"For Once, More Answers Than Questions" - Part II

[Garnoopy 0]

Lieutenant Junior Grade Garnoopy

Personal Log Stardate 50302.22

“For Once, More Answers Than Questions” – Part II of III

 

Starting the simulation, Garnoopy brought the cloak system readings on the engineering panel. Precip stood to the side, watching, and wondering where Garnoopy was heading with this.

 

After a few moments, Garnoopy paused the simulation. He pointed at the readings on the engineering panel and stated simply “Look there.”

 

On the panel, a molecule structure was displayed.

 

“Klenium” Garnoopy stated matter of factly. “It was in the atmosphere of the planet. It was also apparently around the cloak.”

 

Wrinkling his brow, Precip stared at the panel, “Klenium. I remember something about that. Doesn’t it disrupt cloaking generators?”

 

Garnoopy quickly replied, “No, Klenium is attracted to cloaking generator power frequencies, but does not cause any damage of any sort. We’ve known about it for years, it’s a natural substance to some atmospheres. If my theory is correct however, this substance will have played a major part in the cloak failure. Lets see what happens.” Pausing for only a moment to tap his panel, Garnoopy restarted the simulation.

 

They both watched as the away team set up the dampening field disrupters, Precip feeling the realness of the simulation, Garnoopy immersed in what would happen next.

 

The dampening field generators fired, sending out a huge energy pulse at just the right frequency to disrupt the field, allowing them to beam out the away team. The energy pulse traveled for several km in all directions, washing over the Griffin harmlessly, or at least, at the time it seemed harmlessly. The Griffin fired up her engines, and seemed to jump off the planets surface, heading towards space at a surprising speed. The cloak then failed.

 

“Computer, pause simulation.” Garnoopy started at the panel he was at, the cloaking power relays displayed, the Klenium molecules also there, though, different.

 

Precip stood there, peering at the panel, a slightly confused look on his face, “I’m not quite sure as to what has happened here, the Klenium molecules are different, though, they are still Klenium.”

 

Nodding, Garnoopy talked rapidly, “Yes, your right. The Klenium molecules have been altered.” Garnoopy cleared his throat then continued. “What has happened, is that when we fired off the dampening field energy pulse, the pulse also hit the shuttle, though it didn’t’ cause any damage to it. However, the dampening field pulse was at just the right frequency to mutate these Klenium molecules. The molecules apparently had mutated enough to attach to the power relays on the cloak. While we were running huge amounts of power through the relays flying out, the molecules degraded the relays, which caused them to stop allowing power to flow through, then causing the cloak to fail.”

 

“So, this molecule is attracted to cloaking generator power relays, but causes no damage. At least, it didn’t until it was mutated buy the energy pulse?” Precip asked, looking at the engineering panel.

 

“Absolutely correct” Garnoopy stated. “I’ll pull together a report and take it up to the Captain right away. This is something that will need to be noted in Federation computers and procedures.”

 

Garnoopy began his download of the information to a PADD, then remembered something.

 

“Precip, did you want to ask me something about the shuttles?” He asked, looking at the Bolian still studying the Klenium readings.

 

Precip looked up at Garnoopy, remembering what he had originally wanted to ask, “Oh yes, the shuttles, I was wondering if I could get a report on the status of the repairs.”

 

“The shuttles are basically repaired, all that is left is diagnostics and test flights. I’ll arrange the test flights as soon as time permits. If we do the test flights soon, they should be in completed condition in a day or so” Garnoopy replied.

 

“Very good” Precip responded.

 

The computer beeped that it was done with the download, and Garnoopy felt a sigh of relief come over him. He picked up the PADD, and held it. The answer, the answer that proved it wasn’t his fault, was in the PADD he held. Finally.