Raj Patel's Log, Supplemental
DDSN-X100 USS Discovery
Commander Raj Patel recording
Christening Date plus 90 days (estimated)
The hull takes the strain.
Braces lock into position.
Welds seal the fractures.
Terra orbits below.
Decades may stretch ahead.
We press forward.
The main engineering bay operated under controlled intensity. The air carried the sharp odor of welding flux mixed with the steady drone of fabricators producing alloy sections. Commander Raj Patel positioned himself on the upper catwalk, arms crossed over his grease-stained uniform as he observed the repair teams addressing the keel's damaged areas.
The rift event had generated micro-fractures that extended through the primary structural spars. These cracks threatened to widen during acceleration or gravitational shifts. Crews installed heavy braces-large L-beams fabricated from printed titanium composite-aligning them precisely before securing clamps and welding gusset plates at each joint to redistribute loads effectively.
On the deck below, Lieutenant Commander Torres managed the primary weld team. She issued direct instructions for positioning and heat application, ensuring uniform penetration. Workers first prepared the surfaces by cleaning oxide layers, then applied resin composite mats. These consisted of layered carbon fiber saturated in high-strength epoxy, pressed flat against the superstructure, and sealed under vacuum bags to eliminate air pockets. Heat lamps accelerated curing, creating a bonded layer that reinforced the original plating. Once set, the braces were mounted over the mats, followed by multi-pass welds that added thickness and strength along critical seams.
Patel descended the ladder to inspect a completed section up close. He ran gloved fingers along a fresh gusset weld, checking for even bead formation and lack of porosity. The process required exact control; insufficient penetration risked hidden weaknesses, while excess heat could warp adjacent plating. Teams maintained rotation schedules to prevent fatigue errors, a necessity after months of sustained repair work. His focus shifted to the auxiliary diagnostics bay.
Lieutenant Amir al-Rashid worked at an isolated console, recalibrating the coil shunt regulators with concentrated effort. A Marine corporal maintained position three paces back, observing without interference as protocol demanded since the arrest. Amir adjusted parameters methodically, ensuring power flow remained balanced across the rings. Torres monitored from her station, running parallel checks and verifying outputs before final approval. No direct access to live systems-every change routed through senior review.
Patel approached the console and reviewed the scrolling data. Amir looked up briefly and nodded acknowledgment before resuming. The lieutenant's technique remained precise, but his posture reflected the constant awareness of surveillance. Patel recalled the details from Voss's investigation: deliberate physical sabotage on the power interface shunts. Precision cuts and thinned circuits had been made, subtle enough to pass automated diagnostics and pre-jump checks, but incapable of handling full reactor load. When the coils spooled for transit, the shunts failed regulation.
Raw fusion output dumped uncontrolled into each ring, warping spacetime beyond design limits and tearing the rift that displaced the ship.
Amir had confessed under questioning. Agents from the Meccan Caliphate held his pregnant wife and nineteen-year-old sister hostage, using threats to force compliance. No evidence of broader ideology, only a man protecting family across an impossible distance.
Captain Nolan evaluated the situation carefully. Engineering expertise proved critical for survival, especially with potential decades ahead on Terra and no immediate rescue prospects. The decision balanced risk and necessity: formal arrest recorded, rank revoked, system access stripped, constant marine surveillance implemented, and all work subject to senior verification.
Patel recognized the human element in Amir's choice. Family ties pulled strong across light-years-his own parents and siblings remained vulnerable Earthside amid escalating conflicts. War forced impossible decisions, loyalties tested to breaking. He had valued Amir's skill before the incident; the lieutenant resolved complex diagnostics quickly during high-stress operations. Now that respect coexisted with vigilance. One failure under duress had nearly destroyed the ship and crew. Rebuilding trust required time and proof, particularly in isolation, where every system failure carried life-or-death weight.
The larger reality pressed constantly: Terra visible through nearby viewports, continents and oceans turning under an alien sun. Warp capability stayed impaired-coils scarred from overload, exotic matter reserves depleted. Full restoration needed; facilities are unavailable here. Shire Valley base expanded steadily on the surface habitats, increasing resources surveyed, defenses established, but the ship remained the wounded core. Decades appeared probable: children raised under two moons, generations adapting to this world while Sol became distant history.
Patel returned to the primary repair area and issued clear directions. "Apply full torque on those gussets. Start the next resin batch for section five. Maintain heat control on welds-no rush, precision first." Crews confirmed and adjusted positions, torches flaring as they built strength methodically. The ship responded with minor shifts, plating settling into reinforced supports, and fractures stabilized under systematic repair.
Amir finished his calibration sequence and stepped aside for Torres's review. The marine held position without comment. Patel observed the verification complete without issues, another incremental step toward reliability. Terra continued its slow rotation below, valley lights small but persistent in vast green-surface operations taking root while orbital repairs progressed deliberately. Decades loomed across the void. They responded with disciplined effort and measured caution.
For now.