<USS Avalon> "Adventures In Engineering"

"Adventures In  Engineering" 
 Lt. K'etrall and Tavi
 
 
  
  
 
Tavi's hug had surprised  Skyler, but it had been a good surprise. It was a 
step forward in their  relationship. After releasing Tavi, Skyler left 
engineering and made her way  toward the bridge. She knew Tavi was going to 
have a 
great time and had faith  that K'etrall would treat her with respect.
 
K'etrall watched the  interaction between the child and Skyler not sure what 
to think. It was none of  her business. After Skyler left K'etrall looked at 
Tavi. "Well, Cadet Tavi,  where should we start first? The warp core, warp 
matrix, matter/anti-matter  chamber or any other part of engineering? You 
decide."
 
Standing with her arms  crossed across her chest, K'etrall waited. She had 
her knife in her boot and one  could see the top of it. She usually had it 
there 
just as a precaution. She  never knew when she would need it. Better safe 
than sorry was her  motto.
 
Tavi glanced around.   "Well, the main warp matrix console controls the warp 
core and the  power overflows too, so that might be good," she offered, 
thinking it would be  logical to go from the controls to the equipment itself.  
"I 
kinda like  studying how energy things work," she added shyly.  She had noticed 
the  engineer's knife, as well as several other things she might be wary 
of... but  Skyler trusted this woman, and so she, Tavi, would as well.  No one 
on  
the ship will hurt me, she reminded herself.
 
"I'm impressed. You do seem  to know a bit about engineering. Did you know 
that there are actually two  distinct engine rooms on this new ship? One is a 
Galaxy class engine room and  the other is an Intrepid class engine. Can you 
name a ship that has each  particular type of engine?" 
 
She had noticed the girl  looking warily at the knife in her boot. "You 
needn't worry about my knife. I  only use if for protection and unless you plan 
to 
attack me, I am pretty  sure  you are safe. You are correct, no one on this 
ship will hurt you.  Captain Skyler has made that quite clear." K'etrall 
watched 
as the girl took in  everything around her.
 
Tavi nodded slowly, thinking  for a moment.  She didn't know that many ships 
in Starfleet, or the details  of their engine classifications.  It wasn't 
something that had  interested her in the past, and most of her self-directed 
studies here aboard  the Avalon had been about the Avalon herself.  "Um... you  
mean besides the Galaxy and Intrepid ships themselves?" she  asked, and then 
went on without waiting for an answer.  "I think the  USS Venture is a Galaxy 
class," she offered.  At the engineer's  nod, she concluded, "I think the USS 
Haffan is Intrepid class, but I'm  not sure.  It's a much smaller ship than a 
Galaxy class,  though."
 
"Very good. You've been  doing your homework. Another example of each class 
of ship would be the  Enterprise, going back to Captain Kirk which is a galaxy 
class ship. An example  of an Intrepid class would be the Voyager under the 
command of Captain Janeway.  If you are  going to go to Starfleet Academy you 
are going to need to know  some of these things. History says Captain Kirk was 
the greatest Starfleet  Captain of all time.....however I don't agree with 
that. I think each captain is  great in his/her own way. Look at how Admiral 
Ketchum runs the Avalon. He does  it his own way and manages to get the job 
done. I 
know I am boring you with this  history stuff. How about we get to some hands 
on stuff. Think you are up to  that."
 
Watching the little girl,  K'etrall was beginning to see what the Captain saw 
in her. She was eager to  learn and actually very pleasant. Walking over to a 
console, the engineer picked  up two box like devices similar to a tricorder 
that the doctor would use. She  kept one and gave the other one to Tavi. "Ok, 
Cadet.....what is this device used  for?" 
 
That was much too easy for a  test question.  "It's for scanning and 
analyzing things," Tavi answered  readily, checking out the machine as she 
spoke.  
"This one's set to  scan isolinear chips and a couple different types of 
circuits, but you  could adjust it for anything.  Metals, energy particles -- 
even 
people, if  you reprogram it some."  Tavi scanned the console in front of her.  
 
