Progress report - Repairs

Posted on 10 Feb 2010 @ 11:10pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

997 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M3: Shore Leave
Timeline: 2nd week at SB 47

Da`nal found MacCallum deep in a jefferies tube hard at work as always. The man was if nothing else determined, a very hands on individual. He thought it unfortunate that they had not found the time to just sit down together and talk. The engineer had been yanked off DS5 when the Freedom need repairs. Then while the ship had been in Romulan space it was more of the same. Now that they were back in Federation space here he was still working away. The man definitely needed a break and Da`nal thought he had a solution to that problem.

Making his way down the Tube to Flaherty's position he sat up as best he could. "Hello Chief, mind if I join you?"

Stopping his work inside one of the tube's panels momentarily, Macs gaze shifted quickly to the ship's Captain, "You're always welcome 'ere sar, what can I do for yeh?"

"Just thought I find you and see how things are going."

"Well," Mac sat upward uncomfortably from his previous hunched position, "I cannae complain much, th' repairs are going well, and ah've been havin' a swell time realignin' the EPS grid." he told him, harboring all the while an underlying curiousity about the real motive behind the conversation. A ship's Captain was not often found below decks with the working class officers, part of a common class distinction that command officers had no place in an engineering bay just as much as an engineer had no place on the Bridge.

"So what'll be th' news Cap'n, how long does th' starbase say it'll take to get her seaworthy again?"

"Their original estimate was 5 to 6 weeks. I had hoped it wouldn't take that long but I know how things can happen and delays tend to crop up now and then. Do you think we'll make that time frame?

"Oh, I cannae be sure righ' now, but I'll get 'er there soon enough. With the help I'm gettin' I may be able to swing a miracle with 're an' get her up in four." Mac told him with some enthusiasm. The ship was coming along nicely as a matter of fact, most of the systems were operational, if not already functioning and calibrated correctly.


<<<<<<<<<(da`nal's reaction depending on how you reply) How are thing working with Lt. Blaire? Knowing all to well how territorial engineer can get he added, "You two playing nice?">>>>>>>>


"Well, I cannae say I was ever so enthused about her bein' 'ere, " Mac admitted as he pulled on something inside the open panel, then added, "But I 'ave come ta realize that she's been most helpful, and she's nice ta work with." Mac found her to be hardworking, intelligent, and just all around easy to get along with. This was a deep contrast to his original suppositions that she would be a pushy control-freak with delusions of Godhood, and was pleased with how well she had integrated the starbase's crew with his own. "She's got a knack, nae, a talent for workin' in Engineering even though I think this'll be 'er first ship to work on. I think she's got a way with people too, she's a hell o' a manager."

"High praise." A though began to hatch in his mind. "And here I had expected there to be friction between the two of you. Its a rare thing to have Starbase engineer work well with a ships engineering program. But then again it hasn't been that long since I plucked you from Deep Space 5. Perhaps that explains the lack of friction."

"You'll have ta remember, Sar, that I had my own command b'fore I was ever on DS5."

Mac's old memories of the Epsilon came flooding back, little snippets in time of things he had forgotten about. He could see the shape of the Engineering room, the core design, the main power allocation panel he always used, all of the things that he both missed and was glad to be rid of now that he had the Freedom. It was a harsh reality for him, that he had only been placed in command of his section after his chief's deaths on both occasions, and never once selected by merit alone even after he had been a light Commander.

"I will say that it helps, but there's really less friction b'cause of how she operates, like she understands th' shipside systems bett'r than she does th' station's." Mac continued, still fiddling with something inside the panel.

"Well at least you two are working well together." The Chiefs praise and confidence in the liason officer only added momentum to his planning.

With his ship obviously in good hands he decided to change the subject. "Have you been able to get off ship and relax at all since we arrived?"

Mac winced slightly, a reaction to his being required to answer the question of why he hadn't yet left the docked ship. The truth was, he had absolutely no reason to, or even the slightest desire to go aboard the base. "Well Sar, It's nae that I dinnae have th' opportunity, it's jus' that I don't really need anything aboard th' base." He told the Captain, letting the rise and fall of his voice inflections tell how much he loathed being aboard starbases. They were dirty places, often ridden with scum and criminals alike that reminded himself of his previous life, the one he had always tried to run away from.

"I hope you understand, it's just that I 'ave everything I need here."

He nodded slightly however he couldn't have his chief engineer working himself to death either. "Well if you choose to remain aboard that's your choice, but take time for yourself at least."

The Engineer shrugged and Da`nal begin to manuever his way to head out. "Well then I'll leave you to finish up then."

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Captain Da`nal
CO

Lieutenant MacCallum Flaherty
CEO

 

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