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Post by Ensign Pirak on Jan 9, 2012 21:16:19 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 88623.62 (January 9th, 2415 12:00 AM)
This evening I accompanied Admiral Donaldson to a ceremony aboard the USS Adagio. Apparently the crew was to be commended for their efforts in the fight against the Borg. I don't believe that I will ever quite understand the hoomans quest to acquire awards to remind them of their past efforts. A Ferengi does not need such reminders because every business deal is different. Hmmm ... perhaps that can be a new Rule of Acquisition. I shall have to write to the Grand Nagus.
As usual, the medals given out seemed of little value other than what they held in the eyes of their recipient. I believe that trading them would be ... non-profitable.
Several Officers were given awards, but not all were present. The Captain mentioned they were off on duty assignments. The Admiral seemed to talk up the entire crew. Perhaps he is keeping the Thirty-Ninth Rule of Acquisition in mind, "Praise is cheap. Heap it generously on all customers."
I managed to sneak out of the ceremony early. My lobes were aching and I don't really think the Admiral would mind. The Captain was nice enough to assign us quarters during our stay aboard her ship.
We shall see what the coming days bring for this enterprising young ensign. End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Jan 13, 2012 8:57:54 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 88632 (January 12th, 2415 8:00 AM)
Having spent a few days aboard the USS Adagio with the Admiral has given me some time to adjust to life on a ship. Thankfully, this ship will not be the one that I am assigned to. I am doing my best to respect and adjust to other species' customs, but I am not sure if I am ready to be given orders by a female ... and one that wears clothes for that matter!
The Admiral tells me that I will be assigned to the USS Independence and that refits and repairs are currently underway on it. Perhaps I will get to visit my new home soon, but for now I am taking a small leave to visit Deep Space Nine. I have not run into many Ferengi during my time in Starfleet and it will be nice to see some in action at Quark's. Perhaps I can even relieve some of the patrons there of their latinum and bear it as a gift to my new Captain.
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Jan 15, 2012 19:35:30 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 88638.81 (January 15th, 2415 1:00 PM)
I arrived at Deep Space Nine today. It felt refreshing to see some fellow Ferengi. Quark's bar was quite impressive, he has done very well for himself. This was my first visit to his establishment, but it was an enjoyable one; something every Ferengi business owner strives for.
I met a curious man by the bar who seemed to be rambling to himself. It turns out he was trying to sell something to Hadron, the bartender. Being the crafty Ferengi that I am, however, I swooped in and snatched the deal out from under Hadron's lobes. I am now the proud owner of a "Corvekian Knee Knocker 20X", a device that instills fear into any it is pointed at!
Several of the patrons at the bar warned me about the man and his devices. But as the Fortieth Rule of Acquisition states, "If you see profit on a journey, take it."
The device is, of course, a complete sham, but I'm sure I'll find a buyer for it and turn a profit. I may even offer it as a gift to my new Captain or even the Admiral. What is that hooman expression? "It is the thought that counts?"
Serving aboard a Starfleet vessel will surely provide me with multiple opportunities to acquire profit in one form or another. I will spend a few more days here on Deep Space Nine before heading back and preparing to start my first assignment.
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Jan 24, 2012 9:40:32 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 88661.44 (January 24th, 2415 1:00 AM)
Today was my first official day aboard the U.S.S. Independence. We departed from Earth Space Dock without any issues and were immediately sent on a training exercise of sorts. The Seventy-Ninth Rule of Acquisition says to "Beware of the Vulcan greed for knowledge." Evidently Starfleet somewhat agrees with that rule and decided to test our Executive Officer's abilities during this mock battle mission.
It appears that everything was a success and I did my part as best I could. The Chief Engineer only arrived onboard a few minutes before the simulation began. She is a Caitian. And clothed. She did make mention of this when she beamed over, I'm not sure if it was a joke or not, other species' humor is often lost on a Ferengi. If she were to remove her clothing, I would be interested to see if the fear of things soft and furry would overcome the Klingon on board and cause him to flee from the ship.
I think I may learn to like working with the Chief. She seems odd at times, but ... much more laid back than any of my professors at the Academy. I am sure I can learn a great deal from her ... as much as I'm begrudging myself saying that about a female.