There was one tiny blip in the circuitry -- probably nothing to be concerned  
about, but Tavi scanned more closely just to see what it was.  She had to  
carefully sound out the printed word that came up on the analysis.   
"Nee-uh-trin-ohs?" she murmured under her breath.
 
K'etrall was impressed by  what she was hearing and seeing the young girl. 
"You will make a good engineer  some day. Did you find something while scanning 
the machine?" She had been going  to scan the console herself and now Tavi had 
done it for her.
 
"Just a thing... the energy  was kind of pinching so I scanned it..." Tavi 
couldn't explain.  She showed  the scanner to the engineer.  Most people 
couldn't feel stuff like that,  she knew; the kids in the gang had teased and 
taunted 
her until she'd learned  not to say anything.  She'd have to remember not to 
talk about it here,  too.  Sometimes when you spent too much time by yourself, 
you got into bad  habits.  Like saying things people didn't understand.
 
Taking the scanner, K'etrall  looked at it. Tavi was right. The flow of 
neutrino's was pinched. "You are  correct. The flow is pinched....it's not 
flowing 
properly. We need to make a few  adjustments to the console and that should 
solve the problem."  Pushing a  few buttons on the console K'etrall hoped that 
would solve the problem and give  the bridge the extra power they wanted. 
Taking the scanner she ran it over the  console again. The flow was back to 
normal. 
 
"You did a great job Tavi.  You found a problem I have been looking for....I 
don't know how long it would've  taken me to find the problem. How about we go 
check out the matter/anti-matter  matrix and make sure the flow is correct 
there. I think I may have to talk to  the Captain about using you down here 
full 
time."
 
Tavi did know when she was  being teased, but she answered seriously.  "I 
would like that," she  said.  "But I have to do school work, too.  Because 
engineers have to  know about a lot of things, not just the engines and 
machines and 
 stuff."
 
As they walked through  Engineering, she could sense the energies of the ship 
flowing around them.   They were very close to the heart of the generating 
systems here.  Major  power conduits ran overhead, underfoot, and through all 
the walls, too.   There were places where little prickles told Tavi that it 
wasn't perfect.   But she was used to that.  It wasn't bad, it was normal.  
Normal 
 wasn't perfect, she knew that.  Every system had tiny flaws where  the 
energy wouldn't feel completely smooth.
 
"You are correct. You must  finish your school work. I would like working 
with you down here if you would  like it? Can you tell me what would happen if 
the matter and antimatter were to  come into contact with each other?"
 
"They explode!" Tavi  exclaimed.  "That's what makes ships explode when they 
lose  containment.  That's why stations don't use antimatter.  But ships  need 
it to run the warp matrix, or else they get stuck going at sublight  speeds."
 
"Exactly! If we need matter  and anti-matter for warp speed then what element 
is used to regulate the  matter/anti-matter reaction in the warp core? "
 
K'etrall chuckled inwardly.  She was quite impressed with this young girl and 
really did believe she would  make a great engineer someday. If that is truly 
what she wanted.
 
"Dilithium..."  Tavi's  answer was almost lost, trailing off as she made a 
beeline for the  containment chamber to have a closer look.  With one hand 
lightly touching  the transparent surface, she slowly walked around, gazing at 
the 
crystals  within.  After a minute or two, she pulled herself away and gave a 
more  complete answer.  "It's really more than just the warp core.   
Dilithium's good for all kinds of power regulation.  There are tiny  crystals 
of it in 
the isolinear chips, too."
 
"You are definitely one who  is destined to be an engineer, that is if you 
want to become one. You seem to  have an affinity for the way power flows don't 
you? Just watching you I can tell  that you somehow feel inside you. I wish I 
had that power. It would sure make  this job a heck of a lot easier. I'm not 
going to quiz you anymore, instead I  want you to tell me what you want to 
know. Or what you would like to see. I  don't want to bore you with my silly or 
stupid questions."
 
"I just always liked  machines and stuff," Tavi tried to explain.  "They're 
not like  people.  They follow rules because they have to.  People only follow  
rules when they want to."

Smiling at Tavi, K'etrall  nodded her head in agreement. "Those who do not 
follow the rules have no honor.  Honor is very important. Although sometimes 
rules need to be broken in order  to save a life or a ship. Do you have honor 
Tavi?" 

