Winston Chronicles: Qob/Tranquility Universe: The Hand Off...

[Mitar Precip 0]

2418

The Hand Off..

 

“Winston Garage”; Unspeakable District

 

 

“Glad to see you are home,” Daniel Winston noted to his son as he passed by his bunk, “and clearly you need a shower oh ‘pest slayer’ of the underbowels of Tranquility!”

 

“Dad, please,” Mark replied dismissively. “Let me get this grime off and then you can ridicule my adopted profession even more.”

 

“Sonic shower should work given we have more power.” Daniel yelled as Mark fired up the sonic shower nearby.

 

“Thanks Dad. By the way I have another customer story to tell you before you hit the sack!”

 

“No hurries, I have something I need you for that shouldn’t take too long. Were the Guardians outside sleeping again?”

 

“No! Just smoking something..not sure what!” Mark shouted over the shower’s sonic wave pulses.

 

Daniel shook his head again and got from up from his bunk retrieving his ODRI* and setting it on the small table the living area directly behind the garage could accommodate. Daniel was convinced that the only way they could tolerate the small living space behind the garage was their lengthy shuttle trip to Tranquility from the Federation space.

 

Especially those resupply landings, where his son’s hunting skills were becoming more obvious every planetary hop they made. Now it was time to give his son some more help in his pest control business, the use of his ODRI.

 

Daniel took the ODRI and attached to his forearm, the lightweight, remarkably thin device instantly recognized the user as its owner by a dermal scan. Most ODRI’s were configured for single users. However, it did not take long for the creators of the ODRI that more than one person may have to use the same device. These fantastic pieces of technology, were very expensive to produce and were only given to certain officers in Winston’s former career as an engineer.

 

When first tested in combat, it was clear that an away team or platoon led by an ODRI equipped officer; would be in trouble should that officer perish or became incapacitated. The device would not allow itself to be worn by another person for security reasons. Daniel shook his head at that blunder. Big mistake. Rumors swirled over grisly methods Starfleet Marines had to take to keep a unit’s ODRI functional after the death of its owner.

 

ODRI’s were rapidly redesigned to allow a multi-user capability granted by the owner through a dermal scan of another desired user. This would unlock most functions of the ODRI, save personal journals or classified material. This is what he planned for Mark’s business which was actually starting to generate some revenue. Mark actually sported a Guardian underground worker’s outfit on his ‘calls’. He had arranged the deal with Deputy Shrike who also procured him a ‘cricket’ phaser to complete vaporization clean up process.

 

After a few more minutes, Mark emerged from the small lavatory and took a seat across from his father in his bedrobe. The robe was an actual donation from a Guardian tailor thankful for his son eliminating a vole running amok in a store. “Okay Son, let’s get this over with..I need your wrist for a second.”

 

Mark noticed the ODRI and got the idea what his Dad was doing but not entirely. “Haven’t we already done this?”

 

“Yes, you’ve been authorized to wear the ODRI and use if for simple purposes. I think now it’s time to allow you to use its higher functions. You’ve been expanding the distance traveled on your business calls. I think this is for the best.” His Father smiled.

 

“Awesome Dad! Thanks! But, you still need this for your mechanical classes you teach?” Daniel queried as he provided his wrist for the ODRI to scan his skin.

 

“Too few Guardians have ODRIs, I have decided to use the old chalkboard method of teaching.” Daniel chuckled as he finished the scan on his son’s wrist. “Old fashioned yes, but Tranquility seems to be that way. With the Federation restrictions on it, technology is extremely hard to come by. For example we still do not have our shields for our front doors.”

 

“And that sucks. Gular Consortium, slower than molasses on Vesta.” Mark shook his head as his father removed his ODRI and placed it on his son’s wrist.

 

“Okay, boot up successful. Odd, it is asking for a verbal or tactile interface preference. It never did that before.”

 

“That’s because the stories about people talking to their ODRI’s as a method of command input are true. Some engineers on the base actually named their ODRIs. I found that amusing.”

 

“Wait, I can give this ODRI a name?” Mark laughed. “Only a geek would-”

 

“A Starfleet Medic trying to stop the bleeding of a fallen comrade might find the hands-free approach of activating the ODRI’s medical scanners useful while applying pressure to a wound.”

 

“Okay point taken, did you ever name this one?”

 

“No, I never was in a situation where the vocal interface parameters were needed. However, you need both hands for your rifle when shooting a vole and scanning to see if any more are in the area, instead of using your rifle scope.”

 

“That would be handy. But If I were to name this thing, you would have to follow that name wouldn’t you?”

 

“No. Even if you called the thing ‘Marshall Savoy’, the ODRI would recognize since it is on another user, the preferences would be different. And, from what we learned at Starbase the simpler the name the better,” Daniel advised.

 

“Okay, I’ll think of a name.” Mark began to remove the device when his father’s hand stopped him.

 

“Learn to sleep wearing it Mark. It can alert you to trouble if you doze off on a hunt, or whileasleep here at home.”

 

“Sounds strange to sleep with this thing on...but if you insist. I presume you want it on active scan mode?”

 

“Yeah just type that in for now..think of name later. For now, I need to get some sleep for this silly ceremony thing tomorrow.”

 

“Oh dear you had to bring that up, silly Sheriff...proclaiming Daniel Joseph Winston an honorary-

 

“Mercy son, mercy, I need to sleep.” Daniel returned to his bunk and groaned.

 

Mark took the cue and dimmed the lights in the small room. “Alright have a good night Dad. I’llbe in the garage studying the-” Snoring silenced the younger Winston momentarily. He left the room for the garage with a hushed “Thanks Dad.”

 

______

ODRI: Optical Data Relay Interface

ref: Qob Tranquility Base: ODRI

ref: ODRI & You