MST project/Logs

This page pertains logs created by those working on the MST project for the transporter's development.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #1, Stardate 239301.01 This is Lieutenant Commander Tristam Core, on stardate 239301.01. To celebrate the Federation new year, I have finally begun an official log regarding the development of full ship transportation technology. With any luck, in a few years time, we'll be capable of transporting entire ships across tens of lightyears. I say tens because under no circumstances will the technology we have in this decade be able to move the mass of what is the Cardiff class starship I am currently serving on. But fret not! At least I'll be alive to see something like that happen. Hopefully. Thanks to the glorious company that is the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, I've been given the green light to go ahead and do my best to develop this thing using Starfleet resources, so long as it doesn't interfere with my regular duties on the Invicta and it doesn't conflict with anything Kells wants done too. I've asked a few of my trustee subordinates whether or not they'd like to assist - so far, I've got two people, though admittedly, Loupaz did say she was only doing it to make sure I wasn't completely insane. That's okay, though, because the first few tests and research only need light work. If I get up to actually building things, I can do that myself, but I'd rather not trouble the holographic workers. Because we apparently have those now... Today I'm going to begin reviewing absolutely everything we know about transporter technology. I'm a components expert; this'll be easy. End log entry.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #2 So research was enlightening and went just about as well as expected. Enlightening in the way that I now realize if I'm going to get any traction with this project, everything I'm going to use will have to be built from scratch. It's nothing that I haven't done before, but this time I'm basically throwing away everything Starfleet calls 'science' and starting anew. I'm not concerned with transporting a starship whilst it's moving. Starfleet can tackle that problem when I'm not around. I'm just focusing on moving one giant mass from one section of space to another, which, using the technology Starfleet has available in this generation, won't happen. The technology I'm actually looking for is, according to the files generously supplied by the USS Voyager, in the Delta quadrant. And there's no way I'm ever going to convince anyone to go back into Delta and acquire such technology diplomatically - since Voyager clearly didn't get any results in that area themselves. New developments in transporter technology themselves finally break the 60,000 kilometre barrier. However, Delta quadrant inhabitants Sikarians were able to smash that record by transporting humanoids over 40,000 *lightyears* away from a single point. They used a folded-space transporter, coupled with antineutrinos and some sort of special quartz formation to project forward. Antineutrinos will obviously avoid any death-like symptoms during or after transport - people would be fine - but the plasma manifolds on a regular starship will not react well to the antineutrinos. Nor do we have access to any special rock that might boost transporter power. And I can't just call up the Sikarians and ask for their help, either. I'll sleep on it. Right now, my brain hurts thinking about rocks producing their own energy.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #3 I changed my mind. I'm going to try and extend the Starfleet technology I've got and then see where I end up. If I fail, then I can go about creating something brand new. I might live for over two hundred years, but my minions won't. Nor will the people overseeing this log. So tomorrow I go into holographic-hardware mode. I build the biggest and bestest 'regular' transporter that will beam the highest amount of mass and then see if I can expand upon that design. Because we're in testing phase, I'm going to basically steal all access rights to one of the Invicta's holosuites and start. No, I will not be using the new "HEWies". Even just the name of those guys makes me question the sanity of other components engineers.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #4 Full report of results is available in the project files. I'm not going to go over everything here mainly because there's nothing to cover. Loupaz and I stressed the transporter to its limits - results were relatively favourable. We used the Sol system as a template. And didn't need it because distance between planets is way more than 80,000 kilometres and distance between planets in the Sol system is in the millions. I'm... ...such an idiot! I'm using the wrong theory of mechanics! Loupaz! Reset the simulation! We're using the wrong transporter! [Log shuts off due to inactivity.]

