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Daystrom Academy Incident
((Flashback, Daystrom Academy of Science, Paris, 2377. Day before disaster))
Doctor Fields: So as you can see class, the type VI as efficient as it is, is still not 100% efficient. Can anybody name a time based on your studies when a warp core was improved in the field?
:: As if connected psychically every member of the class raised their hands. This year's students were brighter than ever and just as studious as those who had been through before them. As well they should be. The Academy only recruited the brightest young minds in the Federation. They were after all the future would be boffins of the various prestigious institutions based around the galaxy. Even in this time of war, the Federation looked to the future of science and engineering. ::
Doctor Fields: OK. Alexander. name one from recent memory.
:: Alexander smiled as he had been selected. The other teenagers groaned with a mixture of jealousy and anger. Getting a right answer here would only boost the young man's ego more. As it was the damned thing would fill the 24 feet cubed room they stood in. ::
Richards: Certainly. In a paper for Warp mechanics it was mentioned that one Commander La Forge of the USS Enterprise D had spent time studying the mechanics of the Galaxy class warp core and in 2370 realized that it wasn't operating as efficiently as it possibly could be. He managed to increase the power conversion levels safely to a whopping 97.2%.
Doctor Fields: Very good Alexander. The SCoE were rather impressed by his results. Making a core more efficient means that the ship can travel greater distances before needing to take on more fuel. One of the key tasks of the SCoE officers and enlisted crew of the Daystrom Institute is the improvement of existing warp core systems and the designing of brand new systems for new starships.
:: Another collective sigh went out from the gathered students. If Alexander heard it, he chose to ignore it, once again to engrossed in his own little world to care about how his class mates felt about him. In his mind they didn't matter any way and in one year he would graduate and have his pick of places to go. Starfleet Academy was looking like the best bet as cadets who passed out also carrying a degree from the Daystrom Academy could request an officer internship at the Daystrom institute if they did well enough. ::
Doctor Fields: You are dismissed for today students. Remember to read up on chapter four of your warp mechanics text books. Tomorrow we shall attempt to increase the efficiency of this model and demonstrate the practical applications of warp theory and mechanics. No matter how boring :: he cast a discerning gaze at the students :: some of you might find it.
:: The class let out a collective laugh before turning and walking out. The doctor followed them leaving Alexander to stare at the core in an awe struck fashion. He imagined how one day he could be the one building.. No! Designing new, more efficient warp drives for the Federation. Hell maybe he would be the one to crack transwarp. ::
((Flashback, Daystrom Academy of Science, Paris, 2377. Morning before disaster.))
:: Alexander had a hard time sleeping that night. His excitement akin to a children waiting for their parents to wake up on Christmas morning so that they could open their presents. Today would be the day when his class would perform the power output experiment of the model warp core. The goal of the experiment would be to increase the efficiency of the core by a whopping three percent. To the untrained, or unaware, three percent seemed like a tiny amount but, when the apparatus you are working on already has a peak efficiency of 97.22 percent, a three percent increase produces a huge spike in the power produced. ::
:: Realizing that he couldn't sleep, he decided to dress himself and go back over Doctor Fields notes about how the experiment would be run. The first phase would involve shutting down the core and purging it of any and all remaining plasma before removing the plasma injection manifolds and replacing them with much larger ones. This process would take at least four of the twelve hours assigned to the experiment. According to Doctor Fields notes, it would be absolutely critical that the utmost care was taken in the installation of these new parts. The slightest mistake with the installation would result in a critical failure due to a lack of pressure. ::
:: Phase two would involve bringing the model core back up to its originally designed plasma flow levels. This was in theory, to be the easiest part of the experiment. All the class would have to do would be to monitor the flow levels as the automated start up procedure did its work. If no issues arose during this process, it would only take approximately one hour to be at peak designed efficiency. Once this point was reached, Doctor Fields would make the call as to whether to proceed on with the experiment. ::
:: The final and most critical phase would involve using the new flow regulators to gradually increase the flow of plasma into and out of the intermix chamber. Although this would be done via human input, the computer system was designed in such a way that should there be a risk of a core breach, the system would automatically terminate the experiment. Doctor Fields noted that the risk was small but that because it existed, such contingencies needed to be in place. If this theory was ever to move away from R&D and into practical uses, such emergency over rides had to be there. Everyone was well aware that the only way to describe a warp core reach, was as a catastrophic failure of the safety systems onboard a Starship. Loss of any core in such a fashion would, and had up to this point in time, led to the loss of many vessels. Tragically in some cases, involving the loss of all hands. ::
:: Everyone involved in the project knew of the risks. Everybody was aware of the possibility of failure. Alexander's mind chose in its young naivety to put it to the back of the young man's mind. Unbeknownst to him, this subconscious decision was going to lead to one of the largest disasters the Daystrom Academy had ever witnessed and leave an indelible black mark on his permanent record. Satisfied with what he had read and with 9am swiftly approaching, Alexander put the notes down and left his dorm room to begin what would be his last day at the Academy. ::
((Flashback, Daystrom Academy of Science, Paris, 2377. Day of disaster..))
