XO on the bridge, Emitter on the Fritz

Posted on 01 May 2019 @ 1:40am by Lieutenant JG Lilura Karakalakss & Commander Amelia Fox

Mission: Shakedown
Location: Main Bridge
Timeline: MD2 0830
1834 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Stepping out from the Captains' ready room, Amelia looked around the deserted bridge. Somehow, the ship wasn't quite 'alive' yet. She looked over the operations console and the helm before moving over to her chair in the central command area.

Sitting down, she rotated her console towards her and studied the various readouts. Satisfied that everything was OK, she stood and continued up the wrap and had a look at the ships tactical readout.

The turbolift opened and out stepped the Chief Engineering Officer of the Andromeda. She made a bee-line for the Engineering console even as she held an engineering tricorder in front of her. She paused by Amelia to say, "Morning Again, Ex Oh. Fancy meeting you here," before continuing to the engineering station.

At the sounds of a voice, Amelia glanced over her shoulder to see Lieutenant Karakalakss step off the turbolift. "Ah! Good morning Lieutenant." She took a deep breath "She's still got that 'new car' smell. She's got some big shoes to fill hasn't she? I was just thinking of some other famous Galaxy class starships..... The Odyssey, Challenger, Yamato, Venture and of course The Enterprise. Have you come to check out the bridge engineering interface?"

Lilura, while looking at the bridge engineering station, answered, "Kind of." As she turned to face Amelia to finish her answer, her tail moved to attach a suction handle to the console access even as the molecular binder moved of its own accord in space to undo the molecular seams to drop the panel. With her ears cupped full towards the XO, Lilura said, "I'm running into typical crossed systems caused by starbase engineering crew. Nav controls are reporting to the Engineering Console while Warp Core resonance reports are going to Nav... they forgot the system specific protocol header information in the routing. So, gotta come up here to get it done. And, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you to the bridge this early in the morning?"

Amelia turned to give the engineer her full attention "I had a meeting with the Captain this morning, he's in the ready room. The rest of the day i haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with my free time."

As her tail moved the panel over to lean up against another station, Lilura gurgled in humor and said, "At least you have free time. I'm being kept busier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.. I think is the Earth Colloquialism." She cocked her head, a thoughtful expression coming over her muzzle and face. She now said, "However, I do have a suggestion. Tonight is some of my free time, and I was planning on visiting the general Promenade on StarBase 308 as I think it will be much more fun than the officers shopping ring. That said, two is more fun than one. Would you want to meet me there at, say, around 1930 hours tonight for shopping, snacks, and seeing what kind of trouble we can get into?"

Amelia mused it over for a moment. "Sure sounds like fun. I Could so with some retail therapy, mind you the reception tomorrow evening is dress uniform." The tactical console beeped. Amelia frowned "Mmmmmm slight deviation in the shield grid" She looked back at Lilura "Something for engineering to have a look at?"

Lilura got ready to crouch to get under the console when the beep and Amelia's words stopped her. Lilura frowned slightly as she quickly progressed through the standing orders of the day for engineering staff. She came over to the tactical console to have a closer look while saying, "Yeah, more than possible. There shouldn't be any work being done on the shield emitters or charge systems until this afternoon, and that's just to run diagnostics and quick tracing of modulation characteristics." Her fingers moved over the console to isolate what was being reported.

"It could just be the sawdust settling" Amelia commented "But lets make sure eh?"

Lilura hrmmed as she said, "Ventral Grid Emitter four is the culprit, it's being powered down... now offline. That isn't right, could be somebody is messing with that shield area over the cargo bay. Ex Oh, want me to send some engineers to check it out, or.. do you have other ideas?"

Amelia grabbed a tricorder from the equipment locker. "I'm up for a stroll in that direction. You wanna grab a tool kit and join me?"

Lilura grinned and replied in a musical voice, "Wearing it. Let's go." Lilura led the way to the turbolift.

Amelia followed her into the turbolift.

Lilura called out, "Deck 26". She turned to Amelia and said, "Far aft is where to access the jeffrey tube that gets to that shield emitter."

"Sounds like the logical place to start. I think a stealthy approach would be best. You enter from one side and I'll take the other. Lieutenant.... Do you mind if I call you Lilura?"

Lilura chest gurgled again as she replied, "Please, by all means, I would enjoy that. How would you like me to call you, when we are away from pomp and circumstance?"

She smiled "Amelia would be just fine."

Once at deck 26, engineering support, Lilura went to the far aft section and then opened the Jeffrey tube access. Inside could be heard a couple of people speaking and the noise of tools working. She turned to look at Amelia, smiled, then sneakily entered the tube.

