Hakran K'hal

New Digs A Hakran K’hal Log With his personal gear chucked into his quarters on deck 3, and little thought of checking out his office on deck 9, Hakran made his way to deck 7: the home to the NSSL Sector, or non-specific science laboratories. This new setup, with entirely new types of variable-use-equipment, allowed for greater flexibility depending on mission profile, and allowed more than one lab to work in the same mode. That’s what was on the specs, anyway. Hakran wasn’t going to sign off on that as an “improvement” until he’d seen it for himself. Coming to the first double doorway for NSSL 1, he took a breath and coded himself in on the side panel. Stepping in, his first reaction was “bright!” His second reaction was “shiny” followed by “hmm.” Naturally the brand new layout still had that new lab smell and was sparkling clean. It seemed the room’s default lighting profile was set to “might as well be walking on the sun,” and he dimmed them by 25% just so he could get a better look without his pupils contracting so small as to turn into black holes, instead of, well… black holes. Able to take a proper look around, he was struck by just how generic the lab seemed. He’d had more dedicated purpose laboratories at his public high school back in San Francisco. He walked over to the storage room and open the doors, and was heartened by what he saw inside. Here were a lot of the items missing, which could apparently be dragged out on demand: low and high level containment units, quantum particle generators and more. Opening another door revealed an intriguing multi-purpose unit that, upon reading the label, could either act as a biological incubation unit or specimen holding. As each of the five labs of this type were supposed to be equally stocked, there certainly was flexibility. Hakran walked over and turned on one of the built-in consoles with multi-purpose analyzer unit. The familiar LCARS interface was slightly updated, and the unit was asking for which mode to load into. “Enable 4-D specimen analysis,” he said to the unit. The interface immediately changed with a very familiar (to him) set of readouts and options. His sensitive Caitian ears could hear the analyzer unit shifting its innards about. “Very nice,” he murmured. He poked around the interface a bit, occasionally finding the newest update to LCARS had finally added more intuitive next-action buttons so he didn’t have to pull up menus to do what was necessary. “Cancel operations,” he ordered. The computer asked if he would like to save his work, which of course wasn’t necessary, and upon getting the negative response the screen reverted to the state exactly as he had found it. With a scratch of his pointy beard, he found he had an administrative quandary on his hands: where to put his people, and how to deal with possibly having to punt them out of a lab if the mission required a change in the room’s profile. Well, he still had the more intellectually oriented rooms to look at, which supposedly were heavy on the consoles and display screens, as well as variable seating options to be the conference room of a scientist’s dreams or a suitable forum for sharing data and batting it back and forth, and more besides. There was also astrometrics, right next to the torture chamber, i.e. his office. He would have to visit that far sooner than he’d like, as he had a few personnel juggling acts to do. Other than the paperwork, he was starting to look forward to the new digs.

I dunno if this is every GM, but I know of a couple. ::cough::Excalibur::cough::

The Agonies of Responsibility A Hakran K’hal Log Hakran felt extremely guilty as he stretched out in bed (he had sent all the scientists who had been an active part of the attempts to get home off to get sleep, including himself). He knew it was “all hands on deck” for Engineering while they worked to keep the ship from falling to pieces. Again. He knew though that such emergencies, while not routine (except maybe on the Excalibur), they were at least part of engineers’ training. His people were used to what were once called “bankers’ hours.” Therefore, the extended on-duty shifts for his physical and theoretical scientists had been very difficult, and those with less physical stamina had pushed themselves to the point of literal collapse during the leadup to the final phase. His biology staff, sans-Irene, were assisting medical as was usual, and anyone in the other sub-departments that could be made useful were, so it wasn’t as if he’d taken his entire department offline, but still… He felt like he should be doing more to make up for the mess he made. Irene could blame herself all she liked, but she hadn’t been the one to suggest and approve the mining of her DNA as if it were a precious metal; the slap-dash genetic engineering of a race to defecate said DNA out on demand; and then trying to tune it all like the universe’s most finicky violin. All of which resulted in the temporal gutting of a planet, the further breaking of the ship, pulling another Irene from a different universe, and bringing the historically vital Enterprise-C into the situation. Things were so much simpler when he could be the one in the lab, hunched over a console looking at a string of complex equations. They were much more enjoyable for that matter as well. Good intentions be damned, he was thus far making a horrible Chief. Becoming the department head had fit about as well as a baby bonnet on a Nausican, and now he had screwed up so badly he wouldn’t be surprised to find the next console he was hunching over to be in the private sector. He not only felt like he deserved it, but slightly looked forward to it. Anything to avoid that kind of responsibility again. In the very back of his mind he knew part of his despair was the exhaustion that would shortly drag him under, but it was true. He had not sought to be on the Excalibur, he had not sought a leadership position, and he had certainly not sought to be the source of life and death decisions. He was the wrong man for the job. With those cheery thoughts weighing on his mind, he finally fell asleep after nearly 48 hours on duty. Having not set an alarm, he wouldn’t be up again any time soon.

