You Did WHAT?

Posted on Mon Mar 9th, 2015 @ 2:28pm by Captain Liarra Von & Ensign Corrine Steiner

Mission: Ill Tidings
Location: Commanding Officer's Office, [Deck 12, SB332]

Brig Two of Starbase 332 was filled with a small crew of Ferengi. They were dressed in glittery marching band uniforms. Choople, their leader, was livid. "Steiner! You said these docking passes were good!"

On the other side of the forcefield, a very unsettled operations officer tried to calm him, "They are good!"

"Oh yeah? Then why did we get thrown in the klink? We're supPOSED to be conducting a celebration band march for our inaugural voyage!"

"Look, I'm sorry! Apparently the customs personnel didn't get the word that a ship running on rad-fuel is okay!"

"Well would you please GIVE them the word? This is embarrassing! This is not good for my PR image!"

It was bad enough that Captain Von had a million things come across her desk each day. Between the Sojourners finding a way to grab more and more territory, the repairs to the station, and more pressure from the Archan government, she really wasn't in the mood to be dealing with simple docking assignments. Nevertheless, her she was staring at a report dealing with recent merchant traffic. Liarra rubbed at her spots near her temples, trying to massage away the headache that was starting to form. Giving up on the futility of the exercise, she hit her commbadge. "Captain Von to Ensign Steiner. Please report to my office."

In the brig, Corrie's eyes closed in a sigh of dread. She tapped her combadge, "On my way, ma'am."

As she hurried out of the brig, the Ferengi crewmen took up a chant, "WE WANT JUS-TICE! WE WANT JUS-TICE!"

Corrie stopped outside the captain's office. She whispered to herself, "Deep breaths...deep breaths... Stop panicking. This will all work out." Still flustered, she chimed, "Ensign Steiner reporting, Captain."

Von gestured to one of the chairs across from her. "Have a seat, Ensign." Liarra wasn't really in a mood for small talk. She had already been risking a lot to let Steiner stay here, and now with the newest incident, she was really trying her patience. Von handed a PADD across the desk. "I have a report here that says we allowed several ships carrying radioactive waste to dock at this station. At this point, the Ferengi in question have been detained until the ships can be inspected and ensured to not be a risk to the station. According to the report, you gave them permission to dock. Would you care to explain?" It was asked as a polite question, but it didn't take an empath to detect the real hidden tone.

The ensign closed her eyes for a moment, taking a calming breath. "I did authorize it, Captain. The Ferengi named Choople is launching transports which utilize radioactive wastes for fuel. It's vastly inferior to antimatter reactors, but his transports represent a possible solution for colonies plagued by radioactive dumps." Corrie resettled herself, clearing her throat. "Ma'am, Choople's rad-ships are following a modern, layered radiation safety protocol. My problem lays in archaic social stigmas about radiation. Somebody says the R-word and people panic." She shook her head with frustration, "So many existing rules and regulations don't accommodate this new scenario."

"Many existing rules and regulations don't accommodate this new scenario because it's so impractical," Von fired back. "You said so yourself it's vastly inferior to antimatter reactors, or even fusion reactors. They can't possibly be generating enough power for high warp, which leaves them puttering through space on slow, inefficient ships. I don't think any one is panicking here, but if those safety protocols don't stay in place, then they won't be allowed near any civilized system. It just doesn't sound cost effective. I can't believe any Ferengi would even consider it, much less you approve it. Tell me Ensign, what's with the need to jump up on a moral soap box. There are far more efficient and safe ways to dispose of radioactive waste than trying to power a freighter."

