Getting support

Posted on 07 Mar 2020 @ 12:03pm by Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri & Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Ensign Callin Mastrel & Petra Varelli Ph.D.

2,747 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 04, Science Lab
Timeline: MD 04, 1203 hours

[ON]

Matthew was excited and thrilled at the discovery, the theoretical discovery, that a piece of the USS Reliant could have ended up this far away from what was once the Mutara Nebula. And even more - that it was is a flux state when it arrived with the "Genesis Effect" still active. Matt turned to Kalindra, "We need to present this to someone else. They need to tear it apart if they can. You and I, we want to see this result. It proves Ullswater's theory. But we need to see if someone can disprove it before we bring it to the Captain...the Captains." Matthew downed the rest of his coffee, "C'mon, let's go find us a couple of geeks that aren't busy right now."

Petra was still frustrated after the meeting with medical. No, she wasn't a geneticist, but she was a forensic anthropologist. And she was curious. But since there was little else to do, she decided it was the perfect time to take inventory and rearrange the lab she generally worked in. She'd emptied all the cabinets and compartments and had everything stacked on and under a work table. She was currently taking a break while she listened to music and ate a slice of carrot cake from the replicator.

The doors parted to the lab and Matt stuck his head in. "I smell carrot cake. That means that an anthropologist is nearby" he said in a playful manner and walked further into the lab. "Ah! Doctor Varelli? We were just looking for someone like you. You've actually been to the surface right? The surface of Latarii and the colony site right?" Matt asked Petra.

Kalindra had followed the Lieutenant as he had more or less requested. She barely peeked around from behind him as he seemed to know the person inside the room.

"Hi," Varelli said, turning to face the science officer. "Yes, I was on the planet. What do you need?"

Kalindra peered around and said with that quiet shy voice, "we need to verify some theoretical data to see if it matches up with observation."

Matt stepped to the side and said, "Doctor Varelli, please meet Petty Officer First-class Kalindra. She has helped out quite a bit. She was able to help me sort out a few wrinkles." He nodded to her. "Quite a bit of good indeed." Then after a beat he asked Petra, "What was it like down there? Did you see first hand the...effects...of the Genesis wave?"

"Hi!" Petra said to Kalindra. She turned back to Matt. "Yes. Because of the composition of the planet, and its history, it has some...unique side effects. What sort of theoretical data?"

Wasting no time, Plumeri stepped forward to the lab terminal here. He logged in and retrieved the data. He spoke as he worked, "Ullswater has a theory about how it could be possible that so long ago and from so far away a bit of the 'Genesis Effect' could have gotten here. It's just a theory mind you. I was in sickbay just laying on my ass there when I read the briefing notes. I didn't set out to prove or disprove it. I was just curious. Well, that was the rabbit hole. Last night? Was it the night before? I can't remember now, I had a bedtime story told to me by the computer about the 'states of residence in sub-space'. It got me thinking..."

The data was displayed on the terminal now. The waveform that PO1 Kalindra had suggested and the simulation was running. Starting at the Mutara Nebula, an explosion, the Genesis Effect and then the sublimation into sub-space. In and out of normal space and back into sub-space at the speed of light one moment and then suspended in sub-space the next on and on and on it went crossing the vast interstellar ocean until entering the Latari system. Where, it collided with the planet. The simulation ended.

"We think that its possible. The math says it could be. But we need someone to look it over. Check it. Try and break it."

"It is based on what I think is a soliton wave. They have a permanent form, they are nearly unchangeable, that is they can have collisions and emerge entirely intact. In this case I think what happened is that the material and the energy formed what is called a bion or two more solitons bound together. Thus they can move long distances without any degradation at all except when something big enough manages to disrupt them, in this case a planet. They then degrade as normal linear waves from the initial impact source." Kalindra went from her shy self to talking like a wound up doll. She tended to do that whenever there was something she was quite familiar with only to fall back to being shy otherwise.

Petra nodded. "Makes sense."

The doors to the lab slid open and Callin arrived, looking tired with bags under his eyes but otherwise presentable. He flashed a quick grin for his colleagues, a friendlier one for Matt maybe after the much-needed dinner party, definitely curious about what was going on, but kept his mouth shut as he made his way to an empty station and resume his analysis of the Tholian energy-dampeners. He could listen, with more than his ears.

