Off-Duty Toil

[Archie Phoenix 0]

“Personal Log, Stardate 50809.17

 

“I am glad to say that the Inechie crisis has been resolved peacefully. Although the efforts of Doctor Tynte and myself on the nanite delivery system ultimately proved needless, the data we collected on the Inechie -- I hope I am pronouncing that correctly -- the data we collected on the Inechie bio-adaptive hull technology should prove invaluable study material. The bioneural gelpack technology which helps regulate the Arcadia computer’s higher functions is a rather primitive form of bioengineering compared to the Inechie defensive hull tissue. The data we gathered will be sent back to Starfleet Research and Development for study … and I plan to run some more tests of my own in the Holodeck when I have free time. There is so much about the system that our non-penetrating scans were not able to determine -- their means of feeding power to the hull tissue, how much power they need to generate, whether the tissue is capable of producing any of its own energy, whether the hull tissue can truly ‘think’ for itself or whether it requires the support of a central processing unit deeper inside the ship. But I believe we have gathered enough information to start experiments on a small scale … maybe something that could be integrated into a shuttle craft.

 

“Things have gotten … interesting in engineering. Lieutenant Sema’J held a staff meeting today to announce to us that he was transferring to the medical department. Once again the curse of Arcadia’s engineering section strikes, claiming another high-ranking officer. With Lieutenant Forsythe being given medical leave after his now infamous nervous breakdown in the mess hall, there is no one in main engineering above junior rank. Lieutenant Sema’J chose Jordan to act as interim chief while Starfleet presumably looks for a permanent replacement. Jordan was perhaps the only person on the crew I’d managed to get on a friendly basis with. That she is now a superior officer should … strangely impact our relationship.

 

“I wonder why Lieutenant Sema’J chose her as his replacement. I am sure there are very good reasons. I suppose that I do not know Lieutenant Black quite well enough to know what sorts of leadership attributes she possesses. I suppose that is the sort of thing that you would learn over dinner in the mess hall. I have been so busy with my duties, however. Work has been carrying over into my off-duty hours, and I have just not had the time to get to know anyone on the crew really well. But it is like I said anyway … Jordan is my chief now. Dinner in the mess hall would be strange, to say the least. And I am sure she keeps herself just as busy with off-duty work as I do; otherwise, I cannot imagine she would have been chosen to lead the department.

 

“Speaking of the mess hall … eating with one hand while looking over a PADD with nanite schematics in the other is an art that has to be refined. My brief stop in the mess this evening allowed me to catch another glimpse of Samantha Kent. She was alone. I can confess that I was glad to see that no one was with her. She looked troubled about something. I thought about going over to her table and making another attempt to speak to her. She left rather hastily, however, and I ended up knocking over my tranya with the nanite PADD. That was rather embarrassing … but thankfully she was already out the door. I do wish I could get a moment alone with her, away from our duties …

 

“Well, I am exhausted. It has been a long day and there is a lot of work waiting for me tomorrow. Personal log, end recording.”