Engineering Confab
Posted on Fri Jul 31st, 2026 @ 10:31am by Chief Petty Officer Tonag Jov & Lieutenant Commander Richard Dalziel
1,075 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Shore Leave: Earth
Location: Main Engineering, USS Valiant
Timeline: First day of shore leave, hours before docking at Sol Station.
Jov hummed to himself as he finished the Level Two diagnostic of warp core interlink distributors. The Valiant’s warp core hadn’t been used in just over a week and was due to be run up to full power in the next watch cycle to make sure the prolonged exposure to the plasma eddies, currents and tidal shifts that the Badland’s had subjected the ship to.
Dusting off his hands and easing his back after being in a Jefferies Tube for nearly six hours, he moved to the tool cage and began racking the assortment he’d taken with him as well as the handful of isolinear chips he hadn’t used. At the industrial recycler, he deposited the handful of burnt out isolinear chips and a couple of GNDN switches that had needed replacing.
Noting the Valiant’s Chief Engineer still working at the projects table, Jov walked over and said, “All done with that diagnostic, Commander. Valiant's Warp core is good whenever you want to power her back to red-lines for a test.
"Thanks Chief." Richard said. "I was about to fetch a coffee, would you like one? I thought we could take 5, before testing your work."
"Yes, please and thank you, Sir," The Tellerite replied as he indulged in some light stretching. "Everything looks pretty ship shape, though I'm guessing if there's any problems, it won't be to the drive. Are you seeing any problems with the ship operating under this fancy shmancy cloaking unit, sir?
"The chronitons given off from that damn device are interacting with ablative armor and building up on the hull. I'm looking for away to vent them before we end up accidentally traveling to the beginning of the Bloody Universe."
Frowning, Jov accepted the offered coffee and said, "That would be the more agreeable event. I heard something about chroniton build ups like that. Is there much chance of a catastrophic problem?"
"There have been incidents, all that's required is the right catalyst to initiate it." Richard said. "Usually some sort of energy input." He added as he headed for the replicator.
"Well. Anything to keep Temporal Affairs from getting upset," Jov said as he shifted his mind to think about that. "An over abundance of chronitons, if they could be harnessed, might make an interesting drive. Faster than light, using time to skip like a stone across water's surface. Arrive in the same relative place in time, just faster."
"Indeed, but harnessing them is the problem." Richard said. "If we use an energy field, exposure to the chronitons would cause it to rapidly break down, releasing them into space." Richard said.
Frowning, Jov considered that and said, "So maybe some kind of holding vessel. A fuel tank of some sort. And there's no use reinventing the wheel."
Jov thought about that and said, "Wait. It kinda is though..."
Grinning in excitement as he considered the idea, the Telleriate shifted back and forth on his feet, a habit he had taken to since pacing was hard to do in a ship as small as the Valiant.
"Maybe mixing the chronitons with something to stabilize them. Getting them to be sticky within the intermix chamber...maybe. But what that might be I don't know."
"Theoretically we could use a magnetic field to contain the chronitons." Richard said.
"Maybe, but I wonder if a field would be enough. Fields fail and then a containment chamber of some sort. Something that doesn't leak.."
"We'll have to test a series of materials to find something suitable." Richard said. "I propose a duranium alloy container lined with Dilithium coated Neutronium. What do you think?"
Jov rotated the idea in his head and nodded slowly. "Maybe. Those chronitons are slippery though. They can pool in the ablative ceramic fabric of the armor, but other coatings can't be as bad. You know sir, we might work on an upgraded ablative armor design too. I'm not sure where they've went with that, but combining the two studies might lead us somewhere interesting."
Thrumming his fingers on the drafting table idly, he said, "Um. Another thing I'd like to ask, sir. If you're not too busy. I know you're married and I'm engaged. Willu want's to get married soon, but she's unsure since Valiant doesn't have a home port and no space for spouses aboard. I..well how do you handle that?"
"Congratulations, Chief." Richard said with a genuine smile. "My wife, Emily is a doctor on Empok Nor, we make it work, we get together when the Valiant's in port. We also talk each night, when its allowed I also think about her all the time." Richard said. "A home base is a great idea, we should bring it up with the Commander."
"That would be nice,"Jov said with a smile. "We were going to ask the Captain to marry us, when the time comes. I was hoping to have a more settled place, but I like my place on Valiant and dont' want to transfer if I don't have to. Willu doesn't want our first year together to be constantly apart either."
"I can sympathize with her there, it is import to be together during your first few years of marriage, Emily and I were lucky in our case."
"Any advice, sir?" Jov said shyly. "I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. I've mostly just been intent on my work. And now bridging into a personal life. Not really used to that..."
"Spend as much time with her as you can, and show her she's loved." Richard said.
Jov waited but no more advice seemed to be forthcoming and he kept an internal sigh. "Thank you for the advice sir. Willu and I have a lot to discuss and decisions to make. Who would have thought the wedding would be the easy part. Please send your wife our best wishes.
Moving to a computer, he began updating the files for the maintenance reports and flagging the systems he'd been working on for closer monitoring over the next few cycles, just to make sure everything was working right.
"I will and give Willu my and Emily's best wishes too." Richard said.
"Will do Commander. I think she'll like that," Jov said, returning to his duties and his thoughts of WIllu.
END
CPO Tonag Jov
Propulsion Specialist
USS Valiant
Lieutenant Commander Richard Dalziel
Chief Engineer
USS Valiant
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