Cold Hard Technology
Posted on Mon Nov 17th, 2025 @ 8:15am by Lieutenant Commander Lylja Tigerlilly & Lieutenant Alan Harrison & Rocoa Lotor & Aliereth t'Leiya
943 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Terrorpin
Location: Operations Office
Timeline: ?
Lylja walked among the many, many holograms detailing the Breen dampening field among similar technologies, even Romulan cloaking fields, though they seemed too energy-intensive for the problems at hand.
Lylja thought she could manage but she would like some other thoughts and perspectives. Breen technology was predicated on supercooled metallic grids which were not well understood. She thought she could replicate part of it using Andorian crystallography and Binar interface technology. She had questions out on Ops Net, hopefully, there would be answers there.
But who could she bounce ideas off of right now? Everyone was so busy. She clicked her fingers. "Bastet!"
The hologram of the QAI resolved on the desk. "I was worried that you had forgotten about me, Lylja."
Lylja smiled. "I had noticed your work in the file systems. I am sorry, I had not called you earlier."
"You . . . you had almost ceased to be," said Bastet. "I reconstituted myself from code when you were recovered and have been watching you and keeping your system updated and clean."
"Well, that you for that," smiled Lylja. "I should have called you though. I think just knowing that you were near was enough."
Bastet smiled. "Enough catching up, let us turn to the problem at hand. The Breen technology, yes? An interesting challenge."
"Yes," agreed Lylja. "The underlying physics seems broadly understandable but how to apply it and how to duplicate the effect. I get the dispersion maths when applied to a field but I cannot see how they will be stable."
"Yes, the Breen have mastered certain effects that seem possible only at extremely low temperatures. Techniques they have not been willing to share," said Bastet.
"Yes, very rude of them," she winked at Bastet. It was so relaxing to be working her QAI again, someone (well, arguably something) who she knew on such an intimate level. "Can we stabilize it for a short time without that technological fix?"
"Yes," said Bastet grouping several of the holograms. "But I think we would be better off, in that it would be stable for as long as we needed, if we adapted the Romulan cloaking technology. The tachyion emissions should not matter, if, for some reason it can detect tachyons, we are no worse off than before."
"And we would have learned something about it," agreed Lylja. "Let us set one up and see how it reacts. Hopeful tachyons are not like candy sprinkles to the . . . whatever it is."
She tapped the comm. "Alan, I am planning to use a variant of a Romulan cloaking field to conceal the power fields. If you can think of reasons why this is a bad idea, let me know."
Rocky had been on his way to check in on progress on the Breen energy damper. GD had gotten some of the specs after the war, and he had a bit of ...insight... on potential developments from that. But overhearing as he arrived at the door, a different thought occurred. Not just of the tech itself, but of the obvious, to his mind, consultant. Association with a former Galae engineer might not sit well with Starfleet. On the other hand, getting crushed by a giant turtle... "Excuse me, I was coming by to see if I could help and couldn't help overhearing," he flipped an upright ear. "If I recall, Caithlin's sister was an engineer and knew something about cloaks."
Lylja focused on Rocky "Please contact her. My knowledge of cloaking devices is almost entirely from the 'how do we detect them' side."
Alan heard Lylja's voice come in on his commbadge. "That... might just work. What do you need from engineering?"
"Just clearance to use the energy systems," said Lylja. "But, apparently, we may have an engineer at hand who understands cloaking fields. So, I want to have a quick consultation with them first."
"Do you want me there or to catch me up afterward?" Alan asked.
"Will do, just keep those power conduits ready," said Lylja.
As they were conversing, Rocky tapped his own comm. "Rocoa Lotor to Aliereth t'Leiya. We haven't met, but I work with your sister. We're trying to work out a solution to our kaiju problem and Ops has an idea about adapting cloaking tech. Would you be able to offer any expertise?"
"Yes. Assuming you are aware that expertise is several decades out of date." Privately, Aliereth rather suspected that given the litany of mixed admiration-of-skills and exasperated complaints her sister had about Rocky's ability to locate and exploit contract loopholes, he was likely well aware of that fact already.
"As the design I am working with is also several decades out of date, I do not think it will be a problem,' says Lylja. "We are trying to hide energy signatures from the big turtle which likes to feed on energy. That way we can lure it away from the populated areas."
"Right. Where are you?" The voice was similar to Caithlin's - not surprising really given the close relation - but rather less coy or commanding and more straightforward and no-nonsense.
"Ops Central. I can set up a holographic bridge if that would be helpful," says Lylja.
"Or we could beam you over," Rocky cut in. "Given that we're trying to limit our energy footprint so as not to look too much like a good snack, one quick spike of energy versus a sustained increase might be best."
"Agreed. Transmitting coordinates now." A burst of data popped up in Rocky's comm feed.
"Do it," said Lylja bringing up the holograms with her thoughts on the cloaking field. "Now let's get this done."
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