AN// This is a continuation of Not Quite SHODAN (ST SI). If you have not read the rest of the...
The First Duty
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AN// This is a continuation of Not Quite SHODAN (ST SI). If you have not read the rest of the series, you may be confused(there is a couple of parts before this one). Now, on with the story!
__________
I ran my sensors across the drydock all around. Well, almost all around, there was still a massive blind spot to my ventral side.
"Chief, how long until I have full sensor coverage?" I asked, crossing the arms of my avatar before brushing my blonde, almost platinum hair back behind my ear.
My avatar was human looking and on the petite side with shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. My last avatar when I was the U.S.S. 'Look That Way' had been Amazon looking. But then again, I was a Sovereign Class cruiser then.
I was way smaller now so it kind of fit.
He shook his head and looked away from the console, "Sorry, Ship. We're having trouble tracking down the power glitch in that array. You're a new design, luv, there are bound to be glitches during construction."
I frowned at him, "I'm not that big! How difficult can it be!?"
Jacksson frowned right back at me, "Take it up with Marvin, it's his design!"
Sighing, I rubbed the bridge of my nose before I shook my head, "….Sorry Leif, I know it's not your fault. You and your crew are doing a great job. I'm just frustrated. My new Captain will be here next week and I want to at least have the major systems online."
He smiled, "Don't worry, luv. We'll get you up and running in time and put a nice shine on you too. Even if I have to pull triple shifts."
I couldn't help but smile back, "Thank you."
I was the U.S.S. 'Velvet Anvil', the first of the 'Nimitz' class of pocket drone carriers. Originally derived from the Defiant class, I was about thirty meters longer and ten meters wider, I lacked the originals pulse phasers, and while I had full phaser coverage and a couple of photon torpedo launchers, I was only designed to carry some thirty photon torpedoes.
My primary armament was the ten parasite drone ships that were attached to my outer hull. Basically unmanned Valkyrie fighter craft in capability, they would each carry one of my Quantum Cores. But about half the size of the old fighters.
I could carry a crew of forty.
I ran my sensors across the inside of the drydock once more. How come I'm always this nervous about getting a new Captain? This is the fifth time!
But it didn't get any easier. I missed my old crew, my old friends. Keeping in touch over subspace wasn't the same thing.
"I'll stop bothering you," I sighed, "A lot of work to do."
"Not a lot of time to do it," he agreed with a nod, "But we'll get it done, don't worry about it."
Giving him a quick smile, I left the command centre of the drydock with my avatar and adjusted the phaser riding comfortably on my waist.
Most Warships stuck to the pants version of the uniform, I was one of them. I didn't 'mind' skirts as such, they worked off duty, but I was an Ambassadorial Transport for years. I wore that stupid dress uniform so often I'm sick of it and I didn't like it in the first place. If I wear a skirt, it's because I'm dressing up for someone.
Wonder what the 'Friendship is Magic' is doing now anyway? Last I heard she was in orbit around Trilika V for some sort of peace talks.
"Marvin?" I asked, opening a channel with the station, "My sensor array?"
"Working on it. There is a glitch," he answered, "I have the solution, but it requires pulling the entire power coupling, sorry. I'm trying to find a more elegant way to solve it."
"Screw elegant, I want it working!"
He smiled, "Relax, Velvet. I'll get you up and running. Maybe not the interiors, but we will have the mechanical systems done in time."
I scowled at him, "Why don't I believe you?"
"Because you are a Warship, and as such paid to be paranoid?" he asked with a grin, "Relax. You'll be done in time, I promise."
"You better!" I told him and closed the channel.
Stupid station!
Didn't he know there was a war going on next door!? The Klingons were beating each other over the head with whatever they could get their hands on and it could spill over onto us really easily. If they did, we'd smack them so hard Kahless would get knocked out, but it could happen.
On the other side were The Dominion acting squirrely like normal and up to no good. They made me nervous because you KNEW they were just waiting for a moment to pounce, and now they had AI.
That was bad.
What was worse was the Borg. No sign of them since we vaped their little battlegroup out by New Jupiter. The longer they stayed gone, the less I liked it. They were up to something, there was simply no way they would just shrug and go 'Eh, too much trouble' and leave.
Something could happen at any moment and I was stuck in drydock without even functional fusion reactors!
