Shadows

Posted on Sun Nov 20th, 2022 @ 10:31am by Lieutenant Helena Wells & Lieutenant JG Rafe Hunnicutt

Mission: The devil wears tripolymer
Location: Observation

ON:

HG had several PaDDs scattered across one of the tables in the rather crowded observation deck. She was talking to herself and she knew that most people knew to steer clear lest they become involved with the girl that walked through walls.

"Now then if one could balance the second time dimensional vector against the primary time vector then any movement would appear as if it was simultaneous...."

Rafe Hunnicutt, never to miss a good view, or a good joke, happened to be standing a few feet from her looking outside. He turned his head as he heard her mutterings, a small smile coming to him. "But what happens if a third time dimensional vector comes to the bar, and brings a round of shots. Who would in reality have the first one?" he said aloud, then grimaced. A little louder than he had thought, it was meant to be under his breath as to not disturb her.

HG looked up and sat back. "Just like past, present, and future walk into a bar. It would be tense." HG peered around and then pushed the PaDDs to one side. She waved a hand. "Looks crowded, sorry, I get to preoccupied and forget everything else around me. HG by the way. I'm not sure I have met you before."

"Haha, especially if you're the bartender," he smiled at the invitation, walking over and taking a seat. "Rafe Hunnicutt. People call me Rafe, Hunnicutt, or that one, all depending on circumstances. Nice to meet you, HG. You know, some people do their homework in corridors too, although the trip hazard signs are a trip hazard."

"Rafe? Interesting name anyway as to your in the hallway, not me." HG winked. "You might not have caught I am the lady that walks through walls." She chuckled. "On an expedition when still a civilian on board I developed a little wrist device that would put one out of phase. Allowed us to observe without being observed. A side effect is that it allowed one to move through the walls as long as not too thick. Good thing or at one point I would have been walking through the hull."

"I suppose the obvious question is; why would you want to do that?" he said, with a small smile as he met her eyes. "Except obviously, going through walls is better than the bumps and bruises that come with walking into one."

"Just doing testing. When we needed them on the planet, there were some areas we could not access because of the materials or the thickness. Anyway, it is an interesting experience. Swing by the lab sometime and try it out."

Hunnicutt let out a soft breath, shaking his head. "One of the things that I always had in my head...solid matter is solid for a reason," he admitted, giving her a quick smile. "I'm a big wimp who is too scared to try something as technical as that."

"Matter is not solid! Heck the very universe." HG waved a hand toward the window is not as we perceive it! All we can experience normally is four dimension, three of space and one of time, but that is not how it actually is structured." HG paused a moment and leaned forward slightly. "Imagine if you can, instantly traveling from here to the other side of the galaxy. I mean in the time you could blink."

"You're talking about an Einstein-Rosen bridge, right?" he asked, with some confusion. "You know, fold a piece of paper, push a pencil though, unfold it...boom, shortest distance from A to B is zero?" he asked, with an innocent smile. Because truthfully, he knew he wasn't smart enough to outtalk her on science, so instead he decided just to have fun with it. And enjoy the conversation for what it was.

HG was a little amused but the engineer was close but not quite there. "Not quite. Close. No punching holes in anything. More like taking the A and B on the paper and folding it, such that for purposes A and B are in the same spot. Trust me the physics is more complicated as is the math behind it. Just like my little wrist phase transducer, you are temporarily accessing other dimensions." HG leaned back and pressed her comm badge. "Computer if you would be so kind, transport a wrist phase device from my lab to here please." There was a moment and then a swirl appeared resolving into a little device that resembled a slightly oversize old earth electronic watch. She picked it up and put it on and then pressed it. In a moment she seemingly vanished.

She went through the table thought he could not see it and whispered in his ear, "Come on let's have some fun!"

Rafe took a step back, laughing, shaking his head. "No, no, I am a coward at heart," he said playfully, shivering. "Although with that, you could seriously prank someone. Cause a pretend-haunting...ooh! Chair moving just before they sit down. Your invention has a lot of uses, not all of them safe for unexpecting Starfleet personnel."

HG phased back. "Well you have given me a few ideas. Here is a practical one though. You can set the phase enough so basically you are not subject to various energy patterns. Imagine if you need to go check out something in the reactor chamber. You could walk right in, observe and walk right out without any harm." HG tossed the device to the lieutenant. "A gift for when you want to give it try."

He caught it, looking at her with surprise before holding it up as if he was trying to figure out how it worked. "You sure you trust me enough to let me handle a thing like this?" he asked, a smile coming to him. "For all you know, I've lied on all my psych evals and I really believe I am a cloud of cotton candy, about to take over the universe..."

HG only chuckled. “I made it. I know how to defeat it. Call it a gift from one cloud of cotton candy to another!” She waved and walked off.

He chuckled as he watched her go, before lifting it up to study. "Now how do you work, little thing..." he whispered to himself before shoving it inside his jacket. He'd find out...hopefully without taking it apart.


Lt. HG Wells
Scientist (and possible cloud of cotton candy)

Lt. JG Rafe Hunnicutt
Engineer