Tomcat Upgrades Part #5

Posted on 27 Aug 2024 @ 3:21pm by Lieutenant Commander Paul Sharpe & Lieutenant Leland Hawksley
Edited on on 27 Aug 2024 @ 3:23pm

2,035 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: SB51/Various/SB 51 Engineering
Timeline: Current - The day after the Luncheon Post

[ON]

The next day, Paul arrived early and he was looking at a viewscreen that showed a continuously moving image of the Starbase shipyard where the Tomcat was being upgraded, he was looking at a completed outer hull, and under the saucer section there were holes where they were installing drop pods, there were no weapons on it, yet even though the top rear torpedo launcher pods and Point defence system was installed, also missing was the bridge module, however, there were some basic things installed, he looked at the strange new saucer shape as the Engineering doors opened.

"Ah, Leland, come have you look-see. The outer hull of the ship is all but completed, and I hope you got your testing cap on." He asked, turning his upper body to face Leland with a smile.

Leland turned to look at the outer vessel. He placed either hand on the belt side of his uniform and whistled out. Hawksley narrowed his eyes at the logistical expression that the Main Computer formed of the new Tomcat, its hull, and inner mechanical mappings—one of the first keels of the new Tomcat within sight.

“I understand that I am looking at the main computer EPS taps grid. A major substrate portion within Starship development involves the production of such a 3-D Image readout,” Hawksley commented.

“Does she now?” Hawksley peered in closer.” She looks like a Starship!” He sounded half relieved.

"I have a treat for you Leland, today we get to do a physical check on the installed systems, the corridor leading to engineering is complete as it the two levels of Main engineering and the gravity plating is installed in those areas, the Computer core it also installed and operational, so now we can run the same simulations in the actual Engine room, so you ready to see your new Domain, there are some consoles not connected yet, so it is not perfect, but it is enough to get the systems working with the ship's computer and such, ready?" Sharpe asked.

Leland’s was keen on it. "Of course, I am ready for a visit. I was wondering when you would ask?"

They both then egressed Into the sub-structure case leading to the main computer and dilithium core. Entering the main room, Leland took position at a table, as they had enclosed deck access to the main Engine Room of the new Tomcat. All sub-laminarization gravity hull plating and micro EPS lineage taps and hull polarization contact welding are installed.

Turning at his station, Hawksley pulled out a padd from his backpack. Leland reviewed it. Leland shot Sharpe a call. “Looks like we have a nice Engineering room to work with!” Leland approved. He grinned widely as he looked around the sizeable engineering room. Strictly made to be structurally sound, bulkheads intertwined, but functionally designed, it optimized access to all main critical junctures of the new Tomcat.

More access, more control, more remote access computer systems in control of juncture assets in sectors 4 – 8 on decks 2 – 3. These areas would hook up to emergency saucer generators and gyron four trans verse torpedo lineage sub-lets. “It Is fascinating to see how the build and structure shine so brightly in the dark, that hull. Hawksley stood at his engineering station. In the very birth of its superstructure, the Tomcat is super-imposed, super verse populated within a new Tomcat layering soon again, this time more powerful, leaner, meaner, and scrappier than ever!

As the pair approached the working consoles "I thought there would be more powered on than this *sighs* oh well we will have to make do, Leland checked the data flow and ODN pathways are working with the new gel pack installations connected to the computer core and the transporters, cannae do the warp core, yet as she is still powered down" Sharpe said and got to work on his console, he was checking the diagnostics of the systems that were operational.

Leland nodded. He then took out a carry basket of home-baked chocolate chip cookies he made the night before. Baking helped him relax, oddly.

Opening the rubber maid box and passing them over to Paul, Leland stated. “Take the box.”

Leland punched in some diagnostic coding, bringing up the isolated digital interface. Highlighting “Grid Arm L3 N9, Subset of ‘Carrington Street’ node. I am engaging the EPS stream and modifying the ozone temps on substrate effluent.” Hawksley re-entered temps for various sensor relays in the core EPS. Within moments, a “rate change to normal EPS, system returning to balance holding at 99.8997.” Hawksley checked the system and pulled up extra EPS nodes.

“We must ensure that the EPS power taps can maintain the load we add to the Tomcat. With all the upgrades, drop ships, ablative armouring, charged photons, riskier manoeuvres, thrusting capacities…” Leland swallowed. “We may as well just tear up what the normal “old” Tomcat EPS margins. The additional menu will significantly change the Long-Term System Operational Loads LTSOL quotient. As per energy resonance redundancy methods, we must set up a series of meetings with subspace mechanics advisors.”

Hawksley sat down on the metal draftsman stool in the room. He leaned back on it, letting his feet plant out in front, thoughts running free, taking a drink from his silver mug of coffee x4 cream, x4 artificial sweetener, XL. Swallows.

