"Seeing Things In A Positive Light"
(Previous post: Lisa's 'Nature vs. Nurture')
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Stardate: 60325.0320
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 10, Section 11 Alpha
After rubbing the sore spot on his head and versing more obsenities, David finally completed his work realligning the EPS taps to the main EPS network for deck 10. After completing the same tasks for decks 9, 11, and 12... 10 was the hardest one because deck 10 served as major junction points for power flow through the ANUBIS. After climbing down and out of the jefferies tube, David bumped into his new acting assistant and the assistant CEO who was with her.
"Boss, just to let you know Sickbay has released Lieutenant T'Reni. So I guess you won't be needing me anymore."
"On the contrary Karen" David replied, "you can go down there and kick Murphy and Membro in the ass. And tell them to shore up the ODNs down there and be quick about it. I want to be off this deck in 20. Go."
She nodded and off she went.
"Looks like you found an acceptable replacement for me while I was away" T'Reni replied.
"No... I didn't. She's good... but not like you."
T'Reni nodded, "I thank you for your confidence David, but is it true I heard that you removed Ken from the position of acting aCEO... albeit veheminously?"
"No rumor" David said packing his gear, "he wants to act like an imbecile then I'll treat him like one."
"But from what I heard he was only stating a fact."
David looked at the aCEO, "Meaning?"
"Your attentiveness to perfection David. Being the proficient engineer that you are, you've always strode for perfection... even if you didn't know you were."
David smirked, "Striving for perfection is a human emotion T'Reni. Are you starting to slip in your old age? Because one wouldn't know it if they haven't already seeked it out."
"You insult me by comparing my words to human emotions David. I only state the facts."
David huffed, "So what would you have done T'Reni? The *last* thing I need is for one of my officers to make a smart assed comment when I'm *extremely* stressed."
"I believe that is what you humans call, 'a sense of humor?'" the aCEO replied in her cool Vulcan tone.
"Well I found it to be *not* funny" the CEO said reaching out and grabbing Murphy.
"And where the hell are you going?" David asked.
"We're done Boss. Going to reset the EPS and ODNs on this deck."
David released the engineer when Darrin in Ops passed.
"Lieutenant Dawson, we're done down there..."
"I heard Mason. You can round up the rest of your staffers and pass a note to Annie for all you help."
"Aye sir" and he left. He looked at T'Reni.
"How long you been cleared?"
"3 hours. Why?" she asked.
"Let's go check the Exo-Comps' progress on sewing up the hole in the ANUBIS."
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 60325.0400
=/\= Chief Engineer's Log, Stardate 60325.04. The combined efforts of the Engineering, Operations, Intel, Science, and Security departments have completed the interior work on patching up the ANUBIS and getting her ready for what may come on this mission. There's still the problem of the outer plates that form the Ablative Armor that needs work, but I am confident that we'll meet Captain Rikar's deadline of 3 hours to get the ship underway. Kudos to the department heads aformentioned for the help... I really needed it. =/\=
David completed his log and sat in the chair behind his desk. he was loking at the wall unit in his office which showed the area of the ANUBIS where the Cardassian ship struck them.
"Damned Cardie bastards" David mumbled and tapped his badge, "Computer, time please."
=/\= The time is 0412 hours. =/\=
"Estimated *mimnum* time to departure time?"
=/\=3 hours 29 minutes=/\=
"Computer, can repairs be made to hull if ANUBIS is traveling at warp?" and the minute he asked that question he knew it was time for him to hit the sack.
=/\= Negative. =/\=
"With damage to exterior hull, what would be a safe speed for the ANUBIS to travel?"
=/\= Safest speed within safety parameters is warp 7. =/\=
That got David's attention. "How so?"
=/\= Ablative Armour, when damage has occured to the ship can form a reciprocating level X forcefield surrounding the damaged areas. =/\=
"Of all the god damned bad luck" David grumbled. The AAGs for that section was destroyed and it fell into the prevy of the repair time past their departure time.
David snapped his fingers... "Unless..." as he rose from his seat and T'Reni looked at him.
"David, where are you going?"
"Grab a resonence control uplink, 4 data discs, tools needed to repair the AAGs and 3 engineers and meet me on deck 9 in 7 minutes. Step to." David said exiting M.E.
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Setting: Deck 9, Section 9 Alpha
Stardate: 60325.0430
David had the inital set up when T'Reni arrived. She looked at his concoction and arced an eyebrow.
"What is that?" she asked.
"Something to buy you some more time... if this works." David said as he rubbed his tired eyes, "Computer reroute power from AAG 4, 6, and 9 to this console."
=/\= Unauthorized transfer of power cont... =/\=
"Overide, authorization Dawson 25-alpha"
=/\= Authorization accepted. =/\=
David tapped a few commands into his console.
"The captain is gonna have my ass on a platter" he said as he entered the final command.
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 60325.0440
"Odd" Lieutenant Commander Serenna said from her station.
"What is?" Captain Sabrina Rikar asked as she swiveled her chair to face her ExO.
"I'm registering power flux..."
"Captain!" Ensign Wellington said from navigation, "we're moving."
Sabrina stood from her chair. "Moving? Where?!" she said looking at Serenna. Just as she descended from her COs chair, the ANUBIS stopped.
"Report" Sabrina said.
