TITLE: Round and Round She Goes
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYOPSIS: Answer to Trek BBS “old” challenge: Tendi, Rutherford, and Shaxs have a mission on a station that uses an outdated method for producing artificial gravity. One of them does not enjoy it.
DISCLAIMER: Star Trek: Lower Decks is owned by Paramount. I am making no money off this fic.
8
8
8
Captain Carol Freeman said, “Lieutenant Shaxs, Ensigns Tendi and Rutherford, welcome to the demilitarized zone. And there’s your home for the next three days: the Opaka Subspace Telescope.”
Shaxs Growled, “The Cardassians named it the Enzark Tor listening post. It’s where Bajorans were sent to be worked to death or die of radiation.”
On the *Cerritos’s* main bridge screen, a bronze pile of tubes and boxes were connected to what looked like a bicycle wheel almost 8 hundred meters in diameter, three tubes and dozens of cables connecting the wheel to a hub as the wheel slowly turned. Windows glinted on the inner and outer rim of the wheel.
Tendi grimaced and said, “Oh, I didn’t realize that station uses rotation for gravity instead of gravity generators.”
Shaxs growled, “Enzarak Tor and all the older Cardassian stations used rotation. They changed with the Nor class stations because Ferengi merchants don’t like the Coriolis effect.”
Tendi said, “I don’t blame them. My family…visited a rotational station when I was a little girl. I was puking the whole time.”
“Yeah,” Rutherford said, “I thought my implant could compensate. No such luck.”
From the bridge engineering station, Lieutenant Commander Billups said, “The station’s antiquated design is what made it perfect for Bajor’s subspace telescope. The telescope’s instruments are so sensitive they can’t have gravity plating and inertial dampers within a kilometer of them. The living and command sections are in the rotating section, and the part with all the instruments is zero-g. And obviously, the radiation shielding has been improved since the occupation.”
Barnes said from Ops, “Captain, we’re being hailed by the station.”
“On screen,” Freeman said.
A Bajoran man abut Shaxs’ age with salt-and-pepper hair and a gray beard appeared on the screen.
Shaxs smiled. “Tark! You old sinoraptor. They sentenced you to that hole in space?”
“That’s Colonel Fenel Tark to you, Shaxs,” Tark replied with a smile. “What do you think? Bring back any memories?”
“Reminds me of how we fought from room to room to take Muzanik Tor,” Shaxs said. “How many days was that? Four?”
“Five. And the Cardassian prefect couldn’t wait to get off it because he was motion sick from the rotation.”
Shaxs and Fenel roared with laughter.
At length, Fenel said, “Captain Freeman. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. You have a couple of your wiz kids to send us?”
“Ensign Tendi will be doing Starfleet medical checks,” Freeman said, “and Ensign Rutherford will be installing upgrades to your sensors. You already know Lieutenant Shaxs. He will be supervising and reviewing your tactical database.”
“We’ll take good care of them, Captain,” Fenel said. “Shaxs! See you soon.”
8
8
Rutherford and Tendi were waiting on the transporter platform when Shaxs entered, eating the remains of a hasperat wrap.
Tendi said, “Lieutenant? I thought you weren’t supposed to eat just before going to a rotating station.”
Shaxs waved it off as he ate the last of the hasperat. “Focus on your duties, Ensign.” He got to a spot on the transporter platform and turned to Chief Lars Lundy. “Energize.”
The world shimmered around them, and then they were in the station’s bronze-walled operations room. Shaxs was surprised to feel his stomach flip-flop.
The oblong room had the same layout of a Cardassian ops center, with a central computer desk surrounded by an amiptheter of other stations, manned mostly by Bajorans and a handful Starfleet officers. But Shaxs could see the slight downward bowing in the room, with the ends of it slightly higher than the center.
Fenel was waiting by the transporter platform with an Asian human by his side.
Fenel smiled and said, “Welcome aboard. My executive officer, Commander Mitsuteru Fujita.”
Shaxs said, “Ensigns Tendy and Rutherford.” He added to the ensigns, “I imagine you will want to settle in.”
Tendi smiled. “No,” she said as she and Rutherford stepped down from the platform. “The station isn’t making me dizzy at all.”
“Yeah,” Rutherford grinned, “I guess the station’s ring is just big enough not for this to be a problem.”
“Oh.” Shaxs stepped forward and his feet felt as if they didn’t want to go the way he wanted them to, but he stepped down from the platform.
Fenel frowned. “You ok there, Shaxs?”
“Never better,” Shaxs said. “Replicated hasperat.”
“Oh, I understand, Shaxs. They never get it right. At least I don’t think so. Well, if you two kids want to get to work, I won’t keep you. Commander Fujita, get them started. Shaxs, step into my office.”
Shaxs’ felt his stomach churning as he followed Fenel into the prefect’s office. He found himself facing a window showing the view outside of the station of a distant nebula flashing with energy discharges…
…a nebula slowly rolling past the window as the station’s wheel rotated…
Shaxs stomach felt if it wanted to crawl up his throat and make a run for the transporter.