“Lt. Commander, do you have any on insulating a core Vex2 anodyne relay with anti-shock sub-set systems?” Leland was curious. He was at his wits' end, going through the whole known engineering periodic table of elements…

"Acknowledged, sending relevant information to your Padd," Sharpe said, then his console shut down and sparked a little "DAMMIT!" he exclaimed, he pulled the front off and sat on the floor and began to pull out the burnt ODN cables and he was surprised to find some Isolinear chips "well, what do we have here!" he said pulling out burnt chips and removing a burnt panel, there was a gel pack in the console so the Iso chips were control factors, as he got to work.

"Leland, make you a note, when the ship is complete inside and out, and internals are finished have Starbase Engineers comb through the systems, the Exocomps are not programmed for fine-tuning, so when the rebuild is complete we will need actual engineers to do the final checks," Sharpe said "and I want you to lead the engineering team when it happens, use SB51 engineers as they will be charged with any upkeep and repairs when the Tomcat is docked here, you will also need to train your staff on the upgraded systems when all the issues are ironed out" he added.

Leland looked at Sharpe, who was piecing together a burnt-out with broken nodes. “Affirmative.” He cocked his head slightly to the left and raised an eyebrow. What had brought out that burst of orders, and they were orders.

“Ensure that real engineers check things over. Understood.” Hawksley grunted cockily. He playfully smirked; it didn’t bother him. He knew what Sharpe had meant by proper engineers—at least a different set of eyes overlooking their work, which was the standard.

“Funny. I hadn’t even anticipated antiquated pads from the old Tomcat we were using and forgot to replace them with station editions. Neural to neural capacity.”

Finishing his task he put the cover back on "Well when you think about it Leland the Tomcat was essentially stock when Captain Somers got Command, she was fresh from transferring from the Marines and one of the first things she had the engineers install was the Micro photon torpedoes PDS installed on top of the torpedo pod launcher, that was the only external upgrade done, internally the ship was adjusted to equip three squadrons of Peregrine Fighters with twelve to a Squadron, over four-hundred Rifles support craft and all the extras the Rifles and Pilots will need. The weapons and defence systems were a standard issue" he paused as he stood up.

"While we were with a regimented Fleet the upgrades and such the Captain wanted to do would never have been allowed and let's face it the partial redesign of the ship hull, the weapon upgrades and such to name but a few would never have been allowed, now the ship has left that fleet for a Special Operations unit that hindrance is no longer and the ship is getting the much-required upgrades, Science will be happy they will have a more advanced Science package and systems on the ship before it was basic, but being the area the ship works in some changes had to be made, and now here we are retrofitting and upgrading the ship. Oh, how are the adjustments with the holographic backup power generator coming you managed to find the issue, yet?" Sharpe responded as he ended with a question.

Hawksley nodded. “I’ve had success with the omnidirectional holo diode cluster.” He pulled up the schematics that showed the results of process guide links and system upgrades. “I’ve had to cross-cache and re-manipulate the holo-drive resistors and sequencing drives to allude algorithm substrate across magnetic peristalsis EPS flow taps on decks 4,7 and 9, respectively.”

Leland then closed his eyes and placed his fingers between the bridge of his nose before continuing. “In other words. I have reset the drive coil assembly to fix it. The system is back online generators.”

"What percentage is the holo back up lasting till I had it up to 10 per cent for three minutes before you and I met, how many percentages and how long does it last before critical failure and you have to shut it down? It is a new way of using photons, so setback will be expected" Sharpe asked.

"I don't have that. I will have to get back to you." Leland felt his desk full of pads getting ever more cluttered. A starship. He didn't build starships. He drove them on missions, and this was overwhelming for him.

*Looking at Leland* "Let's finish up here Leland then call it a day, we have done as much as we can physically, the majority is now holodeck, besides the Exocomps are due to complete engineering and begin on the rest of the internals of the ship, so we will need to evacuate, but after today take a few days off to relax, we have been working hard and deserve it" Sharpe said.

Leland felt embarrassed on the inside. “I’m fine. Really.” He stated. Hawksley rarely got overwhelmed, especially regarding finer points of engineering flight dynamics and Data Matrix calculations, deuterium consumption levels, and aircraft cumulative structural degradation.

“Maybe a day or two. Sir.” Leland swallowed. Entering in some codes, logical and automated intelligence running sequential protocol populations. “The two computer cores make-up, thus far, of the Data Matrix computers will be running on a 99.9999999 latency aboard the Tomcat coded A and B, respectively. A and B cores offer a backup redundancy.” Hawkley reported on his multiple screens with sit rep automated reports streaming engineering data and quotients, formulas all telling Leland sure tales of how she is doing, the Tomcat. Leland loved the feeling!

Checking the console he was at "confirmed, despite all our checks and tests there will be hiccups when she is operational again Leland, but at least you will have familiarity with the new systems and should be able to address anything that comes up" he said signing off and moving away from the console as the exo comps began to arrive in the section.

Leland was exhausted. He was spent. His head was spinning. He didn’t tell any doctors this. He had this retrofit placed on him, on his back. To state that Leland would be charged if he screwed up any major retrofits lives in the balance, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. This was more than just updating computers; he ensured he had to be 100.

[OFF]

 

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