:: The preparation had been completed, the experiment begun. Little by little the class would begin increasing the plasma flow to the core, hoping to succeed in raising the power levels beyond their norms. This of course was only a test on a model. If it was successful, the teams at the Daystrom Institute would spend years investigating, up scaling and testing the principle. If it didn't work it would be back to the drawing board. ::
:: Alexander found himself monitoring and regulating the new flow capacitors that had been installed. He felt great pride in having been entrusted with this part of the experiment. It was clear in his eyes that Doctor Fields saw great potential in him. Of course in reality, this probably wasn't the case. No one would ever really know, or even care why Alexander was given the task after the events that followed. All they would remember was the accident. ::
:: The experiment had been running for approximately four hours when a regulator alarm tripped in the system returning the flow of plasma in the core to normal. The gathered students and Doctor fields were dumbfounded. Everything had been going well up to that point. The doctor stepped forward and began addressing the gathered class. They hung on every word spoken and couldn't wait to hear Alexander's explanation. ::
Doctor Fields: So Alexander, what exactly happened to the system. You were the one tasked with monitoring and increasing the flow were you not?
Richards: Yes Doctor, I was. :: He cleared his throat. :: The computer began an automatic shut down of the test at approximately 4 hours and five minutes in. This was due to an anomalous reading emanating from somewhere inside the core. The computer deduced that the reaction had exceeded safety limits and was on the verge of entering an uncontrollable chain reaction. The ultimate result of such a reaction would be a warp core breach.
:: The gathered crowd all shook their heads in disbelief. Some even glared at Alexander as if to say without words 'it's your fault.' The poor young man could only try to shrink inside his shirt and hide his beetroot red face from the glaring, piercing stares. Doctor Fields again spoke up. ::
Doctor Fields: Thank you Alexander. The plan is to resume the test immediately. Our faculty staff have gone over the data received and believe that we may be able to safely overcome this barrier by slightly increasing the safety margins. Everybody back to your positions please.
:: Upon the command, the group dispersed to their various stations. Alexander didn't just doubt the assessment of the faculty staff, he rejected it outright. Even if they did increase the safety margin, that would only delay the inevitable. He took it upon himself to completely disable the safety protocols figuring that with what he had read about warp theory, and from his knowledge of Doctor fields notes, he could disable the system if things started to get out of hand. ::
:: Slowly time ticked by and the flow into the core increased beyond it's normal levels. At the four hour mark, the same time as during the last experiment, the reaction was stable and continuing to increase the core's power output. At the six hour mark, the flow had increased to nearly 1/3 more than normal. The reaction continued to be stable and power output was up nearly 2%. However, no less than three warning lights had lit up on Alexander's console. Had the safety systems been engaged, they would have begun an automated shutdown for the computer had noticed something Alexander had missed or miscalculated. Although stable, the reaction between the matter and the anti-matter was at a dangerously high level. If much more plasma were to be introduced to the chamber it would tip over and become a run away. Worse still, at this level of flow it would be too late to prevent a chain reaction by shutting off the flow. One tiny mistake, a small miscalculation, human error. That was all it had taken. ::
:: Eight hours in and it happened. Completely without warning the power levels spiked in the core and began rising exponentially. Alexander hit the kill switch on the flow regulators but it had no effect. An alarm beeped from his console as the entire test area became bathed in a flashing amber glow. Doctor Fields immediately jumped into action. ::
Doctor Fields: Alexander! Situation report?