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #5 I have . . . bits of news. Firstly, Starfleet transporter chiefs everywhere will be happy to know that a small team on the USS Invicta has cracked that maximum transport distance of a ship's transporters by an extra 20,000 kilometres - due to logical stupidity, Loupaz and I were able to boost a transport across 80,000 kilometres, successfully transporting the mass of a type eleven shuttlecraft plus one biologically average human occupant in simulation. That report has been marked under the folder "irrelevant data". Secondly, and more relevant, we have begun work on the actual transporter we should have looked at in the first place. Turns out I should have spent more time researching and such because I completely missed the transport theories by Scott. You have no idea how dumb I feel, but what's done is done and I'm sure the previous experiment will prove useful later on in some capacity. Relativistic physics for the win, I guess. I don't know why Starfleet doesn't use this technology themselves anyway. It's already been built - you could literally beam things between Earth and Mars without any hassle. The only problem would be the cargo transport industry frowning at it - which makes no sense since they don't actually make anything from their business anyway. Artist, the Federation is strange. Anyway, so obviously we were able to beam something as simple as the Jalana between Earth and Mars with very few hassles, aside from having to readjust some figures to account for the shuttle's mass. We can't do this with people yet - the pattern breaks up - and we'll tackle that problem later, but we're again faced with the "distance" thing. We have a lot more wiggle room thanks to subspace. And I think I can double, if not triple that. A communications system works on a two-way basis. One end can place a call and let that ring out, but until the other end actually takes it, nothing happens. The send and receive concept - basically been a thing for thousands of years back home. Transporters don't usually run on this idea, mainly because - since they're usually placed on ships that are constantly on the move - there isn't a base of which to receive them when beaming officers down to foreign worlds. I mean, you can't just ask them to build a receiver - they might not even have the technology to do so. With that, the transporter might as well be a grappling hook; it goes both ways, but the base is at the top and not the bottom. So basically I'm going to build a second transporter, make the two lock on a signal between them and see how far I can pull them apart before that signal breaks whatever pattern is being sent between them. Mars gets to be my receiver. I'll send something from Venus.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #6 I know it's been a while since I made a log, but better late then never. I'll keep this as short as possible mainly because I'm tired, I don't want to have to talk more than I have to. Second transporter's been built and placed securely in orbit of holo-Venus - I'm getting out of the habit of placing things onto planets because that's not how this will actually work should it get around to working. The primary is in orbit of holo-Mars. We've had to account for the maximum distance - since these things obviously can't sit still whilst in a rotational orbit, the distance between them will change. It won't be rapid, but it's enough to be a problem if we're not careful with the math. It's shore leave tomorrow, so I'll assign someone to take care of Loupaz's duties for the day and we'll work on it then.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #7 With Kells rescued and everybody back on board safe and soundly, Loupaz and I can finally get back to work! And today I walked in to see that she and Garry- [Sound of muffled speaking, and something hitting the desk] Hey! I'll add whatever I like to the log, thank you very much! Go get a coffee or something! [More muffled speaking] Anyway, getting back on topic, results of the previous experiment were a semi-success, which is good news for me. The Jalana travelled beautifully from the primary point from Mars to the secondary point orbiting Venus. We even managed to relocate the primary to orbit Jupiter with the same results, if not a bit of strain on power. This is good - as long as the technology has a connection, it works without a hitch. And then we felt lucky and decided to send the primary to Neptune. It went about as well as you'd expect. Meaning it didn't. In fact, as soon as the Jalana hit the transporter stream, the entire thing fizzled itself and we ended up back at square one. We literally lost Jalana - it's gone, and we have no idea where. It didn't get destroyed, it's pattern didn't get decintigrated. The computer claims it got sent successfully, but the Secondary around Venus didn't receive anything. So either we somehow managed to get something lost in subspace - which is highly unlikely - or the Jalana is currently floating somewhere, possibly in bits and pieces, around the holographic sol system of MSTexperholo version 8.2.1. Instead of looking for her right now, we saved the holoparametres as their own file and then reset the entire thing. We can look for it when we're rendering another transporter. Regardless, this incident will go into the "if ship doesn't reappear, look for the following" section of the user's manual. I'm not entirely sure what happened. Either it was too far that the connection the transporter's computer claimed to have was so weak it just didn't hold the Jalana and caved in upon itself, or it was a power fluctuation that we didn't detect. It wouldn't be the first time, but since this has nothing to do with slipstream, I'd assumed the technology was marginally safer. This means that Loupaz and I are no longer enough to really watch the experiments closely. I'll have Garry quietly added to the resources listing so that he can monitor such readings while Loupaz and I handle everything else. I'm sure Rahman won't notice.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #8 Well, I got pulled up by the SCE Project Manager for not putting in a proper requisition of resources form for Garry's help since I'd be pulling him off the roster every time I needed him without proper 'authority or explanation'. I just wanted to reiterate that the person talking is currently Chief Engineer of the USS Invicta, where these logs are being authored, and if there's someone who should be able to dictate who's working when and where in Engineering, it should probably be me. Turns out that that logic doesn't fly and it's the First Officer's job to look over the rosters. So basically Rahman knew I was using Garry as soon as I'd pulled him off the active duty roster for last week. Things have been cleared up and it got the green light anyway, so no harm done, really. We are currently rendering another experimental Sol system plus the two transporters exactly where they were last time, but I'm going to put a transporter beacon between them. If it's too far apart from each other, the beacon will connect the range and push the matter towards the secondary. So now there's two connections on this path. I better not get into the habit of doing this - there's only so many beacons you can put into a solar system without the owners getting annoyed. Also, apparently there's bets being taken on where the Jalana's gone. I think it's not rematerialized correctly and is orbiting Jupiter in scattered dust particles, but we still haven't been able to load the program up and go looking for it.