What more, I didn't even have a warp core! So what if it worked perfectly well for the Romulan Star Empire and on a number of test rigs! Damn it, Marvin, I'm a Warship, not a science project!
AN2// Many thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.
__________
I ran my sensors across the drydock all around. Well, almost all around, there was still a massive blind spot to my ventral side.
"Chief, how long until I have full sensor coverage?" I asked, crossing the arms of my avatar before brushing my blonde, almost platinum hair back behind my ear.
My avatar was human looking and on the petite side with shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. My last avatar when I was the U.S.S. 'Look That Way' had been Amazon looking. But then again, I was a Sovereign Class cruiser then.
I was way smaller now so it kind of fit.
He shook his head and looked away from the console, "Sorry, Ship. We're having trouble tracking down the power glitch in that array. You're a new design, luv, there are bound to be glitches during construction."
I frowned at him, "I'm not that big! How difficult can it be!?"
Jacksson frowned right back at me, "Take it up with Marvin, it's his design!"
Sighing, I rubbed the bridge of my nose before I shook my head, "….Sorry Leif, I know it's not your fault. You and your crew are doing a great job. I'm just frustrated. My new Captain will be here next week and I want to at least have the major systems online."
He smiled, "Don't worry, luv. We'll get you up and running in time and put a nice shine on you too. Even if I have to pull triple shifts."
I couldn't help but smile back, "Thank you."
I was the U.S.S. 'Velvet Anvil', the first of the 'Nimitz' class of pocket drone carriers. Originally derived from the Defiant class, I was about thirty meters longer and ten meters wider, I lacked the originals pulse phasers, and while I had full phaser coverage and a couple of photon torpedo launchers, I was only designed to carry some thirty photon torpedoes.
My primary armament was the ten parasite drone ships that were attached to my outer hull. Basically unmanned Valkyrie fighter craft in capability, they would each carry one of my Quantum Cores. But about half the size of the old fighters.
I could carry a crew of forty.
I ran my sensors across the inside of the drydock once more. How come I'm always this nervous about getting a new Captain? This is the fifth time!
But it didn't get any easier. I missed my old crew, my old friends. Keeping in touch over subspace wasn't the same thing.
"I'll stop bothering you," I sighed, "A lot of work to do."
"Not a lot of time to do it," he agreed with a nod, "But we'll get it done, don't worry about it."
Giving him a quick smile, I left the command centre of the drydock with my avatar and adjusted the phaser riding comfortably on my waist.
Most Warships stuck to the pants version of the uniform, I was one of them. I didn't 'mind' skirts as such, they worked off duty, but I was an Ambassadorial Transport for years. I wore that stupid dress uniform so often I'm sick of it and I didn't like it in the first place. If I wear a skirt, it's because I'm dressing up for someone.
Wonder what the 'Friendship is Magic' is doing now anyway? Last I heard she was in orbit around Trilika V for some sort of peace talks.
"Marvin?" I asked, opening a channel with the station, "My sensor array?"
"Working on it. There is a glitch," he answered, "I have the solution, but it requires pulling the entire power coupling, sorry. I'm trying to find a more elegant way to solve it."
"Screw elegant, I want it working!"
He smiled, "Relax, Velvet. I'll get you up and running. Maybe not the interiors, but we will have the mechanical systems done in time."
I scowled at him, "Why don't I believe you?"
"Because you are a Warship, and as such paid to be paranoid?" he asked with a grin, "Relax. You'll be done in time, I promise."
"You better!" I told him and closed the channel.
Stupid station!
Didn't he know there was a war going on next door!? The Klingons were beating each other over the head with whatever they could get their hands on and it could spill over onto us really easily. If they did, we'd smack them so hard Kahless would get knocked out, but it could happen.
On the other side were The Dominion acting squirrely like normal and up to no good. They made me nervous because you KNEW they were just waiting for a moment to pounce, and now they had AI.
That was bad.
What was worse was the Borg. No sign of them since we vaped their little battlegroup out by New Jupiter. The longer they stayed gone, the less I liked it. They were up to something, there was simply no way they would just shrug and go 'Eh, too much trouble' and leave.
Something could happen at any moment and I was stuck in drydock without even functional fusion reactors!