Richards: Core has gone critical. Unable to shut it down. Computer says warp core breach in five minutes.
Doctor Fields: Evacuate the facility immediately. Notify Paris SAR of the problem. Everybody out now!
:: Richards immediately left his post as instructed. Doctor Fields calmly walked over to a panel on the wall and smashed it. Klaxons so loud they caused those present ears to ring sounded and the entire facility became bathed in red. Once outside all those present were instructed to move at least 600 meters back from the facility and not look at it. ::
:: The following minutes passed slowly as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. Then it happened. An incredibly bright flash of light, enough to permanently blind anyone who looked directly at it shot out in a sphere from the facility followed by an earth shattering explosion loud enough to temporarily deafen those within 1 km with a concussion blast wave large enough to blow out the windows of every building within 3 km. ::
:: As the dust began to settle, Alexander was physically sick. It was his fault and he knew it. The destruction in front of him was by his hands. He threw up again as the thought crossed his mind that he could be responsible for the deaths of people. White as a sheet, he collapsed, unconscious as the gravity of the situation dawned on him. One little mistake, one arrogant little mistake was all it had taken. ::
((Flashback, Daystrom Academy Incident tribunal, Paris, 2377. Two weeks after the accident.))
:: Alexander's parents had made the journey from Tycho for the tribunal. They were genuinely concerned for their son who was quite a changed man. Instead of being his normal outgoing, if a little arrogant self, he had become depressed. The accident had shaken him to the very core of his being. Thankfully, almost as if by some intervention by a divine power, no one had been killed. That was little solace to the teenager though. He had caused this disaster. He had injured so many of his class mates and the faculty. He was very much aware that the results of the inquest would have an effect, if not determine his future. ::
:: When he saw his parents, he rushed over to them and wept uncontrollably. Primarily because of the gravity of the situation he now found himself in but also because of the feeling of failure he felt inside. His parents had educated him in the scientific fields his whole life. They were the ones who gave him his thirst for the sciences and his love of practical experiments. Not only had he failed himself, he had failed them. That was heart breaking. His parents did not speak. They held him in a tight embrace, rubbing his back and hair trying to comfort the emotional wreck that lay before them. They could not understand how the accident could have happened. How could a student be able to deactivate the safety systems on such a dangerous device? Why was their son, and not Doctor Fields stationed at such a critical post? They knew the Academy was for the bright and gifted, the future experts of their fields but placing students of that age in control of such a critical and dangerous experiment. Surely that was an oversight at best, and at the worst, negligent. ::
:: Alexander had refused to give any verbal evidence to the tribunal. Instead he had written a ten thousand word summary of the events leading up to and after the experiment. The tribunal had accepted this based solely on the fact that Alexander was not well enough emotionally to take the stand. Three days after his evidence had been read, they were being called back in for the conclusion. The tribunal were about to give their ruling on the accident. ::
Security Guard: Richards Family?
Gary Richards: :: Looking up. :: That's us.
Security Guard: :: Keeping a neutral expression. :: The tribunal is about to give their closing remarks and recommendations. If you would like to follow me please.
:: No member of the family gave a verbal response. Gary simply nodded at the Security Guard and broke the huddle. Harriet continued to mop around her son's eyes to try to clear up the tears that had soaked his face. Alexander's expression was blank. He tried his best to contain his emotions but it was proving to be very difficult, taking up most of his remaining mental strength. What little of it there was that is. The Security Guard ushered the family into the public viewing area. The room itself was small with enough space to seat a maximum of fifty people. Today it was full and standing. This made Alexander feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable. When they entered the room he felt like every pair of eyes were staring at him, piercing directly into his soul. It was clear who the families of the other students blamed for the accident. Once everybody was in the room, the doors were locked and the session called to order. Owing to the nature of the tribunal, the FNS were required to wait outside for official reports. This was of little comfort to Alexander. ::
Marcus Daniels: If I could have your attention please. We here at the tribunal, after assessing all the evidence give have managed to reach a narrative verdict on the accident. We will now proceed to present that verdict to those of you gathered. This verdict will be followed by a list of recommendations that we feel must be implemented immediately by the Daystrom Academy.
