Mission 12: "When It Rains..."

[Taurik]

(OFF: Okay, let's assume we jumped as we should have, and I'll delete my probe comment. Continue as normal.)

The Rivendell drops out of hyperspace exactly 3.26 seconds after the jump, and the automatic retro-thrusters bring the ship to a halt.

"Status?"

[T'lana]

T'lana continued to scan as well,

"Aye Captain, as you will Commander. Captain I believe I know why she is in Stasis, she has an injury on her forehead indicative of some form of blunt trauma. As there is blood on the right side of the canopy, but there is no sign of attack, I would suggest that the injury occurred during some other form of kinetic event."

[Taurik]

"Mr. Freeman, download the vessel's databank into our own computer. T'lana, work with Ms. Sar to go over the navigational recordings leading up to the accident."

[Taurik]

"Our drive systems are powered from deuterium molecules, and our vessels are equipped with molecular ramscoops to collect these particles from space matter. If your vessel needs refueling, we can easily provide deuterium fuel, assuming your drives are compatible with it."

[Morgan Freeman]

Looking at the diagram Morgan smiled "Yes we can, I think it will take the full two weeks to accomplish though.  Larial may be able to watch over it for us.  WOuld you like me to start the process?"

[Taurik]

(OFF: Sorry about the slow response, I've been working on the Rivendell's new site. I'll post a link once it's ready.)

"This is Captain Taurik of the Rivendell. I would like permission to send a research team to Red Acropolis."

The base commander came over the line. "Certainly, Captain. Might I ask what for?"

"We are on a mission," Taurik said, "to gather information on a new species that seems to have allied itself with the Heraan. Given that Red Acropolis was once a Heraani outpost, perhaps their old databanks would have something that would give us a clue as to where to find them."

"Very good, Captain. We'll be awaiting your team. Acropolis out."

Taurik stood from his chair. "Commander T'lana, and Ensign Beta, please meet me in Transporter Room Two. Miss Sar, if you wish, you are also welcome to join. Your insight would be useful."

[Taurik]

"The reason is... irrelevant. I will not comply."

Taurik knelt down to channel his psionic powers, releasing a torrent that would have utterly destroyed the room, but due to the psionic dampening field, it had no effect.

"What is it you want?"

[Orpheus]

"We're receiving another transmission from the fleet. It's from the Marathon, ma'am."

Orpheus played the transmission on the main viewer as the senior staff left the conference room. "This is Captain Ramirez of the U.S.S. Marathon, the other ship commander said, staring right at T'lana. "We've received a distress call on your behalf from Red Acropolis, and Starfleet diverted our battle group here. We've also been told to inform you that you are hereby given a temporary field promotion to Captain, and are in command of Battle Group Thirteen. We're standing by for your orders, Ramirez out."

[Taurik]

Taurik was continuing to struggle against the constant pressure of the Collective in his mind.

"I tire of this," he said, beginning to lose his emotional control. "Release me, and we shall see how the Borg stand against a Sentinel! If you are a close to perfection as you claim, it should be no challenge!"

[T'lana]

For two days T'lana was working on a Quantum Slipstream Drive for the USS Rivendell. The Wormhole Induction Propulsion (WHIP), colloquially known as the Jump Drive, is definitely a useful tool. For if the vessel was in danger, the Jump Drive could be spun up and one minute later could jump out of danger. But with only a twenty light year range, the Jump Drive is not a viable  form of transwarp.

That is where the Quantum Slipstream Drive comes in. Any attempt by Starfleet to create a Transwarp Drive, to go beyond the Warp 10 barrier has met with disaster. Which as T'lana has read about the USS Excelsior, was actually the result of sabotage on behalf of a one Commander Montgomery Scott and not because the Transwarp Drive was a failure, in yet it the project was scrapped.

But, given the telemetry T'lana took of the Transwarp Drive anyway during the rescue of Captain Taurik, T'lana could see two possible flaws with any attempt to recreate a Transwarp Drive. One; the torsion stress put on a vessel's hull at transwarp velocities is accumulative and is beyond the operational capacity of most Starfleet vessels. Two; the environmental impact of spacetime caused by a vessel traveling beyond the Warp 10 limit, is quite considerable.

But as any good physicist knows, particles are but waves of energy and as such quantum level of spacetime is more malleable, than manipulating spacetime as a whole.

The best analogy of this is: Warp and transwarp can be likened to an ocean going vessel traveling across the surface, in essence, it surfs across the waves. Where as; Quantum Slipstream, is like a submarine, traveling below the surface of the water. In this respect, if there was a race between a ship and a submarine, the submarine would win, because it doesn't have the waves to contend with.

That is why, T'lana chose to have the engineers build a Quantum Slipstream Drive she researched and improved upon when designing the prototype surveillance/reconnaissance vessel, the Kelata. This was thanks to a timely visit from a Gallifreyan, that made the Kelata possible. The name was taken from a phrase the Gallifreyan, also gave her to use in the future - which she did to rescue Taurik - "Kelata Mana Darsha Kree".

The Quantum Slipstream Drive wasn't the problem, it was current Starfleet and Vulcan technology that was the problem.

The Kelata uses Organic Technology in it's Computer Core, which is necessary for the occasional nanosecond adjustments in the quantum field required when at slipstream velocities.

In order to travel in slipstream, the power requirements are more than a Antimatter/Matter Reactor can produce. The only power generation capable of giving a Quantum Slipstream Drive the energy it needs, is either a Quantum Singularity Core, or a Quantum Induction core, the former being a miniature blackhole and the latter works by creating a vacuum in the reactor and extracting the Zero-Point Energy and converting the energy into electricity.

These are two things the USS Rivendell is not equipped with and that is T'lana's dilemma.

For in order for a Quantum Slipstream Drive to function at 100% efficiency, the USS Rivendell would need a Biomechanical Computer and either a Quantum Singularity Core or Quantum Induction Core.

Of course T'lana could give the Starfleet Engineers the designs for these, but when it comes to new technology that hasn't been around for five years, Starfleet Command and personnel, are wary.

T'lana put down her PADD and tapped her communicator.

=A=T'lana to Taurik=A=
"Captain, when you have a moment, I would like to speak with you."
=A=T'lana Out=A=

[Taurik]

"Very well," came Taurik's reply. "I will be there soon."

A few minutes passed, and Captain Taurik came through the double-wide doors to Engineering, and saw T'lana at one of the ancillary wall consoles, turning toward an ensign.

"I believe you summoned me, Commander?" he said.

[T'lana]

T'lana took the medal case that was given to her by Taurik and placed it where she was sitting at the Banquet Table.

She nodded to Morgan and partook in the Banquet with the rest of the staff that was present for the awards ceremony.

[Morgan Freeman]

"Take a look at these readings from the new core, it seems as though an unexplained power lose happens when we first activate the drive.  I have done about 30 simulations and they all end up with the exact same result, a very random and intense power drop."

Morgan, being polite surrenders his chair to T'lana so that she can study the console more effectively.

[Chaya Sar]

~"Thank you."~

[Taurik]

Captain Taurik stepped onto the bridge of the Rivendell for the first time in three weeks. He had taken some time to dedicate solely to training with Master Techerakh, vastly expanding his knowledge of the Templar arts.

The ship seemed so small to him now. Taurik knew it was simply idle thought, something he should avoid, but he couldn't help but feel that the entire quadrant was simply at his fingertips.

Shaking the idea aside for now, he sat down in the lone command chair on the upper tier of the well-lit bridge. Pressing a button on the small command panel, he sent a message to his senior officers to report in.