What the Future Holds

Posted on Fri 31st May, 2019 @ 5:20pm by

1,315 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Onboard USS Samurai

"And here is where you and your crew will start working on the new Astrophysics labs. Next team, follow me and Commander McCord." Henry walked out of the future Astrophysics lab with Riko and an engineering crew in tow. "Well Riko, where would you like to start? You get to chose the designs and locations of the labs, where do you want to begin?"

"Biology, of course!" McCord laughed. "Come on, I'll show you." It helped that the entire deck had been gutted, except for Astrophysics. So much had been destroyed by the attack, but the scientist didn't think she could have looked at the ruins with any degree of desire to rebuild them. She'd lost friends down here, good friends. Now, however, it was a vast empty deck, with one area enclosed for Astrophysics, and she'd already handed over her designs for that area. There was nothing to do until engineering had built what she needed to support the computer systems and sensors, and then the installation of the telescopic lens configuration.

Someone had brought a table to the deck, and there was a cup sitting on it. Riko set that on the floor and spread out her deck designs, professionally done from her line drawings and scribbles, but not by her. Blueprinting was not her forte, even with the help of computer assisted designware.

"Hold this end down for me, please Commander. And you, Lieutenant," she nodded to an engineer whose name she didn't know," hold that one, please." With the blueprints spread across the large table, McCord took a moment to view her work and orient herself to where the Astrophysics lab was on the page.

"I do like a big paper design spread out in front of me," she grinned at the group. So much easier for me to relate to than a tiny PADD view. Now, here," she circled the lab, "is the room we just left. In the past, we had science labs spread across decks 6, 7 and 13. We're changing that. I want different science disciplines to cooperate more, so they will all be here on Deck 7, along with the computer core, Hydroponics, and the Main Shuttlebay.

"The counselor's office will be on Deck 6, where we used to have some science labs. The Ship's Library and school are moving to Deck 6, as well, and the Arboretum there is coming down here. For now, we believe we have enough Civilian and Crew quarters on Deck 6, but if we need more, we'll co-opt Cargo Bay 7 on Deck 15. There will still be one set of labs on Deck 13 for certain kinds of experiments, but it will not be as large as before. That's the general overview. Any questions before we get to specifics of what is needed here?"

"I have one, Riko," Henry stated as he looked over the paper blueprints. "In the past, we kept labs separate to prevent cross-contamination and to keep exposure risk at a minimum. How do we combat those specific issues if the labs are to be right beside each other? And by the way, I may have a solution to that already." Henry gave a sly grin to his friend, wondering what brilliant answer she would give him. If he knew Riko McCord, he knew that she didn't do anything haphazardly.

"We have them in pods," she answered. "I want six labs with a middle area that's common. There will be a contamination bulkhead separating them - sort of like a lock to go from the lab to the center area, but I want them to be able to meet there at least weekly to discuss what they are doing and see how other disciplines can benefit from the research. All too often, we still get so focused on our own world, we don't realize that the person next door could be doing something that would benefit us, or keep us from having to duplicate research or experimentation. So what was your idea?"

The engineer grinned at his friend as she moved from the blueprints to let him get full command of them. "OK, I like the pod idea. If we keep the pods modular, they could be swapped in and out if need be at a starbase. Also, that way if we need to transport one into space we could do so in case of infection or contamination. We could also install transporter transponders here, here and here." Henry pointed to various corners of the science labs to illustrate his idea. "I love your idea about the contamination bulkheads also. But there is one thing we might have to do with all the alterations."

"What's that, Sir?" Riko asked, happy with the transporter idea, but worrying about anyone stuck in a lab that had to be transported. She supposed losing a couple of scientists was better than losing a whole section of the ship, but she'd lost too many to want to lose any more. She'd have to think about how to avoid that. They couldn't work in suits all the time.

"With all the reinforcements that this area would be receiving, we would probably need to make the labs a designated evacuation area. Maybe even use the modular labs as escape pods. I mean they will have their own life support, separate from the ship's right?" Henry asked as he looked to Riko and the engineering team.

Riko nodded slowly. "They could have. At least air. That would make them recoverable, too, once any toxin was cleared out from a transport if it came to that. In my years as a science officer, I've only had one problem in a lab that wasn't self-contained, and even then, it worked out fine, because it wasn't deadly. We're all pretty careful, but I don't think it hurts to be prepared for that one time that things go wrong in an unexpected way. But to be an escape pod, doesn't there have to be some sort of engine included?"

"Uhhhm, sir?" A voice form the team asked.

Henry looked over to one of the systems engineers who was apart of the engineering team. "Go ahead Lt. Anders. What do you have for us?"

"Well, sirs, unless we work out how to fit the independent computer core and power supplies for each lab in this immediate area, I think the escape pod idea will be a moot point."

Henry looked over to Riko and retrieved his PADD from his cargo pocket. "Any thoughts Riko?" he asked.

"Would it work to have it in a space between the inner bulkhead and the outer bulkhead?" she asked. "We're putting in an air lock to keep contaminants out, so I'm imagining air space between two walls. Am I over-simplifying, or am I making it bigger than it actually is, when it's really more like a double-paned window? I don't know. I'm not an engineer, and the escape pod and all the rest is your boss's expansion on my simple idea," McCord laughed.

"Well Lt. Anders, that's a job for you and your team to figure out. You all are here because I handpicked you to be on this team. We are building the future of Starfleet here. Be smart, be innovative. If Commander Riko asks for something, figure it out and bring your solutions to me."

Henry looked over to Riko. "Anything you want to add?"

McCord smiled, "Just my thanks. I really know nothing about engineering, so on my own, I'd mess up this job completely. If I suggest something that can't be done, then tell me so. If I ask for something done a certain way, and there's a better way, then don't hesitate to tell me. But," she narrowed her eyes slightly, "the first one who tries to pat me on the head and treat me like a numbskull will have a numb skull, I guarantee it!"

 

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