"Impossible Feats"
(Previous Post: Lisa's 'Lessons...')
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Stardate: 60324.1330
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 21, Main Engineering, Upper Level
After chasing after some wayward engineering officers and technicians, David had the opportunity to check the status of the newest addition to his engineering staff... a giant that he had come to know during his time on the AVALON.
(taken in part from Francois' post)
"How are you doing down there?" The ANUBIS' Chief Engineer asked looking through the opening to the main deck of Engineering.
"I will have all of the secondary EPS conduits back online in less than 15 minutes, Sir." Elan answered, showing the necessary reverence to the man who was now his superior in both position and rank.
"Glad to hear it. How are those 'Exo-Thingies' doing?" Lieutenant Dawson asked trying his best to sound positive about the use of the robots to help with the repeairs. David did not overly enjoy the idea of having machines take the place of his staff, but given the dire needs they faced, the CEO had been given little choice in the matter. This had been for the most part the reason why David had placed the Oltharian in charge of the small robots since the idea to have them help with the repairs had been his.
"The Exo-Comps are currently working on repairing the primary infusers and magnetic constrictors. Initial scans had failed to report micro-fractures in the support coils but the Exo-Comps detected them and initiated immediate repairs, that is why they are behind schedule. I am working as fast as I can so that I can join them and bring them back on track as per the schedule that we had set for the repairs." Elan explained from the lower deck, getting a glimpse of the Chief Engineer as he rushed from one side of the upper deck to the other, directing other members of his staff in the repairs that were theirs to accomplish.
"What do you mean the connectors are fused?" David loudly snapped at another officer on the same level that he had been on, letting the anger that had suddenly swelled in him out on someone other than the Oltharian.
David had given the infuser and magnetic constrictors a quick once over at the start of the repairs and had deemed them to be fit... so having those machines prove otherwise had been a severe blow to his ego. What bugged the massive engineer more though had been that the problem found and repaired by the Exo-Comps could have led to catastrofic results endangering the entire ship. So in a way David had been grateful for their discovery, not that he had been ready to admit it in any shape, way or form. "Mr. Fairborn, I have every confidence in you, your skills and your ability to get your team back on schedule. Unfortunately I cannot say the same for some of the other teams that I have under my command!" David calmly said after having unleashed the remainder of his frustration on his staff. Getting mad at Elan would serve no purpose... especially when the Oltharian had done what he had been asked to do.
(end of borrowed material)
Leaving Fairnborn and his mechanical friends to their work, David turned to Ken who had taken on the role of aCEO while T'Reni was in Sickbay recuperating from her injuries.
"Talk to me" David said.
"Its gonna take a little more time than we expected." The acting CEO replied with a visible level of hesitation. Being the bearer of bad news had never been a good thing... especially when those news were about Engineering repairs and were being given to the CEO himself.
David was handed another PADD and as he was reading it, he looked at and glared at Ken. "How *long*?" the CEO hissed.
"An hour... maybe 2... The damage done by those creatures proved to be far more extensive then we had figured."
"Unacceptable!" David snapped, "it doesn't take 2 hours to replace a primary infuser *or* a magnetic constrictor!"
"Boss, you'll have to see for yourself. I don't know what the hell those... creepy critters did, but it looks like a damned wreck down there. We can't explain how... but they managed to affect systems that they had no direct contact with." Ken replied hotly.
David grimaced due to the soreness in his chest and left arm. He had checked the nanite reproduction in his system. Good thing is that they are constantly repairing any damage to his system that isn't extensive. Bad thing was the pain they sometimes cause in their repairs *if* his injuries were extensive.
"Boss... you alright?" Ken asked.
"Fine... damned nanites" the CEO grumbled when he heard a thunderous boom of a voice on the main deck of engineering. David made it to the railing in time to see Enaii speaking with Elan.
"If we pull in extra people from the science department and maybe even security and operations, we might be able to get everything done inside 2 hours." Ken offered as he tried his best to give the CEO something positive to hold on to.
David glared at Ken, "Disappear!" he hissed and with that Ken left.
As the acting aCEO walked off David's eyes went back to the doors to Main Engineering... and more specifically Enaii who was leaving. Now just what in the hell was she up to? David felt his blood starting to boil, his thoughts drifting back to what she did at TANGIERS. David frowned and checked his pocket watch.
"Dammit" he said to himself as he stormed out of the engineering department.
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Stardate: 60324.1400
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
David stepped off the lift to find the bridge was once again absent of Captain Sabrina Rikar. He crossed the deck to the ANUBIS' avatar Annie, who was seated at Commander Serenna's old post.
"Annie... is Captain Rikar..."
"In her ready room Lieutenant Dawson" she said with a smile.
