Post 409: Observations Part Three

Stardate: 70822.1800
Title: Observations -Part III
Author: Ensign Rada Dengar
Scene: Rada's Quarters
Time: Following "Observations- Part II"
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Rada decided that now was as good a time as any to start recording.

"Computer open a new file, Personal log of Ensign Rada Dengar, Stardate 70822.1800"

It then occurred to Rada that he has no idea what to put in this log and seeing he didn't want to record what sounded like a fake log in case he fell under suspicion later on and someone listened to it.

"Well, what can I say?"

*What do people put in personal logs?*

Rada believed all other logs were easy because you can simply follow the standard format but personal logs are generally too personal for you to get a hold on a large collection to determine any kind of standard format.

"My time on the USS Independence has so far been rather enjoyable. I have met some very interesting people" he says insincerely.

*No one would ever believe I started a log to record this, I have to think of something else*

"Of course I could tell this ship was going to be interesting by how eventful the trip up was."

*That's it, you can tell them about the trip up from Trill. But remember, don't implicate yourself in anything,* he warned himself.

"Everything started off going quite well. There were three engineers from Trill onboard the runabout Ganymede as well as Ensign Marin Bergman, Ensign Stratton and myself. One of the engineers had earlier been unable to open a packet of crackers whilst keeping the contents inside and was now sitting quite happily up the back eating from a second packet with which it appeared he'd had more luck. The other two engineers were looking through their equipment, undoubtedly trying to see if they'd forgot anything just to be prepared."

*If it was me I'd be trying to think of a reason why I didn't think I needed to bring anything which it turned out I'd forgotten. Quite easy to do with a size seven hydro-shifter, not so easy with a size five plasma re-aligner* Rada joked to himself .

"Ensign Stratton was piloting whilst Ensign Bergman and myself sat up the front with him. He asked some standard new-comer question like 'So what do you two like to do for fun?' but before Ensign Bergman could answer, he began to panic, saying "This is not right." I asked what wasn't but before he could answer the console exploded in his face and he began falling out of his chair, as a nurse Ensign Bergman looked after Stratton whilst I as an engineer tried to find the problem."

*More like Stratton started falling out of his chair and rather than doing the decent and stopping his head from smacking right into the ground I made Marin be the one to do that and instead looked over the controls trying to figure out how to save my own life.*

"The readings indicated anomalous energy fluctuations throughout all systems which appeared to be rapidly growing resulting in a rather dire situation."*In other words the energy levels were going up and down between a new higher and lower point all of the time and if left unmanaged we would have all been killed. If we were unlucky the high energy levels would cause the ship to overload or the low energy levels would cause vital containment systems to stop working, the result of which would have been the immediate destruction of the Ganymede. Alternatively with a bit of luck the low energy levels would result in life support failure or the high levels would result in literal fusing of systems together resulting in life support failure which would hopefully allow us to live long enough to suffocate before we were blown up.*

"Ensign Bergman tended to an unconscious Ensign Stratton and I requested help from the other engineers."

*In other words, Marin did some medical stuff I can't even begin to remember and I screamed out in a panic for the other engineers to come and help me.*

"The other engineers were unfortunately un! able to provide any form of assistance and our shielding didn't seem to have any effect."

*In other words, they were just as clueless as I was and our shields weren't helping to boot*

"I then observed that the runabout had ceased movement due to the irregular energy levels and judged that the cause of these energy fluctuations was most likely related to our current location. This led me to conclude that regaining velocity was a priority."

*In other words, I decided to get the hell away from there as soon as possible*

"I concluded that the lack of movement was most likely due to energy fluctuation related computer failure."

*In other words these ridiculous energy levels kept causing the bloody computer to reset itself and forget it was supposed to be moving!*

"So I initiated an emergency computer bypass to the propulsion systems."

*So I ripped apart the runabout's control systems and then shoved them back together in a way that allowed the Ganymede to move, without thinking.*

"My attempts were successful and after our relocation energy levels stabilized. The problem was later traced to experimental sub-space energy transference research on Trill, apparently they misdirected the flow and when we crossed its path our own systems began to fluctuate between energy gains and losses as this subspace energy added to and collected energy from them."

*Yeah right, first a Ferengi holds me at phaser point talking claiming that a group of beings wants a Starfleet officer from him and then a Starfleet runabout is almost destroyed by 'misdirected' subspace energy transference. There's something going on here.*

"On a lighter note it seems that after she was done tending medically to Ensign Stratton, Ensign Bergman and he arranged to go out for dinner."

*I saved us all; whilst he just lied there and now he gets a date with the attractive nurse.*

Rada considered perhaps Stratton had what humans called the Florence Nightingale Syndrome resulting from Marin looking after him which he felt would explain the fact that he asked Marin out directly after regaining consciousness. He has always wonder why humans called it 'the Florence Nightingale Syndrome', he knew that a Nightingale was a bird on Earth and considered that maybe the first recorded case of the condition came when a man was hospitalized following an attack by one such bird and then proceeded to fall in love with his nurse during an extensive recovery time. Rada has admittedly never seen one of these birds but he decided when next he stepped foot on Earth he would have to watch out for them.

Rada decided that was enough for his log now and said "Computer End Log."

He then decided that if his plan was to work it would still take time to kick in and so he knew he had to get ready for a party.

Ensign Rada Dengar
Engineering Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791