Stardate: 70211:2200
Title: Too Good To Be True
Author: Ensign Adder
Time: During/After "Red Flag"
Scene: USS Horizon - Conference Room 1


Adder piped up during the meeting with Lt. Kehn's permission.

"Bloody hell, Captain - I had visions of the Borg!" Luckily for them all that was not the case. "Anyway, while at Utopia Planitia I was temporarily assigned to one of the teams sent to study the 'Dyson Sphere'..."

"The Kardashev scale is a general method of classifying how technologically advanced a civilization is, first proposed in back in 1964. It has three categories, based on the amount of usable energy a civilization has at its disposal and increases logarithmically," James continued to explain.

"A Type I civilization is able to harness all of the power available on a single planet, somewhere in the region of 10 to the power 16 Watts, although this figure will vary from planet to planet."

"A Type II civilization is one that is able to harness all of the power available from a single star, or approximately 4 times 10 to the power 26 Watts. Again, this figure is variable."

"Type III civilizations would be able to harness all of the power available from a single galaxy, or approximately 10 to the power 36 Watts. Of course, this figure is extremely variable, since galaxies vary widely in size. The Type III civilization is hypothetical at this point, but the Kardashev scale is of use to Federation field analysts, researchers and futurists as a theoretical framework. We, the Federation that is, exist somewhere between Type I and Type II."

"Ensign, thank you for the insight, but please... get to the point," interrupted Vaebn.

"Well, the ship is equipped with two deflectors. It is theoretically possible to synchronize both and scan the entire external surface of a sphere, assuming we choose one of the smallest," James explained.

"Adder, would it be you who makes these modifications?" One of the Engineers asked snidely, a slight chuckle passing around the table. Adder wisely chose not to answer the question.

"Gentleman, back to the brief please," the Captain curtailed the diversion quickly. "How long to perform the necessary modifications, and what are the risks?"

"It would mean shutting some non-essential systems," Adder explained. "Potentially most of the other sensor systems, but the real time-consuming task is correctly synchronising the two systems. I wouldn't like to guess at this time, Sir. But I am sure that it is clear we would be 'sitting ducks' should anyone decide to approach us. Hopefully the 'sphere-builders' are long gone and will ignore us, or not consider us a threat if they are still around."

Everyone looked at Adder sceptically.


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Ensign James Adder
Science Officer
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
=========================
EDITOR'S NOTE: Reading up on the Kardashev Scale, their is also discussion of a Type IV civilisation - those that can harness the entire energy output of their local 'supercluster'. Originally Type IV was deemed to be those that harness the energy of the universe, but we now have a better understanding of the universe, realising that galaxies 'cluster' together (hence the term). As such, Type V civilisations (those harnessing the universe's energy) could also exist.
EDITOR'S NOTE 2: With the Relentless travelling between universes, could we argue the possible existence of a Type VI civilisation, harnessing energy from more than one universe?? :)