"Starfleet Engineers"

Posted on Sat Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:48pm by Lieutenant Three of Seven

Mission: Renegades
Location: Engineering Support Labs, USS Arizona Deck 5
Timeline: Current

"I cast photonic missile!"

The small Borg had found sliding into it's new role oddly familiar and satisfying, operating non-stop in the lower decks of the ship in order to familiarize himself intimately with the mechanical systems that empowered the ship. While Operations had enabled him to appreciate the complexity of the starship, that vocation only scratched the surface of what was a deeply profound inner-working of parts that far exceeded the breath of power distribution or consumption. Three was fastidiously assimilating thousands of new pieces of data in order to amend his knowledge of Prometheus-class engineering above a mere user's level of understanding. The drone wanted an architect's understanding of everything, the 'reason' that went into the design of the physical hull, the warp power plant, the optical data network, the electro-plasma grid, and more. Transporter systems, deflector systems, weapon systems... the list was unfathomably endless. Three could dedicate the next forty years to a complete understanding of the anti-matter injectors and not feel that even so much as a moment of that were wasted. The more knowledgeable that it became, the more efficient Three would be. Which imparted itself upon the ship as well, as Three increased in personal efficiency then the Arizona would reap the benefit and grow more efficient as well.

At present however Three was not engaged in anything which seemed all that efficient. Blinking mechanically, the drone sat in silence as it observed the behaviors of several of its counterparts in the engineering section. The trio of enlisted technician's were making a most curious use of their off-duty time, though each had labored well past their scheduled duty hours - which was commendable in Three's mind. What made them curious, outside their willingness to work past their shift, was the fact that even when engaged in recreation it appeared as though the individuals preferred to remain near their work.

Stranger still was the 'game' that they were engaged in.

"What do you mean you cast photonic missile? There's nothing there," one of the technicians commented, addressing the player who had suggested the use of a minor spell upon the arrival of his character in a darkened room. The function of the technician who had spoken was 'dungeon master', the apparent Queen of what seemed a highly chaotic Collective.

"I hear in 12.5 we're getting QUANTUM missile as a paragon power," the other player remarked, utterly off the topic, and without looking up from where he had Three's left forearm partially disassembled in his lap. The petty officer had expressed an interest in the drone's mechanized anatomy, in addition to a number of curious and insightful suggestions as to the maintenance of it.

Across the tile board, the technician who had so eagerly begun this portion of play now seemed hesitant. "Uh, well what's there?" he asked the DM.

"Nothing, it's an empty room. Just a pit of darkness."

Snapping his fingers, the technician forcefully boasted, "I cast photonic missile at the darkness!"

Moaning, the player designated 'Dungeon Master' hid his face in the palm of his hand.

Glancing around at the three technician's, the Borg finally decided upon an interrogative which - in retrospect - Three might have benefitted from asking at the on-set. "What is the point of this activity again?"

"The point is about to be the death of Corus the Spellsurge when I pull a black wyrm out of the darkness," Dungeon Master answered bitterly.

"It's a game of skill and imagination, sir," the photonic missile happy player answered, with a plethora of enthusiasm for the subject apparently. Whipping a padd out toward the drone, the technician added, "Think of it like the Collective. There are a variety of 'drones', each with different benefits and drawbacks. You create a character and it takes on certain abilities and weaknesses depending on the choices you make."

"You should join us, sir," the other player said, finishing re-assembly of the inner components of the forearm and then holding it up to inspect the quality of the work.

Accepting the padd with it's functional arm, Three took the time to digest the data contained. It was not the type of information which the Borg had sought to assimilate, and was of surprising substance - with a seemingly ad infinitum list of addendum upon which the basic structure of the game was built. Player handbooks, setting and campaign manuals, various rules related to certain types of powers, classes, or race. After the most perfunctory review, Three glanced up and inquired, "What is it that the Collective requires?"

"What do you mean?" Dungeon Master asked.

"There are innumerable combinations and characteristics for the creation of a character. It makes the most sense to preface any such design upon the needs of the group," Three stated.

"Just create what you want, sir."

The drone blinked. Glancing down at the padd for a moment, Three looked up and seemed to be at something of a loss. "How do I know 'what I want'?"

"I wouldn't expect you to, since you just got the rulebook," Dungeon Master replied with a shrug. "But we have a long trip ahead of us so... should give you plenty of time to think about it.