Inquirying Minds Want To Know
Posted on Monday 6 August 2018 @ 22:34 by Lieutenant JG Saren Barel
Mission:
The New Collective
Location: USS Merlin Science Labs
Timeline: Post-launch
646 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure
When launch was complete, and the ship was at cruising speed, Saren had one of his subordinates take the station over and he headed to one of the computer analysis labs. Once there, he loaded the base-line readings he had taken from the launch sequence. He reviewed the readings and took some notes.
Saren was a bit odd, he had two specialties in the sciences, botany and computer systems. It confused many of his teachers and his colleagues. Oddly enough, he found ways in his mind to relate the two. It was hard to explain to anyone who wasn’t in his head.
“Computer activate ICOS Holographic interface”, Saren said.
An average looking blond female appeared in a red-uniform without any rank insignia appeared. The hologram looked around.
“Lieutenant Barel, how may I be of assistance?”, the hologram asked.
Saren started doing system usage readings and then said, “Please change avatar biological sex appearance and clothing randomly, five-thousand times.”
“Why?” it asked while changing forms as instructed.
“I am making sure that you are operating properly”, Saren replied as the hologram took its original form.
“You could have asked, and I would have told you that I am operating within stated parameters”, the hologram stated. “It would have been more efficient.”
“Perhaps”, Saren said. “I am checking for any anomalies now that we have begun our mission. Not all systems work as anticipated once in a production environment, especially if changes are made to a ship after system install and before launch.”
“So, are you suggesting there was an error in my instillation?” the hologram asked.
“Mortals make mistakes often”, Saren replied. “I just wish to ensure that your installers didn’t make one. Please calculate Oxtal’s equation of gravitational pull out to one-hundred and fifteen thousand and 22 digits of pi.”
“The answer is 0”, the hologram stated quickly.
“How did you come to that answer?” Saren asked.
“It is a known constant with the theory, no calculation was necessary”, the hologram stated.
Saren smiled and asked, “What is the fourth letter in the 126,000th word in Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace?
“H” the hologram responded.
“What is the interpretation as to why Kh’arvot murders Tok’st in the Klingon opera Khortasha Darkn?
“There are at least four”, the hologram said after a moment of ‘thought’. Would you like to hear them?”
“No, that is ok”, Saren said, making a note. “What are the probable outcomes of performing the Picard maneuver, with an appropriately trained helmsman, within the Sol system, with an Excelsior class vessel? Round for expediency please.”
“There is a sixty percent chance of vessel integrity damage without successful implementation of the maneuver, a ten-percent chance of collision with a planetary body, a twenty-nine point oh-nine chance of successful implementation of the maneuver and a point oh-one chance if causing a disruption of the space-time continuum”, the hologram answered.
“Thank you”, Saren replied. “Those are all my questions.”
“Your questions were very random, what are you measuring?” the hologram asked.
“A number of seemingly un-related items”, Saren answered. “I am not going to express the specifics as to keep this a blind study.”
“I could access your files if I wished to”, the hologram stated looking a bit taken aback by Saren’s refusal to share.
“Yes, you could”, Saren responded. “however, the data does not hold the corresponding assumption keys to make the correlation between my questions and the results measured, so accessing the data would be a waste of resources. I assure you that I have our mutual well-being in mind.”
“Romulans are known to lie”, the hologram responded.
“Yes, that is a stereo-type of my people”, Saren answered. “that is a discussion for another time perhaps. Please end holographic representation.”
The hologram nodded and then disappeared.
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LTJG Saren Barel
Chief Science Officer
USS Merlin
