Mapmaking

Posted on Mon Jun 1st, 2020 @ 9:31pm by Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Kincaid & Lieutenant Ciara Perlit & Karina Tell

1,535 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Encounters of a First Kind
Location: Main Engineering
Timeline: 2168/07/27 1310

The door to main engineering opened, and while his crew was hard at work, Nick could see that things were orderly. The biggest repairs had been completed. Now they were simply getting back into routine.

The Chief Engineer directed Kense and Ciara to a nearby console where the three could work. He looked around and waved to a Petty Officer. "Hawkins! We need an EPS toolkit and a box of spare computer parts from the supply room." The young man nodded and went off to get what was required. "So first, Ms. Kense, we need to know something about the power source and data storage of this device. How does it work?"

Ciara was a bit out of place in engineering. She knew the basics, but not anything if she was assigned here. She was curious, though, about how this was going to work.

Kense clicked her tongue in the back of her throat at the sound of her name. She grasped the device delicately and carefully turned it on its side. She passed her hands over it once and touched the device in a certain pattern. As her fingers moved, a bright light seeped through a thin seam that suddenly appeared.

“Here,” Kense said. “But be cautious. Its power is harnessed from the energy of a sun.”

Nick looked at it cautiously. "Do you just mean that it's powered by fusion? We have similar technology, though it's much larger. We've not been able to miniaturize it like this." The young Petty Officer arrived with a toolkit and box of parts. Nick thanked the man and sent him on his way. He picked up a tricorder off the workbench and gave it to Ciara. "Ci, do me a favour and map out the circuitry in this thing. I need to craft this adapter just right."

Taking the tricorder, Ciara nodded. "Sounds like technology we might have to look into further at some point," she said as she began the scan. "Miniaturized fusion power."

"Fu. Shun?" Kense tried to wrap her mouth around the odd word. "Hm. Quite possible." She leaned in to watch the dance with unique technology. "What is this thing?" She indicated the tricorder without touching it.

"It is..." Ciara tried to think of the best way to describe it. "It lets us scan things without using the ship. It can come with us to planets and other places and we can scan to collect data."

“As we said, our primary purpose in space is to learn,” Nick added as he crafted. “You and your partner have been so helpful. Perhaps we can offer you the information we collected on the planet? It might not be anything you don’t already know, but there could be something useful we learned.”

Kense watched as they worked. Information would always be worth something to someone. "If you think that the map is useful, we can certainly take the information as trade." Bartering before alliances are made... it was good to keep all possibilities open in this area of space.

Ci kept scanning but glanced to Nick. That was his department, not her's. She wasn't sure how any of that was going to work on the command level.

"Excellent. I'll inform the Captain once we're done." Nick looked at Ci's scans and finished shaping his adapter. "Okay, this will be rough, but function before appearance, right?" He slid the various wires into what he believed were the right spots, and then plugged the other end into a computer terminal.

Kense didn't understand their data storage machine but could repair their device. She only hoped that it would work. Without blowing any of them up. She smiled encouragingly, knowing that she might never know that if it didn't...

"I think any of this will be rough at best, Commander." Ci finally said as she watched for a moment but then looked back to her scans. "But, do what we can, right?"

"Exactly," Nick replied. "I get the feeling that we're going to be roughing it for a while. I wouldn't be surprised if a month from now my engine room is all exposed wires and conduits. But it will work."

Data began to download into the computer. Parts were impossible to convert, but a reasonable portion of the map of local space were being resolved onto the two-dimensional monitor. Nick grinned and looked back at Ci and Kense. "It looks like it's working."

Ciara smiled. "A lot of map to go over once this is done too."

Kense smiled. “Excellent,” she said.

It was a relief that the data and power sources were easily adapted and she hoped too that the updates to the maps could be maintained as well. She had not thought this through but suspected that this active matrix might have put out a neutral signal as they travelled through space. This could provide local authorities with information that was carried on the device and confirm their threat level, or of course, the lack thereof. Which gave them easier passage than most. A true gem amongst their possessions.

Nick watched as the data downloaded and frowned. “Ci, what do you think of this?” He pointed to part of the data was connecting, almost intuitively, like it was an extremely rudimentary AI, trying to connect to the radio transmitter and subspace receiver.

"I don't think I've seen anything like this before. Why would it be doing that?"

Kense stepped forward. “I believe I can answer that,” she began. “This map is an active and ever-changing thing.” She saw their faces and forged ahead. “The balance between factions is tenuous, and certain territorial lines change each trip we make.”

She shrugged and hoped the value of this connection might prove as valuable to them as it had to Fornen and herself. “This map updates each change as it happens, and then transmits a neutral signal to authorities as we travel.”

She recalled a few scrapes they managed to avoid, and how much this holographic map cost them. They had a larger crew once. But battles took their toll; some died. Most left. Then this. And life had gotten easier out here.

“It allows relatively safe passage, no matter who presently occupies the territory we travel.”

Her eyes were clear, open and honest. Good creatures out here we’re few and far between. She hoped that they understood the value of this gift.

Nick nodded, understanding. “I believe my Captain would have appreciated knowing about this before we installed it, but I see its value. Indeed, we had similar processes back home. Constant transmissions along certain bands of the spectrum, telling our friends who we are and where we’re going. Such a function that also keeps our maps up to date...it will be invaluable. Thank you very much.”

Kense let out a sigh of relief. “Good,” she said, smiling. She had not thought twice about such a thing being an issue. “I am glad to hear it. You are most welcome.”

“Ci, I’m going to make sure this data is available in your lab,” Nick said. “As a priority, I want you to study the map and find us some locations to visit. Population centres, places to restock food and parts. Safe ports. Start close and work your way out further. We’ll run your list past our new friends here, in case there’s some detail not on the map that precludes our visiting it.”

"Thanks, Commander. I think zat this will be an interesting adventure to say ze least," Ci said with a small shrug.

“If I can be so bold,” Kense began and slid the holographic map over a little. It rested on a bright blue spot, pulsing slightly. “That is the Marketplace of Floria.” Pinching the dot, she expanded it greatly, a lot of alien writing scrolling on the screen.

“Food, equipment, workers...” she began translating. “A good place to start.” She shrugged, her shoulders lifting and falling. “We were on our way there when we stumbled across the salvage that was not salvage.”

Nick nodded. From what he understood, it wasn’t far. A few days away at cruising speed. “I’ll go report to Captain Alexander. Thank you for your help, friend. Ci, can you bring our guest back to her companion?”

"Of course I can. Enjoy talking to ze Captain." Ci then looked to Kense. "Come, I'll take you back."

Kense nodded. “Thank you.” Her eyes were a little furtive as she asked, “When can I get out map back please?” It was not in her nature and she did not look forward to explaining to Fornen why she left their most prized possession with the new people.

"Oh, of course," Nick looked at the computer and saw that the download appeared to have finished. He shut down the computer program and unhooked the device, which he gave back to Kense along with its backing. "Again, you have our thanks."

“Thank YOU,” Kense said once more, taking the map. Turning to Ci, she said, “I do apologize for the wait. Please, let us proceed.”

Nodding towards the doorway, Ciara let Kense go ahead of her, "This way."

 

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