Photos of Rhan & Hakran updated and added to bios.

(contains strong language) A Hakran K'hal Log Hakran entered the planetary science lab after shuttling up to the Excalibur. His curiosity was piqued, but he was also prepared to be very annoyed if the summons that brought him up here wasn’t worth it. Immediately he saw Ensign Semek seated at the primary console, and made his way over. “I see you’re sitting down today, that’s good,” Hakran commented. “Indeed,” replied Semek in the usual unemotional Vulcan way. “So,” began Hakran, “what is interesting enough to drag me back up to the ship?” “This,” Semek answered, picking up the mineral nugget lying on the edge of the console. “As well as the organisms responsible for its creation.” "Is that the same one that ended up in your…” Hakran’s felinoid muzzle wrinkled in a mixture of fascination and revulsion. “Indeed,” replied Semek once again. “I was most curious about its properties, as well as how and why the microscopic organisms would create them.” “What have you found?” Asked Hakran. “The mineral itself is rather remarkable. It is the eighth hardest naturally produced on record, superseded only by those created in planetary formation and within planetary cores. It scores 198 gigapascals on the Vickers test.” “Impressive,” Hakran said. “Yes, all the more so that it is a byproduct of a life form, or more specifically of the collective activity of a life form. It seems they use the various elements in the rock they graft to as a form of sustenance. They are multicellular, though relatively simple. When superheated and further fueled by the venting of the highly mineralized water and steam, they begin to secrete this mineral. “The material richness of the venting explains why they move so quickly into the vents once the hydrothermal pressure has reduced. They are in essence gorging on a feast. The mineral secretion is in essence their form of waste removal, as the hardness of it would otherwise impact their functions.” Semek finished his presentation, complete with various diagrams, charts and tables on the console. “Huh,” Hakran said. “So basically, you got hit in the ass by proto-Horta .” “That technically is not an accurate statement, sir. However, I know of no other analogue that would better suit the situation,” Semek said, in that way that almost seems prim in Vulcan standards. “Well, this is very interesting, Ensign, but I’m still not sure why it required hauling me up here.” Hakran’s ears were easing their way flatter, as there was much to do on the planet that he couldn’t do if he wasn’t on the planet. “I’m sorry sir, but an explanation of the mechanisms was required first. The reason I believe this is worth your immediate attention is that I believe, considering our lack of 24th Century resources and that where some alloys that we lack are required, we could harvest some of these creatures and recreate the means for them to…” Semek paused momentarily, searching for a less accurate but more appropriate word. “Manufacture the mineral in place for use in repairs.” “Well, now that’s an interesting thought,” Hakran said, stroking his pointed beard. “I suppose you’ve already begun, if not finished, working up a proposal.” “Indeed, I am approximately 78% complete,” replied the Vulcan planetary scientist. “I also have the biologists working on some of the particulars in regards to the life forms.” “Good, get the whole shebang to me as soon as possible. If I find any holes or need more data before I send this off to Commander Hawthorne and Engineering, I’ll be knocking on your door. Good work, Ensign. This is the best idea your ass has ever had.” Semek raised an eyebrow. “As you say, sir.”