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Jan 31, 2012 7:21:14 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92083.1 (January 31st, 2415 8:00 AM)
Last night was an interesting night. I had a conversation with a MACO officer in the lounge while I was preparing to go on-duty. Of all things, she was Orion. I'm not quite sure why the Federation would allow one of them to serve, but she claims that she was raised within Federation borders. Perhaps since she has not been around her people much, she is unaware of her ... rumored abilities. Can't say I wouldn't like to find out, either. But it times like these that I have to remember the Eighty-Forth Rule of Acquisition, "She can touch your lobes, but never your latinum."
Later, I also participated in a search for some kind of device on Deep Space Nine. It was very odd, I would have thought given my ... species, that I would have been asked to, rather ordered, to assist in a method other than simple scans in a cargo hold.
But it is the conversation that I had earlier with that MACO officer which troubles me. She has raised suspicions in me on why I was assigned to a flagship such as the Independence, especially since I am fresh out of Starfleet Academy. I do not ... and cannot think of a reason for such an assignment and that worries the Ferengi in me. It is because of this that I have put in my transfer request to the Captain.
Perhaps a less ... prestigious assignment is what I need to ... what is that hooman saying? "Learn the ropes."
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Jan 31, 2012 21:52:42 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92084.7 (January 31st, 2415 10:00 PM)
I took some time this evening to visit Deep Space Nine again. I thought that Quark's would lighten the weight on my mind, but it feels like I'm carrying a thousand bars of gold-pressed latinum. I thought more about that MACO Officer's words and perhaps they were simply innocent comments.
The Blood Wine I had probably didn't help things, but I think that I may have jumped a little too far ahead in my request for a transfer. I will try to meet with the Captain tomorrow and see if he will allow me to retract my request. It may be a good time to present him with that ... device that I purchased on Deep Space Nine the last time.
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Feb 6, 2012 22:56:11 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92102.28 (February 7th, 2415 8:00 AM)
The Captain denied my transfer request. At least, that is what Commander T'Pang said. I suppose I can trust her ... even if she is a Vulcan, she is still Starfleet.
I've spent the last couple of days trying to keep busy in Engineering. Checking the various plasma conduits, making sure the flow is nominal. I ran diagnostics on both the Power Transfer Grid and the conduits that feed it. Everything is working as expected, but this ship is barely back out into space so I imagine that is to be expected.
The Commander brought a PADD device down to engineering last night. She said it was top priority, but mentioned nothing else about it. Only that she thought it was Cardassian in nature. Upon further inspection, it turns out it was an outdated PADD device from the Regulus Sector. So much for Vulcan intelligence.
She ended up knowing more about the device than me, but a Ferengi would never deal in such antiquated equipment. I suppose as a Starfleet Officer I should know more about it, but ... who would use such a device in these times? Are we expected to know everything about every piece of Starfleet technology? And where has the Chief been? I have received a few duty assignments, but I have not seen her at all for several days. Maybe she is not fond of Ferengi. She would not be the first.
We finally managed to decrypt the device and retrieve the information that the Commander was wanting. I hope that I performed adequately enough, especially given the Vulcan focus on efficiency. She mentioned recommending me for a commendation for the work I did, but ... isn't that a bit much? I don't feel that it is warranted for such a ... standard task. But perhaps Starfleet values smaller tasks and rewards them as such.
And on top of that, I had to listen to the Klingon narrate the Independence's departure from Deep Space Nine over the Comm system. He always sounds so angry. I think he needs a good session of Oo-mox. Perhaps the Commander can give it to him and it may lighten both of them up.
I need sleep. End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Feb 8, 2012 8:24:07 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92105.02 (February 8th, 2415 8:00 AM)
I have caught wind that the Klingon may be starting some sort of exercise class. No doubt it will revolve around preparing one for combat in some form. While I think this class may be something that both takes my mind off of the stress of a starship and allows me to interact more with my crewmates, I am uncertain if it is a good idea. The Klingon may attempt to make an example out of me. Although, I can't say that I wouldn't mind watching him and the Vulcan test their skills.