Matthew looked up and seeing Mastrel said, "Perfect! Ensign? We need your help. How's your sub-space theory and waveulatic analysis today?"

"My what?" Callin blinked and turned his full attention back to the group. It took a moment for him to adjust his thinking slightly, and then he shrugged. "Well, I took Professor Teulani's course on sub-space mechanics not too long ago, but I'll admit it wasn't one I enjoyed." The Betazoid hopped up out of his chair to come take a look though at the frozen end of the simulation on their screens. "What are we looking at?"

"We are looking at a simulation of soliton wave in which an energy," Kalindra was not sure she should mention Genesis or not, "and a material piece of a star ship have become bound as a sort of bion maintaining their potency across vast distances." The lieutenant," Kalindra nodded her head and sort of pointed with her chin, "asked for my help on a possible explanation of how a high energy wave and physical piece of star ship could maintain itself. This is the solution I have proposed sir."

Matt looked at both of them, Petra and Callin saying, "We think it works. We think Ullswater is on to something. But, it needs a fresh pair of eyes and fresh minds to look at it anew. Dr. Varelli has first hand information about the planetside effects. And Callin, you're a scientist too so...check our math ay?"

"Math is fun," Callin muttered a little absently as he reached through the crowd to tap the controls, run the simulation through again. After a moment he nodded, understanding the idea, but he looked a little doubtful. "I mean...it is possible? Maybe?" Callin moved over to a different console to pull up some references.

The Betazoid certainly seemed to get into the topic though, and soon was as talkative as he normally was,"But we would need to run some really heavy analysis through Astrometrics, if we're thinking that this soliton-wave only dropped back into normal space when encountering a planet. There's a lot of distance between us and the Mutara Nebula, so many chances for something to have intercepted it before now. Other planets, stars, cosmic strings, black holes, lots of possibilities for a gravity well strong enough to affect this, and we'd need to account for their movements over the last century or so. Even with full computer resources that's going to take some time, and even then we can only be partially sure due to anything we or the computer might have missed. And have we confirmed the existence of a Dirac-delta function at the origin? That would lend some credibility to this, but lacking that I would guess some other explanation."

"But if it's popping in and out of normal space," Petra said, "It could conceivably miss most large objects."

Callin let out a loud breath, scrubbed a hand through his hair as he thought about that, "Phew. Well, that'd make the simulations even harder to run for verification, that's for sure."

Petra nodded and looked at the other two. "Have you run your theories on the holodeck? It might let you see the hiccups."

Matt answered, "No, we haven't. There's not enough time for a full-scientific study. Our friends are out there." He pointed to outside the lab and outside the ship. Beyond into the dangers of space. "People have died because of the choices someone made a hundred years ago in a sector of space far from here. And the consequences are being felt right here and right now." Plumeri was pissed. Not at them; but the situation. "We don't need to demonstrate the fact that the genesis effect happened. Yes...the genesis effect. Starfleet's unforgiveable sin of greatness. Well...the price of greatness is responsibility. The fact is that a piece of the Reliant is here. And the effects of the Genesis wave are here. We don't need to prove that which is already a fact. People want us to pin this on the Tholians. They stole the data about Genesis from the Trial. I know that because I saw it. But they had not the time nor the engineering know how to make the device since we got here. Don't you see? Starfleet wants to use us to prove that Ullswater's theory is not possible. When we know that it is possible because its here. It's right out there. Starfleet has been hiding from this for...as long as they knew about it. We don't need to run more simulations and prove that it happened. All we need to do is show that it is possible. No matter what we prove here or disprove there will be someone to use our work to let Starfleet off the hook. To absolve them of the cover-up. Well, the day is here and we can't hide from it anymore. The time is always right to do what is right." Matthew looked at them again and asked, "The Federation is responsible here. It's us, our mess. Not the Tholians."

Kalindra did not know much about any of the goings on. Oh that was not to say that she did not know about the Tholians, the ship had been struck, just not sure why or what the cause was. "I do have to say that of course without more data, that there is still uncertainty, but given what the lieutenant has said, that such a wave, and piece of ship got here, I think we have what even my Vulcan friend would say fits the observational properties until or unless something else comes along to change it. The nuances would be nice, but sirs, I think we should at least give the command the chance to see what we have."

