"The Sound of Inevitability"
(Previous Post: Jessica's 'How Do You...')
====================================
Stardate: 60324.1630
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 22, Main Engineering
David was completing the pre warm up of the massive
power plant of the ANUBIS, the warp core. As he went
through the start up procedures, he thought about his
last conversation with the captain. As much as he
hated to admit it, she was right about alot of things.
David grew up in this life... being the son of a well
known and decorated Starfleet captain the trials and
tribulations of rank and the headaches that went along
with it. He himself was living that life right now as
he continued his work. Being the chief engineer of a
starship meant in a lot of circles that the CO deemed
you deserving to be a senior officer of the ship. Not
by age, or years of service, but your dedication and
hard work from duty and your field of expertise...
...but it *didn't* mean that a certain officer had to make excuses for another... which pissed David off even more. True enough there *was* a good reason, but he was weary of it being the same officer performing the same song and dance to be coveted by her life mate. David grunted inwardly which brought him back to some of his original thoughts... the horrid dreams he had been having. The CEO was shaken from his reverie by his acting aCEO.
"Boss... thought you might want to see this" Lieutenant Ken Yates said handing him a PADD. The acting aCEO was a little leery from his last conversation with the CEO. He had a look that could have killed an entire race of beings so he gingerly handed the PADD to him.
"What's this?" David asked glancing at it and placing it on the console to his right.
"Latest report from Lieutenant Fairborn's Exo-Comps. I didn't have much faith in them in the beginning, but I have to say they're some of the hardest working little buggers I've ever seen. It puts those older models we had to shame..." and his voice trailed off because the older model he was referring to was the one that David designed himself... the ones that was responsible for the death of one of his top engineers.
"Sorry Boss... I didn't" and David cut him off.
"What about the constrictors? The repairs to the infusers are almost complete, but we can't bring none of the systems online without them."
"Way ahead of you Boss. I had Linda, Ray, and Haket finish up on the other end to assist the Exo-Comps. They should be ready to go within the hour."
"Let's try to step things up a bit. I don't want the captain on my neck."
And just as fate would have it, her voice rang out from his comm badge."
(taken from Jessica's post)
=/\= Rikar to Dawson =/\= the Commanding Officer said, tapping the communicator on her chest and ending the explanation of the Shillian by the same gesture.
"Dawson here, go ahead" The Chief Engineering Officer replied almost immediately, the tone of his voice sounding as if he had been anticipating the call he had just received.
=/\= Have you analyzed the plan submitted by Lieutenant Maya? =/\= The captain asked, glad to see that this had finally put an end to the ramblings of the scientist, even if only for a few moments lost in the ocean of eternity.
"Yes," the engineer replied sounding less than happy, "Adding a single resonance frequency to the shields would have taken only a fraction of the power the suggested rotation of these harmonics is going to take. We are going to have to take every non-essential systems offline if we are to make this work."
=/\= How long will it take you and your staff to make this happen? =/\= The captain asked, hinting that she had already made her decision as to the implementation of the plan provided by the Chief Science Officer.
"Two hours," the Chief Engineer replied before sighing loud enough for it to be picked up by the internal communication system of the ANUBIS, "But it will be done in one, if we get extra help."
=/\= Understood =/\= the Commanding Officer said with a smile, =/\=I'll send as many available bodies down to you as possible. Rikar out. =/\=
(end excerpt)
David shook his head as he started rubbing the bridge of his nose and then his temples.
"Guess that means we don't have to rush getting the constrictors back online" Ken said.
"The hell if we don't" David said nodding to the inactive warp core, "get it done Ken. Now" David said and went back to work.
====================================
Stardate: 60324.1830
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 21, Main Engineering Upper Deck
David stood at the 'fire up' controls for the warp core. True to her word, Captain Rikar sent as much help as she could spared. Lab technicians, people from Stellar Cart, even a few officers from the IGC... which *really* surprised the CEO. As David descended to the main deck, we rolled up his sleeves.
"Computer, begin start up procedures for the warp core."
=/\= Start up procedures activated, countdown to core start up in 2 minutes. =/\=
The non essential crew that the captain sent stood back to let the real engineers do their jobs. David barked orders as the engineering staff went on about their tasks. At the 10 second mark, the entire deck grew eerily silent and when the feminine voice of the ANUBIS' computer reached zero, the core lit up and hummed. The entire deck whooped like it was the first time they seen a dead core come to life. David exhailed heavily as he tapped his badge.
"Dawson to Captain Rikar"
=/\= Rikar here, go ahead Lieutenant. =/\=
"Captain, its my honor to inform you that your rustic bucket of bolts now has the ability to move."
=/\= My *rustic* bucket... =/\= and she stopped that train of thought, =/\=from your last report we've still had the ability to move=/\=
"Well... let's say its faster that getting out to push" the CEO said.
=/\= Excellent work David. Have you had the opportunity to complete frequency changes to the sheilds? =/\=
"Yes, no, probably, yes, and 10 Captain." David replied.
=/\= Um... is that engineer's speak? =/\= the CO asked.
"Not in as much, but I can see the questions forming in your head from down here."
=/\= Enlighten me Lieutenant, =/\= Sabrina replied.
"Yes, I've looked at it, as per our last conversation. Will I need to pull anymore power than needed? No. Is it going to effect us getting boarded again by those creepy bastards? Probably. Am I sure? Yes." David said with a small smile.
=/\= And I take it that the 10 is for the minutes needed for you to work another one of 'David's miracles'? =/\=
"That's why you're the captain Captain. Can't slide anything past you." David replied.
=/\= 10 minutes Mr. Dawson. Not a millisecond more. =/\=
"Aye sir. Dawson out." and after he closed the channel, he leaned against the 'pool table'.
"An engineer's work is never done Boss" Ken said from the other side of the table.
"The sound of inevitability Mr. Yates. And I'm starting to hate it."
"Just like you told Captain Rikar, that's why you're the boss Boss." he said with wide grin as Dacvid smirked.
"Don't you have a constrictor to fix or replace, or something?" the CEO said as the acting aCEO walked off chuckling.
====================================
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 #300
