All Along The Watchtowers (Part I)
Posted on Sun Jun 21st, 2026 @ 8:26am by Cadet Junior Grade Lien & Lieutenant Fahri & Lieutenant Rufus Marocain
Edited on on Sun Jun 21st, 2026 @ 9:34am
Mission:
Take My Hand
1265 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure
Quantum Slipstream Generator (Lower Bay)
Deck 19
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The massive bay seemed eerily quiet. Not the constant din of activity that typified main engineering, just the quiet, hushed whispers--snippets of passing conversation among the handful of technicians that waited to transition theory to reality.
It was a task both mundane and Herculean. They'd completed the actual labor involved in installing the planned updates to the quantum slipstream drive almost a week prior, having spent the time between running diagnostics that fed computer model simulations. And then more diagnostics. And more simulations.
The updates had been fairly minor, but the QSD was a major component of the ship--even a minor miscalculation could have far-reaching, if not disastrous, consequences. No one wanted a repeat of the USS Curie, as the cadet's most recently assigned reading sought to reinforce.
The doors to the bay opened, revealing the tall, slender silhouette of a gangly alien. As the Kelpian lieutenant entered, she wielded what looked like a checklist of sorts. "Commander Mantell has signed off on operational testing, which has been approved by Commander Stura," Fahri stated in her usual, crisp tone. "We will commence the first test shortly. Please attend to your assigned stations."
Moving from the status board, the afro-headed cadet took his place at the main power distribution bus. As the idea of running tests on the QSD approached reality, a sense of anxiety was creeping through the boy.
He'd installed the new transpatial bypass. Had he closed up the panel? What if he'd installed it incorrectly, and the diagnostics had missed that detail? Had he checked that the EPS had been properly aligned to the new transverse ducting?
If Lien was having second, and third, thoughts, the Kelpian was all in. Tapping her combadge, the lanky woman announced, "Engineering to Bridge. We are prepared for the first operational test of the updated QSD. Please disengage from warp and prepare for slipstream."
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Bridge
Deck 1
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The quiet hum of a bridge during warp was a little broader today with everyone readying for the QSD test. Rufus' canid ears picked up the change, but the stronger impression came from his sensitive nose. Anticipation, apprehension (particularly from those who'd been through time skip), but mostly a quiet excitement; all overlaid by the scent of Captain Darrow's tea.
Despite having been at the helm when the QSD went timey-whimey, and the Nelson's structural issues, Rufus' was firmly in anticipation. There was a certain joy for a pilot testing out a powerful flight system and added to it was that the Captain was letting him run the show. He could barely suppress the wag in his tail.
At the comm from the bridge, his fingers glided over his console. "Bridge to Engineering. Warp disengaged. Waiting your go ahead for slipstream."
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As the announcement came from the bridge, another engineer remarked, "Confirmed disengaged from warp drive. Main power now available."
"Very well," Fahri replied, before directing her attention to the small boy. "Cadet Lien, you may energize the generator."
Lien drew in a breath, as if bracing for some amorphous boogeyman, the ubiquitous ghost in the machine. "Transferring main power to QSD generator," he stated, plying his hands to the console. A hum began to resonate through the bay as the room seemed to come alive, panels alight as the bay was bathed in a soft, pulsing glow.
"Re-aligning navigational deflector for slipstream," another technician remarked from across the room.
Checking the console, and then checking it again, Lien stated, "QSD generator on-line."
"Very well," Fahri remarked simply, checking off an item on her list and then tapping her combadge. "Engineering to Bridge, QSD on-line. All readings nominal. Slipstream available at your command."
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The helmshound's mouth opened in a big canid grin as he watched the indicators on his console come to life. Everything showed green - a beautiful sight. "Bridge to Engineering. Let her rip."
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The hum remained a persistent, if quiet, bit of ambience through the bay, though it was now felt more than it was heard.
Glancing at the status board, then the chronometer, the Kelpian lieutenant consulted the checklist a moment before she called out, "Status report, cadet?"
As the boy's eyes scanned the console, he remarked aloud, "QSD generator holding at seventy percent utilization. Temperature steady. Output stable. Field integrity is..."
As Lien's gaze moved to the corner of his screen, something held his tongue.
"Is there a problem, Cadet?"
The afro-headed boy opened his mouth to speak, but then seemed to think twice about it. "N-no, ma'am--SIR," he stammered, feeling his face warm as he tried to recover and only became more flustered. Almost as if he'd been caught daydreaming. "Field... uh, field integrity is within normal limits."
Even as he said it, he was kicking himself. Which wasn't to say that what he'd reported wasn't true, just that he wasn't entirely certain there wasn't a problem regardless.
The Kelpian seemed less than enthusiastic at that report. "I see," she responded cryptically. "Engineering to Bridge, that's enough data for this test. Please disengage from slipstream and resume warp while we set up for the second trial."
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Sighing inwardly, Rufus tapped the shutdown sequence, but the test run had been smooth as silk so the smile remained in voice as he replied. "Bridge to Engineering. Slipstream disengaged. My compliments to engineering."
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The hair stood up on the back of his head, more so than usual that is, as Lien realized that a very tall and slender shadow was looming over him. He felt his pulse quicken as he glanced up to find the Kelpian lieutenant standing over him, peering down with her piercing, iridescent gaze.
"I'm sensing an over-abundance of anxiety from your station, Cadet. Are you uncertain of the normal range prescribed for this test?" the lieutenant asked dryly. "Or is there a problem?"
"N-no, sir. It's just..."
"It's just what, Cadet?"
"There was a vari... an oscillating variance in the subspace field. And I thought..."
"Subspace cavitation," Fahri interjected, folding her arms in front of her as she adopted a lecturing tone. Holding out the padd that she carried, the Kelpian pointed to the data as she continued, "The model predicted as much as three microns during the test. How much did you observe?"
"Lieu... The-the oscillating variance," the boy started, trying to think on his feet and talk at the same time, and finding that he was struggling with either.
"Subspace cavitation," Fahri repeated.
"Perhaps," Lien quipped in reply, then immediately felt guilty for having challenged the lieutenant. "I mean, probably, yes, but..."
This time Fahri couldn't avoid the roll of her eyes. "How much, Cadet?" the Kelpian repeated.
The boy's mouth opened and closed. Protests formed on his tongue, before giving way to a dejected tone as he answered, "One micron, sir."
"Well below the threshold. This test was a resounding success. I appreciate your caution, Cadet, but I expect any concerns to be better grounded in the facts," the Kelpian stated evenly, giving her padd a gentle tap as she added, "Please take a moment to refresh yourself on the particulars of the next operational test. And I hope to see a bit more trust in the science, Cadet."
"Yes, Lieutenant," the boy answered, feeling as though there was more to be said, but not entirely certain what he could say.
And even less that anyone would hear him if he did.