Matt asked Petra and Callin, "Do you see any obvious flaws? A major calculation error or something stupid...like I forgot to carry the two?"

"Or multiplied by zero?" Petra asked. She shook her head. "Just remember that I was on the planet. I saw the proto-Tholian. And my best friend is on the missing away team. I'm very invested in this, in not hiding it under the rug by destroying both planets and blaming the Tholians. But we should at least spend an hour or two proving the theory, or at least showing that it's possible. Do you think the captain will accept your formula?" Again she shook her head. "But if you show it to him, holographically, he will have a hard time denying it."

Plumeri nodded, "You're talking about Kohl. Commander Kohl" he said with not so much a question as it was a statement. "We shouldn't have to prove anything to anybody. What more do they want? Trial is lost. Her Captain gone, probably dead. Her XO in our sickbay fighting for her life. Galileo got our asses kicked. But they still need proof? I swear that they won't be satisfied until we drag a dead Tholian through the bridge doors and lay it at his feet!" He pushed himself away from the console to cool off. He asked Kalindra, "What do you think Kal? Either we do the holo-simulation or...or...I don't know...write a song? Put on a dinner theater and invite the senior staff?" He was pissed. "Doc has a point. How fast can you type?" he asked both Kalindra and Callin.

Kalindra at first was a little confussed by the use of the contraction of her name but finally spoke up. "Well, considering the amount of time left I suggest we present what we do have. Granted not all the data is there and could be refined but I think the possibility is there. If it keeps the Tholians perhaps from destroying more ships and lives even if not fully fleshed out might be worth the try."

"Agreed," Petra said. "But so you know, I'm also fighting to save the planets in the Latari system so we can study the results of the Genesis wave on this particular geology. They want to destroy all evidence it ever existed. So if I'm a bit of a bulldog, you can understand why."

Kalindra only nodded, she was not sure what Petra meant by being a bulldog but she was pretty sure of her model of the available data.

As Matt setup an workstation he said, "Let's do everything we can so that doesn't happen. I understand your concerns doctor, you of all people know the inherent unstable nature of the Genesis effect." Matt looked at Callin and Kalindra and said, "The secret is out of the bag you two. You're in it up to your neck just like all of us are. The Genesis Effect, the Genesis Wave. There's no sense dancing around it anymore. We're talking about *that* Genesis Effect. The one that Starfleet and the Federation have been trying for a century to keep under containment. Now you know what we're up against. OK...let's get to work."

"Yes, and most of Genesis is in current use today. It's the proto-matter that caused the instability," Petra said. "Everyone gets so crazy when you mention Genesis. I still think the planets are worth studying so we can learn from this in case it happens again. But yes, we do need to prove the science and show it to the captain. So, what do you want me to do to help?"

Plumeri said, "Agreed. OK, Commander Kohl is currently in command of this vessel. I believe he is the one we need to convince. He has a Medical background - so let's emphasize the fact that lives are at stake. He is also a Scientist...so let's show out Math in the simulation. Doctor Varelli? You focus on the geology and how its changed from when the Federation colonists first arrived. In the simulation let's show the instability of the Genesis effect . The fact that no one wins because the planet and the system have been permanently altered. Callin? If you could work backwards...start from the Latari system and work the Genesis wave back towards the source. Be thorough, be exact and Kallindra and I will work the Genesis effect from the former Mutara Nebula and the destroyed Reliant artifact. If we're right - then we'll meet in the middle somewhere. OK? We have our work cut out for us. Let's create the holo-model in the computer and in two-hours let's transfer it to holodeck two on deck five."

Petra nodded. "Okay. I would also like to add the opportunity now presented to study the proto-Tholians and learn more about the origins of the Tholians. This is an unparalleled opportunity."

[OFF]

--

PO2 Kalindra Jain
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
[NPC Warraquim]

LTJG. Matthew Plumeri
Science Officer/Historian
USS Galileo-A

Petra Varelli, Ph.D.
Forensic Anthropologist
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Sandoval]

ENS Callin Mastrel
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

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