A Final Swansong?

[Seiben 0]

With a flick of a switch, the warpdrive came to life. The sound of the unit humming echoed throughout the ship and engineering. The ship lurched forward, speed ever climbing. "Warp 2... 3... 4.." a worker said. As the Challenger approached Warp 5, the ship began to shake Seiben looked at the disgnostic screen all was going so far, and the Challenger was making good speed.

 

Seiben and his team worked hard on the project, and finally the fruit of their labour was paying off. "4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9..." the ship, by now was starting to shake like jelly as the Challenger aproached her maximum speed, but finally.. "Warp 5.0, sir!" A chorus of cheers, eminated throughout the Challenger's Engineering.....

 

"Stop simulation" Seiben yelled out. In a matter of seconds, Main Engineering dissappaeared. Seiben and the others now find themselves in a grey metal room. "Great job, everyone" Seiben smiled. "Now, that's how we make our warpdrive. Take five, gents. You've earned it"

 

 

"Thanks sir" the workers say, and with that, they open a door and exit. Seiben took a minute to gather his things before exiting out of the simulation room. General Electric's Simulation Room here was truly a marvel of technology. Utilising the latest in holographic technology, this small chamber can reproduce anything to the most realisitic detail. Capitan Archer used the same kind of technology tricking Devron (I think) the Xindi alien on the Enterprise.

 

Basically the same thing, but more bigger than the one Archer had. Seiben stepped out of the simulation chamber, the warm sun glowed through the windows. Seiben wrote a couple of notes on a PADD. Another man, wearing a white uniform came up to him.

 

"Good job, Mr. Seiben. Hopefully you can be that successful in the construction of the real Challenger's warpcore" Seiben looked at the man and smirked. "Hey, don't jinx me sir" Seiben's superior, was Richard Franklin, GE's Vice President. He stood 6'3", he was 40 years of age, but his rugged good looks and golden blonde hair made him look 30.

 

"Heh heh. Don't worry Gunter. Just do the same thing you did in the Chamber and youl do fine." said Franklin. The two of them walked through the corridors to the elevator taking them to the main lobby. Franklin and Seiben walked out of the doors. It was a truly magnificent summer's day here in Marseille, France.

 

The warm sun in combination with the cool breeze from the nearby Mediterranean Sea leaves a beautiful climate. Seiben dons a pair of RayBans, as he follows Mr. Franklin to the parking lot. Seiben and Franklin climb into an electric powered hover car and drive out towards the factory.

 

The GE complex here, is a vast property consisting 60 acres, and two major buildings. Building One, where Seiben and Mr. Franklin came from was the Research and Development Building and Building Two, where the men were heading, is the facility where the actual construction takes palce.

 

A few minutes later, Seiben and Franklin exit the hover and enter Building Two. There, they enter the elevator and go down to the construction facility of the warpdrive. With GE's declining businesss and Cochran Warp Technologies getting most Starfleet Assignments, it was only an act of devine intervetion that GE actually got this contract.

 

Seiben watches a horde of technicians pieceing together the Challenger's warpdrive. It was only about half way completed. The Matter/Anti-matter was now being lowered into the unit. Seiben smiles at the progress. "So, you are ahead of schedule, eh?" Franklin asks.

 

"Yes sir" Seiben says. "Construction should be complete within the month, and the drive should be ready for installation at that time. It all depends on how far the construction on the Challanger is going" From the latest Seiben heard from the UESN, only the inner saucer is complete.

 

Seiben and Franklin look at a picture depicting the progress so far on the vessel. "Geez, and they expect to finish this thing in 3 months?" Franklin asks. Seiben looks at the shell of the saucer. "Well, sir, They do good work. They finished this much in only one month"

 

Seiben did have to admit, he wasn't exactly sure how in the world the Challenger will be constructed within the 3 months. Stranger things have happened though, so he won't bet any money against it. A few Vulcan delegates scrutinise the construction project, giving their pompous long winded advice to the workers.

 

But the process is going well,and Seiben is glad to be out of the simulation chamber. He believes he and his technicians learned what to do, and how to apply it on the warpdrive. Seiben looks at the progress and sighs. This Challenger warpcore might just be GE's last swansong.

 

Business has been slim thanks to ongoing pressure from Starfleet and Cochrane Warp Technologies (CWT), and quite frankly noone here is sure they'll survive much longer. Such are the breaks of the biz, GE's been in business since the 19th or 20th century, and now just like that, they're gone. 200 plus years of history.. from lightbulbs,to appliances, to engines, trains and finally to warpdrives, and other starship components.. history snuffed out to oblivion like a candle flame being blown out.

 

Just then, a commications panel rang up indicating a call for Mr. Franklin. "Uh uh.. uh huh.. I see..." Franklin went on. after the call, Franklin bade a farewell to Seiben and went on his merry way. After awhile, Seiben walked out of the complex and once again into the French sun.

 

It was a beautiful 28 degrees Celcius, the sun was now starting to set over the Mediterranean. Seiben walks over to the parking lot again and boards his personal shuttle to his home in Frankfurt, Germany. The shuttle, a top of the line Italian built craft was Seiben's pride and joy.

 

It was sleek, sexxy and luxurious and boasted a top speed of Mach 10. It wouldn't take long for him to make the jorney, usually under an hour if traffic is light. As Seiben piloted the shuttle through the German Alps, Seiben wondered what he'd do next. If GE goes under, what'll happen? Will this be their final swan song?

 

Since Seiben was quite a bright, talented individual, he had many job offereings available to him. Including ones from Starfleet and rival CWT. But, until the Challenger project is completed, that is the least of his worries. All went well in the simulation chamber, but now the real work has begun. 3 months to complete a starship and warpdrive isn't a long time. He can only hope the project is as successful as it was in the simulation, but. only time can tell.

Edited June 13, 2004 by Seiben