I suppose I will seek further information on these classes.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Feb 14, 2012 9:50:41 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92121.57 (February 14th, 2415 9:00 AM)
Last night was an interesting night. I'm not sure I have ever been as busy. I guess the first thing that came as a surprise to me was that the Captain made me the acting Chief Engineer. Apparently, Chief M'row has left the Independence. And the Captain feels that I am the best person to step up in the meantime. I guess I have been performing adequately, but I certainly won't be informing him of the Ninety-Second Rule of Acquisition, "Never confuse wisdom with luck."
I'm not sure if I feel ready or experienced enough to maintain this position, but ... I will see how things flow. I do not want to disappoint the Captain. And it did feel kinda good knowing the Klingon was probably not happy because of my promotion. Oh ... the Captain also promoted me to the acting rank of Lieutenant.
Captain Moore also came to see me ... before all of this promotion business. She wants me to try to modify the MACO weapons to increase their functionality in various conditions. I have a few ideas, but I wonder why she just doesn't try to purchase better weapons? I'm certain there are sellers on Deep Space Nine that would be more than willing to part with superior weaponry for the right price. And since she is a woman, she has multiple ways to ... bargain with the seller.
Improving the efficiency of the weapon is first on her list of improvements. She wants to have a longer time between recharges of the weapon's power cell. I know that I can achieve this through various realignments and ... what is the hooman term ... "tinkering" with the systems of the weapon, but I also have another idea that would be experimental. If I were on a Ferengi ship, I wouldn't even have the chance to try anything ... the risk would far outweigh the profits, especially since Ferengi rarely use weapons ... or even know how they work.
If I can successfully replicate a miniature version of a Thermal Deflector Unit, I may be able to contain the heat generated from the power cell which would, in turn, allow me to contain the energy released by the power cell. This means that there would not be as much energy lost during the conversion from the power cell to the beam ... or bolt.
She also wants the weapon to be more resistant to various weather conditions. The Thermal Deflector Unit, if successful, should also be able to keep the weapon's systems at an operable temperature, I will just need to replace the housing of the weapon. Rodinium should do the trick, but I'm not sure if we have any on-board. I'm certain I could purchase some on Deep Space Nine, but I'm not sure if we will be returning there anytime soon.
There are other modifications that she wants completed as well, but ... I will need to think on those first and also see how these other modifications I am making will affect the weapon.
I had to prepare the Slipstream Drive for the Captain last night. It seemed to work as intended, but Chief M'row was always the one initializing the drive. I tried to look over her notes but they were rather ... in-decipherable. We used the Drive for an extended time, though ... with the battle that ensued, I haven't even begun to see if there was any damage to the Drive's systems yet. Are all Captains like this? Pushing equipment past the breaking point? If it would just be used as per the directions, it would always be functional. Pushing it beyond those specifications will result in voiding the warranty and there will be no refunds, only a hefty charge to fix it.
End log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Feb 21, 2012 8:53:14 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92140.92 (February 21st, 2415 10:30 AM)
Last night was fairly uneventful, at least from my standpoint. I did find a ... glitch in my Comm Badge which I fixed easily enough. I may open it up one day and see about replacing the parts inside with something a bit more ... reliable.
We used the Slipstream Drive again as well, it is really putting a lot of stress on the power insulators and conduits. I'd also like to get a look at the navigational deflector as I'm sure it is struggling to keep up as well.
Captain Moore seems less than pleased that her weapon modifications aren't completed yet. Typical military type, though, wanting immediate results without any clue of the work that needs to be done to get those results. Not that I really expect many of the crew to show any form of appreciation toward a Ferengi.
I sent Commandter T'Pang a list of the items that I will need to attempt the modifications tot he weapons. I guess this is going to take up the majority of my time over the next few days.
Captain Moore indicated that she would have the Orion assist me. It is a shame we are not on a Ferengi ship.
End log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Feb 24, 2012 9:23:06 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92149.08 (February 24, 2415 10:00 AM)
I still haven't received an answer to my request for the needed materials to modify the MACO weaponry. I'm certain that Commander T'Pang has received it, she just has not replied yet. I may be missing home, but if this were a Ferengi ship, business transactions would be given a much higher priority and I would have already had the materials by now; and no doubt at a lower cost.