Quietly, Amelia entered thought the other access door, encircling their unsuspecting prey.

Near the shield emitter was Ops Chief Magnunsun and Eng Chief Trivien. They were in the process of setting up what looked to be a still. However, in doing the indirect taps for power, they had inadvertently taken down the Ventral Shield Emitter 4 for the time being. Lilura was barely able to suppress her gurgle/giggle. Her eyes twinkling with an amused smile on her face, she motioned across the way for Amelia to take point on this one. Lilura was not sure what this command thought about the secretive stills setup by Chiefs on board starfleet vessels... she was sure looking forward to finding out.

Amelia cleared her throat loudly. "Good morning gentleman. I assume you have a perfectly good explanation of why you are tapping into the shield grid to brew some moonshine?"

The two chiefs whirled to see a Lieutenant Female having found them. As she had spoken first, they did not notice the large 'dragon' lady on the other side as of yet. Normally, a Lt. would be no big deal, but as the Captain was a commander, she could be one of the senior or assistant senior officers. Magnunsun looked at Trivien who whispered a 'Told you so'. Both chiefs were nervous as Magnunsun answered in a shakey voice, "Well Ma'am, I thought it was an aux feed to cargo life support? And, the Engineering Still is always a known side legend on starships?"

The first officer folded her arm, speaking quietly but firmly. "We haven't even left Starbase yet and you two are already risking a stay in the brig. Now, you have exactly one hour to get rid of all this and restore the shield power gird couplings or you will feel my wrath and that of our Chief engineer here." She indicated to lilura. "Do I make myself clear?"

Magnunsun frowned as he echoed 'your wrath' even as Trivien glanced over to the other doorway, and froze. There was a dragon in the other doorway, in engineering garb, and it was the Chief Engineer? Trivien could not stop his shakes as he elbowed Magnunsun, who promptly replied, "I'm busy here." "Umm, look" "I have a situation..." "Just look" WTH? "What in the world?" Magnunsun was looking at Lilura with his mouth open.

Lilura took a step into the room, which made her size and differences all the more readily apparent, along with her foot claws ticking along the deck. She sweetly said, "The Ex Oh has given you an order... what is you're reply to her, *she added with an almost purr* Gentlemen?"

If whiplash could be given from headturns, both were suffering from them. Their attention went from a Dragon Lady to be focused on the Ex Oh, the liason between enlisted and officers, and the one person who held their well being, or lack there of, in her hands. Both replied in unison, "Ma'am, Yes Ma'am, understood."

Lilura growled out, "And I want both of you to store this in 'the ramp' on deck 37, then see me in my office in two hours, got it? If you feel the Senior Chief Engineering officer needs to be there, bring him.. *growling* Understood?"

It was only to training and being Chief Petty Officers that the two did not suffer from unintentional bladder leakage. They answered Lilura with, "Ma'am, Yes Ma'am."

Lilura nodded to Amelia and then left the space, knowing the two chiefs would carry out their orders, especially from the smells of them. Once out of earshot, Lilura turned to Amelia while grinning, and said, "I think you struck the fear of the Creator, or at least, the Ex Oh, into them." She glanced back to the space, then turned back to look at Amelia to ask, "So, speculatively, mind you, what would you say to a properly set up Rum or Bourbon assembly out of the way for those special occasions that only those in the know would know about or find?"

Amelia humphed "Well they deserved it. I mean what were they thinking? Tapping into the shield power grid? They're lucky they didn't get blown to bits!" She then wrinkled her nose "It stinks like cheep vinegar mixed with wet Targ. Whatever it was, I don't think they made it right."

Another gurgle sounded out from Lilura's chest. "Nope on all accounts, not thinking, and not made right. Thus why I included 'Properly Set Up assembly.' So, Amelia, I'll make sure to get you a sample and map location for the Liberated Libation Protocol Rig once it is going? Sound good?"

"Sounds good to me." Amelia replied.

Lilura steps up to the turbolift, then turns to the Ex Oh. She says, "Okay, I need to get back to the bridge to undue the crossed control signals. Meet you at the main shopping area on the starbase at, around, say, 1930 hours?"

Amelia thought for a moment. "I think I'll have a wonder around an get more familiar with the ship. I'll see you later?"

Lilura motioned her head to the time display on an LCARS Panel, which showed 0911 hours, and then replied, "I would hope so.. it's still early morning. I will more than likely see you later as our paths cross, even if only in for lunch. Toodles..." The turbolift doors closed upon the CEO of the Andromeda.

OFF:

Lieutenant Amelia Fox
Executive Officer
USS Andromeda

Lieutenant j.g. Lilura Siana Karakalakss
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Andromeda