Foreshadowing
Posted on Tue Mar 20th, 2018 @ 4:07pm by Second Mate Quinton Beck & MERCHANT RANKS Fala Gaz (NPC) & MERCHANT RANKS N'Tach Oro-korinko (NPC)
1,202 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Meanwhile...
Location: Deck 32 Shuttle bay anterior
Timeline: Current
-Start-
{Cargo Bay Deck 32}
Lid'a screamed, she was buried in crates, tubes, tubs, boxes, containers, packages and more. She'd been at the unloading for hours.
“You alright over there?” A Tiburonian whose name she garbled as 'Orskt' called out unable to see Lid'a beyond the wall of boxes and crates.
“We need to get some stuff moved out, I'm not claustrophobic, but this... this would make anyone feel buried alive.”
Orrkiszt couldn't have agreed more, she started moving crates and boxes, her massive frame easily handling containers others needed antigrav units for. After a few minutes of re-araning, carefully so as to avoid avalanche, she could see Lid'a through gaps in the stacks and rows. Being of the Proboscidae order of Mammalian life the bellow was significant when she sounded, "All stewards form a line, get this deck clear on the double."
Grinning impossibly on her large face, prehensile Trunk dangling from her face loosely she spoke to Lid'a, “Okay I got warm bodies, give me boxes and they'll pile them and move them.”
“There's forty tons?!
"...so what's first?”
Lid'a indicated a crate of sundries, “Going to level Deck 22 one of the general cargo bays, If no one is there, stack them against a wall and alert Quartermaster, or Chief Jade."
She had a laser pointer and designated That's not all going. Soap, sixty boxes of five hundred hard soaps, also going to 22.” She pointed to the next pile. “Self sealing stem bolts, one hundred boxes each 20 kilos, going to Deck 23 our deck where the Reaper's enclosure is. Ninety two boxes labelled science, going to Deck 17. Six large logs, Reaper's enclosure Deck 23.”
Flame indicated the grav lifters which someone had put a padd on flashing 23.
“Do we have a cargo TL?”
“We're going to find out.” Kevin answered as he lifted the first large log with Mike.
“Waste Pellets?"
"Life Sciences... they are for animals, One hundred crates each with one hundred bags of three.”
Lid'a kept going. “Deck 22. Eight more large boxes with larger science equipment, Deck 17. Medical Drugs seventy boxes. Deck 7. Engineering Equipment nineteen boxes Deck 19. Candy. Main Mess Deck 10. Section seven through nine of Excelsior-Merchant Class warp core shielding. Main Engineering Deck 19. Sheets, underwear, dolls, diapers Deck 22. Deck 10 Main Mess knives, teaspoons, tablespoons, draining spoons. Flies, ants, mosquitoes, butterflies......”
The line of people moving boxes stalled when a few people were unsure of where to go, and looked to Lid'a with a crate jam full of various lacey sundries made for Ferengi Females.
“The hell am I looking at, this go to Science?
Another of the loading crew scanned the interior of the large velvet lined crate. "I think this is radioactive."
“Becks Quarters then?”
Lid'a looked at the box. “The Ferengi ship master.”
Orsky looked at her squarely, “I'd go with Science.”
They all had a laugh. “Trauma packs. Half to our Trauma Centre level 23, half to Medical Deck 7. General ship wiring, Engineer Deck 19, Pink and Green paint, general cargo 22... Toys. Do we have a kids area? We have kids onboard.”
“Says Deck.....8 School and Kids Entertainment Area, still under construction.”
“Lets take the toys to there.” Poison stated. “Pathology Equipment. Science Deck 17. Science Equipment,portable. Deck 17. Screws, rivets, and other construction anchors. Engineering Deck 19. Drugs goes to sickbay Deck 7. Explosives, marine rations, Deck 23 our level. Powdered soups, sugar and other food. Mess Deck 10."
Says we are missing another crate for Mess Deck? Frozen fruits and chocolates... oh wow wonder how that one got spoiled all on it's own?
Orskt had noticed as well, she didnt begrudge to loading dock their cut of the fringe benefits. “We'll make sure you get your share. Now move out people!”
{Vault loading deck- access to Forward Bay}
"...machines, general cargo Deck 22. Trionic Initiators, Engineering 19. Turbolift shaft capsules, Cargo Deck 22. Decompression Chambers times two One to Science Deck 17 and one to medical deck 7. Induction Relays, Intercom Equipment, Isolation protocol equipment, Transporter Inhibitor, Transporter scrambler, Engineering Deck 19. Warp Core and warp coil?” Chief Callahan looked at Akio in suprise.
“That is unlike any warp core assembly I've ever seen. It is a folded space drive but there aren't any magnetic constrictors...” Akio peered into the largest transport module.
=0= Chief Callahan to Captain Beck, We need you in the Shuttle Bay - Deck 32. Urgent. =0=
N'tach came over the comms, Any urgent and official matters were brought to his attention.
=0= I will be right there.
and a split second later,
=0= Beck here, on the way
N'tach found Quinton waiting to travel at the turbo lift to the saucer section. The ride was faster than before but still over five minutes. Quinton spent the whole time on comms speaking to legal officials. They entered the Cargo offloading zone from the airlock entrance, the massive doors pulling in a halting unsteady manner. The chaos and unloading was nothing strange to either man, spacers they were. Beck suspected narcotics or contraband were uncovered, a common theme in these mass move ins.
N'tach was a moment behind him, "What is the cause for pulling me-"
Poison moved towards the largest of all the transporter modules, which had all been separated. She opened the cargo loading door at the back revealing, the warp core and warp coil. "Exactly what do you want done with these two." She ignored the four rats which ran across the floor in front of them.
Quinton had no idea what he was looking at beyond a complex warp core with components he didn't immediately recognize. He looked to N'tach, and saw recognition.
N'tach was beside himself, discoveries and the exploration of the unknown presented themselves to the worthy. He felt he was finally walking a worthwhile path.
"I believe that is a Krenim inspired Temporal warp core. Klingon science bureaus have tried to replicate it several times."
Implication staggered him, Quinton rounded on N'tach, "Keep going, can we use it?"
Their present Warp Core was grossly underpowered, largely made working through ingenuity. N'tach shook his head, "We would need to analyze it, I know of no models that ever worked with optimal results. Parts of this core could be repurposed to supplement our systems. I believe we could safely install it in phases, testing for rigor along the way."
"Just tell me if you want it left in the module, we'll move it to the side and you can do whatever with it." Orskt suggested when he was finished. "We can have it moved, if you want that, and it comes with manuals."
Quinton appreciated a volunteer, "I see, well since you are familiar with this, please consider yourself tasked with its safe storage. Starfleet would surely not allow us to use this at the moment so it's best for now to keep it under wraps. Study up though, you may be called upon to help us install it in the field."
N'tach openly stared at Quinton. Warp core replacements occurred in delicate, surgery like situations. It was was difficult, and required perfection. He wasn't certain if the Human was making a joke.
"You would think to install this without a spacedock?"
The rogues smile came across his face, "How do you think we got our current core installed?"
-End-
Quinton Beck
Master N'tach
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