station.” Catherine advised.
“Very good commander. After you dock and your reports are complete, please meet me in my office. Tahir out.”
OFF