<USS Avalon> Science Officer's Report

*[I have made reference to Dr. Mahler and Ensign Sera here; this was in line
with what our assignments over to the Avalon-B were supposed to be.  I don't
think I've done anything to unduly control either character; but if I've
caused a problem or offense, my apologies. --jamie]*


*Science Officer's Report
**(abridged version)*
*2007:05:04*


To:      Admiral Ketchum, Commander Skyler
From:  Sr.Lt. Moreya, Chief Science Officer
Subj:   Avalon-B Neurogel Failure Investigation


Sirs:

What follows is the report of my investigation into the computer failure
which disabled the Avalon-B.


*Assignment Directives and Concerns
*As directed, I boarded the *Avalon-B* with the recovery parties and
proceeded with an analysis of the neurogel packs that form the backbone of
the ship's central computer system, to determine if possible the cause of
their castastrophic failure and consequent disabling of the ship.  I was
assisted in my work by Dr. Mahler and Ensign Sera.

I had serious concerns that the contamination of the gel packs could have
originated with the alien Miras'thera, who came aboard the *Avalon-B* in the
hours before the failure.  These gel packs are coming into wide use on
Federation vessels and it would be a serious problem if they were as
vulnerable to contamination from encounters with new species as the failure
on the *Avalon* implied.


*Investigation and Results
*Our discoveries were two-fold.  First, it appears that the neurogel used in
the *Avalon-B* was of substandard quality or had been in storage prior to
its installation for far too long.  All neurogel breaks down over time,
unless replaced, much like the living cells it is based on.  The batch used
in the construction of the *Avalon-B* broke down years before the end of its
nominal service life, and our analysis of the gel shows conclusive signs of
aging.

One effect frequently seen in aging neurogel is random mutations in
structure.  The direct cause of the catastrophic failure in the
*Avalon-B*was one of these mutations, which caused a rapid and
communicable die-off.

Secondarily, this is also a case of failure of isolation.  Working with
Engineer Sera, we learned that under normal circumstances, the *Avalon-B*'s
secondary or backup computer system is fully physically isolated from the
primary.  It appears, however, that at the time of the failure, the two
systems were patched together at a couple of key locations.  When the
die-off began, any attempt to isolate or bypass parts of the system was
fated to be a temporary delay of the inevitable, at best.

Exactly why the two systems were patched together is unclear, and most of
the engineering logs from the relevant timeframe are missing or
incomplete.  The most likely explanation is that it was done as part of a
diagnostic routine that was a victim of particularly unfortunate timing.


*Conclusion*
The disaster that befell the *Avalon-B* was primarily accidental, though
oversights in quality control at the shipyard as well as questionable
engineering practice aboard the Avalon must also be taken into account as
factors.


*Recommendations*
We recommend that the neurogel based systems aboard the *Avalon-C* be given
a thorough check.  The gel itself should be fully vetted for age and
structural integrity.  The primary computer system should be fully phyically
isolated from its backups at all times unless an emergency dictates
otherwise.




--
"Any nation that can survive what we have lately in the way of government,
is on the high road to permanent glory." -- Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

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