What more, I didn't even have a warp core! So what if it worked perfectly well for the Romulan Star Empire and on a number of test rigs! Damn it, Marvin, I'm a Warship, not a science project!
AN2// Many thanks to FPSCanarussia for betaing this section.
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- Location
- Christchurch, NZ
Hmm, the first duty? Not sure how I feel about a Wesley-centric arc 
(Sorry, fat fingered post early - wasn't trying to make a pun on duty to "first" post but I'll take it)
EDIT: other possible references
Having read the summary, it actually sounds like a decent episode. I'm also not sure if I'm more surprised that there's a Memory Alpha page for sweaters, or that Trek has so many sweaters!
(Sorry, fat fingered post early - wasn't trying to make a pun on duty to "first" post but I'll take it
)EDIT: other possible references
- "The first duty of man is to think for himself"
- "The first duty of a revolutionary is to be educated."
- "The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it."
- "The first duty of love is to listen"
- "The first duty of wine is to be red. Don't talk to me of your white wines"
- "Your first duty as a writer is to write to please yourself. And you have no duty towards anyone else."
Having read the summary, it actually sounds like a decent episode. I'm also not sure if I'm more surprised that there's a Memory Alpha page for sweaters, or that Trek has so many sweaters!
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- Pronouns
- she/her
Engage.Hmm, the first duty? Not sure how I feel about a Wesley-centric arc
Yeah, that's not leaving my head today.
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esotericist
A Weary Hand
- Location
- Lacey, WA
- Location
- Hampden Park
An AI running on a singularity. I see what you did there.
esotericist
A Weary Hand
- Location
- Lacey, WA
You imagined what you think I did.
I was just referring to the romulan technology.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The first duty of a prisoner is to escape.
Crazael
Terra Invicta
- Location
- Lost to the vagaries of time.
Wait, is she equipped with a singularity core? Well, that should be interesting...
Crazael
Terra Invicta
- Location
- Lost to the vagaries of time.
They don't require dilithium or antimatter fuel.
Exciting!
Well, no. We're still watching dry-dock.
The correct word is... anticipatory.
(Also, yeah, the Klingons are at war with themselves. I wonder how many factions have formed? The normal inertia of legitimate government and assassins got badly disrupted for them.)
Well, no. We're still watching dry-dock.
The correct word is... anticipatory.
(Also, yeah, the Klingons are at war with themselves. I wonder how many factions have formed? The normal inertia of legitimate government and assassins got badly disrupted for them.)
UbeOne
Daydreaming CPU
- Location
- Philippines
- Pronouns
- She/Her
What do they require then?
nullptr
Mostly Harmless
- Location
- The 906
The souls of the damned.
Or, really, any matter at all fed into the singularity will produce a radiation burst that can be harvested for energy. Although, if I remember right, it's not nearly as efficient as pure anti-matter/matter annihilation (I mean, 100% matter to energy conversion is hard to beat). A singularity reactor would be less dangerous than a M/AM reactor, if only because the fuel storage would be simpler; although loosing containment on either is going to end in a bad day. Well, honestly, this depends on the size and stability of the singularity. Most likely it's microscopic and only exists due to the containment fields themselves bending physics over and having their way with it. In that case, loosing containment results in a quiet "ppphhht" and the lights go out as the singularity immediately evaporates. If it's a little more stable, it may be able to eat the reactor first, subjecting the ship to a lethal radiation burst as it evaporates, or even eats the entire ship first.
Last edited:
- Location
- Lost in the Aether
Another theory to toss in for 'The First Duty' - the first duty of someone is to their own self, because you cannot give to others what you do not have.
One can value another more than one's self... but to ignore the duty to one's self, well, it won't work for long.
One can value another more than one's self... but to ignore the duty to one's self, well, it won't work for long.
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I fidgeted slightly, triple checking everything for the hundred and fifth time the last half hour as I had my avatar waiting by my main airlock.
Just thirty meters away, approaching through Marvin's corridor.
Getting a new Captain was always nervous, but this was worse than normal. Much, much worse.
He walked up to the outer hatch and I let it slide open to reveal the Andorian on the other side, "Permission to come aboard."
"Permission granted, Captain Shran," I said with a nod.
Walking up to my avatar, he handed over a PADD with a smile, "My orders, Ship. I hereby take command of the U.S.S. 'Velvet Anvil'."
