Spatial Gravity

Posted on 07 Apr 2016 @ 10:09am by Ensign Calvin Henderson

1,931 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: USS Galileo, Astrometrics lab
Timeline: MD1, 0800 hours

ON:

Bright and early, Wintrow walked into the astrometrics lab for today's course. He had a PADD tucked under his arm, a stylus casually tucked behind his left ear as though he'd forgotten it was there. "Good morning sir," he greeted politely, though somewhat shyly. "I'm looking for Ensign Henderson, could you please tell me where to find him?"

"You found him," Calvin replied quite confidently and cheerfully. The confidence thing was something still quite new to him and he was enjoying it. Perhaps it was the fact he met most people through his work, as he was in the comfort of the lab and it transferred to out of those four walls, never the less, he was enjoying it. "How can I help?" he added as he took a sip of his coffee and sat it back down at his station that faced the large astrometrics screen as the sensors were churning out mass amounts of data.

"I'm Cadet Paragon sir, I'm expected for an astrometrics course?" The young cadet paused, not quite sure how to explain. "I'm a pilot sir...well....training to be a starship pilot, hopefully someday, if I'm allowed to fly the ship again...for now I just fly shuttles sir."

Smack. Nerves back. A tangible blow to the face. "Erm, w-well...no one mentioned anything to me. Are you sure it is me you are looking for and not one of the more senior officers? I mean...I am still new here myself and learning the systems."

"Positive sir...my schedule says to report to Ensign Calvin Henderson sir..." Nervously, also catching on to the ensign's nerves, Wintrow handed over his PADD.

Glancing over the PADD, everything seemed in order, just no one told him. "I doubt how much of an education you will get with someone who is still learning, but, pull up a chair and I will see what I can do for you, I guess."

Wintrow nodded. "I'm not quite sure what to expect either sir. Perhaps...start with what I'm seeing on the monitor here?" It was an innocent question, but still a valid one. "I know how to navigate and I know how to obtain readings, but I don't know how to interpret these. Yet, I mean."

"Well, the good thing is...that' my job. Scan ahead, become an interpreter and put into a more 'user friendly' form. It is all a case of access, knowing where to look and what a few things mean," Calvin was picking up his confidence again as he was talking about work. "For example, you will want a chart of the system ahead," a few button presses later and the navigational chart appeared. "I'm guessing this is what you are used to seeing on a screen? Well, this and lots of data flashing at random intervals."

The youth nodded. "I fly using charts yes," he acknowledged, "and receiving data on anomalies or what parts to avoid, suggested course corrections. But that's navigational charts. What happens if the chart itself fails, and I only have the data?"

"Then I need to send you back to the academy to learn all I have," Calvin joked with a wide smile. "All the chart you use is the data presented in an overlay. If the navigational chart fails, just use the astrometric overlay. Each individual star will still appear and and data will be represented visually. It is knowing a bit about the area before you fly through it that will help in situations like that. All less complicated than it would appear."

"But what if you have to fly blind because no preparation is possible?" the cadet asked curiously. "Do we keep an open line with astrometrics then to tell us where to go?"

"Preparation is always possible. We continually scan all around the ship and there will be back up maps and back ups of those back ups. I really do think you are planning for something that would be next to impossible. I mean, I have paper copies of maps you are more than welcome to take a copy of," Calvin was feeling a little frustrated, he didn't know what else the Cadet wanted or would want.

Sensing the frustration, Wintrow looked up, dark blue eyes fixed on the young scientist. "I can't use a paper map in a shuttle," he commented, "but I do need to learn how to interpret all this data. I can fly a shuttle anywhere, I can fly fighters, but I can't interpret sensors."

"Then the overlay is your best bet. The computer extrapolates everything for you and gives a suggestion and best course of action against all known spacial anomalies, distortions and events. If it is unrecognized, you would be in the same position as everyone else. Looking it up and wondering what the hell is going on."

"And try to find a way around it?" The cadet smiled uncertainly. "This is all based on flying a starship, right? I've only tried to do that once so far...that was my first and my last time and I was so nervous...I almost crashed the ship."

"Yeah, a way around. All anomalies have defined borders of influence and paths. The same can be said for any ship. They all use the same system for navigation. If you want more detail in that, I suggest you talk to the chief of the flight ops. I have no experience in flying anything."

The youth smirked. "I do," he smiled, "just not starships. I've yet to meet my department head but I'm sure she'll show me. Meanwhile, can you show me what you mean with borders of influence and paths?" He gestured at the shown map.

