Weapons go Boom (Finale)

Posted on Mon Jul 5th, 2021 @ 5:48pm by Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant JG Avarak

Mission: Gamma Quadrant
Location: Weapons Bay
Timeline: Before the Battle

Dean stopped at this point and wiped his hands off. Stepping back to take a break, “I’m kind of hungry, I could use a snack, anyone want something?”

After a brief moment of being lost in thought, Avarak looked up. “I do not require sustenance at this time, however, I would like a cup of jasmine tea.”

“I suppose that I can get you,” Dean turned to look over at Bonnie. Maybe she’d like dinner later. I guess I could ask.

Focused, growing ever more agitated and in turn frustrated by her code that just would not work, she barely recognized that someone was talking to her. She just sort of gave a grunt and a nod of the head.

“Do you want something, Bonnie? I’m doing a snack and drink run real quick, we all probably could use a break.” Dean mentioned.

She continued on, "yeah, uhhuh, sure." Then she pressed a few buttons activating the simulation. Kist as the small digital torpedo exploded on the screen it sent out a shockwave of energy that enveloped the three surrounding vessels, and then continued on into the Sunfire and two other civilian targets she had placed for monitoring the effect.

She was about to celebrate when the Sunfire lit up red and the two civilian ships exploded. She slammed her fist into the console and let out an ear piercing growl. "Ugh, I just can't seem to get the sine wave angle right!"

Dean had started over to a replicator and then stopped. Turning around and coming over next to her. Leaning down on a hand on the counter top. “Hmm..lets see it again, please.”

She sighed visibly, pressed some buttons harder than necessary, and began the playback for the 103rd time. Once complete she spoke, "See. The wave form is all wrong. It acts normal at first but then it picks up speed and overloads the civilian bouys I have stationed, here and here." She pointed at the civie ships dead in space.

"At first I thought it was absorbing too much power so I dialed it back. Then I thought it wasn't enough power, that was a mistake as it destroyed, everybody. I think I've pinpointed it to the shape of the sine wave, since varying shapes determine travel distance and energy dispersion but of the 9 known wave patterns, none have worked."

“Why not make a new one?” Dean turned his head to look at her.

Through her frustration she stared blankly into his face. If she were not so upset with herself ahe probably would have broken down and began laughing. Instead, he had proposed an idea she had not yet thought of. She blinked and then looked at Avarak, "Is it possible?" She asked simply.

“I think that the problem we’re encountering here is that the increased explosive yield of the torpedo gained from the trilithium has the partial effect of sending shockwaves through subspace. It seems to me that we’re on the right track at first but, given the infinite growth rather than cyclical nature of the explosive yields, we should be using hyperbolic sine function.” Avarak reached over and input almost the same function that Bonnie had been using, but instead replacing the sin arguments with sinh.

“The explosive yield then simplifies to the definite integral from 0 to the maximum theoretical explosive radius, like so.” After inputting his final equation, he restarted the simulation once more.

No longer beating herself up over not being able to figure out the problem, she began beating herself up because she had not thought about the trilithium as a factor in the power dispersion rating, a rookie mistake. She blushed as she watched the torp explode and the wave expand quickly and then dissipate just as quickly.

The virtual Sunfire lit up green, and then a second later both civilian buoys did the same. She sat back, "huh, I'll be damned. Where were you thirty minutes ago when I really needed you?"

“Yeah, see that.” Dean nodded, “And yes, I believe you also could make a new wave, Bonnie. You both are extraordinary people.” Leaning back up, “So how about that food.”

Avarak was pleased, or as pleased as a Vulcan could be, that their work had finally paid off. It was quickly becoming apparent to him that working on a starship he was still able to conduct the same level of research that he could had he stayed in an academic environment, but the added stressors of starship life increased the challenge and made it more worthwhile.

Please that everything was turning out well despite having helped in the creation of a new weapon, her stomach growled. "I could eat." She leaned forward. "But first she needs a name." Bonnie offered up.

“Hmm. A name?” Dean tilted his head the other way, “We could always go old school Earth. Big Boy.” Obvious World War two reference.

She rolled her eyes, “Big Boy? No. Never in a million. She needs something classy, something graceful, something unique. But, she is your baby after all, so ultimately, the decision falls to you.” Bonnie motioned to Avarak, “Any suggestions?”

“We’ll see what other ideas come out first.” Dean smiled at her warmly.

Avarak raised his left eyebrow, perplexed. “I have always been confounded by the human predilection for naming inanimate objects.”

Tired, hungry and tired, Bonnie gave a half chuckle. “Well, she bounces. Kind of like ancient cartoons used to do. It’s silly, but we could call her Betty?” She looked at Dean who also looked tired and hungry. “You know, like Betty Boop?”

“Yes, actually, I watch a lot of those old things all the time, or make holo’s of them. I also make my own holo-novel mysteries. Not that you needed to know that, but yes. I know it. So Bouncing Betty? I like it.”

Avarak looked at Dean, then Bonnie and cleared his throat. “It would seem that I have reached the limit of my efficacy here, so I shall take my leave and retire to my cabin to meditate.”

“Awe, are you sure you won’t join us for some food? I really enjoyed our time the other day.” She pleaded knowing she really didn’t want to be alone with anyone nor did she really want to be surrounded by a group of people. But three was nice, like a small wall to hide behind.

Avarak had to suppress the impulse to raise his eyebrow. Having gotten accustomed to spending most of his time alone when at the academy, even isolated from the other Vulcans, having his company be desired by others was a novel experience for him. “If you so insist, Lieutenant.” He responded, bowing his head respectfully.

“Then instead of just random things. I shall make us all Deanwiches.” Dean smiled lightly.

She took them, arm in arm in arm and escorted them from the weapons bay, secure in the knowledge that they had just birthed a new bouncing baby designed for one purpose. Enter the playing field and create as much havoc as possible. And much like a real child, this one could be highly explosive when running off at the mouth.

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