Once An Engineer...

Posted on Fri Sep 3rd, 2021 @ 12:38am by Ensign Noah Balsam & Commodore James Smith & Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai

Mission: The Place of Skulls
Location: Transporter Room
Timeline: Mission Day 8 at 0835

[USS Miranda]
[Deck 6]

James nodded to a crewman that suddenly halted at the T-junction he had arrived to, not unlike a deer caught in the landing lights of a hovercar, "Carry on, crewman, that PADD won't attend itself." Shaking his head, wondering if he would have been caught so unaware as a midshipman, and decided he probably would have dropped the PADD or worse. He chuckled as he veered right into the transporter room, catching the transporter technician unawares, "Good Morning, Chief. Beam me over to the Sojourner's primary transporter pad, would you?"

"Of course, sir! Right away, sir!" yelped the nervous technician as he set to prepping the pad for transport.

Giving a friendly smile, he waited patiently for the other to setup up the transport. He had grown used to this reaction on the Miranda. Granted, he was somewhat tall, but at 188 cm, he wasn't overly so, and his beard was certainly more salt than pepper these days. Though he knew it had nothing to do with his seasoned appearance, however, the familiar tug of the transporter broke his thoughts as the Miranda's transporter room was replaced by the Sojourner's. Smiling at the two people standing between the console and pad, "Commodore James Smith, Director, Starfleet Corps of Engineers. Permission to come aboard? I was told you needed a temporary chief engineer, and I volunteered."

The younger of the two in the Sojourner was another underfoot Midshipman- rigidly at attention at the first sign of even two pips, staring forward out of respect, or fear, like some kind of porcelain statue. He wore operations gold at the shoulders and waited for the ship's new Acting Executive Officer to welcome the man aboard. Noah wanted to glance at Doctor- or was it Commander- t'Nai now. But he waited, betraying a subtle nod that he froze halfway through.

Emni eyed the new arrival with some curiosity. "Commodore... Smith," she said, drawing the man's rank out slightly as she said it. "I was expecting a lieutenant." She extended her hand to the man, "Of course you're welcome aboard sir," she added. "I look forward to hearing the story of how we ranked a Commodore's attention instead of the Miranda's Assistant Chief Engineer. She smiled then, warmly. "We're glad for the help, of course."

The Romulan XO turned, indicating the transporter room doors with a sweep of her hand meant to encompass both Smith and Balsam. "Shall we?"

"Are you sure this statue can walk?" He joked, clapping a hand on the midshipman's shoulder as he supplied a warm smile and followed Emni from the room. "I might be a Commodore now, but once Captain Kodak approves the transfer, I'll be temporarily reduced in rank to Lieutenant. I just happened to be in the neighborhood checking on some installations along the border. The details aren't important," he added, moving along with the practiced ease of a long-time flag officer. "So, how are Kodak and Debbie? I wonder if she still makes mapa bread?"

Emni glanced over her shoulder at Noah tipping her head forward and to the side to indicate he should follow. "This is Mr. Balsam's first assignment," Emni remarked when she saw that he had started moving. "He's proven to be quite the asset in the last 8 days."

"Th-thank you Ma'am," Noah interjected briefly, his tone soft.

She led them down the short corridor, responding to the Commodore's comment as she went. "I take it you know them, then?" she asked, not necessarily expecting an answer. "They're both well. I'm sure Captain Kodak will be glad to catch up with you. As for the mapa bread...," Emni grinned, her eyebrow creeping up, "you'll be glad to know it still makes an appearance. The holo-overlay at Debbie's is Mr. Balsam's work, actually."

"Oh?" The corner of the Commodore's mouth pulled upward as he shifted his gaze to Balsam, "I look forward to seeing your work, Midshipman."

She ushered the two into the turbolift. "I'll take you to Engineering for now. Mr. Balsam can introduce you to the team. There are a few things that could use your eyes out of the gate." She looked up, a tic she had developed as if the turbolift could only hear her if she addressed it directly. "Deck 6."

Noah, meanwhile, discreetly untucked a PADD from under his arm. Nibbling his lip, he offered it out to the man with an actual, bordered trapezoidal pip on his chest. "Th-the recent rundown of our repairs and the latest on the shakedown Sir. Ah-at least in the Computer Core."

"Oh, a PADD, I would have expected someone your age to be using a holo." Accepting the proffered PADD, James pursed his lips as he studied it for only the slightest of pregnant pauses, "Yes, good call on putting me right to work."

She frowned then as the turbolift whisked them off to their destination, "If you can, though, I'd get in to see the Captain sooner than later. No doubt he's going to want to talk through the details of your transfer."

Noah stood behind the two who towered if not in height- and neither was short- but certainly in rank. Noah kept his hands behind his back, his shoulders straight, and stayed quiet.

"Of course, Lieutenant, let him know I'll be up as soon as I'm able," Replied the Commodore instinctively. Looking directly at the ship's first officer, he shook his head and shrugged shoulders, "I apologize, ma'am, it has been a while since I've been a Lieutenant. What I mean to say was, Yes, ma'am, with your permission, I'll be up to meet the Captain as soon as the most serious repairs are completed."

Emni raised an eyebrow, but didn't stop him from correcting his address. "Permission granted," she said with a smile.

The turbolift deposited them on Deck 6 as requested, opening doors to reveal a corridor appearing identical to the one from whence they came. Emni exited and, not waiting to see if the two men followed, made her way to engineering, entering the space with light trepidation. Of all of the parts of the ship engineering was the one with which she felt the least familiar.

"Your... domain... if you will," Emni indicated nodding at the space in front of them as a group of engineers moved from place to place going about their work. "Mr. Balsam, if you would make the appropriate introductions I'm afraid the Commodore isn't the only new arrival I'm scheduled to meet this morning."

To Smith she turned inclining her head. "Commodore," she remarked using his full rank out of habit. "Should you need anything please don't hesitate to look me up." As she turned to go she added, "And make sure you get in to see the Captain. I'll make sure he knows to expect you."

James fished a small computer chit from his uniform and extended it to her, "Aye aye, ma'am. My official transfer orders, and please Lieutenant or Mister or... James," he added with a smile and an almost wink. Whirling on the midshipman, "Now, let's get me a pair of pips and get to work, shall we?"

"Yessir," Noah said. He tentatively took the lead, "It's just this way to the main core. "Index," he called. As he walked a bald woman in a white suit appeared in front of him, "R-replicate one set of rank pips, Lieutenant, Full Grade, at material fabrication station one." The androgynous being blinked and disappeared while Noah drew to a stop outside the heavy duty doors of the Main Engineering.

A Post By:

Commodore (Lieutenant) James Smith
Acting Chief Engineer

Lieutenant Emni t'Nai
Acting Executive Officer

Midshipman Noah Balsam
Systems Specialist