Here's a Crazy Idea

Posted on Wed Mar 26th, 2025 @ 12:19am by Lieutenant Alexis Ryan & Lieutenant Didrea Zade & Lieutenant JG Astrja Kyan

Mission: Pandora's Box
Location: Science Labs
Timeline: MD4
1036 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Once their little relay system got set up and deployed to the wreckage via a combination of selective transports and away team assembly, the amount of information that got back to the squadron increased dramatically. The better part of the day was spent combing through data, and with Lt Hadzin's help a couple of the ships were able to start running all sorts of tests and simulations, the leading question coming down to "where did it come from?" Adri and Astrja had been working together in some space set aside in the science labs, and while they were waiting for Ryan to make her way over the two were chatting.

"Don't get me wrong, a sample would be fantastic, but how do you propose getting one while keeping the fullerene structure intact?" Adri asked. Strewn between them on a table were at least a dozen PADDs with various data written across their screens.

"We try and build a standing wave along the surface using pulsed phaser bursts," says Astrja, "and then set up a counter resonance. She flipped a datapad around, "This should weaken the bonds and allow a powerful, and I mean massively powerful, tractor beam to peel a small sections off. I think," she finished.

Adri read the data presented to her. "With powerful tractor beams comes a lot of energy, probably more than what one ship could provide. Have you approximated the total energy needed for such a thing?"

Astrja needed, "Three ships would be ideal but the Athena and one other should manage it."

By the time Ryan had pulled away from her current conversation to respond to the pair's request for an update, the Science Chief appeared on the frazzled end of impatient for a split second before a visible intake of air attempt to act as a reset. "All right," she said, glancing between the pair, "What have you got?"

"A plan to get a neutronium sample, Lieutenant," said Astrja. "The maths work out we will just need to coordinate with with other ships as we do not have the power to do it alone."

The Science Chief raised her eyebrows. A brief glance around the room seemed intent on noting the location of Lieutenant Kozlov and Ryan shifted the weight from one foot to the other to facilitate blocking the other woman's view of the conversation before asking, "And assuming the math continues to be on our side, what do we do with it afterwards? I don't think I can convince the Commodore to tow a piece of neutronium around indefinitely."

"Oh, we do not tow it, we suspend it in a contragravity field and ship it on to the materials science wing of Starfleet," said Astrja. "Someone there will have great fun studying it. Really, this is just a pure technical achievement for us. We cannot use the neutronium ourselves on the Athena but someone might learn something useful from it. The action from which a thousand science papers are born and all that."

"The Valiant has the capability and the convenience to hand it off," Adri added. "Our mission was interrupted for this, and our return to exploration will bring us by a starbase where we can pass off the sample."

Though it was hardly her field of expertise, Alexis had to admit the pair had piqued her interest. One of the overwhelming aspects of the task they'd been allocated was the sheer ambiguity and scope of investigate and theorise. Sending a sample off was something akin to passing the buck but it also made sense to involve those with more specific capabilities. She wasn't sure Kozlov would be quite as pleased at the prospect of out-sourcing second opinions.

"Your schematics for containment will need clearance with Captain Travers before we send any kind of extraction plans to the rest of the fleet." The Science Chief furrowed her brow as she tried to follow the gist of Kyan's documented proposal. "Leadership will required a full risk assessment too, including what we do if containment fails."

"The neutronium is inert, just absurdly dense, as long as it it stored with that taken into account, there is very little danger," said Astrja. "It can be placed in a structure on the edge of a shuttle bay they can eject the entire unit is case of a catastrophic power failure of the contragrav unit."

"Add it to your report," Ryan advised. "Along with the results of the simulations you're going to need to run." She swung her gaze back and forth between the pair. "The proposition is bold to begin with, but the requirement for cooperation is going to take some thorough groundwork to make sure we're not forced to improvise too heavily mid-extraction. StarFleet's interest will go a long way towards tipping the vote in your favour but the Commodore is not going to authorise anything unless we can show him the expected results." Alex scrunched her nose in partial-apology. "Science isn't his strong point."

Astrja laughed. "I will get right on it, Lieutenant. Fortunately, there is a good amount of data on using tractor beams from multiple ships to move items, those simulations should be glidingly easy to get. Cracking the neutronium's bonds so we can peel it is the tricky part, but the simulations we have run show it should be possible, though only because this one is inactive and inert."

"If we can pull it off, we'll have managed to exceed StarFleet's expectations at least. Several extra feathers in the cap never go astray. I'll add this to my update for this evening's command briefing, just get me the rest of the data before close of shift."

Without turning around, Ryan could feel the shift of attention from the steel-blue eyes that hunted her down if she was preoccupied for more than five minutes unannounced. To spare the pair of them any unwanted interference, the Science Chief backed off to take her leave. "Call out if you need anything."

Astrja caught herself before saying anything inappropriate and grinned instead. "Yes, ma'am. It will be on your desk along with the formal requests for help from the other ships involved. It is all in hand."