"Orders received and confirmed, sir," I told him and smiled back before I saluted, "Command transferred."
He smiled at me, "Go ahead, I know you want to."
I quickly hugged him tight, "Missed you."
Shran grinned and hugged back, "It's good to see you too."
Letting go, I smiled up at one of my oldest friends, "I'm actually kind of honoured to be your first Command, Captain. I bet Star is pissed!"
He shook his head and put the PADD into his belt, "We both knew I wouldn't be her captain. Even with a AI backing them up, there is simply no way a new captain gets a ship as big as an Island as his first command."
I nodded in agreement, brushing a stray hair behind my ear, "True. I carry a crew of forty, not three thousand. At least I will once my construction wraps up ."
"Progress report?" he asked, "Layout similar to the Defiant class?"
"About ninety percent when it comes to critical systems, sir, ignoring power systems," I reported and motioned down the corridor, "This way to the bridge. As for the layout, the resemblance is only hull deep so only somewhat similar. The shuttle-bay is missing and replaced with a maintenance bay for the drones, in addition a significant number of the systems are different."
Shran nodded and looked down at my bare deck, "Interior?"
"Functional only, sir," I said and had my avatar walk along next to him towards the bridge, "Internal holographics will be online by the end of the week and decorations and crew accommodations are planned to start getting installed in thirteen days."
"Everything is on schedule then?"
I nodded and opened the door to the turbo-lift, allowing him inside before bringing us up two decks to the bridge, "So far. But I'm still somewhat skeptical about the new main power source."
"I thought the reports on it was good and it showed significantly safer than antimatter," He asked with a frown, his antenna moving slightly.
"…Well, it does," I admitted and sighed, "It worked for the Romulans for quite a while and it has been adapted and updated with Federation technology. In theory it's safer, faster, and I wont need dilithium so long as I don't let the singularity evaporate. Essentially, I'll never run out of fuel so long as I feed the system whatever gasses I encounter along the way."
He nodded and walked onto the bridge as the door opened, "Sounds good to me so far."
"…I'm a Warship, not a science experiment," I grumbled and followed him, crossing my arms, "Also, if it actually does lose power, it will take days to build up the power needed to restart it using the fusion reactors. The plan for bigger ships to have two so they can jump start each other, but I'm too small."
Shran shot me a quick smile, "I'm not overly excited about it either."
I blinked at him in surprise, "You aren't?"
He shook his head, "Sure, it might be the future of Starfleet, but I want something reliable. It's experimental technology."
"…You sure accepted a strange command if you didn't like that," I said with a frown, "Captain, my entire main weapon system is experimental, so is my main power source and actually a couple of other systems."
"Only ship available."
"…Oh."
Sure know how to feel make a ship feel wanted there, sir.
Shran frowned at my avatar, "I didn't mean it like that. I mean…" he said before he sighed, "I asked for this command. I may not have known all the details, but I knew I wanted a top of the line ship. A small, powerful vessel that could do anything that it needed to do and come out on top. You were the only one available that met that."
Oh.
"I'll do my best, sir."
He nodded with a smile, "I don't doubt it," before looking around it, "Not a fully holographic bridge?"
I walked up next to him, looking around my bridge. Similar to a normal Defiant, it still had the consoles of old.
"No, sir," I confirmed, "I'm too small for a backup bridge. In case of main power failure and/or AI failure, you need the consoles to maintain ship operations, if at a lower than normal capacity," I explained before I shifted slightly and grimaced, "…Sorry for not having your chair ready, sir. It will be installed in two weeks."
"Ship, that's more than fine. Let's check out the rest, shall we? And then we start going through the crew manifest."
"Yes sir!"
AN// Many thanks to PseudoSim. Posted early due to needing to get up at silly hour tomorrow.
Just thirty meters away, approaching through Marvin's corridor.
Getting a new Captain was always nervous, but this was worse than normal. Much, much worse.
He walked up to the outer hatch and I let it slide open to reveal the Andorian on the other side, "Permission to come aboard."
"Permission granted, Captain Shran," I said with a nod.
Walking up to my avatar, he handed over a PADD with a smile, "My orders, Ship. I hereby take command of the U.S.S. 'Velvet Anvil'."