An article on trekmovie.com "Star Trek Picard Show To Deal With Event That Radically Altered Galaxy…" shows a quote from Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman: Now, I know a number of sims use Nemesis as a coaster, but this brings up the possibility of the destruction of Romulus being hammered further into canon with another Trek series. Are the GMs going to stick to their phaser cannons and keep that DVD as a coaster, or is it going to be (reluctantly) placed back in order? Guess we'll have to wait and see. 🤣

Hakran had retreated to the quiet of his office to review the information they had thus far collected via passive sensor scans. There were some anomalies but all faint enough to rate low confidence scores, so he did no more than keep them in the back of his mind for now. Rising, he ordered a nice cup of hot vanilla chai from the replicator. As he took his first sip his console beeped. Thinking it was something juicy from the sensor scans he hurried, slopping some of the hot cinnamon-scented liquid on the back of his furry paw. With a curse, he gave it a quick shake and a quick lick which showed how preoccupied he was as he seldom resorted to the "traditional" method of cleaning. Instead of dry data, it was an official communique from Captain Swain. He quickly wiped up the remaining dripping chai before placing the mug onto his desk, not wanting any more accidents. He opened the message and gave it his usual quick scan to get the gist before re-reading it thoroughly. As he progressed through the message his eyes opened wider while his ears flattened. He silently mouthed "independent authority to conduct the investigation." Twice. He took an over-large gulp of his chai, then spent the next minute or so regretting it and waiting for his mouth, throat, and esophagus to cool down. "I'm not a detective! I'm a scientist! A lab scientist. My idea of leading is 'go forth and collect data,' and that's with friendly scientists." He sighed the weary sigh of a person waiting in line at a Department of Suborbital Vehicles office to get their license renewed. With a powerful snort of air blown through his nose, he glared at the screen and growled "crap on a cracker!"

I'm not endorsing or trying to sell anything, but really, put your pants on Corizon! (from https://www.teeturtle.com/products/roll-the-dice?variant=8963131080758)

I don't know about anyone else, but I fired up Spotify and pulled up Handel's Messiah Part 2 (i.e. the Hallelujah Chorus) and pressed play as soon as I started the java uninstall progress.

As of yesterday's update to version 52 (article), Firefox no longer supports any NPAPI plugins but Flash, and states that v53 will do away with it altogether. We're very much on borrowed time with our chat rooms. I haven't as yet found a way to get around this in v52 so if you're still on v51 you may want to turn off automatic updates if you already haven't.