Shaxs said, “I forgot this station is this close to the Badlands.”
Fenel had his back to Shaxs as glasses and a bottle rattled. He said, “Yes, quite the view, isn’t it? But far enough away not to worry about the plasma storms. Some ale, Shaxs?”
“Of course, but, uh, I think I have to use the little lieutenant’s room.” Shaxs pointed to a door to one side and said, “That your bathroom?”
“Yes,” Fenel said, “but it’s out of order. You can use the bathroom in ops.”
“Where’s that?”
“On the other side of the room.”
Shaxs walked through ops as quickly as he could while projecting as much dignity as possible.
He barely made it in time.
8
8
When Shaxs came out of the bathroom, Fenel was right at the door. Fortunately, Shaxs had cleaned himself off.
Fenel said, “You all right, Shaxs?”
“Ready to tear Cardassians apart,” Shaxs replied with a smile. “Too bad we’re only staying a couple of days.”
“Well, then, we got good news from your ship,” Fenel said with a smile. “There’s a problem with a hydroelectric dam back home. The Cerritos won’t be back for ten days. Plenty of time for you to settle in and enjoy your stay.” He slapped Shaxs on the shoulder, turned away, and headed to talk with his other officers.
Shaxs somehow held his smile. “Ten days,” he murmured. “Right. Sounds great.”
8
8
…ten days later…
Captain Carol Freeman stood by the transporter console and watched Shaxs, Rutherford, and Tendi materialize.
She frowned at Shaxs and said, “You ok, Shaxs? You look a little--”
“I’m fine,” Shaxs said. “Cardassian replicators don’t always get Bajoran food right.”
“Well, ok.” Freeman turned to the ensigns. “How about you two? How was your stay on a spin-gravity station?”
Tendi came down from the platform as she said, “Not as bad as I thought it would be. We went back and forth between the ring and the zero-g section without any trouble.”
“Yeah,” Rutherford said. “We just got right to work. I began to like it towards the end.”
Freeman said, “Well, then you’ll like our next assignment. The Andorians are having power grid problems on a spin-gravity habitat that’s been in operation for centuries. Starfleet has ordered us to assist.”
8
8
As Shaxs headed down the corridor, T’Ana caught up with him at an intersection.
“Hey--” Her smile faded. “Are you ok?”
“Fine, honey,” Shaxs said. “Just tired.”
“Yeah? Well, I get off in an hour. Want me to come ‘round and see you?”
“Sure. Just one thing…”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t say ‘around.’”
THE END
AUTHOR: MikeJaffa
SYOPSIS: Answer to Trek BBS “old” challenge: Tendi, Rutherford, and Shaxs have a mission on a station that uses an outdated method for producing artificial gravity. One of them does not enjoy it.
DISCLAIMER: Star Trek: Lower Decks is owned by Paramount. I am making no money off this fic.
8
8
8
Captain Carol Freeman said, “Lieutenant Shaxs, Ensigns Tendi and Rutherford, welcome to the demilitarized zone. And there’s your home for the next three days: the Opaka Subspace Telescope.”
Shaxs Growled, “The Cardassians named it the Enzark Tor listening post. It’s where Bajorans were sent to be worked to death or die of radiation.”
On the *Cerritos’s* main bridge screen, a bronze pile of tubes and boxes were connected to what looked like a bicycle wheel almost 8 hundred meters in diameter, three tubes and dozens of cables connecting the wheel to a hub as the wheel slowly turned. Windows glinted on the inner and outer rim of the wheel.
Tendi grimaced and said, “Oh, I didn’t realize that station uses rotation for gravity instead of gravity generators.”
Shaxs growled, “Enzarak Tor and all the older Cardassian stations used rotation. They changed with the Nor class stations because Ferengi merchants don’t like the Coriolis effect.”
Tendi said, “I don’t blame them. My family…visited a rotational station when I was a little girl. I was puking the whole time.”
“Yeah,” Rutherford said, “I thought my implant could compensate. No such luck.”
From the bridge engineering station, Lieutenant Commander Billups said, “The station’s antiquated design is what made it perfect for Bajor’s subspace telescope. The telescope’s instruments are so sensitive they can’t have gravity plating and inertial dampers within a kilometer of them. The living and command sections are in the rotating section, and the part with all the instruments is zero-g. And obviously, the radiation shielding has been improved since the occupation.”
Barnes said from Ops, “Captain, we’re being hailed by the station.”
“On screen,” Freeman said.
A Bajoran man abut Shaxs’ age with salt-and-pepper hair and a gray beard appeared on the screen.
Shaxs smiled. “Tark! You old sinoraptor. They sentenced you to that hole in space?”
“That’s Colonel Fenel Tark to you, Shaxs,” Tark replied with a smile. “What do you think? Bring back any memories?”
“Reminds me of how we fought from room to room to take Muzanik Tor,” Shaxs said. “How many days was that? Four?”
“Five. And the Cardassian prefect couldn’t wait to get off it because he was motion sick from the rotation.”