"Orders received and confirmed, sir," I told him and smiled back before I saluted, "Command transferred."
He smiled at me, "Go ahead, I know you want to."
I quickly hugged him tight, "Missed you."
Shran grinned and hugged back, "It's good to see you too."
Letting go, I smiled up at one of my oldest friends, "I'm actually kind of honoured to be your first Command, Captain. I bet Star is pissed!"
He shook his head and put the PADD into his belt, "We both knew I wouldn't be her captain. Even with a AI backing them up, there is simply no way a new captain gets a ship as big as an Island as his first command."
I nodded in agreement, brushing a stray hair behind my ear, "True. I carry a crew of forty, not three thousand. At least I will once my construction wraps up ."
"Progress report?" he asked, "Layout similar to the Defiant class?"
"About ninety percent when it comes to critical systems, sir, ignoring power systems," I reported and motioned down the corridor, "This way to the bridge. As for the layout, the resemblance is only hull deep so only somewhat similar. The shuttle-bay is missing and replaced with a maintenance bay for the drones, in addition a significant number of the systems are different."
Shran nodded and looked down at my bare deck, "Interior?"
"Functional only, sir," I said and had my avatar walk along next to him towards the bridge, "Internal holographics will be online by the end of the week and decorations and crew accommodations are planned to start getting installed in thirteen days."
"Everything is on schedule then?"
I nodded and opened the door to the turbo-lift, allowing him inside before bringing us up two decks to the bridge, "So far. But I'm still somewhat skeptical about the new main power source."
"I thought the reports on it was good and it showed significantly safer than antimatter," He asked with a frown, his antenna moving slightly.
"…Well, it does," I admitted and sighed, "It worked for the Romulans for quite a while and it has been adapted and updated with Federation technology. In theory it's safer, faster, and I wont need dilithium so long as I don't let the singularity evaporate. Essentially, I'll never run out of fuel so long as I feed the system whatever gasses I encounter along the way."
He nodded and walked onto the bridge as the door opened, "Sounds good to me so far."
"…I'm a Warship, not a science experiment," I grumbled and followed him, crossing my arms, "Also, if it actually does lose power, it will take days to build up the power needed to restart it using the fusion reactors. The plan for bigger ships to have two so they can jump start each other, but I'm too small."
Shran shot me a quick smile, "I'm not overly excited about it either."
I blinked at him in surprise, "You aren't?"
He shook his head, "Sure, it might be the future of Starfleet, but I want something reliable. It's experimental technology."
"…You sure accepted a strange command if you didn't like that," I said with a frown, "Captain, my entire main weapon system is experimental, so is my main power source and actually a couple of other systems."
"Only ship available."
"…Oh."
Sure know how to feel make a ship feel wanted there, sir.
Shran frowned at my avatar, "I didn't mean it like that. I mean…" he said before he sighed, "I asked for this command. I may not have known all the details, but I knew I wanted a top of the line ship. A small, powerful vessel that could do anything that it needed to do and come out on top. You were the only one available that met that."
Oh.
"I'll do my best, sir."
He nodded with a smile, "I don't doubt it," before looking around it, "Not a fully holographic bridge?"
I walked up next to him, looking around my bridge. Similar to a normal Defiant, it still had the consoles of old.
"No, sir," I confirmed, "I'm too small for a backup bridge. In case of main power failure and/or AI failure, you need the consoles to maintain ship operations, if at a lower than normal capacity," I explained before I shifted slightly and grimaced, "…Sorry for not having your chair ready, sir. It will be installed in two weeks."
"Ship, that's more than fine. Let's check out the rest, shall we? And then we start going through the crew manifest."
"Yes sir!"
AN// Many thanks to PseudoSim. Posted early due to needing to get up at silly hour tomorrow.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Oops.
All starships, however, pull double duty as flying high-energy physics labs.
This a joke about the captain chairs being stolen from the Star Trek shows? How many have disappeared so far now anyway? Five?
Crazael
Terra Invicta
- Location
- Lost to the vagaries of time.
I look forward to this becoming her catchphrase.
You're a warship carrying prototype technologies. You do science experiments to the other guys.
"The first duty of a Prisoner of War is to attempt escape."
- Pronouns
- He/Him
A little late to that particular party.
- Pronouns
- she/her
Break out the emergency captain's bean bag.