Starfleet Personnel File Personal Data Name: Hakran K'hal Age: 30 SY Birthplace: San Francisco, Earth, UFP Gender: Male Species: Caitian Fur Color: Gold + Cream Mane Color: Blond Eye Color: Gold + Green Height: 1.91 m Weight: 69.8 kg Starfleet Data ID: 641-ZJ-Q3Y-5904 Rank: Lieutenant Focus: Science Assignment: U.S.S. Excalibur NCC-91789 Position: Chief Science Officer Specializations: Physical Science: Quantum Mechanics Certifications: Zero-G Excursion License Medical Conditions: None Distinguishing Marks: scar: from left upper abdomen to left buttock Past Procedures: See File Last Physical Examination on SD 101419.12 Score: 95.4% ↑(94.7%) of Starfleet Physical Fitness Index Last Psychological Examination on SD 101519.10 Score: 93.3% ↓(99.2%) of Starfleet Psychological Fitness Index Education Primary Haven Falls Elementary School » San Francisco, Earth, UFP Secondary Andrew Ermine Middle School » San Francisco, Earth, UFP Jonathan Archer High School » San Francisco, Earth, UFP Tertiary Starfleet Academy » San Francisco, Earth, UFP Focus: Science Degree(s): B.S. Physics; M.S. Physics; Ph.D. Quantum Physics Family Parent(s) Cdr JoLan K'hal (Male, 62 SY) » Professor of Astrophysics Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Earth, UFP Cdr Kharril K'hal (Female, 53 SY) » Chief of Security Starfleet Medical, San Francisco, Earth, UFP Sibling(s) Cdr Mreh K'hal (Male, 32 SY) » Executive Officer U.S.S. Hippocrates NCC-8741-A Mren K'hal (Female, 27 SY) » Archaeologist Halla Antiquity Site, Garrison IV, UFP Rhan K'hal (Male, 24 SY) » Operations Officer U.S.S. Excalibur NCC-91789 Summary Hakran is the second eldest child of four in a 3rd generation Starfleet family, born and raised with his siblings in San Francisco. The K'hals very much consider Earth their home and rarely visit various relations on Cait. All of the K'hal children are well versed in the sciences thanks to their father JoLan, who did not take off his professor hat even after returning home from teaching at the Academy. The eldest, Mreh, went into medicine (initially), Mren (the only one to not join Starfleet) has attained a doctorate in archaeology from Oxford University. Rhan actually was the first to buck the trend by not taking a science related focus in his higher education, choosing to forge his own path into Operations. Hakran has served admirably aboard the U.S.S. Copernicus (NCC-21509), earning commendations and praise from his superiors. His lack of ambition however has kept him from advancing beyond the rank of Lieutenant. On Stardate 012017.19 he received orders to leave the Copernicus and to rendezvous with the Excalibur. He found out shortly thereafter that it was due to the machinations of his little brother Rhan. He survived that black mission, and was offered the CSCI role upon the return of Captain Swain. With some reluctance he accepted. Upon putting back into Cait, his brother Rhan returned, and he has tried to act the part of older brother while still trying to maintain some professional dignity. His efforts paid off to some degree, but more of Rhan rubbed off on him (as well as his "wild child" biologist, Ens. Irene Mincine) as he has become far less uptight. The mission that resulted in the decommissioning of the Excalibur NCC-2004-C was difficult on Hakran, as much of the science that cause so many problems during the mission were either his idea, or approved by him. He questioned his own ability to lead, and felt a great deal of regret for what happened but also the loss of his earlier life of a simple lab scientist. The decommissioning spared him the need to decide whether to return to the role, and he accepted a post at Research Station T'Pret, after also claiming a month of leave time. Before he could start his new job on RS T'Pret, he was recalled to Earth for a surprise meeting. Captain Swain offered all of his senior staff their previous positions on the soon-to-be commissioned U.S.S. Excalibur NCC-91789, a Luna-Class ship that had been scheduled to leave dock as the Enceladus. In the end, his decision to resume his role as Chief Science officer was bolstered by his brother's enthusiasm for the new ship and Ens. Mincine's equal enthusiasm. Not to mention that they would be unlikely to be the frying pan thrust into the fire for a little while, between a shakedown cruise and putting back in before being tagged as fully operational. Perhaps he could come to grips with his hesitations by the end of that time.

Quantum Headaches A Hakran K'hal Log Hakran felt a bit harried, as there was a lot of data to review, and Captain/Dr. Illyan wanted a report a little sooner than the Caitian scientist felt wise under the circumstances. With that said, he was determined to meet the deadline anyway. The activation of the slipstream drive had been flawless. The propagation of the "Quantum Field" (technically a localized adjustment to a number of fields that affected the related sub-atomic particles' behavior) had progressed well, even with the Excalibur's unique design. While it would be more suitable to use a perfectly symmetrical disk for slipstream, it was just possible with current technology to shape the field around any three-dimensional construct. The formation of the Threshold also met the theoretical specifications. However, it seemed that something in the system could not keep the Field stable after the Threshold's bow wave began interacting with the matter of the ship. The sensors detected a ripple in the Field that propagated from the leading edge of the Threshold Bow. At the peak 1.8 Hz that the Excalibur experienced the effect caused a great deal of buffeting, which the sturdy ship handled well enough for that short period of time. Anything over 3.2 Hz, however, would create so much flux at the quantum level that any matter contained within it would begin to disassociate into its component sub-atomic particles. That wasn't a great deal of room for error, and how to fix that was out of his milieu, as it was an engineering matter. There also seemed to be some field effect noted by the internal sensors, but they were not sensitive enough to properly quantify the minute quantum field variations that the slipstream test caused. In his conclusion to his report, he noted that the internal sensors should be upgraded, if not all at least enough to give coverage over the entire length of the ship. He gave everything a quick proof-read, made sure the data was attached, and sent it off to LCdr Vallorn for her review. After checking the time, Hakran saw he had enough time to catch a light lunch before the briefing. He hated being under the eye of the command staff, preferring to remain anonymous down in the labs, but this mission was not going to give him that luxury. It was made even more awkward, as it seemed that every time that Captain Illyan looked in his direction she seemed as if she was suddenly hit with indigestion. He'd be damned if he was going to suffer through it all on an empty stomach.