David nodded and shook his head unable to shake the feeling that he had seen that exact same smile before, but that one on the lips of the NEW ALEXANDRIA's receptionist and secretary to Admiral Koneki. He approached the door pushing out of his mind the feeling and thumbed the chime.
=/\= Come, =/\= came the voice of the ANUBIS' CO. After he entered, he saw the office that was formally Commodore Simmons' looking as bare as could be... obviously the new CO had not had the time or inclination to decorate her new office... and for good reasons.
"Um... am I..."
As Sabrina rounded the corner from her replicator, she smiled.
"You're just in time. I need help figuring some of these engineering reports. I'm just glad that James didn't put me through some sort of Engineering test before promoting me... or I would still be an Ensign." Sabrina offered as she tossed a PADD to the standing CEO trying her best to bring some sort of lightheartedness to the situation that had been all too serious.
"I did offer you to give you some crash course on the basics of engineering." David returned as he glanced at the PADD and immediately knew what it had been meant to report.
"That's why I have you Dave" Sabrina winked as David shook his head.
"Repairs will take at least another hour... maybe more." The CEO said as he placed the PADD down on the desk of his CO.
Sabrina eyed David. "David, really."
"Well... whatever it was that attacked us did more damage then we had first observed. Elan's Exo-Comps detected some micro-fractures that I had completely missed amongst other things." David spat, unable to fully hide his disappointment and anger.
"Sounds like someone needs a re-certification class." she teased.
David frowned, "This coming from a woman who wouldn't know a jefferies tube from a tube of lipstick?"
Sabrina thought about throwing something at the CEO but given the bareness of her office there had been nothing other than the PADD on her desk. After a few moments of deliberation, the young woman reached for the small device and hurled it at the towering man who caught it with little effort.
"At least we know your aim is still on point."
"David" Sabrina dragded, "Why so long?"
"We are short on staff and also because *your* better half keeps bothering my people." the CEO replied bitterly.
Sabrina eyed the CEO. "What's she done now?" she asked.
"Pulled Elan right out of M.E. for starters. Or do you want the extended list?"
"Don't" Sabrina warned.
"You asked" David replied.
"You *know* what I mean David."
"I wish I did" David said as Sabrina leaned back into her chair as if expecting this to be one of those long talks.
"Well... for whatever reason she 'pulled' him from M.E. has to be a sound one."
David shook his head. "Two peas in a pod."
"Excuse me?" Sabrina asked with an arced eyebrow.
"You heard me." David replied, "with her, *everything* is a sound reason, or the best interests..."
"David" Sabrina asked exasperatedly, "what do you want me to do?! Divorce her?"
Before David could open his mouth, she cut him off.
"*Not* happening, but *if* she pulls someone... anyone... from anywhere its her perrogative." The young woman in command of the ANUBIS calmly offered back, not having been in a habit of questioning the actions of the ship's ILO regardsless of the fact that she had been her life-mate or not.
"And you *believe* that?!" David asked, "Sabrina" and the CEO took a breath to settle his boiling blood, "has it ever occured to you that intelligence has *nothing* to do engineering?! So how is her pulling my people from M.E. *relvant* to her field?! *Especially* when I'm *severly* understaffed at the moment!"
Sabrina's green eyes narrowed, "First and foremost, lower your voice and watch your tone. Now... I'm going to give you the two fold on this. As the CO of *this* ship *IF* Commander Enaii needs anyone...for *anything* she can and *will* use who she has to use to do her job and protect the crew of this ship."
David went to reply but Sabrina steamrolled him.
"Secondly, you need not question her decisions because they are the best for this crew..."
David's eyes started darkening as Sabrina completed her oratory. The captain, after she turned to face the CEO, could see that same look she did before... but where she couldn't remember. There had been something in the CEO's eyes that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end... but the problem had been that the young woman could not understand why she had reacted in such a manner. She had seen David angered before, but this time there had been something different... something much darker about the imposing man.
"David... we are all on edge at the moment... I think we need to take things one step at a time and not let our emotions take the best of us. If Enaii needed Elan, I am sure that there was a good reason for it... we are all trying to cut corners to save time but in the end we are all working towards the same final goal... to rescue the crew of the MERCURY and have both them and us get back to base in 1 piece." Rikar offered in a calming voice trying as best she could to defuse the argument before it exploded into something that neither one of them would like. As the CO waited for the CEO's reply, she carefully watched David's eyes desperately trying to remember where she had seen this before... certain that this needed to be addressed now if only for his own good.
David frowned as Sabrina still searched her memory as to where she'd seen his eyes like that. As she cleared her mind David had pulled an 'Enaii' on her, slipping out without being heard.
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Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be."
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9 2005 post #294