"Sure," Calvin replied, "see this red line here?" He pointed down at a map he just brought up, "That is the border of a gravity field that would affect the ship. We would need to adjust the ship's path as not to be drawn in by it, or have our warp field thrown off or something. Basically, red lines...bad. The amber ones which are just past that are within limits at current speed or whatever the ship is doing. There I am no expert."

"So anything between an amber and red line is a region of space best avoided just to be safe," Wintrow concluded, "but it's best to stay outside the amber lines?"

"Got it," Calvin smiled realizing he might not be entirely hopeless at this.

Studying the map intently, almost forgetting his instructor was there for several long seconds, Wintrow suddenly turned his head as he traced a dotted line. It was bright blue in colour and it seemed to pass right through an anomaly. "What about this one?"

"That would be the projected path of an anomaly. The closer together the dots are, the faster its relative movement."

"So this line belongs to this particular anomaly?" The pilot traced an odd shape on the screen which was surrounded by a bright red line. "Or is it another one passing through this one?" He squinted, trying to locate the Galileo in relation to the anomaly. "This one will just miss us, correct?"

"Correct, it will miss us, but by a good bit more than just," Calvin used his fingers to adjust the load out into a different view, looking from the aft of the ship going forward. "In this view, you can see it will go right under us."

Hesitantly, Wintrow reached out to the screen and touched it, trying to rotate the view. "Under...right. Too bad Galileo doesn't have fighters then we could go out there and take quick readings for science to ah...study. This is an actual anomaly right, this isn't a simulation?"

"Simulation, sorry," Calvin frowned, "Usually there wouldn't be as many spacial anomalies around. Space is big and for the most part, pretty empty. Especially when we will be travelling known and safe routes for the most part. Never say never though. There are things we have yet to discover and well, as I have come to learn about working with Starfleet...things can get weird."

"Oh..." For a moment the younger man looked disappointed. "Nothing wrong with safe, but doesn't that get boring, even for astrometrics?"

"At times, but thankfully we are scanning quite far away at times. Keeps everyone else with the most up to date information and lets us plot more of our universe."

"But what if you find something of interest, and we can't stop along the way or even send out a team to go study it...say with a shuttle?" If anything, once he got a little secure of himself, Wintrow was an inquisitive young man.

"If we don't get the chance for an in depth study, it gets tagged, cataloged and left to dedicated science teams." Calvin sighed, he wished he would get the chance to carry things out like that one day.

"But we're a science vessel, isn't it our duty to head out investigating new discoveries?"

"Not when our orders take us elsewhere in the galaxy," Calvin smiled warmly, "as far as I know, we don't have open orders to do what we like. If there is enough of an interest, a time limit or basically no other ship about that is only on a patrol...we need to do what we need to do."

"That's annoying..." Yet Wintrow did understand duty, but he also understood scientific interest. "have you ever...pursued your own interest against standing orders?"

"I've not been in a position long enough to even consider it. And even then I doubt I would."

"I haven't either and I doubt I ever will...I'm a pilot...I fly where I'm told to fly and as Galileo doesn't have fighters, I uh...usually ferry people about."

"Well, hopefully one day you'll have the chance to pilot a variety of different types of craft," Calvin nodded knowing that, that kind of thing was usually a pilot's ambition, having dated one previously.

"Commander Kohl allows me to observe the helm during gamma shift, and he allows me to study on the bridge then. I'm sure that once I've re-learned the basics, he'll allow me to man the helm. Supervised of course." He paused, looking away. "Last attempt didn't go so well and it set me back a little in my studies."

"The only way we really learn is when we pick ourselves back up from a fall."

"Oh I know. I know only too well sir..." Wintrow looked up. "But it still wasn't a fun learning experience." He gestured at the screen. "This is fun though... what else can you tell me?"

"Erm, I think that is it," Calvin wracked his brain for anything else, "It would just be a case of practice I think."

"Practice..." Wintrow looked from Calvin to the screen, then back to Calvin. "In that case, I'm probably down here a few times more often sir....if you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Sometimes company can be good. It gets a little lonely stuck away in a lab." Calvin smiled quite widely and warmly.

"So does the shuttle bay," Wintrow echoed, "I uhm...I probably should get going now. I uhm...have other studies... until next time?"

"Yeah, I guess I will see you around soon," Calvin replied as he began his scans again and returning the screens back to normal.

OFF

Cadet SO Wintrow Paragon
Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
pnpc Tyrion

Ensign Calvin Henderson
Astrometrics Officer
USS Galileo

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