Engineering Engineers (Part 1)

Posted on Sat Aug 27th, 2016 @ 11:35am by Lieutenant T'Pral & Commander Hans Munich & Lieutenant Mara Cross

1,142 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Shadow Dance
Location: The Power Center of the Capitol
Timeline: Following the dinner

ON

Goshen was a proud male, he was about to have the time of his life; showing his technology to the Federation representative. He had worn his work coverall uniform of course with the vest showing the medals of his achievements and the tool belt sling around his waist.

He came to the place where the Personnel are said to 'Beam' down; a process of breaking down the molecular level of being, transmitting it and then rearranging it back in the order that it started in. They volunteer to be 'atomized' then transmitted to a location like firing a weapon only to re-atomize into a solid form... no way in all the levels of Hell he was going to try that one. But while they visit he would show them the more sane side of engineering.

The pair materialized and T'Pral immediately cast her eyes around to take in the setting. The glance was brief, but told her much. She was clad in her usual duty uniform, immaculate and perfectly starched. She turned her attention to the male before her. By his attire and accompanying tool belt, he was the one they were to meet. "Mister Goshen, I presume. I am Lieutenant T'Pral, this is Lieutenant Cross." She did not offer her hand as was human custom, rather she kept them clasped neatly behind her back.

Goshen gave a smile and a bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you both, I will be taking you for a short tour of the power center and if you would like one of our Rocket ships is down for resupply so I could give you a tour if you like. I am at your service ladies." Seeing to how she kept her hands behind her back the 'custom' of the Federation touching hands as a greeting was obviously to be thrown out the window. "If you would follow me I will start the tour."

Mara returned the smile with one of her own. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." She said with a nod to the offer of a tour. "Yes, a tour would be welcomed." She said accepting the offer as her eyes shifted over to T'Pral.

T'Pral's head inclined slightly. "I would indeed be agreeable to a tour of your... rocket ship. As well as any other technological advancements you are particularly proud of." She thought a focus on their peak advancement would be the best course of action to start. Once they interacted more, she could find a time to ask about their more... controversial technologies. The ones that could potentially prevent Federation membership. Her hand appeared from behind her back in a gesture for Goshen to lead the way.

Goshen smiled and kept his cainines descreet; it would not be propwer to show too much pride in the Fusion reactors that were so efficent as to run the city and still give ample power should something go wrong still power the Lightning Shield and Ion cannons.

Please follow me they reactors are nearly two klickometers below us." He started towards a near by elevator.

"Two kilometers below us - that must have taken a significant amount of time to dig up, and also build the reactors." She stated as she followed him towards the elevator. She had visited many planets. Met her fair share of alien civilizations and she had to admin that she hadn't seen many that had gone that far under ground and built working reactors. She was excited to see their operation.

"They were caverns and so half the work was done for us, the work to get to it was an interesting process but a very long story wrought with death and hardships that ended well." Goshen explained. "There are also some Thermal generators we use to augment the power supply."

T'Pral's lips twitched slightly. "Dependent on the properties of the planetary crust, geothermal heat exchange may be better utilized to dissipate the waste heat generated by the fusion generator. At two kilometers, the geothermal temperatures would be quite stable." She paused a beat, "Though I suspect the reason for the construction at such a depth is for security rather than geothermal."

"And safety, that far down an explosion will do less damage." Goshen replied as he tapped the call button. "The excess heat is dissipated and also the geothermals take in the excess heat and help cool as well so it all works out in a way." He said. "We have limited access as you might guess, we will take this down four floors then transfer to the Power Center Elevator that is under high security." The doors opened. After you ladies."

Mara looked inside the elevator before steeping inside it. She said nothing as she listened to the conversation between Goshen and T'Pral.

T'Pral glanced around the lift car before stepping in and turning around. She neatly clasped her hands behind her back in preparation for the ride down. She commented on his mention of safety, "A fusion reactor failure would be thermonuclear, the plasma would fill the chamber in 0.1 seconds, and immediately cool to hydrogen gas." She eyed Goshen critically, "Do you expect an explosion?"

"Pray for best but plan for worst." Goshen said calmly. "It best to plan for the worst and not need it than to plan for the best and have worst happen don't you agree?" He entered after the ladies and pressed the button for the down.

"Indeed," T'Pral replied. "It is wise to plan thusly. The needs of the many dictate the requirement to be prepared for every eventuality."

"This will be interesting." Goshen smiled. "I figure Fusion reactors are the same they are a basic principle so just the scale is different."

T'Pral's eyes slid to Goshen for a moment. "There are different approaches to plasma confinement, and the interface that outputs usable energy. Twenty-first century Earth experimented with tokamak and laser confinement designs, having set aside the older stellarator type. A simple fluid heat cycle through a turbine produced the electricity."

"Well if you see a place we can improve I am willing to listen." He smiled. "Maybe after you tour our Rocket ship I might see your Rocket Ship?"

"That would be subject to the Commodore's approval," the Vulcan replied.

"You make that sound harder than getting the Council to allow you to see the heart of our Power and even a rocket ship?" He sounded disappointed. "You cannot think we would do something other than look would you?"

"On the contrary," she countered, "it may be as simple as asking her. However, I am not the Commodore, so I cannot predict what her response will be."

[To be continued...]

Lt T'Pral
Chief Engineer
USS Calypso

Lt Mara Cross
Chief Operations Officer
USS Calypso

Goshen
Jenefran Engineer
Played by LtCdr Munich

 

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