Captain Moore will not be pleased if I have to delay the modifications yet again. But ... as the Fifty-First Rule of Acquisition states, "Never admit a mistake if there is someone else to blame." I can let Captain Moore know that it is the Commander who is dragging her feet now. And if this causes the two of them to argue ... or even fight ... it may be most favorable. Two females fighting because of me ... how wonderful!
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Feb 28, 2012 7:14:46 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92159.7 (February 28, 2415 7:00 AM)
We have been assigned to a new ship. A brand new ship. From the quick overview that I was able to do of Engineering, it seems quite advanced, even for Starfleet. There could be some real profit to be made in selling the designs of these systems. Not that I would do that ... but another Ferengi might.
There's also a new Chief Engineer, much to my relief. Being in charge of Engineering was ... something I am not ready for yet. Let someone else be responsible, especially on this new ship. The new Chief Engineer is a woman, just like the last one. And while she was wearing less clothing than the previous Chief, she is not as furry. I have not been able to speak with her much yet, but I plan to in the coming days. I really need to get familiar with these new systems.
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Mar 1, 2012 7:20:56 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92162.5 (March 1, 2415 7:30 AM)
I met the new Chief Engineer last night. She seems a bit more ... relaxed than the previous Chief. She also seems to know everything about everything. She would make a very profitable ... business partner.
She gave me a brief introduction to the new ship systems that I'll likely be dealing with the most. Everything seems a bit more complicated, but I think I can manage once I get used to them. She also showed me the engineering station on the bridge. That is something the old Chief never did. Not that I expect to be up there much, but it is still nice to be ... familiar with it.
I also made myself look no smarter than a tubegrub in front of her. I was just so nervous ... and she asked me about warp coils ... it just popped out. I haven't had much time to read the new operations manual, but I will make a point to do that over the next few days.
Still no word from Commander T'Pang on my requisition. Though, I'm not sure how much time I can allot to these weapon modifications with having to study all of these new systems. Maybe Captain Moore has forgotten about them.
End Log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Mar 14, 2012 14:44:43 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92199.02 (March 14th, 2415 3:30 PM)
Our first mission on this new ship has proven to be very ... unprofitable for me. While we were performing some crazy, and probably unnecessary, maneuver; I was thrown to the floor, but not before I smashed my head against a console. I awoke in Sick Bay with the Doctor telling me that I had suffered a nasty head wound, which he managed to repair quite efficiently. Nevertheless, he has forbidden me from returning to duty for a few days until he can verify there were no other lingering injuries. I'm just thankful that my lobes weren't damaged.
He did great work, but I will not forget the Ninety-Third Rule of Acquisition, "He's a fool who makes his doctor his heir." The Captain even came to check in on me, though I find his sense of humor almost as deep as a Vulcan's. Still ... it was nice of him to check in on a lowly Acting-Lieutenant such as myself.
I'm not sure if the Doctor messed anything up when he was tending to my wound, but I have been having these rather ... interesting dreams involving Commander T'Pang. As if a Vulcan would even know how to give oo-mox in such a skilled way. But ... perhaps the Klingon's exercise class will give me the courage to actually ask the Commander and find out.
End log.
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Post by Ensign Pirak on Mar 27, 2012 7:04:49 GMT -5
Pirak's Personal Log Stardate 92233.78 (March 27th, 2415 8:00 AM)
The nurse finally cleared me for duty last night. I didn't see the doctor around anywhere, I wanted to give him my thanks. His repair work was impeccable. He could make a lot of profit in the facial alteration field. I still need to contact the Captain and find out how much I owe for not being able to report for duty.
I was also ordered on a mission with the Klingon and a few others, mostly MACOs. Chief Engineer Chen gave me a quick rundown of the new cloaking device she installed on the shuttle we were taking. She told me it would be a dangerous mission and then hoped that I would make it back alive. I must really thank the doctor for keeping my lobes in-tact.
The mission went rather well, I think. I'm not sure if I can speak about it here, but we retrieved what we were after. I was actually a little surprised in the Klingon, he showed a lot of humility on the mission, more than I've seen from a Klingon before.
End Log.
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