Shaxs and Fenel roared with laughter.
At length, Fenel said, “Captain Freeman. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. You have a couple of your wiz kids to send us?”
“Ensign Tendi will be doing Starfleet medical checks,” Freeman said, “and Ensign Rutherford will be installing upgrades to your sensors. You already know Lieutenant Shaxs. He will be supervising and reviewing your tactical database.”
“We’ll take good care of them, Captain,” Fenel said. “Shaxs! See you soon.”
8
8
Rutherford and Tendi were waiting on the transporter platform when Shaxs entered, eating the remains of a hasperat wrap.
Tendi said, “Lieutenant? I thought you weren’t supposed to eat just before going to a rotating station.”
Shaxs waved it off as he ate the last of the hasperat. “Focus on your duties, Ensign.” He got to a spot on the transporter platform and turned to Chief Lars Lundy. “Energize.”
The world shimmered around them, and then they were in the station’s bronze-walled operations room. Shaxs was surprised to feel his stomach flip-flop.
The oblong room had the same layout of a Cardassian ops center, with a central computer desk surrounded by an amiptheter of other stations, manned mostly by Bajorans and a handful Starfleet officers. But Shaxs could see the slight downward bowing in the room, with the ends of it slightly higher than the center.
Fenel was waiting by the transporter platform with an Asian human by his side.
Fenel smiled and said, “Welcome aboard. My executive officer, Commander Mitsuteru Fujita.”
Shaxs said, “Ensigns Tendy and Rutherford.” He added to the ensigns, “I imagine you will want to settle in.”
Tendi smiled. “No,” she said as she and Rutherford stepped down from the platform. “The station isn’t making me dizzy at all.”
“Yeah,” Rutherford grinned, “I guess the station’s ring is just big enough not for this to be a problem.”
“Oh.” Shaxs stepped forward and his feet felt as if they didn’t want to go the way he wanted them to, but he stepped down from the platform.
Fenel frowned. “You ok there, Shaxs?”
“Never better,” Shaxs said. “Replicated hasperat.”
“Oh, I understand, Shaxs. They never get it right. At least I don’t think so. Well, if you two kids want to get to work, I won’t keep you. Commander Fujita, get them started. Shaxs, step into my office.”
Shaxs’ felt his stomach churning as he followed Fenel into the prefect’s office. He found himself facing a window showing the view outside of the station of a distant nebula flashing with energy discharges…
…a nebula slowly rolling past the window as the station’s wheel rotated…
Shaxs stomach felt if it wanted to crawl up his throat and make a run for the transporter.
Shaxs said, “I forgot this station is this close to the Badlands.”
Fenel had his back to Shaxs as glasses and a bottle rattled. He said, “Yes, quite the view, isn’t it? But far enough away not to worry about the plasma storms. Some ale, Shaxs?”
“Of course, but, uh, I think I have to use the little lieutenant’s room.” Shaxs pointed to a door to one side and said, “That your bathroom?”
“Yes,” Fenel said, “but it’s out of order. You can use the bathroom in ops.”
“Where’s that?”
“On the other side of the room.”
Shaxs walked through ops as quickly as he could while projecting as much dignity as possible.
He barely made it in time.
8
8
When Shaxs came out of the bathroom, Fenel was right at the door. Fortunately, Shaxs had cleaned himself off.
Fenel said, “You all right, Shaxs?”
“Ready to tear Cardassians apart,” Shaxs replied with a smile. “Too bad we’re only staying a couple of days.”
“Well, then, we got good news from your ship,” Fenel said with a smile. “There’s a problem with a hydroelectric dam back home. The Cerritos won’t be back for ten days. Plenty of time for you to settle in and enjoy your stay.” He slapped Shaxs on the shoulder, turned away, and headed to talk with his other officers.
Shaxs somehow held his smile. “Ten days,” he murmured. “Right. Sounds great.”
8
8
…ten days later…
Captain Carol Freeman stood by the transporter console and watched Shaxs, Rutherford, and Tendi materialize.
She frowned at Shaxs and said, “You ok, Shaxs? You look a little--”
“I’m fine,” Shaxs said. “Cardassian replicators don’t always get Bajoran food right.”
“Well, ok.” Freeman turned to the ensigns. “How about you two? How was your stay on a spin-gravity station?”
Tendi came down from the platform as she said, “Not as bad as I thought it would be. We went back and forth between the ring and the zero-g section without any trouble.”
“Yeah,” Rutherford said. “We just got right to work. I began to like it towards the end.”
Freeman said, “Well, then you’ll like our next assignment. The Andorians are having power grid problems on a spin-gravity habitat that’s been in operation for centuries. Starfleet has ordered us to assist.”
8
8
As Shaxs headed down the corridor, T’Ana caught up with him at an intersection.
“Hey--” Her smile faded. “Are you ok?”
“Fine, honey,” Shaxs said. “Just tired.”
“Yeah? Well, I get off in an hour. Want me to come ‘round and see you?”
“Sure. Just one thing…”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t say ‘around.’”
THE END
