"The Machine the Goes Ding!"

[Sean Xiang 0]

Sean sat at the console on the bridge, pulling levers and flicking switches. As he worked a model of how the metal detection unit should work began to take shape on the screen. He sighed and hit the Comm button. "Dave, you there?" as he spoke he sent the schematics to the lab.

 

Putting down his tea cup, Dave nodded even though Sean could not see him. "Indeed. What's on your mind?"

 

"I am sending you what I have so far on the metal-detection unit. I think it should work well, but there is still on major problem."

 

Dave took a look at the rough work Sean had done. "Looking good. And the problem?"

 

"How do we keep it from going off every time it senses one of the search vessels?" Sean had been thinking about the problem ever since Dave had brought up the idea of a metal detector, but he could not seem to figure out an answer.

 

"Hmm ... maybe ... " Dave shook his head. "No--but ... oh!"

 

"Yes?"

 

"The ships are searching in a pattern, correct?" asked Dave. Without waiting for an answer, he continued in that excited tone that crazy scientists like to use. "So, why don't we interface our metal detector with the computer that is coordinating the search?"

 

Sean caught on, it must be a crazy scientist thing, "And then program it to ignore any of the search vessels by cross referencing their positions with the computer!"

 

Dave nodded again. "Bingo. As long as we don't deviate from the search pattern, the detector will only alert us to foreign metal objects."

 

"Why did I not think of that?" Sean’s hands resumed their work at the schematics, adding the new features. "All we have to do is make sure no one decides to forge their own path."

 

 

"Resistance is futile!"

 

Sean blinked a few times, a puzzled look taking his face. "Sir?"

 

"Er ... *slurp*" And then the comm went dead