Corrie stared aside, squinted pensively. She held up her index finger. "Sometimes the bean counters are wrong. They very often miss important practical factors. These rad-burners siphoning away toxic dumps, colonies are offering them preferential trade contracts and exempting them from tariffs as an incentive. With Orion tightening their dilithium monopoly and antimatter being a bureaucratic pain to acquire, the prospect of free energy carrying ships from star to star becomes more attractive." Corrine took a deep breath and sighed, resuming eye contact. "Also, time is a critical factor. New and more efficient methods entail feasibility studies, project proposals, approval committees. The would take years. Choople is ready to allieviate waste disposal crises now." She shrugged, "If the Ferengi has discovered an untapped niche, which I think he has, then he will prosper. If we're wrong, then that business will fail." Corrie tipped her head in a searching smile, "I think it's also a matter of era perspective. Two hundred years ago, warp two transit was the cat's meow!"

Von sat still while she let the ensign plead her case. She obviously seemed very passionate about the whole idea. "You do realize that many Federation worlds have been disposing of radioactive waste using transporters set on a wide dispersal. It's really only an issue on worlds that have recently made first contact. And yes, warp two transit was something impressive when it was new, but I don't see how someone can last very long when it takes a ship over five months to go the distance between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Anything further, and customers would likely find new sources for their goods. They might be practical for interplanetary travel, but anything farther away than within the system seems a little long to me, no matter what they are selling."

Corrie's eyes lit up, "Ma'am, that's exactly an example of a disastrous plan that's coming back to haunt those Fed planets. Radioactive particles in open space are getting hammered by navigation deflectors of transiting ships at warp. They're splashing moons, space stations, populated asteroids, and low-atmo planets, some of which have life on them. We're also looking at potential nebular contaminations and particle reactions. You can't disperse particles in open space. It will come back to bite you in the ecology. As far as lengthy transits go, the Ferengi are very good at market speculation. They keep the arriving supply cycle just ahead of the industrial demand for it." She shook her head, "It doesn't matter when needed supplies were shipped. What matters is when they arrive and become available." She shrugged, "If there's an unexpected shortage? Choople can charter fast transports to cover pending underages. That'll be the exception and not the normal case. But if shortages do happen, then it'll be good for Choople because it means that business is good. There's another advantage I haven't mentioned. Pirates. They'd have to bring in their own bulk transports and offload cargo because the rad-burners are too slow to steal."

Von let out a long sigh. She wasn't really in the mood to be arguing with Steiner. "Ensign, I don't really want to discuss the finer points of economics with you. Honestly, I don't care how far ahead Choople has planned, and I'm still not convinced that slower ships are going to prevent pirate attacks. With these new engines, they aren't even able to run from the pirates. If you're that worried about waste disposal methods, I suggest you take it up with the Corps of Engineers. But that's not my concern either. My concern is making sure that those ships do not pose a threat to this station. Any ship that is powered by radioactive waste must be properly inspected before they will be allowed to dock. If there is any hint of containment issues, no matter how minor, I want it fixed before they can approach. Are we clear, Ensign?"

"Crystal clear, Captain! I shall threaten the little trolls accordingly... and frequently." Corrie purposed with all determination that she would personally supervise inspections.

"I'm glad to hear it. And, Ensign, don't call them trolls.. I don't want to deal with Starfleet sensitivity instructors coming out here again." Before Corrie had a chance to even consider saying anything, Von waved her off. "Don't ask. If there is nothing else, you're dismissed."

Once Captain Von's office door closed behind her, she slumped back against the bulkhead. Exhausted, she breathed quietly with closed eyes for a while. "I'd rather have the nightmares than go through that." This wasn't over, though. Choople & Co. were still protesting enthusiastically down in the brig. Corrie expected them to rail at her with scolds and threats of lawsuits when she arrived. Choople, however, was in surprisingly good spirits upon his release. This incident was newsworthy, hence quality free advertising. Squeezing every drop of juice out of the proverbial lemons, the self-decreed martyr recorded empassioned interview videos. He and his crew then proudly marched back to their new rad-burner ship playing their flutes, tubas, and drums. Well, they had no idea how to actually play them. But that's what mp3's and micro-Bose speakers were for.

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Captain Liarra Von
Commanding Officer
Starbase 332

Ensign Corrie Steiner
Operations Officer
Starbase 332