New Ride? [Back Post]
Posted on Wed Feb 21st, 2024 @ 7:43pm by Fleet Captain Maxwell Culver & Lieutenant Dovenice Nyx & Lieutenant Daisheliss "Lissa" Kerr
Edited on on Wed Feb 21st, 2024 @ 7:44pm
1,213 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Interlude
Location: USS Intrepid: Shuttle Bay One
Timeline: Interlude
Max walked into the shuttle bay and noticed the hulking remains of the Kaplan freighter. It had definitely seen better days. The hull was little more than carbon burns and scorched hull plating. Here and there, if one looked hard enough, a pop of yellow or red might be seen. He wondered how anyone had made it this far out in the junker.
Already there was his petite Chief Engineer, her arms crossed over her chest and a serious look on her face. Making his way to her, he allowed his eyes to fall on the junker as she was doing. “It’s a bit of a mess, huh?” he said by way of introduction.
"It's a little nicer than some of the prisoner transports I used to work on," Nyx answered with a hint of sarcasm, though a degree of serious consideration coated her response.
Lissa walked into the Shuttle Bay after being summoned to meet the captain there. He and the Chief Engineer were looking at an old Kaplan class freighter - one that had obviously seen better days. "Well, these are fun little ships, when they are working properly. Do we have a story behind this one?"
“This one was traded by our new crewmen, Xavier X-1 and Ensign Aaron Soong. It has definitely seen better days, but I thought this would be a perfect, non-affiliated ship for Intelligence runs. You and your crew,” Max addressed Lissa solely here, “could make use of it IF it’s reparable. What do you think, Lieutenant Nyx?”
Nyx nodded in consideration. Her eyebrows rose momentarily before she took a slow walk around the ship to give it a closer inspection. She pulled out her tricorder and a spanner as she progressed around the ship, gathering more information. "Well, the bones look to be in fairly good condition. I won't know for certain until I can do a little more digging, but it's certainly worth a try." She smiled, "I can't make it worse."
“No,” Max agreed, “but we would have to make immense improvements. New warp core, replace the EPS relays, new holographic projectors and programs, complete weapons overhaul, see if we can find some old Romulan junker and pull the cloak from it,” Max suggested.
“Lieutenant Kerr, do you have access to the Texas class starship disaster in 2381?”
"Level 9, Captain - though it's never been a problem to get specialized access for specific missions as needed. I'm not familiar with what you're referring to, so I wouldn't know," Lissa responded.
Max brought up the design for the Texas class as a holographic MSD from his PADD. The Texas class was a failed project in 2382 that had cost many people’s lives. “Minus the artificial intelligence operating system, the ship was heading in an interesting direction. New warp drive capable of warp nine point nine, multiphasic shielding and type three phaser canons. She was meant to be a tough little ship. Her systems could be modified to work in this old Kaplan class. The freighter would make her a good Intel scout ship, the Texas class systems would give her an unexpected bite.”
Max liked the idea of the shiny new ship masquerading as a dumpy, old freighter. His eyes shone wide with excitement.
"But something went wrong? You did say disaster..." Lissa prodded.
The color on Dove's normally rosy cheeks faded as she listened in and looked at the plans. Her comfort level rapidly dropped as she looked at blueprints with classification levels beyond her clearance level.
“Yes, but only because Admiral Buenamigo installed a failed AI system in 3 of them. We won’t be installing anything close to an AI. You’ll have a typical EMH, but that’s it.”
"Where did these plans come from?" Nyx asked while she debated what level of study she inadvertently made already.
They were released to the FNN news in 2382. I’m surprised you don’t remember seeing them attacking Douglas Station and the USS Cerritos destroying two of them. The rest of the Cali classes destroyed the last one. The project was shuttered for obvious reasons. The technology is sound, and a lot of it has been incorporated into newer classes, even the Intrepid.
“The plans are available for those with proper security clearance and those deemed necessary to see them as well. The artificial intelligence portion was destroyed, sent into permanent oblivion. That’s nothing to worry about here,” Max assured Nyx.
"Maybe I don't have the security clearance?” Nyx suggested in response to her ignorance. “I tend to stick to maintenance and repair, not research and development." Though she did have contacts in R&D, they tended to not talk shop too often. Nyx looked to the signatures on the title block of the blueprints to see if she recognized any of them.
Max could see Dove looking over the schematics. “I’m making these specs available to you both and you can decide which design elements you want to integrate. I’m gonna give you until the end our next assigned mission to make the ship we need as an advanced scout ship that doesn’t scream Starfleet.”
Nyx scratched her head, already arranging a timeline in her head. The industrial replicators would likely be working nonstop. "Wait, how long is that?" She felt the ticking of the countdown clock as it started without warning.
“I’m hoping no more than two weeks, so it’s a really tight timeframe,” Max answered Nyx.
"Captain, I like the idea of having a recon ship, but we should probably keep it under lock and key. There's something else I've been meaning to talk to you about," Lissa commented, remembering her conversation with the jittery operations officer. If he knew something like this was on board and operational, no doubt he would try to take it.
“Is it confidential?” Max asked, feeling the low-key warning from her.
"I'll leave that up to you, Captain," Lissa responded.
Max got the sense that Lissa was concerned about Nyx being nearby for this. Turning back to the petite woman, he said, “Excuse us for a moment, Lieutenant Nyx. Feel free to get a look at the design specs and see about how long you think it will really take to make this operational. I know I said two weeks, but I also know that’s a pipe dream and I’m not taking your leave away for this…”
That said, Max and Lissa moved away a bit beyond where they could be heard. “Let’s hear the short of it and then we can talk the long in a more confidential place, if needed.”
Two weeks? Nyx took the PADD from Captain Max, stupefied by the request. She did not notice them walking away from her, nor her feet moving her towards the external access door. There was no way she could take shore leave and accomplish a fraction of the upgrades in two weeks. ’Who does he think I am?’
Max reached the double doors, seeing the stress on Dove’s face, he repeated, “Give me a real time estimate! I know two weeks isn’t a lot,” he said as an understatement. “And enjoy yourself on leave.”
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