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #9 A lot's happened over the last few days, so I've got news worthy of this log. We decided to name any shuttle Jalana holoprograms created past the MSTexperholo version 8.2.1 "Akeelah" until such time we actually find the Jalana. That way we're not going to get confused with the one still lost in the 8.2.1 scenario. Speaking of which, we still haven't had the time to go looking for it in that program, and I made Loupaz swear to not go without me, which means it's been delayed again because a lot has happened and I just haven't had the time. So we ran the experiment with the beacon and it worked like a charm! Akeelah went from Neptune to Venus without any power fluctuations or mysterious shuttle-losses, which is spectacular news. This means that the transporter beacons - though I've been told that "beacon" probably isn't the right word for it considering what it does, but whatever - were definitely the right way to go. With all this success, I decided to go ahead and put a lifeform on the Akeelah and see if it had the same results as the original transporter design we're using. The transport itself was a full success, but then we got up close and ran a medical check. Yeah, that wasn't a success. I'll leave out the gruesome parts, but had it been a real person, things would have not re-materialized where they were supposed to re-materialize. I don't know what's wrong here, the transporter buffer is working fine. The Jalana and Akeelah both materialized without issues when tested with it, not including 8.2.1, which makes me think that the issue is with organic tissue, since both shuttles have none present by themselves. I'm going to have to bring in Saveron or Blueheart or something, see if they can give some insight on this. On a completely different note, Commander Rahman is no longer the project manager for the Corps of Engineers here - that position is now my own, having been asked to step in, especially since she's on leave. Because I can't really juggle being both the manager and Chief of Engineering - honestly, how did Rahman do it as First Officer? - I've decided to make this my primary position aboard the Invicta. Which also means more time to toy with this and the other project I'm working on. Anyway, we saved the failed organic transport for the Medical department's insight later under MSTexperholo version 8.4.1 and have moved onwards to continue stretching out the transporter range. We'll worry about [Main power fluctuations cause log to end recording]

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #10 I am now acting as the First Officer of the USS Invicta, as well as the project manager for SCE in this region of space - forgive any extraordinary breaks between log entries. [sighs] I need some sleep. I've been thinking about the transporter beacons that we're using to sort of 'rush' forward an in-progress transport to reach the secondary transport site. The problem we're facing at the moment is that there isn't enough distance between beacons to not just cover every figurative inch of space in them to be useful. It's not a logical decision if starships are going to have to correct their courses every minute to avoid hitting one. Not to mention that while a beacon path would be the most efficient way to push forward transport, it'd also mess up the computer system and we'd lose people or objects in transport should one beacon's frequency cross with another and make an infinite loop. I want to avoid that. Speaking of which, I may have to reconsider this being an automated system. We're still a long way away before implementing this in any sort of serious manner - the damn thing hasn't even been constructed for real yet, nor will it be until these tests show some proper results - but now that we're rethinking the scope of the system and with the beacons, we may actually have to have each station crewed by at least one person. Which would also mean we'd have to factor in living quarters on top of the power distribution. [huff] You know what? I'll focus on the tech first and worry about that later. The problem with biological matter hasn't yet been addressed - so we haven't put a person back into the shuttle as of yet until we can figure out what went wrong in that area. I've got a feeling it's got something to do with the energy output - as a technical rule, transporter deconstruct matter to recompose it a way away. People have to be destroyed before they can be put back together. The question is just how much decomposition is the transporter doing to confuse itself when it puts people back together again. I'll have to consult Blueheart. In the meantime, I'm curious to see whether bio-neural gel packs will result in a similar scenario of deconstruction, so we've begun to equip the newest Akeelah with the system. Since we're not testing the system's performance on the shuttle, accuracy according to new SCE designs isn't necessarily needed, but in the event it does spark something out of the blue, I'd rather have it as accurate as possible. None of us are happy with that, but that's how experiments get done, I guess. Oh, before I end this recording, to address why log nine was suddenly cut from recording? Yeah. My crew got possessed. Remind me to lodge a complaint to Starfleet about our lack of 'anti-possession' technology or something. The fact that we don't have anything of the kind is a huge oversight by SCE and Starfleet Medical. Somebody get on that.

LtCmdr Tristam Core MST Development Log #11 Last log I made for this blasted thing was six months ago. Honestly there hasn't been much for me to report - we're still stuck at the same problems as last log entry. Since then, I failed to consult Blueheart about the humanoid aspect of the transport. I've also gone on long service leave to Rodul were . . . things have been interesting, but no less peaceful than I'd expected, and taken my MST work with me, or what I could bring of it, because the Corps of Engineers allowed it. Which brings me to why I'm making this log entry - to thank one Nygeyan-Vale Caeloi, a non-Starfleet Rodulan engineer, who just broke my MST out of a solar system and into sector space! I'm too tired to get into specifics, and I'll be sure to add it into the files, but for now, know that I am one semi-happy Rodulan!