:: The man sat down. Without even waiting for a cue, a woman, probably in her mid to late sixties stood up to address the crowd. Her expression was neutral, as it had been during the entirety of the hearing. She spoke in a calm tone with a broad English accent. Alexander would later find out that she was a senior representative of the Daystrom Institute. ::
Maria Hepworth: Two weeks ago this day, at approximately 17:07 hours, a catastrophic chain reaction in a model of a type VI warp core resulted in a warp core breach causing extensive damage to the Daystrom Academy of Science and the surrounding area. Although it would be easy for this tribunal to single out one person as the cause of this disaster. :: She located and looked directly at Alexander before continuing. :: It would be reckless and irresponsible of this tribunal to do so given the evidence we have been presented with over the past few days.
:: She looked down to the desk in front of her locating and picking up her glass of water. She took a long drink before placing the glass back on the table, clearing her throat and continuing. ::
Maria Hepworth: Instead, what we have come to find is that a series of events came together in such a manner as to cause this accident. If the matter were not as serious as it is, you could almost call the chain of events a comedy of errors. I will now list in order the tribunals understanding of the chain of events.
:: Alexander sunk lower and lower in his chair as the woman read off each event leading to the disaster one at a time. He was surprised at how the focus seemed to be on the faculty and not the students, or rather himself. As each event was read out, gasps could be heard from different sections of the gathered crowd. Then came the critical event. Although up to this point the tribunal had refrained from blaming Alexander, they had no choice but to here. ::
Maria Hepworth: Finally, although it was not, and should never be considered his fault that the safeties could be disengaged completely; This tribunal can not overlook the fact that the decision by Master Alexander Richards to turn off the safety systems ultimately led to the catastrophic chain reaction. It was this action that provided the final catalyst for the breach and completed the sorry chain of events. It is therefore the decision of this tribunal that Master Richards be held just as responsible for the accident as any of the aforementioned faculty including but not limited to Doctor Fields and his associates.
:: Alexander buried his head in his hands and wept. Somewhere deep inside, he had already known that this would be the case, but he had always held out the slimmest chance, especially during the summarizing that he would be absolved of any blame. His parents had always expected the worst and were relieved, at least as much as one could be, that the tribunal hadn't put the blame solely on his shoulders. The woman sat back down to be replaced by another man, much younger than her, probably in his mid to late thirties. ::
Michael Roberts: It is the recommendation of this tribunal that Master Alexander Richards be expelled from the Daystrom Academy of Science effective immediately for his part in the accident. Furthermore, Master Richards is to be permanently disbarred from anything relating to the Daystrom Institute. There will be no appeal allowed on this decision given the gravity of the accident.
:: Alexander continued to weep. As he saw it, his future was ruined. The event would leave a permanent, indelible black mark on his record and probably haunt him for the rest of his life. He was too upset to pay attention to the rest of the recommendations from the tribunal. He would later learn that Doctor Fields and several of his top assistants were fired from the Academy and stripped of their credentials. History would record that in their thirst for efficiency and thus fame, they had been recklessly blind to the dangers. It would also note that Master Richards was an unfortunate bright young man who became a casualty of that thirst. That would be of little comfort to Alexander though. Even to the modern day, he carried that bugbear around with him. It wasn't really until he met Commander Rahman that he began to let go of his past. She had looked past his history and trusted him with her engineering department, something he would never forget. ::
Call, inaudibly.
(( CRR, USS Mercury ))
:: In the hour before the away teams left, Aron left the operations of the bridge to Alex and retired to his ready room. In truth, he wanted to be on one of those teams, but it seemed that the job was going to come first: He had a backlog of status reports he needed to review regarding the Jaborrhik project; he'd just received new information regarding the Isharkian shards from Didrik Stennes; and Starbase 118 was still requesting a brutally detailed report of his incarceration on Valdor III, as well as any information he had regarding the unknown telepath they had picked up there. It seemed that the Mercury was becoming a haven for lost things: unfinished Borg Queens, sentient computer viruses, a crate full of kittens, and now a weaponized telepath. He almost sighed, but the door interrupted him as it announced the presence of Ensign Richards. ::
Kells: Yes, come in.
