The Depths of one's Fear

Posted on Sun Apr 21st, 2024 @ 10:05am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Inara Senn

Mission: Man & Machine
Location: Lt. Senn's Lab

Inara watched as she began the simulations of what she proposed. The Calculations were astronomical, she had to have another whiteboard placed in the science lab.

Shran entered the lab. "Lieutenant, you said you had an update for me. I assume this has to do with this planet and the radiation and potential cleanup effort."

"Captain, Permission to speak freely?" Inara noted.

"Go ahead lieutenant" Shran replied.

"Are you out of your mind!!! Are you trying to get us all killed!!!" Inara mentioned. "It used to be better when I did not know what was beyond death, but now that I know we will become the playthings of the Norse and Celtic Pantheons. I'm beginning to feel that whoever created our existence had a sick and diabolical sense of humor. They did things to me... I feel like I must remember something, but it's not there... And the only thing I know... Is that I cannot die. If that were to happen, it would be a fucking nightmare. And I have maybe a century to figure out how not to end up as Hela's slave!!!!" Inara noted. "I cannot die, her interest in me is too great."

Shran wasn't about to reveal what he knew about Inara's suspicions. Whether he agreed or not with the method, he knew what was done was for the best. "Perhaps they are coming for your soul, but not mine, and not of everyone else here. I'm not in the mood to discuss Hela at this time. I have an away team on that planet mucking around significant radioactive slush. We are detecting random small yield nuclear explosions in and around the area they landed. And I have just recently been informed that the human survivors of this planet's war are in a struggle with their adversary, sentient killer robots. So, unless you have something to update me with, I think this conversation is done."

"The simulations look promising." Inara mentioned. "We can do it. But we'll need to store it, and then put it somewhere where it won't cause problems." Inara mentioned. She didn't like that he was willing to get her killed so that she'd end up in Hela's prison. Would she have to kill to survive? Now she wanted to destroy the gods even more. They were a threat to her, every last one of them. She'd find a way, a way to make them all pay.

"Any thoughts about the storage of the radiation? I doubt the Brousard collectors have the capacity to contain that much radiation" Shran offered.

"Tritanium containers, boron coating." She noted. "We're going to be transporting something very, very, radioactive. The enriched waste products I mentioned before." Inara mentioned. "And Earth had to deal with it. In first gen nuclear reactors, this stuff came out in barrels. Second gen got better, but a silly movie with Jane Fonda managed to convince the entire world that nuclear energy was some form of evil through sleight of hand and Hollywood stupidity." Inara mentioned. "I know you think of me as undisciplined, belligerent. The thing is I was tormented by a goddess, who spared no expense trying to make me scream. That will take me some time to get over, but I'm still here to deal with the problems you get yourself into." Inara picked up a dart and threw it at a dart board with Hela's picture on it. "After first contact, things got better. Thorium was used initially as a fuel for nuclear energy, followed by deuterium for nuclear fusion when the public got off its ass and started reading books rather than a television." She noted. "Regardless we're going to be the first Federation Starship to haul high level nuclear waste to a disposal facility. I wonder what your CO will make of that." Inara mentioned. "But robots you said? Interesting, because the thing about robots and nukes is that a nuclear weapon emits an EMP shock front when it is detonated. Watch a certain movie with Harrison Ford, and you'll get the idea, just don't expect to survive a nuclear blast in a lead lined refrigerator." Inara shook her head. "Hollywood is so lame, and we'll need quite a few barrels."

"Could we build a makeshift barge, something that is outside the ship to carry the radioactive mess? Then we can dispose of the barge at minimal risk to the ship" Shran replied. He watched as Inara tossed a dart and then listened to her continued diatribe about ancient Earth. "I would expect they have shielded themselves to protect against an EMP. It isn't that difficult to do. Humans figured out how to do it before you even made First Contact" he said with a stern look. "I think I will have Shon come down and work with you, give you a medical perspective."

"Hmm... I have a better idea, I'll need a shuttle. The Gerralt II shipbreaking yard is several days away. We don't need a very large ship, just a small freighter." Inara mentioned. "Modifying it to be a giant storage barge won't be difficult, its hull plating would conceal the radiation anyway."

"I would prefer not to send you out for a freighter when we can just send a request for one. I want you to discuss things with Shon first, and then once the two of you have consulted, I'll have two opinion I can work from. With luck, the away team will be back aboard by then and we will have more information to work with as well." Shran turned and made his way out, stopping by the door and turning back, "I am certain you don't like what I'm telling you, but that is how we'll proceed. And when we have finished helping these people, I'll help you with your issues with Hela, but not until this matter is done." With that Shran left, making his way to the turbolift to speak with Shon in sickbay.