Mysteries of the Machines

Posted on Sun Jun 9th, 2024 @ 8:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Deanna Celes & Lieutenant Inara Senn & Ensign Torog Zakhov

Mission: Man & Machine
Location: USS Washington

Deanna exited the shuttle, her face beaming after the marvelous spectacle she had seen in the woods on the planet. "It was a true wonder don't you agree Inara?" she questioned as she made her way towards the shuttle bay exit.

As they approached carbo bay 2, they took note of the security. "Everything has been brought up from the surface?" Deanna asked the ensign.

"Yes ma'am. Captain has engineers looking it over currently" the security officer replied.

Deanna looked at Inara, "You aren't going to believe the technology these machines were working on. I found two different worrisome bits that I thought we needed to bring up here for us to deal with, I just didn't want the locals knowing it. The large item I believe to be a temporal displacement device, though I haven't been able to look it over thoroughly. The other item of note was a liquid memetic metal that seems capable of doing similar things as changelings, but it requires CPUs." The doors opened and Deanna saw a Tellerite engineer scanning the memetic substance. "Ensign, don't get too close to that substance. It has memetic properties."

"Yes Boss" responded the Tellarite not looking up from his tricorder which he held in one hairy clawed hand, whilst scratching his scraggly beard with his other hand. This reflective twitch of a beard scratch normally kicked in when he was biting his tongue to prevent himself from arguing with a superior officer. Something he had learnt to do in the academy after soon discovering not everyone wanted an argument as much as a Tellarite did. However, the tricorder scans had shown some interesting preliminary scans. The data indicated that the CPU used polaric ion energy to fuse with the matrix of each cell within the substance to activate. "Fascinating" mumbled the Engineer to himself.

"I have a sample of this material that might be safer for us to examine..."Deanna looked around and then saw her sample case on a table, "ah, here it is." She took the sample out of the bag and looked back, "Ensign, as you seem interested in this material, I'd like for you to do a full work up on this. As it is without a CPU it should be relatively safe, but be cautious with it nonetheless. Attempt of determine the types of materials it is capable of mimicking, but nothing extremely advanced like a phaser or tricorder."

Inara looked the device over. "Hmm, we would need an intact CPU to answer the question why this AI went rogue, and this is a question we must answer. Out of two hundred Federation member worlds, we have encountered singularities only a few times. Lore for example, and one could call the Borg a singularity certainly." She noted as she flipped out her tricorder. "But this technological singularity is something we must completely understand, or we will repeat history when a singularity forms out of a replicator and starts replicating racht instead of angel hair, with the finest pesto, and a glass of Italian wine to go with it."

Its Capellini Pasta! Not Angel hair Pasta! And Italian Wine! Bah. Be Specific! You have a white wine with Pasta! And pesto? Why in the name of the universe are you having Pesto with Capellini Pasta! You have it with a creamy sauce......Is what Torog would of said to Inara, if she was not his superior officer and also not Tellerite. Instead Torg nodded politely. "If we can set up an adaptive algorithm that can replicate the CPU but at a reduced rate for simple objects this should give us the data we need."

"That sounds like a viable plan, assuming we can do so safely. I don't want to reactivate the war aboard the ship" Deanna replied. "Do you feel yourself capable of preparing the CPU ensign?" she asked, looking at the Tellerite.

"Yes Lieutenant Commander" responded the Tellarite with an affirmative nod and a scratch of his beard. "I will modify a probe and detach it from our own ships network so it can act as an inversed beacon. If we use a level three containment shield, we should be fine. But to ensure absolute safety we will conduct the experiment in a lab. I am sure that Lieutenant Senn would not mind if we used the starboard side near hull lab, in case we have to eject anything into space."

"That is a fine idea my Tellarite friend, and the lab will have its own stand-alone computers. So, if we are indeed dealing with a hostile intelligence, it's resources will be very limited. And when we're done, we can see who can really make a dish of pasta, piglet." Inara hid a smirk."

"Get to work on this then you two. I have a temporal displacement device to study" Deanna said stoically.

What could possibly go wrong thought Torg to himself.

"Plenty ensign, which is why you will be taking all the safety precautions" Deanna said with a smile as she walked away from the ensign.

Torg frowned. Did she just read my brain without consent thought the Tellarite engineer to himself with curiosity and concern. Torog leaned closer to Lieutenant Inara "Is she allowed to do that" he asked conspiratorial. He paused a moment rewinding all the conversations in his head. Wait a second......they both did it! He mentally did a face palm and then rolled his eyes. "Yes boss."

"Commander..." Inara stared at her. Really? She communicated telepathically to her.

Deanna looked at Inara and offered an impish grin before returning to her scans of the temporal displacement device.

'Don't get cheeky, poppet.' Inara thought to herself.

Deanna began her in depth analysis of the large machine brought back. She knew exactly what it was, and such things shouldn't be left in the hands of people with such limited scientific understanding. That was her official reasoning at least. She had orders to confiscate such technology in truth. She found herself thinking about the animal species she brought back and the ones she saw but couldn't bring back. This planet had such amazing biodiversity. She was only going to have a few days to study these things before Admiral Janeway would arrive and take over everything. Maybe she'd keep one or two of them around after they left, assuming the captain approved. It was something to consider.