:: He found himself fond of Richards, as he could relate to the man: A strange position and a chieftainship almost forced upon him, as it had been upon Aron once many years ago. But Aron had been a scientist, trained and awkward, whereas Richards had some but not all of the necessary background. Problems were sure to occur, but the one that he'd reported to Aron seemed a step larger than he should've had to field. ::
Kells: Have a seat, Ensign, have a seat. Now, I've read your preliminary reports, and I understand that we have some faulty code?
Richards: Yes sir. The entire Science module seems to be afflicted with obsolete LCARS code that is interfering with the reliability of some systems and the efficiency of all of them. No systems are below StarFleet standard operational levels however I am concerned that this may only be for the meantime.
Kells: But it's not hardware, it's software?
Richards: Yes sir.
Kells: Well, thank the Architect for that. Code we can rewrite by hand if we need to, but replacement parts would not come cheaply out here. What's the extent of the problem?
Richards: As I've said, the problem currently extends to all systems and sub systems software. Unfortunately, it's not the same code in every system. The major problem for now is that to identify and patch out the code requires a level 1 diagnostic to be run. Under normal circumstances,
this should only take a few hours to complete but because my team is having to be more thorough, it is going to take much longer. The next system on the list is the Mercury's scientific sensor palettes with my team estimating each palette taking up to 4 hours to work on. That means that the Mercury will be at 66% sensor capacity for approximately 12 hours.
Kells: I see.
:: This was not what he wanted to hear. Running at partial sensors meant that they'd effectively lose their senses, or at least a couple of them, and that would not be beneficial to surveying the station. ::
Kells: I know you're going over to the station, but who do you have working on the problem?
Richards: Cadet Stone and Crewman T'Lex. T'Lex is primarily a Stellar Cartographer but she is a graduate of the Vulcan Science Academy and thus has a massive knowledge of most things scientific. Cadet Stone came on board for her Cadet cruise with high praise from the Academy Commandant on StarBase 118. Her record is impeccable and her devotion to her studies and her field would embarrass several officers. I have faith in their abilities but feel they are being hampered by a lack of available staff to assist.
Kells: Yes? Good. I'll try and get some engineers to help -- Chief Walker should prove useful -- and I'll go down myself and see if I can't speed things up.
Richards: Sir?
:: It wasn't very often that an officer witnessed a Captain wanting to get hands on. Then it stuck him. He remembered reading a PADD about his captain and his background when he came on board. The man was a man of science much like he had been in his early life. ::
Kells: We need the sensors back up, Mr. Richards -- and besides, I may not be an engineer, but computer code is very similar to genetic code, just with different symbols. I'll be able to handle myself.
Richards: Do you miss it sir?
Kells: I will-- what?
:: Aron had forged ahead with such momentum that he didn't realize, until he'd already begun speaking, that Richards had asked him a question very different from that he had expected. ::
Richards: I mean is there ever a time you wish you were back in my shoes rather than sitting in the chair?
:: Aron took a breath. Another. The truth, then: ::
Kells: Yes. Every day. Sometimes every hour. I can keep involved, but....
:: Aron slapped his hands down on the desk. ::
Kells: There's usually a desk between me and what I want to do. Not always, and I'd rather this was one of those times. ::
:: One thing he had learned from his family was that you could take the man away from his science, but you couldn't take science away from the man. ::
Richards: I've been meaning to ask you something since the party on 118 sir.
:: He paused, inviting the Captain to ask the question. ::
Kells: Go on, then.
Richards: It's about why you chose me for this position sir, especially after what happened on Valdor III.
Kells: Ah. That. Ignore the last mission. I mean, don't ignore it, but we'll come back to that. About your background: I knew you were the right one because you question, and you've been around. I've fielded my share of myselfs out here: Young scientists, straight from the Academy, eager to prove themselves. But you -- no, you've been in Starfleet before; you've served in three different divisions; you have a family. You're tempered.