The little girl hesitated.  "Honor  is... doing the right thing because it's 
right, even though you might not like  what happens to you after," she said 
very slowly.

"That is correct. A  Klingon values honor and family above anything else. I 
believe that is how our  Captain feels about you. I can sense it and see it in 
her eyes. She is very  proud of you and how far you have come. How do you feel 
about the Captain?" She  was curious as to how the girl would answer. 


"I..."  She wasn't sure how to put it  into words.  Like wasn't enough, but 
she didn't feel comfortable  saying love.  Not now.  Not yet.  "She's special," 
Tavi  said after a moment.  "She knows I'm not a baby, but I'm not a grownup 
yet,  either.  So she doesn't treat me like either one.  She makes rules,  but 
they're fair rules.  I like that."  The expression on her  face, and in her 
eyes, said much more than she could express.

"Well, it sounds to  me like the two of you will one day make a honorable 
family. If that is what you  want. Now what else would you like to see here in 
this dump called engineering?"  


"I'd like to see the thermal exchangers,"  was the prompt response.  That was 
something she'd never really had a  chance to see because on every ship she'd 
ever been on, they were located where  she'd get caught if she went to look!

"Thermal exchangers huh. Okay, lead the  way and I will follow. Why, just out 
of curiosity do you wish to see the thermal  exchangers?" 


"Because I never got close enough to see  them in person before."  Tavi knew 
where they were, of course; she'd  studied all the ship's schematics enough to 
know them by heart.

"Then let's go see  them. First hand knowledge is better than reading about 
them or seeing them on a  schematic. Can you tell me the purpose of the thermal 
exchangers?" This is one smart kid?  Captain Skyler is one lucky person.... 
so is the kid for that  matter.....


"They let really hot stuff pass by really  cold stuff, which keeps the hot 
stuff from exploding and the cold stuff from  freezing," said Tavi.  She 
smothered a giggle.  "It's pretty  complicated really, I'm sure you know that.  
But 
basically that's how it  works."

"Yeah, I know how it works. If I didn't I wouldn't make much of an  engineer 
now would I? The captain and the Admiral might decide to toss me out  the air 
lock or something like that. Here's a question for ya, are you really  hot or 
really cold?" 

"Me?"  Tavi looked up at the engineer  in confusion.  "I'm about 37 degrees, 
most people are -- though some are a  little more and some are a little less.  
That's not really hot or really  cold."

"Did you hide or try to hide near the thermal exchangers when you were a  
stowaway? That would be a good place to hide. Now is there anything else you  
would like to see, maybe the transporters or something?"  

"I couldn't hide by them, there's no place to hide where  people don't go all 
the time."  She shrugged.  "There are some good  places to hide in the tubes 
and ducts, though."  The main control consoles  drew her back, and she stood 
on tiptoes to look at  them.

Grabbing a footstool she placed it next to Tavi. "Here, this should  make it 
easier for you to see the main consoles. You don't plan to do anymore  hiding 
do you?"
 
"No... Captain Skyler says I don't ever have to hide  again."  The joy in 
that statement was evident as Tavi stepped up.   Small brown hands skimmed over 
the controls, barely touching, but making several  minute adjustments.  "There. 
 That's better."  She smiled up at  the Chief Engineer, satisfied.  "And it's 
almost time to be home for  supper."

Looking at what the young girl had done, K'etrall was  impressed. "That was 
well done and I thank you. Before you leave I have  something for you." Walking 
to her office she came out with a small plaque and  handed it to Tavi.  It 
read "Cadet Tavi, Engineer in  Training." Would you like me to beam you to your 
quarters?"  

Tavi grinned, but shook her head.  "I can walk.  You don't  have to override 
the security settings for me.  Thank you," she added  softly.

" You are most welcome and It's not a problem. I have a feeling it is  
something you would like. Computer one to beam to Captain Skyler's quarter's."  
K'etrall smiled as Tavi disappeared in the transporter beam. Turning to return  
to 
her duties she thought to herself that the day had been better than she  had 
thought it would be.

Other related posts: