Brilliant Minds

Posted on 11 Apr 2012 @ 10:51pm by Rachel Hardaway Ph.D. & Anthony Hardaway Ph.D.
Edited on on 12 Apr 2012 @ 5:53am

1,564 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: Starbase 152, Project Sienna
Timeline: MD02: 0440 hours

[ON]

Anthony walked into the main lab, went to the replicator and ordered a cup of plain black coffee, double strong. Once the drink materialized, he sat down at a neatly arranged desk in the corner. The large lab was more technology than office, but it served both purposes adequately. It was the the center of the entire Sienna Project.

The young-looking scientist leaned back with a sigh and opened up the holographic interface on the desk, sipping a cup of coffee and schematics and diagrams popped up. It was early, he knew, but this was the best time for his work. He felt freshest in the morning and he was safe. Safe from the scientists, Starfleet's best but still not as good as him. Safe from nagging commanders, admirals, diplomats, councilmen, men who were like children always wanting instant gratification without the slightest inkling as to why they could not have it; sometimes he simply did not turn in reports when it hardly seemed worth the bother, and that was often, he knew his time was better spent working.

The only person worth his time, the only one he willingly left his work for, was Rachel. He'd left her sleeping in their room, but he knew she would join him soon enough. Together, he thought, they could do anything; Project Sienna was mere child's play.

0700 hours

Rachel stepped out of the shower. She had woken up alone which was more normal then waking up with Anthony in bed with her. While she considered herself a morning person she was more of a seven in the morning person. Where Anthony was more of a five in the morning person.

With a smile on her face she exited their quarters and headed for the main science lab. She loved living on the star base. She had access to the best toys and both her and Anthony were far from the prying eyes of the people who were funding their research.

Pressing the control on the door and following the biometric verification she opened the doors with their nearly trademarked hiss. "Morning sweetheart." She said simply as she moved towards her usual console. "What have you accomplished without me?" She stopped to give her husband a kiss on the cheek as she passed by.

"Hey, dear," he replied with a smile, returning her gesture of affection. "I've been working through the Sagan Density Equations and I'm not sure about them still. They're old." he gestured to the long string of numbers and symbols on the holographic display, "These fractals are all wrong. Let's scrap them entirely and spend a few hours building up something that will work."

Rachel stopped in her tracks and looked over the equations. He was right. While she wasn't sure the fractals were beyond further manipulation Rachel had learned long ago not to doubt the analytical mind of her partner. "Refresh my memory...have we attempted applying the Gillyian graviton variable algorithm to densities output?" She looked over at Anthony. "I am not against scrapping the fractals I just don't want to spend the time starting from scratch just to end up at the same junction." she grinned.

He returned her smile, standing up from the desk. "Last week, right?" he reminded her kindly. "Come on, let's make the computer earn its keep." He started towards the large console on the back wall. "Soon we'll begin tests, real tests. Almost out of theory. It will be incredible."

"Ugh...that's right...I remember it now." She started as the memories of the hours spend over the last few weeks trying to force the math and the science to link up. It was trying to force two pieces of matter to exist at the same point, except maybe less successful.

"That will be an amazing day." Rachel said with an almost maternal longing. This project was practically her child. Something she had cultivated along with Anthony for years since the initial idea had popped into Anthony's mind. She tapped a few commands into her computer console and waited to see what the computer would come up with. She only hoped that it was a little more creative then they had been.

"Think of it. We'll be the next Zefram Cochranes," He smiled, "but let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've got some time before the the others start clamoring at our door, we should make the most of it."

Later

"You have got to be kidding me!" Rachel exclaimed as she pounded her fist on the edge of the display. "The gravitational alignment matrix is only able to remain stable 78.37 percent of the time." She ran her hand though her hair. " If we can't get the simulations up to at least 98 percent we won't even be able to dream of a full scale test." She looked down as the display tapping her fingers against the side of the input as she willed the answer to pop into her head.

Anthony was silent as he stared at their work. The scientists had come in, but today he couldn't blame their distractions; they had been quiet for the most part. "We'll get it," he said, looking up at her. "It's like sudoku, as soon as you find the right number, everything else falls into place."

This was not the moment Rachel needed to be told that. "Sudoku contains a finite amount of numbers and possibilities....each box only has a possible of nine combinations..." She snapped before letting out a sign, "Sorry." She apologized, "I need a break from this...maybe after a walk I will be able to refocus."

"Let's go for a walk then," he said, taking gentle hold of her arm. "Maybe nature will inspire us."

Rachel nodded as she placed a hand on top of his. She let out a smile as they exited the lab. They had made this walk a dozen times. It seemed like whenever she got stuck or frustrated there was nothing better then the Arboretum. Luckily for her Starbase 152 had an amazing one.

The scent of the room was the first thing that got to her. It relaxed every muscle in Rachel's body and allowed her mind to focus on something other then the MCD. "God I love it in here."

"Why aren't you a gardener then?" he asked, teasing, "I hear Starfleet Academy is looking for someone who will be able to take over for their groundskeeper. Let's go to the pond."

Rachel let out a light laugh, "If I were the gardener I bet I would have to take breaks in the propulsion lab when I got frustrated with a plant." She followed Anthony towards the pond. The mist of water that breezed against her face was refreshing as she watched the larger drops from the fountain break the waters surface.

Anthony laughed. "Maybe so," he replied, walking up to a tree and leaning against it as he watched the water. "It is rather nice here. That's the thing about ships, most of them have no real life besides us. No plants. I think plants are good for our mental well-being... you think I could do a study on that in my spare time?"

"What spare time?" Rachel said with a grin as she lowered into the grass. She let out a sigh as her arms moved behind her to prop herself up as she leaned back. She watched the water for a moment almost mesmerized by the way the drops fell. She watched as the drop of water merged with the pond below. She shot up straight and moved towards the patch of sand that separated the grass and water. Her fingers began to move though the sand putting her idea on paper...in a way.

"Perhaps I need to make some spare time," he replied, sitting down next to her. He laughed softly, gesturing to the pond casually, "I've been working too much, even the water reminds me of spatial wave theorems."

"Spatial wave theorems..." Rachel said under her breath. She turned to Anthony with a smile on her face. "The wave...our calculations never accounted for the subspace wave interference from the drive itself." She showed him what she meant in the math she had drawn in the sand. "That is why the anomaly wouldn't stabilize consistently when the dive was activated."

Grinning wide, Anthony, reached for her hands to pull her to her feet. "You're right!" he told her excitedly. "Like a ripple. If the drive is one drop of water, external forces are like the others and when the ripples meet... you lose cohesion. We can adjust for that."

Rachel practically beemed up at Anthony as he spoke. "I told you I love coming here." She grinned at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. She excitedly pressed her lips against his. The kiss wasn't long, as soon as it was over she practically tugged him towards the door. "We need to get back to the lab...I want to run the simulations with the new parameters."

"Right now," Anthrony agreed, hurrying along with her to the lab.

[OFF]

Dr. Anthony Hadaway, Ph.D.
Head Research Scientist
Project Sienna
played by Chauncey William Remington III

Dr. Rachel Hadaway Ph. D.
Head Research Scientist
Project Sienna
NPC'ed by Tarishiana Barel

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