Richards: :: Feeling a little uneasy. :: So you chose me for the position based on merit despite my record. I did resign from StarFleet after all sir. I still can't get my head around this decision though. It is incredibly rare for an Ensign to be made acting chief of any position except maybe communications or helm on a starship. Was there more to Valdor III and my actions there that shaped your choice?
:: Aron cocked his head away from Richards, and looked out the window. ::
Kells: Yes, let's talk about the planet. Maybe it did play more of a role in helping me decide than I'd like to admit. You know that Lieutenant Wulfantine bore the responsibility for the away team's actions. But I paid attention to what you did. You are hard-headed, Mr. Richards; you leapt without looking; you were stubborn and active. And this is a science ship without a chief science officer. Look, already! You've gone head-to-head with Kvitova and faced down your first crisis in code.
Richards: Ah yes, the good Captain. I didn't recognize the name at first. He seemed OK with Science being my department although the rank issue does make me feel uneasy. As for the code crisis. Well, that could have happened to any section. I'm just lucky that the limited crew I have available at this time are incredibly competent. I expect cadet Stone to be ready for her final exams within 6 months at her current work levels.
:: Richards took a moment to pause and to allow the captain to digest what he had said. ::
Richards: You said I was tempered sir. I still thought myself as gun-ho, arrogant and a little wet behind the ears.
Kells: You *are* tempered in some ways, yes, but still fiery enough to be the advocate for the science department I need here. Now. What else is there?
Richards: :: Pulling out a PADD. :: I just need you to sign off this list of new scientific components to be moved over to Deep Space Ten and installed including an updated Federation Sensor relay and its Palettes. I put the request in for the parts before we departed having reviewed the stations current capacity and it's specifications. Nothing too fancy, but enough to help turn the station into a strategic hub of some significance in the area.
Kells: We could definitely use such a thing out here. Let me see -- ah, yes. There, Mr. Richards: Approved. It *is *nice to be able to avoid the bureaucracy on such things out here.
Richards: Yes sir. Oh and sir, I know it is against the regulations and by rights you could put me in the brig for this but I obtained a bottle of Romulan ale on StarBase 118 from my ex employer. I have absolutely no intention of drinking it though I thought it might make a meeting with Captain Kvitova go slightly smoother. I gathered from my brief meeting with him that he enjoys the finer things in life. Besides, if you don't wish to waste it on Kvitova you could always store it for a special occasion, Captain's privilege and all that.
Kells: An excellent idea, and one that may prove necessary if Kvitova's less than forthright about his reasons than I'd like. I have Captain Reynolds working on him now, though, and (beat) well, if she doesn't have much success, then it might be worth just as much to beat him over the head with the ale as it would be to have him drink it, if you know what I mean. But at all events, I think I'll accept. Though if I suggest you have a drink with me, neither you nor I know where the libations come from, clear?
Richards: :: With a knowing smile. :: Yes sir. Next time I shall graciously refuse the offer. My wife, Marissa, knows where it is located. She is a scientist herself. :: He laughed realizing something. :: You know it's funny. Your career progression reminds me of that of my Grandfather. He was the Captain of the *Tycho* many years back until she went missing near the Cardassian border. They never found the ship, or any signs of a battle though it was assumed destroyed by a Cardassian patrol ship.
:: He paused. he realized he was babbling now and that both men had a job to be doing. ::
Richards: Sorry sir, I'm beginning to babble on about irrelevant things and we both have jobs to be doing. I should be going.
Kells: Yes, I'm sure you have much to do to prepare for your trip to the station.
Richards: Aye sir. Thanks for the talk, I needed that if I'm honest. Valdor III and the consequences of the mission and my actions were weighing heavily on my mind. You've put me slightly more at ease, as did Lieutenant Trel'lis and Lieutenant Wulfantine.
Kells: Then I've done my job. But do feel free to see me whenever you like, Mr. Richards. We're a long way from the Federation out here, and we need all the community we can get. But for now, dismissed. And good luck.
-END-
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