"I'm sorry Captain. My fault... I had a power up to the impulse engines and it appeared that the ANUBIS moved... almost as if someone ordered..."
The doors to the lift opened and the CEO strode onto the bridge.
Sabrina smiled at the CEO, "Mr. Dawson, seems as if we have a ghost in the machine."
"No ghost Captain... more of 'Dawson's magic'" the CEO replied as he stepped to the Sec/Tac console.
"And what are you doing?" Captain Rikar asked.
"Testing a theory. One that if it works, we can get to SURIAL III in under 7 hours."
"I may not be... 'engineeringly' inclinded, but wasn't it you who said we couldn't travel at high warp with a gaping hole in the side of the ship?" Sabrina asked her chief engineer.
"As I said Captain... more of my magic."
"Then why do I sense impending doom?" Serenna asked.
"Ye of little faith... think back to our final exam Commander."
For the first time in a long time, Sabrina saw something flash across her frist officer's face: concern.
"Um... am I missing something?"
"David is referring to our final exam Captain. We were on the famous 'Polar Express'...."
Sabrina's green eyes lit up. "Aww... the Christmas Train" she said.
"My ass" David replied, "a hijacked train filled with enough explosives to blow a whole in the EARTH the size of the sun."
"So how did you complete your exam."
"Well... David ordered us to the engine and we stormed it. He then severed the remaining cars from the engine and coal cars, switched us to another track, and used a forcefield bubble he set up in a photon torpedo casing."
Sabrina nodded, "Interesting. How did it work?"
Serenna glared at David, and Sabrina looked at the CEO. "Well?"
"I missed by 2 1/2 feet. The cars exploded and left a very big crater in the ground. But I did manage to save the princess and her entourage'"
"So how does that theory apply here?"
"I bled power from AAGs 4, 6, and 9 to patch the hole in the ship. The computer told me something that I didn't think was possible, but if one generator fails, the others act as backups. So... I need a photon torpedo, low yield fired and plotted for a return course back to the damaged area..."
"David!" Sabrina exclaimed, "are you crazy?! You want to fire a *torpedo* at my ship?!"
"Captain... I don't have time... *they* don't have time to waste bickering. Trust me... this *will* work."
Sabrina exchanged glances with Serenna.
"You took a chance with Maya's idea of phasing the whole ship... what have you got to loose?" David asked.
"The whole damned ship!" Sabrina snapped, then ran her hand through her hair, and she looked fiercely at her CEO, "if this *doesn't* work..."
"You can chase me around hell... because you won't be able to do anything in the physcial."
"Captain... I *strongly* disagree with this..." Serenna said, "even though David *has* gotten the plates back into place, we don't know for sure that the AAGs in their weakened condition would stop a torpedo."
"A low yield torpedo... something to get the attention of another ship... what we would consider a scratch." David said looking at the two command officers of the ANUBIS.
Sabrina sighed, "Then if we are to be damned... thanks to one of David's miracles then I'll do the firing. Ensign Eva, you are relieved."
She looked at her CO, "I stand releived Captain."
Sabrina looked at David. "Did you clear everyone out of there?"
"All except T'Reni..."
"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR EVER LOVIN MIND?!" Sabrina hissed at the CEO, "you left *your* staff down there?!"
"Captain... I need someone down there to modulate the shields in that area... if we got struck there if that damned Cardie ship didn't hit us, it would be people there..."
"Well... we *did* get struck by that damned Cardie..." and Sabrina took a breath, "David... of all your 'miracles' you better be *damned* sure this one works."
"Maya's plan worked... so will this."
Sabrina shook her head as Serenna looked on.
"Is this objection duly noted as well Captain?"
"Just like the last one Commander. Raise shields" Sabrina said as David enterd the flight plath of the torpedo.
"Captain... you may fire when ready."
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Setting: Space surrounding the USS ANUBIS
The torpedo sped away from the port side launcher and doubled back on the ANUBIS. It took the wide y-axis back to the exposed area. As it drew nearer, Commander Serenna gave a verbal countdown.
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 60325.0505
"1000 meters and closing... 750... 500... 350" Serenna said.
=/\= All hands, this is the captain, brace for impact! =/\=
"... 100... 50... 10..."
Sabrina closed her eyes as David's never left the viewscreen.
BOOM! The ANUBIS was buffetted back and forth, but they weren't anymore bad off than they were.
"Report!" Sabrina said.
"No interior damage Captain" Serenna said, "shields holding. Ablative armour is stable... shield around the opening..." her voice trailed off.
"Yes?" Sabrina asked.
"No damage." the ExO said.
David clapped his hands together and it almost felt as if the bridge was shaking again. "YES!" the CEO exclaimed and tapped his badge, "Dawson to T'Reni."
=/\= T'Reni here Lieutenant. Standing by. =/\=
David looked at the captain. "*Still* doubtful?"
She loooked up at him and frowned, then rolled her eyes. "Not for a second."
"*I'll* remember that" the CEO said as he handed her a PADD, "full warp capabilities are yours again Captain" and with that he turned and exited the bridge. Sabrina sighed inwardly. She knew David busted his butt getting her ship back in some sort of order to complete this mission. But never had she seen him so... different. She thought back to her conversation with Serenna.
"Commander, best possible speed to SURIAL III. You have the bridge" she said as she retired to her ready room.
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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." 2005 post #326
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
