Concocting a course

Posted on Fri Sep 21st, 2018 @ 7:50am by Ensign Bracca & Lieutenant JG Jasad Yuvek

Mission: Negotiations and Apothecaries
Location: Astrometrics
Timeline: 15th feb 2395

ON:

With little to do today as another of the junior officers was manning the helm for this leg of the trip Bracca was in astrometrics looking at the course that would take them to this new mission. The Captain had already asked Lt Yuvek to look at it to see if he could improve it but he wanted a look himself.

As he scrolled through the course on the huge holographic display he kept going back and forth from the same point, the Tiketa nebula; it covered a significant portion of the next leg of the journey. The original course the computer had took them around it but Jasad's potential altered course was taking them straight through it cutting over 4 hours off of their travel time.

He did a little rooting through the astrometrics database, he was sure that travel through that nebula was dangerous for any ship at warp speed, getting worse the faster you went. And he was right.

=/\= Ensign Bracca to Lieutenant Yuvek. =/\=

Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek was sitting in the office for the Main Shuttlebay reading reports. It more than annoyed him that one of the most important positions within the ship, navigation, did not have its own office.

He was forced to commandeer the Shuttle Bay admin office for his own usage. He'd have to make a note to address the Captain about this significant hindrance. He was momentarily distracted from his dire situation by his comm's chirp.

=/\= Lt. Yuvek here, go ahead Bracca =/\=

=/\= Sir, could you come to astrometrics. =/\=

=/\= On my way, Yuvek out. =/\=

Jasad stood and made his way towards Deck 6. It did not take him long to make his way across the shuttle bay, into the turbolift, and eventually to the desired deck. Upon arrival he stepped out and immediately made his way to the Ensign.

"Report." He said as he stood to the left of the Bolian's shoulder facing the display.

Bracca turned in the chair slightly. "I've been going over the course the computer has suggested and your proposed course corrections and a few things have caught my attention."

"What have you found?" He asked as he continued to look at the various charts that had populated on the projection.

"I see I was right about the Tiketa Nebula taking at least 4 hours off the expected time of arrival." Lt. Yuvek said in a self-congratulatory tone. "Maybe even more if we can get more power out of the engines." He said.

"You mean if we can even survive the passage through it." Bracca remarked. "Or are you not aware of how dangerous that nebula is for ships travelling at warp?"

"I didn't know that Helm Officer was synonymous for pusillanimous." Lt. Yuvek replied curtly.

"We'll need to make adjustments to the deflector shields." He said as he reached over and tapped several buttons. "Its a particle-dense nebula, not a Crystalline Entity, we can survive worse." He said. "Just modify the Bussard Collector to re-distribute the build-up gases." He said.

"That nebula is full of a hodge podge of stuff that is bad for us, you name it, it's there. Tetryon radiation, massive pockets of metreon gas, the chances of igniting that is incredibly high." Bracca countered. "Especially at the high warp we need to make it in time."

Lt. Yuvek exhaled in visible frustration. "Then what do you suggest since you are dead-set against the plan I have laid out." He responded. "And don't forget, we have been placed on a very strict timeline due to the two negotiating parties wishing to kill the other." He added.

"With respect Lieutenant, I'm set against it because it is far below the margin of safety starfleet regulations recommend." Bracca said. "I understand the time frame we have but getting there intact and alive should take priority."

"Margins. . .margins simply mean that unqualified pilots shouldn't try it." He said as he pressed several more buttons on the console. The screen shifted to a detailed scan of the nebula, Jasid zoomed in on a particular statistic. "The volatility of the metreon gas within this particular nebula is at least 20% lower than what the Enterprise-E encountered in the Briar Patch against the So'na." He said.

"The only real concern would be if we expected to get into a fire fight while traveling through the Nebula which is highly unlikely since we'll be traveling at such a fast pace. We'll be gone long before anybody has time to pick a fight with us." He said. "Your fears are unfounded." He added rather dismissively.

"The Enterprise was travelling through the Briar Patch at impulse speed, we would be over warp 9. The spatial friction alone would be high enough to ignite even a concentration of 5 parts per million." Bracca countered. "And the concentration in there is considerably more dense than that."

"Fine, what suggestion do you have then?" The Cardassian asked, crossing his arms in an obviously annoyed fashion. He was getting nowhere fast on this issue and he wanted a final resolution.

"We can't go through that nebula but we can go...." He turned back to the display and shifted it further along the computers planned route. "...Through here, your average ship, say an Akira or a Saber wouldn't be able to go through here which is why the computer has took us around it but our shields are rated for much more of the Em spectrum.. Should save us about the same time."

Lt Yuvek examined the display. It was clear that the route provided by the computer would allow them to pass through region of space without much difficulty. "We'll need to re-modulate the shields frequency on a 3-hour basis. Shield degradation will be significant if we leave it the way it is." He said as he stood up.

"Seems like we have a route planned. Forward it to my office and I will prepare an official briefing for the Captain and XO." He said as he began to leave.

"Sir," Bracca said as Jasad started to leave. "There are..... a few other things that I have noticed."

Lt. Yuvek stopped and faced the Ensign. “Well, as long as you e got me here...I’m listening.” He said.

OFF:

LTjg Jasad Yuvek
Chief Helmsman

Ensign Bracca
Helmsman
[npc Taliserra]